Customer Reviews

The Devlin Diary

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In a nutshell; a wonderful book. Christi Phillips manages to give readers both a scholarly and detailed historical account of life in 17th century England as well as a tautly written and compelling mystery. I found myself dwelling on the interesting historical elements as much if not more, than the story itself. I usually give books about two chapters to prove themselves and The Devlin Diary met that test. I also enjoy any novel where the pace increases each chapter. The Devlin Diary met that test as well but really accelerated about halfway through and clearly `red lined' near its end. The finish was satisfying and I would have read even more than its 448 pages offered.

The book centers on a 17th century mystery in the King's court in London. There are a series of murders and a real political cover up that occurs and which the characters are trying to resolve. The counterpoint to this story is a present day tale of two scholars in Cambridge England who stumble upon these historical events while investigating a present day murder on their campus. Going back and forth between the two eras is not only interesting, it's fun. Although the book is a stand-alone work, it contemporary story picks up where it left off in Phillip's last book, The Rossetti Letter. So, there is a sense of continuity here that is gratifying. Whereas the Rossetti Letter in 17th century Venice was also a great read, the contemporary story which continues in the Devlin Diary is richer and generally more satisfying and interesting than in the previous book.

There is an underlying theme is feminism which not only bores but irritates many male readers, myself included, but here it provided an interesting historical contrast and interesting perspective rather than the angry PC tonic many authors ask that we drink and enjoy. While this theme as presented will not be a negative for most men, it certainly will be a plus for most women.

Both stories are solid and the key characters are well developed. If you are more interested in a great mystery than history, you will be richly rewarded however the accent here is on history. The stories alone are wonderful reading but history buffs will love and linger over the scholarly and fastidious attention to detail and period accuracy. It is evident that there was a lot of solid research here. I look forward to her next book.

This wonderful book follows two parallel murder mysteries separated by 4 centuries. In the first, in 17th century London, a serial killer is on the loose, and the crimes which are growing more and more gruesome, appear seemingly random - or are they??? Hannah Devlin, a woman physician, an illegal "career" for women of her time, becomes convinced the crimes are NOT random, and thinks they may be tied to a royal death and its cover up. In the 21st century, at Cambridge University, Clare Donovan, a visiting American scholar, finds Hannah's diary, and shortly afterwards become embroiled in a murder mystery of her own, when a fellow professor is found murdered. Could both of these crimes, though separated by 4 centuries, be related? Both of these women use their knowledge and intelligence to solve their respective mysteries, while also becoming involved in parallel romances. The plots twist and turn until both finally merge in a satisfying and unexpected climax.

Of the two stories, I found Hannah's story to be the most interesting and the most fully developed. The characters are real, believable, and come to life as the story unfolds. They also show the depth and extent of the author's research of the period. The modern characters, while also real and believable, seemed less well developed.

This book is one that will keep the reader's interest from the beginning to the end. If you like a good mystery, then this book is a treasure, with two parallel situations, and two wonderful, intelligent protagonists. If you are a fan of history or historical fiction, then this book, with its extensive historical research, is a gold mine! It is an interesting, spell binding story that transitions smoothly between the two periods, and is truly a historically rich, satisfying and completely wonderful book!

Enjoyed very much this suspensful story and I found it hard to put down. I am a big fan of historical novel/fiction and was impressed by this particular story. I have not read any of Christi Phillips' work before, but I certainly plan on buying The Rosetti Letter after reading The Devlin Diary.
I loved the back and forth between the two time periods and how they related to each other. It had a nice surprise ending which I will not reveal.
If you like mysteries, historical fiction, etc. I highly recommend Phillips' work.

A serial killer in 1670s England, stalking the court of Charles II. The murder of a history fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. How are they related? Are they related?

That's what Claire Donovan is trying to find out. Claire, the heroine of Phillips' first novel, The Rossetti Letter, is trying to fit in at Trinity - not an easy task for a female American who isn't a full fellow. Even worse after she punches a colleague in the face -- and he turns up dead the next day. Something in Derek Goodman's research revealed a secret that someone didn't want made public -- a secret they were willing to kill to keep secret. And the clues reside in a 350 year old diary written in some sort of code.

I didn't read the Rossetti Letter before reading The Devlin Diary. That's not really a problem -- the story stands on it's own. There are a few potential spoilers though, so be warned. And you will want to read The Rossetti Letter by the time you finish The Devlin Diary.

I've read a lot of thrillers lately that really sucked me in, and pulled me along. The pacing in those books was frantic. The Devlin Diary is different; I really didn't feel pulled along, there wasn't a real sense of urgency. There were cliffhangers, but they didn't keep me up all night. This book didn't pull me so much as it enticed me. I got very curious about how things were going to progress, both in the 1672 mystery and the modern day mystery.

