Wildfire at Midnight
133. Mary Stewart, Wildfire at Midnight
Beautiful model Gianetta Brooke is worn out by the superficiality of her London life. Moreover, she still carries scars from her failed marriage to novelist Nicholas Drury, even though they have been divorced for several years. Gianetta decides to take a restful holiday on the Isle of Skye, but when she arrives, she quickly realizes that her vacation will be anything but peaceful. First, she learns that her ex-husband is staying in her hotel; then she begins to perceive various undercurrents of tension among the other hotel guests. Finally, she hears about the recent murder of a local girl who was apparently killed as a ritual sacrifice. When some of Gianetta’s own acquaintances from the hotel disappear, it becomes increasingly obvious that one of her fellow guests is a murderer.
This book, like so many of Mary Stewart’s novels, is a wonderfully entertaining blend of mystery and romance set among breathtaking scenery. One thing I liked about this novel in particular was that it reads like a classic mystery: all the murder suspects are gathered in one place - they’re all guests of the hotel - and the reader doesn’t find out who the killer is until Gianetta does (although I certainly had my suspicions beforehand). It almost reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel! I also really liked the romance here, even though the outcome is somewhat predictable. There are some very good suspenseful scenes where the characters climb the local mountains to search for their fellow guests who have disappeared, but I’m not sure these scenes would be as compelling the second time. Still, I would definitely rate this as one of Stewart’s better books, and I’d recommend it to fans of romantic suspense.