Tag Archives: Barbara Vine

The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine

British Literature December 10, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: While working on her PhD thesis on unmarried mothers in British literature, a young woman finds disturbing parallels between a violent work of fiction from the mid-20th century and her own life living with her gay brother. Review: Everything I love about Barbara Vine is present in The Child’s Child: a haunting atmosphere, complicated characters, and a sense of urgency to the storytelling that has nothing to do with a jam-packed plot. The book opens with Grace, a PhD candidate living a peaceful life…

No Night Is Too Long by Barbara Vine

British Literature December 5, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A love affair turns murderous during a voyage among desolate Arctic islands. Review: No Night Is Too Long was not my favorite Barbara Vine. While I found the central murder to be wonderfully original, I didn’t care for the characters and felt like some of the plot was a bit too contrived. The book appears to be out of print, so someone will get a lucky treat at my local thrift store this week!

The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine

British Literature November 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: While researching a biography on the life of his ancestor, a hereditary peer in the House of Lords on the verge of losing his privileges thanks to a new bill faces his own family demons and uncovers the dark secrets of his heritage. Review: The Blood Doctor was not quite as dark or titillating as some of Barbara Vine’s other books. It doesn’t use crime as the engine for the mystery; rather, the story is fueled by the current Lord Martin Nanther’s obsession with…

The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine

British Literature October 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An MP arranges a kinky, consensual abduction for his mistress, but when a chance car accident takes her life, he chooses to keep silent, with devastating results. Review: Everything is connected–except when it isn’t. In The Birthday Present, Barbara Vine follows a scandal-that-wasn’t over the course of four years to show how a secret poisons everyone it touches, and how unrelated events can become part of a story because they appear to fit. The story is told mostly by Rob, brother-in-law to Ivor Tesham,…

The Likeness by Tana French

Irish Literature December 2, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: When a detective goes undercover to impersonate a murder victim sharing her face, she finds the family she’s always dreamed of and risks blowing everything. Review: I was a big fan of Tana French’s In the Woods, so I leapt at the chance to read The Likeness, her followup featuring several of the same characters. Former detective Cassie Maddox is stuck in Domestic Violence after being forced off the Murder squad due to her role in the catastrophe outlined within In the Woods. A…

Favorite Author Meme

On Reading June 4, 2008 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Heather at Errant Dreams came up with a wonderful meme–enjoy & consider yourself tagged! * Answer the questions as you see fit. Although theyâ€™re all phrased to ask about a singular author, feel free to respond with multiples, or even a list. * Where possible & convenient (you donâ€™t have to go as crazy as I did!), include a link here or there to an authorâ€™s website, your review of one of their books, or a review that inspired you to try the author(s), so…

The Alphabet Meme

On Reading May 4, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Picked this meme up from Melanie, in honor of two YA books I read for work this weekend. The goal of this is to list favourite authors according to last name (with a representative fave book as well). Atwood, Margaret — Cat’s Eye Bronte, Charlotte — Jane Eyre Card, Orson Scott — Ender’s Game Dragonwagon, Crescent — The Year It Rained (with Paul Zindel) Eager, Edward — Half Magic Forster, EM — Howard’s End Gibson, William — Neuromancer Hobb, Robin — Ship of Magic Ishiguro,…

The Minotaur by Barbara Vine

British Literature September 20, 2007 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Hired to be an au pair to a schizophrenic man, a Swedish girl watches as interfamilial tensions come to a boiling point, with deadly results. Review: Barbara Vine (the alter ego of best-selling crime novelist Ruth Rendell) has carved out a niche as deft portrayer of tightly interwoven groups of people who are all set to go poof! in spectacular and surprising ways. The Minotaur concerns a family that revolves itself around the supposed schizophrenia of the only son and heir to the family…

A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine

British Literature July 28, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A long ago summer idyll at a manor-turned-commune ended in tragedy, and the recent discovery of the bones of a woman and a baby threaten the secrets carefully guarded by the young man who inherited the home. Review: It may be a lesser Barbara Vine, but A Fatal Inversion is still an above average read.

The Books of My Life

On Reading May 24, 2007 Superfast Reader 10 Comments

Here’s another meme (HT Poodlerat) that’s been going around that I’m finally able to do. Last night’s book read was an incredibly tedious memoir. Thanks for sharing! A book that made you cry: A book that seems to make a lot of my lists: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. A book that scared you: Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin. It’s five accounts of supposedly true possession and exorcism accounts, and it scared me so bad that I read it twice then…

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