This
is the third in The Secret of the Journal series. The author has
conveniently given a synopsis of the story so far at the beginning of
this book. While that was a good review, I think it does not have
enough information contained to be able to read this book on its own.
The basis for Matthew's condition has its roots in the seventeenth
century, covered in previous novels. If you have not read the
previous books you may be at a loss regarding some of the action and
discussions in this one.
In
this novel Emma is back in Maine and spends Christmas with Matthew's
family. She knows the truth about his longevity and is now ready to
meet his family. It is a complicated situation. Because of Matthew's
“condition,” he has a son who appears much older than Matthew.
When in public, there has to be some deception to cover the
discrepancy in apparent ages.
Emma
encounters a mixed reception. Some in the family welcome her while
others are intensely hostile. As the novel progresses, it becomes
clear that someone has evil thoughts toward Emma and her future.
The
first part of the novel went slowly. There is much dialog between
Matthew and Emma and much thinking on Emma's part. It took a while
for me to be captured, but it did happen in the second half of the
book. There is compelling suspense near the end of the novel. I had
to remind myself that this is a British author and the narrative does
not always move as quickly as we Americans sometimes like.
I
really like the intervention of the spiritual into the physical
realm. It peaks near the end of the novel when good battles evil. I
really like this series and do recommend it. Those who enjoy intense
character development and interaction will appreciate these novels.
C.
F. Dunn runs a specialist dyslexia and autism school in South-East
England and writes in the South-West. You can find out more at
http://www.cfdunn.co.uk/.
Lion
Fiction, 464 pages.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel for the
purpose of an independent and honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment