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
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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