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The Stormy Petrel
The Stormy Petrel
Author: Mary Stewart
Rose Fenemore hopes that two weeks away from her teaching post at Cambridge might awaken her dormant muse.  Her brother Crispin, a doctor in need of a holiday, plans to join her. — Then one night before Crispin arrives, Rose is shocked to find a stranger in her kitchen--and a very attractive one.  Ewen Mackay claims he grew up in her co...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780449220856
ISBN-10: 0449220850
Publication Date: 6/1/1994
Pages: 272
Rating:
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 36

3.2 stars, based on 36 ratings
Publisher: Fawcett
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
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reviewed The Stormy Petrel on + 61 more book reviews
Mary Stewart was my favorite mystery/romance writer in my teens. This is a fairly straightforward and quick to read mystery. I enjoyed the descriptions of the rocky Atlantic coast. There are mentions of birds and other wildlife, too.
reviewed The Stormy Petrel on + 54 more book reviews
Very picturesque descriptions of the Highlands. Not as suspenseful as other books by Mary Stewart, but ok for a light read.
emeraldfire avatar reviewed The Stormy Petrel on
When Rose Fenemore travels to the island of Moila off the west coast of Scotland, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday with her brother Crispin in a paradise filled with seabirds and wild flowers. Remote and lonely, the secluded island seems to Rose to be the perfect place to relax and get away from it all. In fact, the isolated cottage she has rented - advertised as an "ivory tower" - promises to be the ideal retreat where Rose can finish writing her novel, and Crispin can commune with nature - walking, fishing and indulging in his passion for photography.

However, things don't turn out quite so idyllically. Her brother's arrival is delayed, and the island's peace is shattered by the arrival of two men, seeking shelter during a violent summer storm. Each man tells a remarkably different story - conflicting narratives that draw Rose into a web of menace and suspicion.

Rose's discovery of the stormy petrels - the fragile, elusive seabirds that nest ashore but spend the majority of their lives flying just above the waves - comes to symbolize for Rose her confusion about Ewen Mackay, the man known as the island's prodigal son, as well as the man who calls himself John Parsons - someone whose account of himself Rose has every reason to distrust.

I enjoyed reading this book - it was certainly interesting and a remarkably quick read for me. However, I must say that I didn't really find the plot all that suspenseful - at least not as suspenseful as some of Ms. Stewart's other work that I've read. Although I wouldn't say that this book is Ms. Stewart's absolute best - compared to some of her other books that I've read in the past - it still was quite good. I would give The Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart an A!
reviewed The Stormy Petrel on + 2 more book reviews
This was a good book, I enjoyed the author's style and character development.
reviewed The Stormy Petrel on + 60 more book reviews
Good rainy day reading!
dpecoul avatar reviewed The Stormy Petrel on + 22 more book reviews
A short read, but delightful for a stormy night's entertainment. The book is quite old, but very readable.


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