What do you think?
Rate this book
Η αναζήτηση του Κάρβερ
1870. Ο ερασιτέχνης αρχαιολόγος Άνταμ Κάρβερ και ο πιστός αλλά ισχυρογνώμων υπηρέτης του Κουίντ δέχονται στο σπίτι τους στο Λονδίνο την επίσκεψη μιας γοητευτικής κοπέλας. Η άφιξή της θα οδηγήσει τους δύο άνδρες στην αναζήτηση ενός αρχαιοελληνικού κειμένου το οποίο ίσως αποκαλύψει το μέρος όπου βρίσκεται ο θησαυρός του βασιλιά Φιλίππου Β΄ της Μακεδονίας.
Οι δυο τους θα αρχίσουν να ακολουθούν τις ενδείξεις στα πιο κακόφημα και τα πιο αριστοκρατικά μέρη του Λονδίνου, με τη μυρωδιά της πυρίτιδας και του εκβιασμού να μην τους εγκαταλείπουν στιγμή. Σύντομα θα βρεθούν στην Αθήνα -σε μια Ελλάδα που σπαράσσεται από πολιτικές έριδες- όπου θα ενώσουν τις δυνάμεις τους με έναν πρώην καθηγητή του Κέιμπριτζ στην προσπάθειά τους να εντοπίσουν το χαμένο χειρόγραφο. Όμως τα πράγματα δεν είναι έτσι όπως φαίνονται, και κανένας από τους εμπλεκόμενους δεν είναι προετοιμασμένος για την τελική λύση η οποία θα δοθεί στα πανέμορφα μοναστήρια που κρέμονται πάνω από τα απόκρημνα βράχια των Μετεώρων.
Οι δυο τους θα αρχίσουν να ακολουθούν τις ενδείξεις στα πιο κακόφημα και τα πιο αριστοκρατικά μέρη του Λονδίνου, με τη μυρωδιά της πυρίτιδας και του εκβιασμού να μην τους εγκαταλείπουν στιγμή. Σύντομα θα βρεθούν στην Αθήνα -σε μια Ελλάδα που σπαράσσεται από πολιτικές έριδες- όπου θα ενώσουν τις δυνάμεις τους με έναν πρώην καθηγητή του Κέιμπριτζ στην προσπάθειά τους να εντοπίσουν το χαμένο χειρόγραφο. Όμως τα πράγματα δεν είναι έτσι όπως φαίνονται, και κανένας από τους εμπλεκόμενους δεν είναι προετοιμασμένος για την τελική λύση η οποία θα δοθεί στα πανέμορφα μοναστήρια που κρέμονται πάνω από τα απόκρημνα βράχια των Μετεώρων.
596 pages
First published April 5, 2013
5 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Nick Rennison
58 books22 followersNick Rennison is a writer, editor and bookseller. His books include Sherlock Holmes: An Unauthorised Biography, Robin Hood: Myth, History, Culture, The Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide and 100 Must-Read Historical Novels. He is a regular reviewer of historical fiction for both The Sunday Times and BBC History Magazine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 4, 2020
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
3+/5
This was a book with great potential, it was entertaining and decent, but had many flaws too.
This happens very often when authors happen to be knowledgeable on a specific subject or era and decide to write a novel perusing this subject or placed on said era: They can't easily stop their selves from writting long descriptions of different places and people or from adding scenes and plot twists just for the shake of mentioning a specific event or custom. Rather than focusing on their characters, plot and narration pace, the authors often get carried away on irrelevant stuff and information.
This book is no exception. At first I enjoyed a lot the descriptions of different areas of London and a short visit to Cambridge, while the painting of Athens, Thessaly and Macedonia latter on were very convincing also. The opening of the novel was intrigueing and promissing, what with Adam and Quind who were a fun combination and with the mystery starting to unveil...
