The Splendour Falls

I absolutely loved this book set in Chinon, France about the castle (of the same name) which was originally built by Henry II (and where he died) and steeped in history. Susanna Kearsley does not disappoint her readers with a little mystery thrown in. As the story unfolds, Emily heads for Chinon to meet up with her friend Harry to explore the town and the castle. When Emily arrives at the hotel in Chinon, she discovers that Harry has disappeared and no one at the hotel has seen him. The reader is drawn into the story of two Isabelles, one the wife of King John and the other a chambermaid at a hotel who falls in love with a German soldier during WWII with tragic results. So, not only is Emily searching for her friend, Harry, but also to solve the mysteries around the two Isabelles. Wonderful plot which keeps the reader interested to the end.

Susanna Kearsley weaves a wonderful story full of several mysteries the reader cannot wait to solve; mysteries within mysteries. As with her other stories, there are always plenty of surprises in the end. Her historical references are good and accurate. I was disappointed that she did not mention that Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and Queen Eleanor are also buried at Fontevrault Abbey, but then a portion of the story was more about young Queen Isabella, King John's wife. I absolutely love this author. She writes and researches her details very well.

When emotionally hard-boiled Emily agrees to join her errant cousin Harry on an academic-treasure-hunting holiday in Chinon, France, she does so reluctantly. Yet, from the very first moment she sees the fabled chateau and senses its evocative magic, she slightly lets down her guard, becoming slowly embroiled in the events surrounding a recent murder in the village and the corresponding intrigues of her fellow vacationers at the lovely Hotel de France. As her romantic sensibilities had been dampened by her parents' divorce and now are reinforced by her cousin's no-show, Emily unsuccessfully attempts to stay neutral to the obvious charms of the setting as embodied by the handsome French vineyard owner and the German violinist with the rock star ambiance. Only when she realizes that Harry's delayed appearance has something to do with the murdered man, and she unintentionally jeopardizes the life of one of the young tourists at the hotel by confiding her ruminations, does the story quickly wind down to a satisfactory conclusion. Kearsley weaves her story with the history of Chinon and adds some supernatural occurances to further alloy the magical tone of the tale with reality. Emily is a belivable heroine, crafted in the Mary Stewart genre of not quite damsel in distress, but rather the innocent tourist who unwittingly backs into a situation she cannot totally control. The beautiful setting, the handsome collection of men, the alluring music and olifactory descriptions of Chinon embue the book with a sensory lushness which is as delightful to experience as devouring a gourmet dark chocolate truffle. I did not find the book overly predictable. Perhaps, I knew from the middle on with whom Emily ultimately would find favor, but even this did not detract from the overall pleasure derived from the reading as I was torn between not being able to put it down and not finishing it too quickly. I look forward to Ms Kearsley's other offerings in the future and hope that her first two books, "The Gemini Game" and "Undertow" will be reissued.

there are few books that continue to hit me reading after reading, but this is one of them. the relationships between emily, paul and neil i find true to life. i found susanna kearsley earlier this year and am now addicted to her writing. its a shame this book isn't readily available in the states, but its become a best-seller in Germany (and in fact, i have yet to find an english copy, but had to settle for a german one).