Customer Reviews

The Graveyard Position

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

 

 

After more than two decades abroad, Merlyn Docherty has returned to the bosom of his family, the Cantelos, to attend the funeral of his beloved Aunt Clarissa. However, the Cantelos are less than thrilled to see Merlyn. Some of them are even accusing him of being an impostor who wants to get his hands on Clarissa's estate. Merlyn soon suspects that the Cantelo family is hiding something from him, and he intends to find out what it is--unless, of course, someone kills him first.

Robert Barnard's "The Graveyard Position" is a talky and occasionally amusing psychological mystery about a dysfunctional and mean-spirited family. Grandfather Cantelo, the patriarch, was a vicious and self-centered man who brought up his large brood to compete with one another. As a result, the Cantelo family is comprised of bitter and suspicious misfits rather than loving and cooperative relatives. When Merlyn gets to know the Cantelos, he finds them to be a repellant bunch. However, he needs to stick around long enough to prove that he is indeed Merlyn and to claim his rightful inheritance.

Most of this book consists of long-winded conversations between Merlyn and his family, the police, and people who knew the Cantelos over the years. In addition, Merlyn reminisces about his troubled childhood, and he does his own research into the Cantelo family history. Ultimately, he unearths an explosive secret that his family has been taking great pains to hide for many years. All of this adds up to an intermittently engrossing, but rather tame, novel, in which the author tries to be funny and serious at the same time. Barnard's story does provide valuable insight into the stresses that can tear families apart, and there are some genuinely funny moments here and there. However, the "The Graveyard Position" lacks the suspense and the satirical bite that has made Barnard so effective in the past.

I have read only a few of Barnard's mysteries and hadnt made
up my mind about him. "Graveyard Position" cinched it for me.
Merlyn Cantelo inherits his late aunt Clarissa,s money and
home. Clarissa was a clairvoyant and just happened to be
most likely the sanest member of the totally dysfunctional
Cantelo Family. Clarisse sent Merlyn away years ago as she
feared for his safety and now hearing of her death he returns
for her funeral and finds he still has to fear for his safety-
from his own family. I don't like many present day mysteries
having mainly preferred late 1800's and early 1900's mysteries-
best ever written but I am glad I decided to read this book.
Now I will have to go out and bring myself up on other
Barnard mysteries.

When his beloved Aunt Clarissa dies, Merlyn Cantelo returns home after decades abroad to claim his inheritance. He's welcomed by his dysfunctional extended family with suspicion and acrimony, which is par for the course, really, for this family: historically the Cantelos have only united in purpose when that purpose was a malevolent one. Merlyn sets to digging up old scandals and consequently makes himself a target, which is something his prescient Aunt had in fact long worried about, the reason for his being sent abroad in the first place. The Graveyard Position is an odd little book with a number of problems. The conversations are implausible, and assumptions are jumped to without good reason--even if they do prove to be true. The degree to which the police get involved in Merlyn's predicament--even before a crime is committed--is surprising. A manuscript is discovered that could shed light on much of the Cantelo family's history, but that thread peters out after a while. What's so odd about the book, though, is its general tone. Although published just a handful of years ago, it reads like something from Agatha Christie's era. Only a few modern references suggest that it wasn't. Readable enough, but the more you think about it the more small problems you're likely to spot.

-- Debra Hamel

Robert Barnard, one of the living legends of British mystery writing, stands out with originality and stylish prose. He never writes the same book twice, and his twists and turns are logical and believable.
In this novel he is as stylish as always. Unfortunately the plot line is dull and repetative.
The notorious Cantelo family is just not that interesting. And the puzzle is not as fresh as we expect from this beloved author.
Even a grand master of this genre can occassionaly write less then perfect book. Still, it is way better than most of the drivel published these days.

This was a disappointment as was the last Barnard book I read, BONES IN THE ATTIC. This one is so low on plot I struggled to finish because one can take only so much talk with nothing interesting happening. Struggle I did, and did not get a payoff worthy of hours of reading.

I really hate to "bash" this author too much because of the many books of his I have enjoyed -- the earlier writing seems so much better.

Three stars instead of two because of the clever character names -- love the British!

Robert Barnard, currently lives with his wife in Yorkshire. He was born in Essex on 23 November, 1936. Educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College, Oxford, taking his Ph.D. from the University of Bergen, Norway, in 1972, he spent many years as a distinguished academic while establishing himself as one of today's most distinguished crime writers. His fascination with the pure detective story is evident in his many novels.

Merlyn Cantelo returns to his home town of Leeds. He has come back to the city to claim the house of a late aunt. An aunt, who adopted him after a tormented early childhood. His late aunt had a `gift.' She was known as a medium or as she preferred to be called a clairvoyant. She had predicted that there would be violence in Merlyn's future life and had suggested to him that he should live abroad with her distant family in Italy.

Now Merlyn has returned to Leeds, a place that has both good and bad memories for him. Now that he is back is he about to find out the real truth about his aunt's prediction . . .

Great read. Not the usual characters for Barnard, but a great read nonetheless

Robert Barnard's books are a mixed bag. This is not one of the best. Merlyn (occasionally spelled Merlin in the book I read) was mysteriously sent away from home at the age of 16 by his Aunt Clarissa because she was afraid he was in danger. With that notable exception, he has been completely out of touch with his family for over 15 years.

Upon his aunt's death, he returns. Some of the family are sceptical of his identity, but he quickly establishes his bona fides by means of DNA testing. In fact, later in the book, DNA testing becomes a quick fix to the solution of an attempted murder. As a plot twist, "never mind there's no proof or witnesses, a DNA test will prove you're guilty" is a little facile.

Much is made of the fact that Aunt Clarissa is a clairvoyant, but it doesn't really fit into the plot in any meaningful way. Also, the idea that the personalities of an entire family would be warped by a competition among the kids for allowance money is a little strange. It seems all kinds of behavior might result from that, not just that they are all competitive with each other.

In sum, pretty superficial.

Attorney Merlyn Docherty returns to England after twenty years living in Brussels for the funeral of his Aunt Clarissa Cantelo, a noted spiritualist. He is also the heir to the Cantelo empire, which angers his extended family; many of whom feel he is an imposter as the real Merlyn has been assumed dead for years.

Rather than sit back while his relatives pick apart his bones like vultures and believing that a dark secret is being concealed from him, Merlyn investigates the Cantelo clan. He especially wants to learn what is being hid and to ascertain the complex coalitions so as to determine who might prove a trustworthy ally. As Merlyn begins to put together the puzzle, one of his loving relatives tries to kill him, upping the ante.

THE GRAVEYARD POSITION is more a bittersweet family drama than an amateur sleuth tale. Merlyn is the only sympathetic character as his clan is used as hyperbole as the family from hell, making the case of nurturing can be hazardous to one's well being. The support cast is so ugly especially towards Merlyn but also somewhat with one another that each illicit scorn from the reader. Thus the dialogues, which are the key device of the plot, are amusing but also overdone, losing somewhat Robert Bernard's sharp wit. Though no BONES IN THE ATTIC, fans will cherish his latest family skeletons in the closet mystery.

Harriet Klausner