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The Gabriel Hounds
It's all a grand adventure when English Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. And being young, rich, impetuous, and used to doing whatever they please, they decide to barge in uninvited on their eccentric Great-Aunt Harriet—despite a long-standing family rule strictly forbidding unannounced visits. Because when the Gabriel hounds run howling over the crumbling palace of Der Ibrahim in the Lebanon, someone will shortly die.
A strange new world awaits Charles and Christy beyond the gates of Dar Ibrahim—"Lady Harriet's" ancient, crumbling palace in High Lebanon—where a physician is always in residence and a handful of Arab servants attends to the odd old woman's every need. But there is a very good—very sinister—reason why guests are not welcome at Dar Ibrahim. And the young cousins are about to discover that, as difficult as it is to break into the dark, imposing edifice, it may prove even harder still to escape.
A strange new world awaits Charles and Christy beyond the gates of Dar Ibrahim—"Lady Harriet's" ancient, crumbling palace in High Lebanon—where a physician is always in residence and a handful of Arab servants attends to the odd old woman's every need. But there is a very good—very sinister—reason why guests are not welcome at Dar Ibrahim. And the young cousins are about to discover that, as difficult as it is to break into the dark, imposing edifice, it may prove even harder still to escape.
322 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Mary Stewart
109 books2,598 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
July 1, 2019
July 2019 buddy read with the Mary Stewart group, starting up now!
3.5 stars, somewhat hesitantly rounding up, for this retro romantic suspense novel by Mary Stewart, one of my favorite authors. An unusual and rather exotic setting: 1960's Syria and Lebanon.
This book gets off to a rather slow start, as Christy Mansel runs into her second cousin Charles as she's vacationing in Damascus. He's a good-looking guy who tools around in a white Porsche 911S.
I think I like him already.
They have dinner, chat, flirt a little, then meet up again in Beirut, Lebanon, where Charles encourages Christy to look up their Great-Aunt Harriet, who lives in a dilapidated castle in the wilds of the Adonis Valley, styling herself as a modern-day Lady Hester Stanhope, a famous, real-life Englishwoman who lived in a former monastery in the wilds of Lebanon in the 1800s, shaving her head and wearing a turban and Arab mens' clothing.
There's something very odd about Christy's visit with Aunt Harriet - well, besides the fact that she lives in a ruined, filthy castle with very odd servants and hangers-on, and only receives visitors in the dead of night - but Christy can't quite put her finger on it. Charles (when he shows up on the sly to sneak around the castle with Christy) thinks he knows, but he's not saying ... for Christy's "protection," you know.
Adonis Valley
The setting is an interesting mix of Gothic and near Eastern. Mary Stewart's penchant for detailed descriptions of landscape and setting is in full bloom here; sometimes I love it but sometimes it's a bit much for me, and it does tend to slow down the pace. The leisurely pace picks up very suddenly about 3/4 of the way through, and then it's a compelling race to the finish line, highlighted by a scene with lots of animals and a bit of an echo of Noah's ark about it.
Christy is from a very wealthy family; she's a little spoiled, but has a lot of gumption and enough concern for others (at least the non-villainous ones) that I still liked her pretty well as a main character. The villain was believable and creepy enough to make me wrap my blanket around myself a little tighter. It's a pretty decent light mystery.
This was written in the 1960s so everyone smokes cigarettes ... and sometimes other stuff, this being hashish country. This raised some random (or not) hashish questions: Can three reefers totally knock someone for a loop? Could someone smoke a reefer and mistakenly think it's a tobacco cigarette, and that the odd flavor is just due to it being locally made?
The Gabriel Hounds isn't at the top of my list of Mary Stewart suspense novels, but it's a solid, enjoyable read if you like old-fashioned suspense novels.
Initial thoughts: I've read this book at least a couple of times over the years, but it's been a long while. It's got an unusual setting: Damascus, Syria and the Adonis Valley in Lebanon, in the 1960s. The intrepid young heroine (an invariable staple in Stewart's suspense novels) visits her eccentric, rich old relative, Great-Aunt Harriet, who lives like Lady Hester Stanhope, wearing a turban and lording it over the local Arab natives. But there's something sinister going on in Aunt Harriet's villa...
The hero/love interest in this book is, I think, notable mostly for the fact that he's absent for about half of the book. He's a second cousin of the heroine; this was changed from a first cousin from the British version of this novel, where they're less uptight about propinquity, or at least used to be. :D
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars, somewhat hesitantly rounding up, for this retro romantic suspense novel by Mary Stewart, one of my favorite authors. An unusual and rather exotic setting: 1960's Syria and Lebanon.
This book gets off to a rather slow start, as Christy Mansel runs into her second cousin Charles as she's vacationing in Damascus. He's a good-looking guy who tools around in a white Porsche 911S.
I think I like him already.
They have dinner, chat, flirt a little, then meet up again in Beirut, Lebanon, where Charles encourages Christy to look up their Great-Aunt Harriet, who lives in a dilapidated castle in the wilds of the Adonis Valley, styling herself as a modern-day Lady Hester Stanhope, a famous, real-life Englishwoman who lived in a former monastery in the wilds of Lebanon in the 1800s, shaving her head and wearing a turban and Arab mens' clothing.
There's something very odd about Christy's visit with Aunt Harriet - well, besides the fact that she lives in a ruined, filthy castle with very odd servants and hangers-on, and only receives visitors in the dead of night - but Christy can't quite put her finger on it. Charles (when he shows up on the sly to sneak around the castle with Christy) thinks he knows, but he's not saying ... for Christy's "protection," you know.
Adonis Valley
The setting is an interesting mix of Gothic and near Eastern. Mary Stewart's penchant for detailed descriptions of landscape and setting is in full bloom here; sometimes I love it but sometimes it's a bit much for me, and it does tend to slow down the pace. The leisurely pace picks up very suddenly about 3/4 of the way through, and then it's a compelling race to the finish line, highlighted by a scene with lots of animals and a bit of an echo of Noah's ark about it.
Christy is from a very wealthy family; she's a little spoiled, but has a lot of gumption and enough concern for others (at least the non-villainous ones) that I still liked her pretty well as a main character. The villain was believable and creepy enough to make me wrap my blanket around myself a little tighter. It's a pretty decent light mystery.
This was written in the 1960s so everyone smokes cigarettes ... and sometimes other stuff, this being hashish country. This raised some random (or not) hashish questions: Can three reefers totally knock someone for a loop? Could someone smoke a reefer and mistakenly think it's a tobacco cigarette, and that the odd flavor is just due to it being locally made?
The Gabriel Hounds isn't at the top of my list of Mary Stewart suspense novels, but it's a solid, enjoyable read if you like old-fashioned suspense novels.
Initial thoughts: I've read this book at least a couple of times over the years, but it's been a long while. It's got an unusual setting: Damascus, Syria and the Adonis Valley in Lebanon, in the 1960s. The intrepid young heroine (an invariable staple in Stewart's suspense novels) visits her eccentric, rich old relative, Great-Aunt Harriet, who lives like Lady Hester Stanhope, wearing a turban and lording it over the local Arab natives. But there's something sinister going on in Aunt Harriet's villa...
The hero/love interest in this book is, I think, notable mostly for the fact that he's absent for about half of the book. He's a second cousin of the heroine; this was changed from a first cousin from the British version of this novel, where they're less uptight about propinquity, or at least used to be. :D
3.5 stars.
