Caroline Minuscule [Large Print] [Paperback]

Andrew Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

A medieval script launches a modern treasure
hunt lightly dusted with black humor...
William Dougal is a postgraduate student of history with expensive tastes and low moral fibre. He is the sort who is as likely to commit murders as to solve them. Thus it is that when he stumbles on the garotted corpse of his detested tutor, he doesn't call the police. Instead, he slips away, intent on avoiding a row with his girlfriend. Naturally, his actions don't go undetected. Enter the suave James Hanbury with the reminder that the dead man was an authority on Caroline Minuscule, a Medieval script that may convey a very modern message. Douglas is pushed into--or rather drives his Morris Mini onto--a slippery slope which leads toward a cache of diamonds--and more murders....
"In William Dougal, Andrew Taylor has created one of the most attractive amateur detectives in fiction."--Harriet Waugh, The Spectator.
And so his 1982 debut, the first of eight Dougal capers, won the John Creasey (Best First Novel) Award from the Crime Writers Association and was shortlisted for the 1983 Edgar Allan Poe Award.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Andrew Taylor... was given the thumbs up long ago for beautifully crafted, well written narratives combining subtlety, depth and that vital 'Oh, my God, what the hell is going to happen next?' factor, which is the driving force of the story-teller. He is also that rarity that can manage the semi-historical as well as the modern..." Frances Fyfield, Daily Express

"Mr Taylor is a sophisticated writer...with a high degree of literary expertise." New York Times Book Review

., ."ein Meister des Grauens...Taylor ist ein Vivisekteur der Seelen...Tobias Gohlis Die Zeit

"Taylor is an excellent writer." Marcel Berlins, The Times (London)

"As Andrew Taylor triumphantly proves...there is still room for excellence." Irish Times

"Taylor is a major thriller talent." Time Out

"There's no doubting Mr Taylor's talent...exciting, readable and thoroughly amoral." Daily Telegraph

"One of Britain's best writers of psychological suspense."The Times

"Taylor is a highly entertaining, crisp and clean writer, particularly skilled in the art of the melodramatic plot twist." Publishers' Weekly

"Like Hitchcock, Taylor pitches extreme and gothic events within a hair's breadth of normality." Times Literary Supplement

., ."this author knows precisely how to wield suspense." Independent on Sunday

"Taylor generates an electric atmosphere..." Daily Mail

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Andrew Taylor has been a full-time writer since 1981 and reviews and writes about crime fiction, particularly in the Independent and the literary quarterly Books and Company. He has written over twenty books, mainly crime novels and thrillers and won the John Creasey Memorial Award from the Crime Writers' Association and an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America for Caroline Minuscule. Mr. Taylor has worked as a boatbuilder, wages clerk, teacher, librarian, labourer and freelance publisher's editor. He lives with his wife and plot consultant, and their children Sarah and William in the Forest of Dean on the borders of England and Wales. They have two cats named Max and Tom. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 289 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786240083
• ISBN-13: 978-0786240081
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Minuscule 5, Caroline, June 15, 2007

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Caroline Minuscule (Paperback)

This was Taylor's 1st mystery novel, and it's quite novel. The 1st part of the book involves the uncovering of a mystery based upon a medieval script called Caroline Minuscule (named for the Carolingians of France). The 2nd part involves a thriller over who will survive the uncovering/unraveling--and keep the loot. There is significant character development in some of the players & some humor too (esp. with one supporting character). The ending is unusual & somewhat surprising, but hinted at. I did figure out one of the main mysteries during the book. Some are, however, just revelations--not susceptible to reader analysis. It's a terrific 1st book, and I believe it won a mystery writers award of some kind. Some of his later books are also set in Rosington, but are not IMHO as good as this one: the Roth Trilogy (The Last Four Things, The Judgment of Strangers, & The Office of the Dead). However, his fantastic An Unpardonable Crime: A Novel is even better IMHO than this one. Note: I read the out-of-print hardback.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TAYLOR'S BEST, May 9, 2004

By 

Cynthia Snowden (Placitas, New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Caroline Minuscule (Paperback)

Mystery readers tend to confine their interests to one corner of the genre, and in my case, it's English mysteries, particularly golden-age cozies. Alas, there are only so many of them, and this is not one. But never mind. It is a brilliant story. The narrative drive sweeps you along; the characters are believable; one event unfolds into another for a build-up to a deliciously clever ending. It is in the form of a scavenger hunt, informed by a pleasant, witty intelligence. The rest of the books in the series are not as good. I also like Taylor's Lydmouth series; those stories are satisfying, but not the good clean fun that this is.

5.0 out of 5 stars Why is this out of print?, February 26, 2009

By 

Jody (Northwest Ohio) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Caroline Minuscule (Mass Market Paperback)

With its twists, turns, and question mark ending, Caroline Miniscule is a splendid thriller. Mr. Taylor's writing style is reminiscent of the better writers from the Golden Age of whodunits, and the characters and plot are an Alfred Hitchcock lover's dream come true.

The story follows William Dougal, a semi-reluctant scholar in an obscure field, who isn't thinking quite straight after finding the murdered body of his tutor. He is immediately commissioned to analyze a fragment of a medieval document by a mysterious man he suspects knows more than he should about the murder, but takes the job for much needed cash. When his employer is murdered, a letter from the man is delivered to William with an invitation to a treasure quest. William and his girlfriend set out on the trail and encounter smiling bad guys, nebbishy good guys, church ladies and vicious dogs along the way. It's a very entertaining romp, and William's angst over some of his less than admirable choices make this much more than a formula chase.

I was thrilled to find out that William Dougal appears in more of Mr. Taylor's books and I can't wait to read them. This was the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon!