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A review by katiya
A Study in Stone by Michael Campling
4.0
4.75 Stars
(This book came close to 5 stars for me and I generally don't award such an honour. I went back and forth on this and then remembered the advice I received when I first began reviewing on GR: Only grant 5 stars to books that are life-changing. So close, so close!)
We have Dan, a Londoner, who's left his corporate world behind for a time as he heads to his sister's holiday cottage in Devonshire and Alan, a local and a former teacher, who befriends Dan. We follow the pair through their adventures (and misadventures) as they try to solve the riddle of a cypher chiselled in stone and its relation to a manor house.
As other reviewers have mentioned, Dan is a bit much. In the beginning, I wasn't sure I would even manage to finish the story. And then we met Alan. Together the two complete each other. Dan's rough edges are smoothed by Alan's empathy and Alan's hesitancy is overcome by Dan's exuberance. Once that had been settled, the fun began! The mystery (a puzzle rather than a murder) was quite basic and if you wanted to spoil a good read, you could have guessed the outcome, but you would have missed all the enjoyable parts: the camaraderie, the logistics of solving a code, the blast of being ejected from places because you and your mate were being cheeky. (Well, Alan might protest a little at that last one.)
I absolutely scored up my copy with the various quips and potshots they took at each other - all in a sense of fun. It's isn't endearment unless there a slight touch of sarcasm, fondly meant, of course. The friendship between these two completely opposite men was joyful, playful, and enduring. It is the very essence of the success of the storytelling. Such good writing.
I see that I'm very late to the party and I have three more books in this series and I hope for many many more. I also have high hopes of a tv series or (gasp!) a movie. What say you, Michael?
Highly recommended.
*Revised to upgrade my rating to 4.95 Stars.
(This book came close to 5 stars for me and I generally don't award such an honour. I went back and forth on this and then remembered the advice I received when I first began reviewing on GR: Only grant 5 stars to books that are life-changing. So close, so close!)
We have Dan, a Londoner, who's left his corporate world behind for a time as he heads to his sister's holiday cottage in Devonshire and Alan, a local and a former teacher, who befriends Dan. We follow the pair through their adventures (and misadventures) as they try to solve the riddle of a cypher chiselled in stone and its relation to a manor house.
As other reviewers have mentioned, Dan is a bit much. In the beginning, I wasn't sure I would even manage to finish the story. And then we met Alan. Together the two complete each other. Dan's rough edges are smoothed by Alan's empathy and Alan's hesitancy is overcome by Dan's exuberance. Once that had been settled, the fun began! The mystery (a puzzle rather than a murder) was quite basic and if you wanted to spoil a good read, you could have guessed the outcome, but you would have missed all the enjoyable parts: the camaraderie, the logistics of solving a code, the blast of being ejected from places because you and your mate were being cheeky. (Well, Alan might protest a little at that last one.)
I absolutely scored up my copy with the various quips and potshots they took at each other - all in a sense of fun. It's isn't endearment unless there a slight touch of sarcasm, fondly meant, of course. The friendship between these two completely opposite men was joyful, playful, and enduring. It is the very essence of the success of the storytelling. Such good writing.
I see that I'm very late to the party and I have three more books in this series and I hope for many many more. I also have high hopes of a tv series or (gasp!) a movie. What say you, Michael?
Highly recommended.
*Revised to upgrade my rating to 4.95 Stars.