| Author | Eleanor Updale |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
The Montmorency Series are a set of Victorian era crime novels focused on an ex-convict turned spy named Montmorency written by Eleanor Updale. The first novel in the series was released on April 1, 2004. The fourth and latest book was released in March 2007.
Contents |
London England, 1875. The story begins with Montmorency falling through a glass roof while fleeing from the police, onto a grinding machine below. He would have died if not for the interference of Doctor Robert Farcett. Farcett hoped to prove himself an accomplished doctor by working on Montmorency's complex wounds, and continued to work on the thief after he was imprisoned and given the temporary name "Prisoner 493".
During his sentence Montmorency had become a chief exhibit at The Scientific Society (as its name suggests, The Society was a place for medical and scientific gatherings). It's at one of these gatherings that Montmorency came across Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who is the planner and supervisor of the ongoing London sewer project. From that moment on, this new system would make a drastic change in Montmorency's life.
Montmorency realizes that the sewers are the perfect escape route for his daring robberies. However, Montmorency also had high hopes for living as a gentlemen, mainly by selling the expensive items he could steal via the sewers. Since rich people don't normally smell like sewer water or go about in ratty clothes, he found himself in need of an accomplice-a fellow thief with knowledge, capability, and secrecy to accomplish any given tasks. He formulated a genius idea of having two different yet coequal identities-Scarper and Montmorency. That way no one will discover the true identity of the thief. Scarper, the thief, would pose as a servant to the extravagant and wealthy Montmorency.
After three long years of waiting in prison, Montmorency was released from jail. It's notable at this point that all communications between Dr. Farcett and Montmorency ceased after his release from jail.
Scarper accomplished many robberies under the name 'Scarper'(including burgaling Doctor Farcett), and was never caught. During this time, Scarper rented a room in the slums to stash the particularly valuable goods. The place he stays is run by Vi Evans(who would later become one of Montmorency's close friends). Meanwhile, Montmorency rents a room out at The Marimion Hotel for his wealthier self.
The robberies committed by Scarper made the papers. Eventually they picked up a man named "Freakshow", a friend of Montmorency's from his prison days, and pinned Scarper's thievery on him. He was hanged for Scarpers crimes, and became a great source of guilt for Montmorency from then on.
Montmorency saved a man by the name of Fox-Selwyn from a carriage accident outside the Marimion. He and Fox-Selwyn hit it off immediately and they became friends, and after a bet forces him to put all of his criminal skills to good use breaking into the Mauramanian Embassy to spy for information - "I bet you I could get in!" Turning it into a gambling matter had finally gotten his companions attention., Fox-Selwyn gives Montmorency a job as a spy for the British government. His first assignment was to break in to the Mauramanian embassy and listen for information that could prevent European war, which earned him a permanent position in the British government.
Eventually he frees himself from Scarper and returns all the stolen goods that remain in his possession, resolving to be an honest man.
Five years after the first book ended, Montmorency, the ex-burglar and Lord George Fox-Selwyn have long become established as undercover agents for the British Crown. Through their numerous dangerous exploits in the far reaches of war torn Europe, the two men have come to depend on each other for their lives.
The book begins in the aftermath of dangerous intelligence gathering trip in Turkey, where George Fox-Selwyn has come to note that among fine art pieces and Turkish rugs, Montmorency has also picked up a strange Turkish drug.
By the time the agents return to London, Montmorency is deep in the throes of drug addiction. The drug has severely affected his character and influenced his judgment, frequently landing George Fox-Selwyn and himself in danger as well as leaking state secrets.
Elsewhere, Dr. Robert Farcett, accidentally kills one of his patients on the operating table in an unnecessary operation (gall bladder removal) in front of a live audience in an operating theater. Sickened that his ethics have been overshadowed by his ambition, Farcett resolves to leave his practice.
With Farcett about to give up medicine, and Montmorency near death from his drug addiction, Lord Fox-Selwyn decides that the only way to save them both is to reunite the two men once again.
George Fox-Selwyn invites his both Farcett and Montmorecy to his family castle in Scotland, owned by his brother Augustus Fox-Selwyn (Gus). By bringing both men to the open air of Scotland, He hopes that Farcett will be able to cure Montmorency of his addiction, and regain his own confidence in Medicine.
Arriving in Scotland's Glendarvie Castle, Montmorency suffers from severe withdrawal. Barely conscious, he is reintroduced to Farcett who helps rehabilitate him from the addiction. From Farcett's accounts on Prisoner 493 and George Fox-Selwyn's portrayal of Montmorency, the men begin to gain a complete picture of Montmorency's bizarre past.
As the three friends spend time in Scotland, the terrorist bombing of a London train station summons Lord Fox-Selwyn back to England. Too weak to travel, Montmorency joins Farcett in escorting a young maid named Morag from the castle to Tarimond, a remote island in the Scottish isles, following the death of her younger brother.
On the island of Tarimond, Doctor Farcett is mystified by an unknown agent that has been killing an entire generation of the island's children. Working with Maggie Goudie, the island's school teacher and midwife he tries to get to the heart of the mystery.
After a period of recovery, Montmorency and Farcett are summoned back to London by George Fox-Selwyn to assist in the increasingly urgent investigation.
The trio encounters Vi Evans, the daughter of Scarper's old land-lady, and finds her to be a key witness in the case. The lives of Scarper and Montmorency has intersected and Montmorency reveals to George Fox-Selwyn, Farcett and Vi his criminal past and bizarre background. Outside a second terrorist bombing takes place.
Through evidence provided by Vi and Scarper's skills the investigation comes to a close as the culprits are apprehended, and the Trio return to Tarimond with Vi for celebration.
Over the course of the adventure, the three men become close friends with Vi. The book ends with the announcement that Vi is pregnant.
This is the third book in Eleanor Updale's series and takes place twenty years after the events of the first book.
Montmorency and his friend Lord George Fox-Selwyn are on a leisurely assignment, searching for missing scientific specimens in Italy. They discover them to be hidden at La Specola, an Italian museum. The curator helps them with their quest. They are also visiting George's brother and nephews, Frank and Alexander. Events lead one to another, and eventually an anarchist plot is revealed to be in its most dangerous stages.
Meanwhile Dr. Farcett is busy working on Tarimond with Maggie on his new x-ray machine. Vi and her son Tom live on Tarimond, where Tom wonders about who his father might be. (The book hints at various people who could be Tom's father, including Montmorency, George, Dr. Farcett, and even George's butler.) All of them help Montmorency and George try to stop the anarchists' terrible plan. Frank, also in Florence with his family on vacation, is swept into the anarchists plot when one his friend Guido pushes him to help him in one of the attacks. One of the anarchist safe havens appears to be centered in Paterson, a city in New Jersey, America. Montmorency, Farcett, and company go to America. Farcett, however, leaves right before a message concerning Maggie. The letter describes how she became sick and succumbed to a mysterious illness, later revealed to be radiation poisoning. A man named Bayfield houses Montmorency and company in their stay. Montmorency has a brief courtship with one of Bayfield's wife's friends. It ends when it is revealed that Montmorency is Tom's father. The anarchist plans in Italy and Britain end in failure. However, each of the characters is scarred emotionally. Farcett receives news of Maggie's death, right before he was about to set off to Tarimond to propose to her. Tom still does not know that Montmorency is his father. When Montmorency is receiving his congratulations from Lord Astleman, the man who sent the two to get his missing experiments, Lord George Fox-Selwyn is mysteriously missing. When Astleman is opening two new experiments, the second is revealed to be George himself. He was shot and delivered to Astleman by none other than the curator of La Specola. He was working with the anarchists all along. Montmorency, in the last chapter of the book, vows revenge on Fox-Selwyn's murderer.
The fourth book in the series was released in March 2007, and takes place about a year after the events of Montmorency and the Assassins. In this book, Montmorency heads to London to seek out those responsible for the death of Lord George Fox-Selwyn at the end of the previous book, assisted by George's nephew, Francis, taking on the disguise as Jack Scarper. Meanwhile, Robert Farcett, has become obsessed with cleaning after the death of Maggie Goudie on Tarimond. To assist Robert Farcett and protect Francis, Robert is sent to an asylum to be treated under the guise of Francis Fox-Selwyn, to throw off the terrorists. He is accompanied by Vi and her and Montmorency's son Tom, who finally learns the truth about his real father, Montmorency. After being attacked by one of the anarchists Montmorency is left near death and recovers slowly as the anarchists responsible for several assassinations, and George's death, flee to America. Montmorency and Jack (Frank) go to America, where they track down Moretti in a library, where he accidentally kills himself. Afterwards, Montmorency asks for a hand in marriage. She says yes but Montmorency insists on writing down his life story, as he is doing so a man in a black cape walks into the room and Montmorency feels a gun against the back of his head.
The books received positive reviews. For the most part, it has been recommended by educators and critics for a teen age audience, although some reviews recommended it for adults.
The novels have been translated into several languages, most recently Portuguese.