I am a fan of Lady Julia series, and was curious how Ms. Raybourn would handle the relationship between the two leads after the conclusion of Silent on the Moor. Not that I oppose to her decision to give us some closure, I rather hate it when the author strings us along with 'will they-won't they' until we don't care anymore. Having said that, I find Dark Road to Darjeeling does suffer as the sexual tension between Julia and Brisbane, now Mr& Mrs. Brisbane, disappears. Okay, they're intimate, a lot actually, but the suspense has completely gone. We know as the author keeps telling us so that they're devoted to each other. They bicker, yes, but I never once had doubt they couldn't work it out. This may portray a realistic, conventional marriage. And by being conventional, the author might think she's being unconventional, but I find it....boring.
Ms. Raybourn's writing though is exquisite as always. The characters are quirky and lovable. The dialogues are clever and sparkling. I found myself with tears at the end of the book when one character met his/her demise, eventhough I never cared for that particular character before. It's a true testament to the author's skill.
The mystery itself is reminiscent to (this might be a spoiler so please look away now if you don't want to know the identity of the villain) 'The Crooked House' by Agatha Christie. Therefore, I was not surprised as I should be when the villain's identity was revealed.
All in all, Dark Road to Darjeeling is a solid book. How the author paints her characters with distinct traits and flaws and how she makes them change and grow make this series a notch above other cookie-cutter cozy romantic mysteries.
4/5
Read it for yourself.
