Declare Books In Pursuance Of The Grenadillo Box
Original Title: | The Grenadillo Box |
ISBN: | 0743246861 (ISBN13: 9780743246866) |
Edition Language: | English |
Janet Gleeson
Hardcover | Pages: 338 pages Rating: 3.49 | 270 Users | 38 Reviews
Rendition During Books The Grenadillo Box
New Year's Day, 1755 The life of Nathaniel Hopson, journeyman to the illustrious cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale, is about to take a chilling turn. He has been sent to Cambridge to install a new library at the country home of Lord Montfort. Moments after the foul-tempered Montfort storms away from the afternoon dinner, a gunshot is heard. Hopson runs to the library to find him dead. His nephew and lawyer believe the conclusion is obvious: Montfort, burdened with gambling debts, must have taken his own life. The gun near Montfort's hand suggests suicide, but there are bloody footprints on the library floor. And there is a strange detail: he is clutching a small, elaborately carved box of rare grenadillo wood.No sooner does Nathaniel become the unlikely investigator than another body is found, mutilated and frozen in the pond. Nathaniel knows this victim well -- but what was he doing on Montfort's estate? The search for answers takes Nathaniel from the slums of Fleet Street to the silk-draped rooms of the aristocracy that roil with jealousy and secrets. And he meets Madame Trenti, the alluring and mysterious Drury Lane actress and client of Chippendale's, who seems to have known not only Montfort but the dead man in the pond as well.
An ingenious first novel, The Grenadillo Box is a deliciously old-fashioned detective story, crafted with all the intricacy and polish of a Chippendale cabinet.
Point Based On Books The Grenadillo Box
Title | : | The Grenadillo Box |
Author | : | Janet Gleeson |
Book Format | : | Hardcover |
Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 338 pages |
Published | : | March 10th 2004 by Simon & Schuster (first published March 4th 2002) |
Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Mystery. Historical Mystery. Fiction. European Literature. British Literature. Literature. 18th Century |
Rating Based On Books The Grenadillo Box
Ratings: 3.49 From 270 Users | 38 ReviewsPiece Based On Books The Grenadillo Box
I was afraid that the period writing would begin to grate. So far, it hasn't. I am a little concerned that I made some guesses about whodunnit at the beginning and that they'll be correct, but I always have that with murder mysteries. I'm usually at least a little surprised.*** Update: SOME of the guesses were correct, but most weren't, thankfully. Really enjoyed this book!I love historical mysteries. I love history, and I've loved mystery stories ever since I read THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES when I was 11. So when I read about this book, I knew I had to try it out for myself.It doesn't disappoint. Set in one of my favourite periods of history - the 18th century - it begins with a murder in an old dark house and ends with a hunt for a serial killer. Gleeson has a fine grasp of the period - incorporating everything from social etiquette to toilet habits -
refreshingly different ; Very unusual crime novel - 18th century -
This was a fun read. The plot was interesting in that there is actually several things happening. There is the letter at the start of the book which seems innocuous but is really an important thread in the story. The murders, the journeyman and his attempt to solve the murder, his infatuation with Alice and by the way their relationship is interesting as it book progresses, but I find her very annoying. Set in 18th century England, the dynamics of the relationships between classes is front and
Nathaniel Hopson, an apprentice to Chippendale, stumbles across a murder while installing a library in a grand country house. Rather bizarrely, he ends up investigating the murder himself. It has some interesting and I guess authentic, historical detail, but it got very over - long, and kept on repeating things. As such, it was 400 pages long and I got bored. In fact, I barely cared who had "dunnit" by the end. There was also a rather odd revelation in the final pages which I had seen as obvious
I liked the other books I had read by Janet Gleeson, so I saw this one for a penny on Amazon. It was well worth the price. Her first novel, I felt the characters revealed much more than I thought I would if I was trying to solve a murder mystery. But I enjoyed it & will try to find her other books as well.
Interesting, authentic read, based on exhaustive research and investigation of life in urban 18th century England, revolving around the horrific death of a grumpy lord during a lavish dinner at his country estate. The main character, Nathaniel Hopson, is a journeyman cabinetmaker, under the tutelage of the now famous furniture maker, Chippendale. He discovers the body while at the manor, as he has been charged with installing library furnishings made by Chippendale's shop. Nathaniel
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