Maura (maura853) - , reviewed on 10/11/2019 + 542 more book reviews

"The Name of the Rose" meets "Riddley Walker." My advice to you, sadly, is to read either one -- or both -- of those books instead.

I say "sadly" because I like and admire Robert Harris. The novels by him that I have read seemed both readable and thoughtful, cleverly bolting a sub-text worth thinking about to a page-turner thriller. "Admire" because I really like authors who are willing to mix it up a bit -- trying different genres, springing surprises and otherwise ensuring that they don't write the same book over and over again (however much their publisher might wish that they did ...).

Trying to avoid spoilers, here. (The two books I compare this to are a hint about Harris' "Big Reveal" ...) It wasn't terrible -- hence 2-stars -- but by page 150, I was just ground down by how lack-lustre and unimaginative it was. Harris seems to be relying on the "shock and surprise" of his premise, over and over again. And no, that just isn't enough.

Sad mis-fire by an otherwise good author.

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