Midnight Fires

Mary Wollstonecraft #1

by Nancy Means Wright

Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork, seat of the notorious Anglo-Irish Kingsborough family, fairly hums with intrigue. In 1786 the new young governess, Mary Wollstonecraft, witnesses a stabbing when she attends a pagan bonfire at which an illegitimate son of the nobility is killed. When the young Irishman Liam Donovan, who hated the aristocratic rogue for seducing his niece, becomes the prime suspect for his murder, Mary-ever a champion of the oppressed, and susceptible to Liam's charm-determines to prove him innocent. Mary Wollstonecraft (mother of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein) was celebrated, even a cause celebre in her day, as a notorious and free-thinking rebel. Her short life was highly unconventional, with the kidnap of her sister from an abusive husband, love affairs, an illegitimate child, religious dissent, a suicide attempt, participation in the French Revolution, and other eyebrow-raising episodes. Nancy Means Wright hopes that Midnight Fires, set during Mary's term as a governess in Ireland, will "present her to the world as the brilliant, yet wholly human, passionate, and conflicted woman that she was."Riiviting. . . . As Mary snoops around in search of the culprit, she is bound not to lose herself to the mystery, her job, or the charms of any man. Wright deftly illuminates 18th-century class tensions." Publishers Weekly (2/15/10)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Ireland, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2010

About the author

I'm the author of 18 books of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, including 5 mystery novels from St. Martin's Press, 2 historical novels: Midnight Fires: a Mystery with Mary Wollstonecraft ('10)and the Nightmare ('11)from Perseverance Press.For those who don't know her, Wollstonecraft is the brilliant but rebellious and conflicted 18th century author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,and mother of Mary Shelley (think Frankenstein).
I've also published 2 mysteries for kids. The Pea Soup Poisonings, based on my own 4 kids'childhood shenanigans, won the '06 Agatha Award for Best Children's/YA Novel,and The Great Circus Train Robbery was a finalist. My latest mystery is Broken Strings, a spin-off from my St. Martin's Press novels with a puppeteer sleuth, and a novel, Walking up into the Wild for "tweens" (ages 10-14, set in 18th-century Vermont just before the end of the American Revolution. It's both suspenseful and romantic and based on family history. Not a mystery.
I've published poems and short fiction for Redbook, Seventeen, American Literary Review,Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and many literary journals and anthologies (Beacon Press, Ashland Poetry Press, Univ of Illinois Press, et al.).
A longtime actress & director,I'm a former Bread Loaf Scholar and Scholar for the Vermont Humanities Council. I live with my spouse and 2 Maine Coon cats in bucolic Middlebury, Vermont. "Becoming Mary Wollstonecraft" Facebook page.

Reviews

[Jenny Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Back Cover:

Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork, seat of the notorious Anglo-Irish Kingsborough family, fairly hums with intrigue. The new young governess, Mary Wollstonecraft, witnesses a stabbing and attends a pagan bonfire at which the illegitimate sprig of the nobility is killed. When the young Irishman Liam Donovan, who hated the aristocratic rogue for seducing his niece, becomes the prime suspect for his murder, Mary - ever a champion of the oppressed, and susceptible to Liam's charm - determines to prove him innocent.

My Review:

I don't read a lot of mysteries but as a historical fiction lover I'm trying to add a few historical mysteries to my diet. I enjoyed this book, although I don't think there's anything remarkable about the mystery aspect of it, and it doesn't have that suck-you-in, heartpounding factor of a thriller. What drew me to it were its historical setting in eighteenth-century Ireland and its real-life heroine, Mary Wollstonecraft.

Hands down the best part of this book is Mary. Mary's a gem of a character. Normally a heroine in a historical fiction novel who is ahead of her time in thought and action would be unrealistic, but Mary really was that kind of woman! In fact, her first book, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, makes an appearance in this story.

Smarting from a failed love affair, indebted and responsible for her sisters' welfare, Mary leaves London behind and takes a one-year assignment as a governess to a noble Irish family, though she has serious reservations:

"Governesses, she had heard, constituted one of the largest classes of insane women in asylums. The thought was not at all comforting."

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and this gig as a governess is temporary. Mary has plans, she's going to be being an authoress, and the Kingsboroughs provide plenty of inspiration:

"I haven't penned a novel," she said. "But I do have one in mind."

And she had, yes. She had begun a novel in her head. One of the characters would be a lady who loved her dogs more than her daughters. A lord who hunted, womanized, pitchcapped unhappy peasants, and drank his way through life...

