A Daughter of Fair Verona — Christina Dodd

If Seattle Mystery Bookshop were still breathing, I’d have at least five copies of this book on my recommendation shelf! No, probably ten. Seriously, it’s been a long while since I’ve giggled/snorted/chortled out loud this much whilst reading a mystery. Christina Dodd does an excellent job of blending Shakespeare’s characters, language, the values of the day, moods, and manners with today’s sensibilities. Yet the dark undercurrents lurking beneath the laughs (one would expect nothing less of a book based on the Bard’s body of work), keep A Daughter of Fair Verona from becoming a parody of Shakespeare’s original work.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

A Daughter of Fair Verona is about Rosaline, the eldest daughter of Romeo & Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. Turns out, the aim of a dagger held by a thirteen-year-old girl isn’t quite as true as one would suppose. As for the bottle of poison? Romeo fell victim to biology — as it isn’t uncommon for those who ingest a large quantity of a toxic substance to vomit it right back up again. In this case, this biological safeguard allowed Romeo to survive and live happily ever after with his Juliet.

Fast forward nineteen years.

Rosaline, the eldest daughter of the ever growing Montague family, has every intention of remaining a spinster. After nearly two decades of witnessing Romeo and Juliet’s passion (apparently, their drama did not taper off as they got older), Rosaline wants nothing to do with marriage, passion, and romance — despite her parents’ efforts to match her with a mate.

Attempts which Rosaline repeatedly manages to sidestep rather neatly. 

Unfortunately, neither paternal unit has given up on settling Rosaline into her “happily ever after”. And, for the fourth time, they announce they’ve found their eldest daughter a husband. Who, unfortunately, turns up with a knife in his chest during his and Rosaline’s engagement ball….And the murderer is just getting started.

I cannot impress upon y’all how much fun this book is! Seriously, Dodd captures both the darkness and light of Shakespeare’s work. Even better? There are no asides explaining the cultural/societal norms of Shakespearean literature, nor are there history lessons or footnotes that explain politics. Dodd keeps the narrative focused on Rosaline and the mystery, allowing the plot to unfold at full tilt from the front to back cover. 

If my shelf were still around, I would grab a copy of A Daughter of Fair Verona and press it into your hands, telling you, “trust me, you’re going to have fun.”

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