April 11, 2017
It is so rare that I find a book such a waste of my time that I don’t finish it, and even less often that I feel a need to explain why, as a warning to other readers who may be sucked in by so many high ratings. Normally, I have an aversion to reviews written by a reader who failed to read the entire book, so take the fact that I have decided to write about the experience as an added warning of how tedious a read I eventually found this to be.
On the surface, it sounds fantastic, some intrigue in an exotic setting, a bit of second-cousin romance thrown in, and all by a rather famous author beloved by many. It is anything but fantastic. Mary Stewart uses some beautiful descriptive prose to mask how dreadfully slow-moving the narrative is, and how gossamer the nearly non-existent plot. Pages and pages of loveliness where nothing happens turn into — more pages and pages of loveliness where nothing happens. There is almost no movement at all here, a vibrant and colorful portrait which has no layers, no hidden depth, and more importantly, does not entertain as romantic suspense, or mystery. This is dreadful, perhaps more so because of how beautifully Stewart can set the table for the reader. The apprehension comes when we sit down at the colorfully arranged table and realize there is nothing to eat, and the anger when we realize there is never going to be.
I can’t remember at what page I finally stopped reading this artfully described dribble, but by the time what should have been an exciting scene of danger was described like all the other scenes — meticulously but with no movement or excitement — I began perusing ahead, reading sections, until finally realizing how empty and superficial the painting Stewart so meticulously rendered was beneath the surface. The best part of this book is the opening, which promises so much. A second-cousin romance between somewhat spoiled young people, Damascus and Lebanon, a secretive and eccentric relative where surely a great mystery hides. It sucks you in, and with each page, Stewart continues setting the table, yet never brings out the meal. I was perhaps a dozen pages from 100 by the time Christabel even made it to Dar Ibraham to speak with Aunt Harriet, who has patterned her life after Lady Hester Stanhope. Then nothing happens again for a very long time and it’s dreadfully boring. The reader keeps thinking that it has to get better, there has to be a point where lightning strikes, things are revealed, the narrative begins to have some movement — nope.
Having recently read a Martha Albrand novel only half the length of this one, which was also a book of romantic intrigue and danger in a colorful — albeit slightly less exotic — setting, I couldn’t help but have a greater appreciation for Albrand. Unlike Stewart, she picked out a smaller canvas on which to paint her exciting and colorful adventure, giving it great movement and just enough atmosphere to suggest the beauty in which the danger and excitement was taking place. Stewart picked out a large canvas on which to paint her story, filling it with rich and vibrant colors which draw you to it on the wall. But when you get closer, you realize the splash of color is all there is, and then suddenly you turn to Albrand’s smaller canvas hanging next to it. You realize there is excitement suggested in her economical brush strokes, the larger romantic mystery painted on the smaller canvas alive with danger and movement. Albrand’s painting has a life beneath the surface, even if it’s just as entertainment. Stewart’s does not, it is all splash and color to distract you from the truth that her painting has nothing to say. And it’s boring.
My first instinct was to give this three stars so as not to skew the rating, since in fairness I couldn’t finish this — or rather chose not to waste any more time on it — but I simply can’t. I’m giving this two stars, and I suggest anyone thinking of reading this book, read the other two star reviews as well before you make your decision. Reading tastes are different, and others may enjoy this. Just be forewarned, it’s pretty, but it just lays there…and never moves…
On the surface, it sounds fantastic, some intrigue in an exotic setting, a bit of second-cousin romance thrown in, and all by a rather famous author beloved by many. It is anything but fantastic. Mary Stewart uses some beautiful descriptive prose to mask how dreadfully slow-moving the narrative is, and how gossamer the nearly non-existent plot. Pages and pages of loveliness where nothing happens turn into — more pages and pages of loveliness where nothing happens. There is almost no movement at all here, a vibrant and colorful portrait which has no layers, no hidden depth, and more importantly, does not entertain as romantic suspense, or mystery. This is dreadful, perhaps more so because of how beautifully Stewart can set the table for the reader. The apprehension comes when we sit down at the colorfully arranged table and realize there is nothing to eat, and the anger when we realize there is never going to be.
I can’t remember at what page I finally stopped reading this artfully described dribble, but by the time what should have been an exciting scene of danger was described like all the other scenes — meticulously but with no movement or excitement — I began perusing ahead, reading sections, until finally realizing how empty and superficial the painting Stewart so meticulously rendered was beneath the surface. The best part of this book is the opening, which promises so much. A second-cousin romance between somewhat spoiled young people, Damascus and Lebanon, a secretive and eccentric relative where surely a great mystery hides. It sucks you in, and with each page, Stewart continues setting the table, yet never brings out the meal. I was perhaps a dozen pages from 100 by the time Christabel even made it to Dar Ibraham to speak with Aunt Harriet, who has patterned her life after Lady Hester Stanhope. Then nothing happens again for a very long time and it’s dreadfully boring. The reader keeps thinking that it has to get better, there has to be a point where lightning strikes, things are revealed, the narrative begins to have some movement — nope.
Having recently read a Martha Albrand novel only half the length of this one, which was also a book of romantic intrigue and danger in a colorful — albeit slightly less exotic — setting, I couldn’t help but have a greater appreciation for Albrand. Unlike Stewart, she picked out a smaller canvas on which to paint her exciting and colorful adventure, giving it great movement and just enough atmosphere to suggest the beauty in which the danger and excitement was taking place. Stewart picked out a large canvas on which to paint her story, filling it with rich and vibrant colors which draw you to it on the wall. But when you get closer, you realize the splash of color is all there is, and then suddenly you turn to Albrand’s smaller canvas hanging next to it. You realize there is excitement suggested in her economical brush strokes, the larger romantic mystery painted on the smaller canvas alive with danger and movement. Albrand’s painting has a life beneath the surface, even if it’s just as entertainment. Stewart’s does not, it is all splash and color to distract you from the truth that her painting has nothing to say. And it’s boring.
My first instinct was to give this three stars so as not to skew the rating, since in fairness I couldn’t finish this — or rather chose not to waste any more time on it — but I simply can’t. I’m giving this two stars, and I suggest anyone thinking of reading this book, read the other two star reviews as well before you make your decision. Reading tastes are different, and others may enjoy this. Just be forewarned, it’s pretty, but it just lays there…and never moves…
February 11, 2024
2024 Review
I love this heroine. She gets kidnapped and straight up orders the kidnappers around. It is hilarious.
2021 Review
It is quite a different feeling reading this one and not going: 'Are you the male lead? It simply can't be the cousin' every time a guy crosses paths with the heroine. I miss wondering how everything would tie together but also genuinely enjoyed not feeling bewildered this time through.
The only other thing I would add is that this time around I did track down an American edition so the male lead is not a first cousin, but a second or third or something. Which didn't make it much better. But at least toned down the incest jokes.
2020 Review
Not being one of Mary Stewart's more popular novels, I picked up The Gabriel Hounds with some hesitation. And then I loved it.
Mostly.
I feel somewhat squeamish loving it because the main love interest is a first cousin and I found that one hard to swallow. (But in the process of looking up when people stopped marrying their first cousins, I learned that it is still legal in the majority of the world, including in the United Kingdom. So there is your fun fact for the day. Yuck.)
The thing is, it is hard to hate the romance because it is flipping adorable.
Mostly.
The cousins have this cute, flirty, 'we-grew-up-together-and-are-basically-twins-but-everyone-expects-us-to-get-hitched-and-it-is-a-running-joke...but is it?!' thing going.
