"The Somnambulist" - Jonathan Barnes

[terrya]

Below is the review from Publishers Weekly for this wonderfully entertaining book. I loved it...I couldn't put it down. I highly, highly recommend this book. Trust me on this one.

Set in Victorian London, this superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers, starting with its curious opening line: Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. A page-turner, it's full of peculiar characters, notably Edward Moon, a highly unorthodox detective, and Moon's bizarre sidekick, known only as the Somnambulist. Moon, a conjuror by profession whose act has fallen on hard times, has cracked some of the city's most notorious murders. Now, he's leading the investigation into a shadowy religious group aiming to overtake London and do away with its oppressive, bourgeois tendencies. Moon is a remarkable invention, a master of logic and harborer of all sorts of unnatural habits and mannerisms. The Somnambulist—a giant, milk-swigging mute—doesn't appear to be human at all, yet serves as Moon's moral as well as intellectual compass. Together, they wend their way through a London rich in period detail. Barnes saves his best surprise for the story's homestretch, when he reveals the identity of his narrator, who's been cleverly pulling strings since the opening. (Feb.)

[ananda]

1. A thriller with..

.. no literary merit whatsoever??

Sounds like my kind of book!!!

I'm still waiting for Dan Brown's next,
and I can't wait to see the film version
of Angels and Demons. ;-)))

Sue

[sazemisery]

2. I'm putting this one on my list to read, thanks. n/t

[yellowdogintexas]

3. my daughter just bought this, she is really looking forward to reading it.

she has read
"The Alienist", "The Angel of Death" (Caleb Carr" and the
send up "Shroud of the Thwacker" and is rather entranced by this late Victorian period currently.

I also recommend "The Dante Club"

I am really enjoying ig

I will report back on how she likes The Somnambulist