Review: Michal by Jill Eileen Smith

Michal (The Wives of King David #1)
By: Jill Eileen Smith
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3320-9

About the book:

The daughter of King Saul, Michal lives a life of privilege – but one that is haunted by her father’s unpredictable moods and competition from her beautiful older sister. As a girl, Michael quickly falls for the handsome young harpist, David. But soon after their romance begins, David must flee for his life, leaving Michal at her father’s mercy in the prison that is King Saul’s palace.

Will Michal ever be reunited with David? Or is she doomed to remain separated from him forever?

Against the backdrop of opulent palace life, raging war, and daring desert escapes, Jill Eileen Smith takes you on an emotional journey as Michal deals with love, loss, and personal transformation as the first wife of King David.

Review:

With her debut novel, Jill Eileen Smith explores the tumultuous life of Michal, daughter of King Saul and the first wife of David. Honestly, Michal is a character that I never really gave much thought to before. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of thinking of the people that populate the pages of scripture as flat characters, rather than as the wonderful, flawed, fully-rounded human beings they actually were, filled with fears and hopes. Though Michal’s life has been reduced to mention in only a handful of verses, she witnessed an incredible amount of history and heartbreak. The way Smith brings Michal to life, from her early years as a young princess in Saul’s court, in love with David the simple shepherd, to the unfathomable tragedy she witnessed as Saul’s family fell from power, absolutely captivated me from the first page.

Smith’s narrative closely follows the Biblical account of David’s life and rise to power found in 1 and 2 Samuel. In many cases, she incorporates some of the actual dialogue from the scriptures which adds further authenticity to the novel. Her research and passion for the time period clearly shines through in her vivid descriptions of palace life. It was easy to imagine myself in that world, walking alongside Michal and David, drinking in the sights, sounds, and smells of ancient Israel. The book covers decades in Michal’s life, often with jumps of one to six years between chapters. Those transitions can be a little abrupt, but overall they did not detract from my enjoyment of the story or my complete immersion into Michal’s world. And although the focus of this novel is Michal, David also emerges as a fascinating and complex man. Smith gives readers a window into the personal, family side of David, while not neglecting David the king and worshipper so well known in the pages of the Bible. I wanted to smack him when he started accumulating multiple wives. Through Michal’s role as first – and childless – wife, Smith gives a very human face to the toll such a lifestyle must have taken on women during that time.

I really appreciate how Smith depicted the many cultural and social standards a woman in Michal’s position dealt with seem so foreign today. Seeing Saul’s descent into madness from the perspective of a daughter was absolutely terrifying, especially since as a woman she was wholly subject to his dictates as her father and king. I cannot imagine the courage it took to help David escape Saul’s wrath in the early days of their marriage, and then to endure being given to another man when Saul declared her marriage to David void. It’s easy to understand Michal’s struggles with anger and bitterness, and how she clung to her dream of being declared David’s queen as her salvation. In a culture that placed a premium on a woman’s ability to provide her husband with children, Michal’s struggles with anger, fear, and bitterness over the uncertainty of her position at court are heartbreaking. Her journey towards redemption, and a personal relationship with David’s beloved God after enduring so much heartbreak and horror was beautiful to witness. Michal does not get your typical happy ending, but it’s the right ending for her story, offering the hope and restoration that only a relationship with God can supply to a life torn asunder by circumstance. Very well done – I look forward to the sequels!

The 39 Steps - premiering tomorrow on Masterpiece!

Tomorrow Masterpiece will be airing a new adaptation of John Buchan's novel, The 39 Steps. This story was previously brought to life by master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock in 1935. This version stars one of my favorites, Rupert Penry-Jones (*swoon*). :) Here's a bit about the story:

Richard Hannay's pre World War I listless life in London is spiraling out of control. Armed with a secret notebook, Hannay is on the run to save himself and his country. Along with feisty suffragette Victoria Sinclair, the two face betrayal and near death. Starring Rupert Penry-Jones and Lydia Leonard, this bracing and romantic thriller is based on the novel by John Buchan.

Review: Miss Match by Sara Mills

Miss Match (Allie Fortune Mysteries #2)
By: Sara Mills
Publisher: Moody
ISBN: 978-0-8024-6927-4

About the book:
Jack…I’m in trouble, big trouble. Once, many years ago, we trusted each other completely. I’m asking you to trust me like that again. I need you. If you can, come to Berlin. I’ll find you.

FBI agent Jack O’Connor receives this cryptic letter from Maggie, a woman he used to love. The FBI refuses to get involved, so Jack asks another woman to help him investigate. Wasting no time, Allie Fortune, the best private eye in New York City, comes up with a plan to get them both into Germany.

Maggie was a Red Cross nurse in the war, and she has stayed in the divided city of Berlin to look after an orphaned child. Trapped and in hiding, she has nowhere to turn…except to Jack.
And little does Allie Fortune know that this case might just lead right to her own mysterious past…

Review:

In many ways, not much has changed in Allie Fortune’s life since she met FBI agent Jack O’Connor and they partnered together to successfully close a major case. She’s still the only female private investigator in New York City, still has tense dinners with her parents every Wednesday night, and she’s till searching for her lost love David Rubeneski, missing in action since the end of the war. When Jack calls asking for her help, she knows the situation is serious – Maggie, the woman who turned him down years before, has written from divided Berlin needing help. Armed with only a cryptic letter and no idea of the danger Maggie is in, Allie and Jack travel to Berlin determined to save her life. But Allie has a side mission to complete – her mother has charged her with finding a priest in the war-ravaged city and delivering a mysterious gift. Between her mother’s request and the threats closing in around Maggie and her secrets, Allie is shocked when the current investigation rips open old wounds from her own past. With more than her life and the lives of her friends at stake, Allie must navigate the dangerous world of international espionage if she’s to have a chance to lay the past to rest and move on with her life.

The best way I can describe Sara Mills’ writing is that it’s like film noir on the page. I’ve been on a film noir viewing kick lately, and watching classics like Laura, I Wake Up Screaming, and The Dark Corner proved to be perfect viewing complements to Sara’s rich, atmospheric storytelling. The way past and present collide in Miss Match is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. I love how Mills takes each character’s secrets and forces them to confront their fears in the light of present danger. Allie is as smart and engaging as she was in her debut, but since meeting Jack, a guy who genuinely values her friendship and her rather unorthodox job skill set, she’s begun to open up. Kudos to Mills for creating such a fantastic investigative team in Allie and Jack – theirs is a genuine, rewarding friendship based on mutual respect and understanding. But emotional risk and self-reflective moments are not always welcome or easy to endure, as proven when Allie discovers a shocking secret about her mother’s past that forces her to re-evaluate her own character and prejudices.

Miss Match is the perfect blend of post-war intrigue and mystery, the ideal read for anyone who appreciates the tone and storytelling style of classic film noir. A page-turning tale mystery, faith, and second chances, I only hope that one day not too far in the future we’ll get a third Allie Fortune mystery to continue Miss Match’s KILLER cliffhanger. :)

Click to read my review of the first Allie Fortune mystery, Miss Fortune.

"Til I Hear You Sing"

I am completely and totally in love with this song (and the singer, Ramin Karimloo, ha!). "Til I Hear You Sing" is the first single from Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.



I know this just opened in London, but oh my I hope it makes its way to the States soon!

Review: Miss Fortune by Sara Mills

This review was originally posted on my old blog in October 2008.


Miss Fortune (Allie Fortune Mystery #1)
By: Sara Mills
Publisher: Moody
ISBN: 978-0-8024-6926-7

Back cover summary:

It's 1947 and Allie Fortune is the only female (and perhaps the best) private investigator in New York City.

But she's kept awake at nigh by a mystery of her own - her fiance disappeared in the war and Allie is haunted more by the unknown than by finding out the worst.