I think that's what I loved the most with this book. You're really solving several murders, most of which took place 350 years in the past. We're following two strong women who are in positions where many people resent their strength. Claire Donovan and Hannah Devlin are so much alike that it's eerie -- for a moment, I was wondering if this was going to turn into a reincarnation/mystical bond type thing between the two, but it (thankfully) didn't.

This is not a short book, weighing in at 427 pages before the author's notes. It's an engaging read, though, that will leave you hungry for more. You'll learn about Restoration England -- probably more than you thought you needed to. I know I'm taking a second look at another book I started and put back about the relationship between England and France throughout the years. But most importantly, you will be entertained, without feeling as if you've been on a roller coaster ride. Those are fun, too, but diversity is also nice.

Of course, now I have to read The Rossetti Letter.

Christi Phillips' second novel, "The Devlin Diary," features American historian Claire Donovan coming to Cambridge University as an instructor on temporary assignment. Like the fellows, she is required to not only teach a full complement of students but also to perform and publish original research.

While looking for ideas in the library, Claire finds an encoded diary. She hand copies several of the pages and shows them to Derek Goodman, another instructor. He tells her that he is already doing research on this code (not entirely true), and then proceeds to go about damaging her reputation with the other faculty members. When Derek's body is found on the grounds, the coroner returns a verdict of murder and many eyes turn toward Claire.

The book takes place both in the present day and in the 17th century, as part of the action involves Hannah Devlin, the author of the diary. Ms. Devlin is a physician, which is not a profession allowed to women during the Restoration. Yet, she is brought to court to treat the king's mistress, Louise de Keroualle, for an ailment that the court would prefer remain undisclosed to the public.

Ms. Philips has done a great deal of research into the Restoration period, and cites her sources in an author's note at the end of the novel. As a fan of well-research historical fiction, my hat is certainly off to her. Her characters, both modern and historical, are well-drawn and interesting. Recommended for fans of murder mysteries and historical fiction alike.

(Review based on advance readers' edition.)

I absolutely loved this book in the first 150-200 pages, and felt it held so much promise. But as it wore on (and it's 50 pages too long), my enjoyment diminished as I began to notice its many faults.

In the second half, there is way too much detail about historical figures who really don't need to have been featured so prominently. In addition, there are too many historical characters introduced - so many that the book gives us a list of them before the book begins, but it's not detailed enough to provide much help. An out-of-place sex scene is jarring as it seems uncharacteristic of the characters and time period; and the romantic union happens "off camera" and we are merely told about it in the present-day portion of the novel.

The present-day story is even more problematic (if you can get past the present-tense writing which was jarring in places). The most glaring problems include the story of the present-day murder, who commits the murder, and then the ridiculous memorial service for the murder victim - there are parts that just left me scratching my head. The present-day romance is also quite unconvincing - where is the passion? (I have not read earlier novel with these characters).

I do think this author has quite a bit of talent, based on how excited I was about this book in the first half, but she needed an editor with a much heavier hand - particularly in the second half of the book.

"The Devlin Diary (DD)" is only Christi Phillip's second novel and already she's proving to be a masterful storyteller rivaling the very best in the historical thriller genre. I haven't read "The Rossetti Letter" , ostensibly a big success with readers, but for those like me who are familiar with university life in Cambridge, DD will resonate and offer a greater treat than you can possibly imagine.

The two plots running closely in parallel with one another concern an old mystery surrounding the sudden death of an English princess married to the French court during the reign of Charles II of England. The back story set in the 17th century England is understandably the more colourful and exciting of the two, for it follows the professional challenges faced by Hannah Devlin, a widowed but attractive female physician who when ordered to tend to the ailing favourite mistress of the English king, finds herself constantly at death's doorstep as she sidesteps the dangers of knowing too much about a string of brutal murders committed against people close to the case.

The present day story set in Cambridge is far more interesting for the light it casts on the backstabbing and bitchiness among academics in the cloistered college halls than the murder of Derek Goodman, an odious and unscrupulous history don whose death nobody regrets. Dr Clare Donovan, a visiting American scholar in Trinity College, finds herself culturally alienated. When her English sponsor Andrew Kent shows surprising restraint helping her settle into English college life, she finds herself floundering haplessly under the gaze of scornful eyes but in the process stumbles upon clues that would unlock the secrets to the age old 17th century mystery.

Phillip succeeds splendidly in combining elements of court intrigue, the practice of medicine, even good old fashioned romance to produce a potboiler that will have your heart throbbing and your pulse racing as the story catapults towards its final conclusion. Predictably yet unavoidably, the contemporary story suffers in comparison when it unravels in a rather unremarkable manner.

