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kchisholm's review
4.0
Fans of Barry Maitland's Brock & Kolla series have had a wait on their hands. The last book - Spider Trap - was released in 2006, with a standalone book Bright Air in 2007. Leaving aside the eagerness with which we fans wait for the next book in a favourite series, there's also the slight nagging doubt always - has the wait been worth it?
In DARK MIRROR Kathy's been promoted and Brock seems to being forced away from front-line policing, more into administration. They are called into the investigation of the death of a beautiful young woman who dies horribly in the rarefied and beautiful surroundings of the London Library. Marion Summers has been researching a Pre-Raphaelite group of artists, wives and lovers circling around the Victorian artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The strange thing is that the poison that killed Marion is arsenic - once common in Victorian times, and particularly connected to one woman in Rossetti's circle. Not so common these days, and not so easy to obtain. The investigation soon finds that Marion is a woman who had things to hide, and sorting through the victim's own background and life proves nearly as difficult as identifying the murderer.
There's always been a strong sense of place in Maitland's books - he sets his action in London, and puts a lot of research into his locations, as well as the procedures and methods current in English policing. Part of the great attraction of DARK MIRROR is yet another quirky, unexpected location - the London Library is one of those delightfully idiosyncratic little private locations, tucked away in Piccadilly. A subscription only library, it is renowned for its central role in England's intellectual life, popular with both writers and readers. Marion's presence and work in this library provides a central focus for the investigation, and Kathy finds herself as intrigued with the circle that Marion has been building around Rossetti.
There is also a strong sense of the characters in these books - Kathy is a little unsure of herself since her recent promotion, and very wrong-footed by a most unexpected romantic attachment. Brock continues to serve as Kathy's main mentor, taking a more active role in directing the investigation as another young student dies of arsenic poisoning and Kathy struggles with an increasing tendency to identify with the victims. As confident as Brock is in his role as a policeman, he struggles as well with his personal life, and this investigation brings those two elements too close together for his comfort. With both central characters the touch of the personal isn't overpowering, but it does give the reader a chance to see a more human side of them both. That's nicely balanced against getting to know the victim, who Marion is and why she has maintained such control and secrecy over her own life creates a sense of connection with her that makes the investigation more poignant.
DARK MIRROR is everything that fans of this long-running series are going to enjoy, and the wait definitely wasn't wasted. Strong sense of an unexpected gem of a place (and another location from Maitland's London that you just want to see for yourself); a good police procedural with a touch of the personal; some moving on in the lives of the central characters; and a motive that's all too human and whilst sad, is also surprisingly cruel - it all just goes to remind the reader yet again about the futility of cold-blooded murder.
In DARK MIRROR Kathy's been promoted and Brock seems to being forced away from front-line policing, more into administration. They are called into the investigation of the death of a beautiful young woman who dies horribly in the rarefied and beautiful surroundings of the London Library. Marion Summers has been researching a Pre-Raphaelite group of artists, wives and lovers circling around the Victorian artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The strange thing is that the poison that killed Marion is arsenic - once common in Victorian times, and particularly connected to one woman in Rossetti's circle. Not so common these days, and not so easy to obtain. The investigation soon finds that Marion is a woman who had things to hide, and sorting through the victim's own background and life proves nearly as difficult as identifying the murderer.
There's always been a strong sense of place in Maitland's books - he sets his action in London, and puts a lot of research into his locations, as well as the procedures and methods current in English policing. Part of the great attraction of DARK MIRROR is yet another quirky, unexpected location - the London Library is one of those delightfully idiosyncratic little private locations, tucked away in Piccadilly. A subscription only library, it is renowned for its central role in England's intellectual life, popular with both writers and readers. Marion's presence and work in this library provides a central focus for the investigation, and Kathy finds herself as intrigued with the circle that Marion has been building around Rossetti.
There is also a strong sense of the characters in these books - Kathy is a little unsure of herself since her recent promotion, and very wrong-footed by a most unexpected romantic attachment. Brock continues to serve as Kathy's main mentor, taking a more active role in directing the investigation as another young student dies of arsenic poisoning and Kathy struggles with an increasing tendency to identify with the victims. As confident as Brock is in his role as a policeman, he struggles as well with his personal life, and this investigation brings those two elements too close together for his comfort. With both central characters the touch of the personal isn't overpowering, but it does give the reader a chance to see a more human side of them both. That's nicely balanced against getting to know the victim, who Marion is and why she has maintained such control and secrecy over her own life creates a sense of connection with her that makes the investigation more poignant.
DARK MIRROR is everything that fans of this long-running series are going to enjoy, and the wait definitely wasn't wasted. Strong sense of an unexpected gem of a place (and another location from Maitland's London that you just want to see for yourself); a good police procedural with a touch of the personal; some moving on in the lives of the central characters; and a motive that's all too human and whilst sad, is also surprisingly cruel - it all just goes to remind the reader yet again about the futility of cold-blooded murder.
lauraborkpower's review
4.0
I'm adding this to my "Campus Crime" shelf even though it doesn't all take place at the university. But Marion's doctoral work and the extensive scenes in London's various libraries make this wholly academic, thus, a lot of fun.
