Past Mischief

by Victoria Clayton

Miranda Stowe seems to have everything - looks, brains, three children and a beautiful moated manor house in Kent. Then she discovers her husband Jack shot dead, and finds it impossible to keep up the fiction of her perfect marriage. For throughout the nineteen years of their life together, Jack has been constantly unfaithful. As the family struggles to come to terms with Jack's death, Miranda is forced to face the fact that nothing will be the same again. She decides to take in paying guests in order to make ends meet and among her visitors are a brilliant young Hungarian pianist, an elderly painter and a single mother, desperate for somewhere to live. But just as Miranda is finding her feet in this new life, it seems that Fate has yet more surprises in store ...

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit

Paperback

First published June 19, 1998

About the author

See also Victoria Walker for her two earlier children's fantasies: The Winter of Enchantment and The House Called Hadlows.

Reviews

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Clayton can take a charming setting (in this case, a manor house in Kent), a cast of amusing and unforgettable characters including a heroine who has been wounded by her faithless husband (hence the title), and weave them together in a highly readable story. Her writing is very literate, sprinkled with quotations and references to great poets and artists and philosophers. Yet she certainly doesn't lack the common touch, either, and her characters come from every class. Her overarching theme is love of hearth and home, and that's what I appreciate the most.

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had the powers of Thursday Next from Jasper Fforde's Book World series this is the book I would chose to live in--it has colorful, smart, interesting characters and a beautiful but dilapidated manor house by the sea complete with a smelly moat the pony sometimes has to be rescued from.

[Carolyn Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of you who like your twentieth century English domestic dramas to be highly literate, Victoria Clayton fills the bill. Rich with literary and classical allusions that mostly went over my head (and I was a classics major!), Past Mischief opens with the funeral of Miranda Stowe's husband Jack, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot. This is a bit of a mystery as Jack was an unsentimental dispassionate type least inclined to commit suicide or be careless when cleaning a gun. However, this mystery is given short shrift, as Miranda must get on with her life in Westray, the lovely moated manor house near the sea in Kent. I have to admit that the setting was a big draw for me, and I did enjoy the descriptions of the house and the life inside it. Miranda is left with three children to support and an expensive home to maintain. She decides to bring in paying guests to generate income. While this could be a device for introducing all sorts of interesting characters, Clayton does not take advantage of it, except for the instance of Maurice, an elderly artist who decides to reside at Westray more or less permanently. The characters who do populate the story are Miranda's friends, neighbors, and would-be suitors, as well as the domestic staff. Miranda's kindness and generosity attract dependents. There is Ivor, a highly sensitive unpublished poet who works as the gardener, and Jenny, a young unwed mother who has nowhere to go with her baby. Miranda is beset by amorous admirers from high and low on the social scale who apparently think a widow is an easy mark, but her trust in the male sex and their intentions has been ruined by her philandering husband Jack. Jack's constant unfaithfulness and his cruel disregard for his wife's and his lovers' feelings deeply affect Miranda. Though she did not have the courage to leave him, mostly for the children's sake, she finally had banished him from the marriage bed. After his death she was convinced she did not need or want a man in her life. Of course this being a romantic sort of book, Miranda comes to change her mind. Early on it was easy to spot the designated romantic male lead, however it took to the very end of the long book for them to come together. Apparently Victoria Clayton subscribes to the romantic formula that strong antipathy equals strong attraction, a device she used in her previous book. Personally, I don't get it, but it's been a popular notion at least since Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I would have preferred the establishment of a real relationship, as is constructed between Miranda and the many other characters, rather than mere hints of attraction with very little interaction. I'm always annoyed by modern romances where the couple at the end of the story are ready to commit to each other for life when they hardly know one another at all. Perhaps that was the way it was in past eras, but this was set in the 70's. But I suppose that makes it a romance. . . At 488 pages, this book is overly long and could have used some editing. The pace is slow and at first it's hard to keep up with all the many characters. If I'd put it down for a few days, I would find myself having to look back to figure out which person was which. Still, it's a beguiling world and I did enjoy my time spent there.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this ‘Aga Saga’ set in 1975, narrator 40 year-old Miranda Stowe is newly widowed and faces raising three children and the upkeep of the family country home in Kent. Despite being published in 1989, the language is quite old fashioned and perfectly evokes the time period. Oxford educated Miranda, married just after graduation, became a housewife and who thinks she’s ancient at only 40 is a believable character who I liked and I was happy with the ending 💕 I will definitely read some other books by Victoria Clayton.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

On the con side: Although it was published in 1998, it appears to be set in the 1970s. But this is not made at all clear, and as a result I felt quite off-balance until I finally decided that that was what was going on. It also felt dated. Secondly, and more importantly, our heroine is surrounded by an awful lot of dreadful characters. Her husband is a philandering shit of the first order; her very good friend was someone he philandered with, and she still has a tendresse for him, but our heroine (Miranda) has forgiven her and is still good friends with her. Another friend has 2 dreadful sons, and is pretty dreadful herself—hippie-ish, falls into bed with anything in trousers, is pretty judgmental yet un-self-aware, etc., etc. Miranda’s willingness to put up with these people really cuts into my ability to like or respect her and to wish her well.

