The Queen of Bedlam

A Matthew Corbett Novel, Book 2

By: Robert R. McCammon

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

His epic masterwork Speaks the Nightbird, a tour de force of witch hunt terror in a colonial town, was hailed by Sandra Brown as "deeply satisfying...told with matchless insight into the human soul."

Now, Robert McCammon brings the hero of that spellbinding novel, Matthew Corbett, to 18th-century New York, where a killer wields a bloody and terrifying power over a bustling city carving out its identity - and over Matthew's own uncertain destiny.

The unsolved murder of a respected doctor has sent ripples of fear throughout a city teeming with life and noise and commerce. Who snuffed out the good man's life with the slash of a blade on a midnight street? The local printmaster has labeled the fiend "the Masker," adding fuel to a volatile mystery...and when the Masker claims a new victim, hardworking young law clerk Matthew Corbett is lured into a maze of forensic clues and heart-pounding investigation that will both test his natural penchant for detection and inflame his hunger for justice.

In the strangest twist of all, the key to unmasking the Masker may await in an asylum where the Queen of Bedlam reigns - and only a man of Matthew's reason and empathy can unlock her secrets. From the seaport to Wall Street, from society mansions to gutters glimmering with blood spilled by a deviant, Matthew's quest will tauntingly reveal the answers he seeks - and the chilling truths he cannot escape.

©2007 Robert McCammon (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

I like these books

I'm enjoying this series so far. On to the next tale of Matthew Corbett; what will he get himself into?

wonderful series

I have been a funof Mccammon for very long, but was not aware of this series. Wonderful experience! Great narration!

Great Book

McCammon has done it again! Great story and even better storytelling. I highly recommend it.

Incredible Story

I'm a long-time fan of Mr. McCammon, and when I learned that he had a series, I had to listen to it instead of buying the book. I'm SO glad that I did!

This is an incredible continuation of the first book and now I can't wait to listen to the rest of them.

Wonderful story with a surprising ending.

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

I'm so glad that Mr. McCammon hasn't lost his touch in keeping me enthralled in one of his stories.

Can't wait to hear the rest of them!

Pays off at the end

I came close to giving up on this book since it took at least a third of the story to really get started. I absolutely loved everything Iʻve read by McCammon, but this book felt like there was almost too much going on and I had a lot of trouble following all the storylines and characters). It does deliver at the end and Iʻm glad I read it, but I have to say one of the more annoying aspects in the story is how Corbett tends to repeat dialog like a parrot--I felt like the story could have been shorter and more to the point without that endless repetition.

So glad I found this series

Can’t wait to listen to the next book!!!! I hope they keep the same narrator throughout.

McCammon is a beautiful writer.

amazing book. the reader was so good. I could listen to him read all day.

Addicting

This author was new to me (even though he has been writing for years) and I found this series addicting. After I listened to the first one, I had to hear the rest.

The characters are well developed, the dialogue is wonderful and the humor is so funny and comes out of the blue that I had many REAL laugh-out-loud moments – and a couple of almost-drive-off-the-road moments.
Absolutely delightful series with wonderful narration.

Master Storytelling - Never Rushed

It's hard to know which book I liked better--Speaks the Nightbird was the first in the series, and is one of the top 20 favorites in my library. The Queen of Bedlam will be added to that group.

I like it when an author doesn't feel the need to point you directly at the circumstances, or the joke, for you to "get it"- this author doesn't insult the reader's intelligence. It is a smart and witty novel about the hunt for a serial killer called "The Masker" in New York City. Our hero, Matthew Corbett, teams up with a detective agency just being established in the city. As was his style in the first book, Matthew goes about his business in a quiet, determined manner as he puts together the clues which ultimately lead to the truth. There are several sub-plots to keep things interesting, and a possible love interest as well. It is a slow build for the first 1/3, but after that, I didn't want to stop listening.

Set in the period around 1700, the author does a wonderful job of giving us a look at life during that time (NYC had a population of about 5,000) which is so rich in detail, it is like being there.

Bottom line--it you liked Speaks the Nightbird- you will like this one too. If you have not read the fist book- this one will stand alone, but I would highly recommend reading the first one to get the full story and rich background.

An excellent follow-on to "Speaks the Nightbird"

A terrific story set in early 18th century New York. Edoardo Ballerini once again does a wonderful job on the narration. And the evil that Matthew Corbett encounters and unravels will make you shudder as you listen.