P Reviews - Not in Alphabetical Order
Anne Perry - The Whitechapel Conspiracy
This is the first Thomas Pitt mystery that I have read, however, I did see The Cater Street Hangman on PBS, and thought it was a great story! So I am anxious now to find the book because I really enjoyed Thomas and Charlotte in The Whitechapel Conspiracy. The atmosphere and people in this story does seem very authentic to me, very Victorian, and I enjoyed the characters and their honesty to themselves. One might be tempted to say, oh another mystery about Jack the Ripper, but this story I thought was unique in that there were other threads of British history and lore woven into it. I definitely recommend this book! The Victorian customs and cultural nuances I thought were depicted quite well, even Dickens himself would have enjoyed this story! I personally am going to find The Cater Street Hangman and start from the beginning to read about Thomas and Charlotte.
Michael S. Patterson - The Family Man
This is Patterson's first novel! I was fortunate enough to meet him at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books! He was very charming and not the least bit miffed that I hadn't read his book yet! He was more than happy to sign it for me. He told me that his note relates to the novel and I'd have to read it to understand it! It says "Be aware of your surroundings!" I found this interesting even before I read the book because I had been single for many years and traveled a lot on my own- and that had been, and still is, my motto: "Be aware of your surroundings!" You, too, must read the novel! This is a thriller! Once I started reading I had a very difficult time putting it down! I finished it in 2 evening sittings! The story is about a man who wants a family - he just wants to be a husband and a father, only he is slightly nutsoid. He has planned everything quite well, very shrewdly and metiulously-he has everything for a happy family, except the family! I don't want to spoil the story for you, but from the beginning you are on edge and when the family man makes his moves you are riveted right through to the very end. I think Patterson has done well in telling this tale of a madman, but the secondary characters are quite intriguing as well. When neighbors that have been friends get up to testify we see what "stardom" can do to witnesses, and the fact that we could find ourselves in an equally scary situation makes everything the more scary and thrilling. I highly recommend this book! I hope we hear more from this terrific storyteller.
Robin Paige - Death at Gallows Green
This was an iteresting little book. The heroine is an American woman who has inherited an estate in England. The setting is the Victorian era. I think the author has done a great job in capturing the atmosphere, language, and outlook of the Victorian era. It was an excellent mystery. I also enjoyed the fact that she threw in an actual person from history, Beatric Potter, for a bit of character mix and as another way of showing the Victorian lifestyle. This is evidently the second in the series and I will look for the first one and read it before I continue with the series. I liked kathryn, the heroine, she is spunky yet is trying to adjust to a completley different way of life. I'm looking forward to reading the other books of the series. In this story she has to discover the murderer of the local constable and clear the constable's name from any wrong doing.
Updated May 29, 2001
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