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River's Edge
(Narbondo #10)
by
The body of a girl washes up on a mud bank along the edge of the River Medway amid a litter of poisoned fish and sea birds, casting an accusing shadow upon the deadly secrets of the Majestic Paper Mill and its wealthy owners. Simple answers to the mystery begin to suggest insidious secrets, and very quickly Langdon St. Ives and his wife Alice are drawn into a web of conspi
...more
Hardcover, 213 pages
Published
September 30th 2017
by Subterranean Press
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River's Edge by James Blaylock- A slight change in the St. Ives and Hasbro cannon. Still a Victorian adventure, but without much of the steampunk influence that flavors previous entries. This matters little as there are familiar characters and new threats galore to the gentle countryside far from bustling London. This is a tale of deception, murder, and thievery of more than just money but of lives and the very land they inhabit.
A paper mill along the river Medway is polluting its waters, killin ...more
A paper mill along the river Medway is polluting its waters, killin ...more

This is the first book I have read by this author although it is book ten in the series. I am not sure how much that affected my enjoyment of the book but I do think it contributed to my initial struggle to place all the main characters.
We start with a Hasbro and St. Ives collecting samples from a river near by a paper mill. They are attacked and just manage to escape. We cut to the mill itself and see the conditions that the workers are in and the steps that the owner is taking to keep things ...more
We start with a Hasbro and St. Ives collecting samples from a river near by a paper mill. They are attacked and just manage to escape. We cut to the mill itself and see the conditions that the workers are in and the steps that the owner is taking to keep things ...more

Ecological issues, in particular the relaxation of government’s role in reducing and cleaning up pollution, are much in the headlines today. It’s easy to forget that not too long ago, the dumping of toxic chemicals into waterways, abusive labor practices, the outlawing of attempts to unionize, and the sexual exploitation of women workers were common and largely unchallenged. This world forms the setting for James P. Blaylock’s short murder mystery novel, River’s Edge. I found myself as intereste
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Mystery in Victorian Setting
River's Edge is a moody mystery and victorian adventure. But it differs from earlier novels of the series, because there is up to no steampunk in it.
Please do not see this as a complaint. It is meant as an observation.
We revisit here the cast of many of the other St. Ives adventures and the mystery to solve is murder, treachery and the destruction of nature. Especially the last theme is a very "modern" one, packed in a victorian tale.
You do not have to know the earl ...more
River's Edge is a moody mystery and victorian adventure. But it differs from earlier novels of the series, because there is up to no steampunk in it.
Please do not see this as a complaint. It is meant as an observation.
We revisit here the cast of many of the other St. Ives adventures and the mystery to solve is murder, treachery and the destruction of nature. Especially the last theme is a very "modern" one, packed in a victorian tale.
You do not have to know the earl ...more

A well-told tale, to be sure, but the last two "St. Ives Adventures" have disappointed me somewhat, as I expect a lot more from Mr. Blaylock. BTW, Goodreads lists this book as, "Narbondo #10", which is not true. This is one of the first St. Ives stories NOT to include any reference to the evil doctor. This book was really more a novella, at only 213 pages, though no less of a good story because of it.
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As others have noted, there's not much steam or punk in this latest Langdon St. Ives Adventure. The bad folk are fairly obvious, the only question is whether or not they'll succeed in their nefarious schemes (mild spoiler question: do they ever?). Less mild spoiler question: (view spoiler) ?
Not a bad story, just not up to the usual standard. Recommended mostly for completists & addicts of Langdon St. Ives and or Subterrane ...more
Not a bad story, just not up to the usual standard. Recommended mostly for completists & addicts of Langdon St. Ives and or Subterrane ...more

Three stars only compared to others in this loose series. Blaylock's writing makes you want to slip into reading gear, pack the pipe with aromatic whatever and swish something round and round in a large snifter. RIVER'S EDGE is a bit more Earthbound than usual.
Cheers. ...more
Cheers. ...more

This book was just okay. Nothing really wrong with the writing per se, but the plot was boring, the characters thin and also mostly boring, and there was no worldbuilding or atmosphere to speak of beyond a general sense of 19th Century English country village. I am also confused that this book was purely historical fiction, where I was expecting fantasy of the gaslamp/steampunk variety.
Apparently this book is part of a series that normally features more fantastical elements but they are nowhere ...more
Apparently this book is part of a series that normally features more fantastical elements but they are nowhere ...more

Excellent With From A Master
It's always good to read a new effort from James Blaylock. The professor is excellent at his craft, and this latest is no slouch. Langdon rides (and runs and reasons) with the best and the stakes are no less than his family and friends--surely the highest of all. ...more
It's always good to read a new effort from James Blaylock. The professor is excellent at his craft, and this latest is no slouch. Langdon rides (and runs and reasons) with the best and the stakes are no less than his family and friends--surely the highest of all. ...more
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James Paul Blaylock is an American fantasy author. He is noted for his distinctive style. He writes in a humorous way: His characters never walk, they clump along, or when someone complains (in a flying machine) that flight is impossible, the other characters agree and show him why he's right.
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receivin ...more
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receivin ...more
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