Customer Reviews

The Queen of Bedlam

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great sequel to "Speaks the Nightbird" that continues the story of early Americas first detective(in McCammons early fictional America that is!). This book is great ...but to be honest I did not find it as good as "Speaks the Nightbird'...but never the less it is a worthwild read.One reviewer said the book was boring...that is nonsense....I found it very engaging the first 300 pages .The last 300 pages is when the action really picks up and picks up it does. It is hard to put down.
It does have a cliffhanger...( without giving it away I do not know how the main character can resolve what seems like an impossible conflict) but knowing McCammon he will pull it off in the next book.If you liked "Speaks the nightbird" you will love this book and the charcters that populate it.If you have not read "Speaks the nightbird" read that one first...even though this is a stand alone story the first book establishes the lead charcter and will richly enhance your enjoyment of the second book as you witness the growth of the main charcter.

For the many of Robert McCammon's fans, it couldn't be a more wonderful experience than to finally have him back writing again after such a long period of inactivity. Known primarily for his horror fiction from the late seventies to the early nineties, Mr. McCammon said goodbye to the publishing industry when they refused to accept any writing from him, except that which pertained to the horror genre. One of his unpublished novels from the early nineties (Speaks the Nightbird) eventually made it into print five years ago. This is the historical novel that first introduces Matthew Corbett to the reading public. The positive reception of this book by the reading public was nearly overwhelming and certainly encouraged Mr. McCammon to write other books with Matthew Corbett as the lead character. In fact, The Queen of Bedlam is the second book in this highly suspenseful series, which takes place in Colonial America. The author is now at work on the third "Matthew Corbett novel and has plans to write at least two more books in this new series. I just hope that I'm around to read them when they're finally finished.

Though I don't generally read historical novels, Speaks the Nightbird certainly hooked me with its dark intensity and the need for its young protagonist, Matthew Corbett, to see justice prevail at all costs. Because I enjoyed this particular novel so much, I naturally sought out the second book in the series, The Queen of Bedlam, and wasn't disappointed with Mr. McCammon's unique gift for storytelling.

The Queen of Bedlam picks up with the character of Matthew Corbett a few years after his experiences in the Carolinas, having saved a woman from being burned at the stake for the practice of witchcraft. It's the summer of 1702, and Matthew is now the clerk for Magistrate Powers in New York City. While attempting to gather enough evidence to have Eben Ausley (the head of the orphanage where Matthew grew up as a teenager) arrested for his crimes of child molestation, our young clerk gets caught up in the murders of a doctor and a successful businessman. The killings are identical, and the murderer is quickly dubbed The Masker by the local coroner and newspaper. But that isn't all. While attempting to solve the mystery behind the two murders and the identity of the Masker, Matthew is also approached by the lovely owner of the Herrald Agency to become a member of its staff of detectives, probably the first such agency of its kind in both England and America. Since Matthew is a natural born problem solver, he accepts the invitation and is eventually led to a lady in an asylum who may have the answers to his questions about the serial killer stalking the streets of New York City. Poor Matthew, however, soon finds himself over his head as he comes to the attention of an underground criminal organization that is led by the notorious and secretive Professor Fell. Matthew has information that they want, and the criminals won't hesitate to kill those closest to him in order to attain it. Our young clerk will certainly have to summon all of his strength and wisdom and problem-solving abilities to survive the ordeals that are suddenly cast upon him.

This riveting novel continues with the excellence of Speaks the Nightbird by drawing the reader into the life and times of Colonial American and early New York City. The author has a knack for making the historic details fascinating, rather than boring. One is swiftly caught up in the nightlife and dark streets of what will soon be a metropolitan city as the character of Matthew Corbett tries to catch the Masker in the act of murder. Not only that, but all of the characters that present themselves within the novel are colorful and intriguing: Lord Cornbury who likes to dress up in drag during public meetings, Hudson Greathouse who will become Matthew's mentor and teach him the intricacies of fencing and to fight with a killer's instinct, Marmaduke Grigsby who is the creator of New York City's first tabloid and has a nose for good stories, Berry Grigsby, his young red-headed daughter, who seems to always have a black cloud of doom following close behind; yet, wins Matthew's heart with her bravery and self-determination, Polly Blossom who is New York City's most famous madam, and a score of others. The story line is complex, yet it never drags and keeps the reader guessing from chapter to chapter as to what will happen next. In other words, this is great story telling, and few authors do it as good as Robert McCammon. This is also a book that will have you eager to read more of the series. I know that I didn't want the book to end and could've easily read another two-to-three hundred pages. Now, I have to wait another year before the next novel comes out. At least it won't a five-year wait!

