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A review by duskk_novels
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
'...she was his consolation from God.
And every time he faltered in his undertaking, every time he fretted for his soul, he realized he had nothing to fret over.
God had taken her. God had nothing more to claim from him'
Through the whimsical narrative of police constable, Gus Landor, we are immersed into the harrowing yore of October 1830, where a US cadet, Leroy Fry has been found swinging from a noose near the Hudson river. A devastating suicide that rendered the US military academy incapable of protecting its young men. And it seems the dead do not fare well here either, as Fry's body had been stolen...and found with his chest hacked open and his heart brutally carved out
Tasked with solving this unfathomable act of savagery, Landor dives into the haunting past of Leroy Fry and uncovers the unforgivable secrets that once harboured in this heartless, mangled mass of decay. And enlisting the assistance of another cadet, the soon to be famous poet Edgar Allen Poe, they tear down the Academy's subterfuge and find multiple sickening, silent shows of inhumanity concealed underneath
A gut-churning murder mystery with mystifying characters, dark imagery and intrigue that thickened as the plot unfolded. Integrated with vivid poetry and built with a majestic lyrical prose that gave it the ambiance of a Charles Dickens classic. Its most striking feature to me was its elegant, atmospheric writing that made me feel like I was reading a novel produced in the 19th century. I relished every word and had my soul destroyed with the diabolical plot twists that came with it. I have never read a novel that contained so many dark twists and truths, transforming the entire book and plunging me into a deeper and more disturbing perspective
Landor was my favourite and I loved his calm and mysterious demeanour. His way of explanation and description of events were absorbing and understanding his deep-rooted relevance to the whole plotline was overwhelming
Definitely one for the murder mystery, classics and thriller fans !
And every time he faltered in his undertaking, every time he fretted for his soul, he realized he had nothing to fret over.
God had taken her. God had nothing more to claim from him'
Through the whimsical narrative of police constable, Gus Landor, we are immersed into the harrowing yore of October 1830, where a US cadet, Leroy Fry has been found swinging from a noose near the Hudson river. A devastating suicide that rendered the US military academy incapable of protecting its young men. And it seems the dead do not fare well here either, as Fry's body had been stolen...and found with his chest hacked open and his heart brutally carved out
Tasked with solving this unfathomable act of savagery, Landor dives into the haunting past of Leroy Fry and uncovers the unforgivable secrets that once harboured in this heartless, mangled mass of decay. And enlisting the assistance of another cadet, the soon to be famous poet Edgar Allen Poe, they tear down the Academy's subterfuge and find multiple sickening, silent shows of inhumanity concealed underneath
A gut-churning murder mystery with mystifying characters, dark imagery and intrigue that thickened as the plot unfolded. Integrated with vivid poetry and built with a majestic lyrical prose that gave it the ambiance of a Charles Dickens classic. Its most striking feature to me was its elegant, atmospheric writing that made me feel like I was reading a novel produced in the 19th century. I relished every word and had my soul destroyed with the diabolical plot twists that came with it. I have never read a novel that contained so many dark twists and truths, transforming the entire book and plunging me into a deeper and more disturbing perspective
Landor was my favourite and I loved his calm and mysterious demeanour. His way of explanation and description of events were absorbing and understanding his deep-rooted relevance to the whole plotline was overwhelming
Definitely one for the murder mystery, classics and thriller fans !