So, great chemistry but also lots of incest jokes so I'm not really sure where that leaves me.
And since this is also a Mary Stewart novel, it somehow manages to come across as insta-love even though they've known one another their whole life. But it is also still subtle enough that somehow it works??? Erg, I'll never understand the magic spell she weaves to make me embrace her characters the way she does.
Moral qualms aside, I liked the characters in this book and I loved the heroine, Christy. She's a wealthy, entitled only child who fully acknowledges her self-centeredness and embraces it. When the villain starts breathing threats, she orders coffee and demands a bathroom break mid-lecture.
That kind of girl.
She also isn't stupid, which I appreciated immensely as I couldn't figure out how everything would come together without her intentionally heading straight into danger. The coincidences necessary to resolve everything nearly made my head spin. But at least it wasn't her being stupid.
Beautiful, lush, descriptive writing. Action and adventure. Drug runners. You know, the usual Stewart stuff. But somehow always new and delightful. I'm smitten again.
I love this heroine. She gets kidnapped and straight up orders the kidnappers around. It is hilarious.
2021 Review
It is quite a different feeling reading this one and not going: 'Are you the male lead? It simply can't be the cousin' every time a guy crosses paths with the heroine. I miss wondering how everything would tie together but also genuinely enjoyed not feeling bewildered this time through.
The only other thing I would add is that this time around I did track down an American edition so the male lead is not a first cousin, but a second or third or something. Which didn't make it much better. But at least toned down the incest jokes.
2020 Review
Not being one of Mary Stewart's more popular novels, I picked up The Gabriel Hounds with some hesitation. And then I loved it.
Mostly.
I feel somewhat squeamish loving it because the main love interest is a first cousin and I found that one hard to swallow. (But in the process of looking up when people stopped marrying their first cousins, I learned that it is still legal in the majority of the world, including in the United Kingdom. So there is your fun fact for the day. Yuck.)
The thing is, it is hard to hate the romance because it is flipping adorable.
Mostly.
The cousins have this cute, flirty, 'we-grew-up-together-and-are-basically-twins-but-everyone-expects-us-to-get-hitched-and-it-is-a-running-joke...but is it?!' thing going.
So, great chemistry but also lots of incest jokes so I'm not really sure where that leaves me.
And since this is also a Mary Stewart novel, it somehow manages to come across as insta-love even though they've known one another their whole life. But it is also still subtle enough that somehow it works??? Erg, I'll never understand the magic spell she weaves to make me embrace her characters the way she does.
Moral qualms aside, I liked the characters in this book and I loved the heroine, Christy. She's a wealthy, entitled only child who fully acknowledges her self-centeredness and embraces it. When the villain starts breathing threats, she orders coffee and demands a bathroom break mid-lecture.
That kind of girl.
She also isn't stupid, which I appreciated immensely as I couldn't figure out how everything would come together without her intentionally heading straight into danger. The coincidences necessary to resolve everything nearly made my head spin. But at least it wasn't her being stupid.
Beautiful, lush, descriptive writing. Action and adventure. Drug runners. You know, the usual Stewart stuff. But somehow always new and delightful. I'm smitten again.
July 15, 2021
***2021 Dog Days of Summer***
It's time for my summer theme and this year I have chosen to read books that include canine companions. The title of this romantic suspense novel hints at the presence of hounds and I am happy to report that there were two Salukis, Sofi and Star, that played a significant role in the proceedings. Not to mention a certain small dog that makes himself noticeable at the end.
This story has definitely aged awkwardly. I don't think you'll find too many young ladies nowadays passionately smooching their cousins, no matter how handsome. Mind you, Stewart uses this possibility in another of her novels, Touch Not the Cat. Geneticists tell us that cousin couples aren't really so bad, but I think most of us would shrink from the prospect now.
I'm sure I read this back in the 1970s when I was very much into Stewart and Victoria Holt. About a quarter of the way into the action, I got a niggling feeling that I knew where things were headed. Still, I enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Stewart writes such gorgeous descriptions of the landscape, the birds, and the flowers of her settings. What she did for Greece in My Brother Michael she does for Syria in this novel. I assume that she visited the area, it is so beautifully realized. It was also fascinating to read about the area before the seemingly unending civil war that is currently blighting Syria.
Stewart manages to suitably threaten Christy and Charles, scions of an obviously wealthy and influential family, while making the reader wonder just what the heck is going on. She spins a good web, but their privileged status may make one slightly less sympathetic to their plight. Still, there was satisfaction in getting the ending sorted. If you enjoy romantic suspense or gothic mysteries, you will likely share my sentiments.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
It's time for my summer theme and this year I have chosen to read books that include canine companions. The title of this romantic suspense novel hints at the presence of hounds and I am happy to report that there were two Salukis, Sofi and Star, that played a significant role in the proceedings. Not to mention a certain small dog that makes himself noticeable at the end.
This story has definitely aged awkwardly. I don't think you'll find too many young ladies nowadays passionately smooching their cousins, no matter how handsome. Mind you, Stewart uses this possibility in another of her novels, Touch Not the Cat. Geneticists tell us that cousin couples aren't really so bad, but I think most of us would shrink from the prospect now.
I'm sure I read this back in the 1970s when I was very much into Stewart and Victoria Holt. About a quarter of the way into the action, I got a niggling feeling that I knew where things were headed. Still, I enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Stewart writes such gorgeous descriptions of the landscape, the birds, and the flowers of her settings. What she did for Greece in My Brother Michael she does for Syria in this novel. I assume that she visited the area, it is so beautifully realized. It was also fascinating to read about the area before the seemingly unending civil war that is currently blighting Syria.
Stewart manages to suitably threaten Christy and Charles, scions of an obviously wealthy and influential family, while making the reader wonder just what the heck is going on. She spins a good web, but their privileged status may make one slightly less sympathetic to their plight. Still, there was satisfaction in getting the ending sorted. If you enjoy romantic suspense or gothic mysteries, you will likely share my sentiments.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
December 8, 2014
It's all a grand adventure when English Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. And being young, rich, impetuous, and used to doing whatever they please, they decide to barge in uninvited on their eccentric Great-Aunt Harriet—despite a long-standing family rule strictly forbidding unannounced visits. Because when the Gabriel hounds run howling over the crumbling palace of Der Ibrahim in the Lebanon, someone will shortly die.This was a very good read! The author is so skilled in painting the complete picture: environment, tastes, smells, scenery, people, plot and suspense thriller. The story starts out dramatically and ends the same.
A strange new world awaits Charles and Christy beyond the gates of Dar Ibrahim—"Lady Harriet's" ancient, crumbling palace in High Lebanon—where a physician is always in residence and a handful of Arab servants attends to the odd old woman's every need. But there is a very good—very sinister—reason why guests are not welcome at Dar Ibrahim. And the young cousins are about to discover that, as difficult as it is to break into the dark, imposing edifice, it may prove even harder still to escape.
The pace of the adventure and high drama, never slows down. It is relentless and captivating. The historical elements are embedded in the person of Lady Hariette, the eccentric old aunt. Her character is loosely based on the life story of Lady Hester Stanhope and lends the mystery element to the plot. Oh, and there's a touch of romance as well. One of those love affairs that happens in the run, at full speed. I could tolerate it, since it wasn't an in-your-face sleaze feast and not the most important element in the story either.
I more than loved this golden oldie, published for the first time in 1967. Mary Stewart undoubtedly deserves to be called an excellent storyteller.
