Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Mysterium
  
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Mysterium [Hardcover]

Eric P. McCormack (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Paperback --  

Book Description

December 1994
When, one by one, the normally quiet residents of a British village with a disturbing past become compulsive monologuists, and then die, reporter James Maxwell learns it is impossible to get at the truth about what is happening.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McCormack (The Paradise Motel) keeps disbelief at bay throughout this strange, ingenious riddle of a mass extermination that won't stay solved despite a confession written in ink all over the body of the man who confesses. Carrick is a fog-shrouded, former mining town-a place of coal smoke, dead bracken and heather-in the Uplands of a country identified only as the Island. Recent acts of vandalism-the mutilation of a war memorial, desecration of a cemetery, acid thrown on books at the library-are followed by the death of a shepherd, whose body is found with his lips cut off. Then a plague strikes, killing first the animals, then children and adults. Most of the victims become garrulous, in effect talking themselves to death. Could a mad poisoner be avenging the loss of 19 Carrick soldiers in the collapse of a bridge during what is referred to as "the War?" Or are the events related to the apparent accident in which enemy POWs working the Carrick Mine were drowned? James Maxwell, a cub reporter from the Capital, assists Reeve Blair (a reeve is a police official) in his investigation. Maxwell finds patterns that lead him to utterly false but intriguing conclusions.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Canadian McCormack has written a darkly obscure story that's as mesmerizing as it is mystifying. Set in the isolated British mining village of Carrick, the tale is related by newspaper reporter James Maxwell years after he learned of the town's odd history. Carrick has been the victim of several disasters: a plague that wiped out its entire population after turning its normally reserved citizens into loquacious gossips; a suspicious mining disaster during World War II that killed an entire camp of German prisoners; and a horrifying accident that collapsed a bridge and killed dozens of Carrick's male citizens. Were these disasters part of a curse, a terrible act of retribution, or the result of the town's efforts to cloak its most damaging secrets behind a web of lies? Maxwell tries to discover the elusive truth by piercing together the stories behind the lives of Carrick's leading citizens, but years after the fact, he's still uncertain about where the mystery ends and truth begins. McCormack's story will not only appeal to mystery fans, but also to readers of more literary fiction. Emily Melton

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 259 pages
  • Publisher: St Martins Pr (December 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 031211320X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312113209
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,207,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Mysterium, September 29, 2001
By 
Dr. Chronos (Grosse Pointe Park, MI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Mysterium (Hardcover)
An absolutely marvelous book.

The detective in the story visits an isolated hamlet. Where? When? We have no idea. The mystery, who is murdering the townspeople? Indeed, how are the townspeople being killed, as each perishes from entirely different symptoms? Is the motive revenge for a past mining accident involving war prisoners? Was it an accident at all? Or is this a case of romance gone bad? Is this outcome of natural disease or unnatural poisoning? Do we ever find out? It is hard to discover when the prime suspect, pinned by convincing evidence, may just as likely be the next victim.

The murders are the the mystery. The mysterium is glimpsed as the reader eventually realizes that the story is a meditation on the meaning of truth and on the meaning of knowing of truth and even of the knowability of truth. A mysterium wrapped in an enigma...

McCormack draws wonderful characters in strange circumstances with beautiful skill. I bought his book on clearance while in Stratford to see a few plays -- the impact of this Canadian author has stayed with me far longer than those now forgetten theatrical productions.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Certum quia impossibile, August 3, 2004
By 
J. Shayer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A great read with enough twists and turns to keep you going.

Later,
J.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious and Engaging, November 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Mysterium (Hardcover)
McCormack's novel is a must read. Combining elements of mystery and horror, McCormack's brilliant prose weaves a mystical and terrifying web. Dazzling, absolutely dazzling!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject