The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Angel of the Opera

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Angel of the Opera by Sam Siciliano

As a Sherlockian, I naturally gravitate to the wide range of Conan Doyle spin offs.  This particular series, "The further adventures of Sherlock Holmes", does not do too bad of a job of recreating the world's most famous consulting detective.  However, this particular case does not illustrate or describe Holmes' keen sense of observation and deductive reasoning.  That element of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories is what always grabbed my attention.  As Holmes would, somewhat arrogantly, explain how he reached certain conclusions, it always helped the reader, as well as his supporting characters, to understand how he ends up solving the crime.
 
Siciliano in this rendition, replaces Doctor Watson with a cousin to Sherlock Holmes, who also happens to be a doctor.  I love the tie in with the Phantom of the Opera, which just so happens to be one of my favorite musicals.  The author does a great job of recreating the intricate and labyrinthine design and structure of the Paris Opera House. 

Sherlock Holmes is summoned across the English Channel to the famous Opera House. Once there, he is challenged to discover the true motivations and secrets of the notorious phantom, who rules its depths with passion and defiance. The author does a nice job of connecting the opening of the novel to how Holmes resolves the phantom's escape.  Suffice to say that Holmes does have a soft spot for beautiful women.

The Enemy Within by Martin Dillon

The Enemy Within by Martin Dillon

This particular book was a gift from our taxi driver, Gerard McGlade, who provided us a living history tour of Belfast, the Falls Road (Catholic area) and the Shankill Road (Protestant area). His knowledge of the Troubles and regular references to a variety of books naturally triggered my interest. When I asked him for a list of the titles he referenced during our three hour tour through the "troubled" neighborhoods, he pulled this book out of his briefcase and handed it to me as a gift, after autographing it. So reading this book has special significance for me. And believe me, I was not disappointed. First of all it is written by Martin Dillon, a reporter, author and expert on terrorism in Northern Ireland. 

The subtitle of this book is: The IRA war against the British. Reviews of Dillons' books, including the Enemy Within, praises his uncanny ability to get key players and individuals from all sides of the issue to talk to him. This is a realistic and at times riveting historical perspective and analysis of the decades long conflict in Northern Ireland between the Protestants, the Catholics, the IRA, Sinn Fein, the British troops, and the Irish Republic and British Governments. Dillon provides an inside look at the strategy and tactics employed by the IRA in their effort to drive the British out of Northern Ireland. The IRA and its War Council firmly believed they had to take the "war" to the cities of Great Britain, or else their efforts to gain independence and representation in governing Northern Ireland would never be noticed or accomplished.

Ultimately, while you may not agree with their tactics and abhor the loss of innocent civilians as a result of those tactics, you will have to admit that the IRA strategy was successful. Dillon also covers the political side of the conflict from all perspectives, and how each side eventually came to the realization that compromise was necessary if there was ever going to be peace in Northern Ireland. I believe the IRA tactics did play a role in finally bringing the British around to inviting Sinn Fein (Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness) to the negotiating table. Dillon's prose is insightful, analytical and thoroughly engaging. This is a must read for any student of Irish history, who is seeking some understanding of what made all sides tick in the centuries old conflict between the British and the Irish.

Woman of the House by Alice Taylor

Woman of the House by Alice Taylor



This was one of the many books we bought in Kinsale, Ireland, after our cab driver, Dermot, recommended Alice Taylor as an Irish author who sets her novels in the rural, southwestern Ireland and does a beautiful job of conveying the lifestyle and traditions of people living in this ruggedly beautiful part of Ireland.

Taylor is a gifted storyteller, whose novels are primarily character driven.  After reading just this first novel by Taylor, I get a feeling that while her stories maybe somewhat predictable, you don't mind going along for the ride.  While there will be some slight twists and turns in the plot, you know, somehow, everything will work out okay in the end.  You will stick with them because you ultimately care about her characters and you want to find out how they end up.

We picked up about five of her novels (Taylor is a prolific writer, penning more than 46 novels and other books) while we were in Kinsale, and as I work my way through them, I will report on whether her stories continue to engage and entertain.

Figures of Silk by Vanora Bennett

Figures of Silk by Vanora Bennett

I am a sucker for historical novels, and believe it or not, this one was extremely worthwhile.  It deals with the plight of women in 15th century London. Women did not have many options back then, you can marry a wealthy man or serve as a mistress to a wealthy landowner or work in some trade.  Figures in Silk centers on the lives of two very different sisters. One is beautiful, flighty, and bored with her new husband, Jane Shore, who quickly catches the eye of the newly crowned Edward IV and serves as his mistress. Her younger sister, Isabel, follows a different path when she marries into the house of Claver, one of England's finest silk-trading enterprises. When tragedy strikes and her husband is killed, Isabel finds herself thrust into an unexpected role in her late husband's family business, run by her mother in law. 

