DP54Cover - Deadly Pleasures

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Deadly Pleasures
duces protagonist/enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his
apprentice Thomas Llewelyn to union politics and takes
them to the docks of London in the summer of 1885.
Once again the reader gets a snapshot of the
British class structure in the later 1800s as well as a good
story. Thomas does many things well and it does look as
if this will be a series with legs. His heroes are likable, his
historical meanderings subtle, not overpowering, and his
stories both believable and fast-moving. I do wish that
Thomas would incorporate more Barker and less Llewelyn
in the tales. The magic of Conan Doyle was Holmes and
his deductive skills. I, for one, would love to see more of
Barker’s logical and tactical prowess and less of Llewelyn’s
bumbling. Some of us yearn to be baffled by deductionism
without reading Euclid’s THE ELEMENTS.
THE STRANGE CASE OF
JONATHAN SWIFT AND THE
REAL LONG JOHN SILVER by Robert
A. Prather (Acclaim Press; $24.95).
Rating: B This is a book that some
people will probably devour but, with
an adjustment in format, it would definitely
appeal to many, many more. (Or
perhaps it’s just me and a bias for
learning facts through historical novels.)
Treasure seekers, particularly
those in Kentucky, will pore over various
parts of this book. Kentuckians will
be familiar with the geography and
perhaps even familiar with the people
involved in the story. For these people
the first hundred pages will either be
savored or skipped. For the majority of
readers, though, the first half the book
will be slow going as Prather builds the
foundation and sets the stage for his
conclusion.
This is non-fiction book (at least
the author would have us believe that)
and Robert Prather meticulously builds his arguments and
develops his case. For the audience Prather writes to, and
for the conclusions he wants to arrive at, the development
could not have been done much better. A word to other
fiction devotees - the development is detailed. His
conclusions ARE interesting but to get to them requires
some patience. Mr. Prather contends there are silver
mines in Kentucky that remain virtually untapped, and that
the old Stevenson classic, TREASURE ISLAND is, in
effect, a map that can lead us to them. His proof, this book
is laudable (and has already won awards). For those who
are treasure hunters out there and those who live in
Kentucky, you need to read this book and reread TREA-
SURE ISLAND. For those who wouldn’t know what to do
with silver unless they stumbled upon some silverware to
sell on eBay, for those who want a good, quick read
intermeshed with a bit of fact . . . you may wish to wait for
the historical fiction sequel.
Reviews
ZUGZWANG by Ronan Bennett (Bloomsbury;
$24.95). Rating: B Ronan Bennett’s latest book is a
mystery set in Russia in the early 1900s. Zugzwang is a
chess term and ZUGZWANG, the book, uses chess as a
thread to weave the story together. Dr. Otto Spethmann,
a noted psychoanalysist has no good choices (zugzwang).
He is suspected of murder, his daughter’s not happy with
his latest woman friend, his clients have major problems,
he’s beginning to question whether his friends are actually
friends . . . and he’s losing his chess match.
If you know your chess, you’re going to like this
book; if you aren’t a chess player, you may like it.
ZUGZWANG is a tight, psychological, and suspenseful
novel. Though Bennett does write well, if you are a fan of
historical mysteries for the opportunity to visit another time
and place you may be disappointed in
this one. Time period and setting play
second fiddle to the story and the characters.
If you want the flavor of Russia, read
the book reviewed in this issue’s Reviewed
to Death section, CHILD 44.
THE LAST GOSPEL by David
Gibbins (Headline, £12.99, February,
2008; in the U.S. the title is THE LOST
TOMB, Dell, $6.99, September, 2008).
Rating: A- David Gibbins has penned
yet another winner. This time Gibbins
writes of the potential of another Gospel,
written by either Paul, or perhaps, Christ,
Himself. THE LAST GOSPEL takes
place in the heart of Rome, the ruins of
Pompeii, and Jerusalem, as archaeologist
extra-ordinaire Jack Howard and his
team of “super-heroes” search for the
Word. If there’s a weakness in Gibbins’
writings it is that his archaeologists and
divers know everything and can do everything.
But that’s a small price to pay for
the information gleaned and the story
told. Gibbins’ keeps the reader both wondering and
interested, not an easy task for some of the heady material
he writes about. This is a must series for any one interested
in archeology.
Norma Dancis Review
THE TRAITOR’S TALE by Margaret Frazer
(Berkeley 2007 $7.99) RATING: B+ In 1450, the Duke
of Suffolk’s actions help lose all Britain’s possessions in
France. Suffolk himself is murdered on the way home. His
wife, the Duchess Alice, retires to one of her possessions
for her safety and that of her son. Her cousin, Dame
Frevisse, is sent from her nunnery to keep the Duchess
company. The Duke’s body has returned from France, but
his chaplain, his secretary, and his steward have disappeared
or been found dead.
Joliffe, once a wandering player and now the
Duke of York’s investigator and spy, also is trying to learn