Maurice had style, panache, courtship, indeed adulation. Johnson had more woolly jerseys, and the recognition due to his profession. If you discerned in his anything remarkable, he forced you to recognise it with the eye of the intellect. [p. 173]
First published in 1973, later reissued under the title Roman Nights. For my summary of the premise of the Dolly series, see my review of Dolly and the Nanny Bird.
The competent young professional woman here is Ruth Russell, an astronomer working in Rome. Her fiance Charles is a fashion photographer: one day his camera is stolen. And hemlines are big business, says the scruffy-looking portrait-painter they meet outside the zoo, who claims to be in Rome to paint the Pope.
Cue nuclear espionage, a fleeing balloon-seller, an elderly movie star holding court in a Roman villa, a savage ex-fiancee, a lady astronomer [sic], and a wholly inexplicable sub-plot about Ruth being encouraged to go on a diet.
This novel felt more dated than others in the series: that may be because it was published earlier, or it may be that Dunnett never connected with the 'astronomy' setting in the way she did with film makeup, opera, nannying ... I didn't warm to Ruth, and she felt less effectual than other Dolly-series heroines. She's competent, all right, but we don't get much of a glimpse into her professional life: it doesn't seem to provide her with much satisfaction either. Possibly one of my least favourites of the series: I've certainly read it at least twice before, and remembered nothing at all about the plot or the characters. Still, even Dunnett's worst is better than some authors' best.
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