Faded Coat of Blue

Rating:
Summary: What a marvelous and unusual period read!
Review: This little delight of a read smacks of authenticity during the difficult, chaotic and confusing initial period of the Civil War. "Faded Coat" with its modest and unlikely hero CPT Abel Jones is a true period piece right down to its non-PC view of the American landscape and credible perceptions colored by Jones' Welsh ethnicity and brogue. This captivating read is one for any educated reader interested in 1800s Americana - its spicy multi-ethnic dialogs, vivid description of Civil War combat and sulky, depressed and corrupt Washington makes it curiously relevant to our times today. A great debut for Owen Parry, I look forward to numerous sequels!

Rating:
Summary: Characters + events = timeless inner discovery
Review: This is the first genre mystery book I've read outside of the classics like "Crime & Punishment" etc. I clicked on amazon's ad for "Faded Coat of Blue" to buy as a gift for my husband, but when it arrived, I just opened the first page to look at the first sentence--a reader's habit. Two hours later I was still standing in the same spot unable to move out of the storytelling. I read it twice once after the other. I recommend this fine story to folks like me who usually pass on "mystery" books. Parry reminded me of so many things I need to remember: about others and about myself.

Rating:
Summary: A page-turner worth savoring
Review: If you enjoy a good mystery, have an interest in American history or appreciate flawless writing, READ THIS BOOK! For me, Faded Coat of Blue satisfied all those interests and more. Through the eyes of Abel Jones, the quirky immigrant hero of the book, the reader sees another, more complex side of America than is usually portrayed in Civil War literature. It is also a remarkably contemporary story that deals with murder, corruption, valor, racism, immigration, substance abuse, religious tolerance, class and justice (and a few other things besides!). Best of all, it is a page-turner you will want to savor. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: This is a brilliant book!
Review: Faded Coat of Blue is unavoidably engaging and just plain fun. Parry should keep this up (and indicates he will). He will no doubt develop an enthusiastic following with his extraordinarily clever genre. Parry's unlikely sleuth, Able Jones, is hands-down the most refreshing character we've come across in quite a few years. Great, great read!

Rating:
Summary: The Return of Real Literature.
Review: Amid the wasteland of overhyped and numbingly inane clutter in fiction racks these days, it is both remarkable and exhilirating to discover a novel this rewarding, this good. While its brilliantly crafted narrative alone - the investigation of a military murder during the chaotic opening months of the Civil War - more than warrants the read, the enduring payoff comes from what only a truly transcendent writer can offer. Through its flawless evocation of wretched yet driven mid-19th century America and its rawly human characters, Faded Coat of Blue achieves a rare alchemy that both completely transports you as you read and forever changes your consciousness. It is an absolutely mesmerizing experience, such as I've not encountered since reading John Fowles several decades ago. Although Faded Coat of Blue will doubtless attract mystery fans, Civil War aficionados, and historians, I can only hope that Mr. Parry's stunning work reaches the wider audience that it deserves.

Rating:
Summary: A rare treasure. Historical Fiction at its finest!
Review: It is rare that a novel comes along which is so taut, so compelling, so beautifully wrought as is "Faded Coat of Blue." Meticulously researched and painted in the most intriguing hues of chiaroscuro this is a novel to capture the reader's attention and hold it though to the shocking end. Such a writer is Owen Parry that you will find yourself slowing down as you near the end of this work simply because you do not want it to end. A mesmerizing reconstruction of a time, place, and society far removed from our everyday experience this gripping tale of suspense draws the reader ever deeper into a dark labyrinth of murder, corruption, and conspiracy set against the backdrop of America's Civil War. The protagonist, Captain Abel Jones is the most unlikely of heroes, a taciturn Welsh immmigrant, veteran of Her Majesty's colonial wars and would-be pacifist drawn much against his wishes into his adopted country's civil war. Disabled at Bull Run, Jones turns his attentions from the fields of battle to more mundane duties as a quartermaster officer trying desperately to ensure that clothing contracted for the army is actually delivered. He seems the least likely candidate to become a sleuth but when duty calls -- in the form of General McClellan -- a sleuth he becomes and easily on a par with the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes. It is a chore Abel Jones would rather not tackle but he is a prisoner of his conscience, his sense of duty, and of his moral convictions which propel him ever forward in his quest for the truth -- however demoralizing that truth may be. More than historical fiction, more than a Civil War tale, more than a murder mystery, "Faded Coat of Blue" is a spellbinding trip back through time and space to a world touched by fire and washed by the blood of patriots. Owen Parry's touch is nothing short of masterful. From the fetid back alleys of wartime Washington to the rarified decadence of the Philadelphia aristocracy, from the lilting rhythms of Welsh dialect to the subtle idiosyncracies of a volunteer army and the society from which it is drawn, not a word, not a phrase, not an expression is out of place. Those who have thrilled to the adventures of Holmes and Watson or, more recently, the exploits of Aubrey and Maturin, will rush to embrace a new set of literary heroes - the steadfast and tenacious Captain Abel Jones and his companion, the erudite and quietly compassionate Doctor Michael Tyrone. As a fellow novelist and avid reader I am in awe of the talents of Owen Parry and delighted by the arrival of this new series. This is not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Parry's new novel works on three levels
Review: There is certainly truth in the maxim: To write a good mystery, one must first write a good novel. Mr. Parry has gone one step further. His novel FADED COAT OF BLUE works on at least three levels, having the thrill of a murder mystery, the romance of popular historical fiction, and the insight of classical literature.

