Book review imported from magikquilter.com
Originally published 26/12/08
This novel was read in my usual method of Boxing Day reading....read several chapters...snooze .....read more..... eat .....snooze.....wake and check that the infernal cricket is still on everywhere in the house but our bedroom.......retreat to bedroom to read more.....snooze more ......surface for fruit and water .....read more...and so it goes. Probably not the best way to read a book this brilliant but what can I say ...when I get one of her books for Christmas, or Ruth Rendell's, this is just part of my Christmas tradition.
This book seems to be leading us to assume that an end is in sight for Dalgliesh....in fact how he can maintain a relationship with Emma when they rigidly keep his policework separate from their relationship is interesting and indeed possibly ultimately problematic. This novel was a masterpiece and although at first I thought the prose was a little dated or flowery at times I soon realised that was again part of the delicately plotted structure of the book. The beauty of her work is that right up to the end she keeps both reader and detectives in the dark about a lot of the motives and actions of the people involved. I also love the way she never judges anybody...she just tells it as it is in light of what is going on in Britain at the time socially along with all the changes in the Public Service.
This again is a five star book...long may she live if this is what she is writing at this great age.
I have three of her books,(all Dalgliesh trilogies)in my bookshelf. I was lookiking for something to read the other day and as it has been a while since I read them I nearly picked one up. But then Veronioca lent me the newest Wally Lamb book, So now I am right for a bit.Also I really liked the dragonfly quilt thingy. I didn't comment over there because I didn't want you to think that I was angling for an entry into your competition. I have a soft spot for dragonflies and I just wish that they were easier to photograph.. cheeers Kim
ReplyDeleteI started the year off brilliantly reading, now once again, I am sadly lacking reading, though I just finished reading the Twilight saga again.
ReplyDeletefpr
ReplyDeletei used to reread ruth rendell quite regularly in the nineties...the computer has put a stop to a lot of my rereading, i must rectify that
sw
you must jhave liked them...is there anything you missed the first time? I tend t read so fast that i really should reread my books the way i used to
going all nostalgic now for the nineties!