Instruments of Darkness (Crowther and Westerman, #1) by Imogen Robertson

May 23, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, historical, mystery, lisa-s-low-octane-alphabet

This was a very enjoyable debut novel from a clearly talented new author, one which introduces a great new 'detective' duo in Gabriel Crowther and Harriet Westerman.
Set in England in the year 1780, the novel begins with the forward-thinking and feisty Westerman securing the help of the reclusive anatomist Crowther after discovering a murder victim on her lands. She suspects that someone at the neighbouring Thornleigh Hall estate has something to do with the murder and she also believes that thin...more This was a very enjoyable debut novel from a clearly talented new author, one which introduces a great new 'detective' duo in Gabriel Crowther and Harriet Westerman.
Set in England in the year 1780, the novel begins with the forward-thinking and feisty Westerman securing the help of the reclusive anatomist Crowther after discovering a murder victim on her lands. She suspects that someone at the neighbouring Thornleigh Hall estate has something to do with the murder and she also believes that things go on at Thornleigh Hall that have to be kept secret. On the same day, a man named Alexander Adams is murdered in his music shop in London. Are the two cases linked? So begins a convoluted, gothic murder mystery (a sort of Sherlock Holmes/CSI mash-up) involving several different plot strands with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right up until the end.
This is a very character driven story and the leading duo of Crowther and Westerman are two of the most interesting new characters that I have read about in a long time. Harriet Westerman is clearly a woman ahead of her time. She is forward-thinking, impulsive, determined and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Despite being a woman of high social standing, she is also very down-to-earth and is not afraid to use her quick, and sometimes sarcastic wit. Gabriel Crowther is the complete opposite of Westerman. He is a recluse who would much rather keep his own company and absorb himself in his work as an anatomist than spend time with any of his neighbours. However, it is clear that he does have a past and Robertson keeps us hooked by throwing in little snippets of information throughout the book, although by the end he is still something of an enigma. I suspect that more will be revealed about him in the subsequent books involving these two characters. Westerman and Crowther work extremely well together and their separate character traits complement each other really well. Watching their relationship develop is one of the most intriguing parts of the whole novel and also provides the frequently dark storyline with an element of much needed humour.
The 18th century setting is extremely well researched and is brought vividly to life by Robertson. Through her descriptions, you can see, hear and smell all the aspects of 18th century life and really picture yourself as being right there in the middle of it all.
Now for the negatives. The plot is made up of three separate strands which weave together as the story unfolds. I found initially that it was slightly confusing in keeping track of who was who and in which sub plot they were involved in, although this did become clearer as time went on. I also personally felt that the third sub plot involving one of the heirs to Thornleigh Hall's experiences in the American Revolution/ War of Independence dragged on a bit at times. It was interesting and harrowing to read about but it could have been cut down a little bit in my opinion. I also found it quite easy to guess who the murderer was but their motives remained a mystery until the end so this did not affect my overall enjoyment that much at all.
Overall, this was a well-written historical mystery with sone exceptionally likeable characters and enough intrigue and suspense to keep you turning the pages. It was not perfect but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading Robertson's other books that also feature Crowther and Westerman. I highly recommend this book so settle down and enjoy.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Alesha Hubbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, owned-books

I won this book as a Goodreads First Read, and I'm really glad I did. I registered to win mostly on the merit of the cover (we all know that's how you are supposed to judge your books, that's what covers are for), but the description on the back didn't really do a ton for me. Murder mysteries are not really my thing. However; this novel was much more that a murder mystery in the Agatha Christie sense of the word (not that I have anything against Agatha Christie). The three plot lines were interw...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-detective

