The Craigsmuir Affair. Jen Black. Orchard Hill Books. July 2015. 259
pp. ASIN#: B00XXOB7FC.
Daisy
is an 18 year-old woman who lives in the aristocratic world of Victorian
England. She dreams of entering art
school and developing her already adept skills, but this is a dream clearly
frowned upon by almost everyone in her society.
It’s one thing to dabble in painting and drawing, quite another for a
woman to have a career outside of being a wife, mother, teacher or governess. Her dream is challenged by the appearance of
Adam Grey, a successful mine owner, who has scrabbled his way upward after
being desperately poor as a result of the failed family business. Initially, he seems like a cold, calculating,
even brash young man but he is almost immediately smitten by this out-spoken
yet sensitive woman, Daisy.
Into
the mix a series of art and money thefts occurs. The thief is not evident because so many
members of the upper class are always visiting each other for days on end. When Daisy is invited to paint an entire wall
at the home of one of these aristocrats, danger explodes. An accident in a newfangled elevator, a fall,
and more are added to the intense stress.
Adam has taken on the job of detective, as he has nothing to do at the
moment, to discover the thief and then the attacker of Daisy.
Adam
and Daisy, however, are definitely attracted to each other and yet their
meetings socially and privately crackle with misunderstanding and snapping
conversations. Daisy, however, in spite
of being cast in a manner far from her real personality, holds firm to her
dream for the future and her dignity when insulted by many. Her strength is challenged further when a
powerful man, Maitland, accosts Daisy several times with clear intentions of
sexually possessing her while in his disgustingly perpetually alcoholic state.
This
reviewer posted a review of Jen Black’s first novel many years ago and is happy
to say that the writing style and plot complexity have significantly grown in
this latest novel. Readers will relish
the evolving love affair and the mystery radiating through every page of this
pleasing Victorian novel. Very nicely
crafted, Jen Black!
