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elisabethmnc's review against another edition
3.0
McCammon's historical fiction definitely takes some getting used to - they are huge, intensely detailed, and are written in a very modern style despite the colonial setting. Not entirely historically accurate, but very entertaining nonetheless.
onetrackmind77's review against another edition
4.0
In remembrance of old New York... I am loving the Matthew Corbett series. A fantastic piece of historical fiction that drops you into the heart of New York at the start of the 1700's, and McCammon does a great job surrounding our protagonist with colorful and memorable characters. There are a number of stories intertwined here, and it was impressive to see it all come together at the end.
nadinekc's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. Usually I have trouble sticking with books that are all plot and not much depth to the characters, but every chapter brought new characters and plot lines that kept me going almost to the end. By the last 50 pages or so, the thinness of the characters was hard to ignore. They didn't seem like fully dimensional people, but more like devices to move the plot. The historical accuracy of the dialog also took a downhill turn towards the end, like an actor dropping his accent as the play goes on. But overall it was a fun and quick read and when I'm in the mood for another plot-based historical novel, I'll go for another in the Mathew Corbett series.
scottk1222's review against another edition
4.0
When I was younger I really enjoyed a few of Mr. McCammon's books. Swan Song and Boys Life being the two I remember enjoying the most. Then I moved on to other things but kept my eyes peeled for more of his work, but nothing caught my eye enough for me to purchase it. I must have picked up Speaks the Night Bird 5 or 6 times, always putting it down for something I thought would be better. And they were all enjoyable as far as books go, fast forward to a few weeks ago as I was meandering through Powell's and Lo and behold I found this beauty. Granted I started in the middle of the series, which, by and large, I really hate to do but this book really grabbed me from page 1 and did not let me go.
I have said this before and I will say it again I am sure, but I love books that grab you from the get go and never really let you go. The ones you think about long after you have closed it for the day. The ones that make you have dreams about the time period and characters within. This is one of those books. In this book there are many such characters. Matthew Corbett is one, but there are so many others, Hudson Greathouse and the strong and enigmatic Mrs Herrald. For a bit of comedy relief we have Marmaduke Grigsby and the list could go on and on. That is what drew me to McCammon's writing in the first place I think, he give real thought and life blood to the characters in all of his books, well, at least the ones I have read.The detail that he puts into his work is also very realistic, it must be hard to write HIstorical fiction because, well, we weren't there and we can only really guess as to what alot of the every day grind might have been for someone in the 17th or 18th century. This book is highly believable in that respect as well. So, in a sense, I am happy to have read this book a bit out of order because this is the one that got me started on a great adventure with great friends, it seems now I have to catch up and get the other two soon so that I continue the journey I have begun. I have not decided yet if I will go forward and read Mr. Slaughter ( the third book in the series) or if I will go back and read about Matthew's humble beginnings as an Orphan in New York and the Carolina Colony in Speaks the Nightbird(the first book in the series). One thing is certain, and that is the fact that I can not wait to see what great adventure awaits me in either.
I have said this before and I will say it again I am sure, but I love books that grab you from the get go and never really let you go. The ones you think about long after you have closed it for the day. The ones that make you have dreams about the time period and characters within. This is one of those books. In this book there are many such characters. Matthew Corbett is one, but there are so many others, Hudson Greathouse and the strong and enigmatic Mrs Herrald. For a bit of comedy relief we have Marmaduke Grigsby and the list could go on and on. That is what drew me to McCammon's writing in the first place I think, he give real thought and life blood to the characters in all of his books, well, at least the ones I have read.The detail that he puts into his work is also very realistic, it must be hard to write HIstorical fiction because, well, we weren't there and we can only really guess as to what alot of the every day grind might have been for someone in the 17th or 18th century. This book is highly believable in that respect as well. So, in a sense, I am happy to have read this book a bit out of order because this is the one that got me started on a great adventure with great friends, it seems now I have to catch up and get the other two soon so that I continue the journey I have begun. I have not decided yet if I will go forward and read Mr. Slaughter ( the third book in the series) or if I will go back and read about Matthew's humble beginnings as an Orphan in New York and the Carolina Colony in Speaks the Nightbird(the first book in the series). One thing is certain, and that is the fact that I can not wait to see what great adventure awaits me in either.
ladyr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the second book in this series and I loved it just as much as the first! Brilliant wonderful writing
veronica87's review against another edition
4.0
It's now 1702, three years after young Matthew Corbett solved the mystery of the first novel. He's now 23 years old and clerking for a magistrate in New York, still a burgeoning little town of only a few thousand residents travelling mostly dirt roads. Matthew soon finds himself embroiled in a new mystery - and possibly facing a different future than the one he'd always envisioned for himself - when a couple of prominent men are found murdered in similar fashion.
