- Oncology Surgery
- Ellerbee, Linda
- Hancock
- Software Design
- Egypt
- Polar
- General AAS
- Westerns
- General AAS
- Italian
- Rhodes, Dan
- Nuclear Power
- General AAS
- Collins
- Authors A-Z
- Guthrie, Ramon
- Advanced & Intermediate
- Hamlyn
- Business, Finance & Law
- Arbitration
- Languages
- Ethiopia & Djibouti
- Productivity
- Billings, Patrick
- Agricultural Science
- Monsters, Inc.
- Judges
- Besher, Alexander
- Electric Guitar
- Hardbacks
- Some of our other sites:
- Books
- Clothing, Shoes and Accessories
- Baby Clothes and Accessories
- Cosmetics, Beauty Products and Fragrances
- Cellphones, Call Plans and Accessories
- Video Games
- DVDs
- Electronics, Gadgets and Computers
- Health and Personal Care
- Home and Garden
- Home DIY
- Jewelry
- Magazines and Newspapers
- Music Downloads
- Musical Instruments
- Office Equipment and Supplies
- Software and Games
- Sporting Goods
- Toys and Games
- Watches
- UK Books
- UK Video Games
- UK Home and Garden
- UK Electronics, Gadgets and Computers
- UK Baby Clothes and Accessories
- UK Software and Games
- UK Sporting Goods
- UK Toys and Games
Books : Fiction : Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards : Authors A-Z : W : Wishart, David
-
-
Not so long ago, crime novels set in distant periods were something of a novelty -- but now that the genre is bulging with entries, readers have learned to be just as discriminating as they are in other crime fiction fields -- novelty is no longer enough. And that's why writers such as David Wishart are a boon -- his historical crime fiction is always adroitly written. Detractors (if there were any) might say there are no quantum leaps in achievement from book to book, but the sheer reliability pays dividends in Wishart's books.Take In At the Death, for instance. This latest Marcus Corvinus mystery has all the hallmarks of Wishart's best work.
Ancient Rome. A young man from a good family has, apparently committed suicide. Marcus Corvinus is called in to provide an explanation for the death, and soon uncovers a murder plot. It transpires that the killing has a political element, and while Marcus is struggling with this, things are further completed by his unwilling role as nursemaid to a Gallic boarhound called (with perfect irony) Placida.
This is delightful stuff, with all the requisite historical detail set against the sardonic humour that has long been one of Wishart's specialities. In At the Death is both one for long-time Wishart admirers, and for those deciding to sample his work. --Barry Forshaw.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
David Wishart has long been an assured and masterful literary stylist and his series of Roman novels brilliantly translate the Chandlerian detective conventions into perfectly realised historical settings. Corvinus, his protagonist in the earlier books, such as The Lydian Baker, has the same laconic, wise-cracking manner of the gumshoes who centuries later tread the equally sun-baked streets of Los Angeles--but the smells, sounds and sights of ancient Rome are conjured up with continuing brio. The Horse Coin is the most accomplished yet, with a more straightforwardly historical narrative than its predecessors. The tale is set in Britain in AD 59, with the conflict between the sullen British and their Roman conquerors worsened by the Roman ruling class belief that it is their duty to civilise the natives. When Marcus, a youthful cavalry man in the Roman army, is promoted to Commander of the elite "Foxes" squadron, he tries to put into practice his enlightened views of co-operating with the British. But Governor Paulinus strongly disagrees and his attempts to cheat Queen Boadicea throws both Romans and Britons into a terrible battle with a monumental cost. Wishart's utterly rigorous treatment of his material results in a classic piece of historical fiction.--Barry Forshaw
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