May 26, 2019
4.5✮ Just gathering my thoughts before I write my review!
Ok, thoughts gathered.
I've wanted to read this book for a very long time as it has a (tenuous) link with a Georgette Heyer favourite Venetia.
The link turned out to be gossamer thin, but this didn't stop me enjoying the book. The book started to feel vaguely familiar & I think it may have been serialised in one of the British women's magazines. These magazines were also the first way I experienced Georgette Heyer & Lucy Walker A NZ aunt read them. (the magazines) Sometimes I went home from vacation before all the installments arrived, sometimes there would be pages missing if Aunt Pauline liked a recipe or knitting pattern. But I digress.
At the start I was sure this would be a 5✮ There must be travel writers who envy the way Stewart could give you the sense of place & I enjoyed visiting two countries, Lebanon & Syria, that tragically will never be the same again.
Christy was an appealing heroine - but I was reading the British (original)version which has Christy & Charles as cousins - & their fathers were twins. I'm usually ok with cousin romances (Not enthused but OK) but that felt really creepy - especially when Christy reminiscences about the two of them sharing a bath together as young children. This puts the "ew" factor up pretty high.
& on with the review (started falling asleep in my chair last night, sorry! ◔͜͡◔ )
So although the romance was uncomfortable for me, we don't see much of Charles in the book. Frankly I think the resourceful Christy could have managed without him, so it really felt like the obligatory romance.
I'd be surprised if hashish affected anyone the way Stewart had it affecting
Neither of these are the reason I knocked of half a ✮. That was because of the tired old trope of The Villain Revealing All, especially poorly done when This slowed the pace down to a crawl.
But the positives were that spoilt & privileged as they were, Christy & Charles were not motivated by greed. Family feeling may not have been strong with the Mansels but it was genuine & they were very thorough investigating the strange behaviour of their reclusive & eccentric aunt. I'm glad that Christy at least got
Ok, thoughts gathered.
I've wanted to read this book for a very long time as it has a (tenuous) link with a Georgette Heyer favourite Venetia.
The link turned out to be gossamer thin, but this didn't stop me enjoying the book. The book started to feel vaguely familiar & I think it may have been serialised in one of the British women's magazines. These magazines were also the first way I experienced Georgette Heyer & Lucy Walker A NZ aunt read them. (the magazines) Sometimes I went home from vacation before all the installments arrived, sometimes there would be pages missing if Aunt Pauline liked a recipe or knitting pattern. But I digress.At the start I was sure this would be a 5✮ There must be travel writers who envy the way Stewart could give you the sense of place & I enjoyed visiting two countries, Lebanon & Syria, that tragically will never be the same again.
Christy was an appealing heroine - but I was reading the British (original)version which has Christy & Charles as cousins - & their fathers were twins. I'm usually ok with cousin romances (Not enthused but OK) but that felt really creepy - especially when Christy reminiscences about the two of them sharing a bath together as young children. This puts the "ew" factor up pretty high.
& on with the review (started falling asleep in my chair last night, sorry! ◔͜͡◔ )
So although the romance was uncomfortable for me, we don't see much of Charles in the book. Frankly I think the resourceful Christy could have managed without him, so it really felt like the obligatory romance.
I'd be surprised if hashish affected anyone the way Stewart had it affecting
Neither of these are the reason I knocked of half a ✮. That was because of the tired old trope of The Villain Revealing All, especially poorly done when This slowed the pace down to a crawl.
But the positives were that spoilt & privileged as they were, Christy & Charles were not motivated by greed. Family feeling may not have been strong with the Mansels but it was genuine & they were very thorough investigating the strange behaviour of their reclusive & eccentric aunt. I'm glad that Christy at least got
July 22, 2009
Mary Stewart takes her own spin on the Hester Stanhope legend as second cousins Christy and Charles Mansel, while on separate holidays, bump into each other on a street called Straight in Damascus. With the devil may care attitude of the wealthy and privileged, the two decide to look up Great Aunt Harriet, an infamous recluse holed up in her palace in the mountains outside of Beirut. Christy gets there first and after literally barging her way in soon finds herself in the midst of a seriously creepy palace right out of the Arabian Nights peopled with insolent servants, crumbling plaster, leaking roofs as well as the hounds who prowl the grounds at night like the spectral Gabriel hounds of the otherworld.
And that is really about all of the plot I am willing to give away - any more and I'd ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that Christy and Charles soon find themselves in the thick of things as they try to unravel the mystery surrounding their reclusive Aunt Harriet and the servants determined to keep her away from all visitors. I loved loved loved the way Stewart set the scenes, particularly the very spooky palace with the secret staircases, hidden doorways, crumbling plaster, a rusty nail breaking the silence as it falls, all topped off with a fabulous nail biting finish as the island in the midst of the Seraglio (harem) becomes the author's own take on Noah's Ark during a sinking ship. Despite being a bit too wealthy and spoiled, the banter between Christy and Charles was fun and refreshing and added the perfect zest to your basic heroine in peril needing to be rescued by the hero.
And that is really about all of the plot I am willing to give away - any more and I'd ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that Christy and Charles soon find themselves in the thick of things as they try to unravel the mystery surrounding their reclusive Aunt Harriet and the servants determined to keep her away from all visitors. I loved loved loved the way Stewart set the scenes, particularly the very spooky palace with the secret staircases, hidden doorways, crumbling plaster, a rusty nail breaking the silence as it falls, all topped off with a fabulous nail biting finish as the island in the midst of the Seraglio (harem) becomes the author's own take on Noah's Ark during a sinking ship. Despite being a bit too wealthy and spoiled, the banter between Christy and Charles was fun and refreshing and added the perfect zest to your basic heroine in peril needing to be rescued by the hero.
June 9, 2019
There are some authors that give a reader a feeling of 'I know what to expect here' and Mary Stewart has become that for me.
Years and years ago I read many of her titles, and since joining GR I have rediscovered her work. With varying results as far as star ratings go, but always with the pleasant idea of knowing what I will get when I open the book.
The Gabriel Hounds follows the formula. A young woman off in a foreign country on her own (that fits here even though Christy did begin her trip as part of a tour group).
The heroine is independent, a bit too curious for her own good and never leaves things alone. She is always butting in or going off on her own when she was told by more than one person to wait and be patient. Christy is like that. Plus she has a temper. I thought she was pretty cool, actually. Many times I get annoyed with Stewart heroines but this one had enough spunk to counterbalance the annoyance factor.
The location is always exotic: this time Syria and Lebanon, like they will surely never be again.
And there is always a bit of romance, or at least the acknowledgement of romantic feelings between the heroine and A Hero. But her own cousin? A cousin that grew up in the same house as Christy and was her playmate from the time they were babies? I can't help it, that just gives me a tiny case of The Creeps.
And there is always a mystery. Enough to keep our heroine opening doors she shouldn't and poking her nose into places better left unpoked. That is what can be such fun about reading Stewart. I am always saying 'Don't open that door!' and the heroine of course promptly does. No one ever listens to me.
Anyway, just what, if anything, is going on with Great-Aunt Harriet? She lives up in an old castle on top of a hill, cut off from society by her own choice. Christy didn't even realize she was still alive, but once she found out, of course she just had to go see her, and that is the real beginning of the story.
Great setting, clever interactions between Christy and her cousin, and plenty of skulduggery swirling around on all levels. Perfect for an enjoyable, quick read!
