The Bones of the Buried: The Second in the Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne Murder Mystery series

Rating:
Summary: great reading
Review: Here's a tip when reading "Bones of the Buried," have a piece of paper with all the characters names written down so that you don't start confusing one character with the other. This was especially true of the men in this mystery novel -- after a while, they all seem to be variations of a theme/mold. I'm usually rather good at being able to distinguish characters (and love novels that have lots of characters), but even I got confused a few times. Except for this small peeve, "Bones of the Buried" is a rather nifty and engrossing murder mystery, that is highly evocative of the period, and worth touting about as an excellent read.

Lord Edward Corinth has barely unpacked his bags and accustomed himself to being in London again after having spent six months in New York, when a rather hysterical Verity Browne turns up at his doorstep demanding his help. The last time that the pair spoke, Verity was on her way to cover the Spanish Civil War and keeping company with a rather obnoxious fellow communist party member, David Griffiths-Jones. Now, Verity wants Lord Edward to help save Griffiths-Jones from a Spanish firing squad. Apparently, Griffiths-Jones has been found guilty of murdering another communist party member, and a fellow Brit, Godfrey Tilney (an old Etonian whom Lord Edward remembers as being a bit of a bully and fairly unpleasant). Verity is certain that Griffiths-Jones is innocent, in spite of the circumstantial evidence against him, and wants Lord Edward to help her. Lord Edward is not so sure if he can indeed do anything to help save Griffiths-Jones from execution, but he agrees to set off for Madrid with Verity. What he finds is a country in chaos and full opposing little factions. Working against time, Lord Edward and Verity must navigate their way through all the petty internal politics and confusion in order to discover the evidence they need to set Griffiths-Jones free. But will they be able to accomplish this feat?

"Bones of the Buried" proved to be a highly engrossing read. I particularly liked that David Roberts took such care to get the feel of the period just right, and to explain the politics of the times in such detail. The mystery with all its little subplots that may or may not be interconnecting, was a brilliant brain teaser too. The character of Lord Edward seems to have matured a little since "Sweet Poison," however I really kept getting irritated and frustrated with the character of Verity Browne. In "Sweet Poison" she seemed to be on the path towards realising the difference between ideals and dogma, but in "Bones of the Buried" however, she seems to have lost her ability to face the unpleasant truth about the Communist party, and constantly lapses to mouthing the party line whenever something she'd rather not face surfaces. Verity Browne, in this novel, comes across as an insecure and unsure young woman when she was not passionately discussing world affairs. And I kept rooting for Lord Edward to snap out of this fascination he had for Verity, esp since all she seems to do is use him for her own ends, otherwise dismissing completely his abilities and opinions. It's not that much fun reading constantly of one major character putting the other down for whatever reason. However this is only an opinion I have; other readers may enjoy Verity's constant abuse of Lord Edward.

Barrng my nitpicking about the Verity Browne character, "Bones of the Buried" is indeed a really engrossing and fun read.

Rating:
Summary: Dorothy L. Sayers must be rolling in her grave
Review: Here's a tip when reading "Bones of the Buried," have a piece of paper with all the characters names written down so that you don't start confusing one character with the other. This was especially true of the men in this mystery novel -- after a while, they all seem to be variations of a theme/mold. I'm usually rather good at being able to distinguish characters (and love novels that have lots of characters), but even I got confused a few times. Except for this small peeve, "Bones of the Buried" is a rather nifty and engrossing murder mystery, that is highly evocative of the period, and worth touting about as an excellent read.