I could not put this book down, and I was pleased and delighted to discover the author has 3 more titles published and one in the works (due in June 2013), so I can continue to spend time with characters Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther. Set in the England country during the American Revolution, the story revolves around a corpse found on Mrs. Westerman's estate. She calls upon her neighbor, Gabriel Crowther, to help her to discover as much as possible abou the man and why he died. Bodies...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mrs. Harriet Westerman has spent most of her adult life travelling the world with her naval commander husband, giving her experiences most other women in late 18th century England can't even imagine. Family circumstances and obligations, however, have meant that for the past couple of years she's stayed behind running her husband's country estate. One morning, while on a walk, she finds a dead body, a man whose throat has been slit. Being a sensible and non-squeamish woman, she takes matters int...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Marci rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been looking for a writer of historical mysteries who can compare favorably with Anne Perry, and I think Imogen Robertson may be the one. Her style is good; her historical detail is accurate and her sense of story, pacing, characterizations, placement of clues, and choice of points of view all assured and careful. She stumbles on a couple things--somebody else mentioned her use of the f-word--even though the word was in use at the time, was it used as an adverb or adjective?--that was the s...more

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May 11, 2012 Barbara Gordon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I browsed this in Heffers in Cambridge and was forced to buy because the prose style was just so good.
It's set in the 1700s in England, and makes good use of the setting, including the Gordon Riots as a plot point. The story is perhaps more Gothic (in the 1700s sense) than mystery, with Missing Heirs, Good-hearted Commoners, and Vicious Aristocrats preying upon Village Maidens. Robertson manages, despite the occasionally highly-coloured plot, to make her characters rounded and believable, often...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bored-now, mystery, historical-fiction

Meh.

It should have been interesting. The plot elements were all there. It's set in 1780, so you have the backdrop of England fighting the colonial upstarts as well as unrest at home--specifically the Gordon Riots, which I hadn't heard of before, and normally that grabs me. But...meh. It didn't help that the introductory chapter interwove the two plots in a moderately confusing way and then continued jumping from one to another throughout the book AND THEN introduced a third storyline later on. I...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Jacqie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

Four and a half stars. This is a good debut. The writing is not particularly descriptive, only occasionally referring to the wigs and full skirts of Georgian England. I liked the two practical protagonists, and I didn't find the plotline featuring children annoying- I'm often annoyed by cute children in books.

The book felt almost gothic, with its threatening manor house, dark mysterious figures and orphaned children. It was creepy! I enjoyed the mystery, and while I had my suspicions, it didn't...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tension builds from the moment Mrs Westerman, genteel proprietress of Caveley Park, forces her acquaintance on reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther, wealthy man of secrets and possessor of many strange and distasteful objects, in search of his help in dealing with the death of a stranger in her copse.

It doesn't let up. It ratchets up every time Mrs Westerman or Mr Crowther are on stage. There are flashbacks to Mrs Westerman's neighbor, Lord Hugh Thornleigh, in combat during the American conflict...more Tension builds from the moment Mrs Westerman, genteel proprietress of Caveley Park, forces her acquaintance on reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther, wealthy man of secrets and possessor of many strange and distasteful objects, in search of his help in dealing with the death of a stranger in her copse.

It doesn't let up. It ratchets up every time Mrs Westerman or Mr Crowther are on stage. There are flashbacks to Mrs Westerman's neighbor, Lord Hugh Thornleigh, in combat during the American conflict...these aren't immediately obviously relevant to the story, and I think I'd've recommended the author introduce them differently than her editor did, but have patience...and introduce us to Claver Wicksteed, then an Army procurement officer and now steward of Thornleigh, the seat of the Earls of Sussex. Then we meet the Countess of Sussex, and our central cast is complete.

The body count rises, as it must in a mystery, and the characters begin to see that they're engaged in a grisly gavotte around one central puzzle: How low can a human being sink, regardless of high birth, and how can justice seem so far from just?

Like all good mystery writers, Robertson takes us round the houses by changing the angle of view several times. She's very good at this. What seems awful becomes right and good; what seems reliably good stinks like old fish before she's done with us. Fear not: The wise and the just are rewarded! Just that they're also made to get dirty in the process.

There are first-novel issues with the book, of course, like the Parthenon being described as a round building in Rome (PANTHEON!) and the persistent misunderstanding of how one addresses Earls, Countesses, and their offspring (Earls are "Lord {Name of earldom}", their wives "Lady {Name of earldom} unless that countess is the daughter of a fellow earl or higher, in which case she's ALWAYS "Lady {Firstname}" no matter who she's married to, sons and heirs of earls are Viscounts and addressed as "Lord {Name of viscounty" even when very young, younger sons are "Lord {Family name}" and daughters of earls are "Lady {Firstname}" all their lives, etc etc). Most of this is the editor's fault. The author should be able to rely on him or her to catch these sorts of factual oopsies.

Still and all...the pleasures of reading this book are many, and *evil chortle* you'll all have to wait until at least 2011 to find out 'cause the book ain't available here yet! I borrowed mine from our own Suzanne/Chatterbox, so there nyah!

But it's recommended. Really and truly. Too good to miss.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Sarah Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a beautifully written and elegantly structured novel, unfolding in three storylines. Two take place in the novel's present day, one following the lives of Alexander Adams (the missing heir of Thornleigh) and his children, and the other the activites of Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther as they struggle to solve a rash of seemingly connected murders. The third storyline unfolds in flashbacks, as it takes place years before in Massachusetts and follows Hugh Thornfield, a Captain in the Briti...more This is a beautifully written and elegantly structured novel, unfolding in three storylines. Two take place in the novel's present day, one following the lives of Alexander Adams (the missing heir of Thornleigh) and his children, and the other the activites of Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther as they struggle to solve a rash of seemingly connected murders. The third storyline unfolds in flashbacks, as it takes place years before in Massachusetts and follows Hugh Thornfield, a Captain in the British Army during the early days of the American Revolution.

The structure of the novel is quite elegant, for as Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther make slow progress in unraveling the murder mystery, we are alternately presented with the daily happenings in the London lives of Alexander Adams, his children and friends. As the connections between the murders, Thornleigh Hall and Alexander become more apparent, the rapid shift of perspective speeds up as well, heightening the tension and turning this from a really good book into a page-turner. The sparser flashbacks to Hugh Thornleigh's experiences in America during the Revolutionary War lend insight into his character and present day relationships.

The novel is also chock-full of fascinating chunks of history. The lives of the people in London are in additional danger from the rioting and attacks going on as anti-Catholic sentiment reaches its violent boiling point. Mr. Crowther's profession as an anatomist is really interesting as well, because it is only in recent years that the general population considers anatomists men of science rather than ghoulish creatures. There are many intriguing details about Crowther's specimens, how they are preserved, the process of dissection, and the early building blocks of forensic science. Harriet Westerman is a delight as the mystery-solving amateur sleuth. She spent the early years of her marriage on a ship with her husband, and still yearns for the freeedom and adventure of life at sea. She is rather bored with her life in the country, managing her husband's estate, and minding her manners, much like a bird in a gilded cage. She is practical, intelligent, brave and flawed - I loved her.
Throughout the novel the ever-present weight of class consciousness is pressing down on every action, every conversation, from the blatant rejection of the class system in the American flashbacks, to the London riots and the daily activities of every character in the book. It was fascinating to watch how Harriet Westerman and Crowther navigated the dangerous seas of country and class politics and expectations, while attempting to solve a murder.

Absolutely beautifully written. I'm off to the library tomorrow to find the next in this series!(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Felice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mystery series are all about character. The mystery can be the twisty-est ever, the settings creepy enough to give your shivers the shivers and the dialog straight out of The Thin Man BUT if the detectives are not charismatic, intriguing and entertaining your interest in the series will die along with the murder victim in book one. Luckily this is not the case in ImogenRobertson’s series of mystery novels.

Robertson’s detectives are Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther. Robertson introduces us...more Mystery series are all about character. The mystery can be the twisty-est ever, the settings creepy enough to give your shivers the shivers and the dialog straight out of The Thin Man BUT if the detectives are not charismatic, intriguing and entertaining your interest in the series will die along with the murder victim in book one. Luckily this is not the case in ImogenRobertson’s series of mystery novels.