Years and years ago I read many of her titles, and since joining GR I have rediscovered her work. With varying results as far as star ratings go, but always with the pleasant idea of knowing what I will get when I open the book.
The Gabriel Hounds follows the formula. A young woman off in a foreign country on her own (that fits here even though Christy did begin her trip as part of a tour group).
The heroine is independent, a bit too curious for her own good and never leaves things alone. She is always butting in or going off on her own when she was told by more than one person to wait and be patient. Christy is like that. Plus she has a temper. I thought she was pretty cool, actually. Many times I get annoyed with Stewart heroines but this one had enough spunk to counterbalance the annoyance factor.
The location is always exotic: this time Syria and Lebanon, like they will surely never be again.
And there is always a bit of romance, or at least the acknowledgement of romantic feelings between the heroine and A Hero. But her own cousin? A cousin that grew up in the same house as Christy and was her playmate from the time they were babies? I can't help it, that just gives me a tiny case of The Creeps.
And there is always a mystery. Enough to keep our heroine opening doors she shouldn't and poking her nose into places better left unpoked. That is what can be such fun about reading Stewart. I am always saying 'Don't open that door!' and the heroine of course promptly does. No one ever listens to me.
Anyway, just what, if anything, is going on with Great-Aunt Harriet? She lives up in an old castle on top of a hill, cut off from society by her own choice. Christy didn't even realize she was still alive, but once she found out, of course she just had to go see her, and that is the real beginning of the story.
Great setting, clever interactions between Christy and her cousin, and plenty of skulduggery swirling around on all levels. Perfect for an enjoyable, quick read!
April 28, 2016
I am an admirer of Mary Stewart. She has a wonderful way of describing places that puts you right into the exotic settings and make you feel that you are seeing what she is seeing. The Gabriel Hounds is set in Lebanon and Syria in the 1960s, a place of mystery, distant and alluring. Trying to imagine that region as a place where you could come and go without fear is difficult. It is such a powder keg today. So, just the setting and the easy attitude toward being an Englishman there are ripe with nostalgia for a time sadly out of reach.
Christy Mansel’s Great Aunt Harriet lives in an ancient palace in Beirut and Christy, who is on a vacation tour, shows up unexpectedly to visit with her. Something is amiss, but unraveling exactly what is going on is not a simple task and leads Christy into a dangerous and life-threatening situation. The story moves at a quick pace and makes some interesting turns before it is concluded. While I do not think it is the greatest mystery story ever written, might be a little cliched, and ties up far too neatly, it is still so much fun that any flaws it might have are immediately forgiven. As with all of Mary Stewart’s mystery/romances, the love story is a tad contrived, but again that is just a part of her style that I accept going in. There is a sweet naivete that goes with this glimpse of the world as it was that is charming. No one would write this tale today in quite the same way.
Maybe the thing that I love about reading Mary Stewart is that she is a walk down memory lane for me. I read her books, all of them, when I was young and I thought her the most marvelous writer ever. Her mystery/romances are for fun only. No great moral lessons or deep themes to explore, but she is among the best at what she does...and we all gotta have a little fun along the way, don’t we?
Christy Mansel’s Great Aunt Harriet lives in an ancient palace in Beirut and Christy, who is on a vacation tour, shows up unexpectedly to visit with her. Something is amiss, but unraveling exactly what is going on is not a simple task and leads Christy into a dangerous and life-threatening situation. The story moves at a quick pace and makes some interesting turns before it is concluded. While I do not think it is the greatest mystery story ever written, might be a little cliched, and ties up far too neatly, it is still so much fun that any flaws it might have are immediately forgiven. As with all of Mary Stewart’s mystery/romances, the love story is a tad contrived, but again that is just a part of her style that I accept going in. There is a sweet naivete that goes with this glimpse of the world as it was that is charming. No one would write this tale today in quite the same way.
Maybe the thing that I love about reading Mary Stewart is that she is a walk down memory lane for me. I read her books, all of them, when I was young and I thought her the most marvelous writer ever. Her mystery/romances are for fun only. No great moral lessons or deep themes to explore, but she is among the best at what she does...and we all gotta have a little fun along the way, don’t we?
May 17, 2016
Not my favorite Mary Stewart but still, a quick, diverting read. The best parts of the book are the vividly described locations from old Damascus markets...
To a crumbling castle high in the mountains of Lebanon. The castle is the scene of much of the action and features hidden passageways
And a lovely garden in the old seraglio
Alas, the plot was rather too fevered and implausible to really pull me in and the romance was something of an afterthought.
To a crumbling castle high in the mountains of Lebanon. The castle is the scene of much of the action and features hidden passageways
And a lovely garden in the old seraglio
Alas, the plot was rather too fevered and implausible to really pull me in and the romance was something of an afterthought.
March 19, 2018
I chose Mary Stewart's The Gabriel Hounds for the Lebanon stop of my Around the World in 80 Books challenge. I was really looking forward to it, having enjoyed almost all of Stewart's novels to date. From the very beginning, the descriptions here were glorious and sumptuous, and the sense of place so strongly crafted. I was immediately drawn in. Vivid and well paced, many readers seem to think that The Gabriel Hounds is Stewart's best novel, and I can see why; it is a well-characterised, and sometimes surprising, novel, with an intriguing mystery at its heart. It follows the same formula as the majority of her other books, but it is one which clearly worked well for Stewart herself. I could hardly put it down, and was kept guessing throughout. Highly recommended.
October 28, 2019
Wow, the cover copy on this one is crap, isn't it? It gives a totally wrong impression of both Christy and Charles (yes, they're impetuous and privileged, but that's as far as it goes) and of how the plot gets moving. I suppose this is closer to 3.5 stars; I loved the descriptions, as always, and though I figured out immediately what ruse was being pulled on the main character, I really wanted to know what was behind it all. (I didn't figure it out because it was obvious; I figured it out because it seemed like the best and most sinister twist.)
I even liked the romance, which is extremely light as far as Stewart's romances go, and that surprised me, because while I don't have a problem with I do have a problem with But it's a very light, inessential part of the story.
What really keeps this from being higher rated is how Charles decided to keep Christy in the dark "to protect her." Granted, his reasoning is more sound than usual for this plot element, because Christy probably couldn't have maintained an innocently ignorant façade to the villains if she'd known the truth, and that would have endangered her, but she ends up in trouble anyway because she isn't in on Charles's plan. But I liked her and how tough she was, so it gets a pass.
I think The Moonspinners is next, while I wait for the next batch of books to arrive. I never did see the Hayley Mills movie, which I understand is a good thing--that I didn't see it, not that the movie is good.
I even liked the romance, which is extremely light as far as Stewart's romances go, and that surprised me, because while I don't have a problem with I do have a problem with But it's a very light, inessential part of the story.
What really keeps this from being higher rated is how Charles decided to keep Christy in the dark "to protect her." Granted, his reasoning is more sound than usual for this plot element, because Christy probably couldn't have maintained an innocently ignorant façade to the villains if she'd known the truth, and that would have endangered her, but she ends up in trouble anyway because she isn't in on Charles's plan. But I liked her and how tough she was, so it gets a pass.
I think The Moonspinners is next, while I wait for the next batch of books to arrive. I never did see the Hayley Mills movie, which I understand is a good thing--that I didn't see it, not that the movie is good.
November 25, 2013
Not one of my favorite Stewart's but certainly not a bad re-read, although it took me forever to finish this one.
Thankfully, the cousin lovin' didn't squick me out like it did in Touch Not the Cat, probably because there was very little romantic interaction in this story to begin with.
Very slow pacing, until around Chapter 13, when all hell breaks loose-- from that point on it's more what I expect in a Mary Stewart novel.
As always, Stewart's love and knowledge of animals shines through. I actually welled up at this line from chapter 12 about an unfortunate mutt:
"...till I met the eyes of a thin dog which had crept to the edge of the road below me and was eyeing me wistfully, just out of stick distance. I held out the remains of the sandwich. He looked at it with his soul in his eyes, and came no nearer"
That's epic pathos, my fellow reader. Epic.
Thankfully, the cousin lovin' didn't squick me out like it did in Touch Not the Cat, probably because there was very little romantic interaction in this story to begin with.
Very slow pacing, until around Chapter 13, when all hell breaks loose-- from that point on it's more what I expect in a Mary Stewart novel.
As always, Stewart's love and knowledge of animals shines through. I actually welled up at this line from chapter 12 about an unfortunate mutt:
"...till I met the eyes of a thin dog which had crept to the edge of the road below me and was eyeing me wistfully, just out of stick distance. I held out the remains of the sandwich. He looked at it with his soul in his eyes, and came no nearer"
That's epic pathos, my fellow reader. Epic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2014
It took me about 2 weeks to finish this one, and for me that can only mean one thing: this was not my cup of tea. Definately the least enjoyable of the Mary Stewart novels I have read to date. The pacing is tediously slow in the first 200 pages and only near the end - like one reviewer put it - all hell breaks loose.
Another thing that bothered me was the love story between the cousins - that weirded me out more than I thought it would. Also, it was really predictable from page one, and I like my romance with a little more uncertainty in the beginning.
Overall, besides the slow pacing, I don't think it is a bad book per se, but I wasn't interested in any of it - Damascus, Beirut, Dar Ibrahim, the characters... like I said, not my cup of tea.
Another thing that bothered me was the love story between the cousins - that weirded me out more than I thought it would. Also, it was really predictable from page one, and I like my romance with a little more uncertainty in the beginning.
Overall, besides the slow pacing, I don't think it is a bad book per se, but I wasn't interested in any of it - Damascus, Beirut, Dar Ibrahim, the characters... like I said, not my cup of tea.
May 12, 2016
I found this book in a box of junk in the faculty room of a high school where I was substitute teaching one day. What does that tell you?
Not romance, not suspense, not mystery, just . . . ugh. The villains are repulsive. The heroine smokes dope "by mistake." Nothing happens except stuff that creeps you out.
Why, why, why, do I go through boxes of junk that are none of my business?
Not romance, not suspense, not mystery, just . . . ugh. The villains are repulsive. The heroine smokes dope "by mistake." Nothing happens except stuff that creeps you out.
Why, why, why, do I go through boxes of junk that are none of my business?
October 8, 2022
Christy Mansel happens upon her cousin (more on that in a bit) while traveling with a large group in Lebanon and the area. While she had already planned to break away from the group and stay on her own for a bit, running into her cousin Charles only adds to the excitement of her plans. In addition to spending time with him, they discuss going to see their Great Aunt Harriet who lives nearby, and who fashions herself as a Lady Stanhope-type. Charles is unable to stay in the city just then, but after a few days he will be returning to spend time with Christy.
Christy takes to touring the area and ends up sort of, mostly intentional, paying a visit on her own (well, with her driver) to her great aunt's estate, Dar Ibrahim. The strangeness of the meeting, the affected atmosphere, and the suspicious young man living with Harriet (who is in her eighties), leaves Christy with an unsettled feeling, despite the attempts at reassurances presented by the man, John Lethman. After all, her Great Aunt Harriet was always eccentric and set herself apart from the family. However, growing concerns from Charles, who knew Harriet better, leads the pair on a stealthy mission to discover the truth.
Not on par with the only other novel by Stewart that I've read, The Ivy Tree, but not lacking in beautiful sentences for establishing place and atmosphere. In fact, aside from some specifics, I liked the two main characters, Christy and Charles — they were witty, confident, and self-aware. The plot got away from Stewart a bit, especially at the very end when everything imploded — plot and all.
Stewart goes to great effort to explain that Christy and Charles are second cousins (they share the same great-grandfather), and though they were often mistaken for twins by those outside the family when they were younger, they were sort of, mostly, joked about as betrothed within the family. However, I have seen that this was for the benefit of the American audience back when this was first published. In the UK edition, Christy and Charles are not only first cousins, but double cousins, as their fathers are twins — so genetically they are more like half-siblings. This is a big ick factor with her American audience and as the two romantically pair off by the novel's end (this is no spoiler, as it's obvious from the beginning), I just had trouble thinking of them as written. Especially since they also had been raised close to each other and acted more like siblings.
In addition there were some problematic sentences (one in particular in the last few pages) that made this one a little less desirable. But I will still continue to explore Stewart's writing — hoping for more of The Ivy Tree and less of The Gabriel Hounds.
Christy takes to touring the area and ends up sort of, mostly intentional, paying a visit on her own (well, with her driver) to her great aunt's estate, Dar Ibrahim. The strangeness of the meeting, the affected atmosphere, and the suspicious young man living with Harriet (who is in her eighties), leaves Christy with an unsettled feeling, despite the attempts at reassurances presented by the man, John Lethman. After all, her Great Aunt Harriet was always eccentric and set herself apart from the family. However, growing concerns from Charles, who knew Harriet better, leads the pair on a stealthy mission to discover the truth.
Not on par with the only other novel by Stewart that I've read, The Ivy Tree, but not lacking in beautiful sentences for establishing place and atmosphere. In fact, aside from some specifics, I liked the two main characters, Christy and Charles — they were witty, confident, and self-aware. The plot got away from Stewart a bit, especially at the very end when everything imploded — plot and all.
Stewart goes to great effort to explain that Christy and Charles are second cousins (they share the same great-grandfather), and though they were often mistaken for twins by those outside the family when they were younger, they were sort of, mostly, joked about as betrothed within the family. However, I have seen that this was for the benefit of the American audience back when this was first published. In the UK edition, Christy and Charles are not only first cousins, but double cousins, as their fathers are twins — so genetically they are more like half-siblings. This is a big ick factor with her American audience and as the two romantically pair off by the novel's end (this is no spoiler, as it's obvious from the beginning), I just had trouble thinking of them as written. Especially since they also had been raised close to each other and acted more like siblings.
In addition there were some problematic sentences (one in particular in the last few pages) that made this one a little less desirable. But I will still continue to explore Stewart's writing — hoping for more of The Ivy Tree and less of The Gabriel Hounds.
Read
October 24, 2023I couldn't get into this one. I think I was mostly confused (and more than a little horrified) by the main relationship. I mean, "We're first cousins, raised as twins, and soon we shall wed." The hell was up with that? And then blah blah blah our weird aunt pretends to be a Muslim man. Hokay ?
March 12, 2015
Mary Stewart’s romance/suspense/mystery type novels have been my go-to comfort reading for a while. Unfortunately, now I’ve finished them all and I’m back to the beginning. I mostly grabbed this from my community library to demonstrate that we should totally keep Mary Stewart on the shelves because people want to read ‘em, but I’m pretty sure this was the first of her books I read (other than The Crystal Cave), so it makes sense to start over with it!
