The Spoils of Avalon (A John Singer Sargent/Violet Pagent Mystery) - Softcover

Burns, Mary F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1937818284 ISBN 13: 9781937818289

Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press, 2014

Synopsis

The death of a humble clergyman in 1877 leads amateur sleuths Violet Paget and John Singer Sargent into a medieval world of saints and kings—including the legendary Arthur—as they follow a trail of relics and antiquities lost since the destruction of Glastonbury Abbey in 1539. Written in alternating chapters between the two time periods, The Spoils of Avalon creates a sparkling, magical mystery that bridges the gap between two worlds that could hardly be more different—the industrialized, Darwinian, materialistic Victorian Age and the agricultural, faith-infused life of a medieval abbey on the brink of violent change at the hands of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. First in a new series of historical mysteries, The Spoils of Avalon introduces two unlikely detectives and life-long friends—beginning as young people on the verge of making their names famous for the next several decades throughout Europe and America: the brilliant and brittle Violet Paget, known as the writer Vernon Lee, and the talented, genial portrait painter John Singer Sargent.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"What an engaging, literate page-turner! The author does so many things well in this historical novel. First, she creates two mysteries that take place centuries apart, both of them well-plotted and full of the sweet tension that mystery readers will love. Second, she develops a witty, likable pair of characters from historical friends, Violet Paget and John Singer Sargent. Third, she gently educates readers about history, art, legend, and the grand events involving Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church. Finally, she creates two past worlds so effectively that I enjoyed losing myself in them, and suspending my twenty-first century skepticisms. Mary Burns, who brilliantly demonstrated her expertise about John Singer Sargent in her recent novel, Portraits of an Artist, again delivers for her readers, but in a delightfully new way. I heartily recommend this book!" - Mark Wiederanders, author of Stevenson's Treasure

Edition details

• Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1937818284
• ISBN 13: 9781937818289
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 302