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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, 11 April 2006
I can recommend "Requiem for an Angel" as a series of gripping psychological crime novels, (all with an ecclesiastical theme), for its intricately crafted plots and ultimately, for its merit as an intelligent study on the nature of evil. In each book, the events are seen through the eyes of a different character, all of whom are connected by the warp and weft of the plot, over a period of 40 years.
This collection of three novels begins with "The Four Last Things", set in the present day. Lucy Appleyard, the daughter of Sally, a vicar working in a run-down parish, is abducted. Taylor challenges the reader with his sensitive yet disturbing portrayal of the social misfit and paedophile, Eddy - no mean feat - and his odd relationship with the woman known as "Angel". The novel keeps you gripped until the very last paragraph, where a shocking truth is revealed.
The next novel in the series, "The Judgment of Strangers" takes place in the promiscuous 1970s and concerns the Reverend David Byfield, vicar of Roth, a lonely widower whose decision to marry the frigid Vanessa unleashes a series of catastrophic events that lead to murder.
The final story, "The Office of the Dead" is told by Wendy Appleyard, recently separated from her unfaithful husband, who is taken in by her friend, Janet in the cathedral town of Rossington, near Cambridge. Coping as a woman on the brink of divorce in the late 1950s, Wendy's character is warm and all too human, as she becomes embroiled in this enclosed, masculine ecclesiastical world. Through her eyes, we witness a series of increasingly bizarre and troubling events as they unfold.
Then, there's the mysterious figure of Francis Youlgreave, Edwardian clergyman, poet and recluse, who though long dead, seems to direct and influence the main characters thoughout the entire trilogy.
An absolute gem of a book, beautifully written, intricate, chilling, profound and thoroughly entertaining.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intelligent page-turner, 29 Dec 2002
This is without a doubt the best book — or series of books — I have read in a long time. This omnibus, also known as the Roth Trilogy, is a finely crafted but deeply disturbing story spanning 40 years. Each of the three novels — The Last Four Things, The Judgement of Strangers and The Office of the Dead —- is a separate story in its own right, but taken as a whole the force of their impact is more shocking and horrifying than one could imagine. Because they go back in time, not forwards, the reader comes across clues and discovers secrets which strip away the layers of the past to reveal the roots of an unspeakable evil. Taylor cleverly interweaves characters, places and storylines across all three books, which lends further impact and depth to the trilogy. I read the entire book in a matter of days, simply because I just could not put it down. If you're looking for something that is a cut above the normal crime thriller, then this omnibus should not disappoint.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
DIFFERENT, 3 Oct 2003
I bought this book after reading the rave reviews it had received from Amazon readers. Unfortunately, I didn't think it deserved 5 stars and have only actually given it 3. The first book had me on the edge of my seat and a couple of times I thought I would have to give up on it due to its content about child pornography/murders. It was not that I haven't read similar books, and only goes to show how extremely well written this was, but it was just a little too "real" for me at times. However, I persevered and thoroughly enjoyed book 1. Books 2 and 3 however are a slight anti-climax in that there is no "mystery" because it is so obvious who is behind things. Nevertheless, I am glad I read Requiem, and once I had finished, I found myself wanting to read the book again, but this time from book 3 to 1 so you can fit the pieces of the jigsaw together.
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