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Mary Stewart
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Nine Coaches Waiting (4) (Rediscovered Classics) Paperback – May 1, 2006

by Mary Stewart (Author), Sandra Brown (Foreword)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,691 ratings
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A governess in a French château encounters an apparent plot against her young charge's life in this unforgettably haunting and beautifully written suspense novel. When lovely Linda Martin first arrives at Château Valmy as an English governess to the nine-year-old Count Philippe de Valmy, the opulence and history surrounding her seems like a wondrous, ecstatic dream. But a palpable terror is crouching in the shadows. Philippe's uncle, Leon de Valmy, is the epitome of charm, yet dynamic and arrogant—his paralysis little hindrance as he moves noiselessly in his wheelchair from room to room. Only his son Raoul, a handsome, sardonic man who drives himself and his car with equally reckless abandon, seems able to stand up to him. To Linda, Raoul is an enigma—though irresistibly attracted to him, she senses some dark twist in his nature. When an accident deep in the woods nearly kills Linda's innocent charge, she begins to wonder if someone has deadly plans for the young count.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Chicago Review Press
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781556526183
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1556526183
  8. Lexile measure
    800L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review


"A delightful concoction. A beautifully written mingling of romance and mystery." —Washington Post



"Readers will be glued to the complex story in which no one seems truly trustworthy." —Vive Magazine




"A wonderful hue and cry story . . . a Mona Lisa tale that beckons you on while suspense builds up." —Boston Herald

About the Author

Mary Stewart is a popular novelist worldwide who is best known for the books in the Merlin trilogy, which includes The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. Her other novels include The Moon-Spinners, My Brother Michael, This Rough Magic, Thunder on the Right, The Wicked Day, and Wildfire at Midnight. Sandra Brown is the author of many number-one bestsellers, including Chill Factor and White Hot.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1556526180
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press; 2007th edition (May 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781556526183
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1556526183
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 800L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,691 ratings

About the author

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Mary Stewart

Mary Stewart

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Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.

She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands. Mary Stewart's legacy as an author is vast. She is considered by many to be the mother of the modern romantic suspense novel. She was among the first to integrate mystery and love story, seamlessly blending the two elements in such a way that each strengthens the other.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
4,691 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Angiegirl
5.0 out of 5 stars Angieville: NINE COACHES WAITING
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2010
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I guess mysteries have always been a part of my life. Ever since my mom handed me that first Nancy Drew-- The Hidden Staircase --that thirst for the clues, the search, the not knowing has stuck with me. That, combined with the fact that they are very nostalgic for me, and you get to read about a lot of them. Mary Stewart is my very favorite when it comes to romantic suspense and her many mysteries are serial re-reads for me. In the best of times and the worst of times, she comes through with an unrivaled spirit of adventure, panache, and wanderlust. I will forever have my mom to thank for finding her first Mary Stewart in a small town library when she was in high school, painstakingly collecting lovely used copies over the years, and reading them over and over again so that one day I would grow up and want to do the same. If you ask my mom which one is her favorite she'll probably tell you  Airs Above the Ground . It takes place in her beloved Austrian Alps and features a dangerous fire, a missing husband, and a legendary horse. It's definitely the one I saw her re-reading most often. If you ask me, I get "that look" on my face and dither around about the virtues of this one and that one. Which is exactly what I did trying to decide which one to post on today. I ended up with NINE COACHES WAITING because it may be the most potent combination of every element I love about Ms. Stewart's novels. It's certainly one of the ones I re-read most often.

Belinda Martin (Linda for short--or for pretty, as her mother used to say) lands in Paris on a cold, gray, and rainy day. She is on her way to her brand new post as a governess to the young Count Philippe de Valmy. Having lost both his parents in a tragic accident, the nine-year-old little boy lives with his aunt and uncle in the vast and ornate Château Valmy in the French countryside. Léon de Valmy, Philippe's uncle, runs the estate on behalf of his underage nephew until he comes of age and arranged for a proper English governess for his charge. When Linda arrives at the imposing manor, she is at once enchanted by its beauty and history, but is also immediately struck by the sense of menace and doom surrounding the land and its inhabitants. Léon is a charismatic force of nature and quite charming with it, and when Linda meets his reckless and rakishly handsome son Raoul, she understands a bit more about the Valmy heritage and what makes this family tick. As she becomes closer to Philippe and Raoul, Linda draws ever nearer to putting her finger on the source of the threat. But the layers of danger and darkness run deeper than any of them guessed and she may not be able to trust those she wants to, no matter how innocent or attractive they may seem. Soon it is up to the shy young governess to beat the clock in order to save Philippe's life as well as her own.

