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bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
Charming mystery set in New Orleans in 1836, starring the likable physician and homme de couleur libre, Benjamin January. This is number nine in the series, and I had a hard time keeping track of the characters, but other than that, it worked fine as a stand-alone.
At a funeral for a black man, the coffin turns out to contain the body of a murdered Irishman. This sparks an investigation into murky family secrets, with January following clues through dark alleys and whorehouses. Fast-paced and entertaining, but also tragic and gripping. I often find historical fiction to be burdened by too much irrelevant text book period detail, but Hambly manages to convey a great sense of time and place through plain old-fashioned storytelling. The plot is clever and the unraveling of the mystery interesting, though I was even more interested in January. Now I have to decide whether to start reading the series from the beginning, or just go with the ones available at the library.
At a funeral for a black man, the coffin turns out to contain the body of a murdered Irishman. This sparks an investigation into murky family secrets, with January following clues through dark alleys and whorehouses. Fast-paced and entertaining, but also tragic and gripping. I often find historical fiction to be burdened by too much irrelevant text book period detail, but Hambly manages to convey a great sense of time and place through plain old-fashioned storytelling. The plot is clever and the unraveling of the mystery interesting, though I was even more interested in January. Now I have to decide whether to start reading the series from the beginning, or just go with the ones available at the library.
miraclemarg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
volare's review against another edition
5.0
Another wonderful addition to the Benjamin January series. Moving descriptions of the culture and the cruelty and harshness of life during these times. At long last, we learn more about Hannibal!
Excellent!
Excellent!
jrho's review
adventurous
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
threerings's review against another edition
4.0
I've been waiting to read this book for a long time and when I saw the Kindle version was only $4 I couldn't resist buying it. I read it pretty much in a day with only a couple of breaks. I'd forgotten how much I love this series about a free man of color in 1830s New Orleans.
I would say that this book isn't quite as good as some of the others in terms of the mystery, but it's still really enjoyable. I really appreciated, although this is something that occurs throughout the series, the way it puts the reader inside the head of a man of color dealing with racism and all the things he has to deal with in this society.
I would say that this book isn't quite as good as some of the others in terms of the mystery, but it's still really enjoyable. I really appreciated, although this is something that occurs throughout the series, the way it puts the reader inside the head of a man of color dealing with racism and all the things he has to deal with in this society.
julieputty's review
4.0
The last couple in this series were really bugging me, so I am delighted to feel like the series is back on track with Hambly's evocative, compelling settings and characters.
nilchance's review
4.0
I love finally finding out, ten books later, Hannibal's mysterious backstory. It is a doozy. I figured, about when Hannibal started refusing against all reason to consider that the viscount was guilty, that he was the kid's father, but I thought it had been an affair until January returned from his trip upriver.
Benjamin, man. What a good dude he is. I love that he's angry with Hannibal and (justifiably!) at the world, but that he chooses again and again to swallow it rather than letting that rage get him killed. I loved the frequent references to Brer Rabbit and how the stories taught survival at all costs.
Also, it was nice to see Shaw again. I had missed the torture of the English language.
Benjamin, man. What a good dude he is. I love that he's angry with Hannibal and (justifiably!) at the world, but that he chooses again and again to swallow it rather than letting that rage get him killed. I loved the frequent references to Brer Rabbit and how the stories taught survival at all costs.
Also, it was nice to see Shaw again. I had missed the torture of the English language.
catevari's review
4.0
I'm a huge fan of the Benjamin January series (truthfully, I'm a fan of all Hambly's works), so when I heard that a British publisher was picking up the series, I was overjoyed. Hambly is one of the very few writers I will buy in hardback, no questions asked, and I sped through Dead & Buried in about a day and a half.
I enjoy Hambly's hand with a mystery; the clues are there to be followed, if embedded and hidden behind screens of historical and informational persiflage and the solving of the case never feels like it was pulled out of thin air. Too, I really enjoy the obvious research and thought she puts into her world and character building in a way that makes her protagonists fit within their lifetimes and universes while still keeping them accessible to modern readers. And I enjoy that, although I put certain pieces of the puzzle together ahead of the denouement, I didn't have all of them or a complete picture before it was revealed. After the spate of bad books I've been reading lately, this was like a lovely vacation in an oasis.
I enjoy Hambly's hand with a mystery; the clues are there to be followed, if embedded and hidden behind screens of historical and informational persiflage and the solving of the case never feels like it was pulled out of thin air. Too, I really enjoy the obvious research and thought she puts into her world and character building in a way that makes her protagonists fit within their lifetimes and universes while still keeping them accessible to modern readers. And I enjoy that, although I put certain pieces of the puzzle together ahead of the denouement, I didn't have all of them or a complete picture before it was revealed. After the spate of bad books I've been reading lately, this was like a lovely vacation in an oasis.
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