The Dancing Floor

Heather Tradescant has been in a very dark place since her father passed away. With the money he left her, she is struggling to complete a journey they had planned to make together. In trying to fulfill his dreams, she is visiting famous ancient gardens and this one is at the top of the list-but she is denied entry. Dejected and in despair, she spots an opening in the tall impenetrable bramble of hedge that surrounds it and decides to try to get at least a peek at her goal. Like Alice, she tumbles down a rabbit-hole, into a world of mystery, magic, and murder that may lead to her heart's desire, or her end. Barbara Michaels takes perfectly ordinary and imperfect people and weaves them together in a tapestry of humor, mystery, and romance. One of the saddest days of my life was when I heard that the incomparable Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters, aka Barbara Mertz) had passed on to her next adventure. Knowing there will be no more of her books makes each re-read bittersweet, yet I regularly cycle through them. There is nothing to compare being written today and no matter how many times I read them, they still captivate me.

This Barbara Michaels mystery is first rate, well written, completely absorbing. I read it in two nail biting days. Excellent book. The heroine of the store is Heather Tradescent. She lost both her parents in a car crash and was left with a lot of life insurance money and the desire to complete a dream of her's and her late father's -- to visit historic gardens in Great Britain. Sounds dull? Trust me it isn't. Heather visits all the gardens before the story begins. This book begins with her determination to see the last garden on the list she and her father made up. Though the grounds are closed to visitors, she isn't deterred and ends up crashing through a hedge at the feet of the very wealthy homeowner and his son. When the home owner hears her name (an name linked with the history of his land) he asks her to stay and help him restore the garden. Sound dull? It's not. This book isn't about restoring an old garden, it's about complex relationships that develop intertwined with a mysterious plot that involves some one plotting Heather's murder. OK, here's where I have to stop, I don't want to give any of story away, but will say that the end had some twists and turns that will take your breath away! This is an excellent book and the mystery ... well let's just say, Ms. Michaels keeps you guessing. Mixed up with the mystery is a romantic story as well, so you have just the right mix of suspense, mystery, and a little romance to spice things up and keep you guessing. I borrowed this book from the library and will now be seeking a keeper copy for my bookshelf.

This is my first ever Barbara Michaels book. i absolutely loved it!!!!!! its the perfect combo of suspense and romance! Barbara created perfectly believable and funny characters. near the end, though, it goes from romance/thriller to pure thriller to pure romance! it ended so wonderfully and w/ one of her extraordinary cliffhangers. im definitely looking forward to digging into Shattered Silk this weekend!

Barbara Michaels is the rare author who is able to make her charectors have the appearance of regular, normal people who end up in strange circumstances. She draws us into the mystery and you can count on strange twists and turns in the plot throughout the story. I think what I like best about this story is it is not about sex, however the underlying currents of attraction make her writing real and we know what the charectors feel without pages of it spelled out to us - finally an author who realizes we have an imagination too! I love a well told story and this is one that won't leave the reader disappointed.

This is the first novel I've ever read by Barbara Michaels but after this I must say that I'm hooked. If you enjoy mystery thrillers then this book is for you. Michaels is a superb writer! The Dancing Floor is an excellently crafted story set in the heart of the English countryside. Mystery, some romance, the way the plot unfolds, and most of all the distinguished personalities of the characters make this novel the masterpiece that it is.

---- THE DANCING FLOOR Barbara Michaels Harper Collins, Mar 1997, $23.00, 422 pp. When Heather Tradescent's beloved father suddenly passed away, the bereaving woman decides to see the British homes and gardens that she and her deceased dad had planned to visit. With her vacation almost over, Heather visits Troystan House, which is not open to the public, but somehow she manages to find a way inside where she meets the eccentric rich owner, industrialist Frank Karim, who makes her part of the family. At first, Heather has her doubts, but ultimately the warmth of the place makes her feel that she finally has found a place where she belongs. As she gets more comfortable, Heather falls in love with Franks's son, Gordon, but doubts he reciprocates her feelings. However, things turn bad when a child turns up missing and the evidence indicates that a coven is behind the event. Instead of finding a heavenly home, Heather may have placed herself in mortal danger. Barbara Michaels can always be counted on for writing an entertaining book and her latest novel, THE DANCING FLOOR, will augment her growing reputation. Heather and the support cast are all great characters, but it is Ms. Michaels' ability to increasingly build tension while tossing hints of potential supernatural involvement that makes this an exciting romantic suspense drama. Harriet Klausner