Gabriel Crowther/Harriet Westerman # 3
Imogen Robertson
Headline
2011 / ISBN 9780755372027
Historical Mystery / England / 1783
Amazon
Reviewed
by LJ Roberts
First Sentence:
There was a peculiar hush around the Tower the night before
an execution.
Scientist and
anatomist Gabriel Crother is something of an enigma to neighbors
and acquaintances, which has been fine by him. Thirty years ago,
he turned his back on his family tragedies, but now must face them.
His estranged sister and her son are staying at the estate once
owned by their family. Upon encouraging the current owner to move
the tomb of the first Earl of Greta from the Island of Bones to
the local church, an extra body is discovered within. Crother and
his friend, Mrs. Harriet Westerman, are summoned and Crother must
confront the past finding that what was thought to be true in the
past may not have been and that a brother was falsely executed.
Can the truth be learned before others die as well?
Having well-developed,
interesting, appealing characters is so critical and Robertson has
more than met that requirement. Each of the characters, whether
principal or secondary, comes alive under Ms. Robertson’s
deft hand; so much so that Mrs. Westerman is someone one would like
to be, and her 12-year-old son, very believable. The relationship
between all of the characters is perfectly correct and appropriate
for the period, including the depth, trust and friendship between
Crother and Mrs. Westerman. At the same time, each character is
flawed making them realistically human. For those who’ve not
read the previous books in the series, ample history is provided
to each character, thus avoiding feeling lost.
There is no
confusion as to where the story is set, either in period or in location.
The period details of social proprietary and customs are always
interesting but don’t make either the story or the characters
seem stiff. We are reminded that this was a time when the old beliefs
and legends still held their place beside Christianity. At one point,
the vicar’s daughter acknowledges this blending…”I’m
sure the Lord will forgive a few shreds of the pagan hanging on
the souls of such good Christian people.” There are wonderful
descriptions that both allow you to see the environs yet make you
want to pack a bag and see them for fact. The weather is used very
effectively as is the dialogue, which both shows the restraint of
the time but occasionally acts as a vehicle for some delightful
humor…”We might have managed that better. Your poor
sister will soon run out of rooms to leave in high dudgeon.”
The story is
wonderfully plotted. The prologue is significant to the story and
absolutely compelling; drawing one in so completely as to resent
ever having to put the book down, even for brief breaks. There are
enough threads for it to be interesting but never confusing. It
is remarkable the way in which Robertson occasionally picks up pieces
and places them into the story in a new direction, thus changing
the image of the puzzle in an unexpected way leading us to a wonderfully
satisfying ending.
Island
of Bones is the third in an excellent series which should be
read in order but, most of all, should be read.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Island
of Bones #3
Circle
of Shadows #4
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