This is the kind of heady, romantic, foreboding tale that wraps you up in its elegant wings and carries you off for parts unknown. Linda is immediately sympathetic, with her loneliness wrapped around her like a threadbare cloak, her fierce protectiveness of Philippe, and the way she verbally spars with Léon de Valmy and manages to emerge unscathed. She is what this darkly glorious place needs and there are wonderful little touches here and there of the Jane Eyre and Rebecca about this novel. And the entire story winds on in that delicious vein. The exquisite suspense lingers to the very last and the relationships between the characters are real, romantic, and wholly delightful. Every time I read it I fall in love all over again with lovely Linda, dangerous Raoul, adorable Philippe, and beautiful, haunting Valmy. And I get chills at the same parts every time single time. NINE COACHES WAITING showcases a master storyteller at her very best. Highly recommended.
19 people found this helpful
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Gayle Doukas
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Wonderful Novel
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2023
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I just can't say enough about Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. I have read many of Mary Stewart's books but I had never read this one. It had been many years since I read a book by this author so I had almost forgotten about her eloquent writing style. Her descriptive writing brings the action to life. Even in the quieter moments you are drawn in and can almost feel like you're there. The characters are well developed and the suspense had me riveted. I couldn't put this book down! It's a treat and a well worthwhile experience reading a book by this author. I highly recommend it.
3 people found this helpful
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Mainer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good twists
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
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I'm pretty sure I read this back in my youth, but Mary Stewart is always worth a reread. Linda Martin takes a job as a governess to a young French boy, Philippe, the Comte de Valmy. His guardians are his uncle and aunt; the uncle is in a wheelchair but the boy seems afraid of him. Attempts are made on Philippe's life and Linda doesn't know who to trust.
This isn't my favorite Stewart book, but it's still pretty good. The descriptions of the French countryside near the Swiss border are lovely. The characters are appropriately mysterious and the reader can't see the twists coming: is Raoul, the attractive son of the aunt/uncle looking out for Philippe or trying to kill him? The romance happens pretty quick, which is why I took a star off, but it's still a great read.
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M. Epstein
5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful and atmospheric
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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This is one of Mary Stewart's best romantic suspense novels. The tension just never let up. I really enjoyed it.
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Alluraluna
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic novel for anyone who loved Rebecca or The Thirteenth Tale
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2014
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Although Nine Coaches Waiting was first published in 1958, it is one of my favorite discoveries of 2013.
Nine Coaches Waiting is written with a beautiful use of language, and a sense of place and time which evokes safety, even when characters are in mortal danger.
The novel takes place mainly in the south-east of France, in a chateau between the cities of Lyon and Geneva. Our heroine is the half-French governess, Linda, who has been hired to take care of nine-year-old aristocrat and heir to the family fortune, Philippe. Linda, who is an orphan, arrives at the Chateau Valmy with hopes of reconnecting with her roots. Instead, she finds that danger, and romance, lurk in the shadows of the manor.
I write the previous sentence with tongue in cheek, because, although Nine Coaches Waiting is unabashedly a classic romantic-suspense novel, it manages to avoid saccharine clichés common to the genre. Mary Stewart's writing is exquisite, her evocative descriptions of the French countryside made me never want to leave that fictional place. The novel is written in a slightly old-fashioned tone that manages to create a sense of escapism, rather than irrelevance.
Furthermore, Stewart's characters are eminently relatable; her heroine, Linda manages to be good and kind without being annoying. In this way, Stewart's world-view is a welcome relief from some of the more cynical writing I have read of late.
I think there is a trend in current fiction and film in which it is considered "uncool" or unrealistic to have characters that are basically decent, or live in a world which is good. It seems that there is a dichotomy between fanaticism, with unrealistic expectations of perfection, and "real-life," in which characters are written as deeply flawed and selfish. I very much enjoy reading books with antiheroes, or characters struggling with inner demons, but at the same time, the world these fictional, despairing characters inhabit is only one view of a world that none of us can truly understand in its entirety.
