Editorial Content for Wolf on a String
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Reviewer (text)
Dark mysteries are the name of the game for suspenseful stories these days, whether historical or contemporary. Internationally renowned novelist John Banville (winner of the Man Booker Prize, among other awards in his storied career) carried this over into the mysteries he has penned under the pseudonym “Benjamin Black.” That includes WOLF ON A STRING, his new historical mystery set in Renaissance Prague. At times unnecessarily wordy, it balances insufficient pacing with beautiful description for an uneven read.
"At times unnecessarily wordy, it balances insufficient pacing with beautiful description for an uneven read."
Meet Christian Stern, an ambitious young alchemist and scholar who is trying to make his own way in the world. Born the illegitimate son of a bishop, he was raised by rather awful foster parents, but Christian is full of the arrogance of youth. Carrying some money and a letter confirming his paternity, he gallops off into the German countryside, determined to make his fortune in Prague, the Holy Roman Empire’s capital, ruled by the eccentric Emperor Rudolf II.
On his very first evening in a snowbound Prague, Christian stumbles across the corpse of a young woman, her throat slit and the blood pooling beneath her. He rouses the authorities, but soon finds himself embroiled in court politics that have both everything and nothing to do with the tragic maiden. He’s plucked from near-obscurity to heights he’s only dreamed of reaching, but he just might have to sacrifice everything he holds dear at an imperial altar.
Black beautifully brings Prague to vivid life. Readers can feel the frigid bite of the air nipping at Christian as he tromps through the city’s winding streets, visualize every dramatic gesture Rudolf’s courtiers make, and feel the silk and velvet rustling beneath Christian’s trembling fingers as he inches closer to solving this murder. But these passages appear far too often; in many cases, the pacing of the story is dragged down by too many descriptions, rather than moving the plot or the mystery forward. As a result, WOLF ON A STRING suffers from a surfeit of excellent writing and a lack of proper narrative structure.
Teaser
Christian Stern, an ambitious young scholar and alchemist, arrives in Prague intent on making his fortune at the court of the eccentric Rudolf II. The night of his arrival, he stumbles upon the body of a young woman whose throat has been slashed. Christian quickly finds himself entangled in the machinations of several ruthless courtiers, and before long he comes to the attention of the Emperor himself. Rudolf sets Christian the task of solving the mystery of the woman’s murder. But Christian soon realizes that he has blundered into the midst of a power struggle that threatens to subvert the throne itself. And as he gets ever nearer to the truth of what happened that night, he finally sees that his own life is in grave danger.
Promo
Christian Stern, an ambitious young scholar and alchemist, arrives in Prague intent on making his fortune at the court of the eccentric Rudolf II. The night of his arrival, he stumbles upon the body of a young woman whose throat has been slashed. Christian quickly finds himself entangled in the machinations of several ruthless courtiers, and before long he comes to the attention of the Emperor himself. Rudolf sets Christian the task of solving the mystery of the woman’s murder. But Christian soon realizes that he has blundered into the midst of a power struggle that threatens to subvert the throne itself. And as he gets ever nearer to the truth of what happened that night, he finally sees that his own life is in grave danger.
About the Book
Bestselling author Benjamin Black turns his eye to 16th-century Prague and a story of murder, magic and the dark art of wielding extraordinary power
Christian Stern, an ambitious young scholar and alchemist, arrives in Prague in the bitter winter of 1599, intent on making his fortune at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, the eccentric Rudolf II. The night of his arrival, drunk and lost, Christian stumbles upon the body of a young woman in Golden Lane, an alley hard by Rudolf’s great castle. Dressed in a velvet gown, wearing a large gold medallion around her neck, the woman is clearly well-born --- or was, for her throat has been slashed.
A lesser man would smell danger, but Christian is determined to follow his fortunes wherever they may lead. He quickly finds himself entangled in the machinations of several ruthless courtiers, and before long he comes to the attention of the Emperor himself. Rudolf, deciding that Christian is that rare thing --- a person he can trust --- sets him the task of solving the mystery of the woman’s murder. But Christian soon realizes that he has blundered into the midst of a power struggle that threatens to subvert the throne itself. And as he gets ever nearer to the truth of what happened that night in Golden Lane, he finally sees that his own life is in grave danger.
From the spectacularly inventive Benjamin Black, WOLF ON A STRING is a historical crime novel that delivers both a mesmerizing portrait of a lost world and a riveting tale of intrigue and suspense.
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
