Customer Reviews

Faded Coat of Blue

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a reader with a lifelong interest in the Civil War, I was absolutely knocked out by this incomparable novel. I have never found the atmosphere and character of the Civil War era so accurately portrayed--beyond which, the writing itself is superb. Mr. Parry has a flawless ear for dialects--yet he never overdoes it. The book reads very quickly, and leaves the reader hungry for more--as all the best books do. From the portrayal of wartime Washington to the joys and sorrows of a soldier's life, this book rings truer than any other I've read. And Abel Jones is one of the most interesting characters I've encountered in a lifetime of reading. This book is also a mystery, of course, but I valued it just as a terrific story and a wonderful portrait of our past. I do, however, have to take issue with one of the other reviewers who criticized Mr. Parry for mentioning the Thanksgiving holiday a year before it became an official national holiday. In fact, it's Mr. Parry, the author, who's correct. Parry never said Thanksgiving was a national holiday at that point in 1861, only that it was widely celebrated, which was absolutely true. As a former history teacher myself, I can assure all readers that Thanksgiving was very widely celebrated prior to the Civil War, especially in the North. Parry's portrayal of the unofficial celebrations in the Army of the Potomac in 1861 are completely accurate, and the historical records support it. In New England, it was already an established family holiday, with reverential tones. In the Union Army, it was a great excuse for getting drunk. When Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday later in the war, he was simply formalizing a celebration that already had a long tradition. Overall, Mr. Parry's book is incredibly accurate--the details are marvelous and telling--and I personally could not find a single error in this very-well-researched novel. But, ultimately, what matters is just that this is a great read. Were I still teaching, I would use it to lure my students into the realms of history. Bravo!

No doubt about it. Owen Parry could never fake it this convincingly. He is a former soldier(as his brief bio betrays), a keen student of history, and one who has somehow embraced the investigator's art. Add to these qualifications a gifted pen that enables Parry to craft page after page of captivating prose, and you have the ingredients of the best fiction I've seen in years--historical or otherwise. "Faded Coat of Blue" is a thoroughly delightful, page-turning work, made even more valuable by its skilled embodiment of every literary trick in the book, combined with remarkable historical accuracy. (Parry's detailed, visceral description of the streets of Washington during the Civil War is nothing short of masterful.) As a career investigator, armchair historian, and writer, my hat is off to Parry. In creating the continuing adventures of Captain Abel Jones, he is giving us the literary equivalent of the Ken Burns PBS series, "The Civil War." Bravo!

Reading this wonderful historical novel took me back to the days of my youth when I devoured Charles Dickens. Parry, like Dickens, excels in drawing characters that lodge in the mind. The Welshman Abel Jones, whose language is a haunting blend of Celtic melancholy and memory; the lovable ne'er-do-well Malloy, as ready to lend a helping hand as he is to pinch your purse; Cawber, the tycoon from the wrong side of the tracks who punches his way through high-bred and old-monied society: these and a couple of other characters come across with pulsating vividness.

There's another similarity to Dickens here: Parry is much better at drawing characters and weaving beautiful language than he is at plot. The mystery that Captain Jones sets out to crack is a bit implausible, and the novel ends too breathlessly. Yet when weighed against Parry's marvellous characters and poetic prose, this seems a piddling sin. Who really remembers the plot of *Great Expectations*? But who can forget the characters of Pip, Joe, Miss Havisham, or Magwitch (Pip's criminal benefactor)? The same can be said about "Faded Coat of Blue*. Long after the details of the rather thin plot are forgotten, Parry's characters will remain in our memory. And for my money, that alone makes this novel well worth reading.

It's always a treat to discover a new author, and a new genre. I've never read a mystery set in the Civil War times before, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The detail and sense of place gave me the impression that the author did an enormous amount of research into the personalities and the times. I can't vouch for the accuracy of his Washington scenes, but the narrator is from the Anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania, where I reside. When the action shifts to Pottsville and vicinity, and discusses some of the historical characters there, I know the author is correct, for I am well acquainted with the geography and streets of Pottsville, and other persons mentioned in the book. The accuracy is comforting, for then I know the author has the research knowledge to be true to the historical record, as far as it is necessary to advance his story. It's well-written, and I look forward to more tales of the exploits of Major Abel Jones.

Owen Parry is a new historical novelist to watch. In "Faded Coat of Blue", Parry (pseudonym of an established writer of both thought-provoking non-fiction and modern thrillers) has produced a moving and evocative protrait of Civil War-era Washington. The murder mystery carries the story along, but the book is really the chronicle of the love affair of a Welsh immigrant Indian Army veteran for his new country. Accurate in portraying time and place, the prose often becomes lyrical, conveying the touch, feel and smell of the era. As Owen Parry, the writer has achieved a new "voice", displaying a storytelling skill rarely matched. Students of American history will gain new insights into our past through the eyes of the protagonist, Abel Jones. Owen Parry and Abel Jones will be names to watch as this continuing Civil War saga unfolds in the coming years.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. With a background in history, I tend to be picky about details. I did not find one error in the historical setting of this book, which indicates a great deal of research. I suspect the author may be a moonlighting historian himself. The atmosphere is just terrific--you can smell and feel Civil War Washington--and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. But the best parts of the book were the characters--even the secondary figures seem vivid and convincing--and the quality of the writing. Although the book is easy to read, the language is poetic. I'm not an expert on accents, but they rang true to me, as well. Great dialog. The historical figures live and breathe, but Abel Jones, the narrator, is the real treasure of the book. A great personality, quirky, cantankerous, and quietly admirable. In summary, this book is first-rate from page one to the end, and well worth picking up, whether or not you normally read mysteries or historical fiction. I noticed it because of the review in the Washington Post and was not disappointed. I await the next book in the series. A fine reading experience!

