This is the story of best-selling novelist Gerald Candless, whose sudden death from a heart attack leaves behind a wife and two doting daughters. T...
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Dec 07, 2010
Barbara
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It was a pleasure to discover Barbara Vine's gifted narrative on the pages of this book. It was no "standard", typical plot mystery. This complex tale is certainly character driven- and what an interesting lot these people are! Although it is not a small novel, it was compelling enough to cause me to yearn to continue my reading when occupied elsewhere. Vine was able to maintain the tension until the very last sentence on the last page! I shall certainly pursue more books by this autho
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Dec 04, 2008
Bea
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Psychological mystery about the life of a recently dead father and husband. Gerald Candless, a well-known author, is much beloved by his two daughters, although disliked and resented by his long-suffering wife. When one of his daughters begins to write her father's biography, she discovers that his antecedents were quite other than he had portrayed. In fact at some point he had changed his identity and begun a totally new life. The puzzle is: why?
P. D. James writes: "Ruth Rendell More...
P. D. James writes: "Ruth Rendell More...
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Dec 23, 2011
Philip
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 02, 2011
Nina
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A fabulous book, probably Vine's best so far. Really made me think, was shocking but proved that people aren't always what they seem. Did not want to get to the end of this story because I was so involved in the characters.
Favourite quotes:
'She was staring at the couple like a pet car in front of an empty plate' p. 45
'She had come home and luxuriated in her solitude, drinking too much and falling asleep fully clothed on the hearthrug'. P. 289
'Robe More...
Favourite quotes:
'She was staring at the couple like a pet car in front of an empty plate' p. 45
'She had come home and luxuriated in her solitude, drinking too much and falling asleep fully clothed on the hearthrug'. P. 289
'Robe More...
Jan 21, 2012
Chana
rated it: 
I had read this before some years ago but somehow it ended up on my to be read shelf once again. Following one of bookcrossings "theme of the month" threads, Jan was jobs and careers, I picked this one up and read it again.
I did not remember most of it, although it had left me with some impressions that I would only recognize had become part of my thoughts when I read those parts this second time around. It is a very unhappy book for nearly every character, if you are looking More...
I did not remember most of it, although it had left me with some impressions that I would only recognize had become part of my thoughts when I read those parts this second time around. It is a very unhappy book for nearly every character, if you are looking More...
May 13, 2009
Ann
rated it:
I'm a huge Ruth Rendell fan, and I love her Barbara Vine persona novels the best.
This one is classic Barbara Vine. You know the "mystery" right away. It's the way the mystery is solved and how the story unfolds that's intriguing. You can see it coming about 100 pages from the end, but the way she hooks you in is by making you want to know the exquisite details of the story. The details aren't just technical things like guns, alibis, idiotic and awkward explanations, and the More...
This one is classic Barbara Vine. You know the "mystery" right away. It's the way the mystery is solved and how the story unfolds that's intriguing. You can see it coming about 100 pages from the end, but the way she hooks you in is by making you want to know the exquisite details of the story. The details aren't just technical things like guns, alibis, idiotic and awkward explanations, and the More...
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Oct 26, 2009
Stephen
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I've just finished reading this book for the second time. I first read it about 10 years ago, and realised i could not remember a great deal about the plot, though I could remember particular scenes and places mentioned in the book.
It's a mystery novel, but not not a murder mystery. The daughter of a well-known author is asked to write a memoir or biography of her father after his death, but in spite of having enjoyed a close relationship with him as a child, she finds she knows ver More...
It's a mystery novel, but not not a murder mystery. The daughter of a well-known author is asked to write a memoir or biography of her father after his death, but in spite of having enjoyed a close relationship with him as a child, she finds she knows ver More...
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Aug 09, 2011
Jane
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This is the story of best-selling novelist Gerald Candless, whose sudden death from a heart attack leaves behind a wife and two doting daughters. To sort through her grief, one of his daughters, Sarah, decides to write a biography of her internationally celebrated father. Within hours of beginning her research, Sarah comes across the first of what will be many shocking revelations. As her life is slowly torn apart, a terrible logic finally emerges to explain her mother's remoteness, her father's
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Dec 11, 2010
Melaszka
rated it:
Possibly Rendell's finest, IMO.
As with the Blood Doctor, she takes the current fad for genealogy as her starting point for a sweeping multi-generational epic about secrets and lies, the nature of family, identity and its reinvention. A thumpingly good mystery novel that also explores serious themes in a complex fashion.
Downsides: it's never a good idea to write about a community to which you don't belong and I imagine RR/BV may be guilty of patronising stereotypes. Can't say More...
As with the Blood Doctor, she takes the current fad for genealogy as her starting point for a sweeping multi-generational epic about secrets and lies, the nature of family, identity and its reinvention. A thumpingly good mystery novel that also explores serious themes in a complex fashion.
Downsides: it's never a good idea to write about a community to which you don't belong and I imagine RR/BV may be guilty of patronising stereotypes. Can't say More...
