Two Book Reviews; Two Winners
GENTLEMEN
AND PLAYERS by Joanne Harris, an author I had not read before, was a
delightful introduction to her work.
The plot was intricate, moving between two characters as well as between
the past and the present.
Complicated? Yes, but it worked.
When problems large and small start
to threaten the boys and staff at St. Oswald’s, school for boys, eccentric
Classics teacher Roy Straitley tries to discover the culprit, while fending off
administrators who would like to see him retire. The harassment escalates to the point of endangering lives and the
school itself.
Ms. Harris presented a Grammar
School for boys with a long history of preparing sons of elite families with
such detail that it seemed as if I could smell the chalk dust and hear the boys
clumping up and down the stairs.
It was a new setting to me and I enjoyed learning about it.
I thought she played fair with the
readers. I cared about the characters she invented and the ending was
satisfying. I won’t reveal plots
twists and surprises that the author worked hard to create. I will and do recommend this book. I look forward to reading Ms. Harris’
other works.
THE
YARD by Alex Grecian is the first book in a planned series about Walter Day
and his experiences in 1889 London.
At that time, The Metropolitan Police’s reputation has been greatly
diminished by its failure to capture Jack the Ripper. On his first day at work Day faces the discovery a Scotland Yard inspector's body hacked to pieces and stuffed into a
steamer trunk. He encounters a
strange doctor with revolutionary ideas about solving crime. The
police and the newly formed murder squad is targeted by a ruthless killer
who shows no signs of quitting.
This is a very well written first
novel. It evokes a London far different from the cosmopolitan city of
today. The book seized my
attention and didn’t let go until the very end.
I look forward to reading books in
the series as they appear.
It’s great to find unknown (to me)
authors with the skills and maturity demonstrated on the page s. Have you found a new (to you) author you can recommend?
I think you have just found two new ones for me, Warren. Thank you for the breath of fresh air. Lately, I've been returned to authors I'm familiar with, largely because I read a lot of serials, so I'm happy to find some 'new blood.'
ReplyDeleteWarren, both of those books sound like ones I'd like to read. Thanks for reviewing and recommending them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendations, Warren. Both sound good. I'm especially interested in the book by Joanne Harris because I would like to study how she moves the story between past and present.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these authors are new to me and both stories caught my interest. Thanks for the reviews.
ReplyDeleteThanks for seeking out and sharing information about some authors who are new to me!
ReplyDeleteThey both sound like winners, Warren, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI liked Alice K. Boatwright's new Ellie Kent series. Ellie is an American living in a small English village after marrying a widowed vicar. She becomes the main suspect after a body is found in their church's cemetery.
Another new series from Diana Xarissa is set in the Isle of Man. It's a cozy featuring a maiden lady who is known as Aunt Bessie to all the kids on the island. She "assists" the police in their investigations since she knows everyone's backstory, trials, and especially their children.
These look good. Thanks for the suggestions!
ReplyDelete