But the narration doesn't hold a decent pace.The part of the plot taking place in London seem to get stalled at some point, featuring nearly no action at all at some point. When the story moves to Greece and Ottoman Turkey, many plot twists and characters' behaviors feel forced and unbelievable while there are many smaller and larger imptobabilities all over the place. The conclusion of the mystery (or parts of it) is very cliche, naive and not very convincing in its details either. As a side note, the romance element and the decision of the author to create the related female character, make the explanations at the end of the book more complicated and weak. Maybe the book could do without this plot line...
All in all, this was a very decent read to pass the time, but not great.
Κάτι πάνω από 3 στα 5, αλλά βαθμολογώ υπέρ του συγγραφέα πάντα...
Το συνηθισμένο πρόβλημα με τους πολυμαθείς ανθρώπους που αποφασίζουν να γράψουν ένα μυθιστόρημα είναι ότι μπαίνουν πάντα στον πειρασμό να γράψουν ακόμα μία πληροφορία, ακόμα μία σκηνή που εξυπηρετεί μόνο στο να συμπεριληφθεί ένα ιστορικό γεγονός ή ένα υπαρκτό πρόσωπο ή η περιγραφή ενός τόπου ή συνήθειας της εποχής και γενικά παρασύρονται από τις λεπτομέρειες και από τις ίδιες τους τις γνώσεις, με αποτέλεσμα τα βιβλία τους να πάσχουν σε ρυθμό, πλοκή ή χαρακτήρες.
Δυστυχώς το συγκεκριμένο δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση. Απόλαυσα πάρα πολύ τις περιγραφές του Rennison για τις διαφορετικές περιοχές του Λονδίνου της εποχής και μια βιαστική επίσκεψη στο Κέιμπριτζ, σε γενικές γραμμές η περιγραφή της Αθήνας, της Θεσσαλίας και της Μακεδονίας ήταν επίσης αρκετά πειστικές και η υπόθεση είχε το ενδιαφέρον της. Το κεντρικό δίδυμο, ή μάλλον ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας και ο βοηθός του, αρχικά έχουν γραφτεί με μπρίο και νεύρο, ενώ και η πλοκή γύρω από κάποιο μυστήριο τραβάει το ενδιαφέρον.
Ωστόσο το βιβλίο είναι πολύ άνισο και δεν έχει καλό ρυθμό. Από κάποιο σημείο και μετά το μέρος του βιβλίου που διαδραματίζεται στο Λονδίνο γίνεται φλύαρο χωρίς λόγο, με ελάχιστη δράση, ενώ αργότερα στην Ελλάδα, οι απιθανότητες στην πλοκή (μικρότερες και μεγαλύτερες) πυκνώνουν πάρα πολύ και η πραγματική δράση επικεντρώνεται σε σχετικά λίγες σελίδες στο τέλος του βιβλίου. Η λύση του μυστηρίου ή έστω, κάποια μέρη της λύσης, καθώς και κάποιες συμπεριφορές των ηρώων δεν είναι και πολύ πειστικά και γενικά η πλοκή του βιβλίου είναι κάπως αφελής. Νομίζω ότι το ρομαντικό μέρος της ιστορίας, εκτός από πολύ κλισέ, θα μπορούσε να λείπει, διότι η συμμετοχή του συγκεκριμένου θηλυκού χαρακτήρα στην ιστορία την έκανε ακόμα πιο απίστευτη...
Άλλο ένα αξιοπρεπές βιβλίο που είχε τις προϋποθέσεις για κάτι πολύ καλύτερο.
ΥΓ: Το βιβλίο κυκλοφορεί στα Ελληνικά ("Η αναζήτηση του Κάρβερ: Οι περιπέτειες ενός αρχαιολόγου στην Ελλάδα του 1870") από τις Εκδόσεις Κλειδάριθμος και η επιμέλεια θα μπορούσε να είναι καλύτερη. Εντόπισα αρκετά λαθάκια εδώ κι εκεί.
3+/5
This was a book with great potential, it was entertaining and decent, but had many flaws too.
