Die Upon a Kiss (A Benjamin January Mystery Book 5)

Die Upon a Kiss (A Benjamin January Mystery Book 5) eBook: Barbara Hambly: leondumoulin.nl: Kindle Store.
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  • Die upon a Kiss (Benjamin January, book 5) by Barbara Hambly.
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I've not been back post-Katrina, but one of its appeals is the sense of timelessness it has. I enjoyed "walking" down streets I remember with the characters knowing they look about the same as they did in the story. While the author talks about bigotry and racism of the time, it felt more educational than involving. She had a tendency to reiterate information, seemingly not trusting the reader to having picked it up the first time or now remembering it.

As for the plot--what was the plot? I kept waiting to feel that sense of "ah, this is where we're going" and never did. When we finally get to the real plot, it is as though it is another story entirely. Humbly falls victim to the occasional use of portents, which I despise. It seems to take a long time for anything to happen.

Unless one has a love of music, particularly opera, I believe readers could find the plot ponderous, and that's not really where the story goes anyway. I like this series, and Die Upon a Kiss is the most fun so far. It's enjoyable to get to meet an old flame of Janvier and get to see him interacting with Europeans, with their somewhat but not entirely different sentiments and expectations. A mystery in a theater is bound to be a bit of a romp, and this story certainly is. It's rather lighter in many ways than other books in the series so far.

Like other books in the series, there's a rats nest of characters and possible suspects to unpick, some of them familiar from previous books but most members of the opera company, and therefore new, with lots of new names and personalities to keep straight. I had to go back and re-read some bits, to untangle myself, but I found the book so entertaining I didn't mind. One person found this helpful. See all 20 reviews.

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View or edit your browsing history. Get to Know Us. English Choose a language for shopping. Amazon Music Stream millions of songs. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon. Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web. AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally. Amazon Inspire Digital Educational Resources. Maybe I'm supposed to feel sorry for January, but all I feel is that he's a terrible jerk who needs to pick up the shattered pieces of his life and move on, and until he does that, he should stay FAR AWAY from any other woman, much less Rose -- who, if she's half as smart as he thinks she is, she should never in a million years settle for a man that is so unbelievably lukewarm about her.

I bought a bunch of the books in this series, so I will probably at some point force myself to read the next one, but that book is going to have to work wonders in order to restore my interest in this series. Jun 24, Jamie Collins rated it really liked it Shelves: An opera of Othello is perhaps not the wisest choice for an Italian troupe's premiere performance in New Orleans in Benjamin Janvier, a musician and a free man of color, thinks it might well be the motive for a mysterious attack on the opera's conductor outside the theater one evening.

Hambly's writing is beautiful and absorbing.

Benjamin January Series

I enjoyed this novel very much, even if the mystery itself was a little ou An opera of Othello is perhaps not the wisest choice for an Italian troupe's premiere performance in New Orleans in I enjoyed this novel very much, even if the mystery itself was a little out there. The interaction between characters who speak various dialects of French, English, Italian and Spanish is particularly engaging in this book.

Janvier is a polyglot. I'm completely in love with these characters.

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I'm worried about the laudanum-addicted, consumptive Hannibal: And of course, there's Janvier himself: It's very well that he enjoys his family, and the food and the music of his home, but I still wish he would beg, borrow or steal enough money for passage back to Europe. Taking Rose with him. But then there would be no more books, I suppose. View all 4 comments. Feb 25, Claire rated it really liked it.

The Black Tower (1975)

What is it that makes an author's work so distinctive? Is it their sentence structure, or choice of adjectives? Whatever it is I find Barbara Hambly's writing very appealing whether she is writing fantasy or historical fiction, and I love her atypical heroes and heroines. The Ben January books, of which this is the fifth, are historical detective stories set in New Orleans after the Louisiana purchase, but before the civil war.

