From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. German author Schatzing, best-known for his environmental SF thriller
The Swarm (2006), uses the death of real-life architect Gerhard Morart, the designer of the cathedral of Cologne, as his starting point for this compelling historical suspense novel. Work on what would become the most famous church in Germany has been underway for a dozen years in 1260 when Morart falls from the unfinished building's roof—murdered, in the author's fictional scenario, as the result of a shadowy conspiracy. Unfortunately for the plotters, Jacob the Fox, a thief known for his fiery red hair, witnesses the act and actually hears the victim's dying words, leading the murderers to target Jacob and anyone he might have spoken to. The main mystery revolves around the motives of the plotters, whose identities aren't kept secret. Strong action sequences and a dramatic look at a time and place unfamiliar to most readers should help solidify Schatzing's reputation as a versatile storyteller.
(Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
Like his first novel published in English (The Swarm, 2006), German author Schatzing's medieval suspense tale buries a great story beneath unnecessary detail. The cathedral at Cologne, a Gothic first, was designed by Gerhard Morart, who died falling from its roof in 1260. Perhaps he was murdered, Schatzing suggests, setting up an intriguing premise: Did the sociopolitical and religious climate of the late Dark Ages persuade the church's enemies to kill the cathedral's creator? However, awkward translation, anachronism ("he swore for the nth time"), repeated clichés ("to hell in a handcart"), and a heavy dose of melodrama obscure the story and get in the way of building suspense. The characters, including the witty, carrot-topped sneak thief, Jacob, have some appeal, but they, too, tend to get lost in a morass of internal monologue and didacticism. Readers with a strong interest in the setting and subject may be willing to ignore the novel's clumsiness, but those expecting suspense won't sit still for a history lesson in lieu of a gothic mystery. Ackroyd's Clerkenwell Tales (2004) is the gold standard for this kind of thing. Baker, Jennifer
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
