- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Dell (Mar 4 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0440614198
- ISBN-13: 978-0440614197
- Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.7 x 21.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #588,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This gaslight thriller, the third and last to feature the brother-and-sister team of Caroline and Addington Ames (after 2001's Murder at Bertram's Bower), delivers some notable frissons, even if it never quite embraces the supernatural. When Addington, a committed skeptic, asks William James his opinion of society medium Mrs. Sidgwick, the eminent psychologist replies: "Even if there were no other medium in the world who had her powers, she alone proves that such powers exist. I put it this way: If you seek to prove that all crows are not black, you need only one white crow. And Mrs. Sidgwick is my white crow." At a s ance conducted by Mrs. Sidgwick, Caroline is anxious to make contact with her late mother. Alas, the spirit of Mrs. Ames proves elusive. When Mrs. Sidgwick succeeds in reaching the deceased wife of one of the other "querants," Theophilus Clay, a liberal philanthropist and one of the richest men in Boston, that worthy gentleman drops dead on the spot. After Addington proves Clay's death to be murder, Mrs. Sidgwick receives an ominous message reading "Ames next." The unsurprising denouement is somewhat disappointing, even conventional, after the beguilingly atmospheric buildup. The languid pace and frequent longueurs won't please more impatient, hot-blooded mystery fans, but those who care more for rich historical backdrop than the mechanics of crime-solving should be reasonably satisfied. (Mar. 19)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
The newest Beacon Hill Victorian mystery takes Caroline Ames into the suspect world of spiritualists. Her brother Addington disapproves, so she attends a s ance with their boarder, Dr. McKenzie. Unfortunately for them, another attendee drops dead after receiving a message from "beyond." Solid.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
I think the weakest book in this trilogy.,
By
This review is from: The White Crow (Mass Market Paperback)
This was an enjoyable book in some respects, but I found that it wasn't nearly as gripping as the two previous books in this Boston gaslight series. For one thing, there wasn't much mystery here. We knew almost right away who the killer was, and it was just a matter of Addington running around trying to find him. Also, we never saw a resolution to the sexual tension between Caroline and Dr. MacKenzie. Knowing this was the last book in the series, that surprised me a bit. In fact the book finished with lots of unresolved issues. The book is about the Victorians fascination with seances and contacting people "from the otherside". Caroline attends a seance to try to contact her dead mother, and while the lights were down, the man sitting beside her (in fact holding her hand) is killed. Addington did not want Caroline to attend any seances, so he was perturbed when he found out that she had and that the unthinkable happened while she was there. Then he finds a link from that death to the man who was in prison for fraud, and who Addington believed was responsible for the death of his father. The man is a confidence artist, and he bilked many people of a lot money, including his and Caroline's father. The book becomes a chase to get this man after that, and I didn't find that it was that suspenseful.
2.0 out of 5 stars
i am not really sure about this book,
By ktkat1949 "ktkat49" (BC CANADA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The White Crow (Mass Market Paperback)
i discovered this book while browsing at my favourite book store. i was desperate to find something, anything to read. beinga huge fan of anne perry's and having read all her books when i saw this one i grabbed it. after reading it i am not sure i enjoyed it or if i would buy another one. i found the characters unlikable. each of the main three were so bound up in their own prejudices and snobbery that it was all i could not do not to throw the book across the room. the 'charming caroline' who most reviewers found a delight.i found silly and vapid especially for a 36 year old woman,spinister of not. her brother was just a charmless snob who seemed to think his birthright gave him the right to judge everyone else wanting. dr. mackenzie was the only one who came close to be interesting. the characters were three dimensional. i guess i am spoiled because anne perry does such a superb job of creating likeable although flawed people who have depth of character and personality. also i must say that not knowing the city of boston(i am very familiar with london)a lot of the historical detail was wasted on me. the mystery was run of the mill. i think i will buy another one of series and if it is similar i shall go back to rereading anne perry's early works.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb third in the series, I loved it!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Crow (Mass Market Paperback)
As usual Cynthia Peale did not disappoint me! And I am so glad. I enjoyed The White Crow as much if not more than the first and second books in the series. Her characterizations are excellent (and not just the main characters!), the plot is entertaining and well-planned, and the way she captures old Boston at the turn of the century is nothing short of brilliant. I feel that I am there learning about what Boston was really like. To find this atmosphere of a Boston past in a modern-day book is amazing. I am eagerly awaiting a fourth in the Beacon Hill series. Please!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