Ben is black, a freeman of colour, and this gives him a particular p What is it that makes an author's work so distinctive? Ben is black, a freeman of colour, and this gives him a particular perspective and allows the author to make subtle points about racial attitudes then and now. He is also a talented musician and doctor, and this gives him the opportunity to become embroiled in any number of shady goings on in the city - perhaps a slightly implausible number by this book, and I thought that he might have become a little more wary about becoming involved due to the constant risk he runs of being either beaten up, sold into slavery, or both.

Nevertheless the books, including this one, are excellently plotted and convincing stories, as I said above, I adore Hambly's prose and what she has to say about the period. I'm also looking forward to seeing what happens to Ben, Rose and Minou in future books - I hope they all see sense and emigrate to Paris and live happily ever after but knowing how Hambly likes to put her characters through the mill, I can't see that happening. Jan 31, Heather D-G rated it really liked it. It was a slog to wade through the overly-abundant players and myriad plot threads.

Sometimes the familiar characters from previous books got very little attention -- just enough to remind us that they are still around. It was a bit depressing. If it also gets a bit mired in histo I'll admit it: If it also gets a bit mired in historical detail which is awesome, but too much can make you feel like you're reading a textbook instead of a novel , well They make the book.

It's Carnival season in Ben's New Orleans of the 's, and two different opera houses are vying for the attention and patronage of the city. A thwarted attack early in the book draws free-man-of-color, sometime-physician and practicing musician Benjamin January into a tangled web of rivalry, jealousy, and violence. Who is out to sabotage the theater? Who is really the intended victim? The attacks are mounting, and Ben has to tread carefully if he's going to sort things out and save his own skin in the process.

Not the best of the Benjamin January mysteries, but worthwhile for fans of the series. Don't start here, but don't let more negative reviews put you off either. Jul 04, Sharon rated it really liked it Shelves: I am working my way through the entire series of Benjamin January novels; I find the recurring characters compelling and the mysteries are very interesting. Plus, they're set against the backdrop of Jacksonian New Orleans, which is a period I'm studying.

It gives me a good feeling for the culture. Anyway, this book takes place during Carnival in January is working in the orchestra at one of the two rival opera houses in town, as they prepare to mount an original production of Othello. To sa I am working my way through the entire series of Benjamin January novels; I find the recurring characters compelling and the mysteries are very interesting.

To say that this is controversial during the time is to greatly understate the situation. In fairly short order January, his friend the ballet mistress, and other members of the cast are being attacked left and right -- a couple of them fatally. Naturally, January starts investigating. The pacing lagged a little bit in this one.

We got to see a lot of the politics of New Orleans opera, which was fine by me, but sometimes it felt disruptive to the other plots concerning a cruel slaver who might or might not also be a smuggler. There was one plot twist I didn't see coming at all, which explained a lot about one character's previous behavior. The whodunnit also took me by surprise, which is harder to do. All in all, the book was pretty good. It just wasn't as gripping as the previous ones I've read. Jun 25, Kara rated it really liked it Shelves: History repeats, my friends, history repeats.

Die Upon a Kiss (Benjamin January, #5) by Barbara Hambly

Surprisingly, putting on Othello in the antebellum South is not the central focus of the story — there is a lot more going on backstage, so much so we never even get to the play. There is an interesting mix of European politics affecting events in New Orleans with an old, old score someone is looking to settle… Mar 04, Tyler rated it liked it.

I doubt very few authors could pull off writing these books and so often. Hambly is clearly ridiculously smart. It seems like it would take years and years of research to churn out all the information in these books. Needless to say all this detail paints a vivid picture of New Orleans in I feel like I am there. Her books live on that ability and it is jaw-dropping. It's as close to time-travel as you can get.

However, the mystery she presents here is nearly incomprehensible so you lose tha I doubt very few authors could pull off writing these books and so often. However, the mystery she presents here is nearly incomprehensible so you lose that part of the enjoyment. The subheading of the books says "A novel of suspense" and that always makes me laugh when opening it because if you have no idea what is going on then it's hard to be on the edge of your seat. You have some general idea of what is happening but it's not nearly clear enough. That is the common theme for all of this series so far.

