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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “I loved, loved, LOVED this book! This is absolutely the very BEST of what historical fiction SHOULD be, and was a fantastic read!! |
Didn’t Like It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “WTF is a "dual-winged monoplane"? I also can't figure out why the character Hans Gruber was called "Heinrich" at certain times and "Hans" at others. I also don't know what the point was to have him be born on 4/20/1889 in Braunau am Inn, the same date and place of birth as Adolf...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“A quick weekend read, following on from "The Anatomy of Murder". I really enjoyed the interweaving of 1920s historical facts from New Youk, Boston, Washington and Europe. Rubenfeld gives a well described account of a number of aspects of early 20th century life, with an intriguing tale”
Andrew wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I loved, loved, LOVED this book! This is absolutely the very BEST of what historical fiction SHOULD be, and was a fantastic read!!
Kristen R wrote this review Tuesday, January 29, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The story begins in 1920 right between the end of WWI and the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. It also begins with a bang - the massive explosion on Wall Street that kills and injures hundreds of people caused by a bomb set off at the busiest possible time of day for the location.
The bombing [which actually happened, and remains unsolved to this day] is connected by the author in clever and surprising, and sometimes with actual real events, with Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, the ongoing difficulties between the U.S. and Mexico, the U.S. and Russia, the Nazis, the fragility of the U.S.'s budding economy, U.S. political wrangling that never seems to stop, and the industrial and medical advances that happened during the era, and that impacted not only the U.S. but the rest of the world. It was an exciting era with so much happening that it makes for a natural setting for a great story, which this book totally delivers!
The investigation of the bombing is conducted by New York city police detective Jimmy Littlemore, war veteran and doctor Stratham Younger, and mysterious frenchwoman Colette, all of whom were at the scene of the bombing. As the three try to make sense of what they experienced, continuing odd, seemingly unconnected and, frequently threatening occurrences conspire to force them to follow the pieces of the puzzle and figure out what's going on, why it seems to involve them, and what they ought to do about it all.
This goes on while each of the three main characters are dealing with personal circumstances and the results of their own past choices that highly - and in some cases tragically - impact how they each react to the investigation and its results for everyone involved.
The story includes locations on both sides of the ocean, as the characters travel from New York to Paris, to Vienna and Prague, to Washington and Boston, and back to NYC. The characters, all of whom are conflicted people, are intriguing and mostly likeable, although filled with greys rather than black-and-white lives, and all of them have to make very difficult choices throughout the course of the book as the events play out.
I truly cannot recommend this story highly enough. The author does an absolutely masterful job in combining actual events, people and places, with a completely fitional, but totally thrilling, complicated and smart plot that has super pacing, and lots of twisting and turning levels to engage a reader and keep you turning the pages to the very end.
I read this author's first book The Interpretation of Murder, which also included Littlemore and Stratham Younger as characters, as well as Freud, and I enjoyed that book as well, but it was nothing like this story's excitement and clever twists and turns of plot-points. Unless you are extremely knowledgeable about this era and the historical facts mixed in with the fictional story, you won't have a clue what's fact and what's made up until you read the author's note at the end [which I also recommend - it puts a terrific cap on the enjoyment I had of the story by putting everything into context].
But even if you don't care what was fact and what was fiction, this is just an absolutely excellent pager-turner of a historical thriller that any lover of historical fiction - particularly fans of 1920's era or New York city - should enjoy!”
“Grand theft woven around the unsolved terrorist bombing on Wall Street in 1920.”
Doug Caldwell wrote this review Wednesday, January 23, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I could not wait for this book to end, and it took forever to do so. This book reminded me of The Lost Symbol. Both try to continue the success of an earlier book by repeating every gimmick from the first installment. Both happily mix fact and fiction, and both contain some of the clunkiest dialog ever written.
Biogeek wrote this review Thursday, November 22, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Rubenfield seems to have written this book hoping for a Hollywood contract. Few books have gunfights followed by explosions of the kind popularized in the Die Hard series, but before you get through all 550 pages of this book, you are subjected to that, and many other Hollywood images.
But the real problem in this book is that Rubenfield seems to have the attention of a teenage boy. He bounces from World War One to Madame Curie to Italian Anarchists, the distinction between Georgetown and Washington, without ever deciding what the most important thread of this novel is. ”
“I enjoyed this book much more than I ever expected to.”
Jill M wrote this review Saturday, June 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I found this book to be an enjoyable read. I loved the fact that it was based on a real unsolved mystery. I thought it was well written, but I didn't really have any strong emotions for any of the characters or what happened to them.”
James wrote this review Monday, February 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Not as good as the first but still entertaining”
anchorski wrote this review Sunday, February 19, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I read this on a beach in Cyprus and nearly got sunstroke, I was so gripped by the story. I really enjoyed the previous novel 'An Interpretation of Murder' by the same author. Many of the themes and characters are carried forward from the earlier novel including Dr Stratham Younger and Freud but also including this time Marie Curie. The story is fast paced and very complex and ultimately a very satisfying read.”
K I M wrote this review Thursday, February 16, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“wallstreet bombing 1920”
Susan R wrote this review Friday, January 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“WTF is a "dual-winged monoplane"? I also can't figure out why the character Hans Gruber was called "Heinrich" at certain times and "Hans" at others. I also don't know what the point was to have him be born on 4/20/1889 in Braunau am Inn, the same date and place of birth as Adolf Hitler
JKSpinkJr wrote this review Tuesday, December 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Silly book made very little sense”