A review by thislittlebook
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

3.0

I really loved Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. I had high hopes for her second novel, but this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. The writing is well done and the story is an original one, but after a strong start the story gets bogged down in unnecessary details and stays there. Fifty pages dedicated to the main character's obsession over facts and figures in his effort to run his businesses successfully is overkill. It takes away from the mythical elements she tries to create in the rest of the story. I got to the point where I just wanted the story to be over, which is never a good sign. I'd give this 2.5 stars, but I'll round up for originality.