| Title | : | A Disappearance in Drury Lane (Captain Lacey, #8) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 323 |
| Publication | : | First published September 20, 2013 |
A Disappearance in Drury Lane (Captain Lacey, #8) Reviews
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Book 8 in the Capt. Lacey Regency mysteries. It's out! (September 20, 2013.) This book is available from all e-booksellers (Nook, Kobo, Smashwords etc) and in print. Amazon e-:
http://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-C... Print:
http://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-D... -
Review written March 25, 2017
4 Stars - Once again a cozy nice Captain Lacey mystery
Part #8
This was as always great audiobook joy. Eight hours narrated by the very best
James Gillies. Can't but like these books.
Bookblurb: "December, 1818: As Captain Gabriel Lacey prepares for his upcoming wedding..."
The series, author / pen-name, my reviews:
Married at last and with his daughter back. A better more exclusive home but still all interesting old "friends" from all of London's corners. Great and heartwarming to see our Captain in a new much better position and so very happy. — Longing for the next part published as audiobook.
I LIKE - my favorite mystery solving man -
Another great addition to this world.
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Married!
Captain Lacey is getting married! But before he is able to enjoy his honeymoon, and the visit of his daughter, Gabriella, he is waylaid by Miss Marianne Simmons, into helping her find a friend.
Abigail Collins, the famous London theatre star is missing! Although Lacey is concerned and wishes to find her, he is being pulled into many directions.
Even the law-breaker, James Denis is wishing for a slice of him. -
A Disappearance in Drury Lane was another plodding book in the Captain Lacey series. This was another skimmer as the plot felt as slow and leaden as quicksand.
This time the Medusa, err, Marianne slithers into Gabriel’s sphere, on the eve of his wedding, to selfishly demand he investigate the disappearance of another actress. I wanted Gabriel to knock her in the head with his cane. Then after learning that Marianne slept with a friend’s husband, resulting in begetting her half wit son, demonstrated what a despicable strum pet she is at heart.
The female characters are mostly abysmal, especially Marianne and Felicity. Despite their sordid sense of independence, making a living on one’s back is as much a type servitude as emptying chamber pots. I found Gabriella, Lacey’s recently found daughter to be a tiresome chit. I wanted her to return to France and stay there.
James Denis is such an intriguing character; he is the antithesis of the silly dandy that Grenville in devolving into.
Thankfully the series gets better when the author sloughs off some of the unpalatable side characters and let allows Gabriel and Donata shine. -
Lacey and Donata are finally married, but their honeymoon is cut short when Lacey is dragged back to London to face the magistrate himself. We're introduced to a cut-throat Bow Street Runner who will do anything to take down James Denis - and will blackmail and frame Lacey in order to do it.
I personally couldn't stand the new guy, but we've got ourselves a new antagonist in the form of a Bow Street Runner and his underhanded tactics. Felicity also threw me here, and I'm not quite sure I like her very much (not sure if I ever really did). Marianne makes somewhat ridiculous demands on Lacey as well, and right on the eve of his wedding. Grenville makes a complete bear of himself by breaking off his acquaintance with Marianne and Lacey - and once again, Lacey gets caught in the crossfires of the two lovers. It almost felt like a trip back to high school at times, as characters I usually enjoy got on my last nerves almost. The mystery rather took a backseat too, which was a bit frustrating.
In the past couple of books, I've also been noticing a rather disturbing trend of editing - or really, the lack thereof. This novel especially needs a heavy hand of an editor for very silly mistakes and duplications.
Which is why I'm downgrading my usual ratings for this series to a 3 1/2 star. -
I did not like Marianne much in this book. She was a whiny, egotistical witch who insisted that our hero look for her friend who disappeared MONTHS ago, never mind that Gabriel and Donata are getting married in just a few days. Captain Lacey was exasperated for most of the book, as was I, with everyone except Donata (thank heavens they DO get married). Even Grenville is out of step.
And I did NOT like the new Bow Street detective. At all. (Saving grace for the story: neither did anyone else!) How DARE he arrest Captain Lacey! -
Captain Lacey gets hitched, and meets a new enemy in the form of an obsessed Bow Street Runner.
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Another good story
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Even worse than the last book in the series. Ridiculous!!
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First Sentence: Marianne Simmons came to me on a cold December day when I was packing away my old life in order to begin my new.
While Captain Gabriel Lacey is preparing for his wedding to the lovely Donata, his former neighbor, actress Marianne Simmons, asks him to look for a fellow actress who is missing. This is not a simple request, as there are very dangerous men involved, as well as criminal James Denis, which whom Lacey has an uncomfortable connection.
Gardner’s voice, both in dialogue and text, is reflective of the period. The historical information incorporated within the story brings it to life; i.e., that different theaters were licensed for different types of performances; the spoken word and dramas versus operas or musicals; and the slave trade laws of the period. We also learn the schedule of staying out late and not rising until noon that is the life of the wealthy entitled. The descriptions put us right at Lacey’s side…”A thin dusting of snow coated the ground to either side of the wide, mile-long drive to Pembroke Court. The drive ended in front of the large manor, it’s bricks golden even n the weak winter sunshine.”
It is the characters, however, that really bring the book to life. We gain insight into Lacey’s childhood and life with his father, as well as an explanation as to why he’s marrying Donata; a woman much higher in rank and wealth. Donata is an excellent character. She is a widow, with a son who is heir to a title and estate. She both emotionally supports Lacey and stands up to him.
Lacey is surrounded by interesting characters. Marianne, who once stole candles and food from his rooms, is now mistress to his very wealthy friend. Felicity is a woman of mixed blood. James Denis is very dangerous, yet fascinating. Lacey’s daughter Gabriella, is someone of whom he only recently learned and met.