On one level, Parry has written a taught thriller containing all of the excitement and challenge to please the most demanding mystery fancier. The elements of great mystery fiction are all present. There are twists, turns, switchbacks, blind alleys and dead ends. However, the author adds to the enjoyment by providing us a unique hero. His Abel Jones is not your typical 19th Century ratiocinator or alienist. Unlike Sherlock Holmes or the early 20th Centrury's Hercule Poirot, Jones does not revel in our ignorance by demonstrating his superior deductive powers. He approaches problems armed only with his native wit. As the narrator, he unfolds the mystery at a pace we mortals can follow. And, when we find our assumptions have proven wrong, we can take comfort in the fact that Jones most likely made the same mistake.

As historical fiction, FADED COAT OF BLUE provides the Civil War enthusiast, as well as the uninitiated, with a perspective on middle 19th Century America that even the best non-fiction relating to the troubled era fails to duplicate. With the unique capabilities of fiction and the talent of a writer like Parry we experience, as if first hand, life in an immigrant nation torn by the conflict of its own conscience and drive to succeed. The humble Abel Jones provides us a unique critique of his time by offering his prejudices, predictions, and opinions with humor and disarming honesty.

I partially agree with a previous reviewer's observation that the feel of this novel is "Dickensian". The decriptions of the darker side of Civil War era Washington D.C. certainly compare favorably with that somber style. However, Parry's novel is so much more. It stands as an excellent example of Nineteenth Century classical literature because it provides the same insight into basic human nature as do the intellectual novels of the time, such as Thackeray's VANITY FAIR. As a former military man, even though separated from Abel Jones by a century and a half, I easily relate with his frustrations caused by the inept military bureaucracy, outrage against the lack of moral conviction of many of his contemporaries, and his deep love of country.

For an exciting and enjoyable read, I highly recommend Owen Parry's FADED COAT OF BLUE. And I am anxiously anticipating the second volume in this very promising series.

Rating:
Summary: A first-rate murder mystery set in the Civil War.
Review: *Faded Coat of Blue* is an amazing first mystery novel by Owen Parry.

I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan, a reader of modern detective stories by authors like James Patterson and Robert Parker, and a Civil War buff, and I found *Faded Coat of Blue* to be a remarkable piece of writing. The historical detail is meticulously researched and wonderfully presented, the writing is lively and entertaining, the characters are vivid, and the story itself is marvelously crafted. The author has plopped a murder mystery into the middle of Civil War-era Washington, D.C., and makes you feel like you're right there with the characters. The result is a story that's hard to put down.

I'm not a literary critic, I just enjoy good writing and a good mystery, and this book offers both. Two aspects stand out to me as most praiseworthy: the authenticity of the characters and the attention to historical detail. Add to those aspects smooth writing and an entertaining story (and a sympathetic hero), and the result is a modern American novel that is worthy of study in college contemporary literature classes.

I know this sounds like unrealistically glowing praise, but I think this is a terrific book. I finished it looking forward to the next one in what I hope will be a series.

Rating:
Summary: You will long remember this book
Review: The worst thing about FADED COAT is that it is far too short; the best thing is judging by how it ends, we can expect at least one more book featuring Welsh immigrant, Captain Abel Jones, a protagonist as engaging and original as any to appear in American fiction in recent times. (Note: Abel Jones hates horses. Of course, he's an infantryman, and I bet Owen Parry knows something about life in the infantry and I bet too that has more than a whiff of Wales in his own background, because Abel Jones rings as true as Merthyr Tydfil.)