On the plus side: it reminded me quite a lot of Dodie Smith. First there is the setting, which is reminiscent of “I Capture the Castle” (but with less poverty). But the characters, tone, and plot reminded me of some of Smith’s lesser-known novels, too (“It Ends With Revelations” and “New Moon With the Old”). Also, there are some great characters, and a satisfying story—though it could have done with a bit of pruning (what was the point of James’ exam-panic at the very end?).

Still, Dodie-Smith-like novels are few and far between, so I’m glad to have had a chance to read this one.

[Laura]

No thank you.

[Shana Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know if a book has ever made me smile quite so much. It seemed like there was an amusing and touching moment on every page. The backdrop of these moments was beautiful and very well described - a slightly dilapidated, charming manor in Kent, a short walk from the local village and seaside. A cast of quirky, distinct and altogether loveable characters carried the story through it’s various ups and downs of individual and community drama. Although Miranda Stowe was the principle character, I felt that her close relations were equally as important as her in the telling of this story. This motley crew were so well-rounded and lifelike that I’m struggling to comprehend that they are all entirely fictional. For me this was the best part of the novel, followed closely by the very satisfying romantic escapades of Miranda.

My only criticism of the novel would be the excessive references to history, philosophy and poetry - mostly because they all seemed quite obscure, at least for the average reader like me. Regardless, if I had more extensive knowledge of these things I would probably have enjoyed this aspect of the book far more. There was also brief moments of over-saturated charm/romance/luck for some of the events to seem realistic - however, I understand that the novel’s purpose was escapism and it did that very well.

Overall, I could not put it down and could not stop laughing at the situational comedy littered throughout every chapter. It was honestly so well done. An absolute treat.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I clicked 'read' but I didn't finish this book. I found it annoying and trivial and didn't care about the main character. I've read plenty of books featuring rich people in big houses, but these were written long ago. This over-privileged twittering woman just irritated. The book bored me and is far too long and rambling. I don't think it's well written and reminds me of an old fashioned women's magazine story. I picked it up to read in bed and just thought why bother? Life's too short to waste time on a book that doesn't interest me.

[Hilary Tesh]

Read to p190/488 but couldn’t bear to go any further. When someone is found shot dead, you’d expect the police to be involved. Not in this ridiculous and overlong novel with its convoluted meanders and stereotypical characters. (And I got the impression that the author dropped in the occasional literary allusion and obscure word to remind us how clever she is)

[Krista Tooming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mõnus lugemine naisest, kes üritab eluga normaalselt hakkama saada peale seda, kui ta mees on ennast maha lasknud. Välja ujuvad mitmed põnevad saladused.
Raamat on värvikas, lahedate tegelaskujudega.

[Margot Shilling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter bilge. Two dimensional characters. Pretentious quotations and a story theme of impossibility.

[Catherine Letendre · Rating 1 out of 5]

P.270. Sans intérêt.

[Saila Routio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another treat from Ms Clayton. I wish she would write more as I so enjoy reading her stories. The settings and happenings, characters, ponderings and humour are heartwarming.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is told from the point of view of a woman called Miranda whose husband Jack has just died in what appears to be a tragic accident. Her task now is to help their three teenage children come to terms with what has happened, and also to find a way of continuing to live in their rather expensive manor house…

The book is character-based primarily. Miranda has a wide circle of acquaintances. Some of them are decidedly caricatured, but that makes them easier to remember. There are inevitably some romances, and a few shocks along the way; towards the end a couple of revelations felt a bit unlikely. However, they were cleverly explained and I quite like the loose ends of a novel being tied up neatly.

The writing is good, peppered with quotations from Shakespeare, and Miranda’s gradual self-awareness is quite thought-provoking. I very much liked some of her relatives and friends, and found others annoying; Miranda herself was very well portrayed.

On the negative side, parts of it seem a little over-sordid, even though most events take place off-stage. There are some scenes that didn’t really add anything to the plot and a sense of the novel being a sequence of events, rather than a whole story.

But still, it made a good read and I expect some of the characters will remain in my mind for some time to come. Recommended.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nearly gave up on this after the first few chapters .... the prose was, what can I say, somewhat overblown and seemed dated (first published 1998). But hang on in there. The book follows the ups and downs of Miranda's life after her husband is found dead. A wonderful bunch of characters, whimsical, eccentric, unpredictable ..... there is enough going on to keep you amused and the literary and classical allusions fit right in with the story line. An unexpected twist towards the end, and the continuing search for love (hope conquering experience) all the way through.

[Anne Libera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, the rating should be a 3.5. This is a very charming British country house romance with marvelous characters and detail. The narrative is slow to (at points) almost non-existent which can be part of its charm. You can just sink in and live in the detailed beautiful world that Clayton creates, but then... lots of things happen but you don't necessarily feel as if you are being told an actual story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all books by this writer.
She loves to write about being a homemaker, recipes, animals, art, books, all very interesting.
Pity that the last chapters of this particular book cover the amateur pageant in the village a little bit too much.
But overall, very well written, a good plot. I am going to reread all her books all over again.

[Sandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beautiful cover, though. Not that we judge a book by it! ;)

[Kate Millin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miranda has to work to keep the family together when her philandering husband dies of a gunshot, a bit unbelievable but feel good.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. It was well written and humorous.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all by this author. Recently re-reading her work.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favoriete book ever