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The writer has extensive horticultural experience at prestigious institutions in England, Canada and the US. He brings this life experience and background to this book, and he is able to relate to gardeners in the climates and conditions of all three countries. Not only does he have a vast store of knowledge and practical experience on the topic, he presents it in a friendly and readable way. This book is all about selecting the right tree for your garden. In his introduction the writer acknowledges the significance of selecting a tree that may outlive us. His first chapter, "Understanding Trees" is quite the best introduction to the topic I have ever encountered (and I've read… Read more
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This is a rattling good story, well told. The writer, departing from his previous Ian Rutledge series, this time explores the world of Francesca Hatton, a young heiress who finds her previously ordered world crashing down around her. She has to discover the truth about her grandfather - truth that seems both hidden and horrific. Set in the time of World War 1, a period that resonates for the writer, the novel traces the maturing of Francesca in a world where her five male cousins and close childhood playmates have been killed in the war and where damaged men return from the battlefields struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives. The horror of the war and its carnage are never far… Read more
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This book is set in London in 1899. A leading art critic has been murdered. Now I hesitate to read books about the art world because either the writer talks down to the reader, or a non-art historian hasn't a clue what it's all about. This writer manages to explain the art world quickly, simply and effectively. I understood and I didn't feel patronized. This is a good story; it moves right along with plenty of action. The characters are so well drawn that you don't even notice the writer doing it. The background is authentic and the various motivations very true to the time, the setting and the plot. The dialogue was crisp and the transitions barely noticeable. This is John Buchan… Read more
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