R E V I E W:
T H E C R O S S O F R A M P L E T
The Cross of Ramplet Mystery Suspense Novel
We had the opportunity to read this book, which comes in e-book format, and it is a sheer delight. The story concerns the adventures of a landed gentry family in Regency England, the Throckmorton's, and their quest for the lost legendary treasure of the Knights Templar, the Cross of Ramplet, a religious artifact worth a king's ransom.
Synopsis:
The time is the 1820's, the height of the Regency period. The place is the English seacoast village of Portsur...
Somewhere in the village was rumored to be hidden a fabulous religious artifact-- a great golden cross encrusted with gems, made by the Knights Templar -- the legendary Cross of Ramplet that was secreted out of Arabia during the Crusades and again from France after the terrible "Black Friday" of 1307.
Worth a king's ransom, the Cross had been lost for centuries until a striking facsimile appeared in Holy Trinity Church soon after the Throckmorton-built ship, the Mare Librium, sank in Bay of Portsur. Everyone saw the Cross on display, but the crafty Anglican rector refused to reveal its true origin.
Then, one night at the church, during an emergency village meeting led by Squire Manfred Throckmorton to deal with a sudden onslaught of bandits and highwaymen, the church steeple was struck by lightning and the roof mysteriously exploded!
In the resulting melee of screaming, wounded and panicked villagers, the Cross disappeared, along with the Anglican priest. Young impressionable socialite, Darla Throckmorton, was also there that night. When the bodies were counted, she, and her family doctor -- who runs the local asylum and makes potions using special "magic mushrooms" -- could not be accounted for at the disaster site.
Years later, Darla -- who has developed a wicked temper and is rumored to be murderously insane -- is seen wearing the "Amulet of Adhara", a silver cross that, according to some, has supernatural powers and a connection to the Cross of Ramplet itself. More, it is rumored to hold -- in its engraved inscriptions -- a message that is key to uncovering one of the greatest secrets of the Knights Templar.
Suddenly, everyone has renewed interest in finding the Cross of Ramplet. A French secret agent appears, along with a band of cut-throat pirates, to join the fray as the family and others scour the village, going from Throckmorton Manor to the local bank, to the Inn, to the ruined castle, and the haunted forest, making deals and double-crossing each other in their insatiable greed to find and posses the fabulous treasure and uncover its fantastic secret.
Analysis:
This book is a total page-turner, funny, rich, with fascinating characters, a real puzzle and great entertainment! There is so much to like here.
The plot is certainly complex enough to satisfy even the most die-hard mystery fan, and the constant false leads and double backs keep the suspense going at a nice pace. The writing is easy to follow, yet has an eloquent style fitting the regency period.
The characters themselves are a delight and very realistic. We do develop genuine caring for them, although at times, they can drive us crazy with their schemes. Their language is rich and real, their descriptions spark the imagination, and we see them as people of substance with complex personalities.
Humor is abundant in this novel. The character of Leticia Throckmorton, mother of the clan, could have been drawn from Oscar Wilde. A classic lady of society, she is intensely concerned with etiquette and makes wonderfully funny comments such as "We cannot have furniture wandering about the house at all hours of the night. What would the neighbors say?"
Her children, Darla, Sarina and Sebastian are all adults and have plenty of complexity to please any reader. Darla, one of the stars, has a wicked temper and can be murderously insane. She attacks several characters in the book with murderous intent. She is held in check by another charming character, the noble Constable Jonas.
Jonas is the local lawman and a detective. He seems somewhat awkward when we first meet him, but this is to hide his true nature, which is a secret that is only fully revealed at the end of the book. What makes him delightful, and very real, is his devotion to the Throckmorton family and his infatuation with Darla, to whom he is betrothed.
There are many more characters in the book, including a corrupt Anglican Archbishop, a drug dealing doctor, a banker whose name will make you laugh, a French secret agent and several hooligans and thugs as well as a band of cut-throat pirates. The cast is rich and varied.
Of course, the whole point of a good mystery is figuring out the plot and the "who done it." In this aspect, The Cross of Ramplet is delightfully challenging. In fact, the whole book is a puzzle. But it is intended to be. The book is a parody of the genre, so it takes quite a few liberties, including flashbacks and asides, as well as a few side tracks for comic relief. The chapter on the Musical Party, which is actually a flashback, not only explains some of the character's personalities and develops them, but is hysterically funny and some of the best writing in the book.
This all comes to a climax in the compelling four chapter ending where the secret of the Cross of Ramplet is revealed. This section of the book reads like a puzzle game, with maddening challenges. The Knights and their secret ways of course make a perfect foil for this approach. These chapters will keep you guessing all the way through, and you may find yourself back-tracking to make sure you got the solutions to the traps and puzzles.
Conclusion:
This book is a "must read" for any mystery suspense novel fan. It moves along at a nice pace, has a good rhythm to it, is easy to read and contains a level of lyricism that is often missing in modern literature. The characters are quite memorable and could easily support a series of books. We do develop feelings for and about them. The plot is complex yet manageable, the twists and turns will keep you guessing, and the ending is climactic and really top-notch.
We recommend this book, it is a great entertainment that will spark your imagination and bring a smile to your lips.
Excellent – 5 stars!
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