She found it promising. She imagined the faces of her dumbfounded employers as they read her first novel. Mary, a Fiction, she would call it."

Yet even as she disdains her aristocratic employers, she can't help but be drawn into their drama. And with a sympathetic heart and a passion for justice, she gets drawn into the poor tenants' lives, too. When a member of the Kingsborough family is murdered and the handsome, rebellious tenant Liam is accused and forced to flee, thus threatening the livelihood of his family, Mary takes action. And there's never a dull moment with Mary, for Mary's not entirely grounded in reality. A daydreamer with a vivid imagination, Mary gets a little carried away. She creates a romantic fantasy in her mind and becomes determined to reveal the identity of the true killer and earn Liam's undying love and gratitude in the process.

There are suspects galore: the Master, the Mistress, the land agent and his wife, a poet, a former governess, jilted lovers, angry peasants, etc. And as in all good whodunits, none of them are guilt-free, all of them having had a part to play in the events leading up to the murder, if not the actual murder itself.

This was a sharp and sassy little romp and I look forward to reading more of Mary's adventures, the next of which is already in the works. The author provides some good background information on this fascinating woman and I can't wait to read about some of the more pivotal events in her life. Until then, I leave you with one of my favorite Mary quotes from Midnight Fires:

"Mary vowed once again to remain a spinster. Babies and books were not a good mix."

[MissSusie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great cast of characters! Mary is very interesting I really enjoyed her take on life

From page 168-
“Men, men, men, men,” she muttered aloud.” Would that I could be in a society made up of women.”
But How worrisome, her heart spoke back, how dull to live without them.

In this aristocratic society Mary saw people for what they were. Her ideas about women in society were far ahead of her time. That young women be taught to Think.How dare she?

This was a great historical mystery. It kept me reading I just had to find out what secret Mary would find out next. I will definitely be watching for more mysteries with Mary Wollenstonecraft!

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, historical mysteries and gothic fiction.
4 ½ Stars
I recieved this book throught Librarything Early reviewers program.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a really enjoyable mystery starring Mary Wollstonecraft as the detective. Very well researched it made me want to find out more about Mary Wollstonecraft - or even read one of her books. The element of the Irish rebels and the intolerant Protestant English overlords just added to the beauty of this book.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

As historical fiction goes, this is a bit unexpected. The main character is the mother of author Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), Mary Wollstonecraft. The story takes place early in the 18th century as Mary worked as a Governess for a titled Irish family. Later in life she would go on to be known for her outspoken views on marriage, child rearing, women's rights, divorce reform and revolution! She died in child birth while delivering Mary Shelly. Many of the characters are real persons and she did work for the family that is involved. The author sets out a family tree for all the characters that are either actual or fictional at the beginning of the book. The heart of this book is of course a murder mystery which did not actually happen as a governess, as far as we know!?

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This only grabbed my interest moderately. It wasn't all that suspenseful, but the inclusion of Mary Wollstonecraft as the main character piqued my interest. I enjoyed the historical backdrop and the details of daily living at the time, but the action was somewhat meh even though it included murder, deceit, and subterfuge. Had I expected more of a literary short novel than a mystery, my review might be more generous.

[Elizabeth Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not your typical mystery. Mary didn't solve anything. People simply told her their secrets. There was no evidence to support who did it. The last few chapters divulged surprise after surprise. Expect the unexpected.

[Minnesinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! It's a bit short for an historical novel, but there is a sequel (The Nightmare) which I look forward to reading. (My public library doesn't own it in any format, so I have suggested that they purchase it. ;)

I won't rehash the plot, but will say the author has done a great job of blending fact with fiction. (She explains at the end what was fact and what was fiction.) She also does a great job interweaving the relationships of the many characters. (In the last book I read, the author created so many characters that he didn't keep track of some.) Wright has created believable characters here; there are no wooden characters. Every one has his / her flaws, even the heroine, Mary.

I've known who Mary Wollstonecraft was for years, but never read her writings. Even so, the fact that she was so far ahead of her time with regard to women's rights--and the raising of daughters--has always impressed me. This novel has inspired me to read more about her, because it must have taken enormous courage and perseverance in her day to hold her contrary beliefs--let alone publish them. And publish in her own name!

Even the Bronte sisters 100 years later hadn't the courage to do so. Which makes me wonder: Was the Victorian period more stifling for women than the Georgian? It wouldn't surprise me; I know what it was like growing up in the 1960s and '70s, entering the professional workforce in 1980s when gender discrimination was alive and well. (Still is here in the States, unfortunately. But I digress.)

Women had hope in the '70s after Roe vs. Wade; they had sexual freedom in the '60s and could divorce, though not without stigma. The 1920s and 1940s were liberating for women in the U.S., not so, the 1930s and 1950s. As much as we'd like to think that society can only become more enlightened, life doesn't work that way. I fervently hope that young women not take for granted the rights they have now and get involved in politics, because we need more women in Congress*. As long as men make the laws, they hold the power to control us, our bodies, our finances, our freedom.

But back to the book. We all read books through the lens of our own experience, so, for instance, I can relate to Mary's frustration with her ne'er-do-well or weaker siblings. I could relate to her stubborn pride in not wanting to curtsy to the mistress of the house. I don't think I would have had the foresight, however, to figure out the mystery, or have the pluck to negotiate a deal with Lord Kingsborough. Especially 200+ years ago!

This book has definitely whetted my interest in Mary Wollstonecraft as a person and I will now look for her books and for biographies.

One last note: I take issue with one reviewer here who wrote that Mary Wollstonecraft looked down on the lower classes; she did no such thing--at least not in this book, and I don't understand how the reader could have come to such a conclusion unless she read only one page at random and read it out of context.

--------
(*Apologies for the USA-centric viewpoint; I must remember that Goodreads members are not all in the U.S., nor do all speak English. Nor do all women enjoy the rights women have here and in other industrialized nations.)

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Line: The crossing from Holyhead to Dublin had been relatively calm, but just as the Irish coast came into view, a contrary wind blew up.

Mary Wollstonecraft is on her way to Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork to be a governess to Lord Kingsborough's daughters. To her, it is humiliating-- a fate most devoutly not to be desired. But with debts to pay and a pack of siblings who constantly turn to her as a source of money, she has no other option. She wants to work out the year she contracted for, to avoid having anyone find out just how much she lied about her qualifications, and to keep out of castle politics by writing a novel. Mary lives to write.

She doesn't even get off the ship before something happens. A young Irish sailor who'd just given her a letter to deliver to someone falls overboard and drowns. Mary could swear that she caught a glimpse of a knife-wielding man standing by the young Irishman, but with the weather being so foul, she must be mistaken.

Life at Mitchelstown Castle is not easy. The oldest daughter can't stand Mary at first, and the unhappy, self-centered Lady Kingsborough finds the proud and stubborn Mary difficult to deal with. When two more people at the caste die, Mary believes those two deaths tie into the death of the sailor, and she won't rest until she finds justice for all three.

At first I found Mary a bit of a handful myself. She is a very passionate young female who has a tendency to eye all the available young men in her vicinity. She spends so much time on visiting the nearby cottagers as well as on her investigation that I wondered where she found the time to teach those young girls anything, but she manages to get everything done. Mary's ability to get right up the noses of those aristocrats dancing attendance on Lord and Lady Kingsborough endeared her to me.

As for solving the mystery before Mary? Not a chance! The list of suspects was so long that I just buckled up and enjoyed the journey. Wright does an excellent job of depicting the people and the era in which they live. Having known a few things about Wollstonecraft (besides the fact that she's the mother of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein), I liked how the author used the facts to create a lively, engaging character that I hope will take center stage in many mysteries to come.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The crossing by sea from Holyhead to Dublin proved to be calm for Mary Wollstonecraft for the most part but a wind came up and blew her hat away. A young sailor rescued the hat and Mary discovered the sailor had been to the colonies and been able to purchase a small piece of land and hoped to return to the colonies with the woman who was waiting for him in Ireland. That dream would never come true for the sailor for shortly after talking to him Mary witnessed his body pitching overboard. However, the sailor had managed to pass Mary a note and whisper to her to deliver the note to Liam in Mitchelstown.

Mary’s destination was Mitchelstown where she was to serve as a governess at Mitchelstown Castle for the Kingsborough family. The year is 1786 and Mary was not happy about her new position. Family problems and debts had forced Mary into accepting the position. Mary was independent and had written a book soon to be published. The fact that she had authored a book gave her a bit of status in the castle. Mary hoped that her time as governess would pass quickly.

Life at the castle was hectic and the children’s mother was more concerned about her assortment of dogs than she was about the children. Mary’s independent attitude did not please the Lady of the castle but Mary was determined to hold onto her pride in spite of her dependency on the funds to be earned as governess.

After making discreet inquiries, Mary learned that Liam did live near the castle and one of the servants agreed to put Mary in touch with him so the note could be delivered. There was much turmoil and rebellion during this time and Mary seemed to wind up right in the middle of the turmoil.