Robertson’s detectives are Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther. Robertson introduces us to them in her novel Instruments of Darkness. Harriet is the wife of an officer in His Majesty’s Navy and Gabirel is a reclusive anatomist who 30 years ago stepped away from his titled and troubled family. The year is 1780 so there is no such thing as a detective professional or amateur. These two come together after the discovery of a body on the border between Harriet and her husband’s property and the neighboring estate, Thornleigh Hall.

After this set up the plot moves along agreeably. There are: missing heirs, an emotionally and physically disfigured veteran from the Redcoat side of the American Revolution, a stolen signet ring, a rich husband hovering over his grave, a much younger morally questionable wife, a mob taking over London in an anti-Catholic passion (The Gordon Riots.) and the burgeoning, sometimes unlawful sciences of the period. In short Instruments of Darkness has chapter after chapter of satisfying melodrama, mystery and characters.

However, it is primarily Harriet and Gabriel who Robertson wants you invested in. If you think too much about what you are reading you may wonder at a respectable woman’s involvement with an unmarried man in solving a murder in 1780 but chances are anyone who picks up any kind of historical fiction is already well versed in the historical novelists’ most frequent creation; the woman ahead of her time. Aside from this typical anachronism Robertson has struck gold with the Harriet-Gabriel combo. They each bring an out of the ordinary perspective to the events along with complex personal lives and terrific chemistry.

In the subsequent books in this series Anatomy of Murder and Island of Bones Imogene Robertson opens up her detectives private lives even more—much to the readers delight-- and expands our knowledge of Georgian England. The history of the period is obviously something Robertson knows a lot about. She definitely has the gift for using her research to the advantage of the narrative.(less)

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Aug 20, 2011 Amodini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a novel full of atmosphere. It is an intricate and engrossing mystery - there are undertones and nuances to everything, and the author hints at untold motives. Secrets abound and mysterious past events come back to haunt the protagonists. Robertson tells three stories in parallel - the first of the murder of Caveley Park, the second of the murder of Alexander Adams and the third the story of Hugh Thornleigh as a young soldier in the war. As the three stories start to fit into each other,...more

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May 31, 2010 LJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1700s, england, female_author, georgian_1714-1811_1820-37, historical, mystery

First Sentence: Gabriel Crowther opened his eyes.

Harriet Westerman, wife of a navy commander, has given up sailing with her husband to raise their family and provide a home for her sister at Caverly Park in West Sussex. When she finds the body of a man whose throat has been slit, she summons help from anatomist Gabriel Crowther. The victim has a ring bearing the crest of neighboring Thornleigh Hall. Was the man Alexander Thornleigh, the missing heir to the Earl of Sussex?

London music shop owne...more First Sentence: Gabriel Crowther opened his eyes.

Harriet Westerman, wife of a navy commander, has given up sailing with her husband to raise their family and provide a home for her sister at Caverly Park in West Sussex. When she finds the body of a man whose throat has been slit, she summons help from anatomist Gabriel Crowther. The victim has a ring bearing the crest of neighboring Thornleigh Hall. Was the man Alexander Thornleigh, the missing heir to the Earl of Sussex?

London music shop owner Alexander Adams is murdered. Before dying, he tells his daughter to find a box hidden under the counter. Was Alexander the missing heir and how can his children be removed from the city in spite of a killer and the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots?

Wonderful characters make this book a treat to read. Jane Austin fans will quickly associate Harriet Westerman with Mrs. Croft, the captain’s wife from “Pursuasion.” She has traveled, seen war, is outspoken and not to be put off. Her younger sister, Rachel Trench, is “Jane Eyre,” in her attraction to the war-wounded Hugh Thornleigh, younger brother of the missing Alexander and the Mr. Rochester of our story. Gabriel Crowther is a scientist, and something of a recluse until being pulled into the investigation by Harriet and his own curious mind.

There are a lot of characters, including some real historical figures. It was occasionally is difficult to keep track of who is whom. However, they each played their part and added to the overall Gothic feel of the story.

Ms. Robertson convincingly transported me to Georgian England in sight, sound, dialogue appropriate to the period and historical fact. I had not known of the Gordon Riots until now. She also included a perspective of the American Revolution from the viewpoint of a British soldier.

