The Murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Historical Reconstruction
Review: Although renowned for his superb detective fantasies, Carr's masterpiece of history and detection (arguably the same philosophy) is his reconstruction of The Murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey. Despite an obvious anti-Whig bias and his adoration of Charles II, his historical method is excellent, drawing a most dramatically colourful picture of Restoration England and weighing up the odds impartially. The theories are brilliantly argued, and equally brilliantly demolished, and the final solution is quite convincing. Superb.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Historical Reconstruction
Review: Although renowned for his superb detective fantasies, Carr's masterpiece of history and detection (arguably the same philosophy) is his reconstruction of The Murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey. Despite an obvious anti-Whig bias and his adoration of Charles II, his historical method is excellent, drawing a most dramatically colourful picture of Restoration England and weighing up the odds impartially. The theories are brilliantly argued, and equally brilliantly demolished, and the final solution is quite convincing. Superb.

Rating:
Summary: History, Politics, Religion, and Murder--a seamless story
Review: Carr is the greatest writer of classic detection fiction. He was also a hell of a history student and an unregenerate lover of derring do of the Robert Louis Stevenson/Alexander Dumas type (see some of his historical/detection/thrillers like The Bride of Newgate), and here he combines all sorts of history with the methods of classic detection in a thrilling tale. He writes this piece of history exactly as if it were a tale--which to him it of course was.

The story deals with the murder of a noted justice of the peace in the latter part of the 17th century in England, which is then used by the political enemies of Charles II as petext for a witch hunt against Catholics in general and to usurp Charles's power by forcing the nomination of Charles's illegitimate Protestant son as official heir, instead of his Catholic brother James. (Indeed, England is brought to the brink of Revolution again and only luck and Charle's saavy prevents it--Dryden, by the way, used these same events as the base of his great poem "Absalom and Architophel".)

The characters are vivid, especially Charles, Charles's enemies Buckingham and ? (been a while since I re-read it), Titus Oates, and the man who Carr believes actually committed the murder--just to mention a few. The reign of terror that the murder served as catalyst for is brought to life with frightening horror, and you'll cheer when Charles outwits and outmaneuvers his enemies in a masterpiece of political tactics.

Carr really makes you see and feel how fear makes people lose all reason and rationality, leading them to do terrible things. Very unfair things--after reading this book, you'll be more grateful than ever for the constitution. People were tortured, held incommunicado, scapegoated and sandbagged--you name it--in the most highhanded and blatant fashion.

Although Carr even incorporates extensively stuff from primary sources, especially from the transcripts of the trials of the many victims, ihis focus is always on telling a mystery/suspense story. As even Barzun and Taylor in their Catalogue of Crime had to admit (no great fans of Carr, they enthusiastically concede this book is a masterpiece), Carr can sum up evidence like no one else. He offers in conclusiton something like eight or ten likely culprits, then tells you who he thinks is the most likely villain.

Rating:
Summary: History, Politics, Religion, and Murder--a seamless story
Review: Carr is the greatest writer of classic detection fiction. He was also a hell of a history student and an unregenerate lover of derring do of the Robert Louis Stevenson/Alexander Dumas type (see some of his historical/detection/thrillers like The Bride of Newgate), and here he combines all sorts of history with the methods of classic detection in a thrilling tale. He writes this piece of history exactly as if it were a tale--which to him it of course was.

The story deals with the murder of a noted justice of the peace in the latter part of the 17th century in England, which is then used by the political enemies of Charles II as petext for a witch hunt against Catholics in general and to usurp Charles's power by forcing the nomination of Charles's illegitimate Protestant son as official heir, instead of his Catholic brother James. (Indeed, England is brought to the brink of Revolution again and only luck and Charle's saavy prevents it--Dryden, by the way, used these same events as the base of his great poem "Absalom and Architophel".)

The characters are vivid, especially Charles, Charles's enemies Buckingham and ? (been a while since I re-read it), Titus Oates, and the man who Carr believes actually committed the murder--just to mention a few. The reign of terror that the murder served as catalyst for is brought to life with frightening horror, and you'll cheer when Charles outwits and outmaneuvers his enemies in a masterpiece of political tactics.

Carr really makes you see and feel how fear makes people lose all reason and rationality, leading them to do terrible things. Very unfair things--after reading this book, you'll be more grateful than ever for the constitution. People were tortured, held incommunicado, scapegoated and sandbagged--you name it--in the most highhanded and blatant fashion.

Although Carr even incorporates extensively stuff from primary sources, especially from the transcripts of the trials of the many victims, ihis focus is always on telling a mystery/suspense story. As even Barzun and Taylor in their Catalogue of Crime had to admit (no great fans of Carr, they enthusiastically concede this book is a masterpiece), Carr can sum up evidence like no one else. He offers in conclusiton something like eight or ten likely culprits, then tells you who he thinks is the most likely villain.