“A Disappearance in Drury Lane” is a very good read with things tied up in a way that is clever, yet not contrived. It is a series I’m glad to have found, and to know that it will continue.
A DISAPPEARANCE IN DRURY LANE (Hist-Capt. Gabriel Lacey-England-1818) – VG
Gardner, Ashley – 8th in series
JA AG Publishing, 2013 -
Took me more than one month to read thorgh quarantine,after this book ,i don't think i will read any other book for Ashley Gardner again .
Nothing in this book makes sense.
The case,Hero ,his realtion ship , events , characters, nothing makes sense .
What i hated the most 2 things , Marianne and her disrespectful behaviour towards her benefactor,and the criminals .many things missing , many events are not related to each other . At the beginning an actress disappear , through investigation Lacey got beaten from a thug who eventually had nothing with the disappearance,and he got irritated from lacey why he is searching for her ( though this thug doesn't know where she is ) ,this is one of many things with no reason .
The culprits themselves has no relation to anything and no one would be able to connect the story .
Book is so long and could be finished within 25 pages rather than 99 pages . Waste of money and time -
Captain Gabriel Lacey is trying to balance a missing person case he has assumed for Marianne while getting married and being visited by his daughter. We learn a little more about Marianne this time round. I like how the character of his wife, Donata and his daughter Gabriella are developing. Its great to see how he sees them with love yet open to their personalities which are counter the norm. I hope the author does a little more with Donata's child as I would like to see that relationship develop too.
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This is really a composite rating for the entire series. I love Captain Lacey and will read every new adventure that Ashley Gardner writes for him.
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Only okay, this story felt a little forced and disjointed. Maybe I’ve finally reached my limit.
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Captain Gabriel Lacey is getting married. He has finally consented to marry Lady Breckenridge, who has been his paramour for years. He has always been skittish since she outranks in society by such a large scale. His neighbor and lover for his best friend arrives at his door asking for his help in finding her friend who has disappeared from Drury Lane, where she is a well-known actress. As Lacy begins to investigate a body turns up at his former lodgings and he is arrested for murder. Having friend in high places is a good thing because he is able to stay out of Newgate and continue his investigation. Lacey moves between the underworld and the ballrooms of high society in Bath with ease. He is ruled only by his own sense of honor. This is a good Regency series that ranks with C.S. Harris' series. Well-researched with some entertaining characters.
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Marianne wants Lacey to find her missing actress friend right now; but he’s busy as the wedding is tomorrow, and it is typical that she has left it for six months, but it is all so urgent now. She gives him almost no information, no help and as it is, he gets beaten up and kidnapped, and shows up bruised for the ceremony.
888
I am fairly sure that the author is not quite sure what to do with Marianne and Grenville. [it would cost Grenville everything he has spent decades acquiring to have a real relationship with her, and he cannot do it; not really. There is no happy ending to this. If she was happy with what she has now, she’d do less complaining about it. ]
Marianne has always been such a flip flop of a character, so she’s true to form, I guess. But I seem to prefer the titles she is absent from.
4 stars
So far this year, my library saved me A$2,146.85 -
Another exciting adventure with Captain Lacey - I do love this series and do not know why it has taken me so long to return to it!
Lacey and Donata are just days away from their wedding, but that does not stop Captain Lacey from finding himself in the middle of a another mystery.
The plot takes some really unexpected twists and turns. Accused of murder, people trying to kill him and Spendlove, a nasty man trying to take him down for his involvement with James Denis.
Of course Captain Lacey solves the mystery and finds the true murderer, but Spendlove, the despicable man now hates Lacey as much as he hates Denis. I guess I am a bit of a villain because I am looking forward to James Denis taking care of the nasty Mr. Spendlove! -
Such a baffling mystery of a missing actress and the lengths family will go to protect those they love.
A new nemesis emerges in Captain Lacy's retinue. A Mr. SpendLove--that can't be his real name-a bow street runner who wants to Hang Mr. Denis. and everyone he perceives is in the way of his goal. I wonder what Denis did to SpendLove that drives this obsession. Knowing Denis... Lacy continues to use Denis for information in a kind of mutual Devil you know way. Amazingly enough Grenville saves Denis's life this time. This is a fun series, lovely woven plots. -
On the day before Lacey's wedding, Marianne asks him to help find a missing actress. Lacey pursues the case throughout his wedding and honeymoon. I will say that Marianne is one character where I think it would benefit to have an omniscient narrator and get into her head and thoughts, because she acts so mean and demanding all of the time. I want to feel sympathy for her, but we're never really given insight into her past and motivation--other than the one fact from her past.
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Number 8 in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries. This one totally kept me enthralled and confused until the very end. It never ceases to amaze me to see how Ashley has so many threads going this way and that and finally coming to close at the end of the book. You need to really pay close attention to all of the players and what they are doing and who they know! It’s just masterful ❤️😍
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-3.5 stars.
not my favorite in the series. i didn't like that he got kidnapped, beaten, and bruised the day before his wedding. marianne waited 6 months to get worried about her missing friend, she could have waited 2 more days until AFTER his wedding.
i didn't like spendlove, but he's such an ass we're clearly not supposed to.
and the whodunit comes out of right field, like wtf? -
Great Historical Series
I thoroughly enjoyed this installment in the Captain Lacey series. Lacey is strong yet vulnerable man set in a tumultuous time period. The characters are complex and their actions believable. Solving the mystery is not easy but at the end believable. -
The series continues to get better and better. This one is not as dark as the previous one, but every bit as enticing to read. I grow more fond of Captain Lacey with each book. And even fonder of Donata and Gabriella
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This story had to many threads and side roads to it, I had to reread a few parts to make sure I was on the right trail. It also didn't have the spark (no pun intended) it usually does, but it did set the path for future happenings.
