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Thunder on the Right
Artist Jennifer Silver has come to the picturesque, secluded Valley of the Storms in the French Pyrenees to meet with a young cousin who is about to enter the convent there -- only to discover that the young woman has died in a dreadful car accident. Or did she?
Lies abound in this strange and frightening place, but seeking the truth could lead Jennifer to her own violent death.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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1372 people want to read
About the author
Mary Stewart
92 books2,828 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
July 19, 2021
2.5 stars. The melodrama, it overwhelms.
Jennifer Silver, a young British woman, travels to the French Pyrenees in search of her cousin, Gillian, who suddenly wrote that she was entering a French convent. Waiting for Jennifer in the beautiful French town of Gavarnie ...
Gavarnie, France
... is Stephen, who's been carrying a torch for Jennifer for years, though she's been — until now — totally oblivious to that fact.
Jennifer is told by Doña Francesca, the bursar at the convent, that a week or so ago Gillian was in a car crash and died at the convent a few days later. But Doña Francesca (boo!hiss) clearly has a sinister agenda, and there are reasons to think that the woman who died at the convent was not Gillian ...
Re-reading this after 20 years or more, I reluctantly have to say that the years haven't treated this Mary Stewart book as kindly as most of her other romantic suspense novels. There are flashes of Stewart's brilliant writing, but they're encased in a lot of what Stewart herself called purple prose. The weather is repeatedly used as a heavy-handed symbol, the heroine faints, the hero fights, villains menace and leer. The writing and the plot are both on the overwrought side. Stewart shows a lamentable tendency to overuse ellipses in this book, which reminds me way too much of Barbara Cartland's breathless heroines.
If you're a Mary Stewart completist or an avid fan of old-time Gothic-type romantic suspense novels with fainting heroines, you may enjoy this, but if you're new to Stewart's books, do yourself a big favor and don't start with TotR. (Personally I recommend Nine Coaches Waiting and Madam, Will You Talk?)
It was a close call for me, whether to round this down to 2 stars. Chalk it up to sophomore slump; I understand this was Stewart's second novel. She didn't care for it much either.
This was a buddy read with the Mary Stewart group, and while we were debating whether "thunder on the right" is a quote from some poem or another literary source, a few of us came up with our own poems using the title phrase. I'll leave you with my (very) late-night offering (warning: mildly spoilerish):
The Lament of Doña Francesca
"The time has come," the bursar said,
"To talk of many things:
Of gold ... and blackmail ... and smugglers,
Of a cousin and the trouble she brings ...
Of Celeste's crush on that stupid boy
And just how much that stings ....
And why the thunder is on the right
And whether my black robe has wings."
More astoundinglygreat bad mediocre TotR poetry can be found here in our discussion thread in the Mary Stewart group.
Jennifer Silver, a young British woman, travels to the French Pyrenees in search of her cousin, Gillian, who suddenly wrote that she was entering a French convent. Waiting for Jennifer in the beautiful French town of Gavarnie ...
Gavarnie, France
... is Stephen, who's been carrying a torch for Jennifer for years, though she's been — until now — totally oblivious to that fact.
Jennifer is told by Doña Francesca, the bursar at the convent, that a week or so ago Gillian was in a car crash and died at the convent a few days later. But Doña Francesca (boo!hiss) clearly has a sinister agenda, and there are reasons to think that the woman who died at the convent was not Gillian ...
Re-reading this after 20 years or more, I reluctantly have to say that the years haven't treated this Mary Stewart book as kindly as most of her other romantic suspense novels. There are flashes of Stewart's brilliant writing, but they're encased in a lot of what Stewart herself called purple prose. The weather is repeatedly used as a heavy-handed symbol, the heroine faints, the hero fights, villains menace and leer. The writing and the plot are both on the overwrought side. Stewart shows a lamentable tendency to overuse ellipses in this book, which reminds me way too much of Barbara Cartland's breathless heroines.
If you're a Mary Stewart completist or an avid fan of old-time Gothic-type romantic suspense novels with fainting heroines, you may enjoy this, but if you're new to Stewart's books, do yourself a big favor and don't start with TotR. (Personally I recommend Nine Coaches Waiting and Madam, Will You Talk?)
It was a close call for me, whether to round this down to 2 stars. Chalk it up to sophomore slump; I understand this was Stewart's second novel. She didn't care for it much either.
This was a buddy read with the Mary Stewart group, and while we were debating whether "thunder on the right" is a quote from some poem or another literary source, a few of us came up with our own poems using the title phrase. I'll leave you with my (very) late-night offering (warning: mildly spoilerish):
The Lament of Doña Francesca
"The time has come," the bursar said,
"To talk of many things:
Of gold ... and blackmail ... and smugglers,
Of a cousin and the trouble she brings ...
Of Celeste's crush on that stupid boy
And just how much that stings ....
And why the thunder is on the right
And whether my black robe has wings."
More astoundingly
September 2, 2020
From the back cover of my copy...
A strange, tense and fast-moving novel set in the Pyrenees...
All true, especially the strange!
I found Stephen & Jenny's relationship & the machinations of Jenny's mother quite odd at the start.
I loved the description of a wonderful meal that Jenny enjoyed in the first chapter, but didn't think the scenery descriptions were as evocative as usual in a MS novel.
Some of the writing was quite clumsy especially and most of Jennifer's interactions with the villainous Bussac were
But, once again Mary Stewart wrote a really thrilling finale. I really couldn't put it down.
It's funny - I enjoyed My Brother Michael less but have ranked it a fraction higher on GR. I think that may be the writing skill - or possibly my mood when reading the books.
A strange, tense and fast-moving novel set in the Pyrenees...
All true, especially the strange!
I found Stephen & Jenny's relationship & the machinations of Jenny's mother quite odd at the start.
I loved the description of a wonderful meal that Jenny enjoyed in the first chapter, but didn't think the scenery descriptions were as evocative as usual in a MS novel.
Some of the writing was quite clumsy especially and most of Jennifer's interactions with the villainous Bussac were
But, once again Mary Stewart wrote a really thrilling finale. I really couldn't put it down.
It's funny - I enjoyed My Brother Michael less but have ranked it a fraction higher on GR. I think that may be the writing skill - or possibly my mood when reading the books.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
July 13, 2017
In my quest to revisit all of Mary Stewart’s wonderful romance-mysteries, I have been delighted to find that my memory and reality are much the same. This is a fun, if simple and perhaps too predictable, a romp. I am unsure if I can put a finger on what it is about Stewart that always delights me, but it is here in spades.
