What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angelina Reddy (Dear America) by Susan Patron -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Angeline lives with her parents in the wild western town of Bodie, California in 1880. Her father is a criminal lawyer noted for his ability to keep people out of jail. He's also dead or supposedly murdered in the saloon where he keeps his office. Angeline and her mother are convinced that Patrick/Papa is hiding out, waiting to see what happens without law and order. What happens is that the vigilante posse 601 is out riding around in masks shooting and burning and running "undesirable" people out of town. Angeline sets out to search for clues to her father's disappearance, beginning with a a message brought by a strange Chinese girl named Ling Loi. Angeline's budding friendship with the wealthy Eleanor Tucker reveals more secrets and mysteries in the form of a ghost child. As Angeline searches for clues about her missing father, she discovers the residents of Bodie are all hiding behind masks and when those masks are taken off, then her father will come home and all will be well. Despite the dangerous times, Angeline feels safe because a handsome young clerk at Wells Fargo, Antoine Duval, is looking out for her along with a group of rag-tag actors known as The Horribles. Angeline is drawn to their wit and satirical stories and longs to be a part of their world. This book is not for the faint of heart. It features murder, vigilante justice, warnings about opium addiction, racism, and prostitution. The description of the wild western town of Bodie is very vivid and the author holds nothing back. I really appreciated that as an adult reader but I'm not sure how much the realistic, gritty details will appeal to the target reader group. The mystery of Angeline's missing father isn't much of a mystery. The truth is revealed to Angeline early on and I feel it was too early and should have been dragged out longer. The other mystery, about the ghost child is more compelling and also very true to the harsh realities of life in the 19th century. I do not feel that Angeline is a very memorable character. She doesn't leap off the page as some of the other Dear America characters do and her writing style is boring. Some of the dialogue, especially Ellie's, sounds fake. I think Ling Loi should have been the main character for her story is much more interesting. Taking into consideration all of the Dear America series, this one stands slightly above average but is not the best of the best. I would recommend it for young adults 14 and up and adults interested in a realistic portrayal of life in the Wild West. 

Midnight Masquerade by Joan Smith -- Regency Romance/Mystery

Deidre Gower's aunt, the Duchess of Charney, is robbed of her prized diamond necklace by a man masquerading as a ghost at a New Year's house party given by Deidre's fiance's mother, Lady Bertie Belami. Deidre immediately suspects her fiance, Lord Richard Belami, for he arrives rather late to the party full of lame excuses. Deidre knows Lord Belami has no intention of marrying her and she has no desire for the match either. Dick is determined to prove his innocence in the affair of the necklace and find the true culprit by deduction and reasoning. He enlists the aid of his foolish, bumbling friend Pronto Pilgrim and Deidre insists on sleuthing too. Chief among the suspects are the scandalous Lady Lenore, her lover (her husband is elsewhere), and Lord Bidwell, who helped Lady Lenore plan a tryst with her lover just before the diamond was stolen. Another suspect soon appears but Dick is reluctant to accuse without proof. For that he needs some help from Lady Lenore which lands him in hot water with Deidre, who has come to consider him in the light of more than a friend. While partnering with Deidre in searching for clues, Dick discovers a warm heart enclosed within Deidre's cold external appearance. He finds himself desiring to fan the flames of her heart and win her hand, but first he needs to find that diamond. This novel is simply dreadful and not worth the time or effort to read it. There are too many characters to keep track of in the mystery. The mystery is engaging enough to have kept me guessing all the way through. However, the quality of writing lacks considerably especially compared to Georgette Heyer and the more recent Jane Austen mystery series by Stephanie Barron. The romance is more of a grand sweeping passion than marriage of the minds. The characters come to appreciate each other and feel desire for one another but they never really quite make it as a couple, in my opinion. The hero is an entirely selfish rake who desires what he can't have and Deidre succumbs to his charms. I would not recommend this book to anyone who like quality literature and well-written, well-developed characters and plots. If you just like to read about Regency house parties and enjoy a good mystery, you might like this one.