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Chargement... Having the Decorators Inpar Reay Tannahill
   Aucun Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.  Maddz | May 2, 2021 |  aucune critique | ajouter une critique
Appartient à la série
With a cast of charming characters - introduced to us in HAVING THE BUILDERS IN - this witty and clever novel tells the story of the inhabitants of Vine Regis castle and its surrounding town. After far too many months of HAVING THE BUILDERS IN, Dame Constance's (newly extended) castle, Vine Regis, is her own once more. Finally she has the peace and quiet she needs to begin the all-important task of decorating. Or so she thinks... Unfortunately for Constance, it's not just her Italian decorator's choice of colours that are revolting - apparently the townsfolk are at it too. Outraged by the Poll Tax, murderous rebels are rumoured to be on the rampage. As meddlesome merchants, pesky Pilgrims and rowdy relatives seek refuge at the castle, Constance's dreams of interior design disappear out of the window. This simply won't do; Dame Constance should be picking out fabrics not picking up after uninvited guests. But as Lady of the Manor she must do her duty. Unless, of course, she can devise a way to get rid of them... HAVING THE DECORATORS IN is wickedly witty, deliciously delightful and infinitely more enjoyable than watching paint dry. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires
 Google Books — Chargement...GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: (4)
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Set in the time of Richard II and the Peasant's Revolt, these historical novels are rather witty. Although both are technically romances, they are rather more than that; the first has a mystery plot, and the second is set during the Peasant's Revolt and has feminist leanings.
Having the Builders In
The widowed Dame Constance is mistress of the castle and estate of Vine Regis, set somewhere in Southern England (probably western Hampshire as Salisbury is fairly close), and has been running things for many years. Initially, she was regent for her son Lord Gervase, and when he came of age he found it more convenient to let his mother go on managing things even during his marriage. His wife having died, leaving him with two young daughters on his hands, Dame Constance decides he should remarry and has arranged a match. However, Vine Regis is rather a grim fortress with little in the way of creature comforts, so Dame Constance has decided to have an extension built to improve things. The builders arrive at the same time as Gervase's intended...
Having the Decorators In
Following the marriages in the first book (no, Gervase did not marry his affianced bride - she married another man), Dame Constance is back at Vine Regis having sent her new husband off to his estate near Northampton (he's a Justice of the Peace and a potential target for the revolting peasantry). Various locals and travellers take refuge at the castle, including a rather plain young lady with advanced views on marriage. Also in residence is an Italian painter who has been hired to decorate the newly built Great Hall. Shockingly (at least to the local abbot), a frieze of classical gods has been decided on.
I'd read the first many years ago - there was a small book swap at work - and thought it not bad (and at the time not worth keeping). I came across the series when I was checking to see if Annabel Laine had written any more Earl of Moriston stories (she hadn't) but found that in fact Reay Tannahill wrote those as by Annabel Laine. I've been keeping an eye out for other books by Tannahill to be digitised, and decided to get these and some non-fiction by her.
They are well-written and rather witty, although they do come across as being a bit mistorical in their tropes.
Recommended.