Deanna Raybourn

[diamondlil]

Deanna Raybourn has announced that her book covers are going in a new direction (see cover art here) (http://deannaraybourn.typepad.com/blog_a_gogo/2008/09/in-which-we-have-new-covers.html)

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and intend to keep on reading it!

[diamondlil]

I was a little disappointed with the second book in this series, Silent in the Sanctuary, but the third was definitely really good! Now I am going to have to wait ages for the fourth book. I might have to reread something so that I can get my fill of Nicholas Brisbane!

[Margaret]

I'm not crazy about the new covers, because they lean in the "bodice-ripper" direction, while the books are mysteries (even if they do weave in a lot of romance). I think one could work Nicholas Brisbane in without going overboard on the naked back and the satin gown. I always liked the early covers for Diana Gabaldon's Outlander novels, which featured still-life collections of clocks and jewelry and other artifacts of previous centuries. It seems to me this could work nicely with a mystery, because mysteries so often involve interesting pieces of this and that which turn out to be clues. Books do probably sell better with people on the covers, but one could work in an elegant hand or pair of hands ...

[Ariadne]

It's been interesting to see how her covers have changed. I have a copy of an early galley for book 1, and there's nothing at all romancey about it. (No people in it either.) Her publisher does do mostly romances -- a while back they were developing a mainstream historical fiction line, but apart from a few titles, that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. They market to the audience they have the most success with, I suppose. The British covers look a lot more like mysteries to me.

[diamondlil]

They are very definitely romancey covers. I don't think the publishers have really decided which direction to go because there have been some quite suitable covers, then some horrible cartoon covers and then these romance style covers.

[Madeleine]

I have to say I'm with Margaret on this - those covers just scream "bodice-ripper"!

I much prefer the British covers, which do conjure up a more mysterious scene.

[ellenjane]

I just finished the first book in this series. I like the cover of the copy I had much better than the ones on the author's blog - it was one of the ones with no people and a view of London.

The thing that bothered me the most was the separation between chapters. Each chapter had its own facing page with a quotation appropriate to the coming action. You'd reach the end of one chapter, then have to stop, read the quote, and turn the page at least once. I found that it really took me out of the story, especially since the chapters were rather short.

[MedievalBookworm]

I loved all three of these books, although I think the first is the best. I really dislike the change of cover style, though. They just aren't romances and I think someone who picks up Silent in the Grave thinking that is going to be sorely disappointed and not stick with the series.

Deanna Raybourn has started work on the fourth one and I can't wait!

[Margaret]

I should have mentioned, also, that Moseyer has contributed reviews of the first and third in Raybourn's "Silent" mystery series to HistoricalNovels.info: Silent in the Grave (http://www.HistoricalNovels.info/Silent-in-the-Grave.html) and Silent on the Moor (http://www.HistoricalNovels.info/Silent-on-the-Moor.html).