Fearless heroines, handsome men waiting just in the wings at the appropriate moment, a bit of kissing on the sly, confusion and bouts of clarity, and images of handsome young men flying down mountain passes on blazing stallions. Is there something else the romantic voyeur could desire? Mix that with Stewart’s considerable descriptive talents and you have a bit of magic. At least, I find it so.
Fearless heroines, handsome men waiting just in the wings at the appropriate moment, a bit of kissing on the sly, confusion and bouts of clarity, and images of handsome young men flying down mountain passes on blazing stallions. Is there something else the romantic voyeur could desire? Mix that with Stewart’s considerable descriptive talents and you have a bit of magic. At least, I find it so.
November 20, 2022
Not my favorite MS novel. It starts out strong, but loses steam in the middle. The narrative is hindered by overwriting at this point (what MS herself called purple prose). The atmospheric descriptions are strong and I loved her used of color blindness, but between a fainting heroine, an unlikeable hero, and convenient bouts of amnesia, this isn't one of her best.
August 20, 2020
I haven’t read anything by Mary Stewart before and, looking at the mixed reviews, it seems this may not have been the best place to start.
It concerns twenty two year old Jennifer Silver, the daughter of academics, who visits a hotel in the Pyrenees, straddling France and Spain, after a letter from her cousin. Gillian was brought up with Jennifer, after her parents died in the blitz, but is half French and her husband was also French. Having been ill, Gillian has gone to stay at a convent and asks Jennifer to visit her there.
Jennifer is astonished at the idea of her cousin wanting to stay at a convent. I am a lapsed Catholic, but there is a little too much in this book about the horrors of popery to be honest. From silken robes to the greedy polishing of candlesticks, Jennifer is ready to be appalled and certainly is. Still, she arrives to see Gillian, only to be told, quite blankly, that her cousin had an accident and has died.
To add to these bizarre events, is the appearance of Stephen; a young man who adored Jennifer, but was warned off by mama, before tracking her down and becoming involved in the mystery. Is Gillian really dead? What is going on at the convent and who is the mysterious Dona Francisca? Lots of skulduggery, a plot which stretches credulity and a little too much romance. Not a favourite read, to be honest, and I felt I had climbed the mountains surrounding the convent myself, by the time I finished it.
It concerns twenty two year old Jennifer Silver, the daughter of academics, who visits a hotel in the Pyrenees, straddling France and Spain, after a letter from her cousin. Gillian was brought up with Jennifer, after her parents died in the blitz, but is half French and her husband was also French. Having been ill, Gillian has gone to stay at a convent and asks Jennifer to visit her there.
Jennifer is astonished at the idea of her cousin wanting to stay at a convent. I am a lapsed Catholic, but there is a little too much in this book about the horrors of popery to be honest. From silken robes to the greedy polishing of candlesticks, Jennifer is ready to be appalled and certainly is. Still, she arrives to see Gillian, only to be told, quite blankly, that her cousin had an accident and has died.
To add to these bizarre events, is the appearance of Stephen; a young man who adored Jennifer, but was warned off by mama, before tracking her down and becoming involved in the mystery. Is Gillian really dead? What is going on at the convent and who is the mysterious Dona Francisca? Lots of skulduggery, a plot which stretches credulity and a little too much romance. Not a favourite read, to be honest, and I felt I had climbed the mountains surrounding the convent myself, by the time I finished it.
June 3, 2010
I read somewhere that Mary Stewart felt that this was the weakest of her novels, and I must agree (although Airs Above the Ground comes in a close second).
Thunder on the Right starts off strong, but peters out mid-way and never regains traction. While the plot is intriguing: a missing (presumed dead) cousin, and art theft brokered through a French abbey in the Pyrenees, neither storyline is fleshed out to gain full impact. Likewise with the characters. Stephen Masefield is one of the most lackluster Stewart heros I've ever read, and Jennifer Silver, the damsel-in-distress, lacks the spunk and intrepid spirit of a typical Stewart heroine.
A disappointing offering from the Dame of romantic suspense.
Thunder on the Right starts off strong, but peters out mid-way and never regains traction. While the plot is intriguing: a missing (presumed dead) cousin, and art theft brokered through a French abbey in the Pyrenees, neither storyline is fleshed out to gain full impact. Likewise with the characters. Stephen Masefield is one of the most lackluster Stewart heros I've ever read, and Jennifer Silver, the damsel-in-distress, lacks the spunk and intrepid spirit of a typical Stewart heroine.
A disappointing offering from the Dame of romantic suspense.
November 22, 2022
It has been donkey's years since I read one of Mary Stewart's thrillers, and this was never one of my favorites (Moonspinners forever!). But I happily fell right into her eloquent atmospherics and had myself a time.
Jennifer Silver has come to a hotel high in the Pyrenees to reconnect with a cousin she hasn't seen in years, but the first person she sees is a man from her past. Stephen fell hard for her when he was a student of Jennifer's father, but her mother sent him about his business. To sheltered Jennifer, he's more like an old friend; she's happy to see him but more focused on her cousin Gillian, who has fallen out of touch after summoning her up to this mountain village. Gillian was supposed to be staying at a nearby convent examining whether she had a vocation, so Jennifer heads over there at her first opportunity.
As soon as Jennifer arrives at the convent things get squirrelly, and we find ourselves plunged into mystery. From this point on the action picks up and Jennifer finds herself in danger--though Stephen, as her devoted assistant, seems to pay the highest price. He disclaims the hero label but absorbs an enormous amount of physical abuse while toeing up to the mark over and over. Of course, all comes right in the end, though it requires some fairly preposterous plot twists to make it so. The resolution of the cousin’s mystery is deeply troubling.
Like Helen MacInnes's excellent Cold War thrillers though less political, Mary Stewart's romantic mysteries are of their moment. They feature women who reason emotionally, change their clothes a lot, and cling to their men but at times of crisis manage to rise to the occasion, albeit with more grit than smarts. The men are always the reasoners and the towers of strength, but the women are not entirely negligible quantities. Nowadays we expect more of our female protagonists in action novels, but for their era these books were something approaching feminist. Paired with Stewart's gift for evocative description of natural settings, the action story was good retro fun that I could enjoy with only twinges of guilt.
