In skillfully intertwined storylines from the dawn of the twentieth century and the heyday of the Roman Empire, Tasha Alexander’s In the Shadow of Vesuvius, the latest installment to her bestselling series, brings Lady Emily and her husband to Pompeii, where they uncover a recent crime in the ancient city. Some corpses lie undisturbed longer than others. But when Lady Emily discovers a body … Lady Emily discovers a body hidden in plain sight amongst the ruins of Pompeii, she sets in motion a deadly chain of events that ties her future to the fate of a woman whose story had been lost for nearly two thousand years.
Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have accompanied her dear friend Ivy Brandon on a trip to Pompeii. When they uncover a corpse and the police dismiss the murder as the work of local gangsters, Emily launches an investigation of her own. She seems to be aided by the archaeologists excavating the ruins, including a moody painter, the enigmatic site director, and a free-thinking American capable of sparring with even the Duke of Bainbridge. But each of them has secrets hiding among the ruins.
The sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman who claims a shocking relationship to the Hargreaves family throws Emily’s investigation off-course. And as she struggles to face an unsettling truth about Colin’s past, it becomes clear that someone else wants her off the case–for good. Emily’s resolve to unearth the facts is unshakable. But how far below the surface can she dig before she risks burying herself along with the truth?
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I have read every book in this series. The characters are interesting and amusing. This book has something special for history buffs. Besides the mystery there are flashbacks to Pompeii just before Vesuvius erupts.
In the Shadow of Vesuvius is the 14th book in Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily Mystery series. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author. A little late to the party, aren’t I? Amazingly, book 14 stood alone perfectly; I didn’t feel the least bit lost.
Lady Emily Hargreaves and her best friend Ivy, escorted by Emily’s husband Colin, are in Pompeii in 1902, visiting archaeological sites. While observing the plaster casts made of the victims of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which occurred in 79 AD, Ivy realizes that one of the casts had sideburns. Sideburns? That wasn’t right! When Colin pricks at the plaster with his pocket knife, he finds that there is a fresh body under the plaster. Emily and Colin begin to investigate the murder. In the midst of the chaos, a beautiful young woman appears, who apparently is Colin’s daughter…one he didn’t know he had. Juxtaposed with this story was one about a young freed Greek slave in Pompeii in the months leading up to the devastation from Mount Vesuvius.
At first I was a bit annoyed with the story going back and forth between 1902 and 79 AD. However, as things progressed, I became totally immersed in both storylines. The one about Kassandra, a young poet, was especially enthralling. I became very attached to her, and it broke my heart just knowing the horror that was coming for her and Pompeii. I also enjoyed Emily’s story; it was such a great mystery, one I just could not figure out! Every time I thought I solved it, I was proven wrong. The only thing that really irritated me was the way Colin’s daughter Kat treated Emily. With the connection Emily and Colin so I obviously had, I was surprised he let Kat get away with her behavior. Besides that, it was an amazing story, one that was apparently meticulously researched. I’m eager for Emily’s next adventure.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
IN THE SHADOW OF VESUVIUS takes protagonists Lady Emily and her husband Colin to Pompeii where they find a recently murdered journalist encased in plaster among the remains of the ancient city. Even though this is the fourteenth entry in the long running series, the characters are as fresh as ever. Author Alexander even introduces a new character that immediately shakes things up, and I am curious to see how the dynamic evolves in future books.
Alexander continues her recent trend in writing dual narratives in two eras here. Lady Emily’s murder mystery takes place in 1902, and the alternate story revolves around a freed slave poet in the months leading up to the eruption of Vesuvius. The two stories are quite different, but they do share a setting and eventually become relevant to each other. I would prefer the story stay with Lady Emily, but Kassandra’s plight is interesting.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this impeccably researched historical mystery and look forward to many more adventures with Lady Emily and Colin.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander is another in the series of Victorian mysteries and takes place, mostly, in 1902. Emily’s friend Ivy Brandon, the mother of six wants to visit Pompeii but her husband will not allow it without someone to accompany her so she turns to her friend, Lady Emily Hargreaves. As it turns out that would be an adventure Lady Emily would like to take, and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, a man in the employ of the British government to deal with problems, is available to join them. We join them in Pompeii and begin a two-pronged story, which jumps between that of a young woman in ancient Pompeii and the solving of two murders in the current day. Victorian expectations are still fully in force, even in Italy, so there are a great many behavioral expectations in place, for both men and women. This rarely stops Lady Emily, but she tries to remain circumspect.