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Jul 28, 2010
J.R.
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When respected novelist Gerald Candless dies of a sudden heart attack he leaves behind two stricken daughters and a neglected wife who is finally free to live her own life.
Candless’s narcissistic self-absorption and obsessive devotion to his daughters have left Ursula, his wife, puzzled and, eventually, estranged. Hope, the younger daughter, is shattered. But Sarah, the elder, decides to take on his publisher’s request and write a biography of her father.
Her research soon More...
Candless’s narcissistic self-absorption and obsessive devotion to his daughters have left Ursula, his wife, puzzled and, eventually, estranged. Hope, the younger daughter, is shattered. But Sarah, the elder, decides to take on his publisher’s request and write a biography of her father.
Her research soon More...
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Nov 04, 2009
Sandra
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This was a pretty good book. At times I felt it dragged on just a little bit.
I found myself feeling irritated by the two very selfish daughters who treat their mother like she doesn't exist, and I'm bothered that by the end of the book, they STILL don't realize what their mother went through. I would have liked to see some resolution. I would have liked to have an actual ending to the story. It seems as though the story ends before there is any closure for any of the characters. More...
I found myself feeling irritated by the two very selfish daughters who treat their mother like she doesn't exist, and I'm bothered that by the end of the book, they STILL don't realize what their mother went through. I would have liked to see some resolution. I would have liked to have an actual ending to the story. It seems as though the story ends before there is any closure for any of the characters. More...
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May 19, 2008
Laura
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I really enjoyed this mystery. It's certainly not a who-done-it, but a mystery just the same, and I stayed up reading it until the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. The ending was really satisfying and, I felt, the perfect way to finish the story. I'm certainly going to read more of both her "Barbara Vine" and Ruth Rendell books.
Jun 01, 2009
Amy
rated it:
How much more awesome is Barbara Vine than her artsy alter-ego, Ruth Rendell? The witty dialogue, elegantly drawn scenarios, and melancholy themes in this book rank Vine with Muriel Spark and even Iris Murdoch. My only complaint about The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is that the payoff, as in many good psychological mysteries, is wimpy. I contend that there's nothing trashy about a nice grisly murder, but many of the higher-brow mystery writers (I'm looking at you, Laura Lippman and P.D. James) seem
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Oct 23, 2011
Beth
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I've read most of the Ruth Rendell mysteries, but not so many of Barbara Vine. That is about to change. As another reader noted of Chimney Sweeper's, there is really no mystery about the famous writer Gerald Candless: he is obviously not who he says he is. The mystery begins with his death, when his daughter seeks his real identity. These are terrific characters, each (even the minor ones) flawlessly portrayed with never a false step. Daughter Sarah's relationship with her lover Adam is so b
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Nov 20, 2010
Celia
rated it:
Barbara Vine is Ruth Rendell's pseudonym for her more... literary? psychological?... mysteries. The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is about the very unattractive character of Gerald Candless, a novelist, who is devoted to his daughters and ignores his wife. When he dies suddenly, one of his daughters is commissioned to write a book about her father and suddenly realises what little she knows about her father's past.
Vine makes unattractive people into really absorbing characters, whom you car More...
Vine makes unattractive people into really absorbing characters, whom you car More...
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Apr 23, 2011
Susan
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This is Ruth Rendell, writing as Barbara Vine, at her best, a psychologically twisted tale of deceit and obsession. A famous British novelist dies, leaving his two daughters bereft and his wife relieved (for reasons that will become clear as the book progresses). His publisher asks one daughter to write a memoir of her father, and therein lies a twisty tale of mystery and deception.
The characters are finely drawn, Sarah the older daughter, who's writing the memoir, Hope the younger da More...
The characters are finely drawn, Sarah the older daughter, who's writing the memoir, Hope the younger da More...
Sep 24, 2010
Cinnamonhopes
rated it:
Although this isn't the sort of book I normally read, I enjoyed it. Author Gerald Candless dies in the first chapter, and the rest of the book is spent in recollections of his family life through the eyes of his children and widow. The eldest daughter, Sarah, is contacted to write a biography of her father, and through her research learns that he isn't the man she thought she knew. The 'mystery' of the story becomes clear to the reader faster than to Sarah, but the book manages to leave one f
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Jul 04, 2008
Mary
rated it:
A terrifying ending. I found myself thinking -- or was I actually speaking aloud? -- "No, no."
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Aug 30, 2010
Lera
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 17, 2010
Mic
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I would have liked to give this 2.5, but ended up erring on the side of generosity, as it was better than a 2. The writing style is uneven - it starts off being determinedly old-fashioned, but then it seems the author forgets that she's supposed to be writing that way and it becomes more regular, and is the better for it, as the start is decidedly pretentious.
The resolution was pretty obvious a fair while out, and a lot of the characterisation was clumsy, although the mother was well d More...
