From Publishers Weekly The brutal murder of a young nun threatens the peace of the kingdom in this promising first novel by an author who might just be the next Ellis Peters. Richard Plantagenet, at his mother's behest, has released prisoners to signal the start of his enlightened reign in 1189. Fearful the people will rally against him, Richard dispatches knight Josse d'Acquin to Hawkenlye Abbey, headed by the incomparable Abbess Helewise, to make sure a freed felon didn't commit the crime. The abbess tells Josse that the slain novice, Gunnora, while outwardly devout, didn't have the right attitude for convent life. In fact, her only friend was newcomer Elvera, with whom she gossiped and laughed. Delving into Gunnora's past, Josse discovers that she was the older daughter of a dying lord who wanted her to marry a neighbor in order to join their lands. Rather than do so, she entered the convent while her younger sister married the man. But the sister has since died, leaving in question who will inherit the combined estate. Through a jeweled cross left at the scene of the murder, Josse is able to determine that Gunnora was Elvera's cousin. Before he can ask Elvera in detail about her relative's death, however, she drowns. Clare tells a chilling tale of inheritance and love while highlighting the analytic skills of both widowed Helewise and former warrior Josse, whose charming relationship will leave readers for more. (May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal The medieval era is a popular setting for mysteries these days, as evidenced by these three new titles. Clare introduces a new heroine, the exemplary Abbess of Hawkenlye, who must join forces with an emissary from Richard Plantagenet to solve the murder of first one and then two young nuns. The ending is a little limp, but the writing is fine, and the abbess is an engaging character, one of the few religious in such mysteries (along with Sister Fidelma) actually to be presented in a positive light. Wolf brings back the hero of No Dark Place, Hugh de Leon, who in his first mystery discovered that he was heir to the Earl of Wiltshire. Hugh is determined to marry his feisty beloved despite opposition from the earl and is subsequently caught up in investigating the murder of the father of the bride the earl intends for him. The cool, savvy Hugh is almost too good to be true, and the psychic communication between him and his true love doesn't seem to fit with the otherwise realistically detailed surrounds, but the plot moves along quite nicely and should entertain most fans. Over the last