According to Their Deeds
by Paul Robertson
Paperback
Price: £8.99
Publisher:Bethany House imprint of Baker Pub from Lion
Published:2009
ISBN:978-0-764-20568-2
GoodBookStall Review:
Antique bookseller Charles Beale’s quiet contented life unravels when a friend and customer is killed by a burglar. Buying back some of his books at the subsequent auction, Charles finds evidence that his friend was in fact a blackmailer and that he is now in possession of the secrets of a number of influential people. Should he give the papers to the police and see lives ruined over one, sometimes ancient, misdemeanour, or be complicit in concealing secret crimes? As he tries to discover the truth and grapples with the moral dilemma, several desperate former victims of his friend realise that it is now Charles who holds their reputations and careers in the palm of his hand and at least one begins to take an unhealthy interest in him and his family. Which one? And should it influence his decision on the punishment-versus-mercy question? This is not an action-packed thriller, but a slowly unfolding, thoughtful mystery with a ‘hero’ who genuinely wants to do the right thing, while living in a ruthless world where expediency reigns. Rich in detail, full of literary allusions and underpinned by faith, it builds to a satisfying conclusion with all the loose ends tied up.
Reviewer: Diane Morrison (27/01/10)
Antique bookseller Charles Beale’s quiet contented life unravels when a friend and customer is killed by a burglar. Buying back some of his books at the subsequent auction, Charles finds evidence that his friend was in fact a blackmailer and that he is now in possession of the secrets of a number of influential people. Should he give the papers to the police and see lives ruined over one, sometimes ancient, misdemeanour, or be complicit in concealing secret crimes? As he tries to discover the truth and grapples with the moral dilemma, several desperate former victims of his friend realise that it is now Charles who holds their reputations and careers in the palm of his hand and at least one begins to take an unhealthy interest in him and his family. Which one? And should it influence his decision on the punishment-versus-mercy question? This is not an action-packed thriller, but a slowly unfolding, thoughtful mystery with a ‘hero’ who genuinely wants to do the right thing, while living in a ruthless world where expediency reigns. Rich in detail, full of literary allusions and underpinned by faith, it builds to a satisfying conclusion with all the loose ends tied up.
Reviewer: Diane Morrison (27/01/10)
