Watery grave [Import] [Hardcover]

Bruce ALEXANDER (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown; 1st ed edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316881007
• ISBN-13: 978-0316881005
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good yarn, but lacks Alexander's usual historical accuracy, October 28, 1997

By 

Anthony Morris QC <[e-mail]... (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watery Grave (Sir John Fielding) (Hardcover)

Perhaps the most attractive feature of Alexander's previous works - Blind Justice and Murder in Grubb Street - is their uncompromising historical accuracy. As a lawyer (Queen's Counsel), I can attest to the validity of Alexander's depiction of the administration of justice in 18th Century England. One can quibble with some of his characterizations: for example, his portrayal of Lord Chief Justice Mansfield hardly fits with the image of the jurist who declared that a slave becomes a free man as soon as he sets foot on English soil. And his use of modern Americanisms - such as "hung" rather than "hanged" as the past participle of the verb "to hang" when referring to execution by hanging - tends to grate when applied to the supposed dialogue of 18th Century Londoners. But, by and large, Alexander manages well, both to capture the atmosphere of the era, and also to satisfy even the most pedantic critic of his historicism. Shadowy Grave is therefore slightly disappointing. Speaking also as a former naval officer, I found that Alexander's mastery of the atmosphere in London's streets of the 18th Century does not, unfortunately, extend to a mastery of the atmosphere aboard ships of the Royal Navy of that time. And, by transferring the court-room dramatics from a civil court to a naval court martial, Alexander has exposed some weaknesses in his knowledge of authentic naval procedures and traditions. Still, fans of Alexander's previous works will enjoy Watery Grave. If the plot is, at times, a little far-fetched, it is still plausible and makes for an exciting narrative. It is to be hoped that Alexander will continue this exceptionally good series, although preferably keeping his feet on dry land and sticking to the historical subjects which he knows best and evokes so effectively.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Watery Grave, December 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Watery Grave (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

Watery Grave is the continued story (the third installment) of the story of Jeremy Proctor and his mentor Sir John Fielding. One does not have to read the second book (I hadn't) to understand the events.

Alexander's writing and plotting have improved and become more ambitious in the interim. Watery Grave involves a murder (perhaps) committed on board a ship during a storm; the subsequent investigation turns up a rat's nest of corruption and pits land- and sea-based legal jurisdictions against one another. We also learn how Fielding lost his sight. I wanted to see more of what happened on the ship, and I felt that the end of the novel was quite disappointing. What should be devastating courtroom scenes are skipped over, given little impact, and largely told rather than shown. Careful readers will also find at least one minor continuity error. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining book featuring some interesting characters, particularly the perceptive Fielding.

After having written this review I noted that another reviewer thought there were historical errors. I don't know enough about the period to judge whether that's correct or not, but if so it should be counted as a serious flaw in the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Series Starts Here, March 7, 2007

By 

Michele T. Woodward (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watery Grave ` a (A Sir John Fielding Mystery) (Paperback)

I love a good mystery. A mystery set in England is even better. A mystery set in England in the 1700s is a ten-strike! Have you read any of Bruce Alexander's books in the Sir John Fielding series? Starting with "Watery Grave", the reader follows the career of Sir John Fielding, a blind judge. Based on a historical character, Sir John actually lived in the 1700s and was the first judge to develop a regular constabulary -- the legendary Bow Street Runners. His brother, Henry Fielding, wrote the classic "Tom Jones". The narrator is a young boy, Jeremy Proctor, who becomes Sir John's ward and protege. We see London through the eyes of this child -- as he grows into manhood.

Bruce Alexander's language is rich and evocative of the times. The mysteries are anything but derivative and often solved in completely surprising ways. Courts handled crimes so differently in the 18th century -- and most people lived in squalid conditions which Alexander captures honestly. These books are not "chick lit" -- in fact, men may enjoy them even more than women! I'd suggest you start with the first book in the series and work your way along so you can get the most of the character development and big picture. Enjoy!