As Robert McCammon said in a recent interview, when he felt the urge to finally write again, he wanted to create something that he would enjoy reading. This gave birth to the historical series, featuring Matthew Corbett. The author chose well and will have a new legion of fans awaiting anxiously for his next book. Highly recommended!

I eagerly anticipated the sequel to "Speaks the Nightbird" and it was worth the wait. In "Queen of Bedlam" we again meet law clerk Matthew Corbett who fought to prove the innocence of an accused witch in "Speaks..." This time Corbett is on the trail of a serial killer as well as seeking justice for the abused children in the orphanage where he grew up. McCammon has an incredible ability to transport the reader to New York in 1702. This book is full of suspense as well as humor. I enjoy a,well written,historical mystery as well as the writing of Robert McCammon. "The Queen of Bedlam" gives a healthy dose of both.

For those of you looking for a horror novel from Mr. McCammon, this is not the book you are looking for. But give it a read anyway. And don't be daunted by it's apparent length. It's a relatively fast read that belies its 600+ pages.

As I read this, I thought Mr. McCammon must have had fun writing the book. I certainly had a lot of fun reading it. Besides being a good detective story, with good guys, bad guys, and eccentrics abounding in an early 1700s New York setting, there is a good bit of humor in the book. I was laughing out loud picturing the new governor's appearance in front of the city's 18th century movers and shakers. Among my favorite lines in the book is one dealing with the silver pocket watch that took a licking . . ., and another summing up the business philosophy of Polly Blossom, who runs the city's highbrow house of ill repute. I'll let you discover that gem for yourself.

I hope this is not the last we see of Matthew Corbett, Hudson Greathouse, Marmaduke Grigsby and the crew. Highly recommended.

I suppose McCammon is revving up for an entire Matthew Corbett/Harrald Agency series, which is fine by me. Initially, I was distressed to hear that one of my favorite authors was retiring several years ago, but he returned with the awesome "Speaks the Nightbird" and seems to have retained that steam and acquired a new creative direction. I still might long for the McCammon of old but this new stuff is just so much fun to read I'm ready to travel with him as long as he continues to produce books of this caliber.

At 600+ pages it reads so smoothly and swiftly I could have easily read 600 more. Considering that McCammon has chosen to write his latest novels in a more formal and slightly archaic language, it's a testament to his skill that the work never comes off as stilted or pretentious. Also on display are McCammon's unique gifts for setting up suspense with gratifying payoffs. He never cheats his readers or insults our intelligence. Also, I have to say that the climax of the book literally had me gritting my teeth and holding the book tighter, as corny as that sounds.

So, this is officially a gushing review and a statement that I can't wait for the next volume.

SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD was an incredible novel and easily went onto my list of top 20 books that I've read in my lifetime. Now McCammon honors us with a sequel, THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM, that totally stands on it's own and immerces the reader into a believable, convincing 18th century tale of shady characters, noble heroes, mysterious circumstances, horrendous murders, the political state of the time, numerous secretive past lives and most importantly - a sense of time and place that you can hear, touch and smell. The man does his research. You totally lose yourself into the novel's abundance of intrigue and care about the characters and their fates to the point of being emotionally drained at the end of each chapter. The last 100 pages will have you gasping to catch your breath!

I've been a huge McCammon fan since first reading MYSTERY WALK after reading a glowing review of that novel in the New York Times. Each of his books offer the reader a thrilling and unique experience. If you've not tried McCammon then THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM would be a good place to start. His writing is flawless and his imagination soars. Thank you Robert McCammon for giving me many sleepless nights as I absorb your creative world!

