Shoulder the Sky : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Perry triumphs again!!!
Review: Anne Perry is a wonderful writer. Her Monk and Pitt series paint pictures of the late 1800's.

Now in this new series, we meet and come to care for the Reavley family, whose parents were murdered due to discovering a treaty that would stop the war, but in essence makes everyone in the world members of 2 world powers, instead of freedom.
Perry takes us to the trenches in Ypres, where sister Judith is a volunteer driver, and brother Joseph is a chaplain.
Her descriptions on the grim reality of war. including gas attacks, and horrid conditions in the trenches transports you there...As effective as reading Wilfred Owens' poetry.
This is a series to add your list.
Perry continues to be top in her game.



Rating:
Summary: Exciting Continuation Of A New Series
Review: I could not wait for the 2nd in this series and I was not disappointed. I love the strength and determination of these characters, especially Judith. Ms. Perry's descriptions are so good it is almost as if you are on the battlefield. Her characters so well developed that you wish they truly existed. Ms. Perry never fails to disappoint me. With each novel and each new series, she surpasses herself.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: I loved Perry's first WWI novel, No Graves As Yet. I've been anxiously waiting 2 years for the 2nd installment. It was even better than the first!

Rating:
Summary: Perry's writing has never been better
Review: I occasionally encounter a mystery fan who has never read a book by Anne Perry. This surprises me. It doesn't happen often, but it certainly occurs more than it should. She has had two different series of historical mysteries going: the first being the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, which were first introduced in 1979, and the second being the somewhat darker William Monk volumes. Perry began a third series last year, and it's the one that has somewhat become my early favorite. I don't think they have a proper name as yet, but I'm calling them, for our purposes here, the Reavley books. The first was NO GRAVES AS YET, and this new one is SHOULDER THE SKY. If you're a fan of traditional mysteries, you need to read these novels, particularly the latter.

SHOULDER THE SKY is set against the backdrop of World War I, as was NO GRAVES AS YET. But if you didn't read NO GRAVES AS YET, it won't impede your enjoyment of her latest, as Perry does an excellent job of bringing new readers up to date within her opening chapters --- and does it without impeding her new storyline. The time is April 1915, and England is heavily involved in what would come to be known as World War I. Joseph Reavley is an Army chaplain, on the front line in Flanders, and is heavily involved in giving such spiritual comfort as he may to the dying and wounded among the British troops.

A note here. Perry's descriptions of warfare are accurate and accordingly are horrific, though not gratuitously so. One can almost smell the smoke, see the fire, and hear the screams of the wounded in the midst of Perry's description. That, by any reasonable definition, is fine writing.

An arrogant, insensitive war correspondent named Eldon Prentice interjects himself into the scene, and soon earns the animosity of virtually every soldier he encounters. When Prentice is found dead on the front lines, the reaction of one and all is good riddance. It becomes clear to Reavley, however, that Prentice is not a casualty of war but was the victim of a deliberate act of murder. Reavley accordingly takes it upon himself to investigate the matter, a task that is less than thankless in the wartime environment in which he finds himself. Reavley's sister Judith, meanwhile, is the driver for General Cullingford, commanding officer of the troops and, interestingly enough, Prentice's uncle by marriage. There was no love lost, however, between Cullingford and Prentice, and Prentice was using his uncle's unexpressed feelings for Judith as leverage for preferential treatment in the journal pool. Judith has her own ideas as to who was behind Prentice's murder.

It is Perry's practice in her other series to have each novel deal with an individual mystery that is ultimately resolved within the book, while also dealing with a much larger ongoing issue that connects the individual volumes in serial volumes. She appears to be continuing this practice in the Reavley novels. The Prentice murder is ultimately solved. The mystery of the man known as The Peacemaker, introduced in NO GRAVES AS YET, deepens within SHOULDER THE SKY. Matthew Reavley, brother to Joseph and Judith, continues in his role as a British intelligence officer to determine the identity of this mysterious figure, who seeks to unite the warring German and British nations into a common front that will then divide the other nations of the world between them. This is also a personal matter for Matthew, as The Peacemaker is responsible for the murders of the Reavleys' mother and father. It appears as if The Peacemaker is going to succeed in his reprehensible plot. Matthew, however, finds that the odds against him are balanced somewhat by assistance from an unexpected source.