This happens very often when authors happen to be knowledgeable on a specific subject or era and decide to write a novel perusing this subject or placed on said era: They can't easily stop their selves from writting long descriptions of different places and people or from adding scenes and plot twists just for the shake of mentioning a specific event or custom. Rather than focusing on their characters, plot and narration pace, the authors often get carried away on irrelevant stuff and information.
This book is no exception. At first I enjoyed a lot the descriptions of different areas of London and a short visit to Cambridge, while the painting of Athens, Thessaly and Macedonia latter on were very convincing also. The opening of the novel was intrigueing and promissing, what with Adam and Quind who were a fun combination and with the mystery starting to unveil...
But the narration doesn't hold a decent pace.The part of the plot taking place in London seem to get stalled at some point, featuring nearly no action at all at some point. When the story moves to Greece and Ottoman Turkey, many plot twists and characters' behaviors feel forced and unbelievable while there are many smaller and larger imptobabilities all over the place. The conclusion of the mystery (or parts of it) is very cliche, naive and not very convincing in its details either. As a side note, the romance element and the decision of the author to create the related female character, make the explanations at the end of the book more complicated and weak. Maybe the book could do without this plot line...
All in all, this was a very decent read to pass the time, but not great.
Κάτι πάνω από 3 στα 5, αλλά βαθμολογώ υπέρ του συγγραφέα πάντα...
Το συνηθισμένο πρόβλημα με τους πολυμαθείς ανθρώπους που αποφασίζουν να γράψουν ένα μυθιστόρημα είναι ότι μπαίνουν πάντα στον πειρασμό να γράψουν ακόμα μία πληροφορία, ακόμα μία σκηνή που εξυπηρετεί μόνο στο να συμπεριληφθεί ένα ιστορικό γεγονός ή ένα υπαρκτό πρόσωπο ή η περιγραφή ενός τόπου ή συνήθειας της εποχής και γενικά παρασύρονται από τις λεπτομέρειες και από τις ίδιες τους τις γνώσεις, με αποτέλεσμα τα βιβλία τους να πάσχουν σε ρυθμό, πλοκή ή χαρακτήρες.
Δυστυχώς το συγκεκριμένο δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση. Απόλαυσα πάρα πολύ τις περιγραφές του Rennison για τις διαφορετικές περιοχές του Λονδίνου της εποχής και μια βιαστική επίσκεψη στο Κέιμπριτζ, σε γενικές γραμμές η περιγραφή της Αθήνας, της Θεσσαλίας και της Μακεδονίας ήταν επίσης αρκετά πειστικές και η υπόθεση είχε το ενδιαφέρον της. Το κεντρικό δίδυμο, ή μάλλον ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας και ο βοηθός του, αρχικά έχουν γραφτεί με μπρίο και νεύρο, ενώ και η πλοκή γύρω από κάποιο μυστήριο τραβάει το ενδιαφέρον.
Ωστόσο το βιβλίο είναι πολύ άνισο και δεν έχει καλό ρυθμό. Από κάποιο σημείο και μετά το μέρος του βιβλίου που διαδραματίζεται στο Λονδίνο γίνεται φλύαρο χωρίς λόγο, με ελάχιστη δράση, ενώ αργότερα στην Ελλάδα, οι απιθανότητες στην πλοκή (μικρότερες και μεγαλύτερες) πυκνώνουν πάρα πολύ και η πραγματική δράση επικεντρώνεται σε σχετικά λίγες σελίδες στο τέλος του βιβλίου. Η λύση του μυστηρίου ή έστω, κάποια μέρη της λύσης, καθώς και κάποιες συμπεριφορές των ηρώων δεν είναι και πολύ πειστικά και γενικά η πλοκή του βιβλίου είναι κάπως αφελής. Νομίζω ότι το ρομαντικό μέρος της ιστορίας, εκτός από πολύ κλισέ, θα μπορούσε να λείπει, διότι η συμμετοχή του συγκεκριμένου θηλυκού χαρακτήρα στην ιστορία την έκανε ακόμα πιο απίστευτη...
Άλλο ένα αξιοπρεπές βιβλίο που είχε τις προϋποθέσεις για κάτι πολύ καλύτερο.
