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A mystery trapped in time
In 1921, infamous Italian poet Galeazzo D'Ascanio wrote his last and greatest play, inspired by his muse and mistress, actress Celia Sands. On the eve of opening night, Celia vanished, and the play was never performed.
Now, two generations later, Alessandro D'Ascanio plans to stage his grandfather's masterpiece and has offered the lead to a promising young English actress, also named Celia Sands-at the whim of her actress mother, or so she has always thought. When Celia arrives at D'Ascanio's magnificent, isolated Italian villa, she is drawn to the mystery of her namesake's disappearance-and to the compelling, enigmatic Alessandro.
But the closer Celia gets to learning the first Celia's fate, the more she is drawn into a web of murder, passion, and the obsession of genius. Though she knows she should let go of the past, in the dark, in her dreams, it comes back...
Lady-E
Posted Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2011
Why is it that when people write reviews they want to tell you the whole story??? I just want to know if you liked the book!!!
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed Aug 22 00:00:00 EDT 2001
In 1920¿s Italy, Galeazzo D¿Ascanio was unable to see the performance of his wonderful play, Il Prezzo. Celia Sands, his beautiful English mistress and star of the play, vanished without a trace the night before the opening performance. <br><br> Now, some eighty years later, Alessandro 'Alex' D¿Ascanio, grandson of Galeazzo, has contacted Celia Sands, a struggling young English actress, asking that she perform the lead in Il Prezzo, a never performed play. The Forlani Trust is restoring Il Piacere, Galeazzo¿s magnificent villa on Lake Garda, and the play will be performed at an outdoor theater there. <br><br> Celia isn¿t certain that she should take this role, since it appears that she is desired merely because she possesses the same name as the original Celia. But her mentor, pseudo-guardian and director Rupert does his best to quietly persuade Celia to take this part. And Celia ventures off to Italy and the disquiet of Il Piacere. The maid thinks that Celia¿s room has ghosts of its own even as Celia seems drawn to Alex whose comings and goings lend an air of mystery to the place. Add to the mix Daniela Forlani, whose possessiveness of Alex alludes to Francesca, Galeazzo¿s wife, who was jealous of his relationship with Celia. <br><br> Written in the first person, SEASON OF STORMS is a top-notch suspenseful novel that evolves into a truly riveting read. The mystery is not in the form of cliffhangers but a more slow-paced discovery of clues that will fall into place like the pieces of a puzzle. Rich with evocatively descriptive language, SEASON OF STORMS will transport you to another place, where murder and ghosts are a distinct probability.
1 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In 1921 Italy, playwright Galeazzo D¿Ascanio writes what turns out to be his last play. Since his beloved mistress Celia Sands provides him with the needed inspiration, he bestows on her the honor of starring on opening night in the theater on his estate Il Piacere. However, Celia vanishes on the eve of her opportunity to attain stardom. The show never went on and whether he lost his inspiration or his soul that night, Galeazzo never wrote another play <P>Galeazzo¿s grandson decides to direct that play at the same theater that it was to first debut. He selects English actress Celia Sands, no relationship, because of her name. When she arrives at Il Piacere the modern day Celia feels an immediate affinity to her namesake especially at night. Unable to let the past stay buried, she obsessively begins to investigate what happened on that fatal night one day before this play was to first be performed. <P> Known for her background descriptions that feel like panoramic murals that enhance her starring charcaters, Susanna Kearsley paints a multi-layered vista. The Poe-like past counterbalances with the vivid energy of the present so that the reader is hooked in such a way that they feel they are on the grounds of the Italian estate in the now and in 1921. The modern day Sara is quite a card, as she knows that it is better to leave the past alone but cannot do it. Her compulsion turns SEASON OF STORMS into a somber Gothic like novel that verifies why Susanna Kearsley is an award-winning author. <P>Harriet Klausner
1 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SunFlowerEyez
Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014
A lightly gothic-style mystery.
One of my favorite authors, Susanna Kearsley never disappoints. However, while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t feel this was one of her strongest. Season of Storms has a bit of gothic feel reminiscent of Mary Stewart, with mystery, murder, intrigue and a bit of romance set in beautiful Italy. Kearsley’s characters are likeable, especially the main character of the modern-day Celia, and the fatherly presences of the two men who helped raise her. Yet, where Kearsley usually incorporates a historical plot entwined with a present-day plot that adds great depth to the story, this one fell flat. The story of the previous Celia Sands was forgettable and didn’t really end up having much to do with the present day story, which I felt was an interesting enough plot just on its own. The twists near the end were also pretty predictable which was surprising for me as Kearsley’s usually keeps me guessing.
Yet, don’t get me wrong. This book wasn’t bad by any means. The writing was excellent as always and the plot atmospheric and interesting. I ‘d recommend it to any Kearsley fans or those who enjoy the mystery and/or gothic genres.
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Overview
A mystery trapped in time
In 1921, infamous Italian poet Galeazzo D'Ascanio wrote his last and greatest play, inspired by his muse and mistress, actress Celia Sands. On the eve of opening night, Celia vanished, and the play was never performed.
Now, two generations later, Alessandro D'Ascanio plans to stage his grandfather's masterpiece and has offered the lead to a promising young English actress, also named Celia Sands-at the whim of her ...