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Christopher Redmayne #2
The Amorous Nightingale
London 1667. Acclaimed beauty and singer Harriet Gow is the star performer at the famous Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, as well as the favourite mistress of King Charles II. After seeing her perform, Christopher Redmayne is likewise captivated so he is intrigued when the King urgently summons him - it seems Harriet has been kidnapped. Redmayne, with the help of his friend Jonathan Bale is engaged to resolve this delicate affair and they quickly begin delving into Harriet's background.
The fa�ade of elegance soon begins to crumble in the face of their investigations, and just as Redmayne and Bale start to question whether Harriet is really the victim or the guilty party, a brutal murder provides the answer...
The fa�ade of elegance soon begins to crumble in the face of their investigations, and just as Redmayne and Bale start to question whether Harriet is really the victim or the guilty party, a brutal murder provides the answer...
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2000
28 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Edward Marston
230 books470 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.
Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.
Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 13, 2018
In this novel, Marston’s detectives are from the Restoration period during the reign of Charles II. Being most familiar with his Railway Detective series, I found these characters less ‘likeable’ and the setting less appealing. However, apart from one scene where Redmayne details the crime to Constable Bale - ostensibly to fully appraise him of events whilst actually, and unnecessarily, making sure the reader is ‘up to plot speed’ - I found the dialogue more convincing.
Worth a read if you enjoy a detective novel with an historical setting. I would rad another of the Redmayne series, but would always reach for a Inspector Colbeck story first.
Worth a read if you enjoy a detective novel with an historical setting. I would rad another of the Redmayne series, but would always reach for a Inspector Colbeck story first.
July 2, 2012
Harriet Gow is the amorous nightingale as she sings divinely. She is a favourite of King Charles II as well as many other patrons of the theatre. But she suddenly disappears, this after she has been watched by Christopher Redmayne, architect, who is equally smitten with her.
It transpires that she has been kidnapped and this sets off a trail of events for Redmayne and his able ally Constable Jonathan Bale to follow in an attempt to uncover the whereabouts of the lovely lady.
Redmayne's brother, Henry, gets invovled, too involved it would seem for he suffers a beating up, as do others who get too close to the action, and then when Harriet's lady companion is murdered the search hots up and becomes desperate.
Plenty of action in elegant parts of London before, as can ony be expected, Christopher Redmayne comes out on top.
Perhaps not as great as Edward Marston's Railway Detective series but still an absorbing read.
It transpires that she has been kidnapped and this sets off a trail of events for Redmayne and his able ally Constable Jonathan Bale to follow in an attempt to uncover the whereabouts of the lovely lady.
Redmayne's brother, Henry, gets invovled, too involved it would seem for he suffers a beating up, as do others who get too close to the action, and then when Harriet's lady companion is murdered the search hots up and becomes desperate.
Plenty of action in elegant parts of London before, as can ony be expected, Christopher Redmayne comes out on top.
Perhaps not as great as Edward Marston's Railway Detective series but still an absorbing read.
September 14, 2018
A delightful and uncomplicated read from the author of the Railway Detective books (which I also enjoy).
This is set during the Restoration. The detective is young architect Christopher Redmayne, helped or hindered by his foppish brother Henry, and his sidekick is Puritan constable and watchman Jonathan Bale.
King Charles II has fallen for a lady of the theatre, not Nell Gwynn, but Harriet Gow, the amorous nightingale of the title. She has disappeared, and with her her maid, Mary Hibbert - but who has spirited her away? Is it her estranged husband, one of her (many) besotted admirers, or someone who is intent on her destruction? And will Jonathan Bale overcome his Puritan repulsion of all she stands for to help Christopher rescue her?
Neither heavy nor intense, this is a light detective novel, historically accurate and a pleasure to read.
This is set during the Restoration. The detective is young architect Christopher Redmayne, helped or hindered by his foppish brother Henry, and his sidekick is Puritan constable and watchman Jonathan Bale.
King Charles II has fallen for a lady of the theatre, not Nell Gwynn, but Harriet Gow, the amorous nightingale of the title. She has disappeared, and with her her maid, Mary Hibbert - but who has spirited her away? Is it her estranged husband, one of her (many) besotted admirers, or someone who is intent on her destruction? And will Jonathan Bale overcome his Puritan repulsion of all she stands for to help Christopher rescue her?
