Have you ever walked up to two people when they're in the middle of a conversation about someone/something, and no matter how many times you say "Who?" no one clues you in, and you can't figure out what the subject of the conversation is?That is this entire novel.Maybe some people like the challenge involved of being shut out of a conversation, but it's not my cup of tea. It was also frustrating because the book is written in third person omniscient (that is, you get the internal thoughts of all characters), but then all the good stuff is left out (For the Reader to Figure out) which did nothing but alienate me from the story, just like being left out of a conversation leaves someone feeling really alienated and awkwardly wondering why they're there.So that's my major problem with this book, and my reasoning behind avoiding the other Margaret Miles books that have somehow made their way into my bookshelves yet never been cracked open. The whole keep-away game has never appealed to me, whether it's information in a mystery novel or at recess.Anyway, other grievances:1. The main character doesn't seem to have a central flaw.2. In fact 90% of the characters seem flat, especially Diana, who is such a Bimbo Blonde archetype it hurt.3. I was painfully bored reading this novel and it was kind of like pulling teeth to finish.4. The author tries to underline that she's not romanticizing the 18th century, but it's literally like -insert passage where cardboard character says cardboard patriarchal remark here- and it's more awkward than it is enlightening.5. Yeah actually the characters are just really awkward.6. The plot was so convoluted I can't even summarize the ending for you. Nope. I still haven't figured out who killed who (probably because this book is like being left out of a conversation and if you think of how much you glean from half a conversation, that's what you'll get here).So, rating: 1 star. I thought about giving it 2, but then I realized that meant it needed a strong point. It lacks one. The plot would probably be really good if it focused on action instead of dialogue, I'll give it that.And now for people who have read the book, here's a discussion point:I feel like the book would have been amazing if Miles had written the actual series of crimes, instead of the debunking of it. Yes? No? Thoughts? (Is this the difference between Mystery and Thriller and is my reason for not liking this book not 'this book is awful' but 'this genre doesn't suit me whatsoever?').
Having read a plethora of mystery novels written by Americans but set in England, I was more than ready to pick up this book given that it's actually set in the US. In this case, the US before it was united, while still under British rule.Local widow Charlotte Willett is fascinated by the tale of a man who spontaneously combusts on a quiet country road leading out of her village, particularly since she had earlier met the man in question. Since he's a rich Boston merchant but his money seems to have disappeared, questions are asked by more than just the locals about what happened to both him and his wealth.It's an interesting enough story, although much of it seemed designed as a set-up for a continuing series rather than being a strong enough tale to stand on its own. It's an interesting period in which to set something, but there's little tension in the story telling despite the relatively recent shadow of the Salem witch trials over the whole thing. I'm uncertain whether I'll continue with this series, though given that Too Soon For Flowers has only been published in the US, I might not get the chance anyway...
What do You think about A Wicked Way To Burn (1998)?
I really enjoy the atmosphere of this series, which I first read about ten years ago, and I crave a re-read every fall. I was denied by my readers' advisory class last year, but I was determined to fit it in this Halloween. This first entry pretty much encompasses everything I want in a Halloween season (well, with more Gothic elements), and the author is really skilled in evoking the feeling of pre-colonial America. While she can get heavy-handed in her allusions to future developments in the history of the United States (there's a lot of "mark my words, no one will ever [insert cultural development that has significantly changed the course of history]"), the writing is generally really tight, the heroine is likable, and the mystery is complex. I'll read the next book in the series in the spring when it fits into my seasonal reading plan.
—Ann
After reading Barbara Hamilton's excellent mystery series featuring Abigail Adams which is set just prior to the Revolutionary War, I was delighted to find this series set in the 1760's. A Wicket Way to Burn is the first book in Margaret Mile's series featuring Charlotte Willet, a young widow living in the tiny village of Bracebridge, Mass. not far from Boston.The mystery begins when a stranger wearing a red cape and a hat with a feather, is seen riding his horse into Bracebridge and then walking into the village inn. He sits down, orders ale and flashes a pouch filled with gold Dutch guilders. When he walks out the door, two men follow him. One of them witnesses what appears to be the spontaneous combustion of the stranger out on the Bracebridge main road. Nothing is left, but some ash and the cloak. There is some talk among the villagers of witch craft, of this being the devil's work, and then suspicion falls on a French "neutral" who was seen to walk out behind the stranger and who is not well liked because he is courting the bar maid at the inn. Investigating this apparent murder becomes the task of Charlotte Willett, the highly intelligent and observant young widow, Richard Longfellow, her neighbor, and country farmer with an interest in science, and Edmund Montague, a Crown official who is sent to Bracebridge from Boston to investigate the murder. The trio uses their wits and their heads to follow the clues and the sometimes conflicting stories from witnesses, as well as the information that Montagu finds out about the mysterious stranger. Soon it's apparent that there is much more to this "spontaneous combustion" murder then is first thought. Margaret Miles describes life during this time period with a sure and knowledgeable hand. Her sense of place adds much to the appeal of this mystery, and she plays fair with the reader when the solution is finally revealed.
—Judith
