Angels in the Gloom: A Novel (World War One Novels) (Hardcover)

by Anne Perry (Author)
Key Phrases: Theo Blaine, Captain Reavley, Ben Morven (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This powerful and intense third novel in Perry's WWI series (after 2004's Shoulder the Sky) continues the Reavley family's anguished search for the "Peacemaker," a shadowy figure responsible for their parents' murders two years earlier, and now intent on Anglo-German world domination as a means toward world peace. After Chaplain Joseph Reavley is badly wounded in Flanders attempting to rescue fellow Brits under fire, he returns home to bucolic St. Giles for rehabilitation, but finds the village consumed by issues raised by the war. Perry's deeply held antiwar feelings are again apparent in this moving story in which "the searing scarlet of grief" destroys families of loved ones lost in the service, and the local vicar questions fundamental beliefs in the wake of mounting casualties. When Theo Blaine, a scientist working on a secret weapon to end the war, is mysteriously slain, the town is torn apart by fears of a spy in their midst. Joseph's brother, Matthew, an intelligence expert, must work with seductive Irish double agent Detta Hannassey to determine the extent of Germany's knowledge of Britain's war strategies, despite his revulsion for her duplicity. A climactic U-boat hunt and naval battle conclude this stirring work.
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From Booklist
The third entry in Perry's World War I series moves from the horror of the trenches to the English countryside, where chaplain Joseph Reavley, wounded at the front, has returned to recuperate under his sister's Hannah's care. Still fresh is his grief for their parents, both killed by the mysterious Peacemaker, who, in the guise of seeking an end to the conflict, is sabotaging Britain's war effort. The murder of a scientist whose work might have ensured Allied success leads Joseph (and his brother, Matthew, who works for British intelligence) on a twisted trail that they hope will lead to the Peacemaker. As in previous books in this series and in her Victorian detective series, Perry creates a meticulously detailed backdrop, whether home front or frontlines, while leaving plenty of room for her characters to contemplate issues of honor, loyalty, and love: Will Joseph return to the front or minister to the bereft at home? Will Matthew's growing affection for Irish double agent Detta Hannassey interfere with his mission? The characters, familiar now after two books, grow stronger and richer here, as Perry illuminates the emotional and physical character of war and asks the inevitable question, At what cost peace? Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345456564
• ISBN-13: 978-0345456564
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,028 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best yet, November 6, 2005

By	Tosca "bookaholic" (Georgia) - See all my reviews

I was a little surprised at the reviewer who thought that the quality of this series was not up to the Pitt and Wolf series. My opinion is that it's quite the opposite. I have enjoyed Perry's earlier works but considered them a little lightweight. This WWI series is anything but. I think the author wrestles admirably with some timeless issues - war, is it ever justified, at what cost? does God exist? if he/she does, what difference does it make? etc. I love the characters and have gotten great benefit out of the general philosophical debates. True, the 'mysteries' in this series are not terribly compelling (who is the Peacemaker? Who killed the scientist?), but that is such a tangential part of the series that I would not fault her for that. I am very much looking forward to the next installment. I think this represents the author's best effort yet.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arguably Perry's most ambitious work, October 28, 2005

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

Anne Perry continues even at this late date to mystify for all the right reasons. Not content to rest on the laurels of her two historical mystery series --- one featuring William Monk, the other concerning Charlotte and Thomas Pitt --- she introduced a third that has become known as the World War I novels. ANGELS IN THE GLOOM, the third of this fine series after NO GRAVES AS YET and SHOULDER THE SKY, continues the saga of the Reavley family, or specifically the Reavley siblings ---Joseph, Matthew, Judith and Hannah --- all of whom are involved in primary or secondary roles in the British military effort during the early days of World War I.

While these tales are primarily mysteries, Perry delves into war and romance as well. Indeed, Perry's powers of description are fully revealed in ANGELS IN THE GLOOM, as her descriptions of war on land and sea are so realistic and riveting that they almost overshadow the plotlines they support. The primary mystery in this series continues to revolve around a powerful, shadowy figure known as The Peacemaker, who is determined that the hostilities will end quickly, even if it means the ultimate subjugation of Great Britain to Germany. His machinations have already caused the death of the Reavleys' parents, giving them dual reasons --- revenge and patriotism --- for bringing his actions to an end.

