When the Ravens Die

Rating:
Summary: superb political thriller within a taut heritage mystery
Review: Amherst History professor Dr. Malcolm Bride knows Americans raised him with love, but London is where he was born in 1945 and he needs to learn about his birth mother. In London, he finds the record of twin boys born to Bridget Allison and the death certificate of his sibling. He visits nearby cemeteries searching for his brother's resting-place. One evening while Bride is nearby, a woman visits a graveside. She accidentally drops something before fleeing. Malcolm finds a nineteenth century Cartier Pillbox so rare that most in existence are owned by a museum or the Royal Family. He realizes the visitor had to be Princess Catherine and he makes contact with her, not easy to do with a royal.

At the same time, a bomb kills most of the leaders of the Conservative Party. Prince George, heir to the throne occupied for a half century by his ailing mother, cuts a deal with the Conservatives that allows him to run for Prime Minister, unheard of in the long history of this proud country. Meanwhile, Bride and Catherine fall in love while he unravels a mystery over five decades old that if revealed would derail George's precedent setting power play.

This political thriller wrapped inside a delightful heritage mystery and containing a warm humanizing romance is a royal treasure. The fast-paced story line grips the reader, but uses coincidence to first accelerate the plot. Bride is a great moral protagonist whose stubborn need to find the truth (paralleled by a reporter) will grip the audience. George is an ideal villain doing good deeds only when it further his public image. Cameron Kent provides a sure fan favorite with this winner.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: When the Ravens Die
Review: For all intrigue lovers and American Anglophiles, here is a book that will entertain you during both slow summer days and long winter evenings. Or rather who could resist the story of British Royal family political intrigue and romance of the lonely hearts all intertwined with the American professor's quest for his ancestral roots and much more?
As we accompany Malcolm Bride, gentlemanly, principled and "ruggedly handsome" professor of American history at Amherst, on his long-postponed trip to England, little do we know the twists and turns his search for ancestors will take. We move quickly from quaint London inn to Hall of Records and dark cemeteries, follow winding streets from English pubs and underground clubs to Windsor Castle, polo matches and dinner parties at Kensington. As the scenes change from chapter to chapter, the cast of noble and scumbag characters, both royal and ordinary, is introduced with nuanced descriptive details. The dialogs are spirited with particularly witty and sharp exchanges between Bride and Colin Crowe, the reporter for BBC Radio 4 on the scent of a "hot," Royal bloods' story.
A long-time journalist himself, Mr. Kent brings his characters to life with a keen sense of reality and drama as he masters "the random timing and juxtaposition of life's little events." The inner politics of the Royal family, however imaginary, play on modern readers' zest for gossip and offer a thrill of insider's view of celebrities. We feel privy to conversations, feelings and situations otherwise far removed from our daily lives. Bride's original quest for truth gets complicated when it turns into a story of deception and murder. As lies proliferate and stories are fabricated in order to discover an actual story, the very nature of truth today is questioned. A post-modern reader finds pleasure in the realization that we are reading a made-up story about truth that can be reached only through creating more untruths. The climax of coronation scene is slightly tinted by the cowboy bravado of western-like chases and escapes crowding the closing chapters of the book. Still the big questions about the nature of truth and how we get to it today powerfully resonate in the reader's mind till the very last page of When the Ravens Die. Enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: WOW......You can't put this one down!
Review: From the start this creation it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The English Monarchy is in danger due to a deeply
hiddden secret that extends to an American connection.Action and suspense are found at every corner. Your airplane ride better be a long one for you will not want to put this one down. And don't be embarrased if you're reading this in your staff meetings. This will be the first great book by Mr Kent...Maybe the next Grisham or Patterson??? I think so.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommend!
Review: I found I really liked the cover alot, and was the reason I even looked at the book. The story itself was very good, enjoyed all the twist and turns as well as the characters. I am happy to have added to by book collection, and recommend. Cudo's to the illustrator of the cover!

Rating:
Summary: Master Work of Mystery and Suspense
Review: I read this book over the weekend and I am exhausted and exhilarated! I feel like I've just taken a trip to Great Britain. Kent's book is a master work of mystery and suspense with a multitude of plot twists and turns to keep you excited and intrigued. I just could not put it down. The book has a very satisfying ending to a romantic and exciting adventure in merry old England.
I can't wait to read more adventures of Dr. Bride.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommend!
Review: This is a very intense book, hard to put down. You want to keep reading to see what on earth could happen next to the main character of the book. This person could be a continuing series for Mr. Kent!! It makes you wonder what he's going to do next with his life after finding out all he did about his past.. I hope Mr. Kent keeps writing, I will buy his next book!

Rating:
Summary: First Time reviewer
Review: This is a very intense book, hard to put down. You want to keep reading to see what on earth could happen next to the main character of the book. This person could be a continuing series for Mr. Kent!! It makes you wonder what he's going to do next with his life after finding out all he did about his past.. I hope Mr. Kent keeps writing, I will buy his next book!

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Summary: Fun Book....and I couldn't figure it out!!
Review: What a fun read!! The story starts quickly and keeps a fast pace. It was hard to put down and I looked forward to picking it back up. The plot has a different twist that I was not able to piece together (that is a sign of a good mystery for me). Fun, enjoyable book!!

Rating:
Summary: Background secrets and aggressive political cover-ups
Review: When The Ravens Die by Cameron Kent is a chilling mystery that blends political intrigue and the machinations of the British Royal Family into a suspenseful, attention gripping tale about the passing of legends and the onset of mortality. Background secrets and aggressive political cover-ups abound in this twisted and exciting tale. When The Ravens Die is highly recommended reading, and clearly documents author Cameron Kent as having a genuine literary talent with a flair for the mystery/suspense genre.

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Summary: A great gift book, for ANYONE on your list!
Review: When the Ravens Die, Cameron Kent's first novel, is a true gem. This mystery/suspense novel has many plot twists and intrigue on a par with many of the most popular writers of this genre. The book carries a logic and page-turning plot intricate enough to keep even the most experienced reader of suspense novels engaged and entertained. But perhaps most impressively, Kent accomplishes this without the graphic violence or trashy, sexually explicit scenes that are common in thrillers on the best-seller list. Yes there is some violence, people die, and yes, there is romance, sexual tension and attraction, but while there is enough detail for the reader to get a full view of the scene in their mind's eye, there is also enough left to the imagination, that the book becomes a unique experience for each reader. I've recommended this one to several friends; I even felt comfortable recommending the book to my teenage son who also loved it. I hope Kent continues to bring us more of the same in future works.