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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"She had a gift and a taste for creating mayhem.",
By
This review is from: A Fall from Grace: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
Robert Barnard's "A Fall from Grace" is a stylish and subtle psychological murder mystery with several clever twists and turns and an ending that will catch most readers by surprise. Detective Inspector Charlie Peace and his pregnant wife, Felicity, are more than a little chagrined when Felicity's father, writer Rupert Coggenhoe, announces that he is moving to their Yorkshire village, Slepton Edge. Felicity makes no secret of the fact that she dislikes her "self-obsessed, manipulative, and unfeeling" father intensely and she would prefer that he stay away from her and her four-year-old daughter, Carola. However, since he is offering to partially finance a new house for Felicity's growing family, the Peaces can scarcely turn Rupert down. They purchase a new house for themselves and a nearby bungalow for Rupert.
Rupert settles in and becomes a minor celebrity, but all is not peaceful in Slepton Edge. A sadistic, clever, and worldly fifteen-year old named Anne Michaels has become the village instigator and she is stirring up all kinds of trouble. First, she induces a younger group of children to chant threateningly outside the homes of newcomers; later, she curries favor with Rupert and insinuates herself into his life, with unforeseen and horrifying consequences. "A Fall from Grace" is a breath of fresh air, since it deviates from the formulaic fiction that is churned out by lesser writers. Barnard's characters are original and intriguing: Desmond Pinkhurst is a sardonic actor who was known for lightweight roles in his youth. He is now both exhilarated and terrified, since he is about to make his comeback in Ibsen's "The Wild Duck." Dr. Chris Carlson is a warm and sympathetic physician and artist, who has given up the practice of medicine. He acts as a sounding board or "agony aunt" for the townspeople who rely on his sound judgment; he also aspires to run for mayor as an independent so that he can fight for needed reforms. Inspector Ben Costello is a local policeman who takes charge of an investigation into a man's death that could possibility be a homicide, but might just as easily be ruled accidental. Although this case is outside Charlie's jurisdiction, he and Felicity decide to make discreet inquiries of their own. The lives of these and other people ultimately intersect in unexpected ways, and although there is some closure at the end, some key questions remain unanswered. In his understated way, Barnard shows that evil, selfishness, and altruism can and do exist side by side, and the search for justice often proves to be elusive. Fortunately, good and decent men and women like Charlie and Felicity Peace are willing to stick their necks out to dig underneath the surface and uncover the truth.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Barnard Sure Can Create Nasty Characters,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Fall from Grace: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
This is the thirty-ninth entry for prolific British crime novelist Robert Barnard. In this outing his protagonist is Inspector Charlie Peace. In most of his books he has avoided a series detective, but he has used Charlie and his wife Felicity before. The wife's father is a real ogre, a writer who exploits everyone around him. Now he wants to buy Felicity a house and move in with them. Instead they buy a bungalow near them for him.
A gang of kids, privileged because they are in the drama stream of the local school, are terrorizing newcomers to the village. Their leader, Anne, is a loathsome bit of work, vicious and felonious. Barnard, perhaps with a touch of misanthropy and cynicism, is particularly good at delineating nasty characters. He's great at presenting British village life; his pub scenes are fun; and he creates vivid characters. This is not one of his best efforts, but as usual it is fast-paced, witty, and an easy read. You won't get bogged down in a Barnard novel. The ending is slightly disappointing. For me, his best book to date has been "A Scandal in Belgravia."
5.0 out of 5 stars
robert barnard,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Fall from Grace: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
This is a great writer. His stories are always unique and enjoyable reading, no matter what your favorite subjects.
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