In the meantime Joseph, on leave to home after sustaining grievous wounds on the front lines while pursuing his duties as a chaplain, finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery when Theo Blaine is found brutally murdered in his own backyard. Blaine had been instrumental in the creation and development of a new, top-secret weapon that is certain to turn the tide of the war in Britain's favor, and his death prior to the completion of the project is potentially a lethal blow not only to the weapon but also to the war effort. There is no lack of suspects for the murder --- everyone from a clandestine German spy to Blaine's own wife is under suspicion --- and Joseph soon finds that his role of priestly confessor makes him privy to a number of village secrets that he would rather not know. Joseph is also torn as to whether his duty lies in ministering to the needs of the village citizens reeling from their personal wartime losses, or whether he should resume his post on the front.

Meanwhile, Matthew pursues his own espionage, working uneasily with an attractive double agent to whom he is feeling an unwelcome but undeniable attraction, even as he knows that her ties to the enemy doom any involvement he might otherwise entertain. Hannah, Matthew and Joseph's sister, maintains a somewhat passive role, caring for Joseph as he recovers from his wounds while at the same time tending the home fires as her husband Archie is involved in Britain's naval effort.

If anyone in the family receives short shrift in ANGELS IN THE GLOOM, it is Judith, still performing the dangerous but important work of driving an ambulance in the thick of combat on the European front. Rather, the focus is on David, who finds that the fate of a family friend depends entirely on him, and Matthew, who in the heat of battle discovers at long last the identity of The Peacemaker and has the opportunity to avenge the wrong and heartbreak done to his family.

The World War I series is arguably Perry's most ambitious work, painted upon a broad canvas that encompasses wartime England, the European front, and the war-ravaged Atlantic where England's maritime supremacy is challenged and rises to meet its penultimate test. While The Peacemaker plot, which has been the thread connecting the first three novels of this series, is ultimately resolved in ANGELS IN THE GLOOM, Perry could certainly take the series in a number of other directions. If her fans have any say in the matter, her World War I series undoubtedly will live on.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoying these WWI-based stories..., February 16, 2007

By	K. L Sadler (Freedom, Pa. USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Angels in the Gloom: A Novel (World War I) (Paperback)

I thought I had written a review about this book, but found out I hadn't. I've been reading so much about WWI both nonfictional and fictional, that I am getting behind. I am really enjoying these particular novels of Anne Perry. I've read some of her other mysteries, and though they are often good and interesting, she has not been one of my favorite authors for books that I read for enjoyment.

Perry is weaving a series about a family whose lives are altered not only by the war, but also the death of the parents of the family. The parents were murdered, and the now grown-up children of the family are not only dealing with their own families and their service to their country in the war, but they are trying to determine who killed their parents, who were apparently on to someone in British government who was trying to bring peace to the world in such a way as to force democratic countries like England and the U.S. to give up the freedoms we take so much for granted.

This particular book is about three or four books into the series and should not be read until the first ones are read. The reader will be confused if they don't know the background to the whole story. One of the main characters is a brother who chose to go into the ministry and then served overseas during the war. I cannot begin to imagine the horrors that chaplains had to deal with then, how to comfort those young men who were dying far away from home and from their families, trying to give courage to those who needed it when the war seemed so senseless and knowing the generals behind the lines were making stupid decisions.

The chaplain ends up wounded and goes home on leave. He's fed up with the war and wants to stay home with his sister and her children, and his parishioners but knows that the young men serving in France and Belgium need him. In the midst of all this, someone who is serving the war effort by creating some type of naval weapon like radar, that would serve to end the war is murdered, and again, the suspected murderer is someone called "The Peacemaker" who wants peace over freedom, and it seems he is involved with people who are high up in Germany's government. It's a bit confusing with these books, because there are so many different threads of stories going through them, it's hard to separate them all. Sometimes, it seems Perry is not keeping track of all the different story lines, but the plots are still well-done and interesting. For those of us who have studied European history, we know how closely related all the royal families were...the Germans were cousins of the British royalty, and all of them were related to the Tsars in Russia.

WWI was a horrific war, one that was or seemed to be worse than usual because of the use of trench warfare and chemical weapons, and the disregard of generals for the lives of all the young men sent out to perish. We need to be reminded of what these gallant people did, both the men who served in the war, and the British who stayed at home and supported them. I'm so glad my son will not have to be involved in something like this, but I am grateful for the freedom that we have, which was paid for so dearly at this time.

Karen SAdler