Author: Anna Castle
Genre: mystery, historical fiction
Series: Francis Bacon Mystery #1
Pages: 350
Published: June 8 2014
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 3/5
Francis Bacon is charged with investigating the murder of a fellow barrister at Gray's Inn. He recruits his unwanted protégé Thomas Clarady to do the tiresome legwork. The son of a privateer, Clarady will do anything to climb the Elizabethan social ladder. Bacon's powerful uncle Lord Burghley suspects Catholic conspirators of the crime, but other motives quickly emerge. Rival barristers contend for the murdered man's legal honors and wealthy clients. Highly-placed courtiers are implicated as the investigation reaches from Whitehall to the London streets. Bacon does the thinking; Clarady does the fencing. Everyone has something up his pinked and padded sleeve. Even the brilliant Francis Bacon is at a loss — and in danger — until he sees through the disguises of the season of Misrule.
An inventive new historical mystery, Anna Castle's foray into the scheme-filled world of power and politics with her first Francis Bacon mystery is sure to please fans of both genres. Murder by Misrule is by turns engaging, amusing, thrilling, and exciting. It's a well-plotted mystery that boasts a cast that is just as well defined; one that is easy to get involved in but hard to solve. The book comes in at just about 350 pages and it took nearly all of them for me to figure out the villain at the heart of it all.
Using the viewpoints of both real (Francis Bacon) and imagined people (Tom Clarady, etc.), Castle shares the narration of the story out amongst her cast. The story can feel a bit diluted with all the different perspectives, but each narrator does bring something new to the story. Clara, for example. seemed at first a random addition but her importance to the story is uncovered in due time. The third person POV feels pretty removed from the story despite whoever is telling it and it becomes easy to distinguish Tom from Francis or Caspar easily.
I did struggle a bit with the writing at times. Castle has an even hand for characterization, setting, and plot but the dialogue used can be dry and a tad... obvious. It's a minor issue in the midst of everything one well, but the stiff manner in which the characters think and interact was a bit off-putting for me.I also have to mention the awesome twist Castle unveils three-quarters into the novel --- it was wholly a surprise, but Castle both hints at it and sells it once the cards are on the table.
The first in a series, Anna Castle's debut is a tautly plotted, creatively managed mystery. The historical element works well for both her writing and her characters. The research put into the story is obvious and is reflected in so much of the narrative. If you're looking for something along the lines of C.W. Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles series, then you'll likely find Murder by Misrule to be a good fit for your reading tastes.
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Monday, June 2Review at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at Mari Reads
Tuesday, June 3
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection
Wednesday, June 4
Book Blast at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Thursday, June 5
Book Blast at Our Wolves Den
Friday, June 6
Review at Book Nerd
Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer
Book Blast at A Dream Within a Dream
Saturday, June 7
Book Blast at Kelsey’s Book Corner
Sunday, June 8
Review at Carole’s Ramblings
Monday, June 9
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Tuesday, June 10
Book Blast at West Metro Mommy
Wednesday, June 11
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse
Thursday, June 12
Review at Curling Up By the Fire
Friday, June 13
Book Blast at Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, June 16
Book Blast at Closed the Cover
Book Blast at To Read or Not to Read
Tuesday, June 17
Review & Giveaway at 100 Pages a Day
Book Blast at A Book Geek
Wednesday, June 18
Book Blast at CelticLady’s Reviews
Thursday, June 19
Review at Bibliotica
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Obsession
Friday, June 20
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Interview at All Things Girl
Saturday, June 21
Book Blast at Griperang’s Bookmarks
Monday, June 23
Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time
Tuesday, June 24
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Wednesday, June 25
Book Blast at Susan Heim on Writing
Thursday, June 26
Review at A Bookish Girl
Review at Layered Pages
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Friday, June 27
Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes
Monday, June 30
Book Blast at Historical Tapestry
Tuesday, July 1
Interview at Starting Fresh
Wednesday, July 2
Book Blast at Kincavel Korner
Thursday, July 3
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict
Guest Post & Giveaway at Bibliophilia, Please
Friday, July 4
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
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