Jennifer Silver has come to a hotel high in the Pyrenees to reconnect with a cousin she hasn't seen in years, but the first person she sees is a man from her past. Stephen fell hard for her when he was a student of Jennifer's father, but her mother sent him about his business. To sheltered Jennifer, he's more like an old friend; she's happy to see him but more focused on her cousin Gillian, who has fallen out of touch after summoning her up to this mountain village. Gillian was supposed to be staying at a nearby convent examining whether she had a vocation, so Jennifer heads over there at her first opportunity.
As soon as Jennifer arrives at the convent things get squirrelly, and we find ourselves plunged into mystery. From this point on the action picks up and Jennifer finds herself in danger--though Stephen, as her devoted assistant, seems to pay the highest price. He disclaims the hero label but absorbs an enormous amount of physical abuse while toeing up to the mark over and over. Of course, all comes right in the end, though it requires some fairly preposterous plot twists to make it so. The resolution of the cousin’s mystery is deeply troubling.
Like Helen MacInnes's excellent Cold War thrillers though less political, Mary Stewart's romantic mysteries are of their moment. They feature women who reason emotionally, change their clothes a lot, and cling to their men but at times of crisis manage to rise to the occasion, albeit with more grit than smarts. The men are always the reasoners and the towers of strength, but the women are not entirely negligible quantities. Nowadays we expect more of our female protagonists in action novels, but for their era these books were something approaching feminist. Paired with Stewart's gift for evocative description of natural settings, the action story was good retro fun that I could enjoy with only twinges of guilt.
May 4, 2021
I've had the urge lately to revisit my Mary Stewart novels. I don't know if it is because I've been cooped up the past year and her descriptions of faraway places are better than most travelogues. Or is it the sprinkling of history and mystery that aren't often found as much lately in books. Either way, they always provide a much needed distraction. This particular book did not disappoint. It centers on Jennifer Silver, who has arrived in the French Pyrenees to see her cousin Gillian, who has declared her intent to enter a convent there.
As most Mary Stewart's books are situated after WWII, we see touches of the aftermath in various countries in Europe. Here, we see traces of the betrayal and violence of those escaping Germany through these "ratlines", which here is through the Pyrenees mountains into a hidden entrance into Spain. Jennifer, upon her arrival, is told Gillian is dead, but she soon figures out that the person in the grave at the convent is not her. The danger that this causes soon becomes apparent to her, and all those involved.
As most Mary Stewart's books are situated after WWII, we see touches of the aftermath in various countries in Europe. Here, we see traces of the betrayal and violence of those escaping Germany through these "ratlines", which here is through the Pyrenees mountains into a hidden entrance into Spain. Jennifer, upon her arrival, is told Gillian is dead, but she soon figures out that the person in the grave at the convent is not her. The danger that this causes soon becomes apparent to her, and all those involved.
April 26, 2017
Tension is built marvellously within Thunder on the Right, and I really enjoyed the fact that it had a mystery at its heart. It did remind me of Daphne du Maurier at points, and I found myself greatly admiring elements of the plot, as well as Stewart's descriptions. Enjoyable and well paced; parts of it were perhaps a touch melodramatic, but it certainly gives a memorable story to its readers.
June 9, 2022
Carrying with my 'Stewart a month' project. Thunder on the Right is another romantic suspense story this author is famous for, although this one is a bit more on the melodramatic side, which may not be to everyone’s taste. I loved it and let myself be swept by this over-the-top tale set in the beautiful and breathtaking French Pyrenees. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was this landscape that influenced Stewart into penning such sensationalised story :O)
June 18, 2023
Dead people! Conspiratorial nuns! Missing women! Landslides! Romance! Mary Stewart doing her Mary Stewartest! I was a little disappointed that this one, with a stunning bunch of reveals and twists early on, finished so quickly. Like, did we really explore all the weird shiz happening at the convent?! (Not really.)
November 13, 2022
I can see that Mary Stewart was a good writer. She wrote good mystery/gothic books, with a suspense. The plot is engaging, although I think a little predictable, at least I knew before Jennifer what would happen (and what had happened earlier). I think that a fan of the genre likes her novel very much. But I am not this fan. So after this second book of Stewart I am not going to read the third.
I regret that Stewart didn't write more typical romance (where is more of romance). I can see that it would be worth reading.
I regret that Stewart didn't write more typical romance (where is more of romance). I can see that it would be worth reading.
Only now, his own barriers crumbling, did he realize how deep and absolute had been his need for her; and in the very moment of fullest realization she was here and she was his; his anchor, his still center, his searing flame, his peace....
September 3, 2020
I'm not entirely sure why this didn't quite work for me. I was drawn in immediately by the mystery and didn't figure out what was going on for a long time, which I enjoy in a suspense book. And I liked the setup for the romance: girl and boy meet, boy is banished by girl's family, boy realizes what he's lost and sets out to regain her years later. Maybe it's how juvenile Jennifer seems despite being 22--she reads as much younger, particularly since she takes forever to get that Stephen cares about her. Or maybe it's how Stephen reinforces that youthful naivete by his weirdly infantilizing terms of endearment, starting with "child" and moving on from there. So this is going to be the opposite of This Rough Magic for me; I loved the suspense, but the romance didn't do it for me.
March 27, 2019
Needing a good story to read, I went to my friend Mary Stewart. The story is slow to start but picks up the pace and moves rapidly through the events
Jenny Silver is bothered by a letter she received from a friend Gillian. She travels to Gavarnie where she was told that friend has died and is buried in the Abbey grounds. Jenny doesn't believe it and as she explores Gillian's death the tale takes a major turn and Jenny needs to find Gillian. Is Gillian still alive? Who is buried in the graveyard? I highly recommend this book and series.
Jenny Silver is bothered by a letter she received from a friend Gillian. She travels to Gavarnie where she was told that friend has died and is buried in the Abbey grounds. Jenny doesn't believe it and as she explores Gillian's death the tale takes a major turn and Jenny needs to find Gillian. Is Gillian still alive? Who is buried in the graveyard? I highly recommend this book and series.
September 6, 2019
Jennifer Silver is a twenty-two-year-old from Oxford. Her father is a professor of music at Oxford University, her mother runs the household in a way that observes the formal standards of what Mary Stewart describes as a “fading age.”
Jennifer grew up in a “high walled” (protective) existence in a place named Cherry Close. She was also an only child. When she was eight years old, her older half-French cousin Gillian, who previously lived in Northumberland, came to live with the Silvers after the sudden death of her parents in one of the first air raids of the war.