I think I appreciated it more, this time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it before, and I was still in a fairly snobby stage about anything with romance in it, but now I’m happy to sink into Stewart’s romances and enjoy the atmosphere, the way she establishes a sense of place. The landscape is as much a part of this as anything else: dusty, hot, romanticised.
I still stick by the judgement that it’s basically Famous Five for adults, in terms of the mystery. Replace drugs with treasure and you’ve got Five on Treasure Island, basically, apart from the fact that then George marries one of her cousins at the end. There are a couple of reasons why the cousin relationship is creepier than normal here: they were brought up practically as siblings, called “the Twins” by their family; their fathers are identical twins. So in terms of DNA, they’re half-siblings, pretty much, bar any epigenetic modifications. I know that maybe it wouldn’t have been viewed that way then, but it still skeeves me out a little.
Still, for drama and adventure and a glorious atmosphere, plus the fact that at least Charles and Christy don’t have a weird power imbalance to their relationship, I have to give this a higher rating than I did before. The other bad point is, of course, the treatment of one of the only other “on-screen” female characters, Halide: a bigger stereotype of the scheming simple Arab servant, I’m not sure you could have. So not 5/5, even if I do really appreciate some aspects.
I think I appreciated it more, this time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it before, and I was still in a fairly snobby stage about anything with romance in it, but now I’m happy to sink into Stewart’s romances and enjoy the atmosphere, the way she establishes a sense of place. The landscape is as much a part of this as anything else: dusty, hot, romanticised.
I still stick by the judgement that it’s basically Famous Five for adults, in terms of the mystery. Replace drugs with treasure and you’ve got Five on Treasure Island, basically, apart from the fact that then George marries one of her cousins at the end. There are a couple of reasons why the cousin relationship is creepier than normal here: they were brought up practically as siblings, called “the Twins” by their family; their fathers are identical twins. So in terms of DNA, they’re half-siblings, pretty much, bar any epigenetic modifications. I know that maybe it wouldn’t have been viewed that way then, but it still skeeves me out a little.
Still, for drama and adventure and a glorious atmosphere, plus the fact that at least Charles and Christy don’t have a weird power imbalance to their relationship, I have to give this a higher rating than I did before. The other bad point is, of course, the treatment of one of the only other “on-screen” female characters, Halide: a bigger stereotype of the scheming simple Arab servant, I’m not sure you could have. So not 5/5, even if I do really appreciate some aspects.
September 29, 2019
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mary Stewart’s novels are adventure stories about women, for women, and by a woman – written in a way that is always grounded in the reality. You won’t find these heroines reverting too the cartoony kung-fu moves of Captain Marvel – but you will find them thinking, reacting, and acting with guts and intelligenc. Of all the Stewart heroine’s, Christy is perhaps the most openly brazen and bold of them all. Privileged and wealthy since her youth, Christy is accustomed to having her own way. She reacts with the exact same superiority towards the villains, rather flummoxing them as she challenges them with her casual certainty that she will invariably get what she wants.
Mary Stewart is one of my top five favorite authors and if you read even a single paragraph of her work – you’ll see why. She weaves words together effortlessly, spinning sentences out in one long, shining strand of pictorial and rhythmic perfection. What else can I say? She’s staggeringly good, Jeeves – the absolute most. From chapter one, I was immediately immersed in the dust, the heat, and the mystery of the exotic Damascus. Add to that Stewart’s talent for creating a spine-tingling plot (she is the queen of suspense) I was riveted until the last page. There were some twists at the end that made my jaw drop as I gasped aloud!
Mary Stewart is one of my top five favorite authors and if you read even a single paragraph of her work – you’ll see why. She weaves words together effortlessly, spinning sentences out in one long, shining strand of pictorial and rhythmic perfection. What else can I say? She’s staggeringly good, Jeeves – the absolute most. From chapter one, I was immediately immersed in the dust, the heat, and the mystery of the exotic Damascus. Add to that Stewart’s talent for creating a spine-tingling plot (she is the queen of suspense) I was riveted until the last page. There were some twists at the end that made my jaw drop as I gasped aloud!
November 21, 2013
Really more like 4.5 stars
Group read with the Mary Stewart group
First line: I MET HIM in the street called Straight.
Christabel Mansel is on vacation in Damascus. She runs into her "cousin" Charles and the two of them decide to drop in on their great aunt Harriet. Harriet is a modern day Lady Hester Stanhope living in her palace "Dar Ibrahim" up in the mountains of Lebanon. Harriet has a reputation for being quite eccentric.
Christy visits Aunt Harriet first. Charles arrives later and things just don't seem quite right. This is a very good story of mystery and suspense with a wee bit of romance. The exotic setting was wonderful as was learning about the legend of the Gabriel hounds, Dogs of Fo, and a dog breed called a saluki. Add in a palace with hidden passages and other secrets, plus some interesting characters and you've got a very interesting story. Even though I suspected some of the outcome, I was still on the edge of my seat in parts as I watched it all play out. As usual, Mary Stewart's prose is second to none.
Group read with the Mary Stewart group
First line: I MET HIM in the street called Straight.
Christabel Mansel is on vacation in Damascus. She runs into her "cousin" Charles and the two of them decide to drop in on their great aunt Harriet. Harriet is a modern day Lady Hester Stanhope living in her palace "Dar Ibrahim" up in the mountains of Lebanon. Harriet has a reputation for being quite eccentric.
Christy visits Aunt Harriet first. Charles arrives later and things just don't seem quite right. This is a very good story of mystery and suspense with a wee bit of romance. The exotic setting was wonderful as was learning about the legend of the Gabriel hounds, Dogs of Fo, and a dog breed called a saluki. Add in a palace with hidden passages and other secrets, plus some interesting characters and you've got a very interesting story. Even though I suspected some of the outcome, I was still on the edge of my seat in parts as I watched it all play out. As usual, Mary Stewart's prose is second to none.
September 18, 2011
The Gabriel Hounds mostly made me think of Famous Five stories for grown ups, where the hidden treasure is drugs and George and Julian get married at the end. That's pretty much my summary of it -- that and a bit of exotic local colour, given that it's set in the Lebanon sort of area.
It's fun, in that way, and pretty mindless. The main character/narrator is female, but spends most of her time being rescued by men, despite being allegedly headstrong and capable. She does have spark, though. Halide, the only other main (living) female in the story, is a real piece of work, a killer and a gold-digger.
I liked it more than The Crystal Cave, I think. It was a breezier read.
It's fun, in that way, and pretty mindless. The main character/narrator is female, but spends most of her time being rescued by men, despite being allegedly headstrong and capable. She does have spark, though. Halide, the only other main (living) female in the story, is a real piece of work, a killer and a gold-digger.
I liked it more than The Crystal Cave, I think. It was a breezier read.
September 23, 2016
I truly recommend this entertaining mystery by Mary Stewart! What I liked best:
1. Mary Stewart's descriptive prose transported me to yet another exotic locale;
2. The snappy banter between hero and heroine;
3. The heroine, Christy, exhibits true grit;
4. All of the animals made it safely to end of the story;
5. Since I grew up in the 1960's, I had the added bonus of enjoying no small amount of nostalgia
while reading this story. I remember wearing dresses like the one Christy is wearing on
the cover of my book! I still love peasant style blouses and dresses!