Midnight Fires takes the readers through the many adventures that Mary endured while living in the castle not the least of which is a murder and a suicide.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited when I received this book. I had read a few heavy novels and this was the stretch I needed. It was less than 300 pages and a cozy.
It is based on a real person of Mary Wollstonecraft, a forerunner of the Women’s Movement in the 18th Century. An intelligent and idealist women.
Mary starts out on a boat from England to Ireland as she has accepted the post of a governess. On the boat she meets a young man who gives her a letter and then gets killed and tossed overboard she believes.
I felt the author didn’t know how to do the character development for the story. It was as if she had tried to make her Mary Wollstonecraft, and a poor study of Miss Marple at the same time with some Shakespeare to boot. Then we add another layer of the Irish and English war with crazy characters. The writing was jumping around for me as she used modern terms to describe details, a pet peeve of mine, that dilutes the flow of the story as it jerks me back to the present.
I had a hard time finishing the book and I described it as plowing through to the end. It did have promise at the beginning but never followed through.

[Sandra Eggers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight Fires took me longer than expected to get through. Although I found it entertaining enough, the mystery took too long to unravel. Mary Wollstonecraft was portrayed as much more dithering than she ought to have been, considering her role in history. Her character in the book seemed constantly concerned with the role of class in her society while looking down on the peasantry. The writing also left me unsatisfied, often feeling like trite. Mary's voice felt inauthentic. I did like meeting the real life characters of Mary Wollstonecraft's live and think perhaps the afterword, telling what happened to the real people, was my favorite part of the book.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about Mary Wollstonecraft when I read a review on this book. I Learned that she was a "feminist" back in the 1700s and wrote books on women's rights. This book is about the real Mary's first governess job with all the historical facts but still a mystery novel. She is also the mother of the Mary Shelley that wrote Frankenstein. The book was good as you learn about the Lords and ladies, the tenant farmers and the Irish uprising against the English with an actual mystery involved. Quite a lot of research went into writing this book given the list of books the author read prior to writing her book. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book - with the heroine being Mary Wollstonecraft. I loved that it was set in Ireland and it was a fun murder mystery. Huge fan of mystery and intrigue set in a great historical time.
My favorite line from the book:
Page 154 "It was a primal sound, so like earth and heaven coming together to make celestial music that her heart responded by beating arrhythmically, the way it had in Dublin when she heard Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus."
Very poetic writing- I am a new fan of Nancy Means Wright!

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh well. I was hoping for better from this book. It has Mary Wollstonecraft as the protagonist/sleuth, which is intriguing. I am inclined to be dubious about mysteries that feature major historical persons as the central character, but I suppose it could be argued that Mary doesn’t quite fall into the category of “major”. Anyhow, I’m afraid I didn’t much like the book. I found it very choppy and not very convincing with regard to the characters; I just didn’t take to them or find them very believable. Sigh.

[Deborah]

Can't wait to read this story about one of the mother's of the women's movement, Mary Wollstonecraft, who was also the actual mother of Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley of Shelley the poet's mistress fame and author of "Frankenstein." The author of this book, Nancy Means Wright, is quite a prolific author with some more interesting books to her credit. I'll be back in a while with a review of "Midnight Fires:..."

[dorolerium · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely little mystery!

This book starts off with a bang and keeps you wondering whodunit right to the end. Mary is just the kind of heroine I like – smart, spunky, and willing to question the establishment. I love to see a woman in this period of history who is happy to stand up for herself and what she believes in, rather than sitting back and letting society hold her down with its thumb.

To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1219

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was slow to start, but then I found myself really deeply into it. Very interesting information on the life of governesses during this time, and life in Ireland, political plot woven with romance and mystery - I love to learn in the middle of a well-told story. I'm starting the next book now - The Nightmare. It's the one I really wanted to read, but stuck in a new habit of needing to read series in order (what's up with that?) I made my way through Midnight Fires. And I'm glad!

[Susan Oleksiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enormously. I don't usually read historicals, but I was on a panel with Nancy and picked this book up afterwards. This is a solid mystery and sound history, and I enjoyed Mary's views on her life and the lives of women in general. Nancy goes an excellent job of balancing history, mystery, and character, for a thoroughly rewarding read.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great job of characterization and a quick, compulsive read. Plot a little too whirlwind too much of the time for my taste or I'd rate it higher, but tough to put down and very vivid setting and people. Mary W not at all the sort of woman I'd picture being happy married to Godwin ; )

[Donna Dunn]

I just started this book. I am an avid reader and hope to get thru it fast.

Will review when finished.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

nicely complicated.