It would only be five years later when Gillian met and married a man named Jacques Lamartine who had been stationed with the Free French near Oxford. After the wedding, Gillian and Jacques moved to Bordeaux, France. This left Jennifer alone again at Cherry Close at the tender age of thirteen.
Jennifer’s parents took a different, if non-confrontational view on how to guide Jennifer as she became a young woman. Her mother, a staunch traditionalist, would prefer her daughter attend finishing school, and once “finished”, she would come home to be “brought out” and then suitably married. Jennifer’s father took a more cosmopolitan view on what Jennifer might pursue after her Switzerland finishing school experience. He suggested his daughter engage in an area of study that was of interest to her, an idea which Jennifer was amenable to. She eventually chose Art, which turned out to be a good compromise, and a relief to her mother who saw art as a much more suitable academic pursuit than the more “unwomanly” of the sciences.
Mary Stewart tells us that by her teens, Jennifer was already blooming into a beauty. I liked how she describes this:
“She had been a planish child, with a promise of beauty in the fine bones of the face and the silken texture of the straight, pale gold hair.”
Despite Jennifer’s lovely appearance, she seemed to be unaware of the attentions of the young men she met. That was until Stephen Masefield came along. His attempts to get close to Jennifer were thwarted, in no uncertain terms, by Mrs. Silver. And with that, Stephen left for two years of study in Vienna, Austria.
He’s physically separated from Jennifer but is unable to put her out of his mind, we learn.
Sometime later, Jennifer discovers, from Gillian of Jacque’s untimely death, and her decision to remain in Bordeaux alone. Gillian then sends Jennifer a series of letters, culminating with the last one in which she declares her intention to become a nun, living at the convent of Notre-Dame Des Oranges.
All of this leads us up to the opening scene of the story. Jennifer is lunching at the Hotel du Pimene, Gavarnie, deciding on the best strategy for locating Gillian. She’s travelled here out of deep concern, since Gillian’s last letter came three weeks ago, and she’s afraid of why she hasn’t heard from her friend since. By chance Stephen himself makes his way to her table, he’s on holiday and spotted her in the dining room. They share a drink and reminisce of the last time they were together two years before; it is then that Stephen tells Jennifer that he’s written her several times since he left, a revelation that surprises her since she received no letters.
He asks what she’s doing in this part of France, which leads to Jennifer explaining the circumstances of Jacques death and Gillian’s plan to become a nun. Stephen asks what she plans to do next,
“I’m going up to see her now.” Jennifer replies.
“To pry her loose (from the convent)?” he asks.
“of course, if I can, why not?” She asserts.
With that, Stephen offers to hike part of the way to the convent with her. The scenery is exquisitely described by Mary Stewart:
“The valley twisted toward the south, and before them, the great barrier of dim-green peaks…”
Once the convent comes into view, Stephen asks if Jennifer wanted to make the rest of the journey alone, to which she replies she does. She reaches the convent and is greeted at the door by a rosy-cheeked teenager, “Take me to Mother Superior please,” Jennifer requests. The girls guides her through the inner walkways, staircases and shadowy network of hallways until Jennifer is finally left in the presence of a woman who can only be described as a “quasi-sister”, a woman who at first glance appears to be one of the order of sisters, but who we learn rather quickly is not. She’s Dona Francisca, the bursar of the convent. Jennifer informs Francisca that she’s looking for Gillian Lamartine which prompts the woman to give her the shocking news.
Gillian died the previous week and was now buried in the convent cemetery.
Jennifer numbly follows Francisca to the graveyard, where she’s introduced to the nun responsible for the gardening, a Sister Maria Louisa. After a brief discussion, Francisca leaves Jennifer with the gardening nun, assuming that the young lady wishes to spend time in solitude at her friend’s grave.
And that when Jennifer and Sister Louisa begin talking.
Jennifer relays the story Francisca told her just a few minutes ago, that Gillian was in a car accident that was caused by a rockslide that was probably the result of the recent heavy rains and that she walked from the site of the accident all the way to the convent, a distance of six kilometers. According to Francisca, by the time Gillian arrived at the convent gates she was exhausted and in shock which soon lead to delirium. She was never coherent, and less than a week later, her death. Jennifer had asked about mention in the papers, but Francesca said there was none.
The gardening nun heard Jennifer’s retelling of Francisca’s version of the story and asserted that indeed Gillian was lucid and coherent a few times over the course of the week.
“Why then would she not tell you about her relatives? Or that she’s received a letter saying I was coming to visit her?”
The nun had no explanation for this.
Jennifer thought further, there is a village between where the crash occurred and the convent,
“Why would she not sop at the village first?”
She talks these things through and realizes that there are many inconsistencies in the story of Gillian’s death. She wonders if she’s getting the truth, or if someone has something to hide.
Perhaps the woman who dies wasn’t Gillian at all!
What followed was a fantastic tale of subterfuge, blackmail, human smuggling, murder and deception. All of it intertwined in shadowy convent scenes, secret nighttime mountain trail hikes, clandestine meetings and a backdrop of rugged, yet beautiful French Pyrenees.
This story is yet another proof of Mary Stewart’s storytelling talent!
Jennifer grew up in a “high walled” (protective) existence in a place named Cherry Close. She was also an only child. When she was eight years old, her older half-French cousin Gillian, who previously lived in Northumberland, came to live with the Silvers after the sudden death of her parents in one of the first air raids of the war.
It would only be five years later when Gillian met and married a man named Jacques Lamartine who had been stationed with the Free French near Oxford. After the wedding, Gillian and Jacques moved to Bordeaux, France. This left Jennifer alone again at Cherry Close at the tender age of thirteen.
Jennifer’s parents took a different, if non-confrontational view on how to guide Jennifer as she became a young woman. Her mother, a staunch traditionalist, would prefer her daughter attend finishing school, and once “finished”, she would come home to be “brought out” and then suitably married. Jennifer’s father took a more cosmopolitan view on what Jennifer might pursue after her Switzerland finishing school experience. He suggested his daughter engage in an area of study that was of interest to her, an idea which Jennifer was amenable to. She eventually chose Art, which turned out to be a good compromise, and a relief to her mother who saw art as a much more suitable academic pursuit than the more “unwomanly” of the sciences.
Mary Stewart tells us that by her teens, Jennifer was already blooming into a beauty. I liked how she describes this:
“She had been a planish child, with a promise of beauty in the fine bones of the face and the silken texture of the straight, pale gold hair.”
