Scan barcode
miduhadi's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? No
2.75
abibliofob's review
4.0
I recently read The Noose's Shadow by Graham Brack. It's not about a beer loving policeman in Prague but a clergyman in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. Although he also likes beer and solves mysteries, there is not much likeness between them. This time after returning from his mission in England we find Master Mercurius trying to solve who murdered Wolf the farmer? We also get to follow the difficulties Mercurius has with not getting married. I find myself liking this series more and more for every book Brack writes and have to thank #SapereBooks and #Netgalley for making them available to me. I also must thank @GrahamBrack for coming up with these characters. Keep up the good work please.
annieb123's review
5.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Noose's Shadow is the fourth Master Mercurius mystery by Graham Brack. Released 8th Dec 2020 by Sapere Books, it's 209 pages and available in paperback and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Despite being a huge fan of historical murder mysteries, I was previously unfamiliar with this exceptional series. Set in the late 17th century in the Netherlands, the protagonist, Master Mercurius (a theologian) is intelligent, amiable, honest, and insightful. He's drawn into the investigation of a local farmer when suspicion falls on a neighbor and the neighbor's pretty wife begs Mercurius to clear her husband's name and find the culprit.
It's been a while since I was truly enthralled by a book. This one drew me in immediately and I found myself thinking about the narrative even when I wasn't actively reading; mulling over the clues and the characters. The dialogue is pitch perfect and the characters are varied and very well rendered. The clues are presented fairly and the murder mystery itself is satisfyingly convoluted. I will confess that I -did- actually figure it out before the end, but the denouement and resolution are so well written that it was a pleasure to read.
I can't remember the last time I dropped my fairly rigid TBR list and immediately acquired the previous books in a series. (I review 700+ books a year, so it's always a bit of a press). This is a very well written book. I sincerely hope Master Mercurius has many many more stories for us.
Five stars. Very highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Noose's Shadow is the fourth Master Mercurius mystery by Graham Brack. Released 8th Dec 2020 by Sapere Books, it's 209 pages and available in paperback and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Despite being a huge fan of historical murder mysteries, I was previously unfamiliar with this exceptional series. Set in the late 17th century in the Netherlands, the protagonist, Master Mercurius (a theologian) is intelligent, amiable, honest, and insightful. He's drawn into the investigation of a local farmer when suspicion falls on a neighbor and the neighbor's pretty wife begs Mercurius to clear her husband's name and find the culprit.
It's been a while since I was truly enthralled by a book. This one drew me in immediately and I found myself thinking about the narrative even when I wasn't actively reading; mulling over the clues and the characters. The dialogue is pitch perfect and the characters are varied and very well rendered. The clues are presented fairly and the murder mystery itself is satisfyingly convoluted. I will confess that I -did- actually figure it out before the end, but the denouement and resolution are so well written that it was a pleasure to read.
I can't remember the last time I dropped my fairly rigid TBR list and immediately acquired the previous books in a series. (I review 700+ books a year, so it's always a bit of a press). This is a very well written book. I sincerely hope Master Mercurius has many many more stories for us.
Five stars. Very highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
hrm's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
When a pretty young woman approaches Mercurius one evening saying that her husband is accused of murder and likely to be hung, for a fleeting moment he yearns to stay warm in front of the fire but then accedes to travel to her village to help. A neighbour has been stabbed shortly after arguing with the husband and although there are no direct witnesses all the evidence points to him. Mercurius is not as sure and takes advantage of the privileges granted to him as a cleric, and the holder of a dispensation from the Stadhouder, to investigate further.
This is another really entertaining outing for Master Mercurius. I love the setting in 17th century Holland, it is an unusual location but a very interesting time. Here the action is all focused around the poor villagers and their day-to-day lives, there are no courts or rich people, the sense of everyday life for the common person is well-imagined. These are never going to be high literature but for a solid and fun historical mystery it certainly hits the spot.