Perry's writing has never been better than it is in SHOULDER THE SKY. Readers hesitant to pursue one of Perry's other series due to the size of her considerable bibliography should jump onto the Reavley series now while it is easily manageable. Read one, and you'll be hooked for good. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Rating:
Summary: terrific historical military thriller
Review: In 1915, though they remain in mourning over the vehicular murder of their parents, the Reavley siblings continue to their efforts to help England at war with the Kaiser. Joseph serves as a chaplain in the trench warfare in Belgium and France. Judith works as a driver and translator for General Cullingsford, who leads the English Expeditionary Force fighting in these trenches. Matthew is in London working Intel while trying to uncover information on the mythical power broker Peacemaker, who he believes is the killer of his parents and the broker of a Kaiser King alliance.

Joseph finds the corpse of detested journalist Eldon Prince, Cullingsford's nephew, who apparently died at the hands of "friendly" fire. Though he would prefer to ignore this homicide, Joseph investigates, which makes his preaching on God's love more difficult to his already disbelieving flock, who are pleased with Eldon's death. His sister wonders if her employer whom she is in love with could have arranged the murder of his odious relative.

SHOULDER THE SKY, the second book in Anne Perry's World War I opus, is a terrific exciting thriller that contains two exciting fronts. Judith and Joseph working a murder investigation with the backdrop of the horrors of war, especially trench warfare, are painting a panorama of horror because conditions are that terrible. In England, Matthew continues his inquiries into the Peacemaker that he previously started in NO GRAVES AS YET. Other family members serve as comparisons between the war efforts and the home. All is not quiet on the western front as Ms. Perry furbishes a terrific historical military thriller with amateur sleuth and espionage elements enhancing the dark sky of war.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Stunning Continuation of a Superb Historical Series
Review: Last year's introduction to the Reavley family saga "No Graves as Yet" established the essential parameters of plot and character which now become the building blocks for its searing sequel. Shortly after the arranged murder of their parents by a sinister person whom they come to think of as The Peacemaker on the eve of the assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand at Sarajevo, Cambridge Professor of Bible Studies, Joseph Reavley; his brother Matthew, an intelligence officer in the British Secret Service; and their sisters, Hannah and Judith, uncovered and thwarted a plot masterminded by that same individual whose world-shaking implications could have altered the course of history. Nine months later when their story resumes, the juggernaut that has become World War I is threatening all of Europe, and Joseph (as a chaplain) and Judith (as an ambulance driver and occasional chauffeur for top-level military personnel) are serving their country amid the mire, blood and slaughter of the front lines near Ypres as part of the outnumbered and all but overwhelmed British Expeditionary Forces valiantly trying to stem the tide of the German invasion of Flanders. Back in London, Matthew is all too aware that their previous encounter with The Peacemaker has "...scotched the snake but not killed it...", so his primary goal as an intelligence officer is to try to keep one step ahead of him while searching for anything that might provide even the slightest clue to his identity or what he has in mind for Britain. These two story lines begin to intertwine after Joseph encounters blustering, grossly insensitive journalist Eldon Prentice who has used his connection with his uncle, General Owen Cullingford, to gain access to the front-lines for purposes of writing a blistering and unvarnished expose of their real horrors thereby undermining and crippling vital recruiting efforts at home. Before he can do so, Joseph finds his drowned body face down in No-Man's-Land and realizes that his death must be murder...not by the Germans, but at the hands of someone from their own outfit. While Joseph is torn between his moral imperative to find and bring Prentice's killer to justice and the fear that a friend might be culpable, Matthew becomes convinced that there is a traitor in Intelligence who is helping The Peacemaker in his anti-war efforts. Two more deaths muddy the waters, and he finally sends Joseph to Gallipoli on a top-secret mission that may help to confirm the face of their enemy. The answers he seeks there elude him, but a chance encounter with another journalist, brilliant, iconoclastic Richard Mason, confirms The Peacemaker's plan to strike at the heart of Britain's morale through the power of the press. The terrifying consequences of Joseph's desperate venture only leave more issues for the next book to resolve...and the Great War rages on.

I believe that it's impossible to read Anne Perry's moving and impeccably accurate historical novels...especially her Reavley books...without becoming personally involved in the moral issues which confront her characters. They present an intellectual and emotional challenge which I find rare and incredibly stimulating. In addition to watching people whom I've come to care for deeply face up to and grow as a result of their experiences, it seems to me that Ms. Perry is using the War as a crucible: Joseph learns to feel as well as think (and to trust his feelings); Judith evolves from a sheltered, aimless chit into a strong, selfless, dedicated woman through heartbreak and loss. Platitudes about tight-pacing, extraordinary attention to period, vividly-realized, suspenseful plotting and nuances of characterization simply don't quite cut it. I'm just extremely grateful that Ms. Perry decided to bring her family history to life to share with us and am eagerly and avidly waiting to find out what happens next.


