The Butcher Of Smithfield
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Review
"A mine of historical information." --"Kirkus Reviews"
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Susanna Gregory, creator of the Matthew Bartholomew series of mediaeval mysteries, has created another compelling fictional detective set in Restoration London.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good plot but really bad execution,
By
This review is from: The Butcher Of Smithfield: Chaloner's Third Exploit in Restoration London (The Exploits of Thomas Chaloner) (Paperback)
Thomas Challoner is supposedly one of the best spies in Restoration London - but you'd never think it by watching him operate in these books. He blabs about his missions to every stranger he meets; any time he disguises himself, he's seen through immediately; he thinks other spies are rubbish at their jobs and then realises they've reached the right conclusions he couldn't see for himself etc. etc.
Gregory bases her plot on real historical characters and events but just isn't very good, in my opinion, at turning them into novels. The narrative is so self-consciously patronising with a kind of nudge, nudge, wink, wink attitude about how quaint these historical characters are to (for example) believe cucumbers are poisonous... There's also a huge nod to the reader when mentioning current places such as St. Paul's or Holborn. This is the kind of novel where characters 'forget' that the ex-head of Cromwell's intelligence service is a puritan! Under all the tosh is an interesting plot somewhere but you'll have to push a lot of rubbish out of the way to find it. Not recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping,
This review is from: The Butcher Of Smithfield: Chaloner's Third Exploit in Restoration London (The Exploits of Thomas Chaloner) (Paperback)
The author does a superb job of conveying the dirty, smelly, crowded, violent squalid and miserable city which was Restoration London.
How little it's changed ... The story is well plotted, and gripping right up to the last page.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Awful dialogue !,
This review is from: The Butcher Of Smithfield: Chaloner's Third Exploit in Restoration London (The Exploits of Thomas Chaloner) (Paperback)
Ok first a quote from Wiki about exposition.
"When the presentation of information in fiction becomes wordy, it is sometimes referred to as an "information dump," "exposition dump," or "plot dump." Information dumps expressed by characters in dialogue or monologue are sometimes referred to as "idiot lectures." The dialogue in this book is just one "idiot lecture" after another. In this example the main character Chaloner is talking to a minor character Greeting, about his friend Maylord. "Maylord," he prompted. "Does he still live on Thames Street ?" Greeting frowned. "I had forgotten you and he were acquainted. He taught your father the viol, I understand and was kind to you when you first arrived in London. He was a good man, and we all miss him. He died on Friday." This is just one example of the frequent "exposition dumps" that make the dialogue completely unbelievable, and similar even more laborious exchanges occur on nearly every page ! If you're looking for historical detective novels set in a similar era, try the C.J. Sansom "Shardlake" series, a much better writer in my opinion.
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