Dark Provenance (Ulverscroft Large Print Series) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Michael David Anthony (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995 | Series: Ulverscroft Large Print Series

Richard Harrison has spent most of his life as a spy. But that’s all behind him; he wants nothing more than a quiet retirement in the cathedral town of Canterbury. But the past has a way of refusing to stay buried – something Harrison is forced to remember when an unknown young woman turns up on his doorstep, bearing a message from her late father, a refugee from Hitler’s Germany, and an expert in antiques. It’s a message that Harrison doesn’t want to hear. And he particularly doesn’t want to believe it has anything to do with the recent suicide of an elderly, notoriously dithering parish priest.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print Books (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0708933246
• ISBN-13: 978-0708933244
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,209,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawlessly Crafted, July 18, 2009

By 

B. Randolph "bibliophile" (Corpus Christi, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Provenance (Ulverscroft Large Print Series) (Hardcover)

Dark Provenance, actually the second of the Richard Harrison Canterbury series (though Felony & Mayhem lists Midnight Come as the second) is the jewel of a series that is compelling, thrilling and flawlessly crafted. The protagonist Richard Harrison is irritatingly human, as is his wife Winnie, confined to a wheelchair from a bout of polio very early in their marriage. The three-book series explores the many conflicts Harrison wrestles with in his attempts to retrieve a life out of broken dreams, and to perform his duty and maintain his sense of integrity. From the flashbacks into his past in military espionage, we see that he has always suffered from his desire to do the right thing when it often appears the "right thing" will destroy his security and future. The writing is both forceful and graceful, with evidences of the English teacher Anthony once was. But allusions are not so obscure as to distress the reader or impede the plot. The setting is lyrical in its description of life in Cathedral Close in Canterbury. One shivers in the drizzle and finds comfort in the teas. This series is ecclesiastical life at its most intimate.

The plot of Dark Provenance is inspired. Based on historical references to the various plans to do away with Hitler, Harrison jumps to conclusions in searching for answers to the death of a former colleague. Anthony skillfully blends memories of the past with events of the present to weave a tale with an ending that will challenge most any reader. I had only the barest inklings of what might be the conclusion, and I was led off the path with Harrison time and again--and I enjoyed every moment of the trip.

This series is among the best books I have ever read--ever. I love mysteries, and I rank these as high or higher than my favorites: Robert Barnard, Dick Francis, Josephine Tey. And like Tey, we lost Anthony far too soon. I wish there were many, many more books in this wonderful series. Readers might find his obituary interesting[...] This is obviously a man who would be interesting to know. Would that his career and life had lasted much, much longer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book - excellence is common throughout author's books, May 26, 2005

By 

Nicknxt2 (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Provenance (Ulverscroft Large Print Series) (Hardcover)

This book really is fantastic - absolutely loved it. Great setting, characters and plot - I was gripped untill the end. Well worth it,I now have the whole lot.