From Publishers Weekly
Hercule Poirot, the celebrated Belgian sleuth visits the sleepy English village of Warmsley Vale to check into the background of Gordon Cloade, supposedly a victim of the London Blitz. He had wed an attractive young widow, the former Mrs. Underhay, now the sole possessor of the Cloade family fortune. The deceased's sister-in-law told Poirot that "spirits" informed her that the widow's first husband is still among the living, raising suspicions about Cloade's demise. Fraser's tone at once reassures listeners that, just as on television, they are in capable hands. He does a fine job creating a variety of character voices, distinguishing one from another with clarity but without excessive flamboyance.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Death Comes as the End / Agatha Christie
Reviews
"Startlingly new! my already insensate admiration for her leaps even higher." Observer "More realistic than many a thriller-writer's idea of London." Evening Standard "A fascinating problem! baffling the most perspicacious reader." Scotsman "A decided novelty -- startling in all directions." Weekly Book Review "As ingenious and baffling as ever." Daily Sketch "Besides giving us a mystery story quite up to her own high standards, Agatha Christie has succeeded admirably in picturing the people of ancient Egypt as living persons and not as resurrected mummies." New York Times
"Startlingly new! my already insensate admiration for her leaps even higher." Observer "More realistic than many a thriller-writer's idea of London." Evening Standard "A fascinating problem! baffling the most perspicacious reader." Scotsman "A decided novelty -- startling in all directions." Weekly Book Review "As ingenious and baffling as ever." Daily Sketch "Besides giving us a mystery story quite up to her own high standards, Agatha Christie has succeeded admirably in picturing the people of ancient Egypt as living persons and not as resurrected mummies." New York Times
The Lost Symbol / Dan Brown
From Amazon.com review
The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters.
--Daphne Durham
The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters.
--Daphne Durham
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