Book review

Mathew’s tale

Author Quinton Jardine is best known for his mystery crime novels – which are recognised as being considerably better than the run of the mill. Quinton has moved onto novels of which ‘Mathew’s tale’ is his second to be published.

Set in Lanarkshire 1818, Mathew Flemming arrives home after serving for seven years in the Napoleonic wars, only to find that everything had changed since he left. It was not only the village which had changed , Mathew too has changed, himself had been seriously wounded in the war. What follows is an ingenious tale covering two families over the following fifteen years. A tale of perseverance in tragedy and retribution for serious wrongs. However this is not all doleful, there is plenty of love and joy along the way as well.

The story is set in changing times, at the very beginning of the use of steam power and the emerging industrial revolution with the growing change from farming and artisan to factory work The author provides word pictures of life in the King’s army, the villages and cities, of the rich and poor, the honest and dishonest.
The novel moves along at quite a fast pace enveloping, intrigue, love, business, politics and a murder. From time to time I felt that a clichéd situation was evolving however in each case there was an clever unexpected twist – and the ending caught me very much by surprise. Over all this is expertly put together story with believable characters and is excellently written.

So here we have a reasonably long novel which I’m sure will give several hours of enjoyable reading.
If you enjoy this book Quinton’s first novel, ‘The Loner’, which I have not read, is also available at the library.