Dark in the City of Light

 

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Dark In The City Of Light Bethany House (July 1, 2010)


by Paul Robertson





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.











ABOUT THE BOOK

What Evil Haunts the Shadows of 1870s Paris?



Baron Ferdinand Harsanyi — After his wife's mysterious death, this Austrian attaché holds control over mines whose coveted ore could turn the tide of war.



Therese Harsanyi — Swept up in new romance and the spectacle of Paris, the Baron's daughter is blind to the dangers stalking her family and the city she loves.



Rudolph Harsanyi — Unsure whom to trust, the Baron's son's grief over his mother's death twists into growing anger and a desire to break free.



As France and Prussia plunge toward war, one family is caught in a web of deceit, political intrigue, and murder that threatens to tear them apart.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Dark In The City Of Light, go HERE.


Dark in the City of Light by Paul Robertson is compelling historical fiction about 1870s Paris. Baron Harsanyi works for the Austrian ambassador working in Paris. His late wife owned some cinnabar mines that produce the highly prized materials that the English, Prussian, and French are all bidding for. Their political machinations fill the novel with twists and turns. His daughter Therese loves being in the City of Light, especially with her forbidden beau Auguste who may have secret intentions for their courtship. Her brother Rudolph seems to be just going through the motions, forced to accede to his father's wishes that he attend military academy instead of fulfilling his own political ambitions, until he discovers a terrible secret about his father that may destroy the entire family. Robertson writes a truly rare novel with great intelligence and suspenseful twists and turns. Just when the reader thinks they know what's going to happen next, Robertson reveals new information that throws everything into question. I wish there were more novels written like this, that stimulate the brain and thrill the senses with terrific historical detail. I didn't want it to ever end.

According to Their Deeds

I visited Grandma for a couple of hours this afternoon. If nothing has changed, I'll go back around eight or nine tonight to spend the night with her again. Jeff stayed last night, and he said that the nurse who had been so rude to me was wonderful. Apparently someone talked to her about it. Grandma is running a fever of almost 104, but the hospice nurse said that's normal at the end of life. I am so impressed by all of the hospice staff from Unity. They are unfailingly polite and supportive.

Grandma has deteriorated so that she isn't talking or moving at all, just breathing quickly but peacefully and occasionally opening her eyes. She's been a huge Packer fan for most of her life, in the last couple of years she's even had a bit of a crush on A.J. Hawk. When he came on the TV screen, she'd say, "There's my guy." When I came in today, I talked to her about different things: the kids, the weather, flowers. Then I leaned in close and told her about Brett Favre's possible defection to the Minnesota Vikings. A brief smiled flitted across her face, and Grandma chuckled, she actually chuckled! That was such a blessing for me and Jeff. She's still there, and she can hear us just fine, AND she agrees with the rest of us Packer fans that Favre is being ridiculous!

According to Their Deeds by Paul Robertson is an unexpected delight disguised as a political thriller/mysterious book quest. Charles Beale is quite content with his life as a rare book store owner in Alexandria, Virginia. Married to his soulmate, Dorothy, and buying and selling books that inspire his soul, life has settled into a comfortable rhythm, even with the addition of a part-time worker named Angelo who is doing his probation working at the store. After the death of Charles' friend, Derek, he purchases back the antique books on philosophy that Derek had purchased over the years. He discovers Derek had a hidden life built on profiting from the secrets of others, and Charles determines what to do with this knowledge as well as discover who really murdered Derek and why. Most books with this plot as a set-up would quickly spiral into car chases, gunfights, and treks across the world. Robertson instead turns the entire genre on its head with this quiet and incredibly intelligent mystery. Charles' method of investigation involves enigmatic conversations with the many suspects, and much of the book is simply conversations. Charles is polite, and the definition of a good man. The secrets he discovers weigh heavily on his heart as he tries to determine whether to administer justice or mercy. As a reader, I fell in love with the subtle rhythm of the book, along with discerning the truth. It's a rare gem in a cluttered genre, and I hope that Robertson isn't finished with Charles and Dorothy. I would love a sequel.

Mia's acquired a recent love of Magic School Bus dvds. I've been ordering them from the library, and we've been on a steady diet of them for the last two days. She's already changed her dream job from veterinarian to marine biologist from yesterday's episode about the ocean!