Madeline Dare Mysteries

Madeline Dare, a tough-talking, shotgun-toting ex-debutante, is not your average detective. Then again, not much about her life is what she expected. Born of old money into high society, she married into a Syracuse farming family and a bottom-of-the-food-chain job writing puff pieces for the local newspaper. Her emotional barometer these days ranges from dry irony to whining exasperation. Then Madeline discovers mysterious circumstances linking her favorite cousin to a twenty-year-old murder case, and suddenly her roots are a serious matter again-deadly serious. Unwilling to turn her evidence over to the authorities before figuring some things out herself, she will embark on an ill-prepared and harrowing investigation into the real dark side of her world. "Consistently delights. The author's sharp social commentary on everything from the idle rich to the environment adds to the pleasure." "Read's plot crackles and pops, but her characters steal the show. This is sure to be loved by fans of comic mysteries, but don't be surprised if Tom Wolfe readers are equally smitten by Read's venomously witty portrait of a fallen WASP." "Huber portrays the main character's 'attitude' perfectly, reading with a wry wit and self-deprecating humor. Her voices match each individual's background, from Dare's husband's farm family to her own family's upper-crust snobbishness. Older teens and adults with a taste for a combination of mystery and humor will find both in this well-narrated novel." "A Field of Darkness is sheer joy, complete with cutting prose and gleefully off-kilter pop culture references."

Madeline Dare has traded in the drudgery of living in backwoods Syracuse, New York, to work as a teacher at Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for emotionally disturbed teenagers in the Berkshires. Behind the ornate gates of the academy, she finds a disturbing realm where students and teachers must follow the dean's bizarre therapies. From her first day, Madeline doubts Dr. Santangelo's credibility, and she's not afraid to voice her concerns. But she quickly discovers that many of her colleagues are devout followers of the dean. When a chilling event confirms Madeline's suspicions, she feels trapped within a school full of lunatics. Shut off from the outside world, Maddie forms an unlikely alliance with a small group of rebellious students whose constant resistance to authority may be her only salvation. Title Info. Dedication. Pt 1. Western Massachusetts, 1989. Quote From Dancing as Fast as I Can (Barbra Gordon) One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Pt 2. Verse The Magdalen Martyrs. Thirteen Fourteen Pt 3. Verse From Henry Gibson's Ghosts. Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty One Pt 4. Something Happened by Joseph Heller. Twenty Two Twenty Three Pt 5. Verse Vladimir Nabokov Ada. Twenty Four Twenty Five Twenty Six Twenty Seven Twenty Eight Twenty Nine Thirty Thirty One Thirty Two Thirty Three Thirty Four Thirty Five Thirty Six Thirty Seven Thirty Eight Pt 6. Verse mark Halperin winter's Tale. Thirty Nine Forty Pt 7. Quote. Forty One "It's the unflinching drama and sharply drawn characters that make this book, and both are ably realized by Hilary Huber…She perfectly evokes Madeline with a mix of tart cynicism and warm compassion." "Read's novel is fast-paced; once the action starts, don't even think about putting it down. The motives behind the murders are complex, and the ultimate heroes and bad guys are a total surprise. Strongly recommended." "The memorable characters include argyle-clad WASPs, slackers, rebels, and prudes, and Huber captures them all through her wry reading, easily reflecting Madeline's clever banter and barbs. Huber's reading is dripping with irony, well suited to this deliciously twisted, witty narrative." "Another swiftly plotted mystery peppered with wonderful one-liners…The series belongs on the must-read list of anyone who enjoys mystery mixed with comedy." "Hillary Huber effectively conveys Madeline's frustration, empathy, and fear. She also does a great job with the teens….her tight pacing keeps the listener's interest even past the climax." "Madeline's deadpan voice, acid wit and psychological depth are the perfect counterpoint to the novel's positively Gothic plot…Caustic, gripping and distinctive-intelligent entertainment."