Neither heavy nor intense, this is a light detective novel, historically accurate and a pleasure to read.
April 20, 2018
First published in 2000, The Amorous Nightingale is the 2nd in the mystery series featuring architect Christopher Redmayne in a setting of Restoration London. The plot concerns the abduction of an actress and her servant, following which Christopher Redmayne and Constable Bale investigate. Naturally, it is not quite as simple as that but hey, that is what makes it fun. The pace is amazingly fast, and so you can expect to finish this quite quickly. Be warned, that the main character in each of Marston's mystery series appear to be interchangeable, whilst this character is always surrounded by a cast of eccentric two-dimensional characters - in other words, the required material of a series.
December 21, 2025
Another winner from the pen of Edward Marston. I'd already warmed to the characters from this Christopher Redmayne series in the first book, and this second outing confirms that it was indeed no fluke, and I really did find the book hard to put down.
The pace is fast, where thankfully the author very much just gets on with it. The story is gripping, when you reach the end of a chapter or sub-chapter, and even if you have something in your life that you have to go and do, you have to put it off, as you must read the start of the next chapter, hoping that a satisfactory outcome is reached in at least the first few sentences of that next chapter, but inevitably, you find yourself sucked in to reading on, and on, more and more, haha! The suspense and jeopardy are just so addictively moreish, and all fiendishly great fun, where the contrasting dynamics between the key characters is just fantastic writing.
The stories are so simplistic, without being childish, immature or indeed predictable to much degree, and the novel was so easy to read, I found that I just zipped through it in a couple of joyous Restoration, murder/mystery filled days!
This adventure sees our ever likable and level headed main protagonist Christopher Redmayne, alongside the cantankerous, straight talking constable, Jonathan Bale, commissioned by Charles II to find the renowned actor and King's mistress, Harriet Gow (The Amorous Nightingale), who along with her maid, Mary Hibbert, has been abducted.
The King has been issued with a ransom of five thousand pounds for the return of the pair, but as vexed as he feels at the situation, which has downcast him into a fit of perpetual melancholy, he is still nonetheless, politically and financially, unable to meet the demand, so instead calls in the services of Christopher Redmayne and Jonathan Bale.
The pair start by interviewing Harriet's coachman, Roland Trigg, who received a severe beating during the kidnapping. If ever anyone screamed out 'inside job', more than the Bush administration, it was this guy, haha! He may have had Christopher and Jonathan fooled, mainly due to the extent of his injuries, but I was just patiently waiting till the greedy sycophant showed his true hand and I certainly wasn't disappointed!
The two cudgel wielding henchmen whom had doled out the beating to Trigg, in an erroneous fit of over excited enthusiasm, were as stupid as they were egregiously violent. They also meted out a kicking to Christopher's brother Henry Redmayne. Whom afterwards, while lying in his sickbed, was visited by his father, the Dean of Gloucester, Algernon Redmayne. And not wanting to tell the insanely pious clergyman, who could cut off his allowance at the drop of a biretta, the truth, that he had received his injuries while visiting a theatre, a place his father considered to be a ’Satanic den of iniquity’, to inquire about an actor, a profession his father considered to be way below the station of his son, so he told him, through a grimace and a squinted eye, that he'd been beaten up while in church saying prayers! A tale so tall that a child would have laughed at it, let alone his father! It certainly made me guffaw out loud, at its complete and utter absurdity. However, Henry's allowance and honour with his father were saved at the end of the story, mainly thanks to Christopher, who had sought and acquired a letter from the King, explaining to the Dean of Gloucester, that Henry's injuries and bravery were sustained while executing important secret work in the line of duty to His Majesty. Feel good and hilarious, all rolled into one!
Nevertheless, the kidnapper’s plan, thanks to their own ineptitude, eventually spirals out of control and inevitably leads to murder, which along with having Christopher Redmayne and Jonathan Bale on their tails, is way more than they had bargained for!
Keep 'em coming!
