Instruments of Darkness

A Novel

De: Imogen Robertson

Narrado por: Wanda McCaddon

In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. Not one to be bound by convention or to shy away from adventure, she recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer, and historical suspense's newest investigative duo is born. For years, Mrs. Westerman has sensed the menace of neighboring Thornleigh Hall, seat of the Earl of Sussex. It is the home of a once-great family that has been reduced to an ailing invalid, his whorish wife, and his alcoholic second son, a man haunted by his years spent as a redcoat in the Revolutionary War. The same day, Alexander Adams is slain by an unknown killer in his London music shop, leaving his children orphaned. His death will lead back to Sussex and to an explosive secret that has already destroyed one family and threatens many others.

Instruments of Darkness combines the brooding atmosphere of Anne Perry with the complex, compelling detail of Tess Gerritsen, moving from drawing room to dissecting room, from coffee house to country inn. Mrs. Westerman and Mr. Crowther are both razor-sharp minds, and their personalities breathe spirit into this gripping historical mystery.

©2011 Imogen Robertson (P)2011 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The book works splendidly as a period thriller, with complicated leads and informative details that illuminate 18th-century England for modern readers." ( Publishers Weekly)

Very confusing plot

Too any characters with similar names. Poor differentiation between voices. Not enough silence between scenes. Did not enjoy.

Excellent Writing, Odd Structure

The author is an excellent writer telling an intriguing story. The characters are well defined and appealing. I enjoyed the fact that Lady Harriet and Crowther are not sexually attracted to each other, their partnership is based on curiosity instead of hormones. I enjoyed the imagery emotions evoked by the author.

That said, I found the story structure odd and distracting. The book is broken into several sections, but the reason for the section breaks is unclear. The ending has an "in conclusion" section and an epilogue. The epilogue is actually a prologue and confused me. It is unnecessary. I don't recall the last time, if ever, having an author call out an "in conclusion" to end a story. Isn't the end generally the conclusion? The intermittent backstory flashbacks for a secondary character are also jarring.

I love Wanda McCaddon as a narrator but this reading is my favorite. It is hard to tell if the lack of breaks, or even breathing space, is in her reading, in the writing, or the editing. I suspect, based on the other structural issues in the story, that the author makes abrupt shifts in point of view without scene breaks.

Good Book

I used to never read books written in this time period especially if they were mysteries. It just wasn't something I was interested in. Now it almost all I read .. lol. I really like the way Ms Roberson mixes humor in her stories.

Other author I look for are C S Harris, P B Ryan & Anna Lee Huber.

Not that good

Maybe a better writter could have done something with the good components of this book. Very Anne Perry in its rehashing details and events between principle characters. Hard to tell when locations and times switch.

Unexpectedly good

If you could sum up Instruments of Darkness in three words, what would they be?

unusual, engaging, good(mystery)

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lady Harriett, because she seemed to be a woman ahead if her time, but in a realistic way (meaning that as one might suspect, her interest in science was not supported by everyone). however, the less believeable part was that a woman of her station in life could have formed such a tight allegience with another man while her husband was at sea without a lot more social difficulties. I liked it, but I still think that that time in history was one in which her relationship would have been viewed as scandalous, and that didn't play a very large role in this book. Some, but much less than I think would have actually been the case at that time.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Wanda McCaddon?

Yes, but not for this series. her voice (to me) sounded perfect for the role of someone older. Apologies to her, it only reflects my own "ear" for listening expectations. not her skill!

Any additional comments?

As an American, I found the historical perspective of being part of the British military during the Revolutionary War quite interesting.