This is another really entertaining outing for Master Mercurius. I love the setting in 17th century Holland, it is an unusual location but a very interesting time. Here the action is all focused around the poor villagers and their day-to-day lives, there are no courts or rich people, the sense of everyday life for the common person is well-imagined. These are never going to be high literature but for a solid and fun historical mystery it certainly hits the spot.
cj_mo_2222's review
5.0
The year is 1680 and Master Mercurius is part of the Theology faculty at the University of Leiden. He is a Protestant minister and is also secretly a Catholic priest. He has the reputation of being able to solve crimes, so a young woman comes to him for help when her husband Jaco is arrested and about to be hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. Mercurius agrees to look into the murder and find plenty of people who caould have had a motive to murder the upleasant Franciscus Wolf, but but becomes worried when Jaco Zwart seems to be the only one with the opportunity to commit the crime.
This is the fourth book in the Master Mercurius series. The last two books found Mercurius assisting Stadhouder William of Orange. In an author’s note, Brack says it was time for Mercurius to return to helping ordinary people like he did in the first book of the series. Although I enjoyed the history behind the last two books, I agree with Brack and really became engaged in this story and getting a look at everyday life during this time period in Holland. Mercurius is clever and intelligent, but somewhat naive and the sometimes awkward situations he finds himself in (like the mayor in the town he is investigating trying to fix him up with his beautiful young daughter) are uncomfortable for Mercurius but entertaining for the reader.
Like the other books in this series, The Noose’s Shadow is full of interesting, memorable characters. I love the Mercurius is able to deduce the solution to the murder. Although the book takes place in the 17th century, Mercurius is a witty and relatable character. When he is able to solve the crime, it says a lot about his character that his success in getting justice for the victim is bittersweet to him because of the circumstances of the murder and the fate awaiting the murderer. This book is my favorite in the series so far and I highly recommend it and the entire series.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
This is the fourth book in the Master Mercurius series. The last two books found Mercurius assisting Stadhouder William of Orange. In an author’s note, Brack says it was time for Mercurius to return to helping ordinary people like he did in the first book of the series. Although I enjoyed the history behind the last two books, I agree with Brack and really became engaged in this story and getting a look at everyday life during this time period in Holland. Mercurius is clever and intelligent, but somewhat naive and the sometimes awkward situations he finds himself in (like the mayor in the town he is investigating trying to fix him up with his beautiful young daughter) are uncomfortable for Mercurius but entertaining for the reader.
Like the other books in this series, The Noose’s Shadow is full of interesting, memorable characters. I love the Mercurius is able to deduce the solution to the murder. Although the book takes place in the 17th century, Mercurius is a witty and relatable character. When he is able to solve the crime, it says a lot about his character that his success in getting justice for the victim is bittersweet to him because of the circumstances of the murder and the fate awaiting the murderer. This book is my favorite in the series so far and I highly recommend it and the entire series.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘My room is cold in winter. It has always been so, but now that I am over eighty years old, I feel it all the more keenly.’
Master Mercurius may be an old man, but he is full of memories from the past. And, in this novel, he is remembering a case he solved in Leiden, The Netherlands in 1680. It is a few years after his successful trip to England when he is approached by Sara, a woman whose husband Jaco has been accused of murder. Sara has heard of Master Mercurius’s success in solving an earlier case in Delft and wants his help. She is convinced that Jaco is innocent.
But someone has murdered the farmer named Wolf. He was found stabbed to death outside his home not long after he and Jaco had words.
Master Mercurius investigates. He soon finds that nobody liked Wolf, but who would murder him and why? Mercurius needs to work quickly if he is to save Jaco from the noose.
‘Have you found his killer, Mercurius?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘This is a university, Mercurius. We deal in precision. The plausible answers are yes and no.’
‘I’m a lecturer in the Faculty of Theology, Rector. “Not exactly” is common parlance there.’
