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Lädt ... The Secret Rooms (2013. Auflage)von Catherine Bailey (Autor)
Werk-InformationenThe Secret Rooms: A True Gothic Mystery von Catherine Bailey
Lädt ...
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. The author of the wonderful 'Black Diamonds' hasn't disappointed in this tale from Belvoir Castle. She'd set out simply to document the castle's custodians, the Rutland family, and their contribution to WWI. Inspecting the family records, detailed ones extending back to the 12th century, she discovered tantalising and recent gaps. These gaps had been very carefully made by John, 9th Duke of Rutland and amateur archivist. Why? It took some super-sleuthing to find out, and Catherine Bailey has made a gripping page-turner of the story she was able to uncover. No spoiler alerts here. You'll just have to read the book for yourselves. ( ) The Secret Rooms, billed as A True Gothic Mystery, is a kind of biography of the 9th Duke of Rutland. I found it an interesting enough read, but I felt it didn't quite live up to the title and the really intriguing cover. The book opens with the death of the Duke in 1940, then the author describes how she came across his story some years later - she had set out to research something slightly different. While looking at his papers, she discovered that someone, probably the Duke, had been keen to conceal various papers and that it appeared he had something to hide - what was it? I enjoyed the look at the life of an aristocratic family in the early 20th century, before and after WWI, but felt a bit like saying, is that all there is to it? at the revelations. I think part of the problem was that the author kept writing about the sensational secrets she was uncovering, and they weren't that sensational. The print book comes with some black and white photos (not that well reproduced) of the Duke and his family, and various maps and plans of his estate, his home, Belvoir Castle, and other significant places in the story, and lots of endnotes detailing the author's references. This is clearly meticulously researched and an interesting read but the mystery is not as exciting as the title leads one to expect. Reviewed 21 March 2013 as part of the Amazon Vine programme. If you're looking for something spooky, this isn't your book. However, if you like Downton Abbey with more mystery, this might just be the ticket for your reading pile. Great and intriguing mystery with numerous layers at the start and through the middle; loses its punch and focus a bit once WWI becomes the focal point of the book. My biggest regret was that the "haunted castle" part in the subtitle really only equates to a paragraph very early in the book. Alas, my expectations weren't met because of that, though the history and biographic bits held my interest through to the end. keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
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For fans of Downton Abbey: the enthralling true story of family secrets and aristocratic intrigue in the days before WWI. After the Ninth Duke of Rutland, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, died alone in a cramped room in the servants' quarters of Belvoir Castle on April 21, 1940, his son and heir ordered the room, which contained the Rutland family archives, sealed. Sixty years later, Catherine Bailey became the first historian given access. What she discovered was a mystery: the Duke had painstakingly erased three periods of his life from all family records-but why? As Bailey uncovers the answers, she also provides an intimate portrait of the very top of British society in the turbulent days leading up to World War I"-- Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)941.082092History and Geography Europe British Isles Historical periods of British Isles 1837- Period of Victoria and House of Windsor 1901-1999Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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