While I like the setting of the story and the author does a commendable job of portraying life in colonial America, I'm still not sure I entirely like Matthew. A lot of the time I find him arrogant, irritating, and a bit hypocritical. He will hound people with questions, even if it's about something personal and thus none of his business, demanding that they answer him but when someone asks him questions he bristles or else decides it's not necessary to answer. He feels entitled to everyone else's secrets but no one is entitled to his. He also thinks he's smarter than anyone else, a belief that he uses to elevate himself above those around him, the "weak minded" (as he internally refers to another character who is not book smart but who has a lot of real world experience in the profession to which Matthew aspires). And yet, upon his first meeting with a new character he openly informs that character that she perhaps uses her "curse" as a way to place herself above the mundane events and people around her. That's the pot calling the kettle black. I actually only really like Matthew when he's just going about normal life and isn't doing anything necessarily connected to the mystery.
That said, now that Matthew seems to be permanently based in New York, the story introduces several new characters that I hope stick around and become fixtures in Matthew's life. I feel strongly that they may be a means to making Matthew less insufferable. In any event, I liked them all more than I do Matthew.
As for the mystery angle, there are actually a few mysteries going on...some more connected to the central murders while others are just a side plot. The cases were interesting, though the side plot mystery was pretty transparent. I was actually a bit sad about how the murder mystery played out. I was hoping for a different ending, I guess.
I'll move on to the next book in the series because I do like the writing style, the time period, and the introduction of some colorful, secondary characters. Those all help to compensate for an irritating ( to me) main character. It's also of note that the author intended the first book to be a stand-alone story. It was only a few years after its publication that the author decided to re-visit Matthew Corbett and make a series out of it. It's therefore evident in this installment that elements of a long arc have been put in place and I'm curious to see that play out.
P.S. And if, like me, you've been wondering about the fate of Fount Royal, the setting of the first book, you get the answer here.
While I like the setting of the story and the author does a commendable job of portraying life in colonial America, I'm still not sure I entirely like Matthew. A lot of the time I find him arrogant, irritating, and a bit hypocritical. He will hound people with questions, even if it's about something personal and thus none of his business, demanding that they answer him but when someone asks him questions he bristles or else decides it's not necessary to answer. He feels entitled to everyone else's secrets but no one is entitled to his. He also thinks he's smarter than anyone else, a belief that he uses to elevate himself above those around him, the "weak minded" (as he internally refers to another character who is not book smart but who has a lot of real world experience in the profession to which Matthew aspires). And yet, upon his first meeting with a new character he openly informs that character that she perhaps uses her "curse" as a way to place herself above the mundane events and people around her. That's the pot calling the kettle black. I actually only really like Matthew when he's just going about normal life and isn't doing anything necessarily connected to the mystery.
That said, now that Matthew seems to be permanently based in New York, the story introduces several new characters that I hope stick around and become fixtures in Matthew's life. I feel strongly that they may be a means to making Matthew less insufferable. In any event, I liked them all more than I do Matthew.
As for the mystery angle, there are actually a few mysteries going on...some more connected to the central murders while others are just a side plot. The cases were interesting, though the side plot mystery was pretty transparent. I was actually a bit sad about how the murder mystery played out. I was hoping for a different ending, I guess.
I'll move on to the next book in the series because I do like the writing style, the time period, and the introduction of some colorful, secondary characters. Those all help to compensate for an irritating ( to me) main character. It's also of note that the author intended the first book to be a stand-alone story. It was only a few years after its publication that the author decided to re-visit Matthew Corbett and make a series out of it. It's therefore evident in this installment that elements of a long arc have been put in place and I'm curious to see that play out.
P.S. And if, like me, you've been wondering about the fate of Fount Royal, the setting of the first book, you get the answer here.
fbone's review against another edition
4.0
Even though this took a while to get going I enjoyed it very much. The plot was very well developed and the conclusion was very good. The author did use a form of "confession" to reveal the finer details of events. A plot method I don't particularly enjoy. He also used more modern English. Early 18th century America didn't say "hello." And the concept of infections was not as portrayed. However, I enjoyed McCammon's Speaks the Nightbird moreso than this title.
dennisb's review against another edition
5.0
Another fascinating "historical mystery" from my favorite horror author (no, not Stephen King). New York in 1702 (pop. about 5000) is the setting for Matthew Corbett's dangerous search for a serial killer.
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