Loved it plain and simple!Captain John (Jack) Staple has had enough of his dull cousin and insipid fiancée, so he skips out of the engagement party and trots off to his friend Mr. Babblecombe's hunt. Only, he doesn't quite make it that far. In the pouring rain and crackling thunder he comes upon a Toll-Gate, an unattained Toll-Gate. That is, it's attended, but by a little urchin named Ben, whose father is missing and who is deathly afraid of someone.Ever the adventurer, Captain Staple rises to the occasion and becomes the temporary gatekeeper, and falls smack, dab in love, with Miss Nell Stornaway, called by her grandfather's tenants "The Squire". Now he stays on to win her hand, only to become deeply embroiled in a sticky scheme full of murders, thievery, a highwayman whose heart isn't in his trade and shocking discoveries that take him into the heart of the hills… and into disaster. (Iris Cave – Monasterio de Piedra, Zaragoza, Spain)But that isn't the end, it's the beginning. Those wet, chilly caves have been holding a secret, and they won't let it go without a fight. Neither will the men who put it there. And perhaps the highwayman Jerry Chirk isn't all he seems, maybe, just maybe he will be the one to unlock the secret of the caves, and avert disaster. Or, could it be Miss Stornaway's truant of a grandfather will be the one who twists everyone around his little finger, making sure that Captain Staple does as he promises and that Nell does what's best for her? Who can be trusted, and who will turn informer?It's in the caves where Jack finds out, and it's in the caves where he finds the most stunning find… a most hideous crime.(Cheddar Gorge found within the Cheddar Caves of England) Jerry Chirk just wants to get out of this damp nightmare, and if it weren't for one certain person on earth he would run for his life and continue stealing, but he can't let that someone down. So he stays just long enough to yank Captain Staple out of the quagmire and deeper into the caves. Everything comes down to those caves, they either break a man, or make a man, there is no in between. And Captain Staple is about to find out just how cold an underground river can get.(~Italian Caverns~)The entire time I was reading this I gripped the pages till they nearly tore, eagerly scanning each page, speed reading to find out what would happen next. I love how Heyer did this book, it's one of my favorites of her Regencies. There's no balls, not dancing none of the usual Regency plot at all in fact! But there is suspense, and a surprising ending. I truly didn't think it would end how it did. (I'm glad it ended the way it did though) What made this five stars was that I liked every character. No, they weren't all likable, but they were all interesting; none of them irritated me. Captain John Staple was similar to Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd and John Ridd from Lorna Doone. A sort of mix between the two but with a military background. Also, Jerry Chirk is a lot like the highwayman in Lorna Doone. (Which, I liked even if he is "bad")Miss Nell Stornaway is independent, headstrong and completely likable. She and Jack are unusual, they are both horribly tall for other people's tastes, but perfect for each other. She was a bit like the heroine from Eye of the Wind, they are both tall, capable ladies who have their own ideas on how young ladies should behave. And both fall for men seemingly far below themselves. The flavor of this book is similar to Georgette Heyer's The Reluctant Widow, I'm not going to say why as it'd give everything away, but if you liked that one, I'd try this. (The Toll-Gate is better IMO)PG for some violence, shooting which incidentally cracks several stalactites, and kills a person. Mild swearing to none existent. No talk of mistresses as in other Heyer's
I love Georgette Heyer's historical romance novels for their combination of colourful characters, frolicking adventures, exuberant humour, and mercurial mystery. I have many Heyer favourites including Devil's Cub, Frederica, Sylvester, These Old Shades, The Reluctant Widow and now The Toll-Gate. I think The Toll-Gate sets itself apart with more than the usual hint of romance.***********It takes a lot to unnerve Captain John Staple, a man with a reputation for audacious exploits and whimsical nonsense. But when he finds himself mired on the moors on a dark and stormy night, no less! John hardly expects to find a young, frightened boy who's been left alone to tend a toll gatehouse .Never one to pass up an adventure, John decides to take up residence in Derbyshire as a gatekeeper until he can find the lad's father. But as John investigates the suspicious disappearance, he begins to unravel a far more complex mystery. And at its center is a woman the very one to tame John''s reckless spirit .***********Captain John Staple is making his way to his friend Henry Babbacombe's home in Leicestershire and becomes lost due to imprecise directions. Having wasted many hours, in the night he finally comes upon the toll-gate pike road he was looking for manned by a obviously frightened young boy. Having learnt the boy's father has disappeared John Staple takes upon himself looking after the boy until the morning. In the morning at the first sight of Miss Nell Stornaway waiting to pass the toll-gate to go to church, Captain John Staple is lovestruck and duly rendered speechless for some moments. He decides to stay and take care of the toll-gate until the boy's father reappears and to find out just exactly who Miss Nell is...This story is very sweet at times...Nell and John pronounce their love for each other not very far into the book, which provides us with many romantic moments whereas Heyer's books usually only have romantic moments in the last chapter. The reading of the story was a bit more challenging because a lot of "cant" or "flash" language was used and there were unfamiliar words (e.g. tater, hog-grubber, tipping over the dabs, bowman prig, twigs), which made for a tad frustrating but amusing read trying to decipher the colloquialisms.There is the invariable sparkling dialogue and all the characters in the novel are well developed with each their own little idiosyncrasies. The plot is paced nicely around mysterious events such as the disappearance of individuals, clandestine assignations, nocturnal adventures, secret relationships, theft of sovereign coins and investigations of multiple murders. I loved the more romantic bent to the story, I loved Captain John Staple (there is a scene when he takes of his shirt off at the water pump and I could so imagine his big, brawny body!) and how devoted he is to Nell. I loved that the mystery was so well thought out. There is nothing not to love about The Toll-Gate and I highly recommend to fans of Heyer, romance and historical fiction.http://myobsessionwithbooks.blogspot....
What do You think about The Toll-Gate (2005)?
I am a big fan of Heyer's Regency romances, but favor primarily those told primarily from the perspective of one of her wrong female heroines. The Toll-Gate is told almost exclusively from the hero's perspective and is therefore not quite as much fun for me as, say, Frederica or The Grand Sophy. This is especially unfortunate because the heroine, Nell, seems like a character that could have ranked right up there with my other favorites had she been developedThat said, this story is a lovely, light tale told with classic Heyer wit and charm. One warning - you might want to brush up on your period cant before casting your oglers over these pages! Enjoy!
—Kerry
John Staple, giant, is curious about a toll-gate he encounters while fleeing his cousin's dull engagement party. When he meets Nell Stornaway, giantess, he falls in love. There's murder, mayhem, clandestine weddings and more!I LIKED THIS?? I wanted more of John and Nell flirting like buffoons, though? I always want more flirting like buffoons. ALSO THIS GOT WEIRDLY DARK AT THE END, which was in some ways necessary but also very unexpected (mostly, I'm sure, because I'm more familiar with Heyer's farces instead of her mysteries).
—kris
Another of the more adventure than romance stories, this involves the massive Captain John Staple finding a toll-gate where the man responsible has vanished and left behind only his young and frightenened lad. This mystery intrigues him, but he decides to stay in the area after falling in love-at-first-sight with a young woman known in the area as "The Squire" because she has been managing her ailing grandfather's estates.As a romance this is fairly bland. The basis of the romance is simply matching height, and he and Nell are sure of their feelings early on. What remains to be settled is her problematic cousin, and the mystery of the toll-gate. Nell gets sadly little to do, but if you read it as an adventure for John it's enjoyable.
—Andrea