The pace is fast, where thankfully the author very much just gets on with it. The story is gripping, when you reach the end of a chapter or sub-chapter, and even if you have something in your life that you have to go and do, you have to put it off, as you must read the start of the next chapter, hoping that a satisfactory outcome is reached in at least the first few sentences of that next chapter, but inevitably, you find yourself sucked in to reading on, and on, more and more, haha! The suspense and jeopardy are just so addictively moreish, and all fiendishly great fun, where the contrasting dynamics between the key characters is just fantastic writing.
The stories are so simplistic, without being childish, immature or indeed predictable to much degree, and the novel was so easy to read, I found that I just zipped through it in a couple of joyous Restoration, murder/mystery filled days!
This adventure sees our ever likable and level headed main protagonist Christopher Redmayne, alongside the cantankerous, straight talking constable, Jonathan Bale, commissioned by Charles II to find the renowned actor and King's mistress, Harriet Gow (The Amorous Nightingale), who along with her maid, Mary Hibbert, has been abducted.
The King has been issued with a ransom of five thousand pounds for the return of the pair, but as vexed as he feels at the situation, which has downcast him into a fit of perpetual melancholy, he is still nonetheless, politically and financially, unable to meet the demand, so instead calls in the services of Christopher Redmayne and Jonathan Bale.
The pair start by interviewing Harriet's coachman, Roland Trigg, who received a severe beating during the kidnapping. If ever anyone screamed out 'inside job', more than the Bush administration, it was this guy, haha! He may have had Christopher and Jonathan fooled, mainly due to the extent of his injuries, but I was just patiently waiting till the greedy sycophant showed his true hand and I certainly wasn't disappointed!
The two cudgel wielding henchmen whom had doled out the beating to Trigg, in an erroneous fit of over excited enthusiasm, were as stupid as they were egregiously violent. They also meted out a kicking to Christopher's brother Henry Redmayne. Whom afterwards, while lying in his sickbed, was visited by his father, the Dean of Gloucester, Algernon Redmayne. And not wanting to tell the insanely pious clergyman, who could cut off his allowance at the drop of a biretta, the truth, that he had received his injuries while visiting a theatre, a place his father considered to be a ’Satanic den of iniquity’, to inquire about an actor, a profession his father considered to be way below the station of his son, so he told him, through a grimace and a squinted eye, that he'd been beaten up while in church saying prayers! A tale so tall that a child would have laughed at it, let alone his father! It certainly made me guffaw out loud, at its complete and utter absurdity. However, Henry's allowance and honour with his father were saved at the end of the story, mainly thanks to Christopher, who had sought and acquired a letter from the King, explaining to the Dean of Gloucester, that Henry's injuries and bravery were sustained while executing important secret work in the line of duty to His Majesty. Feel good and hilarious, all rolled into one!
Nevertheless, the kidnapper’s plan, thanks to their own ineptitude, eventually spirals out of control and inevitably leads to murder, which along with having Christopher Redmayne and Jonathan Bale on their tails, is way more than they had bargained for!
Keep 'em coming!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
King Charles II has a mistress called Harriet Gow who sings like a nightingale at The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, which is a theatre full of undesirable people and that's just the audience. Whilst being driven by her coachman her coach is forced off the road and she and her maid Mary Hibbert were kidnapped and her coachman was viciously beaten.
Christopher Redmayne was taken to hear this nightingale singer by his brother Henry, who is rather a loose character, if you know what I mean, and Christopher is also entranced by Harriet's voice. Then Christopher gets a strange summons to see the King, who wants him and the watchman Jonathan Bale to find his mistress Harriet Gow, (doesn't bother mentioning finding the orphaned maid who has a younger brother and they are both living with their only relatives an uncle and aunt, but then she's just a servant), and he is prepared to pay handsomely for their services. In the meantime Christopher, who is an architect, is designing a house for another one of Harriet's smitten followers, the dreadful man is married but intends to divorce his wife and marry Harriet (whom people forget is already married). Christopher has to keep an eye on the house being built and find Harriet. In the meantime Harriet's captors are angry that Mary managed to get out of the window and run off but Harriet weeps when they hand her the brooch which Mary wore and she knew then they had found her and that she was dead. She had in fact been beaten by some of the kidnappers who were looking for her and beaten to death with their cudgels.
