Unlawful Things by Anna Sayburn Lane
Paperback: 424 pages
Publisher: Anna Sayburn Lane (22 Oct. 2018)
Language: English
BLURB
A hidden masterpiece.A secret buried for 500 years.And one woman determined to uncover the truth.When London tour guide Helen Oddfellow meets a historian on the trail of a lost manuscript, she’s intrigued by the mystery – and the man. But the pair are not the only ones desperate to find the missing final play by sixteenth century English playwright Christopher Marlowe. What starts as a literary puzzle quickly becomes a quest with deadly consequences.When Helen realises the play hides an explosive religious secret, she begins to understand how much is at stake. Relying on her quick wits, she battles far-right thugs, eccentric aristocrats and an ancient religious foundation, each with their own motives for getting their hands on the manuscript. She discovers there is a price to pay for secret knowledge, but how high is too high?
Unlawful Things was shortlisted for the Virago/The Pool New Crime Writer Award. If you love a bit of historical sleuthing and a healthy dose of fast-paced action, you'll enjoy this intriguing debut thriller from Anna Sayburn Lane.Discover Unlawful Things today!
My Musings :
My Musings :
Date Read : 4 March,2019
Source : Review copy from Random Things Tours
Rating : 4/5
Reread Factor : 3/5
A secret for 500 years? That got my imagination. I was really looking forward to the book. A good mystery was in the books for me. That was my thought when I picked up the book.
Setting the mystery part aside, I enjoyed reading about literary parts woven through the story. Yes, at times it felt like it was interfering with the plot, but it was masterfully combined to present a good read. Then there was the part where I was left wondering what was the connection among all the incidents taking place at the same time, it kept me on my toes trying to guess and I was left hurrying through to finish the book as soon as I can.
The characters are fully fleshed out. The one who stood out for me was Helen herself. There was a depth of character built up as the story progressed which really endeared her to me. I enjoyed the path of her growth. And the surprising part of the book was the romance aspect. It was a pleasant surprise. Then the action bits, starting from the religious conflict starting right at the beginning till the end of the book, those got me flying right through the pages.
All in all it was a pretty good read with historical facts strewn in.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Anna Sayburn Lane is a novelist, short story writer and storyteller, inspired by the history and contemporary life of London. Unlawful Things is her first novel.
She has published award-winning short stories in a number of magazines, including Mslexia, Scribble and One Eye Grey.
Her Mslexia award-winning story Conservation was described by judge and Booker-longlisted author Alison MacLeod as “a powerful and profound contemporary piece in which one man’s story stands for an entire nation’s… it’s a punch to the heart, a story that will haunt and touch its readers deeply”.
She has told stories at London club The Story Party and One Eye Grey’s Halloween event, Moon Over the Lido.
Twitter: @BloomsburyBlue
Website: http://www.annasayburnlane.com/
Author Page on Facebook
She has published award-winning short stories in a number of magazines, including Mslexia, Scribble and One Eye Grey.
Her Mslexia award-winning story Conservation was described by judge and Booker-longlisted author Alison MacLeod as “a powerful and profound contemporary piece in which one man’s story stands for an entire nation’s… it’s a punch to the heart, a story that will haunt and touch its readers deeply”.
She has told stories at London club The Story Party and One Eye Grey’s Halloween event, Moon Over the Lido.
Twitter: @BloomsburyBlue
Website: http://www.annasayburnlane.com/
Author Page on Facebook
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