The resolution was pretty obvious a fair while out, and a lot of the characterisation was clumsy, although the mother was well d More...
Jul 30, 2011
Jo
rated it:
Finished 11th February 2009.
This was a strange book. Hard to put down. I did not find a single character that I could feel true sympathy with, Gerald was arrogant and domineering. I wanted to shake Ursula for being so submissive and accepting of his mental abuse. The daughters were spoilt and immature. What a family but a good read and I was intrigued to find what his secret was at the very end of the book! I can't see why the events would cause Gerald to become so unloving and hard, can somone More...
This was a strange book. Hard to put down. I did not find a single character that I could feel true sympathy with, Gerald was arrogant and domineering. I wanted to shake Ursula for being so submissive and accepting of his mental abuse. The daughters were spoilt and immature. What a family but a good read and I was intrigued to find what his secret was at the very end of the book! I can't see why the events would cause Gerald to become so unloving and hard, can somone More...
Dec 16, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This book is probably the best Vine book I've read. The writing is very detailed and the characters are well written and defined. I was so absorbed in this story that I swallowed it in two giant gulps.
Gerald Candless and his two daughters are three of the most pretentious, insufferable snobs I've had the pleasure of reading. Their idea of fun is to torment and make fun of guests or friends with their childish game and view them as stupid if they don't catch on quickly. His daughters More...
Gerald Candless and his two daughters are three of the most pretentious, insufferable snobs I've had the pleasure of reading. Their idea of fun is to torment and make fun of guests or friends with their childish game and view them as stupid if they don't catch on quickly. His daughters More...
Feb 07, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Having never read a Barbara Vine before, but being recommended this book specifically and by someone whose judgement I value, I looked forward to starting it and I wasn't disappointed. The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is an extraordinary, character driven book that tells the story of the Candless family following the death of the patriarch, the famous novelist, Gerard Candless. The hugely successful Candless leaves behind a remote and unhappy wife, Ursula, and two utterly bereft daughters, Sarah and Ho
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Aug 05, 2010
Bettie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 06, 2010
Marigold
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I re-read this book to fit my book group's "puzzle" theme. Barbara Vine's novels are always good puzzlers - never "who done it", but "why was it done". The Chimney Sweeper's Boy opens with the death of Gerald Candless. Candless was a famous writer, both best selling & critically acclaimed, who spent 30+ years in a loveless marriage & raised his two daughters to worship him - to a point where they are quite dysfunctional. Now in the process of researching her father'
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Apr 04, 2011
Debby
rated it: 
Rarely does it happen that I complete a book and come to the conclusion that I didn't like the book. I've tried to come up with reasons to give it the 2-star "it was OK", but I just con't get there.
I was going along fine as the story was being set up. Imagine your father is a famous author who adores his daughters and appears to tolerate his wife. Suddenly he dies of a heart attack. His publisher asks one of the daughters to write a biography of her father. So far so good. More...
I was going along fine as the story was being set up. Imagine your father is a famous author who adores his daughters and appears to tolerate his wife. Suddenly he dies of a heart attack. His publisher asks one of the daughters to write a biography of her father. So far so good. More...
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Jun 08, 2011
Amy
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I'm not really sure what I expected of this book, but in the end I was pleased. Its reads a little like a family saga, even though it isn't one. The mystery is intriguing but doesn't consume the book. It really was enjoyable to read. My only complaint is that I figured out most of the answers too long before they gave them to me in the book. Sometimes this adds to the suspense but since this isn't a 'high-stakes' mystery (no one's life is really in danger or anything) it just made me sort of ann
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Nov 16, 2010
Mike
rated it:
1998 thriller-mystery by Barbara Vine, a pseudonym for Ruth Rendell. A much lauded author, awarded several Gold Dagger awards. I found from online sources that the author's Vine books, in her words, have "deeper characters" and feature "accidental deaths or societal pressures", rather than murder. I'd interpret that as more psychological than action packed.
This story begins with the sudden death of a famous British author, and then takes flight with a daughter's r More...
This story begins with the sudden death of a famous British author, and then takes flight with a daughter's r More...
Aug 01, 2011
Jayne
rated it: 
This was a bit of a disappointment. The start was great - Gerald Candless and his family were wonderfully obnoxious, and I remembered having the 'passing the scissors crossed' routine played on me at a party once, so sympathised with their dinner guests. Also the relationship between Sarah and the guy who kept slagging her off was oddly compelling. The trouble was the central plot - it was the dampest of squibs, and when the central 'mystery' was finally unveiled, about a hundred pages after I g
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Feb 13, 2010
Bruno
rated it:
An enjoyable unchallenging read but definitely not "one of the finest, most accomplished and chilling tales of psychological suspense ever written" as claimed on the cover. There was no suspense. A daughter discovers the truth about her father's false life after he dies while her mother enjoys the freedom of life without him. It is a good read, the wife of the author's blossoming is great but it wasn't chilling and there was no real suspense. The conclusion was pretty obvious from half
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