Benedict Archer, who is manager of Thornton Antiques in Melbourne and who has been secretly helping Alexandra learn more about her family business, is also invited. Alexandra asks Benedict and Edith Blackburn, her friend since childhood, to be with her when she approaches her father. When Edith claims that Benedict is in love with her, Alexandra can’t believe it. In all the time they’d been at … time they’d been at Thornton Antiques together, he’d never said a word. Now, Alexandra looks at him differently. Can it be true?
Then a body found in the orchard and, before the weekend is over, a priceless artifact is stolen. Alexandra is determined to discover how these things are connected to the Ming dragon and the antiques her great-grandfather brought with him from Hong Kong so many years ago.
What secret has remained hidden at Thornton Park for the last eight years?
more
13 April 2021 – Audiobook Review
.
Alexandra and Edith are exactly how I imagined they sounded like, giving off the flavour of Upstairs Downstairs with English accents given to the era. I’m picking that’s why Ellen Read wanted an English narrator to make this audiobook come alive. Congratulations to P J Roscoe who did just that. Edith, in her early 20’s, gives off a concerning and worrisome nature, but bounces back with her romantic and happy self. Alexandra, the main female protagonist, also in her early 20’s, gives off a very stern and authoritative manner which makes quite an interesting combination of talkative flow when you hear the both girls together, bringing the whole story to a delightful awareness that I think, is the highlight of this cosy mystery.
.
What a shame we don’t have radio stations that do broadcasts of Serials anymore, as this took me back to when I used to listened to them and it certainly would make entertainment around the radio.
.
Set in the 1920s , it is a historical fiction set in Australia. A light Romance, and to top it off, to give an extra interest and a unique angle, cosy mystery in the shape of Agatha Christie. I highly recommend it.
.
Duration Time – 11 hrs, 1 min
The Dragon Sleeps by Ellen Read
Book One of The Thornton Mysteries
.
Historical Fiction ( Australia – 1927 post or after WW1)
Cosy Mystery Murder/Romance
Crime/Thriller
.
Thank you to Ellen Read for giving me an ARC of The Dragon Sleeps in return for an honest review.
This book has been re-published by Crimson Cloak Publishing
.
My view on what this book is about….
We open The Dragon Sleeps, and here we are, an invitation to a weekend party at Thornton Park. The hot topic is a brass Dragon…… it sits inside a velvet-lined box. An antiques dealer, Mr Zhang sold it to, Thomas Thornton, (Alexandra’s father) the owner of Thornton Antiques.
.
Edith wasn’t all that impressed with the brass Dragon and told Alexandra so. However, Alexandra felt she had to defend her father and said to Edith it was rare, from the 1500s, Alexandra was also disappointed with it and confirmed as much to Benedict who is the manager of Thornton Antiques.
.
Alexandra confides in Benedict that she had her suspicions over one particular person who had been invited… the person was being very shifty.
.
In the drawing room, Alexandra and Edith were having a bit of a tete-a-tete. What about? ….well to do with Benedict Archer of course!! Who else? but at this time Alexandra questioned herself, had she been aware how fond she is of Benedict?
.
A wrought-iron spiral stair case leads up to the tower. It was here that Alexandra and Benedict discussed the prospects of telling her father that Alexandra had been learning the ropes of the trade (Alexandra wanted to be an Antiques dealer at her fathers shop) nearer the end of their conversation, they noticed the stars in the sky.
.
Quote “Here, with the sea of darkness surrounding us, the Milky Way stretches like a diamond blanket across the sky.”
.
After reiminiscing over the starry night, they decided to dance a foxtrot, to the music of Stardust, after that, like the gentleman Benedict is, he escorted Alexandra back to her room.
.
The next day activities consisted of showing stained windows, which added alot of curiosity, tennis playing, and a very deep discussion about a sword and a hint of a walk in the zoo, which ending up being a full tour of the zoo.
.
It wasn’t until the next day Benedict discovered there had been an “accident” in the Orchard. Was it an accident, or was it murder? Who was accountable? Who was missing? Where did the missing sword go? What was in the muniment room, that had Alexandra so entranced about her grandfather’s notebooks?
.
My thoughts …
Well how can I put this without using my own cliche….. “I loved this book so much”. With writing up this review and leaving this till last, I slept on it till morning, and then some more….. this is a very special book for me that connected with me on a very personal level, a precious book that I will definately treasure for years to come.
.
The Dragon Sleeps, a cosy murder mystery, a historical fiction (set in Australia – 1920s after WW1), a romance, crime/ thriller to the flavour of Agatha Christie, but Hercule Poirot style.
.
Edith and Alexandra. I absolutely adored the banter that goes on between the two girls. Edith having such a dry sense of humour and slightly putting her foot in it which makes it even more facinating, and I love how Alexandra seems to put up with it and takes it in her stride. The camaraderie between the two, quite endearing and certainly makes reading about these two very entertaining.
.
