An engaging read with a plethora of captivating literary and historical details wrapped in a contemporary whodunit.
A historical novel re-creates life at the 16th-century court of Queen Elizabeth I via a 20th-century murder mystery involving a cache of valuable papers found in a tomb.
The year is 1579, and 16-year-old Anne Vavasour has successfully obtained her place at the court of Queen Elizabeth, “the Virgin Queen.” Anne has been raised for this. Schooled in accordance with the precepts of Roger Ascham, who tutored Elizabeth, Anne is both learned and self-confident, speaking and writing several languages and knowledgeable of “philosophy, history and literature.” She records her thoughts in her “commonplace book.” Fast-forward to 1992. Vicar Hamilton of St. Mary discovers a trove of papers, books, and scrolls while mucking around in the 300-year-old tombs beneath the ancient church that has been flooded by a stopped-up toilet. The vicar finds the papers (some of which appear to be a version of Macbeth penned by Shakespeare himself) in “the final resting place of” Lady Anne Vavasour, “benefactor of the old church and an ancestor of Mrs. Hamilton...the vicar’s late wife.” When the vicar is murdered, two amateur sleuths start hunting for clues—Stephen White, headmaster of St. George’s prep school and a student of history, the classics, and 16th-century English literature; and Margaret Hamilton, the vicar’s daughter, a BBC investigative reporter, and Stephen’s former fiancee. Casey (The Double Life of Laurence Oliphant, 2015) peppers his imaginative novel with tidbits on the development of writing in the Elizabethan era. Readers are treated to intriguing historical factoids: Sir Walter Raleigh’s twitch caused his uneven handwriting, resulting in typesetters making numerous typographical errors. Each of the central protagonists—the vicar, Margaret, and Stephen—is a well-drawn character. And the author’s prose is elegant, with evocative imagery: “She lowered herself smoothly into the chair across, touched her elbows onto the tabletop, and cradled her chin in her hands, leaning forward.” But readers may find themselves skimming over the excerpts of 16th-century poems and writings, which are arduous to pore through and slow the narrative momentum.
An engaging read with a plethora of captivating literary and historical details wrapped in a contemporary whodunit.Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64293-131-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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