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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is a great catch!, 25 Feb 2004
What a wonderful novel! It is so full of surprises, whenever you think "Aha! I know just what is coming now!" you are wrong and the story takes an unsuspected turn that causes you to become "glued" to it. You really can't put it down! The plot, set in the 18th century (1765), is divided into three different parts corresponding to the three diferent locations where events take place. The main character, Makepeace Burkin, changes and evolves throughout the story, as she suffers the consequences of the "catch" the story begins with. Her solid puritan, egalitarian, business-oriented, no-nonsense American upbringing has made her hard-working, obstinate and fiercely independent, and it is a help in the moral choices she is constantly confronted with. However, the novel is not moralistic at all, and neither is the main character. She is a lovely tavern owner and supporter of the American cause against the British tyrants, who cannot imagine her life is going to take such a drastic turn. She has to stretch her moral principles indeed to cover many of the unbelievable, unimaginable situations she is involved in. There are many historically relevant themes in the novel, which is set in such interesting times and is narrrated from the point of view of an outsider (a colonial, a woman) who travels to the metropolis, Britain, and does not see it with much sympathy: she generally distrusts and despises the ruling classes and is confronted with many a hilarious, almost surrealistic situation whenever she is in the company of the rigid British aristocratic crowd in their own sophisticated home (Yes. Makepeace finds herself and her eccentric , lovable "family" in the tyrants' lair, in London) . However, those looking for a very romantic novel should be warned that, even though there IS a wonderful and heart-warming love story, the author does not overindulge in the romantic side of things. In fact, she is quite frugal and leaves quite a lot for the readers' imagination.
The greatest strengths of the novel are: it is a VERY GOOD story well told (a really good yarn) and the characters are all ROUND and well FLESHED OUT, even those that we only see for two pages and then dissapear. The highly interesting atmosphere of the era is described through the events or actions that affect the characters, the author never gives encyclopedia-like explanations.In short, it is a wonder how so much atmosphere, so vibrating a story, and such eccentric but believable characters
can be created by the author in just about 400 pages! Don't miss it! You won't regret it.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Entertaining Catch to Read, 9 Sep 2007
It's 1765 and Boston is in an uproar at taxation without representation. Tavern owner Makepeace Burke "catches" an English lord drowning in the harbor and brings him to her home to care for his injuries. Sparks start flying between Makepeace and Sir Phillip Dapifer as she tries to find a way to get him back to the English without the locals finding out she's harboring the "enemy". I really enjoyed the tension between these two, along with their very dry but highly amusing banter.
The story is told in three parts. The first part tells the tale of the "catch" of Sir Phillip, their flight from Boston and the voyage to England. The second part has Makepeace trying to fit into London society and the battles with Pip's witchy ex-wife. Eventually tragedy strikes and Makepeace is forced to start another life for herself and her family, but she is bent on revenge for those who wronged her. I see some other reviewers didn't care for the third part, but it is very similar to the revenge minded Count of Monte Cristo. And, as in that book Makepeace does finally realize that there is more to life and family than her single minded plans for revenge.
All in all a very entertaining and engaging read, and one I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed the glimpses of life along the Boston harbor, Georgian England and the coal mines of Northumberland. I found all the characters to be well defined, even the secondary ones. While it's not the greatest piece of historical fiction I've read, it's still worth taking the time to check this one out.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unputdownable, 16 Jun 2003
By A Customer
I was delighted to see another Diana Norman book appear, having read The Vizard Mask some years ago. A Catch of Consequence lives up to her earlier work. The historical detail is effortless, the characters compelling and engaging, and the plot gripping and unexpected, with a truly horrible pair of villains. Norman doesn't write standard happily ever after romances, but her heroines do survive with grace and vigour and often end up with a good'un even if it isn't The One you start off thinking it will be. She does write compelling, page-turning historical fiction with a sure-footed grasp of her period and geography. If you haven't caught her before, I would recommend her.
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