ΥΓ: Το βιβλίο κυκλοφορεί στα Ελληνικά ("Η αναζήτηση του Κάρβερ: Οι περιπέτειες ενός αρχαιολόγου στην Ελλάδα του 1870") από τις Εκδόσεις Κλειδάριθμος και η επιμέλεια θα μπορούσε να είναι καλύτερη. Εντόπισα αρκετά λαθάκια εδώ κι εκεί.
June 9, 2013
Review
This book has much to make it appeal to the reader of Historical Fiction and Historical Crime Fiction because it is advertised as Flashman meets Sherlock Holmes. The only problem with that description is that it builds a level of anticipation in the reader. There isn’t even the smallest spark of Flashman in this novel, and the only similarity to a Sherlock Holmes novel is the time period and that Carver has a sidekick.
This isn’t a bad book, its just not a thrilling book, well not for the first two thirds, then when we finally reach Greece it starts to pick up. The early part of the book seems to be too much laying of ground work and back story. For me the author should have built this part of the tale into the treasure hunt, maybe in a retrospective / timeslip.
Rallis and Greece seem to be the catalyst that brings the book finally to life. Which is a shame, the author clearly knows and likes his time period especially 1870′s London, he has no issue with the use of the English language, but maybe that contributes to my issue. Any book blurb that contains the phrase “but his obdurate retainer” is going to be somewhat wordy, and this book was most certainly that.
This is a 430 page book and took me a week to read, about four times longer than it should. It was a slog. But that said I did finish it, something made me keep reading. Maybe it was the premise of finding the treasure of Philip of Macedon, maybe it was the grumpy nature of Quint the “Obdurate Retainer”? I honestly don’t know, this isn’t a bad book, and unlikely to be a great book, personally for me it was frustrating and hard work, a slog. But I spent a week with Carver and and Quint and even got to like Quint by the end, any experience is ultimately something learned so it wasn’t time wasted.
I cant recommend it, Personally it wasn’t my cup of tea, but i can see how some will enjoy it so read the blurb, have a think. If you like the time period you may enjoy it.
3/5 Stars
(Parm)
This book has much to make it appeal to the reader of Historical Fiction and Historical Crime Fiction because it is advertised as Flashman meets Sherlock Holmes. The only problem with that description is that it builds a level of anticipation in the reader. There isn’t even the smallest spark of Flashman in this novel, and the only similarity to a Sherlock Holmes novel is the time period and that Carver has a sidekick.
This isn’t a bad book, its just not a thrilling book, well not for the first two thirds, then when we finally reach Greece it starts to pick up. The early part of the book seems to be too much laying of ground work and back story. For me the author should have built this part of the tale into the treasure hunt, maybe in a retrospective / timeslip.
Rallis and Greece seem to be the catalyst that brings the book finally to life. Which is a shame, the author clearly knows and likes his time period especially 1870′s London, he has no issue with the use of the English language, but maybe that contributes to my issue. Any book blurb that contains the phrase “but his obdurate retainer” is going to be somewhat wordy, and this book was most certainly that.
This is a 430 page book and took me a week to read, about four times longer than it should. It was a slog. But that said I did finish it, something made me keep reading. Maybe it was the premise of finding the treasure of Philip of Macedon, maybe it was the grumpy nature of Quint the “Obdurate Retainer”? I honestly don’t know, this isn’t a bad book, and unlikely to be a great book, personally for me it was frustrating and hard work, a slog. But I spent a week with Carver and and Quint and even got to like Quint by the end, any experience is ultimately something learned so it wasn’t time wasted.
I cant recommend it, Personally it wasn’t my cup of tea, but i can see how some will enjoy it so read the blurb, have a think. If you like the time period you may enjoy it.
3/5 Stars
(Parm)
August 2, 2018
Adam Carver is a former Cambridge scholar down on his luck who turns to investigation following the visit of a beautiful but mysterious woman to his rooms. Along with his faithful sidekick Quint, he travels throughout London stumbling over bodies, dodging fights and bullets as he is brought deeper and deeper into a tale of mythical treasures.
