Much Ado in the Moonlight
Much Ado in
the Moonlight by Lynn Kurland picks up some of the threads that were left
hanging at the end of My Heart Stood Still.
This novel is both a ghostly one and a time travel one (to two different time
periods) which is why it is listed in both sections of the site.
Thomas McKinnon, still in possession of Thorpewold Castle has generously offered to fund his sister Victoria's production of Hamlet to be performed in the castle itself. Of course, his motives are not entirely unselfish and he anticipates fireworks between Victoria and Connor MacDougal, the fierce ghost that now reigns over the rest of the ghostly garrison.
Victoria has no idea of the ghostly problems she will encounter, though she can tell from her brother's smirks that there is something he isn't telling her. A suspicion however isn't enough to make her change her mind about the production and she is determined to take her small theatre troop across the pond to England (near the Scottish border) to the perfect setting for the play.
Victoria soon encounters the matchmaking ghosts in the form of the Boar's Head trio (Ambrose MacLeod, Hugh McKinnon and Fulbert de Piaget) but unlike most heroines she is quite happy for them to fix her up...she already has the man in her sights after all and is quite prepared to believe that it is ghostly intervention that has helped to bring Michael Fellini, the leading man in her production, into her life and across the pond with her.
Of course, the ghosts have no idea of Victoria's plans for Michael and are instead determined to set her up with the ghostly Connor MacDougal.
Connor MacDougal had been murdered by his wife's lover and had not been back to Scotland since that time. He hadn't paid for Thorpewold Castle with blood or with gold but nonetheless he feels that it is now his and he is determined to keep all intruders out, save for the occasional tourist of course...there isn't much that can be done about them.
Connor had no liking for Thomas McKinnon and their relationship had deteriorated even further after Thomas left the castle without the roof for the hall which he had promised Connor he would build. The idea of another McKinnon now traipsing around his castle and disturbing his afterlife is just too much.
Of course he didn't realise that the McKinnon was going to be a female and one who could hold her own against him. She offers him a month of screams and a part in her play if he will let her workers alone. Connor agrees and soon finds himself falling for her quickly and completely, and it doesn't take Victoria long to take a similar fall.
Things get a little more complicated however when Victoria's granny (who had turned up unexpectedly and was helping with the costumes for the play) disappears without a trace.
The McKinnons then descend on The Boar's Head and Thomas sees a fairy ring near the picnic spot Mary was last seen at. He calls in Jamie MacLeod to find out if it truly is a time portal and after some investigations it is revealed to lead to London during the time of James I, ironically during the time of Shakespeare.
A rescue mission is in order and Victoria finds herself taking a trip back in time along with her sister Jennifer and Connor, still in his ghostly status. This is the first (I believe) indication that ghosts can actually use the time portals in some circumstances and opens up a whole range of possibilities.
They also find themselves with a second task to undertake - getting Michael Fellini back to the present day....through continually snooping in order to try to get control of Victoria's company, he has discovered the MacLeod family secret of time travel and has decided to go back in time himself to make a name for himself as a playwright, by stealing one of Shakespeare's plays as his own. Being a bit dense though he has chosen one that was already written at the time they have all travelled to.
Victoria gets a chance to visit The Globe, meet Shakespeare himself and see London as it used to be in centuries gone by. They find her grandmother and Michael and return to the present.
With the knowledge of time travel and now knowing precisely how Thomas and Iolanthe came to have a life together Victoria is determined to do likewise with Connor.
But even with a trip to Jamie's Medieval Boot Camp to learn all she needs to know from him and his family Victoria senses that she is in over her head. Connor isn't a young woman in need of rescue, medieval Scotland isn't playacting and as Connor himself points out, he won't know her and he may very well throw her into the dungeon rather than heed her words. He clearly doesn't want her to go.
But Victoria isn't one to do as she is told and sets off on her second journey through time on another rescue mission, hoping that perhaps she can emulate her brother but knowing that she is taking an even greater risk than he did.
This story is a great addition to the series and although Connor does seem to have a rather abrupt personality switch right near the start of the novel it has a great deal to recommend anyway. The McKinnon family are delightful. I especially love Granny and also John McKinnon, Victoria's father who is a complete sceptic and is determined not to see any of the weird goings on around him. The rest of the family simply skirt around the subjects and try not to give him a total breakdown as they hop through fairy rings and chat with an assortment of ghosts with thespian aspirations.
RATING : 
(if you need an explanation of the hearts ratings see
my homepage)
Also by Lynn Kurland:
Another Chance to Dream (Historical)
If I Had You (Historical) This is All
I Ask (Mostly Historical) From this
Moment On (Mostly Historical) To Kiss
in the Shadows (Mostly Historical) - Available separately or as part of the
Tapestry Anthology The Icing on the
Cake (Contemporary) - part of the Opposites Attract Anthology and the Love Came
Just in Time Anthology The Nine
Kingdom's series (Fantasy) Visit Ms Kurland's
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