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Matthew Bartholomew Mystery Series - Book
XVIII
Susanna Gregory
Sphere (Little, Brown)
7 June 2012 (US 1 April 2013) / ISBN: 9781847442963
Historical Mystery
Amazon
US
- UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
The colleges of Cambridge are squabbling again; this time over
whether or not they should have a common library. The poorer hostels
support it because their impoverished students would be able to
get hold of books, but others see it as a dangerous idea. During
one of many meetings one of those in favor gets hit by a flying
book and is badly injured, a sure sign perhaps that books can indeed
be dangerous. But why does the pond in the new library's garden
contain so many bodies? Can it be the library again, or are the
smugglers from the nearby Fens to blame…
All right, I know I always say it but "expect more of the same"
is a good way to begin a review of any entry in this long-running
series. The usual suspects are all here plus a few new ones while
Matt and Michael wander the town asking questions. Expect lots of
bodies too, and plenty of bizarre and humorous happenings. This
is the eighteenth in the series and although I would like a tauter
tale with more new elements I have to admit that Ms Gregory has
certainly carved out her own subgenre, which is no mean feat. As
with all lengthy series part of the appeal is finding out what the
characters have been up to and how they interact with the new people,
and of course the plot. This is perhaps not one of the strongest
plots Ms Gregory has come up with but fans of the series will surely
find plenty to amuse.
Reviews of other titles in this series
A Masterly Murder, No 6 [review]
The Hand of Justice, No 10 [review]
The Mark of a Murderer, No 11 [review]
The Tarnished Chalice, No 12 [review]
To Kill or Cure, No 13 [review]
The Devil’s Disciples, No 14 [review]
A Vein of Deceit, No 15 [review]
The Killer of Pilgrims, No 16 [review]
Mystery in the Minster, No 17 [review]
Murder By The Book, No 18 [review]
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