First the positives. The scenes are often beautifully well-rendered. The author clearly knows his stuff as far as the era is concerned with people talking like they really belong in the period and some fantastic descriptions of locations (most imagined but excellently so).
However, the number of times that Carver sits around having conversations with others so the reader can be brought up to speed - with an artist friend, an old man at his gentleman's club, the manservant Quint - gets wearing really quickly. The author seems largely unable to write an action scene effectively and the last sixty or so pages rush to a breakneck conclusion that left me wanting to throw the book out the nearest window. Too much prattling on and nowhere near enough action. It seems to want to be Flashman or Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. It would need the hero to get out of his armchair and actually engage in some action though first. One of the most disappointing and frustrating things I've read in a while.
First the positives. The scenes are often beautifully well-rendered. The author clearly knows his stuff as far as the era is concerned with people talking like they really belong in the period and some fantastic descriptions of locations (most imagined but excellently so).
However, the number of times that Carver sits around having conversations with others so the reader can be brought up to speed - with an artist friend, an old man at his gentleman's club, the manservant Quint - gets wearing really quickly. The author seems largely unable to write an action scene effectively and the last sixty or so pages rush to a breakneck conclusion that left me wanting to throw the book out the nearest window. Too much prattling on and nowhere near enough action. It seems to want to be Flashman or Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. It would need the hero to get out of his armchair and actually engage in some action though first. One of the most disappointing and frustrating things I've read in a while.
July 4, 2013
c2013: FWFTB: archaeologist, mystery, treasure, blackmail. Once again, the synopsis on the back of the book mentions key facts that only come to light towards the end of the tale. Very annoying. This book was obviously meticulously researched but got a bit wordy at times. The atmosphere of upper and middle class Victorian England is captured with skill. Although the main character was described towards the beginning of the book ie " Tall and well built, he filled out the evening dress he was wearing. His black hair shone with the macassar oil he had applied earlier. He looked, he decided, exactly as a fashionable young man in the greatest metropolis on earth should look." , the character is never really developed and seemingly just goes from place to place unquestioningly. Of course, he berates himself for doing this at the end of the book, but by then its too late. But there seems to be a distinct lack of passion or drive and even his mulling over a supposed lost love or his father's suicide does not have the tinge of reality that some authors manage to capture. In saying all of that, it is an interesting read and I would recommend to those of the normal crew that have a penchant for Victorian England.
July 10, 2021
Carver’s Quest is a Victorian adventure which takes the hero of the novel across Europe to Greece in search of buried treasure.
Adam Carver is drawn into a mystery when he meets Samuel Creech, who is keen to discuss Carver’s previous trip to Greece. Invited to meet Creech at his home, Carver and his servant, Quint, find him murdered. Carver begins to investigate the curious circumstances of Creech’s death and is drawn into a complex tale of lost Greek manuscripts, possible buried treasure and the theft of looted antiquities from Greece. The climax of the novel takes place in Greece where startling revelations bring the story to a close.
Nick Rennison has created interesting characters and brings to life both the streets of Victorian London and the country of Greece where the novel ends. There is a real sense of adventure in the novel and the pace of the narrative keeps the reader engaged.
Adam Carver is drawn into a mystery when he meets Samuel Creech, who is keen to discuss Carver’s previous trip to Greece. Invited to meet Creech at his home, Carver and his servant, Quint, find him murdered. Carver begins to investigate the curious circumstances of Creech’s death and is drawn into a complex tale of lost Greek manuscripts, possible buried treasure and the theft of looted antiquities from Greece. The climax of the novel takes place in Greece where startling revelations bring the story to a close.