Maitland again hits it out of the park with a fascinating, well researched, atmosphere rich, and well drawn mystery. I'd love to buy him a cup of coffee and ask him all about his research processes for these books. It's so detailed and must be amazingly fun to do. Kathy Kolla is fresh off of her promotion from the Spider Trap case (which Maitland mentions just enough for any new reader to understand and for any super fan not to mind) and ready to prove herself. There's a new young female detective (detective's helper, really), Pip, who I quite liked and hope gets more fully realized in the newest book (which is waiting on my shelf, ready to be cracked open). There are some bits of the reveal that are way far fetched, but I don't care. It's fun.
And, because of the bookish nature of the story, this crept into the slot as my new favorite. Let's see if Chelsea Mansions can take its place.
Maitland again hits it out of the park with a fascinating, well researched, atmosphere rich, and well drawn mystery. I'd love to buy him a cup of coffee and ask him all about his research processes for these books. It's so detailed and must be amazingly fun to do. Kathy Kolla is fresh off of her promotion from the Spider Trap case (which Maitland mentions just enough for any new reader to understand and for any super fan not to mind) and ready to prove herself. There's a new young female detective (detective's helper, really), Pip, who I quite liked and hope gets more fully realized in the newest book (which is waiting on my shelf, ready to be cracked open). There are some bits of the reveal that are way far fetched, but I don't care. It's fun.
And, because of the bookish nature of the story, this crept into the slot as my new favorite. Let's see if Chelsea Mansions can take its place.
nkane22's review
3.0
It took a little bit for me to get into this book but once I did I was hooked. I will definitely need to check out more of the Brock and Kolla books.
mandi_m's review
I hadn't read a Barry Maitland novel before and I was pleasantly surprised.
This is a detective novel set in London and has 2 main characters who apparently have featured in a number of other tales. You do not have to have read the other novels though as this one stands quite well alone - there are some references to past cases but nothing that made me feel like I was missing an integral piece.
If you enjoy a good police procedural then give this one a go - good to see an Aussie crime writer doing well!
This is a detective novel set in London and has 2 main characters who apparently have featured in a number of other tales. You do not have to have read the other novels though as this one stands quite well alone - there are some references to past cases but nothing that made me feel like I was missing an integral piece.
If you enjoy a good police procedural then give this one a go - good to see an Aussie crime writer doing well!
psalmcat's review
4.0
Creepy. Poison kind of freaks me out a little. Lots of stuff about libraries. I'm wondering if it really is this easy to look at the borrowing records of people in UK libraries? Cuz--and this is key--this book would NEVER work in the US because we don't keep a list of what people use, nor will librarians voluntarily (i.e., without a warrant/subpoena) give up to the police any requests made by patrons.
samstillreading's review
5.0
I always look forward to reading a Brock and Kolla mystery; Barry Maitland always has a well thought out plot with many twists and turns. By now, I’m familiar with the two main characters (DCI David Brock and DI Kathy Kolla) but the new characters are always a treat to read. Dark Mirror is no exception. Maitland has created some great characters – from the murdered Miriam, whose life we learn about after her death to the suspects in her murder, such as her university lecturer. Maitland also creates a more unusual form of murder than your standard ‘in the library with a dagger’ – this time the murder is in the library (the London Library to be exact) but Miriam is poisoned by arsenic. Who did it? Was it the fellow library goer who took surreptitious pictures of her with his phone, her lover or her lecturer, who she was planning to expose?
You may think that the plot and the suspects is starting to sound a bit convoluted, but Maitland is an expert at not confusing the reader, but not dumbing it down either. Each character is painted with so much attention to detail that you won’t forget them. This is true of Brock and Kolla’s colleagues in the police force too. I find that some detective series suffer from ‘faceless’ sidekicks- those who have no defining features to retain them in your mind – but this isn’t so in this series. From the junior staff to the forensics, each new and recurring character is memorable, whether it be for their never-ending eagerness or intimate knowledge of arsenic poisoning.
Maitland’s books are always a page turner and Dark Mirror is no exception. This is a mystery on a higher plane than others in the genre. It’s detailed and beautifully styled. I’m looking forward to reading the latest book in the series, Chelsea Mansions, soon.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
You may think that the plot and the suspects is starting to sound a bit convoluted, but Maitland is an expert at not confusing the reader, but not dumbing it down either. Each character is painted with so much attention to detail that you won’t forget them. This is true of Brock and Kolla’s colleagues in the police force too. I find that some detective series suffer from ‘faceless’ sidekicks- those who have no defining features to retain them in your mind – but this isn’t so in this series. From the junior staff to the forensics, each new and recurring character is memorable, whether it be for their never-ending eagerness or intimate knowledge of arsenic poisoning.
Maitland’s books are always a page turner and Dark Mirror is no exception. This is a mystery on a higher plane than others in the genre. It’s detailed and beautifully styled. I’m looking forward to reading the latest book in the series, Chelsea Mansions, soon.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
skateanddonate's review
1.0
Didn't hook my interest...after 28 pages I put it down and picked up something else.