Hand Yelling The Black Tower
It's been a while since I've fallen in love with a book that I love as much as The Black Tower by Louis Bayard.
As readers of this blog know I don't review books, but here's what Bookmarks magazine said and I agree:
"Bayard draws his inspiration from history, and in this tight historical
thriller, he revisits the tumultuous period following France’s Reign of
Terror and Restoration. Vidocq, the first director of France’s Sûreté
Nationale, is such a compelling real-life figure that not only does he
make for a first-rate character study in The Black Tower—but he also served as the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert in Les Misérables.
If Vidocq—by turns scary and larger-than-life—steals the show, other
characters, including the sympathetic Carpentier, are no less
compelling. The suspenseful plot, a jigsaw of history and identity;
ornate, period-driven prose; and a sharp eye for setting and cultural
mores elevate The Black Tower into a memorable novel."
And look at the cool widget I found at the publisher's website for the book.
Comments