The Gardens of the Dead (The Father Anselm Novels)
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Review
'THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD held me spellbound and fascinated. It is something of a tour de force to set up such a throroughly unprepossessing villain...keep us rooting for his downfall for four hours and then turn the tables to such an extent that our hearts bleed for him as the last of the many tangled knots are teased apart' Christina Hardyment, THE TIMES 'Ultimately superior murder mystery' Henry Sutton, DAILY MIRROR 'THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD has gravity and grace, as well as a powerful atmosphere of creeping dread' John O'Connell, TIME OUT 'Fast paced and well written, THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD is a gripping story' Rachel Rothwell, LAW SOCIETY GAZETTE 'It makes a good, twisting mystery....as Anselm slowly puts together the clues which will bring a murderer to justice in the final pages of this quiet, thoughtful novel' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Any fears that Broderick's earlier book was a lucky accident will be quickly allayed with THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD. The complexity of the narrative here is wearying at times but as this labyrinthine tale unfolds, Brodrick os able to bring off an impressive sleight of hand. While we read on, agog for the next revelation, it becomes apparent that we're being treated to character studies quite as rich as that in many a more ostensibly literary novel.' DAILY EXPRESS
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
GQ
'A twisty mystery. What’s not unclear, however, is Brodrick’s ability to weave exciting shadowy drama with deep characterisation'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Realising that she doesn’t have long left to live, court prosecutor Elizabeth Glendenning leaves behind the work she has accumulated on a particular case in a safe deposit box, entrusting a key with her former deputy, Anselm Duffy, who has since left the court service to become a monk. The case that has occupied the attentions of Elizabeth is an old one, a seemingly minor case that some tenants brought against their landlord, Graham Riley. Elizabeth’s defence of Riley’s case was successful, but the acquittal of her client has had some serious repercussions in the subsequent years, and Elizabeth’s conscience makes her is determined to make amends. Her death leaves the case in the hands of her son Nick and Anselm, with only a few posthumous letters and the testimony of Blind George – a homeless man with no short-term memory – the only clues to unravelling the mystery of Riley and the Pieman.
I haven’t read Brodrick’s previous novel ‘The Sixth Lamentation’ and I don’t put much stock by the ‘Richard & Judy Bookclub’ recommendation, but it appears to have attracted differing opinions on the quality of the writing. Personally, I found ‘The Gardens of the Dead’ rather well-written and certainly well-plotted, Brodrick presenting an intriguing situation with several different threads and plenty of gaps and mysteries, savouring over every little detail of characterisation and the gradual revelations. Occasionally it gets a little confusing with flashbacks to different timelines, but this is just another delightful puzzle to work through.
You could question the whole premise of Elizabeth’s leaving so many obscure clues scattered across so many unreliable witnesses (including a homeless person with no memory) rather than just simply telling Anselm what she has uncovered, but I think this is part of the enjoyment of the book and part of its whole purpose - uncovering the lives that people keep secret, and getting beneath the comfortable lies they allow themselves to believe – needing to allow people the time and strength to face up to those events in the past that have set the course of their lives and made them who they are.
‘The Gardens of the Dead’ contains many wonderful observations about people and the bonds between them, with well-defined characters and an intriguing mystery that delivers a strong resolution that has real emotional resonance. Brodrick is clearly a very talented writer and this is a fine novel.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Not unexpectedly, a female QC dies due to a heart condition. She was on a mission to correct a wrong in her life having earlier successfully defended a guilty person. Despite her death, she did leave clues to those close to her to reveal the full story of the events years ago. One of those is Father Anselm, a barrister and monk, who appeared in `The Sixth Lamentation', Brodrick's debut novel.
The barrister-monk combination perhaps lifted my expectations too high but, to my mind, Father Anselm plays a very minor role in unravelling the mystery. There is no clever `lawyering' or similar either. The story is not elaborate, as the cover claims, and I found it to be full of strange characters and situations. I really struggled to move through the novel and it wasn't until after 250 pages or so that things started to happen. I clearly didn't find the writing style to be very engaging.
Others have commented that `The Sixth Lamentation' was better and I think I'll reserve further comments on Brodrick's writing skills until I've read it. This one though didn't do a great deal to excite me. 7/10
The barrister-monk combination perhaps lifted my expectations too high but, to my mind, Father Anselm plays a very minor role in unravelling the mystery. There is no clever `lawyering' or similar either. The story is not elaborate, as the cover claims, and I found it to be full of strange characters and situations. I really struggled to move through the novel and it wasn't until after 250 pages or so that things started to happen. I clearly didn't find the writing style to be very engaging.
Others have commented that `The Sixth Lamentation' was better and I think I'll reserve further comments on Brodrick's writing skills until I've read it. This one though didn't do a great deal to excite me. 7/10
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a rather pale imitation of the author's first novel. While entertaining enough, I felt it was 100 pages too long. Whilst I have no problem with flashbacks or the same event being covered from several perspectives; I did not feel that this book was enhanced by this device. It felt repetitive.
I also struggle to see why there was such a convoluted puzzle that the main character had to solve. The wisdom of leaving clues with a wide range of people, particularly a man with no short term memory is a glaring plot hole for me. Towards the end of the book, I kept on thinking... oh no, not another coincidence! The temptation to put yet another plot twist in a novel such as this gives it a false, forced feel.
The plotline with Elizabeth's son and husband also felt as it was incidental or poorly developed. After reading the 6th Lamentation, I was really looking forward to this book and was a little disappointed.
Lastly there is a minor quibble with the age of one of the characters, Nancy. The novel is set in the present day but she was a teenager during the blitz, which would date her at nearly 80. Yet she is married to one of the other characters who would be in his late 50's. Her actions are more likely those of a 50 year old, so I found this a little annoying. Perhaps, if you come to this book without having read the first Anselm novel it might be more enjoyable.
I also struggle to see why there was such a convoluted puzzle that the main character had to solve. The wisdom of leaving clues with a wide range of people, particularly a man with no short term memory is a glaring plot hole for me. Towards the end of the book, I kept on thinking... oh no, not another coincidence! The temptation to put yet another plot twist in a novel such as this gives it a false, forced feel.
The plotline with Elizabeth's son and husband also felt as it was incidental or poorly developed. After reading the 6th Lamentation, I was really looking forward to this book and was a little disappointed.
Lastly there is a minor quibble with the age of one of the characters, Nancy. The novel is set in the present day but she was a teenager during the blitz, which would date her at nearly 80. Yet she is married to one of the other characters who would be in his late 50's. Her actions are more likely those of a 50 year old, so I found this a little annoying. Perhaps, if you come to this book without having read the first Anselm novel it might be more enjoyable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One Dimensional
I couldn't finish this book. I got over halfway and just realised I didn't care what happened and I wasn't going to waste any more of my life forcing myself to read it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by suggsygirl
A book that should not have been written
It's hard to believe that this is by the same author as "The Sixth Lamentation". That was intricate, at times hard to follow, but gripping from start to finish. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ruth Kidson
Not that bad!
Brodick writes intelligently and lyrically, but I have one or two problems with this story. The editing could have been tighter - some of the plot twists are badly defined. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2009 by No-one of Consequence
Over-elaborate structure, and deficient pacing
At heart there's a good story here replete with moral overlacings, but Brodrick over-complicates the narrative and sacrifices pace for no good reason. Read more
Published on 3 July 2009 by Roman Clodia
Review for the Audio CD
It may be that my low rating is partly due to a poorly abridged version of Broderick's book, but I found the whole thing so confusing that I had to listen to every CD twice in... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2009 by DubaiReader
"... the trial took a wrong turn and no one noticed."
To be perfectly honest, reading this novel was a trial. I haven't read the author's first book "The Sixth Lamentation", but from somewhere around chapter six, I was lamenting the... Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2008 by Amanda Richards
Spellbinding
I haven't yet read The Sixth Lamentaion, but I can't wait to do so. The Gardens of the Dead was that rarest of books, an intelligent mystery, where the characters are revealed as... Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2007 by op
what a disappointment
The sixth lamentation was a brilliantly written book with a well executed plot. This is a second book that should not have been written, what a disappointment, it does not flow,... Read more
Published on 1 May 2007 by Avid Reader
A warm and intriguing mystery revealed by an monkish, reluctant slueth
Father Anselm is an unlikely hero in detective fiction. The former barrister turned monk displays remarkable tenacity and loyalty but he is fallible, often prevaricating, often... Read more
Published on 1 May 2007 by Rivercassini
Gardens of the Dead
Another stormer from William Brodrick! I enjoyed his first book The Sixth Lamentation so much that I couldn't wait for this to come out in paperback and bought it at once. Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2006 by Book Worm
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