The first chapter in THE ENGLISH WIFE draws the reader into
the story immediately. Bay Van Duyvil, the novel's hero, is
murdered and his wife, Annabelle is presumed dead. The
murders take place during a Twelfth Night masked ball at the
couple's home located on the banks of the Hudson River. Bay
and Annabelle were murdered while their guests were dancing
and drinking champagne.
The dual narrative technique enables author Lauren Willig to
bring the characters of Bay and Annabelle Van Duyvil to
life. Understanding the couple's romance is important to
the plot, and each chapter devoted to them adds depth to the
intriguing storyline. I adored Bay and Annabelle and their
devotion to each other. Janie Van Duyvil's desire for the
truth about her brother's murder moves the present day
storyline forward.
Janie forges a secret alliance with reporter James Burke to
see past the scandal and piece together what happened to her
brother. This act of courage drew me into the story as the
aristocracy did not socialize outside of their social class.
I enjoyed that Janie remained steadfast in her pursuit of
the truth despite the disapproval from her domineering
mother. As Burke uncovers secrets from the past, Janie
starts to unravel her brother and sister-in-law's
complicated history. Janie's self-confidence grows during
the novel, and I loved that she was able to finally stand up
to her mother.
Lauren Willig effortlessly blends the elements of suspense,
intrigue, and romance throughout the novel. I enjoyed the
characters, the references to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
and the author's subtle commentary on the social standards
of the day. The pacing of The English Wife is superb. The
last few chapters of this classic gothic whodunit are filled
with suspense and intrigue as each character, and their
truth is unmasked. The tension in these plot-driven chapters
was heightened because the main characters were snowed in at
Bay and Annabelle's empty gothic style home during a
blizzard. It's freezing inside the home because there is no
coal and the main characters—all of the murder suspects—are
forced to spend time together in one small room. Burke
arrives with surprising new information about one of the
suspects....this information changes the course of the
story. These chapters kept me guessing and reading past my
bedtime! The conclusion is fabulous! I must admit I did not
see the big reveal---I had someone else pegged as the murderer.
If you are looking for a suspenseful mystery with intriguing
characters, you will love THE ENGLISH WIFE, a real page-turner!
From New York Times bestselling author, Lauren
Willig, comes this scandalous novel set in the Gilded Age,
full of family secrets, affairs, and even murder.
Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New
York: he's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she
grew up in a Tudor manor in England, they had a whirlwind
romance in London, they have three year old twins on whom
they dote, and he's recreated her family home on the banks
of the Hudson and renamed it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors
that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors
are rumors and people will gossip.
But then Bayard is found
dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth
Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and
the papers go mad. Bay's sister, Janie, forms an unlikely
alliance with a reporter to uncover the truth, convinced
that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a
third party, but the more she learns about her brother and
his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about
them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife,
really? And why did her brother die with the name George on
his lips?
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