TEST
A lovely story, this. Quite so, yes, and if you’re a fan of the BBC, archaeology, ancient legends, guilt-riddled heroes, friendly supporting characters, subtle mysteries, and the fascination of modern forensic science (this book blends it all very nicely), you are certain to enjoy Silence and Shadows.
When I first opened the book and read Chapter One, I sighed – deeply – and almost put the book down. Though well written, the beginning is an abstract overview of the hero and the his haunted past, and doesn’t lend itself to patience. I got bored. I thought, oh, dear. If this is what the rest of the book is like, I may need a good stiff drink and an interpreter to get through it. But the beginning was an anomaly to the rest of the story; it got better and I found I had a hard time putting it down. Indeed, the characters are with me still.
Silence and Shadows is primarily the story of three people involved in a dig near the country village of Wytchlow in Britain. The people are Patrick Kane, former punk rocker, who, as Paddy Kane lived a life of fame, money, drugs, sex, and rock-and-roll. And it killed what he realized, too late, he loved best. Bobby Redhead owns a nearby farm, and is cook to the archaeological dig taking place near her home. Bobby has torments of her own, including her older brother, Joe. Joe is enigmatic, ethereal, a mute who can only communicate through poetry and song. The song Joe sings tells of an ancient beauty, the German Queen, who may be buried atop the hill near the dig over which Patrick has been made director.
The story begins when Patrick arrives at Wytchlow to take charge of an archaeological dig. At first blush, the crew is a motley one, mostly inexperienced volunteers who are there to hopefully unearth an ancient Roman mosaic floor. When a greedy developer puts and end to their plans, Joe sings of the brave German Queen and takes Patrick to a hilltop where he realizes just what, or whom, he may find buried there.
As for Bobby, she’s a lousy cook, a running joke through the story, even though the digging crew depends on her for their meals. Nobody ever complains, though, and the team of strangers begins to pull together to unearth something wonderful. The aloof and icy Patrick begins to melt, not only towards Bobby, but towards these nice folks who look to him for guidance, but for whom he has only shown self-pity and self-imposed isolation.
There are several storylines that run through Silence and Shadows, all of which are complex, all of which are tied up neatly at the end. Though Patrick and Bobby are obviously meant to be together, it is Joe who will steal your heart.
Finally, the German Queen is unearthed, and when she is, Patrick immediately senses a bond between himself and the young woman who died without mercy some fifteen hundred years earlier. She took a sweet secret with her to her grave, a secret that makes her all the more sympathetic and which draws each member of the digging crew closer to the ancient lady.
Eventually, Patrick loosens up and finally confesses his crime to Bobby. I’ll admit that, when I found out just how much of a rat Patrick had been in his Paddy Kane days, I had trouble liking him, trouble forgiving him, but the author has drawn a compelling picture of a tormented man who doesn’t know how to go about living his life after what he has done. It’s Bobby who finally reaches Patrick, and, though this book is not a romance, there is a neat little love story in it, and it works.
I do so love archaeology in all its fascinating forms, as well as many of the other little gifts this novel has to offer (such as Joe and some fine secondary characters, including a jackdaw named Edgar). The book is somewhat pricey, so you may want to check it out from the library. But it’s an engrossing story penned by a talented author. This is only James Long’s second book – his first book (Ferney) also received a grade of B from us. I have no idea in what direction he’ll go in the future, however, as for Silence and Shadows, I can definitely dig it.
Grade: B
Book Type: Fiction
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 26/03/01
Publication Date: 2002
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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Just read it, a wonderful read, would recommend to all if you like that the background the story is based around, digs etc.