The most extraordinary thing about FADED COAT is how it is so faithful to its time and place. While Abel Jones tells his story in retrospect, revisionism never creeps into the plot. In this regard, the novel's title is particularly revealing. Written late in the war by J. H. McNaughton, the ballad "Faded Coat of Blue," expresses the sorrow of all familes, North and South, who lost loved ones in the war. Lugubrious as its lyrics are, they reveal the common 19th-century attitude toward death and dying: that they were normal aspects of everyday life, the price people in those days paid for being born. Had a song like that been written during World War II, nobody would have published it, so much had attitudes changed since the 1860s. That Mr. Parry understands this profound cultural change between then and now is a tribute to his skill as an historical novelist.

FADED COAT is no KILLER ANGELS. Great leaders and battles are only peripheral to this story and Parry makes no attempt to explore the motivation or psychology of the war's leaders. His one battlefield episode (and a great chase scene near the end) are on a par with those in Bernard Cornwell's superb Sharpe and Starbuck novels, but frankly, Abel Jones is a character much more finely drawn than the hero of the Starbuck Civil War Series.

And this book is no COLD MOUNTAIN. That is good. Charles Frazier's Inman is a deserter but Able Jones would sooner die than desert his cause. We can all understand running away but what is harder to comprehend is why men will stand and face danger, death and disgrace. I think Parry does understand that and he conveys it to us through the character of Captain Abel Jones. And Parry, unlike Frazier, does not tell his story by drawing on all the tired old plot conventions of every classic written since Homer.

FADED COAT reminds me most of Joseph Pennell's ROME HANKS, because it tells not the story of the war but of the age. FADED COAT OF BLUE pits a very fine, highly developed literary talent against the hallowed and oft-plowed ground of Civil War America. In the final analysis, the only adjective that fits the heart and the guts and the feel of this novel is "Dickensian." Owen Parry's writing is comparable to that of the great English novelist because he writes about the lives of ordinary people in the most extraordinary way.

Rating:
Summary: A literary mystery that is quite good
Review: In 1861 in a Union encampment just south of the Potomac, Young Private Haney finds a corpse as he conducts sentry duty. By the time the panic and hollering ends and things finally begin to return to some degree of normalcy, Major Campbell identifies the murdered victim as the famous abolitionist Anthony Fowler. The Northern media goes into a frenzy as stories praising the handsome Fowler as a martyr are printed while condemning the Southerners for assassinating such a great person. Especially mourning the loss of the "Golden" individual is most Northern females who adored Fowler even though the victim swore to remain chaste until this country eradicated slavery.

To serve his adopted country, Welshman Abel Jones left his beloved Mary Myfanwy back in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He went to fight for the North. A veteran of Queen Victoria's India campaign, Abel feels he failed after being injured at the Battle of Bull Run. However, Abel continues to work for the Northern side of the conflict by performing the job of a clerking officer in Washington DC.

General McClellan, who just replaced General Scott as the Commander-In-Chief of the Northern armies, becomes very concerned with the publicity surrounding the Fowler murder. He feels strongly that this war is unnecessary as slavery was dying anyway. Though he plans to win the fight, he worries that radical elements will use Fowler's death as a rallying cry to eradicate the South in the same manner that Rome salted Carthage. McClellan wants an honest investigation based on facts not rumors or innuendoes. He consults with Philadelphia lawyer Franklin B. Gowen seeking a virtuous person to head the inquiries. That assessment leads McClellan to select Abel to make the required review into the murder of Fowler. Abel remains reluctant to handle the case because he lacks investigative experience. However, McClellan persuades him that his country needs his help. Finally accepting his charge, Abel begins to look into the killing by heading north to the home of Fowler's mother. At the onset of his inquest, Abel remains unaware of the degree of danger that he is going to find himself in from individuals who believe the end justifies the mean.

FADED COAT OF BLUE is more than another Civil War amateur sleuth tale due to the influx of real people and many factoids that provide an authenticity to the novel. Not slowing down the plot one iota, the abundance of facts provides a glimpse into late 1861 that feels so genuine readers will believe they stepped through a time machine. The who-done-it is intriguing and filled with twists and turns that will satisfy historical mystery fans. However, the characters make the story. Abel is a great protagonist struggling with what he learns during his investigation. Real people from history play important roles as they blend into the action-packed story line. Tidbits on Scott, McClellan, and Lincoln, etc. augment the thrill of the novel. The rest of the support cast adds layers and dimension that vividly brings the era to life while propelling the plot to its exciting climax. Readers will want more works from the talented Owen Parry starring Abel, one of the best nineteenth century detectives to appear in quite a while.

Harriet Klausner