Tag: Matter

Thomas Harris – Black Sunday | Review

Title: Black Sunday

Author: Thomas Harris

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 320

Rating: 2.75/5

I was expecting good things from this, purely because I’ve read the Hannibal novels and so it had a lot to live up to. In fact, as far as I’m aware, this was the only Thomas Harris novel that I hadn’t read other than his most recent one.

This one was actually published way back in 1975 when Harris was in his thirties, and I have to say that it shows. He attempted to write a sort of fast-paced political thriller, but it doesn’t really work so well when you compare it to some of the newer novels to have hit the market in the last twenty years.

There’s also the fact that this deals with terrorism but was written over a quarter of a century before 9/11. Some of the stuff that he wrote is still relevant, but a lot of it has been superseded by events, and it definitely feels like a product of its time. The writing isn’t particularly good either, and nor is the plotting. In fact, it just comes across as a pretty generic book, something pretty forgettable as far as I’m concerned.

There is a saving grace though, and that’s the complex antagonist with his Vietnam flashbacks and his plot to blow up the Superbowl using an explosive-laden blimp. In fact, I’m kind of surprised that it was so dull considering the subject matter. It could have been awesome. It just wasn’t.

I’m not sure that I’d say that it’s a bad novel either, I just think that it’s very much a product of the time it was written and published in. I think it would have been good enough at the time, but I don’t think there’s much point reading it now. I would have given up if I hadn’t already read Harris’ other stuff.

Learn more about Black Sunday.


Daniel Smith – The Ardlamont Mystery | Review

Title: The Ardlamont Mystery

Author: Daniel Smith

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 258

Rating: 3.5/5

This was a delightfully different kind of book, a non-fiction piece that looked into a real life mystery while showing how it led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s a story that I was previously only vaguely aware of, and so it was a pleasure to read about what actually led to the creation of literature’s greatest detective.

What’s cool is that this is a beautiful little hardback with a stunning interior layout and a genuinely well-written non-fiction narrative. It’s basically true crime mixed with geeky stuff for Sherlock Holmes fans, and so if either of those things float your boat then you’re probably going to like it.

I’ve had this sitting around for a little while now and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to it. When I finally picked it up, I got hooked, and I think it’s the non-fiction book that I’ve enjoyed the most since I got to Rebellious Spirits by Ruth Ball a year or so ago. But then I’m probably forgetting something.

So all in all, I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re into Sherlock Holmes or into true crime, because this has a lot of both. It’s also just a well-written non-fiction book in general. It’s the perfect subject matter and a great delivery and overall, just a good book. There’s a lot that I like here, so there’s that.

Learn more about The Ardlamont Mystery.