Reviews and stuff

[erastes]

I’ve just posted two reviews on Jessewave’s Blog – because they were m/m historical fantasy and I bought them by accident. But boy I’m glad I did because they were absolutely GORGEOUS.  They are The Green Man and The Golden Horse by M King, and are seriously beautiful teeny tiny reads. Highly recommended.  The author says she’s working on a Regency and I for one can’t wait for that, if it’s anything as well written as these two.  I’d also like to point out the covers which are just lovely.

The interesting thing is that both books were published by Loveyoudivine, who, regular readers might remember were the publishers who accused me of ebook piracy a week or so back.  I hope that my adoration of M King’s work proves, at least to some detractors that:

1. I don’t review unfavourably because a publisher or author has pissed me off. SO much.

2. I don’t only praise my friends

3. I am not out to squash the competition.

:)

I’ve just finished the first two Bruce Alexander Books about John Fielding “Blind Justice” and “Murder in Grub Street” which were pretty good, if rather predictable. I guessed the trick of Blind Justice pretty early on (never introduce a brother, it makes it too easy to guess) and the other book started well but sort of went nowhere in particular.  However, I’m an addict, so I will order the rest from the library and see how they go.

OH! Talking of Jessewave’s Blog – I posted there yesterday instead of my normal column and asked people to post ideas of what they’d like me to post about – I go through AGONIES every week – and the week seems to roll around so quickly – about what subject to talk about, and I’m coming up dry now, so please, if you want to have a discussion about any matter, historical or otherwise, please pop along here and leave a comment.  There’s some really good suggestions already but the more the merrier and the longer I can continue to blog at that most excellent of sites. :)

Comments

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Ah, I was wondering about the John Fielding books. I've been thinking about doing an 18th Century murder mystery myself and thought I would check him out to see how it could be done. Nice to know they're good. I don't worry too much about predictable as I'm very bad at guessing whodunnit :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I think you'd like them a lot - they are written in semi-authentic speak which works very nicely-told in the first person from a 15 year old boy. It seems to hold together very well from the impressions I've had about Fielding and I know the research has been highly praised.

I'm just a bit of a fussbudget when it comes to murder mysteries - if I'm not suspecting EVERYONE and expounding the most ludicrous theories all the way through, then I'm not really really enjoying myself. Raised on Christie, I have every single one - and re-read them when i finally forget who did it (takes a long time...) and she is the mistress of the midsdirection. Also like Marsh. And some bloke called C.Cochrane.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I like all those authors too! But I'm a very lazy reader when it comes to mysteries. I know that the author is going to tell me who did it in the end, so I just wait for them to do so. I don't try to work it out for myself. Maybe I'm actually not suited for the writing of them either, but I reckon I could probably do something along the lines of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, where it's less about solving the mystery and more about enjoying the characters.

Have you been watching Garrow's Law? I'm really enjoying that.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, No 1 LDA is wonderful too! I think of them as the O'Brian of the detective fiction world, because as you say, it's not so much a cohesive plot, as "stuff happens" and characters wandering in and out.

Garrow's Law for the WIN. I think I will have to buy the DVD set and that's rare for me.

But isn't London far too CLEAN???

:)

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I'm slightly hampered from enjoying Garrow's law by thinking that Garrow is a complete tit. But everyone else is lovely :) And I was glad to see that scene in the pillory where they went from LOL!comedy vegetables to "oh, actually this is not good at all" in one swift blow. I'm fed up with programmes treating the stocks as a joke.

It is very clean and picturesque, and I think everyone's a bit too healthy-looking and well dressed as well, but on the other hand I loved the 50 guinea tooth thing :) If only they'd shown where the teeth came from!