Lord John and the Private Matter

Rating:
Summary: Not the captivating mystery I had hoped for.
Review: Although the first chapter starts off with syphilis, murder and adultery, I found my interest waning by the third or fourth chapter. While I was not expecting an Outlander book, I did expect the snappy dialog and well-developed characters that I have come to love in Gabaldon's writing. Finishing this book felt like homework.

Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best Work
Review: I picked up this book because (a) Diana is one of my favorite authors and (b) Lord John Grey is one of the most interesting characters I've ever read.

The first thing I should say is that you had better not expect a Really Long, Really Detailed book a la the Outlander series. This book is not quite as in-depth as any of those gargantuan undertakings, nor does it offer the extent of detail offered by the same. (Can you blame her, while we're waiting for her to finish the next Jamie & Claire book? I'm just glad she wrote something that would pacify me!)

That said, this novel is an intriguing departure from the usual genre. While it is historical, this is a mystery! I may not be the best judge of mystery novels, as I don't normally read them, but I figured, what the heck? I love Diana's work and I will give it a try. Firstly, I did find the trail of events hard to follow. Things seem completely disconnected until the last couple of paragraphs. (Could just be my inexperience with the genre here.)

Secondly, while I loved the John Grey of the Outlander books, I felt he was less well-rounded in his own "first" novel. (There was a previous book offered about him called "Hellfire" which was available only on floppy disk, and that one was pretty good.) He seemed only to be going through the motions of solving the mystery, with a few brilliant flashes of his distinct personality sprinkled few & far between throughout.

In short, a good book, but not her best. Well researched and an interesting commentary about the underbelly of London life at the time, but it can't knock Outlander out of the top spot for me.

Rating:
Summary: Forget Outlander, Enjoy This as a Historical Mystery
Review: I probably have an advantage in that I've never read Outlander-- ok, I've read the first few pages once or twice but never got pulled into it. I do enjoy historical mysteries and I thought this one was aces.

First, the research was very good and the fruits of that research were very nicely woven into the story. I had recently read a social history of London's underworld in the early and mid 18th century and I was delighted to be able to identify some of the characters, places and terms she used. This is also not a time period that is used a lot in the mystery genre currently.

Second, I liked the characters. The author noted that she stared this as a short story which may explain why it doesn't have the depth of exposition that can be expected from a very large book (and the Outlander books are VERY LARGE). Since this is my first introduction to Lord John, I found him intriguing and interesting.

Third, the mystery was unusual and complicated enough to be interesting. A group of apparently unconnected events turn cat in pan to a rather satisfying conclusion.

Clearly the ending was a foreshadowing of something, so I hope that there are going to be more Lord John books in the future.

Rating:
Summary: I love Lord John. However....
Review: Lord John Gray is one of my favorite recurring characters in Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander_ series. He a man of honesty, honor, intellect, loyalty and humor; an equal to the talented James "Jamie" Fraser, and an accomplished man who has matured nicely from that 16-year old near the battlefields of the Scottish Highlands.

I view this book as the kind of sidecar book Anne McCaffrey wrote for her _Dragonriders of Pern_ series... an interesting character who fills in some of the details we didn't get in the main story. _Lord John and the Private Matter_ begins shortly after Ardsmuir Prison has been ordered closed and Lord John has left Jamie at Helwater. It tells us a little of his family and his life in the regiment, and even hints at how he learned to speak the German he uses so fluently in _Drums of Autumn_. In typical Gabaldon style, we get the detail of atmosphere of mid-18th-century London... people's dress, food and living conditions... peppered with quirky characters and odd twists of plot.

That being said, this story was not as captivating as the _Outlander_ books. Some of the references were confusing (the little looks and phrases), and the story itself didn't draw the reader in as quickly the main series. It is no fault of Lord John... as mentioned previously, he is an interesting man. Rather, it seems as though Major John Gray is a more distant character from his writer than Jamie and Claire, or Brianna and Roger... as if Ms Gabaldon is not quite as comfortable in his skin, writing *his* story, as she is with them. Which surprised me, because he is a character of such depth when interacting with the aforementioned main characters.

I didn't find myself quite as catapulted into this story as I did with the main series. However, by all means read this book, as I did, to get your _Outlander_ fix, and to learn a little more about an interesting character.

Rating:
Summary: Don't expect another Outlander
Review: I greatly enjoyed Ms. Gabaldon's books about the life and times of Jamie and Claire Fraser. Never have I ventured into the "romance" section of a bookstore but did so to find the subsquent novels to Outlander. I find her books are like chocolate, you finish one, you want another. That is how I felt after finishing the Fiery Cross.

Lord John and the Private Matter is another story. The book is not the same page-turner that you may have come to expect from Ms. Gabaldon's books. This is a quick read for a lazy afternoon. In my view, it fits in with the "dime-a-dozen" mystery novels that are out there. You will not miss anything about the story of the Frasers if you skip this one.

I still remain a fan of Ms. Gabaldon's but will probably not pursue any further stories about Lord John.

