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This is a simple, somewhat cozy read that is nevertheless thought-provoking and fuels a desire to learn about the interesting city of Stamboul and its history. It has wonderful pacing and language and Eleonora is a charming young heroine. The characters around her are also quite engaging, including her host in Stamboul, the charming but fatherly Moncef Bey. This is a fascinating point in history -- the slow disintegration of a once all-powerful empire. The character of Sultan Abdulhamid II was intriguing and I would love to learn more about him at some point. This story has a touch of magical realism but it is basically the tale of an extraordinary child whose talents lead her to become entangled in a critical point in history. It's the sort of novel that has you impatiently waiting for the author's next offering.
Graham Moore's first novel is a well-researched and imaginative journey into a brief period in the life of Arthur Conan Doyle and also into the modern community that worships his most well-known creation, Sherlock Holmes.
As is the case many times with dual setting novels, one of the narratives in this book is stronger than the other. The Victorian one is quite wonderful. Moore did a stellar job with the Victorian voice and the story that unfolds is really well done. It explores Conan Doyle's ambivalent feelings about his creation, his personal life and that of his friend and fellow (but unappreciated) author, Stoker, and the women's suffrage movement of the time. And luckily, though not quite as good as the past narrative, the present one gains momentum as the story moves forward and I found myself strongly invested in Harold's plight as well. He is a sympathetic but odd character and you really hope that things work out for him.
I think that Moore has a fantastic career ahead of him if he only improves from the high bar that has been set by The Sherlockian.
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(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
Though this book was not predictable -- and even had a somewhat surprising plot twist near the end -- it was a foregone conclusion that all of the characters would not make it out unscathed. With the types of people that they had to interact with and the system that they had to work in, life was difficult for both the haves and have-nots during this time.
I have read one other book by Sansom (Dissolution) and I appreciate his style and the amount of research he does. This isn't your typical spy or war novel with sex and profanity and senseless violence. It is a well-presented fiction that takes place in a time in Spain's history that was all too real.
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(9 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
This is a very satisfying sequel to A Beautiful Blue Death. Lenox's doctor friend McConnell assists him again but he also takes on an apprentice, Dallington, a younger son of a titled friend. They are both interesting characters and add depth to the story. Lenox himself is a very noble and likeable character, a sort of anti-Poirot. He is a detective for the sake of the clients, not his own ego, and is therefore willing to share his information with the police and the family members. He is also in love which is quite endearing.
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(9 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
Heyer's main character, Raoul de Harcourt, appears to be fictional but her depiction of William and of the political strife of the time seems quite accurate. While this book wasn't a page-turner, it definitely held my interest and was well-written. I wouldn't mind reading another historical fiction about William the Conqueror in the near future to get another perspective on this amazing man.
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(10 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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Kristen M has commented on (54) products.
The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas
Kristen M, January 7, 2012
This is a simple, somewhat cozy read that is nevertheless thought-provoking and fuels a desire to learn about the interesting city of Stamboul and its history. It has wonderful pacing and language and Eleonora is a charming young heroine. The characters around her are also quite engaging, including her host in Stamboul, the charming but fatherly Moncef Bey. This is a fascinating point in history -- the slow disintegration of a once all-powerful empire. The character of Sultan Abdulhamid II was intriguing and I would love to learn more about him at some point. This story has a touch of magical realism but it is basically the tale of an extraordinary child whose talents lead her to become entangled in a critical point in history. It's the sort of novel that has you impatiently waiting for the author's next offering.The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
Kristen M, January 1, 2011
Graham Moore's first novel is a well-researched and imaginative journey into a brief period in the life of Arthur Conan Doyle and also into the modern community that worships his most well-known creation, Sherlock Holmes.As is the case many times with dual setting novels, one of the narratives in this book is stronger than the other. The Victorian one is quite wonderful. Moore did a stellar job with the Victorian voice and the story that unfolds is really well done. It explores Conan Doyle's ambivalent feelings about his creation, his personal life and that of his friend and fellow (but unappreciated) author, Stoker, and the women's suffrage movement of the time. And luckily, though not quite as good as the past narrative, the present one gains momentum as the story moves forward and I found myself strongly invested in Harold's plight as well. He is a sympathetic but odd character and you really hope that things work out for him.
I think that Moore has a fantastic career ahead of him if he only improves from the high bar that has been set by The Sherlockian.
(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom
Kristen M, May 26, 2010
Though this book was not predictable -- and even had a somewhat surprising plot twist near the end -- it was a foregone conclusion that all of the characters would not make it out unscathed. With the types of people that they had to interact with and the system that they had to work in, life was difficult for both the haves and have-nots during this time.I have read one other book by Sansom (Dissolution) and I appreciate his style and the amount of research he does. This isn't your typical spy or war novel with sex and profanity and senseless violence. It is a well-presented fiction that takes place in a time in Spain's history that was all too real.
(9 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
The September Society (Charles Lenox Mysteries) by Charles Finch
Kristen M, May 26, 2010
This is a very satisfying sequel to A Beautiful Blue Death. Lenox's doctor friend McConnell assists him again but he also takes on an apprentice, Dallington, a younger son of a titled friend. They are both interesting characters and add depth to the story. Lenox himself is a very noble and likeable character, a sort of anti-Poirot. He is a detective for the sake of the clients, not his own ego, and is therefore willing to share his information with the police and the family members. He is also in love which is quite endearing.(9 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
The Conqueror: A Novel of William the Conqueror, the Bastard Son Who Overpowered a Kingdom and the Woman Who Melted His Heart by Georgette Heyer
Kristen M, May 26, 2010
Heyer's main character, Raoul de Harcourt, appears to be fictional but her depiction of William and of the political strife of the time seems quite accurate. While this book wasn't a page-turner, it definitely held my interest and was well-written. I wouldn't mind reading another historical fiction about William the Conqueror in the near future to get another perspective on this amazing man.(10 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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