So, I have just finished reading the Queen of Bedlam, a sequel of sorts to Speaks the Nightbird. Young Matthew Corbett is back. In brief, I liked this story. It was a bit slow to begin within, but McCammon is creating a new backdrop on which the drama is to play out (near the turn of the 18th century New York), so this is expected. Historical fiction does require some work in that regard but McCammon doesn't belabor things in that regard. In all though the development of the story and ending was quite good.

Like Speaks the Nightbird, this is a murder mystery (a serial killer). McCammon creates a rich cast of characters and lots of twists and turns, some obvious, some less so in Matthew endeavoring to solve these crimes. His characters, as always, have depth and are believable. You like some, hate others, and find some pitiable or just plain loathe. He assiduously avoids the lazy deus ex machina, where is characters are suddenly blessed with profound insight or profound skills to get his story out of a hole, as you see so often nowadays with less capable writers. There is no cheating or shortcut taking here. And, as always, his description and dialog is neither too extensive or too threadbare, just right. He seeks neither to belabor, preach, pontificate or manipulate the reader through a contrived story. His plotting is tight, though not without the odd red herring.

If you're expecting Boys Life circa 1700 you're in the wrong book. Regarding myself as a fan of McCammon, I neither want another nor expect another Boy's Life. The one he gave us was perfect and sufficient. This tale continued to reinforce my belief in an author who takes risk with his work and doesn't work in a comfort zone. He tries new things, experiments, giving the reader a new, deep experience with each book. This is something I look forward to and I was not disappointed with here either. For, though it is a sequel of sort to Speaks the Nightbird, it is a standalone story as well. Apart from Matthew Corbett, there is little to connect them, so one is not a prerequisite for the other. Though I would recommend reading 'Nightbird' first, just because it is quite a treat. On the flipside, it contains all the McCammon trademarks.

So I have to say I find little to disappoint about the story. Perhaps my one complaint is that the dialog is a little 'modern' at times. But then, I'd rather having it like this than in almost unreadable old english. It's a long read at 600+ pages, but I would think of much worse ways of spending the time. He does take his time in developing the story so if you're an instant gratification type person, you might find this a little bit of a struggle. Whereas if you do like a well crafted, well developed, well researched and well written murder-mystery tale, then this is not too bad at all. There's a lot to savor! Enjoy!

A decent (and lighter) sequel to Speaks the Nightbird. McCammon is definitely setting up a series with Matthew Corbett. The plot was intelligent and complex and there was a surprising amount of humor in the book. Just a fun read. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. I'm looking forward to reading more about Corbett in the years to come.

I would read a shopping list written by McCammon. I am in awe of his ability to describe places and characters. The fact that he also has the imagination to create wonderful plots, is the cherry on the ice cream.

An example:

"Suddenly old wild-haired Hooper Gillespie stood up and said in his raspy wind-weathered voice, 'See here sir! I've got a problem needs fixin!'"

See how much he tells the reader in one sentence?

The richness of description takes you into the world of New York in 1702 with such ease that when you do happen to close the book at the end of a chapter there is a moment of reorientation while you re-enter the modern day.

Read this book if you love adventure, great characters and a page-turning plot.

The Queen of Bedlam is the sequel to McCammon's masterpiece Speaks the Nightbird starring law clerk Matthew Corbett. Matthew is back, this time in 1702 New York City working as a clerk to a magistrate and spending his evenings stalking the headmaster from his former orphanage. Before Matthew takes things into his own hands, a serial killer starts killing and mutilating businessmen, including the headmaster, and Matthew wants to know who else hated the man enough to do him such violence. Matthew is also invited to work for an early private investigation firm that takes him to an insane asylum to determine the identity of a beautifully and rich older woman who says nothing except to ask if the king's reply has arrived. Matthew's fierce sense of justice and what is right sends him on many quests that somehow end up tied together and of course endanger his life. You know how it feels when you ride on a roller coaster? The slow rise to the first hill that stretches your nerves to their limit followed by swoops and spins that leave you reeling and breathless leading up to the sick feeling of wanting it to be over while at the same time hoping it never ends? That's a Robert McCammon book. I don't know how to describe it any better than that.