Enjoy Death Of A Lesser Man Translated By Thomas Rendell Curran Contained In Copy
final novel of the Stride trilogy set inSt Johns Newfoundland, with Stride and Phelan investigating the murder of a former British officer, soon revealed to have been in Ireland during the Troubles.
Theres a lot of conversation, one suspect is not interviewed until very late in the story and another suspect is quite obvious, but there is a real period feel about this series and Strides lovelife has further complications.
The connection to the Great War and its impact is critical and there are many deftlyrealised characters, Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks goes to Taryn for sending me a copy of this book for review, I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review,
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Death of a Lesser Man tells the story of a man who, while out for a walk, ends up being shot and killed.
Inspector Eric Stride is on the case to find out why Rose was killed, He will need to uncover every secret Rose has before things fall into place, Stride is an affable character, one who travels both the light and seedy sides of town looking for his man.
All is not as it seems, and Stride will have to deal with treachery amongst even his own government as there are those who don't want to see Rose's killer or secrets brought to light.
Death of a Lesser Man is a historical mystery, and a good one at that, With many characters jumping off of the pages, and vivid recollections of the Great War, this is an absolutely fantastic read.
Curran knows what he's talking about and brings history to life in this, the third installment in his Inspector Stride mystery series.
It is not necessary to read the previous books in the series before picking up this one, Any information needed is readily available and is doled out throughout the book which keeps the reader up to speed without feeling like they have had a ton of information dumped on them.
From the start I had an inkling of 'whodunit' but found that the ending surprised me when the killer and his or her reasonings were revealed.
Curran uses the rich history of Newfoundland to set the tone for the book, and we see how difficult life was for those who went to war and never returned, but also for those who came back.
As Death of a Lesser Man states, many went in and came out different men, Their recollections make the history of Newfoundland and Newfoundland's place in the war stand out, giving the reader a history lesson without being overly verbose.
All in all, an extraordinary and richly detailed mystery, true to Newfoundland's history, Historical fans, as well as mystery fans are sure to enjoy Death of a Lesser Man as it brings the best of history and mystery together and combines them in a thoroughly realistic setting.
Death of a Lesser Man is a captivating and thrilling read, Gunshots shatter the stillness of a rainy night in an upscale neighbourhood in St, John's, Newfoundland. Harrison Rose, a businessman and war veteran, lies dead, To find the killer, Inspector Eric Stride confronts the darker side of postWorld War II St, John's: a lady of the evening who appears on his doorstep, a hardscrabble labourer who shovels coal for a living, a prosperous businessman with a secret.
Along the way, Stride confronts treachery and betrayal, He also encounters opposition from inside government, when officials attempt to stymie his investigation, As Stride unravels the mystery, he also confronts his own sense of justice in a world where violence has become a way of life.
Death of a Lesser Man
Following the success of his first two novels set in St, Johns, Newfoundland, known in Canada as The Rock, Thomas Rendell Currans Death of a Lesser Man maintains the same high standards.
Inspector Eric Stride, working for the Newfoundland Constabulary in the years following the Second World War, is alarmed by gunshots which echo down the street of his sedate neighbourhood.
One shot, then another. He rushes out, only to find his respectable neighbour dead with no witnesses, His wellappointed house shows no sign of malicious entry,
Harrison Rose was an honoured veteran of the Great War, one of many who returned to prosper in business.
If he succeeded a bit more than he should have in the years after prohibition in this port of trade, there could be many reasons why, most legitimate.
The forensics are problematical. Rose seems to have been shot not twice in the chest, but a third and very fatal time in the head.
Ballistics were less sophisticated in, but any amateur could tell that two guns were used, one for the chest shots, another for the coup de grace.
Himself a man with a questionable background, including suspicious rumrunning activity before he joined the force, Stride takes on the highly sensitive job of tracking a killer.
Time and time again he is led to believe that Roses past must be involved, Though one more war has intervened, men of Roses age gained their military experience through the brutal trench slaughters of the Great War.
Many soldiers carried revenge for their comrades misdeeds in their hearts for the rest of their lives,
Memories and flashbacks of gruesome scenes best forgotten shift the focus between past and present, Everyone remembers the key battles that led to record numbers of Canadian deaths, as Strides coworker Phelan demonstrates:
Bloody awful show, Gallipoli.
The Newfoundland Regiment arrived there in September of, Gods arsehole, Kits uncle called it, Awful heat when they arrived, almost no fresh water, swarms of flies, never mind the Turkish artillery and snipers.
And then in November the weather turned freezing cold, and there were terrible rainstorms, even floods, Some of the British troops actually drowned in their trenches, and others froze to death on the firing steps.
Though his heroism in the Great War seems undisputed, what about the time Rose
spent in Ireland, where many were fervent enemies of Great Britain and resented the occupation
Rose turns out to have been a man with many more secrets involving more than one woman.
And his grown daughter is arriving from abroad just in time to make preparations for a funeral, How should Stride handle that problem, especially if she has information he needs to solve the case
Curran captures the fabric of his native Newfoundland, a place where the inhabitants must work hard to earn a living not much different from a hundred years ago in this fishing community with history on every corner.
The rain and drizzle on
“The Rock” along with the hardscrabble farming challenge even the strongest constitution.
Yet no true son or daughter would have it otherwise,
The redoubtable Stride wipes his shoes while in the sacred halls of the upper classes, but also walks through the shadowed alleys and shabby rooming houses that make up the dark underbelly of the city.
More than one person may have a secret that calls for a killing to defend,
Curran also shines through his thorough knowledge of military history and the social climate during, between, and after the wars.
Newfoundland shed a disproportionate amount of its lifeblood on the battlefield, Over all hovers a strict code of behaviour for the officers and men who marched off to war.
His details are authentic and he never fails to create the right atmosphere for this dark and moody historical.
I really enjoyed this book, It was the first of author Thomas Rendell Curran's that I have read, Now I am looking forward to seeing the others, In Death of a Lesser Man, Curran ties together the First World War, post WWI Ireland and St.
John's, NL quite a feat, He makes it all sounds believable, A great read.
Failed my gender balance filter: zero women in meaningful roles in the firstpages, Not for me. Thomas graduated with honours from Memorial University of Newfoundland biology, chemistry in, and received his doctorate plant pathology from the University of Toronto in.
Following graduation, he worked in various capacities with Agriculture Canada, and for thanyears he was a senior researcher and writer with the Library of Parliament in Ottawa.
He lives in Ottawa, but his roots remain in Newfoundland, He visits the island frequently for both research and for personal renewal, .