Your seat is waiting…

• Book: A Night on the Orient Express
• Location: Europe
• Author: Veronica Henry

Review Author: rosemarykaye

The Orient Express may have changed more than a little since Hercule Poirot’s day – indeed, this may be a relief to those of us who’d prefer a good night’s sleep to being stabbed in our beds – but it still retains an air of exotica that few of us can resist. As a teenager, I would peer into the windows as I ran for my own suburban train at Victoria Station; those little lamps on the tables purred opulence.

In her new novel, Veronica Henry uses the train to bring together a fascinating group of people. Emmie, a milliner whose heart has been broken by a thieving gambler, and Archie, a farmer who’s just lost his best friend, have both won their trip in a competition – a competition that neither of them entered. The competition was set up by Not on the Shelf; in fact, it’s the ultimate Blind Date. Neither of them thinks they are looking for love. Will they simply enjoy the ride, or will they discover something more?
Adele is an old lady with a past. Now widowed and about to sell the gallery she has nurtured over the years, she is sending her granddaughter Imogen on a mission to Venice. Adele’s life has been happy, but she can’t forget the excitement that lifted her out of the doldrums many years ago. Reluctant to open old wounds, but equally reluctant to close the door on her memories, she is using Imogen to make one last contact with a man she once knew. But will it really be the last? Imogen, meanwhile, has decided to take up a job offer in New York – she needs to get away from reformed bad boy Danny McVeigh, a man she loves but can’t trust. The trip to Venice is her 30th birthday present – or part of it, as Adele wants her to have the painting she will collect at the end of the journey. Will Imogen come home and jet straight off to her new life in Manhattan? Or does a different life await her?
Riley is a famous photographer; Sylvie has been his muse for nearly 50 years. Every year they meet on the Orient Express to celebrate Sylvie’s birthday. Passion still burns between them, but lately Riley has had a few intimations of mortality. Will he take their relationship further, or would it be best to stay as they are, lovers living their own lives?

Stephanie and Simon are taking his teenage children on the train in an effort to bring the family together. Stephanie knows Beth and Jamie accept her as their stepmother, just as she knows that Simon fell out of love with their mother years ago – but after a provocative phone message from Tanya, can Stephanie be sure? Meanwhile Beth and Jamie have their own issues – Jamie wants to follow a very different path from the one his father has mapped out for him, whilst wayward, rebellious, Beth has a problem she’s too scared to share with anyone.

The Orient Express is itself a character in this story. The luxury if its private dining carriages, the views from its salons, the discretion of its stewards – these are the backdrop to the characters’ stories, and Veronica Hendry describes them all so enticingly that this reader at least wished she could book a ticket immediately. Monogrammed slippers! A pianist in the bar! Personally I’d want to take this train to Outer Mongolia and back just so I could spend more time being spoiled – but these passengers end their journey in Venice, which gives us the opportunity to enjoy Riley’s visit to the market:

‘Tiny, antediluvian spider crabs. Berries glistening crimson and burgundy and scarlet, plump with juice…’

And Stephanie and Simon’s suite at the Cipriani:

‘the Chinoiserie desk stuffed with stationery, the mirrored dressing table…’
And eventually we find out what happens to each of the travellers – and to Adele, whose story is told through moving flashbacks, then brought up to date at the very end.

I loved this book – not only for its escapism, but also because each of its characters was well-rounded and interesting. Veronica Hendry writes so well, and knows how to use a few small details to convey so much. As we are told in the opening pages:

‘Come. Gather up your belongings. Wind the scarf more tightly round your neck; pull on your gloves and your hat as you take your lover’s arm. Hurry – your seat is waiting….’

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