Nick Rennison has created interesting characters and brings to life both the streets of Victorian London and the country of Greece where the novel ends. There is a real sense of adventure in the novel and the pace of the narrative keeps the reader engaged.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
3,5 αστεράκια στην πραγματικότητα. Το πρώτο μέρος που εκτυλίσσεται στο Λονδίνο είναι πολύ καλό, με ρυθμό, ωραίες περιγραφές και σε κάνει να περιμένεις με ανυπομονησία την συνέχεια. Στο δεύτερο μέρος όμως που εκτυλίσσεται στην Ελλάδα, η μετάβαση από το ένα γεγονός στο άλλο και από την μια περιοχή στην άλλη, γίνεται βεβιασμένα, λες και ο συγγραφέας προσπαθεί να στριμώξει πολλά σε πολύ σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι οι χαρακτήρες να μην ανταποκρίνονται στο ρόλο τους, να απορείς για πολλές από τις ενέργειές τους, και όλα να δείχνουν λες και είναι βιαστικά πεταμένα μέσα στην ιστορία χωρίς σύνδεση. Η ανάπτυξη των χαρακτήρων δε, είναι ελλιπέστατη. Κρίμα, γιατί στην αρχή φαινόταν να έχει προοπτική.
November 17, 2017
What a great book! I found this in a local charity shop and being a fan of victoriana I decided to coff up the pittance being asked for it. It is a very good pastiche indeed. The language that is used especially by Carver's sidekick, Quint, is wonderfully colourful and an absolutely spot on Victorian street argot. I do enjoy a historical novel that relishes the time and place. With Carver's Quest you do get an immersive experience, sometimes at the cost of slightly wandering away from the narrative strand but nevermind. You end up forgiving the author this because he so obviously enjoys the tour guide part of the experience. I enjoyed this so much I have gone out and purchased part two.
March 15, 2021
Not a bad tale. I read the second book in the series first so I already knew who the bad guy was in this story. Still well written except for one quibble. Once the characters are in European Greece their horses are stolen. Several chapters later they are all riding. There are five characters and two mules. What are they riding? Still, worth reading.
June 13, 2019
Πολύ κουραστικό να έχεις διαβάσει τα 2/3 του βιβλίου και να αναρωτιέσαι πότε θα γίνει επιτέλους κάτι.
June 14, 2019
What a Tale!
A slow start out of the gate, but compelling to the end! About as close as. I'll get to Greece, and we'll worth the ticket!
A slow start out of the gate, but compelling to the end! About as close as. I'll get to Greece, and we'll worth the ticket!
August 1, 2024
A slow-moving, lengthy Adventure in which little happens and what does happen, happens slowly. And even the ending is little more than the setting for a sequel.
September 24, 2016
Well-to-do fellow around town, but with no discernible means of income, Adam Carver finds himself confronted with a mystery when a strange chap approaches him at his club’s most exclusive of dinners talking of untold wealth and asking that he visit one day next week. This is not Carver’s first mysterious meeting of the month; earlier an attractive young woman had appeared at his rooms seeking (unspecified) help, only to mysteriously disappear.
So begins a Victorian mystery of relics, pride and arrogance, lust for wealth and imperial smugness. We have adventures to the exotic world of European Turkey and Greece, the exotic shady back streets off The Strand and in the East End, Cambridge colleges and Surrey. Set in Mid-Victorian life – it is 1870 – this first of a series is presented as a Victorian adventure, although in its eventual focus of the (re)patriation of relics it is decidedly modern (or for the British Museum, even still, incomprehensible).
Rennison has a good feel for the time, a fine grasp of mid-Victorian argot (some of the slang is delightful) and a good sense of red herring in his plot lines, but somehow it just didn’t spark for me. The writing feels a little flat, a little too much description between the moments of adventure, risk or daring and with the modern sensibilities and contemporary views just a little too obvious – but then this kind of manly adventure is not really my genre, so it could be that I have the generic reference codes wrong.
Entertaining but not engrossing, it kept me engaged but not all that excited. That said, reading it as a thriller, invoking the generic codes of crime fiction, there is a good sense of bewilderment, and to his credit Rennison manages to keep the plot twists fairly surprising.