Mercurius, despite distractions which sometimes take the form of attractive young women, as well as frequent red herrings to distract the reader, investigates. There are several potential suspects and Mercurius is conscious, as he meets and questions them, that time is passing. All the (admittedly circumstantial) evidence seems to point to Jaco. Can Mercurius be mistaken about Jaco’s innocence?
This is a terrific fourth instalment in the Master Mercurius series. I love his asides as he examines his own conscience and motivation and enjoy the way in which the story unfolds. Mercurius is a likeably human minister and a priest.
‘You see, when we hear stories that are nearly identical, our nature is to try to harmonise them. We concentrate on what unites them, and therefore we construct one narrative that leads to one conclusion.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Master Mercurius may be an old man, but he is full of memories from the past. And, in this novel, he is remembering a case he solved in Leiden, The Netherlands in 1680. It is a few years after his successful trip to England when he is approached by Sara, a woman whose husband Jaco has been accused of murder. Sara has heard of Master Mercurius’s success in solving an earlier case in Delft and wants his help. She is convinced that Jaco is innocent.
But someone has murdered the farmer named Wolf. He was found stabbed to death outside his home not long after he and Jaco had words.
Master Mercurius investigates. He soon finds that nobody liked Wolf, but who would murder him and why? Mercurius needs to work quickly if he is to save Jaco from the noose.
‘Have you found his killer, Mercurius?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘This is a university, Mercurius. We deal in precision. The plausible answers are yes and no.’
‘I’m a lecturer in the Faculty of Theology, Rector. “Not exactly” is common parlance there.’
Mercurius, despite distractions which sometimes take the form of attractive young women, as well as frequent red herrings to distract the reader, investigates. There are several potential suspects and Mercurius is conscious, as he meets and questions them, that time is passing. All the (admittedly circumstantial) evidence seems to point to Jaco. Can Mercurius be mistaken about Jaco’s innocence?
This is a terrific fourth instalment in the Master Mercurius series. I love his asides as he examines his own conscience and motivation and enjoy the way in which the story unfolds. Mercurius is a likeably human minister and a priest.
‘You see, when we hear stories that are nearly identical, our nature is to try to harmonise them. We concentrate on what unites them, and therefore we construct one narrative that leads to one conclusion.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
vesper1931's review
4.0
1690 Master Mercurius is approached by Sara Zwart of Oegstgeest Her husband, Jaco, has been arrested for the murder of their neighbour, Wolf and is due to be hanged. But she believes him to be innocent and wants his help to prove it. Mercurius investigates with the help of Boudewyn, the mayor's clerk.
Another enjoyable and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main character.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Another enjoyable and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main character.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
anjana's review
4.0
This book was the one I liked most of all of Master Mercurius’ exploits. I think the averageness of the situation was a lure and the fact that I identified the culprit quite early on. Usually, the latter bit is a drawback but in this case, I could relax and let the investigation wind its way through strange and interesting characters before the sudden understanding dawns on our Master (who actually has higher qualifications now).
A woman in need comes to him one night for help and moved by her plea (as well as her, in general), Master Mercurius sets out to investigate. I was mildly familiar with the concept of coerced confessions to be a deciding factor in declaring one guilt from another series. He chooses the right people at the university to give him a leg up with appropriate help as required. Although older than when we first meet him, his mind is more challenging to control now than before. There is a better pattern of events here, the investigation is thorough and streamlined, which means even more mental monologue. This last bit is what I think I am reading this series for. I would definitely pick up the next book if and when it becomes available to me.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of the series.
A woman in need comes to him one night for help and moved by her plea (as well as her, in general), Master Mercurius sets out to investigate. I was mildly familiar with the concept of coerced confessions to be a deciding factor in declaring one guilt from another series. He chooses the right people at the university to give him a leg up with appropriate help as required. Although older than when we first meet him, his mind is more challenging to control now than before. There is a better pattern of events here, the investigation is thorough and streamlined, which means even more mental monologue. This last bit is what I think I am reading this series for. I would definitely pick up the next book if and when it becomes available to me.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of the series.
More...