It's a little while since I read this, so I can't remember enough to write a detailed review. I enjoyed the book, although as I recall there was a slow patch in the middle. The plot is extremely complicated (typical of Charles Palliser) and the Editor's Foreword at the beginning is very cryptic: it takes a long while to become clear. The cathedral politics ring true and the attempt to reach the truth of historical events - both recent and ancient history - are fascinating. The dangers of allowing emotion, preconceptions, or ambition to cloud one's interpretation are clear, although the reader doesn't necessarily learn the lesson.

I'm sending this to chich as a wishlist RABCK. Hope you enjoy it, chich, and happy reading!

Woo Hoo! What a lovely & unexpected RABCK! Thanks so much Nell-Lu, what an amazing surprise!! I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time:D

This wonderful RABCK makes you an official member of my BC Hall of Fame!!

I must say that I almost stopped reading this book when I was halfway through because I thought the plot was taking much too long to develop. *But* I kept on reading because I somehow felt that it would get better and it did:) I think it took me over a week to read the first half and about 2 days to read the second half! What bothered me at first was that I just couldn't figure out when the story was taking place and kept wondering if it was the 18th or 19th century (either there were very few clues in the book about that or I just didn't see them). I thought the first part of the book was a bit tedious (I didn't find much interest in Dr Courtine's research) and expected the book to be more atmospheric and gothic. On the other hand, the second half of the book is a real page-turner and I really enjoyed reading it:) The plot becomes much more interesting as the mystery thickens and the pace picks up *a lot*!

I think that the main problem with this book is that Palliser overdid it: too many plot lines that take the narrative nowhere, too much time spent going back and forth between the 9th, the 17th and 19th century, too many characters that are irrelevant to the story... Reading this review you might be surprised that I rated this book a 7 out of 10 but that's because if you skip the first part, it really is a very good murder mystery!

Thanks again for sending me this book Nell-Lu!It's now reserved for a very good cause:)

Book sent to the unsuspecting winner of the OBCZ Summer Sweepstakes:)

You won, you won!! Congratulations!!!

This book is one of the many lovely books sent to me by chich for winning the OBCZ Summer Sweepstakes!! Yey! Thanks!