Steve

An unusual mystery

Revisado: 04-23-17

The pope has passed away. A conclave must be convened to appoint a successor and Cardinal Lomeli is responsible for organizing it. Almost immediately things begin to go wrong.

Conclave is the latest thriller from the reliable pen of Robert Harris. It has an unusual premise and I was worried that the static environment and the level of detail might overwhelm the narrative. As it turns out, I need not have been concerned. Harris has done his research, but he does not allow it to overwhelm the narrative, which is pacy and engaging throughout.

Roy McMillan gives a slick, dynamic reading, skilfully navigating a large international cast of characters. The book ends well, and though the final twist is improbable it is bizarrely satisfying. A good, solid story, well told.

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An ejoyable mash-up (or two!)

Revisado: 04-04-17

A classically British crime caper, the first book A Scandal At Bletchley is a fun mash-up of Downton Abbey, Agatha Christie and James Bond.

The protagonist, Hilary Manningham-Butler, is a woman who has spent most of her life living as a man and a lot of fun is had with the difficulties this entails. The narrative is both fresh and familiar, with Jack Treby’s mastery of pace and narrative suspense making for an engaging read. The author shows little interest in straying from the traditional tropes of the mystery genre but this is not necessarily to its detriment. The dialogue is animated, the plot is genuinely riveting, and while a couple of the characters are fairly obvious, they are brought to life with a fullness that excuses any lack of originality.

In the second book we cross the Atlantic, on board a German airship, and the story takes in government secrets, cross-dressing and Spanish kings. The Red Zeppelin maintains the narrative drive of the first story with a suspenseful and diverting plot. This book has a different narrator and, though the two readers differ considerably in approach, they both put in a solid turn. Angela Dawes fairly rattles through the story while Jack Treby takes considerable delight in the comic potential of his characters. In short, a fun easy listen.

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