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Jul. 17th, 2009 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsAnother mystery this Friday! Graveyard Dust is the third in Barbara Hambly's series of Benjamin January mysteries, set in New Orleans of the 1830's.
(A note: according to last week's poll, historical mysteries were far and away the most popular subgenre - among my flist, at least. This does not surprise me at all! Historical mysteries are AWESOME. Half the time the mystery is just an excuse to poke around in the world and show off research and that is exactly what I like. When I'm reading the Benjamin January books, it doesn't matter so much to me who actually committed the murder - it's the incredible fascination of the world, with all its complex and bizarre and often grotesque social rules, that pulls me in. The mystery is incidental.)
I was a little nervous about this one, because it is ~the one with voodoo~ and I know how often that is mishandled as a bundle of stereotypes. And I am still in no way qualified to talk about how accurately Hambly portrayed it, but I was glad at least that she really made an effort to show multiple perspectives. And this one had a bunch of my favorite characters getting more screen time! (Though, still not enough Livia and not enough Shaw. On the other hand: AUGUSTUS MAYERLING CAMEO *_* That is a character I never thought we would see again and I was super excited!) Also, it didn't feel like Barbara Hambly was trying to cram as many plots into one book as in Fever Season, which made the whole thing hang together much better. And the court scene was excellent high farce.
(Though is it just me, or are SECRET TORTURE ATTICS becoming kind of a trend in these books? Seriously, how many of those can one town have?)
The next one is going to be super depressing! I have to confess though, I am way looking forward to the one set at the Opera House. In my head, it is called BENJAMIN JANUARY: LOVE NEVER DIES!
(A note: according to last week's poll, historical mysteries were far and away the most popular subgenre - among my flist, at least. This does not surprise me at all! Historical mysteries are AWESOME. Half the time the mystery is just an excuse to poke around in the world and show off research and that is exactly what I like. When I'm reading the Benjamin January books, it doesn't matter so much to me who actually committed the murder - it's the incredible fascination of the world, with all its complex and bizarre and often grotesque social rules, that pulls me in. The mystery is incidental.)
I was a little nervous about this one, because it is ~the one with voodoo~ and I know how often that is mishandled as a bundle of stereotypes. And I am still in no way qualified to talk about how accurately Hambly portrayed it, but I was glad at least that she really made an effort to show multiple perspectives. And this one had a bunch of my favorite characters getting more screen time! (Though, still not enough Livia and not enough Shaw. On the other hand: AUGUSTUS MAYERLING CAMEO *_* That is a character I never thought we would see again and I was super excited!) Also, it didn't feel like Barbara Hambly was trying to cram as many plots into one book as in Fever Season, which made the whole thing hang together much better. And the court scene was excellent high farce.
(Though is it just me, or are SECRET TORTURE ATTICS becoming kind of a trend in these books? Seriously, how many of those can one town have?)
The next one is going to be super depressing! I have to confess though, I am way looking forward to the one set at the Opera House. In my head, it is called BENJAMIN JANUARY: LOVE NEVER DIES!
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Date: 2009-07-17 03:36 pm (UTC)Also, I am waiting for the next mystery to be "Rose and January come down with TB at the same time, THEREFORE: Livia Levesque and Abishag Shaw! One is a society-climbing retired placée with good stock tips! The other is a Kentuckian who needs a bath in rubbing alcohol! Together, THEY FIGHT CRIME!!!!"
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Date: 2009-07-17 04:33 pm (UTC)I would buy that book so fast, Sweeney. SO. FAST. Actually I would by that WHOLE DAMN SPINOFF SERIES. *_* (Request it for Yuletide this year!)