There is a lovely, Gothic feel to this book, but it was not perfect. Happily, in spite of identifying the villains fairly soon, the motive remained a secret until the end. Although story did feel over-long, I was completely involved and never found myself skipping through it.

The book was engrossing and suspenseful, with interesting historical information. The different threads of the plot were brought together well in a slightly overly dramatic fashion.

The most important question is whether I would read another book by this author. The answer is a definite “yes,” and it’s already on order.

INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (His Mys-Gabriel Crowther/Harriet Westerman-England-1780) – G+
Robertson, Imogen – 1st in series
Headline, ©2009, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780755348398

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Apr 22, 2012 Jann Barber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Goodreads summary of this book will give you a bare bones idea of the plot, so I won't repeat that.

I have already put the second book in what seems to be a series on reserve at the library, as I thought the pairing of Mrs. Westerman and Crowthers was a fine one. Instruments of Darkness takes place from June 2 through June 7, 1780, with occasional flashbacks to fighting in America in 1775. The story is told, then, in three parts: events in London in 1780, events in Sussex in 1780, and events...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the countryside of Sussex in the 1780's, Mrs. Westerman finds a dead man under an oak tree on her estate. She is the wife of a navy officer. Before having children, she used to go out to sea with her husband and has become accustomed to going after what she wants in an assertive manner -- even if it might put her in danger. She recruits a neighbor, a man of science who seems to have some experience as a physician of some kind, to help her learn why the man was killed. This cranky older man an...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Rea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery, mystery

This book kept cropping up on listopias on Amazon and intreagued by all the very good reviews that it was receiving, I tracked it down and bought it. Although it wasn't really what I was expecting (not that I know exactly what that was) I really enjoyed the story. A dead man is discovered and linked to the local Lord's manor and what unravels is the sloving of a murder mystery from various clues left behind.

The first 1,000 words of this book were entered into a writing competition; it is easy to...more

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Mar 06, 2012 stitchnsnitch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a solid 4-star read, and a great debut novel for Imogen Robertson.

I had a few issues with the plot's pacing in places, and sometimes the characters' voices would blend together (especially Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther's voices), but this was overall a very smooth read.

If I named one criticism of the book, it would have to be that I read the "f-word" a few times in the book, and each time I did I felt like Ms. Robertson was disrupting the flow of the story and was bringing me back to...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Cathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, historical-mystery

Mrs. Harriet Westerman, the mistress of a country estate, finds a stranger with his throat slit on her property. She immediately calls for the help of Gabriel Crowther, an anatomist who’s known as much for his reclusiveness as he is for his brilliance. Mrs. Westerman is unconventional by the standards of the day, since she sailed with her husband, a sea captain, for several years before she had her children, and now, living on land and managing the family estate, she lives an independent life, g...more Mrs. Harriet Westerman, the mistress of a country estate, finds a stranger with his throat slit on her property. She immediately calls for the help of Gabriel Crowther, an anatomist who’s known as much for his reclusiveness as he is for his brilliance. Mrs. Westerman is unconventional by the standards of the day, since she sailed with her husband, a sea captain, for several years before she had her children, and now, living on land and managing the family estate, she lives an independent life, getting involved in much more than what’s included within the confines of the family property. Harriet assumes that she will be directly involved in the investigation; she is forthright and assertive. Crowther, dubious that a well-respected woman should or could handle the delicacy and danger of a murder investigation, is reluctant at first. Yet, the two start a tenuous partnership and whatever hesitation Crowther may initially harbor, their discoveries of a prominent family’s secrets forge them as allies. Joined by Rachel, Harriet’s younger sister, the three get more deeply involved in this murder investigation than anyone—especially the local squire and the local aristocracy—want them to.

That’s how the Instruments of Darkness begins, a historical mystery set in 1780, and for the first quarter of the book, I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of it, or if I would even finish it. It did take me a while to get into the flow of the book. I’m glad, though, that I stuck with it, and I enjoyed it.

