The Italian Secretary
The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr.
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin(October 27, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0312352042
Caleb Carr's novel, The Alienest, was a blockbuster international bestseller and positioned its author as a modern master of the historical thriller. Now, Carr reaches back further, to the age of opium dens and Jack the Ripper, when fictional detective Sherlock Holmes made the science of murder as real as the gore on a killer's hands…
FOUL WHISPERINGS…
Mycroft Holmes's encoded message to his brother, Sherlock, is unsubtle enough even for Dr. Watson to decipher: a matter concerning the safety of Queen Victoria herself calls them to Edinburgh's Holyroodhouse to investigate the confounding and gruesome deaths of two young men--horrific incidents that took place with Her Highness in residence. The victims were crushed in a manner surpassing human power. And while recent attempts on Her Majesty's life raise a number of possibilities, these intrigues also seem strangely connected to an act of evil that took place centuries earlier…
…UNNATURAL DEEDS
For indeed, the slaying of David Rizzio, music master and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots, was an extraordinarily brutal and treacherous act--even for a time when brutality and treachery were the order of the day. Now, the ghosts of Holyroodhouse are being reawakened by someone with a diabolical agenda of greed, madness, and terror as Holmes and Watson set out to trap a killer who is eager to rewrite history in blood...
This is my second book by Caleb Carr, the first being The Alienist.
This is a Sherlock Holmes story. Generally, I am not the biggest fan of Holmes books that aren't by Doyle, but since I liked the writing of the first Carr book I decided to give it a go.
His writing is really good. The old Holmes language is used and I had no problem hearing Basil Rathbone's voice for Sherlock. (As much as I love Benedict Cumberbatch, Basil Rathbone will always remain the "original"). Carr used the familiar characters of Watson and Mycroft, but put them in Scotland instead of Baker Street. Still if you are a Holmes fan, even if Doyle isn't the author I would say you would like this book.
The only problem, at all, that I had with this book was, "Holyroodhouse". I won't tell you how many times I read "Hollywoodhouse".. *sigh*.
This would be a good "carry along" book. Not big in pages and there's not many who don't like Sherlock!
posted by DesLily | 2:03 PM
3 Comments:
Geez Lady--you are putting the rest of us to shame when it comes to RIP reads! (Well, you're putting me to shame anyway! I suppose I shouldn't speak for anyone else. :P ) And it really does sound like you're reading some real winners too!
Debi can speak for me too. LOL! I'm just coming to the end of my second book. I forget how many you've read but am sure you're way ahead of me. Well done, Sis. And this sounds excellent. I've got a Holmes that's not by ACD to read too.
Cath & Debi..
well 2 of the recent books have been really short books. (this and Woman in Black) The constant storms we've been having for weeks now have kept me inside more than usual (actually I go nowhere anyway) it does seem like I do nothing but read lately. Not that that's bad! I really don't know what's going on with me lately.. but it doesn't all feel "good". oh well.. actually I listed 3 books for RIP (not this one) and it just doesn't feel right without Carl so I am reading what I want...which most would fit RIP anyway lol...
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