Her work is a welcome distraction, and she's just been hired by a client who isn't telling the whole truth. Mary Gordon's claims of innocence don't fit with her ransacked apartment, being shot at, and the two Soviet agents hot on her trail.

Meanwhile the FBI is working the case because a legendary and mysterious treasure has gone missing...again. The only catch for Allie is her new "partner" Jack, an attractive, single agent who knows how to make her smile.

As Allie and Jack chase after the gold, they must contend with the Soviets who also want the priceless treasure back - after all, they stole it fair and square.

Review:

Allie Fortune's life is hanging in limbo. David, the only man she ever loved, disappeared in the war. Two years later, still haunted by regrets, Allie is unable to move forward with her life until the mystery of David's disappearance is laid to rest. She's spent years honing her skills as an investigator, building a solid reputation, acquiring contacts, and calling in every favor imaginable in ultimately fruitless attempts to discover David's fate. When Mary Gordon walks through her office door, claiming she's being stalked, little does Allie realize that Mary's duplicity will draw her into a web of deceit and danger that may just give her the opportunity to make peace with her past - but only if she can survive the threats coalescing around her client's dangerous secret.

Miss Fortune is the perfect "marriage" of two of my obsessions - World War II era history and classic film. Allie's adventures pay particular homage to film noir classics like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. She's a female version of the "hard-boiled" detective type made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the aforementioned films as well as other detectives who populated 1940s film classics like Laura (and Dana Andrews's unforgettable detective). It's a rare thing to encounter a novel that makes me feel like I'm watching an absorbing film unfold, but Mills has achieved that feat with her debut here. The pages of Miss Fortune drip with atmosphere, and Allie's voice - a combination of smarts, sarcasm, and a touch of world-weariness - is utterly captivating. I appreciated the lack of "preachiness" to the story. The spiritual thread is subtly introduced as Allie gradually comes to realize self-reliance is hindering her life at the expense of protecting her heart. Mills includes tantalizing glimpses of Allie's history with David - just enough to tease the reader into wanting more (prequel, anyone? ). My one quibble with this book is that we don't get to know Jack well enough (however, my fingers are crossed that this will be remedied with the sequel, Miss Match, due to release March 2009 - the story blurb looks promising!). The characterizations, pacing, and dialogue all seamlessly work together to transport the reader into Allie's world of danger and intrigue. Personally I can't wait to make another trip with the sequel.

Northanger Abbey revisited

Since Northanger Abbey was rebroadcast last week on Masterpiece Classic, I thought it might be time to pull out my DVD and revisit the film and my initial impressions of it. I originally reviewed the film in January 2008, when it aired as part of the Jane Austen season on Masterpiece. So without further ado, here's my original post on the movie:

"Perhaps after all it is possible to read too many novels."— Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey

Time to rehash Northanger Abbey, and no surprise here, but I LOVED it. It's got everything going for it - a smart script (courtesy of the inimitable Andrew Davies), excellent direction and pacing, and a spot-on, practically perfect cast all giving sparkling performances. This is the first film adaptation of this story that I've seen - and while I have nothing to compare it to movie-wise, I have a feeling that it is leaps and bounds better than the previous BBC version.

At the moment I'm feeling too lazy to write a decent summary of the story, so thanks to Kaye for letting me borrow her version.

The daughter of a country clergyman, Catherine Morland has a passion for gothic romance novels and a vivid imagination. She gets the opportunity to go to Bath for the season with family friends. While in Bath, she makes the acquaintance of the Thorpe family, specifically Isabella, who is engaged to Catherine’s brother, and John. Isabella teaches Catherine the fine art of flirtation, and soon John is showing romantic interest in Catherine.

Catherine, however, isn’t interested in the wild John, but in the quiet Henry Tilney. Henry’s father, General Tilney, under the misinformation that Catherine is wealthy, invites Catherine to come spend some time at their ancestral home, Northanger Abbey. The Abbey answers all of Catherine’s gothic imaginings; and as soon as she arrives, the fun begins.