1. Mary Stewart's descriptive prose transported me to yet another exotic locale;
2. The snappy banter between hero and heroine;
3. The heroine, Christy, exhibits true grit;
4. All of the animals made it safely to end of the story;
5. Since I grew up in the 1960's, I had the added bonus of enjoying no small amount of nostalgia
while reading this story. I remember wearing dresses like the one Christy is wearing on
the cover of my book! I still love peasant style blouses and dresses!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2021
I was really in the mood to reread one of Mary Stewart's novels, and I felt pretty nostalgic about The Gabriel Hounds. I thought I'd remember it pretty well, but there was actually a bit in the middle I was more vague on and that I could swear had happened in a different Mary Stewart book... In any case, The Gabriel Hounds follows Christy, separated from her group on a package tour of the Lebanon. Reminded that her great-aunt lives in the area, and surprised by the legends that seem to have grown up around her, Christy resolves to see the old lady -- and thus finds herself plunged into a whole mess.
As ever, Stewart had an excellent way of bringing the landscape to life, not just the sights (I can't imagine those anyway) but the smells and the impressions, and even somehow something of the light and the quality of the air. She's very good at invoking an idealised, picturesque landscape -- and some real nastiness, as well, of course, but that's more commonplace. She's not so bad with character, either -- spoiled, sharp Christy; kind Hamid, who almost felt like he should be a bigger character or get some much better reward out of the story; poor Lethman...
I should warn readers that the love interests are full cousins, whose fathers were twins; cousin-marriage happens a couple of times in Mary Stewart's books, but this one is closer than most, and lays particular emphasis on the two growing up like siblings. It might gross you out, so I mention it even though it's a spoiler.
The actual plot is fairly obvious, and the romance almost perfunctory... but it has a kind of magic anyway.
As ever, Stewart had an excellent way of bringing the landscape to life, not just the sights (I can't imagine those anyway) but the smells and the impressions, and even somehow something of the light and the quality of the air. She's very good at invoking an idealised, picturesque landscape -- and some real nastiness, as well, of course, but that's more commonplace. She's not so bad with character, either -- spoiled, sharp Christy; kind Hamid, who almost felt like he should be a bigger character or get some much better reward out of the story; poor Lethman...
I should warn readers that the love interests are full cousins, whose fathers were twins; cousin-marriage happens a couple of times in Mary Stewart's books, but this one is closer than most, and lays particular emphasis on the two growing up like siblings. It might gross you out, so I mention it even though it's a spoiler.
The actual plot is fairly obvious, and the romance almost perfunctory... but it has a kind of magic anyway.
August 13, 2018
Quick, enjoyable read. 3.5 stars
September 13, 2021
Mary Stewart is one of my all-time favourite writers and I am just sorry she wrote so few books as I have loved them all. She’s one of my go-to writers when I am tired, or rundown, or unwell. I love her deft mix of romance and suspense, her exotic settings, and the ‘To Catch A Thief’ atmosphere of 1950s glamour and style. I simply cannot understand why all her books have not been made into movies.
The Gabriel Hounds (first published in 1967) begins when Englishwoman Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. Their fathers are twins, and very rich, and Christy and Charles are used to having their own way. Christy is about to head on to Lebanon, and Charles asks her if she plans to visit their Great-Aunt Harriet who lives there in an ancient walled palace, dressing like a man in a robe and turban and doing as she pleases (à la Lady Hester Stanhope). Christy is intrigued at the idea and so steals a march on Charles by dropping in uninvited. Her suspicions are aroused by the squalor of the half-ruined palace and the strange behaviour of her great-aunt. A storm maroons her there, but she manages to speak with Charles across the gushing torrent of water. She shares her concerns, and her cousin scales the walls of the seraglio to be with her. (I kid you not. Sigh).
And so begins a swift-paced tale of greed, treachery and murder that sees strong-willed, outspoken Christy tested to her limits. The setting is incredibly atmospheric, the romance sweet but fiery, and the denouement never fails to bring a little sting of happy tears to my eyes.
The Gabriel Hounds (first published in 1967) begins when Englishwoman Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. Their fathers are twins, and very rich, and Christy and Charles are used to having their own way. Christy is about to head on to Lebanon, and Charles asks her if she plans to visit their Great-Aunt Harriet who lives there in an ancient walled palace, dressing like a man in a robe and turban and doing as she pleases (à la Lady Hester Stanhope). Christy is intrigued at the idea and so steals a march on Charles by dropping in uninvited. Her suspicions are aroused by the squalor of the half-ruined palace and the strange behaviour of her great-aunt. A storm maroons her there, but she manages to speak with Charles across the gushing torrent of water. She shares her concerns, and her cousin scales the walls of the seraglio to be with her. (I kid you not. Sigh).
And so begins a swift-paced tale of greed, treachery and murder that sees strong-willed, outspoken Christy tested to her limits. The setting is incredibly atmospheric, the romance sweet but fiery, and the denouement never fails to bring a little sting of happy tears to my eyes.
June 9, 2018
I can't give Mary Stewart anything less than four stars, no matter what the subject. She's a master of the romantic thriller, and although this isn't my favourite novel of hers, I still enjoyed it. The author's colourful descriptions of Lebanon and Syria, and especially the crumbling castle where most of the action takes place, is evocative. Her characterization of plucky heroines who don't sit around waiting to be rescued is right on point. And the action springs from scene to scene like a bounding gazelle, which I admire because I don't care for slow-moving plots. The romance itself was a less compelling in this novel, but who can complain about the image of a shirtless hero scaling the castle battlements to rescue the fair maiden?
October 16, 2019
This mystery is insane. Insane. It’s practically the stuff of drug-induced ravings (appropriately enough, I suppose). Nothing about it makes any sense to me, and the reason it’s even the slightest bit readable - and it is, surprisingly compulsively so - is because of the beautifully delineated setting. What gorgeous prose Mary Stewart writes.
September 24, 2009
After reading Nine Coaches Waiting, I didn't expected such splendid suspense which takes place in the Middle East. I am really loving this series of books by Mary Stewart after have read her fantasy books a long time ago and never dared to look to the rest of her work.
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April 16, 2022Another quick-paced one (though on the opposite end of the scale in the speed of the romance - Stewart either has them fall in love in 7 hours, or in 20 years). Last of the Stewarts I'll probably complete - bounced off the couple remaining (and not into Arthurian, for her series).
Not re-read territory for me, but kept my interest through the backlist.
Content warning: the protagonist here is fairly reasonable, but does edge into racism and classism during the dramatic finale.
Not re-read territory for me, but kept my interest through the backlist.
Content warning: the protagonist here is fairly reasonable, but does edge into racism and classism during the dramatic finale.
October 1, 2014
Mary Stewart is an amazing writer. I love her exotic settings, the Gothic atmosphere and the mystery. The setting takes place in the Middle East. Christy and Charles, who are cousins run into each other in Damascus and haven't seen each other in four years.
Christy and Charles decide to visit their Aunt Harriet and things take a surprising turn which takes both cousins into intrigue and danger. I found myself engaged in trying to figure out the mystery as the story went on.
The descriptions are magical, you actually can see Lebanon and feel that you are there.
I liked Christy and thought she was a fun character. She was very bold, spoiled and tenacious.
I also liked Charles who, as constantly quoting romantic lines from literature.
Christy and Charles decide to visit their Aunt Harriet and things take a surprising turn which takes both cousins into intrigue and danger. I found myself engaged in trying to figure out the mystery as the story went on.
The descriptions are magical, you actually can see Lebanon and feel that you are there.
I liked Christy and thought she was a fun character. She was very bold, spoiled and tenacious.
I also liked Charles who, as constantly quoting romantic lines from literature.
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