Despite Jennifer’s lovely appearance, she seemed to be unaware of the attentions of the young men she met. That was until Stephen Masefield came along. His attempts to get close to Jennifer were thwarted, in no uncertain terms, by Mrs. Silver. And with that, Stephen left for two years of study in Vienna, Austria.
He’s physically separated from Jennifer but is unable to put her out of his mind, we learn.
Sometime later, Jennifer discovers, from Gillian of Jacque’s untimely death, and her decision to remain in Bordeaux alone. Gillian then sends Jennifer a series of letters, culminating with the last one in which she declares her intention to become a nun, living at the convent of Notre-Dame Des Oranges.
All of this leads us up to the opening scene of the story. Jennifer is lunching at the Hotel du Pimene, Gavarnie, deciding on the best strategy for locating Gillian. She’s travelled here out of deep concern, since Gillian’s last letter came three weeks ago, and she’s afraid of why she hasn’t heard from her friend since. By chance Stephen himself makes his way to her table, he’s on holiday and spotted her in the dining room. They share a drink and reminisce of the last time they were together two years before; it is then that Stephen tells Jennifer that he’s written her several times since he left, a revelation that surprises her since she received no letters.
He asks what she’s doing in this part of France, which leads to Jennifer explaining the circumstances of Jacques death and Gillian’s plan to become a nun. Stephen asks what she plans to do next,
“I’m going up to see her now.” Jennifer replies.
“To pry her loose (from the convent)?” he asks.
“of course, if I can, why not?” She asserts.
With that, Stephen offers to hike part of the way to the convent with her. The scenery is exquisitely described by Mary Stewart:
“The valley twisted toward the south, and before them, the great barrier of dim-green peaks…”
Once the convent comes into view, Stephen asks if Jennifer wanted to make the rest of the journey alone, to which she replies she does. She reaches the convent and is greeted at the door by a rosy-cheeked teenager, “Take me to Mother Superior please,” Jennifer requests. The girls guides her through the inner walkways, staircases and shadowy network of hallways until Jennifer is finally left in the presence of a woman who can only be described as a “quasi-sister”, a woman who at first glance appears to be one of the order of sisters, but who we learn rather quickly is not. She’s Dona Francisca, the bursar of the convent. Jennifer informs Francisca that she’s looking for Gillian Lamartine which prompts the woman to give her the shocking news.
Gillian died the previous week and was now buried in the convent cemetery.
Jennifer numbly follows Francisca to the graveyard, where she’s introduced to the nun responsible for the gardening, a Sister Maria Louisa. After a brief discussion, Francisca leaves Jennifer with the gardening nun, assuming that the young lady wishes to spend time in solitude at her friend’s grave.
And that when Jennifer and Sister Louisa begin talking.
Jennifer relays the story Francisca told her just a few minutes ago, that Gillian was in a car accident that was caused by a rockslide that was probably the result of the recent heavy rains and that she walked from the site of the accident all the way to the convent, a distance of six kilometers. According to Francisca, by the time Gillian arrived at the convent gates she was exhausted and in shock which soon lead to delirium. She was never coherent, and less than a week later, her death. Jennifer had asked about mention in the papers, but Francesca said there was none.
The gardening nun heard Jennifer’s retelling of Francisca’s version of the story and asserted that indeed Gillian was lucid and coherent a few times over the course of the week.
“Why then would she not tell you about her relatives? Or that she’s received a letter saying I was coming to visit her?”
The nun had no explanation for this.
Jennifer thought further, there is a village between where the crash occurred and the convent,
“Why would she not sop at the village first?”
She talks these things through and realizes that there are many inconsistencies in the story of Gillian’s death. She wonders if she’s getting the truth, or if someone has something to hide.
Perhaps the woman who dies wasn’t Gillian at all!
What followed was a fantastic tale of subterfuge, blackmail, human smuggling, murder and deception. All of it intertwined in shadowy convent scenes, secret nighttime mountain trail hikes, clandestine meetings and a backdrop of rugged, yet beautiful French Pyrenees.
This story is yet another proof of Mary Stewart’s storytelling talent!
September 23, 2011
Earlier this year, when Hodder reissued Mary Stewart’s novels in striking new covers, I remembered that I have always meant to try her books. My mother used to love them, and I can remember her bringing them home from the library back in the days when I was still borrowing from the junior shelves.
Now that I have read Thunder on the Right I can understand why all those books came
home.
I met Jennifer, the twenty-two year old daughter of a distinguised Oxford Professor, at a hotel high in the Pyrenees. She had come to visit Gillian, her widowed cousin, who had written to her, quite unexpectedly, from a nearby convent.
Jennifer was unsettled when she met Stephen, a man she had known back in Oxford. They had been very close. But Stephen had been a student of her father, and the professor thought him an unsuitable match for his daughter and forced them apart.
And she is was disturbed, and distressed, when she visited the convent and wasis told that Gillian has died, and has been buried. That she left nothing, not a single word for her family. Jennifer knew that to be completely out of character. And she saw other signs that something was amiss, and that maybe, just maybe, the woman who died wasn’t Gillian.
Jennifer seeks Stephen’s help in uncovering the truth …
Thunder on the Right offered so much.
A heroine who was beautiful, charming, bright, and engaging. A hero who was heroic, but was also reassuringly mortal. A wonderfully drawn supporting cast. A richly evoked setting.
And, to hold all of those things together, a cleverly constructed plot, that mixed intrigue, action and romance to wonderful effect.
All of the elements came together perfectly. I was swept away, and I lived through every high and low, such an extraordinary range of emotions.
Thunder on the Right was a fine piece of storytelling, and a marvellous entertainment.
Some might find it a little old-fashioned, a little contrived even, but I didn’t mind any of that. I was caught up in the story, and I wanted to believe.
And now I could happily turn back to the beginning and live through the story all over again. I won’t, because so many other books are calling, but I will pick up another of Mary Stewart’s books very, very soon.
Now that I have read Thunder on the Right I can understand why all those books came
home.
I met Jennifer, the twenty-two year old daughter of a distinguised Oxford Professor, at a hotel high in the Pyrenees. She had come to visit Gillian, her widowed cousin, who had written to her, quite unexpectedly, from a nearby convent.
Jennifer was unsettled when she met Stephen, a man she had known back in Oxford. They had been very close. But Stephen had been a student of her father, and the professor thought him an unsuitable match for his daughter and forced them apart.