The two stories are unrelated but meet toward the end of the book. Alexander has woven a disparate group of personalities into an interesting tome full of intrigue and danger, several murders, several more attempted. Lies are told to skirt expectations, but others rose to the occasion to make lies unnecessary. Emily and Colin’s relationship is put to the test by the arrival of Colin’s previously unknown daughter, who I expect to get to know better in coming novels. One of Alexander’s strengths is character development and nowhere does she display it better than in this book. The characters are inconsistent, just like real people, and ever fail to surprise and the reader gets to know them. It is exciting. Another perk is all the history, well researched and often haunting. This is a terrific book. Lady Emily followers will not be disappointed and it will certainly garner new readers, as well. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of In the Shadow of Vesuvius from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #intheshadowofvesuvius
Series: Lady Emily #14
Publication Date: 1/7/2020
Number of Pages: 304
*** 3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4 ***
As with many of the stories in this long-running series, you get two stories for the price of one. The main story takes place in 1902 Pompei at an archaeological dig and the accompanying story revolves around a newly freed slave girl in AD 79 Pompei. For my part, I sort of liked the accompanying story better than the main story – mostly because you knew, as you read, what was going to happen to the characters. You wanted them to escape, but really knew they wouldn’t, so it was bittersweet.
Lady Emily and her best friend, Ivy, hadn’t been able to spend much time together because – well – life got in the way. Ivy has six children who keep her busy and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin have children and travel a good deal – mostly because of Colin’s work for the crown. Ivy, Emily, and Colin have decided to make a trek to the digs at Pompei. Colin didn’t want to go, but Ivy’s husband persuaded him to accompany the ladies.
Almost upon arrival, they discovered a dead body – encased in plaster in order to look like the other victims of Vesuvius. Colin and Lady Emily immediately take on the investigation to solve the murder because the local authorities would just let it go. They have lots of suspects with all of the archaeologists on the dig – many of whom are hiding secrets. Almost as soon as the investigation begins, the warnings start. The warnings are obscure and something that Lady Emily would recognize, but most others wouldn’t. Those warnings were meant to put them off the investigation but only made Lady Emily and crew more determined to find the killer. Tensions only increase when a second death occurs. Was it a murder or an accident? The investigation continues and many secrets are revealed, many suspects investigated and finally, the killer revealed in a most dramatic way.
Also, right at the beginning, we get a new and previously unknown addition to the Hargreaves family. Colin’s method of dealing with this new addition caused me to lose respect for him. There was no excuse for his allowing this new addition to treat Lady Emily as she did.
I have never had a great liking for Lady Emily – I’ve tried and just can’t get there. In my opinion, Lady Ivy would have made a much better heroine. Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, is also seeming a little caricaturish to me. Seems to me it is time he begins to grow up. One thing that sort of bothered me was that there was absolutely no mention of Lady Emily’s and Colin’s children – given the circumstances, you’d think they’d be discussed at some point.
The descriptions of the places and people in both stories made you feel as if you were right there in the scene. The mystery was a good one and the accompanying story was a lovely, but sad, tale.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
early-20th-century, first-century-ad, murder, murder-investigation, sleuth, lies, family-dynamics, friendship, archaeology, italy, historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-fiction, historical-setting
Two and a half stories in one! The main thread is in 1902 when the Hargreaves accompany a friend to an archeological dig at Pompeii, discover a murder covered up to appear as another of the plaster casts from the older eruption and investigate. The half thread regards the unexpected appearance of a previously unknown to them daughter from an affair long before their marriage, and she decidedly resents the stepmother. The other major thread is set immediately prior to the eruption that buried Pompeii. All of the characters are well done and I was not aware that there are so many earlier books. I loved it! At the end the author credits fact and acknowledges any adjustments for the sake of the story.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I have been a fan of Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily novels from the start, and this entry is no exception. Fascinating information, with a background of an archeological dig in the ruins of Pompeii, and a compelling alternate story of a woman who lived in Pompeii in the years and days before the catastrophic volcanic eruption that destroyed the city. Definitely recommended.
In the Shadows of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander was an intriguing read about a group of friends who travel to Pompeii to dig for the ruined city. This story is No. 14 of the Lady Emily mystery series and my first read by this author. It was fascinating to learn and read about Pompeii, the buried city and all the history surrounding this era. I enjoyed reading this novel, though at times for me it was a bit confusing to bounce back and forth between the dual storylines, and all the characters. The author did a very good job intertwining the ruins of Pompeii, the Roman Empire and the beginning of the twentieth century. I rated it a four.
In all her novels, Tasha Alexander deftly intertwines mysteries from two different eras and infuses them with a richness of detail. “In the Shadow of Vesuvius” takes the reader to Pompeii, a city that left a profound impression on me. Alexander made me feel I was once again walking in the footsteps of the ancients and she tossed in an intricate puzzle to challenge my intellect.
