A well-constructed traditional mystery / police procedural whose possibilities were stronger than its execution. What I liked: a black detective (WeslA well-constructed traditional mystery / police procedural whose possibilities were stronger than its execution. What I liked: a black detective (Wesley Peterson) whose competence, not race, is focal. He's smart, educated, kind, and his background in archeology opens the door to an intriguing double plot. Also a strong female sidekick who doesn't instantly become a romantic interest. A non-cozy English village setting; and police who aren't enemies. All welcome subversions of the standard crime-novel cliches! I especially enjoyed the historical info that came with the 16th-century subplot.
What I didn't like: the characters aren't fleshed out enough to have distinct voices or personalities -- I had trouble remembering who was who. That includes Wesley Peterson. And the supposed excerpts from a 16th-c. diary which open each chapter sounded gratingly inauthentic -- as if the author had learned just enough about period speech to throw "doth" in front of her verbs for present tense and "did" for past. For me that epitomized my general impression of a paint-by-numbers "first in a series" mystery that includes all the right ingredients, but didn't put them together convincingly enough to make me want to read another one....more
Every Marsh mystery is a pleasure. This one stands out for its New Zealand setting, but unfortunately that's not prominent except for one lyrical scenEvery Marsh mystery is a pleasure. This one stands out for its New Zealand setting, but unfortunately that's not prominent except for one lyrical scene from the train. The plot isn't as strong as in most of her books, nor are the characters, who are mostly traveling Brits. ...more
An enjoyable mystery, in large part because it follows an unusual main character (Wada, a somewhat reluctant middle-aged female detective) from her naAn enjoyable mystery, in large part because it follows an unusual main character (Wada, a somewhat reluctant middle-aged female detective) from her native Japan to London to New York to Iceland. Wada has no Hollywood assets, just curiosity, intelligence, and common sense. Her story crosses paths and eventually collides with that of an Englishman, Nick, who's searching for his unknown father.
The plot was satisfyingly twisty without becoming so convoluted as to lose me in the welter of international characters. What bogs it down a bit is the writing, which (like Wada) is practical and workmanlike enough to get the job done but lacks flair or zip. It's thick with passive structures such as "There was" (as in "There was a street leading to a lane where there were several buildings"), slowing the action and blunting the suspense.
The book ends with what's obviously Scene 1 of a sequel. I had fun reading this one, but not enough to embark on another....more
This book is so thirst-quenching that I'm eking it out, savoring a taste every night after the day's battles end. It's like an antidote to lockdown --This book is so thirst-quenching that I'm eking it out, savoring a taste every night after the day's battles end. It's like an antidote to lockdown -- a reminder how rich life is even when it's most challenging -- welcoming me to sleep, renewal, and a fresh start in the morning. Highly recommended!...more
Were the plays of Shakespeare, AKA the Bard of Avon, written by William Shakespeare, a small-town glover's son? It's still a moot question after 4 cenWere the plays of Shakespeare, AKA the Bard of Avon, written by William Shakespeare, a small-town glover's son? It's still a moot question after 4 centuries, because we know so little about the man. His father was a social climber. He was considerably younger than his wife, Anne Hathaway. He bought a house and other property in his hometown of Stratford, although his work as a playwright, actor, and theater co-manager in London kept him from visiting very often. His only son died in childhood during the Plague. He left his wife "my second-best bed."
Maggie O'Farrell weaves these and other tantalizing facts into what you might call a historical novel of domestic suspense. Her Anne Hathaway is called Agnes (the name on Anne's baptismal record), a semi-orphan with strong instincts about living creatures--including people, including the man she married, after seducing him so as to free herself (and him) from an abusive dead-end future. Agnes is as compelling to the reader of this rich, absorbing, plausible story as she is to her son Hamnet's father (who is never named, though it's obvious who he is).
It took me a year to read this book. Hamlet is my favorite play; I've seen more than 20 productions as well as directed it myself. I couldn't read more than a chapter of Hamnet in one sitting because it's steeped in sorrow, especially if you know what tragedy looms ahead. The Plague, like coronavirus, lurks out of sight most of the time, like a deadly fairy-tale monster. But O'Farrell is kinder in the end than Shakespeare, staging a denoument which amounts to redemption for her characters and a fully rounded, deeply satisfying story for her readers....more
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