Modern Mystery

Don’t you just love it when a favorite author puts out a new book and you had no idea there was even one coming? I got that pleasure this spring. A couple of years back I picked up a fun looking book by a new author, C.A. Belmond. I was mostly attracted to the book because it looked light-hearted and took place in Europe. I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Belmond takes the romance of the 1920s and the classical mystery novel and wraps them delightfully in tasteful modern chicklit. A year later I was surprised and delighted to see a sequel. Belmond had another winner. So you can imagine my happiness when I stumbled upon yet another in this series. Let’s see the stats:
Title: A Rather Charming Invitation

Author: C.A. Belmond
Publisher: New American Library
Date: 2010
My start date: 5/1/10
My finish date: 5/5/10
So, while this post is specifically addressing the most recent addition to this series, a lot of the characteristics about which I want to talk are standard to the series and are what make the whole series worth reading. Getting too much into the specifics of this one will bring me dangerously close to plot giveaways, which we know I try to avoid.

Now, no matter if you are a fan of history or not, there is no denying that certain eras in history had a certain elegance that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Belmond recaptures this. Her setting is modern day Europe. However, thanks to an inheritance from a beloved great-aunt, the series’ main character, Penny Nichols (yep, you heard right, Penny Nichols, and yes, the character does realize the irony of her name) spends a lot of her time wrapped up in the remnants of her aunt’s jazzy 20s and 30s life. This series is filled with elegant beach villas, old classic cars and wood-lined yachts from a bygone era. You can’t help but find this period romance fun.

In regards to the genre title of “mystery”, I will admit, that is not my usual style. And that is not really what is going on in this series. Not in the true sense anyway. This is much more whimsical and light. There is a mystery in each novel, usually involving something that has been stolen. Penny and the series’ other main character, Jeremy, must track down the item and are inevitably swept up in a glamorous world in the process. However, these are a far cry from the cheesy thriller mysteries that usually populate the genre. I would consider this more playful suspense. With a twist of light romance and a side of great characters.
In that line of thought, Belmond must be complimented on her characters. I love Penny and Jeremy. And while some of the extended characters can border on cartoonish stereotypes, that is actually what makes it so fun. It almost gives the series its old-fashioned feel perhaps. Further, Belmond can set a scene like no other. Her details are impeccable and her settings make you wish you could steal Penny’s life and live it yourself. Basically, it is good, clean fun all around.

One final note. They say you should never judge a book by its cover. And I concur. Authors have little or no control over what goes onto the cover of novels, so often the cover can have nothing to do with what is inside. However, in this case, I love these covers! They clearly put thought into them and coordinate them well, because each novel in the series features a cover with a fun little painting of one of the novel’s settings that is pretty accurate to the author’s descriptions. They are light, pastel, and just invite you right in.

Anyway, this is a perfect read for anytime in the year, but for those of you looking for a perfect beach read, look no further. I will, however, request or suggest that you read them in order. They do build on each other and you really need the background from each of the previous novels to really appreciate the next one.

So, go enjoy and in the meantime, keep reading!
Sarah