Tasha Alexander’s “In the Shadow of Vesuvius” continues the adventures of Lady Emily in Alexander’s well-received series of historical mysteries set in the early 20th Century. Book 14 in the series, the\is story brings Lady Emily, Colin, Ivy, and the rest of the regulars to Pompeii. From there, the story is split into Lady Emily’s adventures in investigating a crime in the ancient city and a captivating flashback story of a young female poet in Pompeii before the eruption of Vesuvius. The plot line moves smoothly back and forth between the two stories.
Tasha Alexandra is a wonderful writer and captures the scenes, the action and the characters all very well. But one of her gifts is to write in a formal, eloquent language that reflects the formality and education of her Lady Emily and the other characters. For example, as Lady Emily looks at some of the well preserved excavations in Pompeii, she writes: “Looking at those faces, frozen at the moment of their deaths, engulfed me in a deluge of emotion through which I could not wade.”
This book, like the others in the series, operates as a classical mystery, but also as a historical novel. I would classify it as literary historical due to the intellectual quality and the eloquence in the language.
Author Tasha Alexander weaves two separate tales together centered around the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in her newest book, “In the Shadow of Vesuvius”. In the main story, set approximately 100 years ago, her recurring sleuth Lady Emily Hargreaves visits the ruins of Pompeii and discovers that one of the bodies in the archeological dig died a LOT more recently than those being unearthed in the volcanic ash. In the other, slave girl and poet Kassandra explores life after being freed from servitude.
Astute readers may suspect that these tales will intersect – in novels like this, they typically do. But if so, how, when the protagonists are wandering the same streets but are some 1900 years apart?
Ms. Alexander manages to provide TWO engaging tales in one book – for someone like me who likes to juggle multiple books at the same time, it reduces the temptation to move to a second book when the story keeps changing time periods and characters!! I admit that I picked up on the foreshadowing of Kassandra’s wanderings underneath Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD – of course, it is no mystery to anyone who has read ANY history how this tale is destined to climax. However, I did NOT figure out the murderer in the main story centered around Lady Hargreaves. Yes, I easily determined who did NOT do it; the more emphasis placed on a characters guilt equals the less likely they actually did it! However, with so many characters present who had a potential motive – and of course, with potential motives that have not been disclosed – the actual villain of the piece was a surprise to me almost to the point where it became clear to our protagonist.
This is the first book in the series that I have read. It will not be the last; I have already acquired a few others in the series to begin to play catch-up with my reading.
Rating: 5 stars
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Tasha Alexander, and Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Tasha Alexander to my must-read list. She writes a tight, exciting tale with interesting characters and a great background of details that take you there.
We visit various sites at the Pompeii archeological site at the base of Vesuvius, some in AD 79, beginning just hours before the lastest of the frequent quakes and eruptions of Vesuvius becomes lethal. In the later time frame of 1902, we travel with Lady Emily, her husband Colin Hargreaves as they accompany Emily’s best friend Ivy Brandon to this historic site. Ivy was invited to visit the site by causal friends, who are both employed at the Balthazar Taylor Dig at Pompeii. Siblings, Benjamin and Calliope ‘Callie’ Carter, are young and rather wild, promising an interesting visit for Emily and Ivy who are childhood friends in need of some special together time. Colin is guilted into accompanying the ladies by Ivy’s husband, because it’s 1902 and ladies don’t travel around Europe without an escort and security. Colin normally works as security for the English King.
Four days in, Ivy comments on the fact that one of the plaster castings of the victims of the Pompeii tragedy is wearing impressive sideburns, which doesn’t fit the profile of manly fashion in ’79 AD. This modern corpse encased in plaster is about a month dead, and Emily and Ivy are right in the midst of the action. It is really good that they brought security. But is one man enough?
In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander
Series: Yes #14 In the Lady Emily Series
Format: Softcover
2 Star
Recommend: No
Would Reread: No
I was looking forward to reading this book.
Its set back around the turn of the century…check!
Its around an archaeological dig site….check!
Pompeii…check!
It sounded similar to Elizabeth Peters… check!
I just knew I was going to love it!!!
WRONG!!!!!
I’ve never read a Lady Emily mystery before this one and after finishing this I have no interest in reading anymore.
The book dose jump timelines between 79 AD and 1902.
The story in 1902 was dull and slow moving. And I didn’t like any of the characters in 1902.
The story set in 79 AD was a little better and I found myself enjoying it at times.
Overall I was really disappointed in the one.
I won the book from a goodreads giveaway.
I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.
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