Gary Inbinder's Blog - Posts Tagged "reviews"

I recently received a clipping of Michael DiSchiavi's very insightful review of The Flower to the Painter, which appears in the November 2011 issue of The Historical Novels Review.

THE FLOWER TO THE PAINTER
Gary Inbinder, Fireship, 2011, $19.95, pb, 277pp, 9781611791617
Alone at the age of 22 in late 19th-century Florence, with no living relatives and no dowry, the future of expatriate Marcia Brownlow appears bleak. Marcia loves women: in particular, her childhood friend, Daisy. Suspicious of Marcia’s intentions, Daisy’s aunt arranges an opportunity for Marcia to work as a secretary for novelist Arthur Wolcott, on the condition that Marcia sever her ties to Daisy. Ever the pragmatist, Marcia agrees.
Arthur Walcott does not hire women, so Marcia poses as a man. Assuming the persona of her late brother, Mark, she interviews with Arthur and is promptly hired. Arthur discovers “Mark’s” grand artistic talent and arranges for him to be mentored by other artists. All the while, Marcia’s talent is nurtured and her skills continue to grow. While developing a career that spans several Italian cities, London, and the United States, Marcia is pursued by three different women who believe her to be a man. Marcia struggles to manage her erotic feelings for these women, feelings which must remain hidden lest her secret be revealed.
Marcia Brownlow is an unconventional 19th-century heroine. She desires to produce beautiful art, but her aesthetic sensibilities are tempered by practicality. Understanding art to be a business, Marcia desires to produce work that sells, and at the highest prices possible. Disguised as a man, she is taken seriously both as artist and businessman and achieves success. But just as in real life, success comes at a price.
The characters are rich, and the heroine is very compelling. The rather simple plot sometimes drags a bit, but the three-dimensional characters that inhabit it more than compensate. This is very worthwhile reading.
Michael DiSchiavi

The Historical Novels Review is available by subscription from the Historical Novel Society. Here is a link to their website.

http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org...

Marie Luise Kohlke has written a scholarly critique of The Flower to the Painter for Neo-Victorian Studies, a peer-reviewed academic e-journal published at Swansea University, Wales, UK. You can read the entire review online in pdf format.


http://www.neovictorianstudies.com/

Jessica Garamondi wrote a very favorable (4 Quills) review of The Flower to the Painter for The Copperfield Review, an online journal devoted to Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction.

"This book is recommended for art fans and for anyone who wants to look at the art world from a woman’s point of view."

You can read the entire review in the current (Winter) issue of The Copperfield Review.
Gary

http://www.copperfieldreview.com/revi...

Linda Collison, award-winning author of the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure series and fellow Fireship Press author has just reviewed Confessions of the Creature:

"The author's knowledge of historical detail, of culture, of geography is evident throughout, adding verisimilitude and sensual pleasure for the reader. Highly recommended for readers of gothic and 19th century-style historical fiction."

You can read her entire review on Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Cre...Confessions of the Creature

Arleigh Johnson wrote a very nice review of "Confessions of the Creature" for HNR Issue 61 (August 2012). The review can be read free online at the link below.

Gary

http://historicalnovelsociety.org/rev...

Tom Nolan wrote an outstanding review of The Hanged Man for The Wall Street Journal.

“A wonderfully atmospheric period policiere.” (Wall Street Journal)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/coming-ou...

"Deftly crafted and consistently compelling from beginning to end..." Midwest Book Review

"The setting is intriguing and the plot especially so. It has tension, well-done action scenes and a likeable main character."
Bookgasm

"The Hanged Man is an excellent follow up to The Devil in Montmartre, a book that not only delivers the details fans of historical mysteries crave, but also serves up a solid procedural narrative that does not cheat the clues. "
CriminalElement

I just discovered a great new review of my first Inspector Lefebvre mystery on The Gal In The Blue Mask blog. My thanks to the perspicacious blogger! :)


http://the-gal-in-the-blue-mask.blogs...

Early reviews are in for The Man Upon The Stair from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews:

“The third of Inbinder’s lush, leisurely period procedurals favors the journey over the destination, with back stories and period touches in nearly every chapter.” Kirkus Reviews

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

“Inbinder’s solid third mystery set in fin-de-siècle Paris finds the capable Achille Lefebvre dealing with blowback from the arrest and execution of terrorist bomber Laurent Moreau. ” Publishers Weekly

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-...