THE MASQUE OF THE BLACK TULIP

Author: Lauren Willig ISBN: 0525949208 1/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: DUTTON
Time Period: 1803

The Masque of the Black Tulip opens with the murder of a courier from the London War Office, his confidential dispatch for the Pink Carnation stolen. Meanwhile, the Black Tulip, France’s deadliest spy, is in England with instructions to track down and kill the Pink Carnation. Only Henrietta Uppington and Miles Dorrington know where the Pink Carnation is stationed. Using a secret code book, Henrietta has deciphered a message detailing the threat of the Black Tulip. Meanwhile, the War Office has enlisted Miles to track down the notorious French spy before he (or she) can finish the deadly mission. But what Henrietta and Miles don’t know is that while they are trying to find the Black Tulip (and possibly falling in love), the Black Tulip is watching them.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I'm giving THE MASQUE OF THE BLACK TULIP a 4 Rose Read award, although I'll admit it's not given without some reservation. Featuring Richard's sister, Henrietta, and his best friend, Miles, as the lead historical couple, this follow up to THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION is much more comedic than its predecessor, focusing more on the evolving relationship between Henrietta and Miles than on the spying and espionage.

In the future period, Eloise and Colin are still needling each other and mucking about in Colin's family archives. Even though travels into the modern day are not featured as much as they were in PINK CARNATION, the spark between this pair has begun to ignite. Of course, as she did in PINK CARNATION, Willig leaves just enough thread in their relationship by the end of the book to leave readers hanging and wanting more.

While I vastly enjoyed Ms. Willig's prose and the ease at which she slips us between the past and present, there were a few things that nearly made me grade this an almost average read. The first is what I found an overuse of metaphors—a few here and there can add much, but too many becomes a distraction. I also found myself less than happy with some of the situations the characters found themselves in, as well as having a few believability issues later on in the story, especially in relation to the ending. Just as some things don't translate well from books to movies, some scenes in books are a little bit harder to choreograph and convey into a mental picture through writing. Such is what happens here. What could have been a dramatic super-action packed ending lost just a bit in the timing and translation, though I thoroughly understood what Willig was trying to do. Some of it worked and some of it didn't, leaving me just a little bit disappointed.

However, if you can put all that aside, THE MASQUE OF THE BLACK TULIP is really a lot of fun. Both Henrietta and Miles are likeable characters, with their passage from best childhood friends into grownup lovers wonderfully unfolded by Willig. There's also more sexual tension in BLACK TULIP, with the inevitable love scene between Miles and Hen both hot and tender sweet. The secondary characters are fun, too, including a not-so-bright character named Turnip Fitzhugh and Hen's best friends, Charlotte and Penelope. Add to that Ms. Willig's conveyance of time and place, witty dialogue and some hilarious situations that had me laughing out loud—a stakeout by several young ladies in the bushes and Mile's resulting reaction quickly comes to mind—and you'll find yourself living an enjoyable and fun-filled adventure into the world of 19th century spies and lovers.

Nancy Davis