The Mistress of Alderley

by Robert Barnard

Book Overview

"People who think of village mysteries as being sweet and simple must never have read one of Robert Barnard's subversive little gems."--New York TimesWell-known actress Caroline Fawley has given up... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743236882
• ISBN13: 9780743236881
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

The Author has Perfected the Writing of a Good Mystery

Robert Barnard, currently lives with his wife in Yorkshire. He was born in Essex on 23 November, 1936. Educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College, Oxford, taking his Ph.D. from the University of Bergen, Norway, in 1972, he spent many years as a distinguished academic while establishing himself as one of today's most distinguished crime writers. His fascination with the pure detective story is evident in his many novels. Caroline Fawley, has a good life. She is an actress whose work on television has made her not only popular but wealthy as well and she is happy to court the attention that she receives from her new neighbour in the village of Alderley, in Yorkshire. The romantic weekend visits from her boyfriend, the supermarket heir Marius Fleetwood, give the local all the gossip they need to keep them going through the week. But Caroline's life is turned upside down when a young man who looks remarkably si9milar to Marius turns up on her doorstep unannounced. Within a few weeks Marius has gone missing and it is not long before a body is found . . .

A quick read, if not a page turner...

After two failed marriages Caroline Fawley is at last living an idyllic life. Her married lover has installed her at Alderly, an elegant country home in a small English town, and she has abandoned her acting career to be available to him and to her three children, the younger two of whom are still at home. On the weekends, Marius escapes from his responsibilities as a grocery store tycoon to join Caroline in fornication and mutual admiration of her gardening endeavors. Their relationship, frowned on though it may be by the local rector, is relatively aboveboard, or so Caroline thinks: Marius's wife Sheila, left behind in London, is a co-conspirator in their amicable marital charade and is reportedly busy with her own extramarital liaisons, one of which has left her impregnated. Add to this stew of copulating characters an unwittingly flatulent baron, a nyphomaniacal opera singer, borderline incestuous interest, and, of course, a murder, and you have a delightful romp of a book. A quick read, if not a page-turner, and one that makes the book-mom look forward to more easy evenings with Robert Barnard, now that we've found each other. Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Insightful mystery

I found reading this novel to be exceptionally enjoyable. The plot is well crafted and the characters are interesting and well delineated. This book combines both a serious study of human nature with a clever wittiness that is a trademark of the author. The mystery itself is adequate, neither overly shocking nor contrived. It is really two novels in one with a spare writing style that I like; it's both a mystery and a social commentary.

entertaining mystery

Former renowned actress Caroline Fawley enjoys her life as a kept woman living in Marsham Village with two of her three children. Caroline enjoys the weekend visits of her married lover Marius Fleetwood, who pays her bills including residing at the luxurious Alderley Mansion.Accompanied by Marius, Caroline attends her oldest daughter Olivia's opera performance. Marius sneaks away as he usually does when he comes to an opera, but plans to return just prior to curtain call. Olivia is a success, but Marius fails to return. The next day, the police ask Caroline to look at the murdered corpse of an elegantly dressed man, who she identifies as Marius. As she worries about the future, the truths she believed about her lover begins to prove false, making her wonder about her beloved and why anyone wanted him dead.Though the story line takes its time to introduce the players, readers will relish the wait for once the plot shifts into gear, it never slows down until the end. The characters are fully developed even those who are off stage like Marius' wife so that the audience has a feel for what motivates the cast though much of what is learned about the victim proves untrue. Robert Barnard provides the audience with an entertaining mystery that emphasizes the main and support cast. Harriet Klausner

Another winner from Robert Barnard

As a long-time fan of the mystery novels of Robert Barnard, I can tell you that he has come up with yet another of his intriguing plots, full of twists and turns, feints and misleading hints. The tale centers on ex-actress Caroline Fawley, the mistress of the punning title: she is mistress of the grand house 'Alderley' as well as the mistress of a grocery-chain tycoon who set her up in that house. One of Barnard's great talents is his eye for detail, and in this case some of the more telling details come from the world of opera, something that Barnard obviously knows and loves. Olivia Fawley, Caroline's eldest daughter, is a budding opera star making her Opera North début as Leonora in Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino.' An important plot point hinges on the timing, on opening night, of Olivia's appearances onstage. There are vivid descriptions of Leeds, the novel's locale, just as earlier in Barnard's career he infused his novels set in Norway with details of that country's milieu. One comes away with a lively sense of place. In spite of his being quite a prolific writer, Barnard continues to come up with fresh ideas and produce effective character studies, both reasons I continue reading him.Recommended.Scott Morrison