Montmorency and the Assassins

About this book

As the nineteenth century draws to a close, war is in the air, and influenza is sweeping the globe. After twenty years as a gentleman, Montmorency is glad to be free of Scarper, his wretched alter-ego. However, when Montmorency's young friend Frank finds himself caught in the middle of a murderous political plot, Montmorency may have no choice but to call upon none other than Scarper for help.

Follow Montmorency, Fox-Selwyn, Dr. Farcett, and a whole new generation of characters on their travels from London to Scotland, Italy and America.

Reviews

VOYA 5Q 4P
Montmorency and the Assassins: Updale, Eleanor 0-439-68343-2
Next up for the Victorian spy adventurer Montmorency, first introduced in Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? (Scholastic, 2003/VOYA June 2006), is a trip to Italy in search of some stolen scientific specimens. That mystery seems to quickly resolve only to throw open the larger tale here. Montmorency and his pals, including the teenaged Lord Francis Fox-Selwyn, get quite caught up in a nest of nasty Italian anarchists who are plotting against the throne. Heady subplots involving an international flu epidemic, the early years of x-ray, and Montmorency's ambiguous relationship with the mother of a fatherless boy on the Scottish isle of Tarimond guarantee that there is no lollygagging as this story bounces along. Adults and youth, anarchists and upper-class Brits, and the cities of Florence, Italy, and Paterson, New Jersey, come to life under Updale's clever strokes, each one fully realized in color and smell as well as accent and general attitude toward political and scientific intrigues. Sophisticated readers who have a yen for Conan Doyle will adore Montmorency, even as they question his loose grasp on ethical behavior. Happily there is more Montmorency to come, and he deserves fans despite his wandering eye and penchant for playacting on the stage of international intrigue.-Francisca Goldsmith

Booklist Gr. 7–10. For those who like elaborately plotted, atmospheric mysteries, Updale's Victorian spy thrillers fit the bill. In this tense installment, thief-turned-aristocrat Montmorency and Lord George Selwyn-Fox, both showing their “forty-odd” years, find themselves once again “dabbling in the underbelly of international politics,” this time alongside younger protégés. Bomb-planting anarchists have become a problem in the 12 years since the team's last major case. Lord George's teenage nephew helps infiltrate the agitators, while allies both old and new (most intriguingly, former prostitute Vi's adolescent son, whose paternity is tantalizingly in question) pursue leads in London, Florence, and Paterson, New Jersey, encountering several historical figures and facing real danger. One favorite character meets an end so gruesome that it leaves Montmorency “vomiting violently into the bushes.” The leisurely subplots demand close attention, and despite the participation of the younger generation, the series continues its tradition of featuring predominantly adult perspectives. But Updale's readers have proven their indifference to her protagonists' age, and are unlikely to be bothered by it now. –Jennifer Mattson


Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, January 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 1))
In this third historical novel featuring thief-turned-gentleman/spy Montmorency, the story begins in 1898, with Montmorency and his friends Lord George Fox-Selwyn, Lord George's young nephew Frank, and Dr. Farcett investigating lost natural history specimens. Their inquiry leads them to dangerous Italian anarchists--and the game's afoot. They travel from London to Italy, Scotland, and eventually Patterson, NJ, where Montmorency meets up again with his pesky admirer Cissie, now the wife of an American millionaire, and Dr. Farcett discusses X-rays with Thomas Edison. Meanwhile, Frank goes undercover to discover the anarchists' deadly plans, and his life may be at stake. There's a lot going on in this new installment in the Montmorency series, and readers will need to be familiar with the characters from the other books, Montmorency and Montmorency on the Rocks, to fully appreciate this complex tale of intrigue. Fans of Montmorency and of historical thrillers will enjoy this, and it ends with a hint of more to come. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JSA--Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2006, Scholastic, Orchard Books, 416p., $16.99. Ages 12 to adult.

BCCB
It's been over ten years (well, one year in publishing terms) since sewar rat/disguise master/British spy Montmorency and his old nemeses-turned-friends Dr. Farcett and Lord Fox-Selwyn were last seen crime-stopping in Montmorency on the Rocks (BCCB 5/05). Now, while Farcett tinkers in the fascinating new field of x-rays, Montmorency and Fox-Selwyn search for missing natural history specimens. Their investigation takes them to Florence, where the items are easily traced to a local museum and readily turned over by an embarrassed curator. The real story is just beginning, though, as Fox-Selwyn's nephew becomes involved with Italian anarchists and, after aiding them in an attack that results in a death, he's a wanted man. Protecting the naïve young man while attempting to thwart the anarchists' assassination plans takes our heroes back to the Scottish island of Tarimond, where Farcett tests his x-rays in his clinic; to New Jersey, where the anarchists fix their plans and Thomas Edison advises Farcett on the dangers of radium; and back to Florence, where the minor episode at the natural history museum takes on sinister new meaning. Updale's antihero may have aged and faded from the action a bit, but the author keeps the series vital by grafting on two engaging younger characters and judiciously–and craftily–pruning two older ones (no reviewer should be so cruel as to reveal which), thereby sending one survivor into the next entry with a burden of guilt and imbuing the entire cast with a raging desire for revenge. Bring on the sequel, and hurry. EB

SLJ

Gr 7 Up–Twenty years have gone by since former prisoner Montmorency re-created himself as a respectable gentleman in Montmorency (Scholastic, 2004). He has almost completely abandoned his thieving alter ego, Scarper, during recent years spent traveling throughout Europe with fellow secret agent Lord George Fox-Selwyn on missions for the British government. In this third adventure, a private commission for Baron Astleman, who has discovered several rare specimens missing from his natural-history collection, takes the duo to Italy. There, due to the activities of Fox-Selwyn's nephew Frank, the two uncover the plots of some Italian anarchists and embark on a series of dangerous adventures that include undercover work in London and a trip to America. In addition to the Fox-Selwyns, other familiar characters from the previous two volumes reappear in this episode. Frank's importance as a character relegates Montmorency to a background position throughout much of this well-plotted, action-packed adventure. The characters' desire for revenge at the book's end will assure eager readers that further episodes are likely to appear.–Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Horn Book Magazine
(March 1, 2006; 0-439-68343-2; 978-0-439-68343-2)

(Middle School, High School) Montmorency, former convict turned gentleman and intelligence expert, is back at work in this third Victorian thriller (Montmorency, rev. 3/04; Montmorency on the Rocks, rev. 3/05). Along with a tight-knit group of confidants, Montmorency and his devoted friend Lord Fox-Selwyn become embroiled in foiling the terrorist plans of Italian anarchists, consequently putting Fox-Selwyn's nephew, working undercover, in grave danger. Set at the turn of the previous century, the unfolding drama takes the ensemble cast from Great Britain to Italy to America; various historical figures, including Puccini and Thomas Edison, make cameo appearances. Updale writes in vigorous detail about both the struggles of the working class and the privileged trappings of the aristocracy. While passions run high throughout the novel, too many plot lines, scene changes, and characters result in a somewhat overburdened and detached narration. And a subplot in which four different characters (including Montmorency) each secretly suspects himself of fathering one of the younger members of their group is unnecessarily distracting. Despite this installment's shortcomings, fans will take heart in its final words -- "they were bound together by something else as well. An overwhelming, animal desire for revenge" -- a promise of more adventure if there ever was one. k.f. Copyright 2006 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.