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The Serpent In The Garden : Gleeson, Janet: desertcart.ae: Books Review: Months ago I discovered a new found passion for historical mysteries. The (I'll call them the Craftsman novels) if Janet Gleeson fit the bill perfectly. Of the two of three I have read so far they are complicated mysteries being dealt with by a craftsman (in the first book a cabinet maker, in this a painter) who is un-used to being a sleuth. Add in a dash of mystery and you have a supposed perfect mix for an engaging mystery novel. Or at least you did with the first book. Unlike the first novel "The Grenadillo Box", "The Serpent in the Garden" is narrated in third person by a painter named Joshua Pope. Pope, suffering depression from the recent loss of his wife and son is down at the Richmond estate of Herbert Bentick to paint a wedding portrait of the man and his fiancé Sabine Mercer when an unknown man turns up dead in the greenhouse dedicated to growing pineapples (the Pinery.) Pope is initially perturbed that no one is willing to seek any investigation into the man's death and so when he is asked by Mrs. Mercer to investigate, he does so. Pope learns of rivalries between the soon to be married pair and their grown children, romantic entanglements that grow three ways, and a gambling debt that could ruin the future of a close friend of the family. But the real trouble begins when Mrs. Mercer's most treasured necklace, a gold and emerald snake eating its own tail, goes missing and Pope is blamed. He is thus given one more task-find the necklace, or be thrown in jail. Also finish the wedding picture. First of all its completely ridiculous that a well to do country Gentry family in the late 18th century wouldn't call the law in when their was a strange death on their lands-and its even weirder that they wouldn't do it when one of their own had been obviously murdered. Tasking a portrait painter to solve a crime is equally strange (as is the likelihood that he would accept such a job without any promise of payment.) In "The Grenadillo Box" our rather rakish and charming hero was drawn in by his involvement to the murder victim-his best friend and the circumstances in his daily life began to lead him to an answer to the mystery at hand. In the case of this book the investigation a rather plodding Pope leads seems forced, as do most of the clues, any of the confessions and the crimes themselves. All in all the mystery just wasn't believable in any way. But Ms. Gleeson's writing style holds up during the change from first to third person and as I did enjoy her first mystery, I have every intention of seeking out her third, entitled "the Thief Taker." 1.5 stars. Mostly for the writing.
| Customer reviews | 2.0 2.0 out of 5 stars (2) |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 2.3 x 19.8 cm |
| ISBN-10 | 0553815245 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0553815245 |
| Item weight | 259 g |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 416 pages |
| Publication date | 1 September 2004 |
| Publisher | Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group) |
L**A
Months ago I discovered a new found passion for historical mysteries. The (I'll call them the Craftsman novels) if Janet Gleeson fit the bill perfectly. Of the two of three I have read so far they are complicated mysteries being dealt with by a craftsman (in the first book a cabinet maker, in this a painter) who is un-used to being a sleuth. Add in a dash of mystery and you have a supposed perfect mix for an engaging mystery novel. Or at least you did with the first book. Unlike the first novel "The Grenadillo Box", "The Serpent in the Garden" is narrated in third person by a painter named Joshua Pope. Pope, suffering depression from the recent loss of his wife and son is down at the Richmond estate of Herbert Bentick to paint a wedding portrait of the man and his fiancé Sabine Mercer when an unknown man turns up dead in the greenhouse dedicated to growing pineapples (the Pinery.) Pope is initially perturbed that no one is willing to seek any investigation into the man's death and so when he is asked by Mrs. Mercer to investigate, he does so. Pope learns of rivalries between the soon to be married pair and their grown children, romantic entanglements that grow three ways, and a gambling debt that could ruin the future of a close friend of the family. But the real trouble begins when Mrs. Mercer's most treasured necklace, a gold and emerald snake eating its own tail, goes missing and Pope is blamed. He is thus given one more task-find the necklace, or be thrown in jail. Also finish the wedding picture. First of all its completely ridiculous that a well to do country Gentry family in the late 18th century wouldn't call the law in when their was a strange death on their lands-and its even weirder that they wouldn't do it when one of their own had been obviously murdered. Tasking a portrait painter to solve a crime is equally strange (as is the likelihood that he would accept such a job without any promise of payment.) In "The Grenadillo Box" our rather rakish and charming hero was drawn in by his involvement to the murder victim-his best friend and the circumstances in his daily life began to lead him to an answer to the mystery at hand. In the case of this book the investigation a rather plodding Pope leads seems forced, as do most of the clues, any of the confessions and the crimes themselves. All in all the mystery just wasn't believable in any way. But Ms. Gleeson's writing style holds up during the change from first to third person and as I did enjoy her first mystery, I have every intention of seeking out her third, entitled "the Thief Taker." 1.5 stars. Mostly for the writing.
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