Since I liked Manual Labor so much I decided that I would read another Busch novel - a quite different Busch novel. Historical dramas aren't usually what I reach for when I want to be alone with a good book, but this one was a great diversion, and is really rather intriguing. It's set in New York City in the 1870's and is centered around the life of a former sharpshooter in the Civil War (who had his face shot off in that conflict) who has moved on to become a businessman of a sort. The way that the authors weaves together tales from the war with tales of the dark, commercial world that sprung from it is very effective. Beyond its broad themes, it also vividly illustrates a place and time, and draws some intereting charater portraits, including that of the inspector in the title - Herman Melville.
Posted by armand at June 18, 2005 02:13 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Books