American readers' two loves, Civil War and mystery, brought together in a single work.The author's period research and understanding of soldiers and the American Civil War is informative and entertaining. The story's narrator is an emotionally engaging and keen observer who tells a suspenseful story. The other characters, as well, possess depth whose experiences offer insight to day to day life in mid-19th century America. The book is a compelling read that had to be finished in a couple of sittings. I look forward to the next installment for a delightful education and escape into an interesting period of American history.

I grew up reading C.S. Forester, Kenneth Roberts, Neil Swanson, F. van Wyck Mason, Conrad Richter, Robert Lewis Taylor and many, many other fine historical fiction writers. Then, in the 1970s the genre seemed to disappear. (With one or two exceptions, Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey/Maturin series foremost.) In its place came these awful Gothic historical romance things. Today, my large local bookstore has a big section called "Historical Fiction" that is filled with these Fabio-on-the-cover novels that surely must please someone, but not me. Those are not historical fiction, in my book, excuse the pun. But I picked up FADED COAT OF BLUE by Owen Parry and found excellent writing, good historical fact, an interesting protagonist and a great read. I would recommend this book to anyone who remembers the good old days of fictional history. Abel Jones is an unusual and perhaps unlikely hero, but he's got guts and determination. I look forward to more in this series.

It is rare that a novel comes along which is so taut, so compelling, so beautifully wrought as is "Faded Coat of Blue." Meticulously researched and painted in the most intriguing hues of chiaroscuro this is a novel to capture the reader's attention and hold it though to the shocking end. Such a writer is Owen Parry that you will find yourself slowing down as you near the end of this work simply because you do not want it to end. A mesmerizing reconstruction of a time, place, and society far removed from our everyday experience this gripping tale of suspense draws the reader ever deeper into a dark labyrinth of murder, corruption, and conspiracy set against the backdrop of America's Civil War. The protagonist, Captain Abel Jones is the most unlikely of heroes, a taciturn Welsh immmigrant, veteran of Her Majesty's colonial wars and would-be pacifist drawn much against his wishes into his adopted country's civil war. Disabled at Bull Run, Jones turns his attentions from the fields of battle to more mundane duties as a quartermaster officer trying desperately to ensure that clothing contracted for the army is actually delivered. He seems the least likely candidate to become a sleuth but when duty calls -- in the form of General McClellan -- a sleuth he becomes and easily on a par with the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes. It is a chore Abel Jones would rather not tackle but he is a prisoner of his conscience, his sense of duty, and of his moral convictions which propel him ever forward in his quest for the truth -- however demoralizing that truth may be. More than historical fiction, more than a Civil War tale, more than a murder mystery, "Faded Coat of Blue" is a spellbinding trip back through time and space to a world touched by fire and washed by the blood of patriots. Owen Parry's touch is nothing short of masterful. From the fetid back alleys of wartime Washington to the rarified decadence of the Philadelphia aristocracy, from the lilting rhythms of Welsh dialect to the subtle idiosyncracies of a volunteer army and the society from which it is drawn, not a word, not a phrase, not an expression is out of place. Those who have thrilled to the adventures of Holmes and Watson or, more recently, the exploits of Aubrey and Maturin, will rush to embrace a new set of literary heroes - the steadfast and tenacious Captain Abel Jones and his companion, the erudite and quietly compassionate Doctor Michael Tyrone. As a fellow novelist and avid reader I am in awe of the talents of Owen Parry and delighted by the arrival of this new series. This is not to be missed.

This is a true gem of a novel that is a masterpiece of two genres, mystery and historical fiction. It is a superbly written, skillfully plotted novel set during the early stages of the Civil War when the North still hadnt realized the enormity of the situation it faced. Owen Parry brilliantly brings to life the era with his detailed and unglamorous portrayals of Washington and Philadelphia.

Abel Jones, a wounded Civil War hero, is as interesting a protagonist as any I have ever read in mystery fiction. He has to find his way through corruption, racism and deception to get to the bottom of the murder of a well-loved abolitionist. Along the way, he meets up with several notable figures from the war, including General McClellan and Abe Lincoln himself. There are several twists and the plot moves along at a perfect pace, all leading up to a powerful conclusion.

I have read many Civil War books, both fiction and nonfiction, and this easily ranks along side such memorable favorites as The Killer Angels and A Stillness at Appomattox. If you are a fan of mystery and/or historical fiction you must read this novel.