few years. the publisher has been releasing Jecks's series featuring Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace in 14th-century England, in an attractive little mass-market format. Like all Jecks's tales, this one--concerning the suspicious death of the new master of Throwleigh, a five-year-old boy--is nicely detailed and tightly argued, with involving action and memorable characters. The whole series belongs in any collection where historicals are popular.-Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal" Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews
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从结构上来看,作者对“空间”的运用达到了炉火纯青的地步。这个故事的核心地带——那栋被时间遗弃的宅邸——本身就是一个角色,它的布局、回声、以及封闭性,都直接影响了事件的发生和谜题的设置。作者似乎非常注重场景对人物心理的烘托作用,宅邸内走廊的狭长、房间的昏暗、密室的精巧设计,都紧密地服务于情节的张力。每一次主角探索新区域时,那种空间带来的压迫感和未知感,都通过精确的文字描述传达给了读者。更妙的是,这些物理空间不仅仅是事件发生的背景,它们本身就成为了谜题的一部分,隐藏着需要被发现的秘密通道或被误读的标记。这种对环境的深度利用,使得整体的氛围营造极为成功,它让读者感觉自己和主角一起被困在了这个由建筑和阴影构筑的迷宫中,每一次推开一扇门,都像是迈入了一个新的、更深层次的谎言。对于喜欢环境驱动型叙事的读者来说,这本书简直是教科书级别的范例。
评分情节的推进速度恰到好处地保持了一种让人心痒难耐的状态。它不是那种一上来就抛出重磅炸弹的快餐式阅读体验,而是更偏向于经典推理文学的“慢煮”方式。每一次真相的浮现都像剥洋葱一样,需要层层深入,拨开迷雾。最让我惊喜的是,作者似乎对传统的叙事套路有所警惕,几次我自以为已经猜到了下一步的走向时,情节总能巧妙地拐个弯,将读者的预期打乱。这种高明之处在于,作者既提供了足够多的线索让读者能够保持参与感,又确保了最终的揭示具有足够的冲击力。尤其是在描述调查过程时,那种对细节的执着——无论是对现场物证的分析,还是对时间线的反复核对——都让人感受到作者在结构设计上的严谨。这种严谨性,建立在对人性弱点的深刻洞察之上,使得案件背后的动机显得那么令人信服,即使是极端行为,也似乎找到了合理的逻辑支撑点。读到高潮部分时,我甚至能感受到心脏加速,生怕错过任何一个可能揭示真相的关键点。
评分这部小说的文学质感是其最显著的优点之一。它不仅仅是一个悬疑故事,更像是一篇探讨记忆、身份认同以及时间流逝的文学作品。作者的语言风格非常具有韵律感,长句的运用流畅而富有张力,短句的插入则起到了敲击重心的作用。书中穿插的对于当地历史和民间传说的描述,非但没有拖慢节奏,反而极大地丰富了故事的纵深感,让这个虚构的谜团扎根于一个充满历史厚重感的世界观之中。我尤其欣赏那些富有哲理性的内心独白,它们将读者从纯粹的解谜活动中抽离出来,引导我们去思考更宏大的主题,比如“真相的代价”或者“被遗忘的意义”。这种将高智商推理与人文关怀完美融合的写法,使得这本书超越了一般的类型小说范畴。它值得被反复品味,因为每一次重读,都可能从那些看似随意的描摹中发现新的象征意义。它需要的不仅仅是你的注意力,更是你的思考和共鸣。
评分这本书的封面设计简直是视觉上的享受,那种深邃的蓝与银色的字体搭配,透露出一种古典的神秘感,让人一拿到手就忍不住想沉浸其中。故事开篇的节奏把握得非常精准,作者似乎深谙如何用细微的场景描写来营造一种挥之不去的不安氛围。初读之下,我被带入了一个看似宁静却暗流涌动的城镇,主角的性格塑造也相当立体,不是那种脸谱化的英雄,他带着明显的弱点和人性的挣扎,这让整个叙事更具真实感。尤其欣赏作者对于环境的刻画,街道的湿滑、老建筑上苔藓的颜色、夜晚路灯下斑驳的光影,都如同电影镜头一般清晰地呈现在脑海里,使得读者能够完全沉浸到那个特定的时空背景中去,为接下来的谜团做好心理铺垫。那种缓慢、压抑的叙事风格,让每一个不经意的对话和细节都充满了被解读的可能,我发现自己不得不放慢阅读速度,生怕错过任何一个细微的线索,这对于一个热衷于解谜的读者来说,无疑是极大的乐趣。整体而言,前期的铺垫扎实,引人入胜,让人对接下来的情节发展充满了期待与好奇。
评分这部作品在人物关系的编织上显示出了极高的技巧。不同于那些情节驱动型的悬疑小说,这里的魅力更多地源于角色之间那些微妙的张力和未言明的过往。我特别喜欢作者处理配角的方式,他们并非仅仅是推动主角前进的工具人,每个人似乎都背负着自己的秘密和道德困境。例如,那个总是在不经意间提供关键信息的老图书管理员,他的每一次插话都经过了深思熟虑,充满了双关和暗示,让人不禁怀疑他到底站在哪一方。这种复杂的人际网络,使得解谜的过程不仅仅是找出“谁做的”,更深入到了“为什么会这样”的哲学层面。随着故事的深入,你开始对每个角色的动机产生质疑,即便是看似最无辜的人,其行为逻辑也经不起推敲。作者很擅长利用潜台词和肢体语言来传递信息,很多重要的转折点并不是通过激烈的对白来实现的,而是通过一个眼神的交错,或者一次不自然的停顿,这种细腻的笔触使得阅读体验充满了探索的乐趣,仿佛自己也在参与到这场心理博弈之中。
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