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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Parry, O. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Silver Falls Library | MYS PARRY | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
As casualty lists grimly mount in America's Civil War, the death of a lowly man of the cloth in London attracts an unaccountable degree of attention. Confederate agents seek warships for their struggling navy at any cost. The Union's representative to Britain -- the son and grandson of U.S. presidents -- maneuvers desperately to block them. And a federal officer with a limp and a Welsh lilt returns to the land he once left in hope of a better life. In a stunning re-creation of 1860s London and Glasgow that reaches from the worst slums in Europe to the lobbies of Parliament, Owen Parry brings the past to ravishing life. Grotesque murders multiply as Major Abel Jones pursues a monstrous killer who may be a well-connected Confederate agent or a ghost from Jones's bloody past in India -- or both. England's political leaders -- including Benjamin Disraeli -- appear to have a great deal to hide. Everyone seems determined to thwart Jones's search for justice -- but are they interested in supporting the Confederacy or in masking personal scandals? The threat of an ocean-spanning war hangs over each new crime as Jones struggles to find a rumored warship that would serve the Rebels as a wonder-weapon of the age -- and stop it from sailing. A music-hall girl of doubtful morals may hold the answers he needs -- if Jones, the appalled moralist, can keep her alive. No single identity is certain, no motive unmarred. And psychotic violence lurks behind well-tailored morning coats and flawless manners.... Expanding his fictional panorama of the Civil War into the long-neglected international arena, Parry continues to portray not only a war, but a lost world. In the gorgeous tones of a prim, proud Methodist soldier from the valleys of Wales, Parry conjures the sights, sounds, smells, and texture of the age with unparalleled authenticity, irresistible suspense, and droll humor. Featuring historical figures from Karl Marx to Anthony Trollope, this novel brims with the wonderfully rich characters that have become a hallmark of Parry's fiction. From deeds of hellish darkness to acts of transcendent kindness, Honor's Kingdom speeds irresistibly from the opening sentence to a startling, shockingly logical, and unforgettable conclusion.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The delightful Maj. Abel Jones (previously met in Parry's series in Faded Coat of Blue, Shadows of Glory and Call Each River Jordan), agent for Abraham Lincoln, appears in London during the summer of 1862 to combat Britannia's flirtation with the Confederacy and prevent construction of ironclad warships for the rebel navy in this humorous historical novel spiced with suspense. His murdered predecessor has been found, thoroughly nibbled, in a basket of eels. Seeking the perpetrator of this crime, Jones roams from odiferous slums to the halls of Parliament (itself plagued by the stench of the Thames), encountering such personages as the cobra-like Disraeli and the nave Henry Adams. Cameos by Trollope, Whistler and Karl Marx enliven the narrative, and Parry has almost too much fun, as when a copper instructs a subordinate, "Go get Wilkie, Collins." The glee the author takes in the narrative voice of his staunchly Methodist hero is infectious, and he brings the era to vivid life. Readers learn more of Jones's history, including his stint in the British army, as thuggee assassins and a dreadful nemesis he had thought dead appear to hound his steps. This is another rollicking entry, capturing "the spirit of our age, the turbulent sixties, with their progress, hope, immodesty and danger. But let that bide, for there is more to tell." Indeed, the next installment is announced on the last page. (July) Forecast: All the novels in Parry's series previously reissued in mass market paperback will be published in HarperPerennial trade paper editions, one each year beginning with Faded Coat of Blue in February 2002. This project, plus Parry's reliable excellence, should keep the series going strong for some time to come. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Parry's fourth Civil War mystery, following Call Each River Jordan [BKL O 1 01], finds 34-year-old Union Major Abel Jones in London in the summer of 1862. No longer fit for field service since he shattered his leg at Bull Run, Jones has been dispatched to England to assist Charles Adams in discovering who has murdered Union secret agent William Campbell and disposed of his corpse in an eel basket. Weary from all the death he has seen in battle (including hand-to-hand combat in India for the British), Jones is philosophical, deeply religious, and tenderhearted. Before his stint in London is through, Jones trades barbs with Benjamin Disraeli, engages in lethal swordplay with archenemy Culpeper, and diplomatically turns aside the attentions of dance-hall-entertainer Polly Perkins. Parry's beautifully written narrative encompasses the international scope of the Civil War conflict and never loses sight of the brutality of war and the deceitfulness of politics. Driven by an engaging plot rife with double crosses, this fine novel will appeal to both mystery buffs and fans of historical fiction. --Joanne Wilkinson
Library Journal Review
The Union had to face more than the Confederacy during the Civil War. Certain factions in Great Britain were eager to help the South in their endeavors by providing warships to destroy commercial Union vessels. In Parry's fourth Civil War novel (after Faded Coat of Blue and Shadows of Glory), Union major Abel Jones is sent to London to investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent, found dead and half-eaten by eels in a barrel. As Jones becomes enmeshed in the intrigues of British government and witnesses the raw existence of London's poor, he finds himself following leads that take him from Disraeli's parlor to the shipyards of Glasgow. When a child is brutally murdered and menacing ghosts from the past emerge, Jones must confront more than shipyard conspiracies. Although the plot can at times be confusing, the story is intriguing, and Parry fans will enjoy traveling with Abel Jones through the book's dangers to solve the mystery. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/02.] Loree Davis, Broward Cty. Libs., Fort Lauderdale, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.