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annewithabook's review against another edition
2.0
I am a massive fan of Sir Francis Bacon, having read many of his essays. So when I spotted this book, combining Francis Bacon with a murder mystery, I immedietely knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. There are far too many characters to keep track of. Bacon himself is often in the background of the investigation, leaving the footwork to his assistant Tom and several of Tom’s friends (Ben, Stephen, Trumpet…there may be more, but I don’t remember, because heaven knows they blend together completely). These university boys bumble through the entire story, not really solving the crime and usually stumbling over useful information at random. The murder itself was interesting (the murder of a lawyer being stabbed ferociously in the streets of London), but as the story progressed I felt as if the mystery divulged into a bland adventure story with little rising action. There was some interesting historical details in the book, which was the only part I actually enjoyed, but the story and characters itself were entirely uninteresting to me.
Full review on my blog: https://madamewriterblog.com/2019/04/03/indie-book-review-murder-by-misrule-by-anna-castle/
Full review on my blog: https://madamewriterblog.com/2019/04/03/indie-book-review-murder-by-misrule-by-anna-castle/
vesper1931's review against another edition
4.0
In 1585 England Francis Bacon is told by his uncle, Lord Burghley, that he to investigate the death of a fellow barrister at Gray's Inn. He recruits four of his students to help with the legwork of the investigation - Tom Clarady. Stephen Delabere, Allen Trumpington and Benjamin Whitt.
An entertaining mystery, looking forward to read the next.
An entertaining mystery, looking forward to read the next.
truebookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good mystery. And what could be better than a mystery combined with one of my favorite historical eras, the Elizabethan age?! It takes a talent to write a great mystery and also adhere to historical detail and this author has done just that. I'm thoroughly impressed.
I've had mixed feelings on Francis Bacon, as I've read other books with him as a character or background figure and it seems the portrayals are not always favorable. However, I really liked him in this book and his apprentice, Thomas, was a refreshing addition to the story.
The mystery itself is labyrinthine and carries much suspense. It's rare for a historical novel to be "edge of the seat" reading. Don't get me wrong. Everyone knows I love historical fiction and it can be exciting, but when you add an element of suspense to the genre, it's even better. I'm thinking along the lines of C.W. Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles or Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death series. This book is a worthy addition to that type of series and this too is a planned series so I'm looking forward to reading Bacon's continuing adventures.
I'm recommending this book to anyone who loves mysteries. Don't let the historical fiction genre dissuade you. Even if you do not normally read historical fiction, you are going to want to read this one purely for the excellent mystery writing. The historical bits are just icing on the cake!
I've had mixed feelings on Francis Bacon, as I've read other books with him as a character or background figure and it seems the portrayals are not always favorable. However, I really liked him in this book and his apprentice, Thomas, was a refreshing addition to the story.
The mystery itself is labyrinthine and carries much suspense. It's rare for a historical novel to be "edge of the seat" reading. Don't get me wrong. Everyone knows I love historical fiction and it can be exciting, but when you add an element of suspense to the genre, it's even better. I'm thinking along the lines of C.W. Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles or Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death series. This book is a worthy addition to that type of series and this too is a planned series so I'm looking forward to reading Bacon's continuing adventures.
I'm recommending this book to anyone who loves mysteries. Don't let the historical fiction genre dissuade you. Even if you do not normally read historical fiction, you are going to want to read this one purely for the excellent mystery writing. The historical bits are just icing on the cake!
abookishaffair's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. "Murder by Misrule" is the first book in a new historical mystery series that has Francis Bacon as the protagonist and chief mystery solver. Yes, that Francis Bacon as in the famous English statesman and philosopher. This is a wholly original series that got off to a pretty good start!
Taking place in the Elizabethan age, this book has a seriously interesting setting. When the book opens, our hero, Bacon, is trying to gain the favor of the powers that be, namely that of the lovely Queen. Bacon knows he wants to climb that ladder but isn't sure that he really wants to put himself out there. In a lot of ways, he really is a reluctant hero, but really that made it a little more interesting to me that he was not all that interested in making waves. The transition between where he was at the beginning of the book and where he was by the end of the book was really interesting to witness.
Overall the story was pretty good. I loved the setting and I loved how Castle was able to weave a lot of historical figures and details together to really show the reader what Bacon's world might have been like. There were parts of the book that I thought could have been slimmed down a little bit. I also wanted to know more about the ending but it's hard to put down my thoughts on that part without knowing what awaits readers in the subsequent books!
Taking place in the Elizabethan age, this book has a seriously interesting setting. When the book opens, our hero, Bacon, is trying to gain the favor of the powers that be, namely that of the lovely Queen. Bacon knows he wants to climb that ladder but isn't sure that he really wants to put himself out there. In a lot of ways, he really is a reluctant hero, but really that made it a little more interesting to me that he was not all that interested in making waves. The transition between where he was at the beginning of the book and where he was by the end of the book was really interesting to witness.
Overall the story was pretty good. I loved the setting and I loved how Castle was able to weave a lot of historical figures and details together to really show the reader what Bacon's world might have been like. There were parts of the book that I thought could have been slimmed down a little bit. I also wanted to know more about the ending but it's hard to put down my thoughts on that part without knowing what awaits readers in the subsequent books!