| Publisher | Del Ray |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 13 March 2014 |
| ISBN-10 | 0091953243 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0091953249 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 448 |
| Price | £ 7.99 |
The Secrets of Life and Death
by
1585 - Dr John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelley attempt to find a cure for the Countess Bathory’s terrible illness...only to discover a dark secret. 2013 - Jackdaw Hammond is forced to reveal who she really is to police consultant Felix Guichard after several girls' bodies are found covered in occult symbols, and she was the last person to see them alive.
Review
The Secrets of Life and Death tells the tale of magic and occultism across dual timelines. In 1585 Dr John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelley attempt to find a cure for the King of Poland’s niece Countess Bathory, who is suffering from a terrible illness. Soon strange and unexplainable things start to happen in the castle, which leads to Dee discovering a terrible secret and he is faced to make a difficult decision – dabble in the occult or be killed.
In 2013 Jackdaw Hammond is following the recent death of a young girl, whose body was found on a train covered in strange occult symbols. Professor Felix Guichard, a specialist in such symbols, is brought in to investigate after a series of similar unexplained deaths and another young girl goes missing. It isn’t long before Guichard links Jack to these deaths and the missing girl, and he uncovers a world of the supernatural and magic. It soon becomes clear that Jack and the girl are in danger and they must solve the mystery of these symbols before it is too late.
The pace of the book felt just right, with the story flitting between the two timelines at exactly the right intervals to keep the interest going, with most chapters ending on a small cliffhanger. However, the two stories didn’t really have much of a connection to each other until about halfway through the book when they came together in a surprising plot development, almost switching genre and causing some confusion.
That aside, there were some heart-in-the-mouth moments and the story held my attention well throughout each chapter. The main characters were quite believable, all with some of their own backstory. I was disappointed, however, that after the rapid development in the relationship between the main characters the story seemed to end with no resolution, making it feel like there should be a sequel. There were also a few chapters that seemed to focus on very descriptive non-related plotlines that had no outcome in the main storyline, making it seem like the author was using them as fillers.
Overall it was an enjoyable read, with short choppy chapters that made it easy to pick up and put down. Plenty of tension and some chilling moments kept me going until the very end. This is a book that certainly needs a sequel!
In 2013 Jackdaw Hammond is following the recent death of a young girl, whose body was found on a train covered in strange occult symbols. Professor Felix Guichard, a specialist in such symbols, is brought in to investigate after a series of similar unexplained deaths and another young girl goes missing. It isn’t long before Guichard links Jack to these deaths and the missing girl, and he uncovers a world of the supernatural and magic. It soon becomes clear that Jack and the girl are in danger and they must solve the mystery of these symbols before it is too late.
The pace of the book felt just right, with the story flitting between the two timelines at exactly the right intervals to keep the interest going, with most chapters ending on a small cliffhanger. However, the two stories didn’t really have much of a connection to each other until about halfway through the book when they came together in a surprising plot development, almost switching genre and causing some confusion.
That aside, there were some heart-in-the-mouth moments and the story held my attention well throughout each chapter. The main characters were quite believable, all with some of their own backstory. I was disappointed, however, that after the rapid development in the relationship between the main characters the story seemed to end with no resolution, making it feel like there should be a sequel. There were also a few chapters that seemed to focus on very descriptive non-related plotlines that had no outcome in the main storyline, making it seem like the author was using them as fillers.
Overall it was an enjoyable read, with short choppy chapters that made it easy to pick up and put down. Plenty of tension and some chilling moments kept me going until the very end. This is a book that certainly needs a sequel!
Reviewed 22 February 2014 by Laura Parkin