Alexandra and Benedict. I loved the romance between these two. Some would say, it’s the old fashioned type of love, but I see it as an adoring love, a love that spreads with maturity over the years, not at all your hard, hot stuff, so it is in the nature to the story that Ellen uses this in a knowledgeable way.
.
Glossary. I loved how there is a glossary which is thoughtfully done, and is included at the end of the book, examples explaining of Australian language or towns, for example …. ANZAC biscuits, chutney, duffer.
.
Ellen Read’s dry wittiness in The Dragon Sleeps, seeps through and hints of this we get throughout, which adds flavour of what could have been a much darker book. Her breaks in the story, are well balanced. The construction of historical events are weaved so cleverly in the story that you don’t feel as if you are being bombarded with a history lesson. Her words made an impact where they should and softness where it should. I loved, also the soft quality of Ellen’s writing in parts of her story, I’m thinking of “her mothers essence”, the “romance part” of it for sure and even the sorrow behind the “funeral scene”, which seemed … bittersweet, magical and sensitive. Ellen’s plotting skills are amazing and I can’t think of a better word to use, “it’s a work of art, of words” is the closest I can put to it, again, this gives a different impact to the story, a gripping one, overall giving the book the exact right balance that is needed. I want to congratulate Ellen, her style and writing is astounding…. she leaves me speechless.
.
Rating System…..
I give The Dragon Sleeps, 5 stars
.
Recommendation….
The Dragon Sleeps comes highly recommended by me, and would suit anyone who likes Agatha Christie books, who likes historical fiction, who likes cozy mystery murder books, who likes soft endearing, maturing romance and anyone who likes wity humour and who likes crimes and thrillers.
.
A personal thank you, goes to you, Ellen, for such an inspiring book, your book has been a pleasure to read and much appreciated (and will be close part of my life).
As soon as I began reading I knew instantly I would like this story. The author, Ellen Read has a good and easy writing style. When I got to page sixty-nine, I made a note and this is what it said:
‘I was enjoying the ambiance of the atmosphere and the gentler times with ladies in fine dresses and dapper gentlemen. Benedict and Alexandra had finally exchanged a kiss in the tower with fine views over Melbourne. All was good in the world, the story weaved its way into my heart and I was enjoying it.
Then wham! Someone was murdered. Why? Who? What was going on?
A love it when books does that, don’t you!
The storyline had taken a turn and I was intrigued to find out what was going on.
Think Downton Abby with this book, the upstairs and the downstairs. Then add an excellent storyline and you have one good, no, one great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and there was another bit of magic for me too, it is set in the author’s country of Australia. Seeing the Melbourne lights shimmering in the distance makes a change to the Manhattan or London skyline.
Those who enjoy Agatha Christie books and murder mystery series on television will want to pick up this great read! It had me guessing throughout. The setting is enchanting. And the characters are wonderful. I adored the friendships within and the romance. Can’t wait for the second book in this series!
This is the first book that I have read from this author and I look forward to more, this book has a great mystery surrounding mythical dragons and a lovely romance to go with it and the setting is so good 1927 Melbourne, fabulous fashions and a beautiful estate, I really enjoyed getting to know the Thornton family and their friends.
Thomas Thornton runs an antique store he is widowed with a beautiful twenty one year old daughter Alexandra, they are popular socialites and weekend parties are held often, this particular party Alexandra is hoping to let her farther know that she wants to be an antique dealer and carry on in the family business, the shop’s manager Benedict Archer has been teaching her and getting to know her well.
This weekend is small with some visiting guests, a Chinese father and son who have delivered a rather unique Ming dragon statue and another couple the Buckleys and Edith Blackburn Alexandra’s best friend. When a request is made to Thomas to show the guests some artefacts from a very secure room and an offer to purchase these is denied things get a bit dangerous when a body is found on the estate.
This is a story that pulled me in there is a lot going on, I do love the era this is written in the 1920’s they were glamourous and there were lots of changes coming through especially for woman and Alexandra was one very strong heroine and the beautiful romance that grew between her and Benedict was so loving the need to protect was formidable. This story is intriguing and a page turner, one that I do very much recommend and I do look forward to more in the series and getting to know more about the wonderful characters, thank you MS Read.
Ooh, this book was hard to put on – I read late into the night!
It took a little while to get going but the lead-up was interesting.
Alexandra is a girl in changing times – 1927, Victoria, Australia to be precise. She isn’t fond of the society scene and has her sights on going into her father’s antique business (gasp). And has a mind of her own (gasps again).
One weekend starts a chain of events in motion and wakes the sleeping dragon! A Chinese mystery begins to unfold. Plotting, avarice and death ensue.
Alexandra holds her own, but Benedict is a charming hero. Whilst her best friend, Edith, is understandably frightened.
Flowers scent the scenes beautifully, and I felt like I was there. Wonderful description and characters.
Who can one trust?
And who is Yazi?
An elegantly conducted murder mystery with evocative story-telling. Well worth a read.