What do You think about Wildfire At Midnight (2003)?
I really loved this book. This is a murder mystery set at a remote hotel on the Isle of Skye. There were several aspects to the book, and they were all handled very wel.The characters were interesting and well-written. There was a wide range of people, and there was more going on than just the mystery. There are rather a lot of characters, sometimes identified by first name and sometimes by last. Writing up your own cast of characters as they're introduced might be helpful, at least in early stages.The mystery was well done. The murderer wasn't given away too early, things made sense. I wasn't left frustrated in the end because things didn't seem finished.The writing was very evocative of the location. I've been to this area, though not the actual hotel, and Stewart gives a very good sense of place. Her writing had a very poetic feel to it and it was a pleasure to read. If you can find an online map of the area, it might be helpful. Names of various mountains and hills were thrown around with abandon and it'd be easy to get confused.
—Wayne
*contented sigh*I am so glad I decided to give Mary Stewart another go after being rather disillusioned with The Ivy Tree and Airs Above the Ground(which I never even finished). This book was the bomb it really was. Not A bomb, THE bomb, which is quite different!A divorcee takes a much needed respite at a hotel on the Isle Of Skye only to find that along with an assorted group of climbers, fishermen, and writers, her ex husband has also turned up. It's not long before she is informed that a rather grisly murder took place just before she arrived. This alone would be reason enough to pack her bags and leave but before anything can be done in that direction, another guest goes missing...I found this similar in vein to an Agatha Christie or M.M.Kaye's mystery series where you have a group of people, one of which is the murderer but no one knows who. So pretty spooky because there's no one to trust.I loved the atmosphere of this novel, the writer really penned the area perfectly~ the obliterating mists that engulf within seconds, treacherous mountainsides and shivering bogs; Celtic superstitions and (in my case) shrieking anticipation.It was a book where I had the killer pegged, then I didn't, then I did. So it kept you second guessing yourself which is what you want. All around a 5 star read!CONTENT:SEX: NoneVIOLENCE: There are murders (described after the fact)PROFANITY: MildPARANORMAL ELEMENTS: Not really. Old Celtic mountain worship is mentioned. But there's no "other worldly"i.e, ghostly happenings.DRUG USE: A LOT of smoking!! One reviewer, my GR friend Laura counted 28 cigarettes. A sign of the times in which it was written but a little annoying.MY RATING: PG
—Dorcas
Phew! I am so glad to have finished this. Because there are too many scary things lurking in the shadows here at night. I've read only two books now by Mary Stewart but I have a good sense of her style. This story unfolds along the same lines as This Rough Magic. The nail biting, edge of your seat action/mystery scenes come to life. There are lots of quirky characters. Her heroines are younger, more worldly Miss Marples and seem to fall into the middle of an unfolding mystery despite themselves. They are compelled to put themselves into the most compromising and dangerous situations. The little tidbits of awkward romance thrown in could easily be edited out though as they are not well developed. This sort of thing obviously is not her forte and detracts only (very) slightly. I suppose as these were written in the 50s, it was necessary to throw in a little handsome-man-to-the-rescue bit. Really though, these stories feature strong intelligent women who defy all odds. This mystery takes place on an awe-inspiring mountainous Scottish island shrouded in mist and richly historical. The vivid imagery employed is so distinctively artistic and poetic. Stewart is worth reading just for the physical descriptions of surroundings and mood created and this is no different. She is genius at creating atmosphere. You will be transported and it is magical. I find myself rereading passages because they are just so intense and alive. Like admiring a beautiful painting, you can not just walk by.I may hesitate to read more of her work only because the dark ominous tone and violence are a bit too much for me but I will not fault her for my preferences. If you enjoy being transported and are a fan of classic murder mystery and poetic prose, then run (don't walk) to Mary Stewart.
—MomToKippy