And she is was disturbed, and distressed, when she visited the convent and wasis told that Gillian has died, and has been buried. That she left nothing, not a single word for her family. Jennifer knew that to be completely out of character. And she saw other signs that something was amiss, and that maybe, just maybe, the woman who died wasn’t Gillian.
Jennifer seeks Stephen’s help in uncovering the truth …
Thunder on the Right offered so much.
A heroine who was beautiful, charming, bright, and engaging. A hero who was heroic, but was also reassuringly mortal. A wonderfully drawn supporting cast. A richly evoked setting.
And, to hold all of those things together, a cleverly constructed plot, that mixed intrigue, action and romance to wonderful effect.
All of the elements came together perfectly. I was swept away, and I lived through every high and low, such an extraordinary range of emotions.
Thunder on the Right was a fine piece of storytelling, and a marvellous entertainment.
Some might find it a little old-fashioned, a little contrived even, but I didn’t mind any of that. I was caught up in the story, and I wanted to believe.
And now I could happily turn back to the beginning and live through the story all over again. I won’t, because so many other books are calling, but I will pick up another of Mary Stewart’s books very, very soon.
July 13, 2013
This is one of Stewart's novels (along with Thornyhold, Nine Coaches Waiting) I like best. It features a nicely paced plot and vivid antagonists, especially Dona Francisca. From the start Stewart evokes her hooded malignity and danger with subtle expertise. The convent and its surroundings are also vivid.
I'm not that connected with Jenny. Like other heroines, she's very competent and on her toes--rather too perfect to relate to. Her thoughts aren't deeply delved into, but I don't mind so much because her motives are easily followed by her actions, and I care about her search for the truth about her cousin Gillian. However, after the second half of the book I get a little detached from Jenny's struggle, I think because there is no reflection on Gillian, no past scenes with her that would show me why and how Jenny is close to her and is so desperate to get her into safety, apart from cousinly ties. The lack of background on Gillian leaves me feeling a little empty at the end, which is abrupt and does not feature her at all.
Stephen has a nice development from a claimed non-hero to one who very much fits the part. He is a little condescending at times, but tender and gentle to Jenny, responding instantly to her needs and danger. I wouldn't mind being on an adventure with him.
I'm not that connected with Jenny. Like other heroines, she's very competent and on her toes--rather too perfect to relate to. Her thoughts aren't deeply delved into, but I don't mind so much because her motives are easily followed by her actions, and I care about her search for the truth about her cousin Gillian. However, after the second half of the book I get a little detached from Jenny's struggle, I think because there is no reflection on Gillian, no past scenes with her that would show me why and how Jenny is close to her and is so desperate to get her into safety, apart from cousinly ties. The lack of background on Gillian leaves me feeling a little empty at the end, which is abrupt and does not feature her at all.
Stephen has a nice development from a claimed non-hero to one who very much fits the part. He is a little condescending at times, but tender and gentle to Jenny, responding instantly to her needs and danger. I wouldn't mind being on an adventure with him.
February 21, 2013
This suspense novel is up there with my favorite Mary Stewart books--Thornyhold, Rose Cottage, Nine Coaches Waiting, This Rough Magic, and Madam, Will You Talk? (Stewart wrote many books, so this "top six" list is somewhat selective.) Set in the Pyrenees on the French border with Spain, Thunder on the Right includes a missing (maybe dead?) woman, a mysterious convent populated by secretive characters (the nuns are okay, it's the other people who seem to be hiding something), a long-lost love who may or may not live up to the heroine's expectations, and a heart-stopping climax with lots of twists and turns--all set in the Valley of Storms, where the weather reflects the goings-on. Even the protagonist questions the melodrama of it all, but that adds to the book's charm as Stewart once again proves herself a mistress of this genre.
October 21, 2008
I just started this two days ago, and i can hardly put it down! I love Mary Stewart! Ok, now I'm done. I could not put this one down. This has more suspense and action than all the others, and a tiny bit more romance (like one more kiss which equals about two or three total) Anyway, like the others it reminds me of a great old movie with terrific heroines and terribly bad guys and a great plot. It's very damsel in distress, which i dig.
October 24, 2009
This is the most dreadful trash. But it's perfect to read on a lazy holiday, or when you are ill in bed. Gothic romance, purple prose, naive, feeble but beautiful heroine, strong but sensitive hero, sinister villainess, predictable ending -- it has everything. Set in and around an isolated convent in the Pyrenees in the 1950s, it rather reminded me of a downmarket version of Black Narcissus
Usually Mary Stewart's strength is the way she conveys a sense of place. But this seemed too overblown and over-written most of the time:
There are pages and pages like this -- she must have been getting paid by the word. It's hard to believe this is the same person who wrote the excellent Merlin trilogy.
Usually Mary Stewart's strength is the way she conveys a sense of place. But this seemed too overblown and over-written most of the time:
A shower of hail raced up the slope and over the crested woods, its million tiny ghost-feet pattering and galloping overhead like a wave sweeping the shingle. As it ebbed into silence the lighting stabbed again: a flash, a crack, and then at one stride the storm was in the valley; the growl and roar of thunder rolled and re-echoed from the mountains on either hand, and the sword of the lightning stabbed down, and stabbed again, as if searching through the depths of the cringing woods for whatever sheltered there.
There are pages and pages like this -- she must have been getting paid by the word. It's hard to believe this is the same person who wrote the excellent Merlin trilogy.
October 22, 2017
Sometime in high school, I discovered Mary Stewart. I read everything she wrote and waited impatiently for her next novel. I read everything she ever published, including her children's books.
On Thursday, October 12, 2017, I discovered that all of her Gothics were on sale for Kindle and in a rash moment, purchased them all.
I devoured Thunder on the Right and to my delight, I still love as much as I did the first time and maybe a bit more as I now have life experience and can appreciate certain nuances now that I didn't back in the day. Much of the reason I love it is not only due to a complex plot and well-developed characters, but because even her minor characters have a few details that make them memorable. I particularly love the priest of the church with a statue of every single saint. Another reason is the gorgeous way she writes. Her descriptions are vivid and I feel as if I could navigate the Pyrenees mountains based solely on her descriptions of the geography.
On Thursday, October 12, 2017, I discovered that all of her Gothics were on sale for Kindle and in a rash moment, purchased them all.
I devoured Thunder on the Right and to my delight, I still love as much as I did the first time and maybe a bit more as I now have life experience and can appreciate certain nuances now that I didn't back in the day. Much of the reason I love it is not only due to a complex plot and well-developed characters, but because even her minor characters have a few details that make them memorable. I particularly love the priest of the church with a statue of every single saint. Another reason is the gorgeous way she writes. Her descriptions are vivid and I feel as if I could navigate the Pyrenees mountains based solely on her descriptions of the geography.