The story gallops along as fast as the coach and horses driven by the coachman. Henry is enlisted to help find out who were Harriet's admirers and gets beaten almost to death in the process, which results in a visit to his sickbed by his father who is the Dean of Gloucester and regales him with all his past deeds to the point where Henry really did feel like dying. But then clues begin to come in thick and fast to Redmayne and Bale and they set off on the right paths to discovering where Harriet was being held and who her kidnappers were. I quite liked this book because it was different and I liked both the Redmayne brothers and Jonathan Bale as well. I have read the Railway Detectives and have most of them so this was something very different from Edward Marston and I think I would like to read some more of this intrepid duo!
Christopher Redmayne was taken to hear this nightingale singer by his brother Henry, who is rather a loose character, if you know what I mean, and Christopher is also entranced by Harriet's voice. Then Christopher gets a strange summons to see the King, who wants him and the watchman Jonathan Bale to find his mistress Harriet Gow, (doesn't bother mentioning finding the orphaned maid who has a younger brother and they are both living with their only relatives an uncle and aunt, but then she's just a servant), and he is prepared to pay handsomely for their services. In the meantime Christopher, who is an architect, is designing a house for another one of Harriet's smitten followers, the dreadful man is married but intends to divorce his wife and marry Harriet (whom people forget is already married). Christopher has to keep an eye on the house being built and find Harriet. In the meantime Harriet's captors are angry that Mary managed to get out of the window and run off but Harriet weeps when they hand her the brooch which Mary wore and she knew then they had found her and that she was dead. She had in fact been beaten by some of the kidnappers who were looking for her and beaten to death with their cudgels.
The story gallops along as fast as the coach and horses driven by the coachman. Henry is enlisted to help find out who were Harriet's admirers and gets beaten almost to death in the process, which results in a visit to his sickbed by his father who is the Dean of Gloucester and regales him with all his past deeds to the point where Henry really did feel like dying. But then clues begin to come in thick and fast to Redmayne and Bale and they set off on the right paths to discovering where Harriet was being held and who her kidnappers were. I quite liked this book because it was different and I liked both the Redmayne brothers and Jonathan Bale as well. I have read the Railway Detectives and have most of them so this was something very different from Edward Marston and I think I would like to read some more of this intrepid duo!
December 3, 2016
For a historical mystery book, I think this did well. The clues were there to guess the villain but I did not quite get it until it was actually revealed. It was all very set out and I enjoyed a lot of the characters. Unfortunately one of the characters I was most interested in disappeared halfway through the book and I found the other characters ranging from likeable to fairly dull. I found myself disliking Jonathan Bale who was meant to be this righteous man who wouldn't pursue a woman's kidnappers simply because he didn't approve of the woman's lifestyle. Thankfully, he did admit he was wrong and I feel like we weren't supposed to agree with Bale at this matter, but I wish someone had held him more to task than they did. The Redmayne brothers were far more interesting when you looked at their relationship together rather than at each of them separately but neither one of them I found myself interested in as characters at all.
This wasn't a bad book, but it was a bit of a slog to get through, especially the first half, and the most I found it was okay.
This wasn't a bad book, but it was a bit of a slog to get through, especially the first half, and the most I found it was okay.
March 17, 2021
My first of the series and my first Edward Marston novel. Not my usual fare, but this historical, mystery-thriller early on earned and kept my attention. It moved fast and was a fairly quick read. I'm not sure why but I really warmed up to it and enjoyed the ride. The historical aspect was refreshing though not a lot of historical events were mentioned except "The Great Fire of London". It really could have taken place almost anytime during the last 15 years of the reign of Charles II.
Christopher Redmayne, the principal was a typical literary hero, very good and very dull. His second Jonathan Bale and his brother Henry, had more depth and were the most interesting. The other characters were mostly one-dimensional, except the carriage driver. The mystery of the identity of the villain behind the plot was adequate if not a little sparse. I'm not quite sure why I gave it four stars instead of three, I guess at the end, it was just the feeling of a fine tale told.
Christopher Redmayne, the principal was a typical literary hero, very good and very dull. His second Jonathan Bale and his brother Henry, had more depth and were the most interesting. The other characters were mostly one-dimensional, except the carriage driver. The mystery of the identity of the villain behind the plot was adequate if not a little sparse. I'm not quite sure why I gave it four stars instead of three, I guess at the end, it was just the feeling of a fine tale told.
