I’ve read a handful of books by Beatriz Williams now and she is rapidly cementing herself in my “seriously inventive writer” category. A CERTAIN AGE is full of plot twists and turns that will keep you eagerly turning pages to the very end. Awarded four stars on Goodreads.
In 1920s New York City, middle aged Teresa Marshall is happily enjoying both her wealthy, socially prominent husband and her youthful Wall Street lover. That is until Teresa’s brother needs a messenger to deliver a marriage proposal to young, beautiful, and nouveau-riche Sophie Fortescue.
That’s all I’ll give away — because the novel quickly devolves into a complex series of developing romances that pit modern ideas about womanhood against traditional ones and the morals of high society against those of average mortals. Add to that a few juicy hidden family secrets and nothing less than an unsolved murder mystery — and you get the foundation for this delightful and suspenseful read.
Based loosely on the comic opera, Der Rosenkavalier, by Richard Strauss, Williams had added just enough special sauce to turn the opera’s plot into something that will keep you well entertained on a summer beach or during a long airplane flight.
Toby A. Smith 