On the other hand the re-read potential for this series is amazingly high for a mystery series. I'll keep reading because the setting and atmosphere to ignore. Jan 25, Catherine Siemann rated it really liked it Shelves: I'm probably not doing myself or this series any favors by reading it out of order, as I come upon copies, but on the other hand, I seem to have enjoyed this one more than many of the other reviewers. I think I enjoyed it more as a novel than as a mystery, if that makes sense -- I was much more engaged with the characters and situation than with whodunnit.

Hambly's picture of early nineteenth century New Orleans is vivid and well-researched, her hero Benjamin January, a free man of color who tra I'm probably not doing myself or this series any favors by reading it out of order, as I come upon copies, but on the other hand, I seem to have enjoyed this one more than many of the other reviewers. Hambly's picture of early nineteenth century New Orleans is vivid and well-researched, her hero Benjamin January, a free man of color who trained in medicine in Paris and is also a professional musician, might be almost too perfect, but he is a character I find myself wanting to read more about.

The complexities of New Orleans' society at the time -- Creoles and Americans, free people of color and slaves, etc etc etc -- plays a major factor, and Hambly does an excellent job of recreating that world. This particular story, having to do with two competing opera companies, kept me interested throughout. Jan 25, Kimberly Ann rated it it was ok. I don't know where to begin There is shady dealings, jealousy, hatred, and major rivalries. There was too much confusion for me I could never tell what was g I don't know where to begin I could never tell what was going on.

All the background information of the era, characters' histories, and jumping from part to part within the chapters, confused the hell out of me, and this all made for very difficult many times boring reading. I really wanted to like this book, I get sad when I am disappointed like this Apr 10, Addison Public Library added it Shelves: In addition, Lorenzo Belaggio has brought the first Italian opera to town. Benjamin January, coming home late after a rehearsal, hears a slurred whisper outside the stage door, sees a knife and is wounded as he rescues Belaggio. Suspects abound from a rival theater owner to members of his own cast.

January, however, is not sure that theater rivalry is the actual cause of the attack for Belaggio is producing a performance that is sure to shock the white residents of the city. Before the culprit is unmasked, voodoo signs, poison, threats and more murders will mar this Carnival Season. Titles in Order Sort by: Latest to First First to Latest. Nineteenth-century New Orleans is a blazing hotbed of scorching politics and personal vendettas. The missing money is vital to the survival of the school for freed slaves that he and his wife Rose have founded.

Following the suspected embezzler—and the money—onto the steamboat Silver Moon, January, Rose, and their friend Hannibal Sefton are sworn to secrecy about the crime until they can find the trunks containing the stolen loot. And then the unexpected happens: Weems is found murdered and suddenly the job of finding the pirated stash grows not only more difficult—but more deadly. There is no shortage of suspects—from the sinister slave-dealer to the bullying steamship pilot to the suspiciously innocent "lady" with connections to every river pirate in the riotous port of Natchez-Under-the-Hil—who all seem to have something to hide.

Now, with time running out, January seeks clues wherever he can find them—and allies among whoever can help.

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Days of the Dead. Days of the Dead Mexico City in the autumn of is a lawless place, teeming with bandits and beggars. But an urgent letter from a desperate friend draws Benjamin January and his new bride Rose from New Orleans to this newly free province. Sefton stands accused of murdering the only son of prominent landowner Don Prospero de Castellon. Now, in this new novel by bestselling author Barbara Hambly, he follows a trail of murder from illicit back alleys to glittering mansions to a dark place where the oldest and deadliest secrets lie buried. But one of them is Benjamin January, musician and teacher.

He well recalls her blazing ebony beauty when she appeared, exquisitely gowned and handy with a stiletto, at a demimonde banquet years ago. Or could it be one of the sexual predators who roamed the dark and seedy streets?