Felicity Jones delivers a wonderful performance as the highly imaginative Catherine. Her wide-eyed ingenue is wholly believable (and, wonder of wonders, I didn't find her annoying...LOL). The scenes where her imagination gets caught up in some outlandish, Gothic romance are hilarious and oh so much fun to watch.

Catherine's friend, the flirtatious Isabella Thorpe, is played by Carey Mulligan - she's an actress to watch IMO. She played Kitty Bennett in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, as well as appearing in Bleak House and the forthcoming My Boy Jack (co-starring Daniel Radcliffe, to air on Masterpiece Theatre later this year). She reminds me a bit of Romola Garai (most recently seen in Atonement), who I tend to like, but occassionally gets on my nerves by coming off as rather vapid. I like Mulligan...she always seems to have a great deal of spunk and sparkle in her performances.

Our hero, the noble Henry Tilney, is played by JJ Feild. I love JJ (yeah we're on a first name basis like that...LOL...in my dreams, I know, I know...) and thought he was perfectly cast for this role. He struck a nice balance between the serious and the teasing as regards his relationship with Catherine. JJ's got a slightly nerdy edge to him, but that just makes him all the more endearing, doesn't it? He's also going to be an actor to watch...he's appeared in The Railway Children (made quite an impression on me even then, LOL!), Poirot: Death on the Nile, The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton, and Ruby in the Smoke.

The director, Jon Jones (also directed Mrs. Beeton) is to be applauded for his work - the pacing of the film was excellent. I loved the costumes and sets - the shots of Northanger Abbey were wonderful, with a deliciously creepy feel. The camera work and lighting all succeeded in striking the right balance between Catherine's imagination and reality - the Abbey scenes and just enough of a suspicious feel that Catherine's imaginings don't seen entirely unfounded. And I loved the score & main theme by Charlie Mole - he also scored Mrs. Beeton, as well as An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. His work succeeds in striking the right balance between suspense and the comic elements of the story.

My one very slight quibble is with the ending...it seemed a tad abrupt. Of course, that's probably due to the restriction of a ninety-minute running time. Also, I would've much rather ended on a picture of Henry and Catherine, instead of old man Tilney, but that's just a personal preference (LOL). Other than that, which I really wouldn't classify as a complaint at all, I thought this film was just about as perfect as can be. It strikes just the right tone and pace in bringing to life Austen's gentle parody of the Gothic fiction so popular in her time.

The DVD of Northanger Abbey is available for purchase here.

***I will say this, my opinion of Romola Garai as an actress has improved somewhat since I wrote this post back in 2008! ;-)

Persuasion encore

Just a reminder, if you've never seen the latest film adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion (also known as "Rupert Penry-Jones will make you swoon," LOL), PBS is airing an encore presentation of this film tonight. For me the highlight of this film is definitely the casting of Captain Wentworth. :) Here's the summary from the Masterpiece website:

Unhappily unmarried at age 27, and dealing with family financial peril, hope is fading from Anne Elliot's (Sally Hawkins, Little Britain) life. Circumstances bring Captain Frederick Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones, Casanova), a dashing naval officer she once deeply loved, back into her life eight years after Anne was persuaded by her family to reject his marriage proposal. Having returned from sea with a new fortune, Wentworth is surrounded by swooning women while Anne broods at the periphery, longing to be in Wentworth's favor. Now Anne comes face-to-face with the deep regret of her old decision, and her abiding love for Wentworth, as she wonders if a long ago love can be rekindled.

Enjoy. :)

New Doctor Who trailer!

I came across a new Doctor Who trailer for series 5 on the blogs today. It's great to get another look at Matt Smith as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor, as well as the new companion, Amy, played by Karen Gillan. However, the most exciting part of seeing this trailer is the revelation that series 5 is going to start at Easter - that will be here before we know it! Hopefully BBC America won't be far behind the BBC in giving us the new episodes. :)