Rating:
Summary: Short and entertaining.
Review: It seems that many are expecting for this to be at the same level as the "Outlander" series. It isn't. The character developement is very light, the story isn't as suspenceful and dynamic, and the length of the book is obviously nowhere close to the size of the series.

The only way I can phrase what I consider this book to be would be to say that it is a pleasant stroll in the park on a lazy afternoon. I finished it in two days, and usually it takes me a while to chew through a novel even of that size. Why? Well, it's light reading. Like having tea as opossed to having a full course dinner. But this does not deter from the book in any way whatsoever, though some seem to really be disappointed. As with all authors of multi-volume epic tales, if they produce a smaller story and it isn't the way they usually write the large novels, some fans will be dismayed. But I think it depends upon how one approaches this book. If one were to approach it with the thought that it'll be great and epic and wonderfully exciting with the same depth of character as the "Outlander" series has - one will be sorely disappointed. But if the book is viewed as what it is, more of a 'novella' of light, pleasant reading, then it can be a fun read.

I can't honestly give it five stars. I just can't. Like I said, it is a very light book with a bit more 'fluff' than substance, and the character developement wasn't all that great. But it was fun, and it was an interesting way to spend the time. It was nice to see something by Gabaldon again, while waiting for the sixth book in her epic series.

Rating:
Summary: High hopes not realized.
Review: I really wanted to like this book, but it was missing all of the rich imagery and storytelling that made the "Outlander" series so appealing. It reminded me of the feeling I had reading Michael Crichton's "The Lost World": Like the author had some research leftover from a previous book and just slapped a new novel together to please readers. It was an interesting adventure, but not in the least bit engaging.

Rating:
Summary: Good read, but I want more Claire & Jamie!
Review: I have to agree with Mrs. Caldwell's review, I also really wanted to love this book because I so love Diana Gabaldon's other works. I also like the Lord John Grey character as introduced in the Outlander series. That said, I must say I liked the book, but I did not love it.

Why did I like it? Well, it is well-written (of course, Ms. Gabaldon couldn't do any less!), the characters are interesting and finely crafted, and the plot is good. Lord John and the Private matter is a good mystery with an interesting setting.

Why didn't I love it? I personally did not feel that the relationships in this book were as tautly crafted as in the Outlander series. I did not feel as though I knew these characters well, which I did upon the first reading of Outlander. And of course, Jamie & Claire are not in here (not that I was expecting them).

I think that this book is a great way for a whole new group of readers to be introduced to Ms. Gabaldon's work, a group who may be put off by the fact that the Outlander series is most often found in the "Romance" section. Mystery readers who like historical settings may pick this up and then go on to explore the Outlander series, which I personally believe every person on the planet ought to read :-) So all in all its a good thing.

Knowing how Ms. Gabaldon writes, it is easy to see how the story of Lord John "mushroomed" into a whole separate book, and, should he develop into his own series, I would not be disappointed, provided, however, that the esteemed Author not neglect her duty to her readers by continuing the FANTASTIC story of Jamie & Claire in a timely fashion (had to get that in here), which I know she promises us, her Faithful Readers.

I can definitely see the makings of a new series here, and I think readers will enjoy this, I hope, a first installment. If you have not read Gabaldon, prepare for a fun mystery. If you are a Gabaldon fan, this isn't Outlander, so don't compare it, just sit back and enjoy the book.

Rating:
Summary: In a Class By Herself
Review: Rating Diane's books on a standard 5-star system is deceiving because Ms. Gabaldon is held to a higher standard by her readers. If this were the first work we had seen by her, it would undoubtedly receive 5 stars. But Diane's works aren't compared to other writers' works. She is compared only to herself and her previous works. I rarely read a book more than once, but with the Outlander series, with each new publication, I find myself going back to the very beginning and re-reading the entire series before I absorb myself in the latest book. So I guess that means I've read the entire series 5 times thus far. I thoroughly enjoy all the books although I think some have tended to drag on much more than others. But given that, I am sad to reach the end of every single one. My one complaint that includes this book, is the seeming preoccupation with homosexuality. While I thoroughly enjoy Lord John and have no issue with his homosexuality (it makes for some interesting dynamics), when taken in context with all the other male characters in Diane's novels, I think there is way too many homosexual behavior in 18th century society. I'm sure it is in fact not emperically correct, but it certainly seems that a full half of the characters in this series are homosexual or have engaged in some sort of buggery or other. That being said, Diane, PLEASE keep up the good work. These are rare, wonderful works with "real live" characters. How is it that I can still cry after reading the same book 5 times and knowing full well what is going to happen next? Only 2 more books left in the series??!!!??? Whatever will we do then?

Rating:
Summary: This is not "Outlander"
Review: I bought this book hoping for a new Gabaldon sequel to rival "The Outlander" series. This was not that. First off the book is short, so if you're hoping for a good long, romantic, historical read--you won't get it here. While Lord John became somewhat appealing, it was short, not much of a mystery, and just generally not at the quality of writing I was used to with Outlander. I thought it a huge waste of money buying it in hardbook and would not recommend it to anyone. It is not a heterosexual love story, so be prepared. Not that that bothers me, but it was not what I expected to be reading.