August 22, 2020
A good fast paced historical crime story, this time set in the world of theatre when a famous actress (and mistress of the King) gets kidnapped. Our unlikely duo of Redmayne and Bale are once more engaged by the King to rescue the Amorous Nightingale
High brow literature it is not but a good read to while a rainy weekend away.
High brow literature it is not but a good read to while a rainy weekend away.
January 12, 2025
The second book in the Restoration series and just as much of an excellent read as the first. Pure storytelling at its best. A truly believable plot that leads you on a course that twists and turns towards its end leaving the reader completely satisfied. With six books in the series I will certainly purchase the final four very soon.
October 24, 2024
Excellent story, the way it is laid out with the lead character Christopher Redmayne chases down the missing actress.
The way the violent parts are left to your imagination and not described in detail, I find most refreshing.
The way the violent parts are left to your imagination and not described in detail, I find most refreshing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
Expertly crafted, with a good pace, clever plotting and even some historical detail.
Not great literature, and more than a little formulaic, but undoubtedly a good read ...
Not great literature, and more than a little formulaic, but undoubtedly a good read ...
December 4, 2017
Really enjoyed this story and the period of history it is set in.
June 9, 2018
I've been reading the series backwards, as I happen to find copies of the books. Book 2 is fast gritty and in medias res. Gives a really good flavor of what the restoration may have been like.
February 22, 2020
A light, quick and enjoyable read. Have read a few from his railway detective series (all good) and this was a nice change though not sure that it will get male readers.
February 8, 2021
Great mystery
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never-read
November 7, 2022[ read the third book in the series, 'The Repentant Rake' and did not enjoy so will not be continuing with the series ]
January 19, 2025
A good fun read
October 19, 2025
3.5 stars!
November 1, 2025
Not very gripping and took me ages to finish.
December 12, 2020
CR2. Architect Chris and Constable Jon continue regular jobs when King C calls them back to find his missing mistress, singing actress Harriet. Beatings, murder, silly ginger wig. Dissolute Redmayne elder brother whines to help. Wife Sarah balances Puritan. Humor, history, honor combines.
April 18, 2020
I really enjoyed the first book in the Restoration Series, The King's Evil. Unfortunately, this book moved a little slower than it's predecessor. It's not often that I read mystery novels, and the only reason I started reading this series is because it takes place in restoration London, a time period that I really like.
The lead characters, architect Christopher Redmayne and constable Jonathan Bale are a very unlikely duo, yet very likable men. Harriett Gow, the King's 'Nightingale' mistress has been kidnapped, and he has requested Christopher and Jonathan to help locate her. He knows they will be discrete, thorough, and successful. Pleased with how the men handled their last case, he's decided to use them for, particularly delicate issues. Cases he doesn't want known to everyone in court.
While the story was a good one, and the mystery solid, I felt that some parts of the story were very slow going. I also like to try and guess who the perpetrator is while reading, but it's impossible to do that when his name isn't mentioned till your over halfway through with the book. I don't know, something about that just doesn't seem fair to me. I like to be shocked/surprised when I find out who the villain is. Not find out that it's someone I'm barely familiar with.
Overall it wasn't a terrible book, but between the two, I definitely liked the first one better. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on this series just yet though. I'm gonna give myself a little break to read some other books, then come back to this series in a month or two. Hopefully, book number three doesn't disappoint.
The lead characters, architect Christopher Redmayne and constable Jonathan Bale are a very unlikely duo, yet very likable men. Harriett Gow, the King's 'Nightingale' mistress has been kidnapped, and he has requested Christopher and Jonathan to help locate her. He knows they will be discrete, thorough, and successful. Pleased with how the men handled their last case, he's decided to use them for, particularly delicate issues. Cases he doesn't want known to everyone in court.
While the story was a good one, and the mystery solid, I felt that some parts of the story were very slow going. I also like to try and guess who the perpetrator is while reading, but it's impossible to do that when his name isn't mentioned till your over halfway through with the book. I don't know, something about that just doesn't seem fair to me. I like to be shocked/surprised when I find out who the villain is. Not find out that it's someone I'm barely familiar with.