She discovers a new life and decides to apprentice as a silk woman.  She learns the trade from the ground up and eventually becomes one of the more powerful members of the merchant class in the silk trade.  Any reader who enjoys a strong female protaganist combined with historical events and details, will be fascinated by this tumultuous time period in London.  While you might be frustrated by some of Isabel's decisions, ultimately I believe you will be more than satisfied by the rich historical detail that Bennett provides both in terms of the silk trade and the political intrigue surrounding the crown.

33 by Arthur Conan Doyle

33 by Arthur Conan Doyle

33 as in 33 short stories by the creator of Sherlock Holmes.  This is quite a diverse collection of short stories by Conan Doyle. If you are a fan of Doyle's most famous character, you will enjoy several of these stories.  None of them deal with Sherlock Holmes or even detective mysteries.  Instead, they are a unique collection of stories which demonstrates Doyle's versatility in storytelling.  Several of them have moral twists of fate for the main characters that will surprise you. This is a collection of short stories compiled by John Michael Gibson and Richard Green, who are Conan Doyle experts who have searched and compiled comprehensive collections of Doyle's little known works. 

Evil empire: the Irish mob and the assassination of journalist Veronica Guerin

Evil empire: the Irish mob and the assassination of journalist Veronica Guerin 
by Paul Williams

Another example of a movie triggering an insatiable interest in the topic or the person.  A previous entry on this blog was a book that critically analyzed Veronica Guerin's actions and journalistic procedures and whether they lead to her assassination. (see entry from Feb. 5, 2011).

This book primarily deals with John Gilligan, the Irish godfather, who ordered the "hit" of Veronica Guerin, the journalist who was investigating Gilligan's drug empire and was threatening to expose him and his 'gang'.  This is a riveting account of the true story of Irish godfather John Gilligan, the assassination of Irish investigative journalist Veronica Guerin, and the behind-the-scenes efforts of law enforcement to bring Gilligan and his cronies to justice.

Paul Williams, also an investigative Dublin journalist and colleague and friend of Veronica Guerin, describes the assassination scene, as vividly as the way Joel Schumacher, the director of the movie Veronica Guerin, brought it to the screen. That scene in the movie always brings tears to my eyes, as did Williams' prose in describing that event.

In reading William's book, one would think they are reading The Godfather by Mario Puzo.  Evil Empire is a gripping, detailed and well researched account of Ireland's underworld.  Williams, a seasoned and skilled investigative journalist and writer, never loses his grip on the story.  "For anyone interested in the movie Veronica Guerin or who thought organized crime only involved Italians, this book provides a chilling glimpse into the backstory of an Irish gang that thought itself above the law and set out to prove it." (Publishers Weekly).  Pick up the book at the public library and definitely rent the movie.  A must read and a must see!

My Summer Reading List

As is typical for me, I went from nonfiction selections to fiction books this past summer.  Some turned out to be great choices, others not so great.  Rather than writing lengthy reviews and summaries, I will provide a list of the books I read with just a brief description of what the book was about and if it was worth reading.

Ten Men Dead: The Story of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike by David Beresford

A powerful and balanced coverage of the 1981 Hunger Strike at H Block Prison in Belfast.  A portrait of strife-torn Ireland and the IRA, as well as an intensely human story of the ten ordinary men who were overtaken by extraordinary events. .
Highly recommended.
 
Eva Gabrielsson, Common Law wife of Stieg Larsson, the author of the Millenium Trilogy tells her story.  Here is the real inside story—not the one about the Stieg Larsson phenomenon, but rather the love story of a man and a woman whose lives came to be guided by politics and love, coffee and activism, writing and friendship.

If you want to know the story behind the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a must read. 

 

The World at Night by Alan Furst  

My first venture into this series.  This is the first book in the series called Jean Casson series.   A brilliant re-creation of France during the German Occupation and how Parisians learned to cope with the situation.  Peaked my interest enough to continue with this series.

 

 

 

 

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett

 

I would categorize myself as someone who loves books, but not to the extent that I would steal the books.  This bibliophile just liked to possess the books, not read them.

 

 

 

Murderous Procession by Arianna Franklin

 

This is the fourth in the Mistress of the Art of Death series.  You can read my previous reviews of the earlier volumes.  The fact I am continuing to follow this series should speak volumes (no pun intended).

 

 

  

The Dracula Dossier by James Reese

 

Avoid this one.  Enough said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

 

Erik Larson is one of my favorite nonfiction writers that has a gift of finding through meticulous research some of the fascinating stories behind major historical events.  This one is set in Berlin during the rise of the Third Reich.  A great read.  A copy of this book is in the RHS collection.