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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Less than her other books, but still better than many other writers, January 14, 2009
This review is from: Bright Hair About the Bone (Laetitia Talbot Mysteries) (Paperback)
I am a devoted fan of the Joe Sandiland series by Barbara Cleverly. I thoroughly enjoyed her first Laetitia Talbot book - "The Tomb of Zeus" - and was panting with anticipation to get my hands on this one. However, it was just plain disappointing. I still like the characters, love the archaeological settings, and find the writing good. However, the plot just plain fell flat. The story in this book appears to predate the story in the first book of the series, and I remember noticing while reading "Tomb of Zeus" that it seemed to be a sequel. I can see why a decision was made to publish the second part of the story first - assuming that's what was done - it's immeasurably better and readers are much more likely to come back for more than if this one was first.
I am wondering if Ms. Cleverly might need a vacation. I found that the last two Joe Sandiland books were also not up to the quality of the previous ones - and that's a shame. I own all of them and they are on the list of books I reread every couple of years. I'm going to continue to buy and read Cleverly books - good writers don't grow on trees, and she is definitely in the top bunch of mystery writers. Whatever it takes to come back - do it and continue to delight us with your wonderful prose.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
My least favorite book by Cleverly, January 8, 2009
This review is from: Bright Hair About the Bone (Laetitia Talbot Mysteries) (Paperback)
First Sentence: The priest smoothed down his white robe and prepared to make his entrance into the Village Hall.
Laetitia Stella St. Clair Talbot receives a postcard from her beloved godfather after learning he has been murdered in a medieval town in France. Determined to discover what happened, she employs her archeological talents to gain a position on a dig going on in the town. As her father won't allow her to travel alone, he employs an injured veteran of WWI who is also a cleric. Once there, the encounters an imperious count and a town linked to Mary Magdalene and Celtic goddesses.
I love Barbara Cleverly's Joe Sandilands series but wonder what she was thinking to create a character as annoying as Laetitia. She leapt to conclusions about people, she was arrogant and, at times, too stupid to live. It's a shame because once you got past her, which is hard to do as these the protagonist; the story had some very good points.
The secondary character of Gunning was excellent. A former Army chaplain invalided out of WWI, he provided a means by which I learned more about that time; both the war and the aftermath. There is a tragic statement, which was believed at the time, that France would never again be so weak there would be blood shed on its soil.
Cleverly is skilled at educating the reader without it ever being preachy or out of context with the story. Her other great still is in description and creating an evocative sense of place. That adds such richness to the story.
NOTE: I have recently learned this was Cleverly's first book, which was not originally published. Only after the Sandilands series and "Tomb of Zeus" did her publisher decide to release this. I'm happy to say Ms. Cleverly's writing has improved greatly since this book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific historical whodunit, November 4, 2008
This review is from: Bright Hair About the Bone (Laetitia Talbot Mysteries) (Paperback)
In 1926 in the village of Fontigny-Saint-Reine, Burgundy, someone stabs Daniel Thorndon while he was researching artifacts at the private library of Edmond d'Aubec. Before Thorndon dies he sends postcard to his goddaughter Leticia "Letty": Talbot; the message is in a code they made up years ago when she was a child.
A stunned Letty, accompanied by Army chaplain William Gunning, travels to France to learn who killed her godfather and why. To achieve her objective, Letty goes undercover obtaining work with the archeological dig led by Dr. Charles Paradee. However, instead of antiquity or even Victorian, they find the modern day corpse of a stable boy who worked at d'Aubec's nearby chateau. Letty persuades Edmond to allow her to look at Daniel's work on ancient religious manuscripts, which brings her to the attention of a killer.
With Joe Sandilands taking a well deserved breather (see RAGTIME IN SIMLA), independent Letty Talbot makes her second star appearance (see THE TOMB OF ZEUS) in a terrific historical whodunit. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that a determined Letty decides to investigate the murder of her godfather. Although the religious angle has been overdone a zillion times, fans will toast with fine French wine this fun 1920s amateur sleuth reminiscent of Carola Dunn's married Daisy Dalrymple.
Harriet Klausner
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