Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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The Return of Captain John Emmett
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SEPTEMBER 2014 (Group Read 2): The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller
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I thought this was a good look at the psychological effects that WWI had on returning soldiers. The mystery is closely tied to that subject as well.
I'm looking forward to reading this...it's not something I would normally pick up.
I hope you like it Sonny. :)
Due to queuing issues for the audiobook, I read this once it was called as a winner. I found the it started out similarly to Maisie Dobbs.
Also, the Charles in this book reminds me a heat deal of the Charles in M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series on terms of his lifestyle and his participation in fact finding.
(view spoiler)
The story itself is pretty good. Though I got confused with the ending and discovered a problem with audiobooks (can't flip back to the right section)
(view spoiler)
Darcy wrote: "The story itself is pretty good. Though I got confused with the ending and discovered a problem with audiobooks (can't flip back to the right section).."Oh yeah, that would be a pain with audio. Not being able to flick back. I had never thought of that.
Took this one on holiday with me and really enjoyed it. Good to read something from a different period and I enjoyed the mystery. Have done a brief review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thanks for letting us know how you went with it, Pamela. :)
I'm happy to see I was the only one who read this one. :)Fantastic review Pamela.
Don't you mean 'not the only one'? :)
Oh for the love of... yes; that is absolutely what I meant *glares at her errant fingers*
I'm happy to see that I was NOT the only one who read this one...
Wow, where is everybody this month? I couldn't find this one :(
I finished reading this book whilst on holiday last week and put my review up yesterday. I did enjoy it as I really like to read about the First World War. Although I found it a little slow-moving at times, I love Elizabeth Speller's writing style and the plot had enough complexities and twists to keep me guessing. I've rated it 5 stars.
Glad you liked it Millie. Are you planning on reading the next one?? I still haven't quite got around to it myself.
Did no one read this??? Ok so I'm a million months late but I loved it. Four stars.
I think a few people did but it didn't get discussed much.I thought it was a pretty good book myself, though I have never quite got around to reading the second one.
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton (other topics)Maisie Dobbs (other topics)
The Return of Captain John Emmett (other topics)
London, 1920. In the aftermath of the Great War and a devastating family tragedy, Laurence Bartram has turned his back on the world. But with a well-timed letter, an old flame manages to draw him back in. Mary Emmett's brother John--like Laurence, an officer during the war--has apparently killed himself while in the care of a remote veterans' hospital, and Mary needs to know why.
Aided by his friend Charles--a dauntless gentleman with detective skills cadged from mystery novels--Laurence begins asking difficult questions. What connects a group of war poets, a bitter feud within Emmett's regiment, and a hidden love affair? Was Emmett's death really a suicide, or the missing piece in a puzzling series of murders? As veterans tied to Emmett continue to turn up dead, and Laurence is forced to face the darkest corners of his own war experiences, his own survival may depend on uncovering the truth.
At once a compelling mystery and an elegant literary debut, "The Return of Captain John Emmett" blends the psychological depth of Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy with lively storytelling from the golden age of British crime fiction.