June 22, 2018
If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed that this was Stewart's first book. There are a lot of elements that she would refine to a much higher level in her later books, just not executed nearly so well. In Thunder on the Right there seem to be a lot of characters and things that are "just there" to pop up conveniently and serve the story when needed, without being really integrated into the plot (e.g. Stephen's sudden and hitherto unmentioned mastery of horsemanship, as opposed to The Ivy Tree where certain people's history with horses is a vital part of both character and plot). The convent setting is intriguing, but the characters aren't too well-developed; and there's a touch more melodrama, too—in other books Stewart would do a much better job at making it seem believable that her protagonists are up to the challenge of the experiences they go through.
August 28, 2012
Not my favourite of Mary Stewart's novels -- I seem to recall reading this was an early one, which might explain why the balance of melodrama felt off, though I loved the self-conscious references to Radcliffe. The whole mystery relied on lots of coincidences and stretches of disbelief, but it was still fun, and I appreciated that the male protagonist had a disability.
The romance gets wrapped up quite quickly -- it's a foregone conclusion from the start, really -- so that source of tension doesn't hold up, and the mystery itself is way obvious. Still, Mary Stewart was already good at painting word-pictures of the scenes she was setting, and it's fun. Not my favourite of hers so far, but not a waste of time, either.
The romance gets wrapped up quite quickly -- it's a foregone conclusion from the start, really -- so that source of tension doesn't hold up, and the mystery itself is way obvious. Still, Mary Stewart was already good at painting word-pictures of the scenes she was setting, and it's fun. Not my favourite of hers so far, but not a waste of time, either.
December 17, 2020
The first book by her that I've read and apparently not the best one to start with.
The story was fairly melodramatic and a bit silly, but it was good fun and after a slow start, I did enjoy it.
The story was fairly melodramatic and a bit silly, but it was good fun and after a slow start, I did enjoy it.
July 13, 2020
So much to love about Mary Stewart’s books.
January 15, 2021
It was...slow.
I'm generally a fan of Stewart's romantic suspense novels but I've read through all the popular ones and I'm realizing why some of these obscure titles were harder to find. I guess in the plus category, the romance doesn't feel lightning speed because the love interest knew the heroine previously. But in the negative...a little lightning speed would have done this novel some good.
The story centers on a girl who follows her cousin to France. While there, she learns her cousin died after being nursed at the local convent. But things don't add up about her cousin's passing and as she starts to look farther into it, she puts more than herself in danger.
Except we know who the villain is almost instantaneously. And the mystery is not very gripping once all the facts come out. And while at the very end we do get some good action from the female lead, a lot of the story centers on her love interest trying to shield her from dealing with negative stuff.
Not my favorite. But unfortunately, now I own this one! So maybe I'll circle back in a few years?
I'm generally a fan of Stewart's romantic suspense novels but I've read through all the popular ones and I'm realizing why some of these obscure titles were harder to find. I guess in the plus category, the romance doesn't feel lightning speed because the love interest knew the heroine previously. But in the negative...a little lightning speed would have done this novel some good.
The story centers on a girl who follows her cousin to France. While there, she learns her cousin died after being nursed at the local convent. But things don't add up about her cousin's passing and as she starts to look farther into it, she puts more than herself in danger.
Except we know who the villain is almost instantaneously. And the mystery is not very gripping once all the facts come out. And while at the very end we do get some good action from the female lead, a lot of the story centers on her love interest trying to shield her from dealing with negative stuff.
Not my favorite. But unfortunately, now I own this one! So maybe I'll circle back in a few years?
April 23, 2023
Loved this. Great mystery and the suspense is well executed. Also, loved to have some of his point of view as well and not just hers.
March 26, 2022
In looking for good clean fiction, I've fallen back into some of the novels I enjoyed as a young adult many long years ago. We're talking 40 or 50 years ago because I am that old...... I'm having my 70th birthday later this year! Yay!
Earlier in life I discovered a copy of Moonspinners in my mother's bedroom, I believe. I could not help but want to read it and it was wonderful and encouraged me to read a few other Mary Stewart books. I'm not sure which ones I read way back then; probably the most popular ones.
I'd never read Thunder On the Right back then, of that I'm very sure. I do reading challenges here on Goodreads with the groups, and one of the challenges was to read a book with a yellow cover. I discovered the yellow cover version of Thunder On the Right and decided that would do for the challenge prompt.
I had just finished reading The Crystal Cave, book one of The Arthurian Saga, also by Mary Stewart. It was quite different from the romantic suspense I'd connected with Mary Stewart all these years. I decided I needed to revisit those old good reading experiences that didn't include war scenes like The Arthurian Saga has. I don't like war scenes.
Anyhow, I know a lot of people say this book, Thunder On the Right, isn't one of the best by Mary Stewart, but I very much enjoyed it. I was a little concerned that Catholic readers might not like the depiction of some of the characters at a convent in the Pyrenees, especially Dona Francisca, but most of the convent residents seemed to be just fine, though they were acting very strangely regarding the death of Gillian.
This is the center of the story: Where is Gillian? Our heroine, Jennifer Silver, intended to visit her cousin Gillian at the convent, but when she arrived she learned Gillian had died due to a car accident on the way to this convent. The nuns took her in and nursed her but she soon succumbed to her injuries and was buried in the convent cemetery. This is what Jennifer was told, but she rejected the idea that Gillian could be dead.
Although Gillian should have been her main concern Jennifer became distracted by the arrival of an unexpected boyfriend on the scene. Stephen Masefield is a bit on the pompous side but he's in love with Jennifer, so he shows up. You would think Stephen would be ready to do anything for Jennifer, but instead he shows no interest in looking for Gillian.
Anyhow, enough of the plot... I don't like to give spoilers, but that gives a little information about what the plot was like.
Personally, since from the 1970's until this month, I hadn't read any Mary Stewart books, I was very favorably impressed with Thunder On the Right, for the most part. This was her third published novel, released in 1957. There were a few things I didn't like but nothing that would make me think this book wasn't worth reading. One thing I didn't like was that the main character and her boyfriend frequently smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol. What a sign of the times... these were much more commonly accepted in the 1950's but you don't often see an author include cigarettes in their novels these days.
In fact, I'm inspired. Now I want to read more of Mary Stewart's romantic suspense novels. I might never finish The Arthurian Saga because of the war scenes, but I very much want to read these sixteen romantic suspense novels, some of which I read as a young adult, and some which I've never read before. I'm going to be listening to them all via audiobook - I like to have a fiction audiobook in progress at all times. Every one of these novels is available as an unabridged audiobook from Audible. So exciting. So this will be my new intention for 2022.
While researching for my next Mary Stewart read I discovered that one of her most popular novels, Nine Coaches Waiting, has a protagonist with the name of Linda Martin! That's my name! That novel was written when I was about five years old. I'm so excited about that. I never thought my name would be chosen for a romantic heroine in a novel. Wow. I have got to read that book... so that's what I'll be reading next, with many other Mary Stewart novels yet to come.
Earlier in life I discovered a copy of Moonspinners in my mother's bedroom, I believe. I could not help but want to read it and it was wonderful and encouraged me to read a few other Mary Stewart books. I'm not sure which ones I read way back then; probably the most popular ones.
I'd never read Thunder On the Right back then, of that I'm very sure. I do reading challenges here on Goodreads with the groups, and one of the challenges was to read a book with a yellow cover. I discovered the yellow cover version of Thunder On the Right and decided that would do for the challenge prompt.
I had just finished reading The Crystal Cave, book one of The Arthurian Saga, also by Mary Stewart. It was quite different from the romantic suspense I'd connected with Mary Stewart all these years. I decided I needed to revisit those old good reading experiences that didn't include war scenes like The Arthurian Saga has. I don't like war scenes.
Anyhow, I know a lot of people say this book, Thunder On the Right, isn't one of the best by Mary Stewart, but I very much enjoyed it. I was a little concerned that Catholic readers might not like the depiction of some of the characters at a convent in the Pyrenees, especially Dona Francisca, but most of the convent residents seemed to be just fine, though they were acting very strangely regarding the death of Gillian.
This is the center of the story: Where is Gillian? Our heroine, Jennifer Silver, intended to visit her cousin Gillian at the convent, but when she arrived she learned Gillian had died due to a car accident on the way to this convent. The nuns took her in and nursed her but she soon succumbed to her injuries and was buried in the convent cemetery. This is what Jennifer was told, but she rejected the idea that Gillian could be dead.
Although Gillian should have been her main concern Jennifer became distracted by the arrival of an unexpected boyfriend on the scene. Stephen Masefield is a bit on the pompous side but he's in love with Jennifer, so he shows up. You would think Stephen would be ready to do anything for Jennifer, but instead he shows no interest in looking for Gillian.
Anyhow, enough of the plot... I don't like to give spoilers, but that gives a little information about what the plot was like.
Personally, since from the 1970's until this month, I hadn't read any Mary Stewart books, I was very favorably impressed with Thunder On the Right, for the most part. This was her third published novel, released in 1957. There were a few things I didn't like but nothing that would make me think this book wasn't worth reading. One thing I didn't like was that the main character and her boyfriend frequently smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol. What a sign of the times... these were much more commonly accepted in the 1950's but you don't often see an author include cigarettes in their novels these days.
In fact, I'm inspired. Now I want to read more of Mary Stewart's romantic suspense novels. I might never finish The Arthurian Saga because of the war scenes, but I very much want to read these sixteen romantic suspense novels, some of which I read as a young adult, and some which I've never read before. I'm going to be listening to them all via audiobook - I like to have a fiction audiobook in progress at all times. Every one of these novels is available as an unabridged audiobook from Audible. So exciting. So this will be my new intention for 2022.
While researching for my next Mary Stewart read I discovered that one of her most popular novels, Nine Coaches Waiting, has a protagonist with the name of Linda Martin! That's my name! That novel was written when I was about five years old. I'm so excited about that. I never thought my name would be chosen for a romantic heroine in a novel. Wow. I have got to read that book... so that's what I'll be reading next, with many other Mary Stewart novels yet to come.
October 15, 2013
If I stayed up late to finish this one, I'm afraid it wasn't because I couldn't put it down but more because if I did put it down I was not sure I'd be bothered to pick it up again.
It started well enough, at an isolated convent in the Pyrenees, with a search for a missing girl and a vision of a beautiful young man on horseback. And Doňa Francisca, the shady, possibly lesbian, bursar seems a very promising villain. But somehow it all falls apart.
Part of the trouble was Jenny, the heroine, whose simple innocence sits quite oddly on a woman in her early 20s who has attended a Swiss finishing school and university. Since the plot also requires her to be remarkably slow on the uptake, I found myself out of sympathy with her and her rather wet lover.
And yes, the plot's a bit obvious, too, leading to some finger tapping as they crash about towards the end.
Mary Stewart's great writing skill is still in evidence but the book remains decidedly average - a disappointing end to my mini-binge on her books.
It started well enough, at an isolated convent in the Pyrenees, with a search for a missing girl and a vision of a beautiful young man on horseback. And Doňa Francisca, the shady, possibly lesbian, bursar seems a very promising villain. But somehow it all falls apart.
Part of the trouble was Jenny, the heroine, whose simple innocence sits quite oddly on a woman in her early 20s who has attended a Swiss finishing school and university. Since the plot also requires her to be remarkably slow on the uptake, I found myself out of sympathy with her and her rather wet lover.
And yes, the plot's a bit obvious, too, leading to some finger tapping as they crash about towards the end.
Mary Stewart's great writing skill is still in evidence but the book remains decidedly average - a disappointing end to my mini-binge on her books.
April 17, 2014
Buddy read with the Mary Stewart group.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I won't recap the story as the book description does a good job of that.
For the most part I enjoyed this book, although I found some of the descriptions overly wordy. The weather and it's description played a big role and I enjoyed how it paralleled the story. The title Thunder on the Right, is meant to indicate a good omen and where this phrase occurs in the novel is very appropriate to what is going on between .
I also learned a new word, gallimaufry, which is a confused jumble or medley of things. It was originally a stew made up of whatever was on hand.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I won't recap the story as the book description does a good job of that.
For the most part I enjoyed this book, although I found some of the descriptions overly wordy. The weather and it's description played a big role and I enjoyed how it paralleled the story. The title Thunder on the Right, is meant to indicate a good omen and where this phrase occurs in the novel is very appropriate to what is going on between .
I also learned a new word, gallimaufry, which is a confused jumble or medley of things. It was originally a stew made up of whatever was on hand.
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