What I'm saying, in a rather longwinded way, is that, in Nine Coaches Waiting, I pleasantly re-experienced a world that was ultimately hopeful, without being Pollyannaish. I enjoyed Nine Coaches Waiting so much that I stopped reading all other books (I usually read 3 or 4 at a time) and can truly say that I was reading the story for pleasure. As an adult, who tends to see some level of productivity in everything I do, it was a welcome to relief to have a fun read.
As a final note, although I gave a five-star rating to Nine Coaches Waiting, this doesn't mean I thought the book was perfect. Present-day readers may find that male/female dynamics in the book occasionally seem dated. At one point, Linda makes some sort of comment that she is "only a woman."
Despite this, I enjoyed Nine Coaches Waiting immensely. Unlike The Crystal Cave, which I had read a year ago, and which left me cold, this novel had a lot of heart. I loved it so much that I purchased it for my best friend for Christmas, and am now reading Thornyhold by Mary Stewart. I am very glad to have discovered the novels of this wonderful storyteller.
22 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Charlie
4.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in Spain on March 6, 2023
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There is nothing special but entertaining enough. It is an easy reading book, especially on the rainy days. Linda is a brave young lady. I quite like her.
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M.S.
5.0 out of 5 stars The most fascinating read in a long, long time!
Reviewed in Germany on May 17, 2022
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This book was one of the greatest surprises to me. The plot sounded interesting, and the blurb says that Mary Stewart is an English classic - yet I had never heard of her. I started reading and I couldn't stop. This book took several nights of sleep from me ;-)! The characters are extremely interesting, be it the villain, the villain's wife, the child, the love interest, the protagonist, other minor characters - everyone is interesting. It feels like they are real people, not cardboard stereotypes. The plotline has been created with perfection! It's so perfectly paced you really cannot stop reading. Nearing the end, the suspense was so unbearable I felt like I was going to implode. The writing style is beautiful, sometimes poetic, sometimes simple, yet always very pleasant to read. The setting mirrors the horrible events beautifully. This was really the best book I have read in 5 years, a very enjoyable and thrilling read. On top of the beauty, the suspense, the fascination, this is an intelligent book with many interesting thoughts.
Personally, I can find no fault in this book, it's one of the best I've ever read. Mary Stewart has immediately become one of my favorite authors, and I know I'm going to read all of her books. It's been years since I've so thoroughly enjoyed reading a novel!
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ElleJay
5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favourite book
Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2018
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I read this book when I was 10 years old and still love it 50 years later. It is a testament to this author that even though written in 1958, with no cellphones or texting, this story stands the test of time. Mary Stewart is one of my favourite authors and I re-read her books every couple of years. Now, on to the next one... The Moon-Spinners or Madam, Will You Talk? ... difficult choice.
2 people found this helpful
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Snapdragon
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best
Reviewed in Australia on October 1, 2023
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How wonderful it is to be so gripped by a book that you forsake all else to finish it. There is mastery on all fronts. The plot is intelligent, believable and twisty. The characters utterly convincing. The setting wonderfully described. “Gallant” Linda Martin, half French, half English, takes a job as governess to nine year old Philippe de Valmy, who is in the care of his crippled uncle Leon and elegant wife Heloise prior to becoming the Comte. Philippe and Linda have both lost parents to airplane crashes. Before long Linda suspects that two near miss accidents were in fact attempts on Philippe’s life. Her life is complicated by the fact that she falls head over heels in love with Raoul, Leon’s son by his first marriage. Unfortunately, she is forced to consider that Raoul may be part of the plot. Desperate to keep Philippe alive, she absconds with him and there follows a nail-biting flight to the safety of Villa Mireille, home to Hypolite, Leon’s archaeologist brother, who’s expected home from Greece.

I can’t recall ever reading a book where the characters’ complicated thoughts and motives are so clearly delineated and this, as well as the Savoyard setting close to Geneva were the main fascination. Linda is a likeable hero: she’s conscious of her own Cinderella fantasising and wryly talks herself out of it, having a chin up, look to the future mentality combined with a clear ethical stance. The English forester William Blake who becomes a friend and helper is in no danger of becoming an alternate love interest. Since this book withstands the test of time, what will now follow is a Mary Stewart binge.
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Miss Sprick
4.0 out of 5 stars Una scrittrice d'anta
Reviewed in Italy on May 10, 2018
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Non conoscevo Mary Stewart, ed è stata per me una gradevole sorpresa. Davvero non mi aspettavo di trovare un romanzo che costituisse un mix tra il gotico, il thriller, la storia d'amore
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