Robertson handily maintains three separate plots, separated by time and distance. The settings shift from the Sussex countryside to the stinky streets of London, exploding with anti-Catholic riots, to Boston during the American Revolutionary War. It did take me a little time to get those plots, settings, and characters distinct in my mind and that may have been why it took me a while to get into the novel. But right around the ¼ way mark, the pacing quickened and the characters were fully enough developed that I began to be curious and concerned for them. Enough so, that I read the last 150 or so pages in what seemed like only a few minutes.

Robertson writes with strong sensory detail and she’s particularly good at character development. Some of her lines and descriptions of people jumped off the page, like when she describes a character’s voice as “oddly whispering, like parchment being blotted with sand.” I found myself pausing, time and again, to reread an evocative description.

Her writing, primarily because of the way she describes settings, reminded me of Austen and Dickens. Not bad, that! The novel was well-plotted with a strong, suspenseful end. Although the outcome wasn’t a total surprise, the intricacies involved and the layers of plotting intrigued me until the very end. This would be a highly enjoyable read for anyone who likes historical fiction or historical mysteries.
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Apr 27, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What an amazing debut - historical mysteries are my favorite genre, and this book had it all - fascinating, multi-dimensional characters, dry humor, action, suspense, atmosphere, and historical accuracy. Mrs. Westerman and Crowther are wonderful lead characters and complement each other brilliantly; the support characters, even minor ones, are fleshed out and add so much to the reader's enjoyment and involvement in the story. I was amazed at Robertson's ability to move smoothly between London an...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Spuddie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of a series set in 1780's Sussex, UK and featuring Gabriel Crowther, a gentleman who relinquished his title and is now mostly a recluse and a 'man of science' and Harriet Westerman, who runs the manor next door while her sea captain husband is away. Mrs. Westerman finds a murdered body on her land and having read a paper Mr. Crowther wrote about evidence at murder scenes, seeks him out immediately. This leads to an extensive investigation which is tied to the missing heir of Thornleigh Hal...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: librarybooks

‘I have found a body on my land. His throat has been cut.’

In June 1780, the corpse of a man is found near the grounds of Mrs Harriet Westerman’s estate of Caveley in Sussex. In his pocket is a ring bearing the crest of nearby Thornleigh Hall. Who is this man, and what is his connection to Thornleigh Hall? Mrs Westerman seeks the assistance of Gabriel Crowther, a reclusive neighbour, who has trained as an anatomist, to examine the body. When Gabriel Crowther concludes that the man has been murder...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Ruth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

c2011. I seem to be on a bit of a downward spiral this week as far as books are concerned. This one again ticked all the boxes ie historical, mystery and set partly in West Sussex to boot! The first chapters were excellent - good pace, nice character build up and the setting of a plot but then, for me, it all kind of fizzled away. I was determined to keep going as I really did not want another DNF but when the plot jumped to Boston - I lost all patience. I know that the Telegraph said the "the p...more

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May 16, 2012 Martina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, historical-mystery-read, international, mystery-crime

The May 2012 discussion book for the Historical Mystery Book Group. I re-read the book prior to the meeting so I had all the threads of the plot clear in my mind. The book is set in the latter 1700s, in England, both London and the countryside, and in America in the days leading up to the battle of Lexington at the beginning of the American Revolution. These threads are separately shown in the early portions of the book, yet move more closely together as the story progresses. The two primary cha...more

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Feb 28, 2013 1864 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 24, 2011 alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-read, 2011-reads, mystery-horror

I won this book in a giveway, and I read it in a few short days. The beginning dragged for me, and it was sometimes hard for me to follow the constant switching back and forth from characters and settings(Sussex and London). However, halfway through, the storyline picked up, and I plowed through the remaining two hundred pages in an afternoon.