DD is incredibly well written, hugely entertaining and simply unputdownable. A fantastic read and a sure fire hit with fans of historical thrillers.

The Devlin Diary contains everything I love in a book: well-researched writing, an intriguing storyline, a heart-beating romance, a compelling mystery, and character consistency. The wonderful thing about this book is that it has TWO of each aspect! The present-day Claire saga and the 1600's Hannah adventure are equally enthralling!

In too many duel time period books, I bitterly resent the story from the past being abruptly halted in order to insert a trite contemporary interplay between characters I could care less about. With the Devlin Diary, there is as good a story in the present as in the past. Finally, an author has moved past modern "fluff" and given us a treat: a murder mystery in the past AND the present!

Thank you Christi Phillips for opting out of the "filler storyline" and, instead, providing two hearty plots each worthy of "I-can't-wait-to-see-what-happens-next" excitement.

Call me an Anglophile, but I love historical fiction set anywhere in the British Isles. So when I was offered the opportunity to read and review Christi Phillips new novel, THE DEVLIN DIARY, I jumped at the chance - and I'm glad I did! Remember that old commercial for Certs breath mints - "two, two, two mints in one!" Well, with THE DEVLIN DIARY, you get two, two, two books in one!

The first story, the historical one, is set in Restoration England. I haven't read much about the reign of King Charles II, so it was fun to delve into some new-to-me history. I liked the main character, Hannah, immediately. She is an intelligent and knowledgeable woman living in a time when even those privileged few with access to the best education are hobbled by the limitations of contemporary scientific, philosophical, sociological, and religious thought. To work as a physician, Hannah must struggle against a tide of sexism and superstition.

The second story, that of Claire Donovan, is set in present day Cambridge at Trinity College. Maybe not surprisingly, she too is faced with an abundance of sexism as she settles in as a temporary lecturer amongst the almost all male faculty. Claire's character was introduced in the author's first novel, THE ROSSETTI LETTER, in which she meets historian Andrew Kent while conducting research in Italy for her PhD dissertation on the life of a Venetian courtesan. It is through that relationship that she lands such a coveted appointment at the prestigious and exclusive Trinity College. Unfortunately, the character of Claire always seems to be a bit out of her element. Granted, she's an American trying to fit in among the British (and that makes for some funny scenes and dialogue). However, for a research historian with a PhD under her belt, she comes across as a bit dense and, basically, often seems to be in over her head. She is likable, though -- perhaps she just needs more real-life experience. (Did I just say that about a fictional character?)

I do wish that I'd read THE ROSSETTI LETTER first. Don't get me wrong, THE DEVLIN DIARY can be read as a stand alone novel, but I would have enjoyed "getting to know" Claire Donovan through reading about her experiences in that first case rather than being "brought up to date" in her second. I think that when I do read the first novel (and I will!), I'll miss some of the fun of discovery. If you haven't already read THE ROSSETTI LETTER, and if you have any inclination to do so, I would definitely recommend that you read that book first.

All in all, THE DEVLIN DIARY is a wonderful read. There's plenty of interesting period detail worked skillfully into the narrative of the historical sections. The scenes are vividly drawn and atmospheric - you won't forget that the narrow little streets are either cobblestone or mud! The murder mystery aspects are compellingly intricate, and the characters engaging and complex. While I somewhat preferred the historical sections of the novel over the present day sections, I'm looking forward to whatever intrigue Claire Donovan stumbles upon next!

The whole time I was reading this book I kept saying to myself, "you didn't need to read the first book in this series, The Rossetti Letter, to understand this book". But, by the end I really think that I missed something in reading this one first. By the end there was just too much references to Princess Henriette-Anne, which is who the first book is written about.

This book alternates between Dr. Clare Donovan a present day lecturer and historian who is on a temporary loan program to Cambridge University and 17th Century Hannah Devlin the physician to the king's mistress. Needing a new subject in the ever present publish or parish mentality of academia, Clare accidentally stumbles across Hannah's diary in a musty chamber of Trinity College. This is no typical diary, this one is written in code and thus the mystery and challenge begins.

With the help of Andrew Kent, a main character from the first book, and a snarkey but dashing professor named Derek Goodman; who has quite a few secrets of his own, Clare begins to put the pieces together. When Goodman is found murdered with part of the diary in his hand, Kent and Donovan set off to solve murders centuries apart but apparently intertwined.

Christi Phillips puts you right into this story. From the decaying 17th century with it's rules about women to modern day Cambridge University with it "rules" about outsiders. This two fold mystery will keep most readers enthralled. With either it's modern day adventure or historical intrigue Phillips tells two stories that draw vivid pictures of the times and the people that live there.