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Chargement... Plague Land: A Novel (The Somershill Manor Mysteries) (original 2015; édition 2015)par S. D. Sykes (Auteur)
Information sur l'oeuvrePlague Land par S D Sykes (2015)
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Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. Only a chapter in..... my partner really enjoyed the first half - it's a momentous time when the death of half the population finally tipped the economic balance away from the tight control of the Norman owning class and people were finally able to make some choices about where and how they lived. No wonder then that it was a savage time - just can't sit down to read it as fiction just at the moment. The Kingdom and Peoples of Kent by Stuart Brookes dealt with the archaeological evidence up to about 800AD - 500 years before this is set - what I would like to be reading is more of the same. What a long sweep of time, and how little evidence we really have of it! Since childhood, Oswald de Lacy has lived in a remote monastery, but is called to return to his family home in Kent on the death of his father and two older brothers from the plague; he is now the lord of Somershill Manor, but he's finding it difficult to settle into his new role. When two young women are murdered in rapid succession, suspicion falls on the local village prostitute, while the village priest claims the deeds were committed by dog-headed beasts. When another murder is committed, Oswald himself is suspected of the crime and imprisoned. Will he be able to find the truth in time? I was looking forward to this book, as a historical whodunit is one of my favourite genres, but unfortunately I found the characters and the plot rather formulaic and predictable, and was able to correctly identify the culprit within the first 100 pages. I gave up about a third of the way in as the story simply didn't hold my interest, despite of the interesting time period. This is the first volume in a trilogy focusing on Oswald de Lacy, but needless to say I won't be reading any of the others. aucune critique | ajouter une critique
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"Oswald de Lacy was never meant to be the Lord of Somerhill Manor. Dispatched to a monastery at the age of seven, sent back at seventeen when his father and two older brothers are killed by the plague, Oswald has no experience of running an estate. He finds the years of pestilence and neglect have changed the old place dramatically, not to mention the attitude of the surviving peasants. Yet some things never change. Oswald's mother remains the powerful matriarch of the family, and his sister Clemence simmers in the background, dangerous and unmarried. Before he can do anything, Oswald is confronted by the shocking death of a young woman, Alison Starvecrow. The ambitious village priest claims that Alison was killed by a band of demonic dog-headed men. Oswald is certain this is nonsense, but proving it--by finding the real murderer--is quite a different matter. Every step he takes seems to lead Oswald deeper into a dark maze of political intrigue, family secrets, and violent strife. And then the body of another girl is found."--Front jacket flap. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)823.92Literature English English fiction Modern Period 2000-Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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For the first third or so of this novel, I thought I was reading something pretty good, but not necessarily great. Later in my reading, I realized that Plague Land was the first thing I reached for when I unexpectedly awoke at 6 a.m. On a Saturday. It takes a special novel to trump an extra few hours of sleep on the weekend.
The narrator and central character, Oswald de Lacy, a third son destined for life as a monk, is called home as lord of the manor after his father and two older brothers are struck down by Plague. Not long after his return home, a murder is uncovered. Oswald, an agnostic who nonetheless was comfortable with his life in the monastery, is already having enough trouble stepping into his unexpected new role. Then the local priest starts stirring up the community claiming the murder is the work of cynocephalae, demon-possessed, dog-headed men.
At first Oswald is something of a cypher. He tells his story, but shares little of his inner life, so while readers are engaged by events, they feel at arm’s distance from him. But slowly Oswald’s actions begin to speak for him, and as readers learn more about his world-view he becomes increasingly interesting.
Though the plot is less complex, this novel reminds me (in a good way) of Eco’s The Name of the Rose. A young postulant who remains innocent of the “ways of the world” is troubled by the new view of humanity he’s gaining. His mentor, in this case the apothecary at the monastery where Oswald’s been living, tries to interpret the world for him, simultaneously protecting and enlightening him.
I bought this book for the cover, and I have no regrets. Sykes’ blend of puzzle, history, and analysis makes for fascinating reading. ( )