So begins a Victorian mystery of relics, pride and arrogance, lust for wealth and imperial smugness. We have adventures to the exotic world of European Turkey and Greece, the exotic shady back streets off The Strand and in the East End, Cambridge colleges and Surrey. Set in Mid-Victorian life – it is 1870 – this first of a series is presented as a Victorian adventure, although in its eventual focus of the (re)patriation of relics it is decidedly modern (or for the British Museum, even still, incomprehensible).
Rennison has a good feel for the time, a fine grasp of mid-Victorian argot (some of the slang is delightful) and a good sense of red herring in his plot lines, but somehow it just didn’t spark for me. The writing feels a little flat, a little too much description between the moments of adventure, risk or daring and with the modern sensibilities and contemporary views just a little too obvious – but then this kind of manly adventure is not really my genre, so it could be that I have the generic reference codes wrong.
Entertaining but not engrossing, it kept me engaged but not all that excited. That said, reading it as a thriller, invoking the generic codes of crime fiction, there is a good sense of bewilderment, and to his credit Rennison manages to keep the plot twists fairly surprising.
April 11, 2014
The novel is more about Victoriana, and less about plot. The main characters spend a lot of time wandering around Victorian London while the plot stands still. Just as well, since the plot is quite flimsy and relies on a few more coincidences than needed. As remarked by other reviewers, the main character is a bit wooden, he is just a vehicle to allow the reader to observe the story - other than that, most of the plot would probably be the same even if you omitted the main character. In spite of all of that, the story is great fun, and you do learn something about the background in the process.
August 9, 2021
Μία ενδιαφέρουσα περιπέτεια. Από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος σε κρατάει και ακολουθώντας τον Άνταμ και τον Κουίντ νιώθεις πως είσαι μέρος αυτής της περιπέτειας. Είναι ένα βιβλίο που σίγουρα θέλει τον χρόνο του για να αναπτύξει την ιστορία του. Ωστόσο, αξίζει την ανάγνωση και τον χρόνο που θα του αφιερώσετε. Ο τρόπος γραφής είναι απλός και κατανοητός, ενώ οι περιγραφές είναι λεπτομερείς και περίτεχνα σε βάζουν στο κλίμα της εποχής. Υπήρχαν πολλές αναφορές σε αρχαίους ή και μεταγενέστερους συγγραφείς που μερικές φορές κουράζουν και είναι υπερβολικές. Θα το συνιστούσα σε όσους αρέσουν οι περιπέτειες, το μυστήριο και η ιστορία.
December 14, 2014
Mixed feelings about this.
Good points: Victorian London was lovingly and vividly brought to life. The main story itself was a good one.
Bad points: pacing was all over the place. Too much exposition of things that had happened previously (there were two whole chapters where one character explained to another what was going on!)
On the whole, a forgettable novel but there were just enough hints of promise that any future novels in this series might be worth reading.
Good points: Victorian London was lovingly and vividly brought to life. The main story itself was a good one.
Bad points: pacing was all over the place. Too much exposition of things that had happened previously (there were two whole chapters where one character explained to another what was going on!)
On the whole, a forgettable novel but there were just enough hints of promise that any future novels in this series might be worth reading.
September 24, 2013
A good amateur detective novel set in the world of Victorian England archeologist with a passion for Ancient Greece. The characters are developed well but It is slow in parts, but not so slow that you will fall into skim reading. It ends well, so 'alls well'.
February 22, 2014
Not Sherlock Holmes or Flashman, but an entertaining mystery set in Victorian London and Greece, involving blackmailers, archaeologists and buried treasure seen through the eyes if protagonist Adam Carver and his man servant Quint.
October 26, 2015
Finished the book this morning. I feel this book does not know what it wants to be. A victorian detective novel or a treasure hunt in Europe. I will admit thwe ending did surprise me and would push me to give a 3.5
April 1, 2014
A ripping yarn.
February 5, 2015
A cross between Sherlock Holmes and the Da Vinci Code in style, this pairing has potential but the book was a little disappointing.
May 26, 2016
Wouldn't rush to read another in the series.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews