No More Dying
Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne Book IX
by David Roberts
The clouds are gathering, and war looks imminent in February 1939. Somebody is going to try and assassinate
Churchill, whose predictions look ominously likely to come true soon and fast. The fledgling MI5 call upon the
services of Lord Edward Corinth to discover who the would-be assassin is and stop them. This necessitates a
visit to Cliveden, home of the Astors and currently where Joseph Kennedy, the American ambassador, is staying
with members of his family. Meanwhile, Verity Browne is wondering whether she wants marriage to Lord Edward,
and also whether the Communist party is still an organisation she wants to be a part of.
Nobody does 20th century history quite like David Roberts, and one of his novels is always a treat. Not
because of the plot exactly, but because of the book’s ability to immerse the reader in the political atmosphere
of the 1930s. As ever, Verity steals the show here and continues to be one of mystery fiction’s most real-seeming
heroines. Here she ponders on whether being a Communist and marrying into the aristocracy is possible, and also
on what the party has become in recent years. A theme running through the book is the appeal of the ideas behind
Communism, a desire for justice and equality which is betrayed by those in power. Also under the microscope are
the Astors, the Kennedys and Churchill, portraits sketched in briefly, but which manage to come to vibrant life.
There is even a dramatic denouement in St Moritz, leaving me feeling that there had been something of everything
in an admirably paced book. A series to cherish. |
The Book |
Soho Constable |
February 1, 2009 (US release) |
Hardback |
1569475393 / 978-1569475393 |
Historical Crime / 1939 London, Buckinghamshire, England and St Moritz |
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Excerpt |
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The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2009 |
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