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A review by whatyoutolkienabout
The Croaking Raven by Guy Hale
5.0
Original Review
I want to start by saying that this book was something I did not know I needed. I am an English geek at heart. Shakespear and Marlowe are some of my favourites and what Guy Hale has done here is basically perfection! I knew I was going to be getting this book because I loved Hale’s Comeback Trail trilogy but when I knew there would be Shakespeare references I was sold.
Once again I adore Hale’s writing. Some how he manages to combine police procedurals and thriller with a sprinkle of humour and historical fiction to boot and it just works. I adore that our main character’s surname is Marlowe. I adore the references to the Bards works (what else would you expect when the murders seem to be following Hamlet?). I loved the twists and turns. I found myself giggling at little puns, or at least what I thought were puns or easter eggs throughout in the way of names but this is far from a comedy. There is a tightly woven plot that is delivered in the style I have come to expect (and love) from Hale. From the very first chapter I was hooked, by the second I needed to keep reading.
I won’t go into big spoilers of course but I can say if you enjoy a good thriller and mystery with enough wit to make William Shakespeare proud this one is for you and once you’ve finished this check out Hale’s Comeback Trail as well.
Second read
This was my second reading of The Croaking Raven and my fourth book by Guy Hale and it is safe to say he is now an instant buy author for me. Hale manages to mix gritty crime thrillers with a touch of humour and a few puns here and there that just make each novel a joy to read. I will say I was biased to this book before I even started because I am a Shakespeare and Marlowe nerd at heart. The face the main detective was called Marlowe had me laughing from the start.
As always with Hale you can feel the passion but more importantly the enjoyment he gets from writing. The plot is perfectly paced and while at times a little outlandish it ties perfectly with the idea of the murdering being connected to the acting world. Can I just take a moment to say that calling him Oliver Lawerence was a stroke of genius and I loved it.
Despite knowing what is happening, well at least knowing who is doing the murdering we are still kept engrossed in the how and why. I adored the references throughout and puns. That said I think even if you aren’t a self proclaimed Shakespeare and Marlowe nerd you will love this. It has so much going for it. Pacey and memorable writing, fantastic if not a little unstable characters, and plot you won’t easily forgot. I cannot wait for more!
I want to start by saying that this book was something I did not know I needed. I am an English geek at heart. Shakespear and Marlowe are some of my favourites and what Guy Hale has done here is basically perfection! I knew I was going to be getting this book because I loved Hale’s Comeback Trail trilogy but when I knew there would be Shakespeare references I was sold.
Once again I adore Hale’s writing. Some how he manages to combine police procedurals and thriller with a sprinkle of humour and historical fiction to boot and it just works. I adore that our main character’s surname is Marlowe. I adore the references to the Bards works (what else would you expect when the murders seem to be following Hamlet?). I loved the twists and turns. I found myself giggling at little puns, or at least what I thought were puns or easter eggs throughout in the way of names but this is far from a comedy. There is a tightly woven plot that is delivered in the style I have come to expect (and love) from Hale. From the very first chapter I was hooked, by the second I needed to keep reading.
I won’t go into big spoilers of course but I can say if you enjoy a good thriller and mystery with enough wit to make William Shakespeare proud this one is for you and once you’ve finished this check out Hale’s Comeback Trail as well.
Second read
This was my second reading of The Croaking Raven and my fourth book by Guy Hale and it is safe to say he is now an instant buy author for me. Hale manages to mix gritty crime thrillers with a touch of humour and a few puns here and there that just make each novel a joy to read. I will say I was biased to this book before I even started because I am a Shakespeare and Marlowe nerd at heart. The face the main detective was called Marlowe had me laughing from the start.
As always with Hale you can feel the passion but more importantly the enjoyment he gets from writing. The plot is perfectly paced and while at times a little outlandish it ties perfectly with the idea of the murdering being connected to the acting world. Can I just take a moment to say that calling him Oliver Lawerence was a stroke of genius and I loved it.
Despite knowing what is happening, well at least knowing who is doing the murdering we are still kept engrossed in the how and why. I adored the references throughout and puns. That said I think even if you aren’t a self proclaimed Shakespeare and Marlowe nerd you will love this. It has so much going for it. Pacey and memorable writing, fantastic if not a little unstable characters, and plot you won’t easily forgot. I cannot wait for more!