Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780330411981
Edition: New edition
ISBN: 0330411985
Label: Pan Books
Manufacturer: Pan Books
Number Of Pages: 200
Publication Date: October 06, 2006
Publisher: Pan Books
Studio: Pan Books

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Rating: - Disappointing!!!
I bought this at Heathrow, in something of a hurry, and chose it because of the title and the cover: the picture on the front and the reviews on the back. I was drawn in initially and settled down for an enjoyable read but was soon questioning the plausibility of the plot and the over-use of coincidence. The characters were one-dimensional and unreal whilst many comments and descriptions were repetitive and laboured. I didn't finish the book and gave up when I could no longer bear to read, even one ... Read More

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Rating: - Tedious and implausible
I had been tempted to buy this book by the suggestion on the cover that it bore some comparison with the work of Carlos Ruiz Zafon, but I was put off by the negative reviews on Amazon.co.uk. Then my wife bought it, so I had the opportunity to read it anyway. I found it very disappointing. The first three-quarters are very drawn out, with the narrative jumping between characters and time periods, and then the last quarter reads like a tsunami with all sorts of implausible twists and turns. None of the ... Read More

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Rating: - Profoundly unfulfilling
The comparisons made on the book's cover, in combination with my ignorance of the period in which it is set, undoubtedly made this novel an intriguing prospect. Through the first one hundred pages, I read with both alacrity and interest, willing to forgive literary shortcomings due to the presence (at this stage) of an ostensibly strong plot.

Unfortunately, however, this strength is not sustained. The lethargy could be less frustrating if Sansom were able to retain engagement through other ... Read More

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Rating: - awful - mills and boon with a good cover
the characters are very 2d and has the author ever been to spain?

for instance there is a meeting at which they drink mugs of coffee with powdered milk! in spain in the 30s. i don't think so.

and towards the end our brave hero 'walks down the aisle' - you mean he converted to christianity and had a lovely church wedding - pull the other one!

this may sound picky but why bother to have an editor? in fact did the editor read the book?

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Rating: - Historically good
I picked this book up while on tour and read it within a couple of weeks. At first I thought it had potential with the prologue showing the Civil war and focusing on one of the communist soldiers Bernie and then the air raids on London and how the people of London coped with this. However once the character goes to Madrid the plot slows right down and then doesn't seem to pick up again until the end and the plot twist, which I won't ruin for you.
I think the book is worth a read just for the historical ... Read More

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