The Case of Einstein's Violin

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revpatriciaroller, November 12, 2009 (view all comments by revpatriciaroller)
I discovered William L Sullivan some years ago while camping. A little store carried many of his books. It was not until I met him at the State Fair that I was able to purchase this book. Mr. Sullivan talks in some of his other books about his dream to write a mystery. The love he puts into the crafting of this novel shows that it has been a dream long percolating. Mr. Sullivan is not a slick mystery writer, but he presents an interesting story, livley dialogue, and a good read. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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norcekri, November 25, 2007 (view all comments by norcekri)
I can see why Mr. Sullivan's hiking books sell well. His light writing style transfers information effectively and pleasantly, and his grammar is refreshingly accurate, a rarity under today's publishing standards.

That said, I want my money back on this book. I bought this from Mr. Sullivan at a book event. He promised me several laughs and a small dose of science fiction; the advance material touted that part of the story is set on the hiking trails of Europe.

I'm still waiting for the first laugh. There's a weak pun on "lord Peter Whimsey" near the end, but the only other sounds that passed my lips were the snorts of derision at the scientific errors that drop this from "science fiction" into the realm of grade-B fantasy.

As for the hiking trails of Europe, the one trail utilized in the book appears only as a transportation device, a method other than train, auto, etc. There is little about the trail other than its existence, endpoints, and general terrain.

Mr. Sullivan switches between first-person viewpoints of the two main characters, a useful literary device -- if placed in skillful hands. In merely competent hands, such as this book, it falls flat. There is very little difference between the two voices, such that the reader needs the consistent, redundant self-informing passages to keep remind him of which woman he's with in this chapter. Thus, the voice fails to be credible, as the mode switches between narrative and diaristic.

Finally, I feel the story fails as a mystery. The plot depends too much on cliche and exposition, and too many of the emotional turns are flat statements. Too often, Mr. Sullivan violates the adage "Don't tell me, *show* me." The final passage (both physical and literary), shows that Mr. Sullivan is capable of writing up to that level, but does not yet have the skill to pull it off for an entire novel.

The travel portions are pleasant; I will certainly consider Mr. Sullivan's other works if I plan to do any hiking in Europe. However, I will avoid his fiction until he gets an editor up to present market standards.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780967783086

Author:

Sullivan, William L.

Publisher:

Navillus Press

Author:

Sullivan, William

Subject:

Mystery & Detective - General

Subject:

Mystery-A to Z

Publication Date:

20070431

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Y

Dimensions:

8.50x5.59x.75 in. 1.00 lbs.