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LET THERE BE BLOOD
by Jane Jakeman
Berkley, September 2004
196 pages
$12.00
ISBN: 042519812X


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Lord Ambrose Malfine has returned to his West Country mansion to recover from the wounds he received on the battlefields of Greece. As his family has not resided there for several years, he is hoping to find peace and quiet. For a while his goal is possible. His face is deeply scarred and the locals leave him alone. Rather they leave him alone until there is a double murder. Gideon Crawshay and his adult son Edmund have been shot and left to bleed to death.

The locals have found a gypsy who was seen at the house shortly before the bodies were discovered. In their minds, the only conclusion possible is the gypsy killed the Crawshays. Lord Ambrose will not allow them to kill the gypsy then and there, as every man deserves the chance for a trial. In addition, he is suspicious that there is not more blood on the gypsy's clothes.

The widow, Marie, is a laudanum addict and seems strangely calm considering she found the bodies. The governess, Elisabeth Anstruther, also seems to have secrets of her own. While Lord Ambrose would rather continue to hide from reality, something about this situation makes him curious. Lord Ambrose will chase down this murderer even though it might cost him his own life.

Lord Ambrose is a brooding character. He is reminiscent of the gothic hero from earlier periods of literature. In fact, authors such as the Brontes would find him an ideal character. His house is falling down around him and most of the rooms are closed up. The house is in such bad shape that the window shades cannot be moved or they will fall to pieces. Lord Ambrose is deeply scarred and prefers darkness and shadows to light. His experiences in the war have made him cynical and disillusioned.

LET THERE BE BLOOD moves at a slower pace than most modern novels. The characters remain hidden in darkness. Their true stories and motivations are never completely developed and remain unknown throughout the book. In addition, the action of the book slowly unfolds and is not always understandable. While the discovery of the truth is important, Jakeman forces the reader to go at her pace regardless of any meandering that might occur. LET THERE BE BLOOD appeals to those readers who like a dramatic build up but also enjoy more Victorian-esque books.

LET THERE BE BLOOD is the first Lord Ambrose mystery to be published in the United States. This book was previously published in 1997 in Britain.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, November 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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