Thursday 29 November 2012

Steve Robinson

A new story from Steve featuring his genealogist Jefferson Tayte.  These just keep getting better!

The Last Queen of England

Amazon.com   The Last Queen of England

My review -


American genealogist and man of mystery Jefferson Tayte has a rather different and much more personal assignment in this latest book.  Steve Robinson has previously given us a past and a present narrative, woven together with great skill, but this time the action all takes place in present day London.  His friend Marcus Brown has been tracing the families of five people hanged in the reign of Queen Anne and JT and a history professor friend of Marcus Brown’s become embroiled in the spin-off, potentially fatally.  It’s wonderful to get closer to the true feelings of our ‘loner’ hero and to feel his passion for his subject and for his friend Marcus. We also feel him grappling with his own insecurities, his shyness, his social ineptitude, as he warms to a new friend.

Steve Robinson takes a slightly different tack with this new book in that he takes the reader through a historical puzzle which is intriguing and complex.  His story telling abilities are as sharp as ever and JT doesn’t work this job alone.  We are introduced to an intelligent and feisty companion for this story.  We are in the realms of major conspiracy theory here – and I do love a conspiracy theory.  It’s not the sort of puzzle with a pat answer and we have loose threads left at the end which hint of further intrigue to come.  I, for one, can’t wait!

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