Although the ending was very predictable, (at least to me it was) I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. I wasn't such a huge fan of Crowther or...more

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Feb 23, 2013 B. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have dove into this series after reading a synopsis of Circle of Shadows, the fourth mystery featuring Crowther and Westerman.
While I found the plot frequently all over the place, I did enjoy Instruments of Darkness. The protagonists are a welcome departure from those I have encountered in recent historical mysteries, which have become boringly formulaic. I get it already; widowed ladies in their mid to late twenties love handsome men in their mid to late thirties that brood. While I love t...more

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May 07, 2013 Pat rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I could not finish this book, despite my affinity for historical mysteries, for numerous reasons: too many leaps in time between past and present and between one set of characters in the present and another group,too many "filler" characters,described in great detail to the detriment of the forward motion of the plot, and an absolutely unnecessary, graphic death of a pet animal about half way thru.If an author disposes of an innocent animal character in such a chillingly intense way, I don't tru...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense

I really enjoyed this crime novel, set in the eighteenth century English county. Mrs. Westerman and Crowther, both state owners in the country set out to solve the mystery behind a crime committed in her lands. Everything points out to Thirnleigh Hall, where dark and sinister people dwell, and even creepier secrets lie. The story is well written and it’s a real page turner.

Despite the fact that they didn’t have CSI equipment or techniques back then (they come up with pretty clever ones to gathe...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-adventure-thrillers, fiction

I normally tend to read mysteries set slightly later (say, Victorian through pre-WWII), so I like the change of pace. The characters are well fleshed-out and interesting in themselves, not just as aids to move the story along.

I have three quibbles so far, two technical and one more substantive. First - the book flips back and forth between different stories, two in 1780 and one a few years earlier. The way it's structured on the page is what looks like two em-dash between two line breaks. There'...more I normally tend to read mysteries set slightly later (say, Victorian through pre-WWII), so I like the change of pace. The characters are well fleshed-out and interesting in themselves, not just as aids to move the story along.

I have three quibbles so far, two technical and one more substantive. First - the book flips back and forth between different stories, two in 1780 and one a few years earlier. The way it's structured on the page is what looks like two em-dash between two line breaks. There's just not physical separation on the page that I prefer when the multi-viewpoint technique is used. Obviously, it's not hard to tell what story you're in, but it would be easier if it was immediately visible. I've been slighly irritated at having to regroup so suddenly and return to another story.

The second is, I think, an editing issue. More than once, a character says or notices something in a way that makes you think "oh, he said something about this before and that's why he's mentioning it again." But then when you go back to find that reference, nothing was ever said - this is actually the first time it's noticed. It seems to me like this might be the result of items being edited out without being careful to make sure that it doesn't leave later items hanging. For example:

The older fellow that Graves had noticed had come to a halt, and (view spoiler)[watched the burning (hide spoiler)] like a child whose favorite toy has been destroyed by some act of adult carelessness.

But there was no earlier mention of Graves noticing the fellow. Now, this isn't relevant to the story (at least so far as I can tell), but it is irritating and makes me wonder if it occurs in other places where it would have more impact.

The substantive issue is that although, as I said, the characters are well-drawn, there is occasionally a vagueness about something they do. By this I don't mean a kind of obvious confusion, like "why did Lassie suddenly maul Timmy? Lassie loved Timmy!" but rather, the kind where a character will say or do something that clearly makes perfect sense to the author, but as a reader I get the feeling that I've missed a step. I suspect that as complex as the characters are on paper, the author may have an even more complete picture in her mind that informs her writing but leaves me hanging a little.

Overall though - looking forward to finishing it and will definitely read more.

Edit: very pleased with the ending and the entire book. I've got the next one and will start it soon!(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Mary Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery

"Instruments of Darkness" is a historical mystery set in London and Sussex in June, 1780, with the Gordon Riots as a background element. Harriet Westerman, a well-to-do ship captain's wife, finds a dead body on a walk through the woods and asks a neighbor, Crowther, a mysterious gentleman of scientific bent, to help her investigate the crime. Nobody else, including the coroner, seems curious about why a stranger would be killed by a knife in the woods. Once the string is pulled, a connection wit...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6534222-instruments-of-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327637774l/6534222.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6534222-instruments-of-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson[/url]

Instruments of Darkness (Crowther and Westerman #1)

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