Lord Edward Corinth has barely unpacked his bags and accustomed himself to being in London again after having spent six months in New York, when a rather hysterical Verity Browne turns up at his doorstep demanding his help. The last time that the pair spoke, Verity was on her way to cover the Spanish Civil War and keeping company with a rather obnoxious fellow communist party member, David Griffiths-Jones. Now, Verity wants Lord Edward to help save Griffiths-Jones from a Spanish firing squad. Apparently, Griffiths-Jones has been found guilty of murdering another communist party member, and a fellow Brit, Godfrey Tilney (an old Etonian whom Lord Edward remembers as being a bit of a bully and fairly unpleasant). Verity is certain that Griffiths-Jones is innocent, in spite of the circumstantial evidence against him, and wants Lord Edward to help her. Lord Edward is not so sure if he can indeed do anything to help save Griffiths-Jones from execution, but he agrees to set off for Madrid with Verity. What he finds is a country in chaos and full opposing little factions. Working against time, Lord Edward and Verity must navigate their way through all the petty internal politics and confusion in order to discover the evidence they need to set Griffiths-Jones free. But will they be able to accomplish this feat?

"Bones of the Buried" proved to be a highly engrossing read. I particularly liked that David Roberts took such care to get the feel of the period just right, and to explain the politics of the times in such detail. The mystery with all its little subplots that may or may not be interconnecting, was a brilliant brain teaser too. The character of Lord Edward seems to have matured a little since "Sweet Poison," however I really kept getting irritated and frustrated with the character of Verity Browne. In "Sweet Poison" she seemed to be on the path towards realising the difference between ideals and dogma, but in "Bones of the Buried" however, she seems to have lost her ability to face the unpleasant truth about the Communist party, and constantly lapses to mouthing the party line whenever something she'd rather not face surfaces. Verity Browne, in this novel, comes across as an insecure and unsure young woman when she was not passionately discussing world affairs. And I kept rooting for Lord Edward to snap out of this fascination he had for Verity, esp since all she seems to do is use him for her own ends, otherwise dismissing completely his abilities and opinions. It's not that much fun reading constantly of one major character putting the other down for whatever reason. However this is only an opinion I have; other readers may enjoy Verity's constant abuse of Lord Edward.

Barrng my nitpicking about the Verity Browne character, "Bones of the Buried" is indeed a really engrossing and fun read.

Rating:
Summary: Dorothy L. Sayers must be rolling in her grave
Review: It may be true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but if this is so, then David Roberts attempts to flatter Dorothy L. Sayers in much too obvious a way. Roberts' character Lord Edward Corinth is a pale (no pun intended) imitation of Sayers' wonderful Lord Peter Wimsey, right down to the aquiline nose and the habit of getting information by acting like a befuddled upper class twit. Verity Browne is a sort of Harriet Wimsey taken to the nth degree -- grating and unsympathetic, without any of Harriet's softer side. This novel has lots of fun 1930s detail and some decent plot twists, but for anyone who loves the Lord Peter books, it's painful to read.

Rating:
Summary: Only half of this duo is dynamic
Review: The premise of "The Bones of the Buried" is promising: Lord Edward Corinth, a sensitive and earnest British aristocrat investigates three interconnected murders during the 1936 Spanish civil war. He does so with the "help" of Verity Browne, an upper class woman who is passionately commited to communist ideals.

Verity, unfortunately, dismembers what could and should be a satisfying read. There is no opposites-attract chemisty. In fact, this woman is so annoyingly selfish and shallow that Edward's love for her undermines his own credibility.

In his attempt to create a sparky but adorably vulnerable pro/antogonist, author David Roberts instead presents us with a one dimensional harridan who's too obnoxious to lend this book the richness of its premise.

For example, Verity has two lovers, one a smarmy writer and the other a ruthless terrorist, both of whom she adores - and she continually makes darn sure Edward knows it. She actually seems to enjoy degrading and abusing Edward, while he reacts meekly or with amusement. Yes, he's developing into quite a credibility problem for this reader.

I beg Mr. Roberts to do something about Verity before he loses his own believability. If this character can't evolve, then write her out and introduce Edward to someone who's his match for integrity and depth. Alternatively, give Edward a good thump on the head to wake him up. This man needs some romantic backbone!