Thursday, December 07, 2006

BART Book: Splintered Icon

Splintered Icon
Bill Napier, 2005
on Amazon

If you're looking for a good historical adventure mystery, look no further than Scottish author Bill Napier's Splintered Icon. Sal was reading it on the trip and I couldn't get her to listen to me cuz she was reading this book at every available moment. I've been enjoying it on my BART rides since I've been back.

The book itself is splintered into two points of view: our hero antiquarian Harry Blake, and the young sea-going writer of the 16th century journal Blake was hired to decode, James Ogilvie. From Oxford to Jamaica, the search for the secret meaning of the journal quickly involves murder, terrorist plots and centuries-old religious politics. Throw in some theories of Elizabeth I's astrologer and spy John Dee and sabotage on the high seas and you have a fast-moving, complex story of curiosity and survival.

Favorite part: bribing the ladies in the records office in Jamaica to stay open late
Least favorite part: when Ogilvie's journal ended -- I wanted to hear more about his life in the New World

Next BART Book: maybe The Devil Wears Prada
Previous BART Book: too long ago to matter

Books on the Shelf:

The Family Tree, Carole Cadwalladr
Books on Hold:
Mistral's Kiss, Laurell K. Hamilton
Virgin Earth, Philippa Gregory

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