The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette

What a pleasure to immerse oneself in this witty and refreshingly quirky classic crime novel. R. Raichev writes with verve and elegance, deftly leading us from one conundrum to another, creating an aura of intrigue and subtle excitement. The characters are strongly portrayed - ranging from the charming and reasonable to the wild, raddled and outlandish! Slick, stylish and enormous fun, this is a tale for the discerning and self-indulgent.

English mysteries abound, so contributing an original, distinctive addition to the genre represents quite a feat. "The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette" meets the challenge thanks to the peppy, agile writing of author Raichev and his creative approach to formulating and solving a perplexing mystery about a young girl with developmental problems who, on the day Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married in 1981, was presumed drowned on a country estate and whose body was never found. Librarian Antonia Darcy -- one of the guests at the estate when the child disappeared all those years ago -- and her gentleman friend, witty Major Payne, investigate a multiplicity of leads to what might have really happened. Their sleuthing puts them in uneasy contact with the odd ducks (some of whom are Russian and Greek rather than English), who were also present on the estate that fateful day. The intricately plotted book peels off many secrets as it stretches for the finish line, culminating in a wily resolution. Raichev not only pays careful attention to constructing his mystery and his character portraits but also injects numerous literary references into the book's quick-witted conversations and sets scenes and ambience with precise word paintings. He handily manages to distinguish his mystery with a unique out-of-the-box presentation style; in other words, he wraps "The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette" in a beautiful bow of irresistibility. Well done.

Raiko Raichev's novel THE HUNT FOR SONYA DUFRETTE is the sort of book that you don't want to pick up unless you can read through the whole thing, so give yourself a bit of time. I didn't want to put it down and cancelled three other engagements to finish it. Antonia Darcy, formerly Rushton, is a sophisticated divorcee working on the staff of the Military Club in London, with a delightful son David and a cute little granddaughter. Something's missing from her life, however, something beyond her husband who left her a year or so ago for a girl the age of their daughter-in-law. One of the questions the novel asks is, how does one cope with complete and utter social humiliation? It's also about failed dreams, as in flashback Antonia remembers the day during which all around the world, millions watched the wedding of Charles and Diana on TV. Among the house parties was the one she attended at Twiston, during which a little retarded girl, Sonya Dufrette, disappeared. A girl close in age to Antonia's own son. The grieving parents tear up the scenery, and the mother, a colorful Russian emigre, blames Antonia for the death. Now, twenty years later, and torn up by guilt, Antonia decides to re-read her own account of that trying weekend, and when she sits down with it (at her job, which I thought was a little lackadaisical) she comes up with some internal contradictions which call out for the deconstruction of detection! Luckily she has attracted a new admirer, Major Payne, a successful farmer and Military Club member and the two of them start investigating together. I always love those books where people investigate crimes from way in the past (the locus classicus for me being FIVE LITTLE PIGS by Agatha Christie). This one did not disappoint, though afterwards I was thinking, the suspects gave it up pretty easily, didn't they? Antonia and Major Payne had no more than to offer to buy a drink for these comparative strangers, and they were blabbing their heads off, confessing their deeepest secrets. Especially Lena! Pity really, because otherwise the book is filled with tremendous twists and turns on a Jeffrey Deaver scale and well worth your time and money.

An engrossing mystery -- strange memorable characters - a marvellously clever plot. NB It would be of particular interest to those already familiar with the conventions and practitioners of the genre. Note the reference to 'baronesses with missions.'. I can hardly wait for the next in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery by a first-time author. Drawn to the book by its dustwrapper depicting Ham House in England, I found the story line intriguing, the detective duo (Antonia and Major Payne, who become romantically involved as the mystery unfolds) sympathetic, and the dialogue witty. It was a pleasure to read, and I intend to get the future books in the series. Any fan of country house mysteries will like this book.