Overall it wasn't a terrible book, but between the two, I definitely liked the first one better. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on this series just yet though. I'm gonna give myself a little break to read some other books, then come back to this series in a month or two. Hopefully, book number three doesn't disappoint.
July 14, 2012
Second in the Christopher Redmayne historical mystery series, set in London just after the Great Fire of 1666. I'd previously read only the fourth in the series, so I'm going back now, and am pleased to find that this one's just as enjoyable. Young architect Christopher Redmayne is asked to do a service for the King -- to find the King's favourite mistress, the acclaimed singer/actress Harriet Gow, who has been abducted and held for an impossibly large ransom. Redmayne's friend, the Puritan constable Jonathan Bale, initially refuses to help on moral grounds, but finds that he too has a personal stake in the crime, because Harriet's maid is the orphaned daughter of friends of his. The two men have to use their separate network of social connections to hunt down leads as fast as possible, in a situation where secrecy is vital.[return][return]As ever with Marston's historical novels, this is a competent, enjoyable, midlist novel which I probably won't keep but am glad to have read. I don't know enough about the period to know how accurate his historical detail is, but the world-building is good, and the plot mechanics work well. I think the characterisations are a little deeper and thus to me better in this series than in the Railway Detective series. And as I've found with his other books, while the lead characters are male, he has good secondary female characters. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
February 3, 2012
Overall not a bad little mystery but it seemed to finish very quickly. the main character of Christopher Redmayne is likeable enough and is ably complemented by the puritan Jonathan Bale. But I wish there was more about them rather than all the peripherals characters like Christopher's louche older brother and the miserable builder. the book was eitehr too short or too long - I can't decide - but in the end I really didn't care very much for the victim or the catpure of the villain. I don't think I will be reading any more of these - for historical detective fiction I will head back to Marcus Didius Falco and ancient Rome.
December 30, 2012
This is a new (to me) series, set in the Restoration period at the end of the 17th century (rather than the beginning, as Marston's series about Elizabethan players is).
The main characters are an architect and a Puritan constable, and it is set in London in 1667. I wasn't enthralled. The theatre is involved again, and there's damn little architecture-ing going on. The characters are pretty much stock (i.e. cardboard) and the plot was equally basic. I think I need to stop reading Marston for awhile.
The main characters are an architect and a Puritan constable, and it is set in London in 1667. I wasn't enthralled. The theatre is involved again, and there's damn little architecture-ing going on. The characters are pretty much stock (i.e. cardboard) and the plot was equally basic. I think I need to stop reading Marston for awhile.
January 13, 2016
This is the first in the Restoration series that I've read - took a little while to get going at the start of the book - but overall an enjoyable crime/mystery book with enough plot twists leaving the reader guessing 'whodunnit' for some considerable time. Arguably the guilty party had such a small part earlier in the book that it would be virtually impossible for the reader to guess who it was. A few personal sub plots tagged alongside the main story (of kidnap and murder)to maintain the reader's interest
February 17, 2012
I have really enjoyed the first two books in the 'Christopher Redmayne Mystery' series. They are easy to read and stick with the story without using offensive language. Whilst the plots are not the most complex and the author does not give as much of a sense of place and time as others do, this is a fun book. I don't want gore when I read a mystery, I want a story, and this is what you get from this author.
January 25, 2012
The Amorous nightingale is a noval set in the victorian eara , it is a mistery in which a well known actress is kidnaped, as the story unfolds there are many possiblities as to the who could have done this dasterly dead. In many ways the setting reminded me of Phantom of the Opera. Good easy read with a twist at the end.
November 19, 2014
Entertaining historical froth featuring architect Christopher Redmayne (who is far too perfect for satisfaction) investigating the disappearance and apparent kidnapping of royal favourite, Harriet Gow. A quick read and overall, credible research and writing style and a definite improvement on the previous 'King's Evil' - obviously the lack of love interest for Redmayne is for the better.
December 28, 2011
Well-written and though, in my opinion, a less compelling story-line than the first book in the series, King's Evil, an enjoyable read. The historical touches are accurate but not over-powering, and there are some interesting insights into seventeenth century theatre as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews