52 in 2009

[lumineaux]

44.  A Prayer for the Damned - Peter Tremayne

This is the newest (in paperback) of his Sister Fidelma  mysteries set in 7th century Ireland.  The mystery is competent.  Tremayne's books are always half storyline half random tidbits of knowledge about early medieval Ireland.  Since Peter Tremayne is really Peter Ellis, one of the foremost scholars of medieval Irish history, that's not surprising.  This particular book continues to make very clear Tremayne's/Ellis' agenda that the early medieval Celtic Church was superior to the Roman rites and traditions that eventually surpassed it.  All of the followers of the Roman rites are obnoxious, bigoted and nasty.  All of the followers of the Celtic rite are reasonable, positive characters.  I can't say I disagree with Tremayne's/Ellis' assement of the relative merits of the two traditions - I do think we would have been better off if the Celtic Church's interpretations of Christianity had prevailed -- but I'd like him to ease up on the stereotyping. 


45. Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson
46.  Murder on Lennox Hill by Victoria Thompson
47.  Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
48.  Murder in Little Italty by Victoria Thompson

With Victoria Thompson's new novel in this series coming out within the next month, I re-read the last few.  It's a mystery series set in 1890s New York City featuring a smarter than average working class Irish cop and a midwife who is the black sheep of a wealthy WASP family.  Of course they have a thwarted romance between solving crimes.  It's a clever little series that would make a good TV series, such as on PBS's Mystery! (when it occasionally does American novels).

I would so cast Neil McDonough (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0568180/) or Ben Browder (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112871/) as Frank Malloy (the cop) -- mostly because they are two of my favorite TV actors who are currently out of work.  Alan Tudyk (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0876138/) would do fine too if he could play it straight.

Amy Acker for Sarah Brandt, the midwife (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009918/)  or maybe Sasha Alexander (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0018734/)

Duh.  Or Gillian Anderson.  After seeing her in Bleak House, she really rocks period clothing.

Comments

[janeelliot.livejournal.com]

Gillian Anderson was amazing in House of Mirth. I missed Bleak House.

[lumineaux.livejournal.com]

Bleak House was on Masterpiece Theater within the last 3 years or so. I wanted to see Bleak House but haven't managed to. I don't suppose you have it on DVD?