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gbliss's review against another edition
4.0
Once again...Zoomed through this. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Longer than book number one, and yet the plot is somewhat thinner. But there is something so appealing about the recreation of a particular world within the Victorian world which Update achieves.
On to Montmorency III
On to Montmorency III
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Still fun, but not as much fun as the first Montmorency book. Maybe it was that the formula that worked so well in the first seemed to change a little more than was necessary for the second - why, for example, did we jump five years into the future and not follow Fox-Selwyn and Montmorency on their spy mission? Why did we have to have a drug addiction? That lessened my enjoyment considerably. Ditto our time on Tarimond - what did that have to do with Montmorency? Had we stayed in Scotland, interacting with the Scottish nobility and seeing how Montmorency/Scarper adapt there, it might have been better. Or ignored that altogether and stayed in London. Because of our travels, and the introduction of Dr. Farwcett as a main character, the London mystery got short shrift. Vi and Scarper would have been a great team, but that isn't allowed to flourish.
In short, too many locales, too many characters, less focus on Montmorency/Scarper led to a lesser book.
In short, too many locales, too many characters, less focus on Montmorency/Scarper led to a lesser book.
jordant's review against another edition
3.0
It was an okay book, however I didn't like how it skipped so far from the first book, i liked the dying children parts as they had the right amount of suspense and interest but some of the other parts just fell flat for me.
holtfan's review against another edition
2.0
I am really fond of [b:Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?|638603|Montmorency Thief, Liar, Gentleman? (Montmorency, #1)|Eleanor Updale|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308963855s/638603.jpg|1526789], the first book in this series. In fact, I've read it at least four times. I thus began this book with some expectations and excitment.
I've been waiting to get my hands on the Montmorency sequels for years.
The problems with this book are rather glaring. But so are the positives. It is an excellent Victorian-era novel of daring adventures, redemption, and mystery.
In the first book of this series, Montmorency turns himself from a second-rate criminal into a white collar thief and gentleman. He's now a familiar figure around the clubs, and an active agent for the British government with his friend Lord George Fox-Selwyn. This sequel begins five years later, with Montmorency and Fox-Selwyn returning from a year abroad. The British government needs their assitance. Someone is bombing train stations. Meanwhile, on a tiny island in Scotland, babies are dying and no one can solve why.
So......Montmorency, Fox-Selwyn, and Dr. Farcett spend most of the book traveling from London to Scotland with appearances from Scarper, the unforgettable Cissie, and even Vi and her Mom. The mysteries themseleves really aren't that compelling and their solutions are predictable, but they are engaging enough to make them perfect for the intended reading audience.
On one level, its a very good book. Interesting characters, lots of dramatic action, a flicker of...you might call it romance.
But from a literary standpoint, its rather dreadful. Overly dramatic, confusing and slightly weird romance, characters that stand rather one dimmensionally.
I love the characters, but they are rather one dimmensional and "character change" is...well, it isn't classic.
Lord Fox-Selwyn brings to mind a sort of "sherlock holmes" character and Montmorency has a bit of Remington Steele character about him.
I would say this is a middle school/high school age book. Older ages can enjoy it, but I have a feeling, like in my case, its just not written for an older auidence. The characters are to dramatic and the plot convenient for anyone used to reading books like [b:The Count of Monte Cristo|7126|The Count of Monte Cristo|Alexandre Dumas|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203605s/7126.jpg|391568], [b:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|3590|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3)|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1164045516s/3590.jpg|1222101], or even [b:Ivanhoe|6440|Ivanhoe|Walter Scott|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327980637s/6440.jpg|1039021].
I've been waiting to get my hands on the Montmorency sequels for years.
The problems with this book are rather glaring. But so are the positives. It is an excellent Victorian-era novel of daring adventures, redemption, and mystery.
In the first book of this series, Montmorency turns himself from a second-rate criminal into a white collar thief and gentleman. He's now a familiar figure around the clubs, and an active agent for the British government with his friend Lord George Fox-Selwyn. This sequel begins five years later, with Montmorency and Fox-Selwyn returning from a year abroad. The British government needs their assitance. Someone is bombing train stations. Meanwhile, on a tiny island in Scotland, babies are dying and no one can solve why.
So......Montmorency, Fox-Selwyn, and Dr. Farcett spend most of the book traveling from London to Scotland with appearances from Scarper, the unforgettable Cissie, and even Vi and her Mom. The mysteries themseleves really aren't that compelling and their solutions are predictable, but they are engaging enough to make them perfect for the intended reading audience.
On one level, its a very good book. Interesting characters, lots of dramatic action, a flicker of...you might call it romance.
But from a literary standpoint, its rather dreadful. Overly dramatic, confusing and slightly weird romance, characters that stand rather one dimmensionally.
I love the characters, but they are rather one dimmensional and "character change" is...well, it isn't classic.
Lord Fox-Selwyn brings to mind a sort of "sherlock holmes" character and Montmorency has a bit of Remington Steele character about him.
I would say this is a middle school/high school age book. Older ages can enjoy it, but I have a feeling, like in my case, its just not written for an older auidence. The characters are to dramatic and the plot convenient for anyone used to reading books like [b:The Count of Monte Cristo|7126|The Count of Monte Cristo|Alexandre Dumas|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203605s/7126.jpg|391568], [b:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|3590|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3)|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1164045516s/3590.jpg|1222101], or even [b:Ivanhoe|6440|Ivanhoe|Walter Scott|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327980637s/6440.jpg|1039021].
Spoiler
And that last bit about Vi?????????????? Who is this kid's Father??? SO MANY AWKWARD QUESTIONS ARE RAISED. That was not a cute moment. That was an incredibly awkward scene......oh gosh.bmwpalmer's review
4.0
I like these books (so far), but I can't quite figure them out. They're YA, but the subject matter isn't really YA, but the treatment of said subject matter IS, so...?
isabelalexander1998's review
4.0
My mother picked this book up for me in the library, but sadly, without its predecessor. So I started reading and I have to admit that my mother chose well. Only two big issues with this book, 1)the start was slightly slow and it definitely caught up speed in the second half 2) I felt as if I had read it before. I think this is mainly down to the fact I am a Sherlock Holmes superfan and it is set around the same time and Montmorency appears to be a very similar character. However, I feel this only added to my enjoyment of the story and I agree that it must be difficult to write a new sleuth when the greatest detective ever created is there to influence you. So yes, I enjoyed this book, yes I will hopefully get hold of the first one and yes, I will most certainly be reading the rest of the series.
shilo1364's review
4.0
Another action-packed tale in the life of Montmorency. The author's style holds the reader at a distance, and sometimes I wonder whether we're supposed to be rooting for Montmorency and his friends, laughing at them, holding them in contempt or a complicated mix of all three. In any case, an enjoyable read when my head is too muzzy with this cold to do anything else