Rating:
Summary: a good read but mystery subplot plays second fiddle
Review: The second installment in the (what I'm calling the Reavley series) was, for me, both compelling and disappointing. Compelling because, as usual, Ms Perry does a fantastic job of bringing to life the horrors of trench warfare during WWI, and making us feel the pain, sorrows and fears of the men and women who were at the front. However, while these sections of the "Shoulder the Sky" were really absorbing and mesmerizing, the whole mystery-intrigue subplot of discovering the identity of Peacemaker (the man responsible for the murders of the Reavley parents) and exposing his mad megalomaniacal plan to carve up the world between the Germans and the English, really played second fiddle to the horrors of war subplot. And for an avid mystery reader, this can be rather disappointing. I rather enjoyed all the ruminating that Joseph (the military chaplain at the Front) and his friends go into while they are trying to make these brash young war journalists (who all seem to be antiwar and who all seem to have some personal agenda) understand that while one may not want a war, sometimes fighting for an ideal is something that one must do; however, for most readers who are familiar with the works of the authors and poets of the period, much of this is old ground. And truthfully speaking, I had bought the book more for the mystery-intrigue subplot. So from that standpoint, I was a little disappointed. However, "Shoulder the Sky" is a well written book, full of wonderfully sketched and realised characters (getting to know the Reavley siblings more intimately was a real treat), that poignantly deals with the realities and horrors of war. So that even though I was disappointed that the murder-intrigue subplot played second fiddle this time around, I'd still vote "Shoulder the Sky" as a good 4 star read.

Rating:
Summary: "Shoulder the sky my lad, and drink your ale".
Review: This quotation that Perry quotes in her book really describes what Ms. Perry is trying to accomplish with this novel. If there is another work out there that better describes the horrors and confusion of war, I haven't seen it. In this book Ms. Perry continues her saga of the Reavely family, and their ongoing search to uncover a traitor that they call "The Peacemaker". All this in the stunning backdrop of the horrible First World War (the War to End All Wars). Ms. Perry's description of battles and the carnage that ensues from them is in itself enough of a reason to read the book. But the way she portrays the simple human dignity and the many acts of kindness that occur in the midst of the cacaphony of the battlefield and the way the soldiers deal with these unspeakable horrors is unmatched. This book is a masterpiece and there is no other word for it. This whole series is shaping up to be something very worthy of note. It is not an easy book to read because the battle scenes are truly terrible, but it is so well-written that it forces the reader to keep turning pages. A truly horrific novel with extraordinary people. Words do fail me.

Rating:
Summary: Good description of the horrors of war
Review: World War I has broken out despite the efforts of the 'peacemaker' to prevent it, but the peacemaker has not given up. If only England can be persuaded to abandon the horrible struggle, peace, in the form of German control over Europe and British control over the rest of the world, can be achieved.

From the time the peacemaker killed their parents, siblings Joseph, Judith, and Matthew Reavley have tried to find his identity and undo his plans. Joseph is an army chaplain, serving in the trenches in Flanders. The daily horrors of war are intensified by German gas attacks, but a real crisis comes when a hot-shot journalist pushes investigation of what just might be a self-inflicted wound. Tensions run high--until Joseph finds the journalist's body. The evidence points to murder, rather than an accident of warfare. Joseph hated the journalist, but this ethics compell him to investigate--an investigation that leads back toward the peacemaker.

Author Anne Perry does an excellent job portraying the horrors of war and the brothership of the men and women who fought. As Joseph experiences the slaughter of Flanders field, and the senseless waste of Galopoli, Perry manages to convey his growing doubts and moral uncertainty about his cause.

SHOULDER THE SKY is part of a series, beginning with the interesting NO GRAVES AS YET. For me, the introduction of the horrors of one of mankind's most senselessly destructive wars makes SHOULDER even stronger than the earlier NO GRAVES. One thought--I think the story would be deepened if the peacemaker were given a bit more dimension. People seeking to save millions of lives, even at the price of surrender, are not necessarilly evil, nor even wrong. By making the badguy sympathetic, Perry could really elevate the emotional impact of her story.