This week, our special guest is Kate Kindle, author or Angel's Requiem. Next Friday (August 19th), Kate will be stopping by for a little interview and she will be giving away a free ebook copy of Angel's Requiem. Be sure to check that out!
Angel’s Requiem
By: Kate Kindle
ISBN: 9781453859803
Published April 21, 2011
Available format: Paperback, ebook
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Then the son of a wealthy art dealer is found dead in a New York fountain, it is quickly labeled suicide and the body is immediately buried. Aiden Bonner, an ex-detective turned insurance fraud investigator, realizes that things just aren’t quite what they should be. Experts from across the country are brought in to exhume the body and re-investigate, proving Bonner’s suspicions accurate. Soon, Bonner and the Nasi family’s lawyer, Libby, are on a mission to get to the bottom of things, taking them around the world and far back in history. Will they live to discover the truth?
I received a copy of Angel’s Requiem for review.
There are quite a few characters in this story, and sometimes it might be difficult to keep up. There is also a lot of background information and several different detailed explanations, particularly regarding the family history and that of the art and religion involved. I think my being a bit of a history lover (and also having a fondness for epic lit), I really enjoyed the large troupe all the extras in the story. I can see how someone who might pick this up for a bit of light reading might quickly find themselves overwhelmed.
The core story, however, is fantastic. Again, murder mystery isn’t necessarily my thing. This is the third sort of “crime” novel I have read/reviewed recently, and I have enjoyed them all. It just isn’t something I want to read every day. I liked how Kate didn’t inundate me with all sorts of technical criminal investigation trivia. Even regarding the coroner/medical examiner, there was just enough tech speak to keep it believable without completely boring me to death. Same goes for the detectives and crime scenes.
There was a fair bit of action, drama, and even some romance in the story. Obviously, there are murders, some harder to handle than others (I won’t spoil it for you!). There are definitely some interesting relationships evolving, both familial and romantic. I do wish there was a bit more substance to Dave and Libby’s relationship. It just seemed like they instantly fell in love and then suddenly they kind of related to each other like an old married couple. I just felt like I wanted a little more chemistry between them somehow. Aidan obviously is attracted to Libby as well, but I couldn’t decide at what point he conceded to Dave. I think maybe a quick edit might be able to resolve these inconsistences or holes that I found from time to time.
Honestly, I think this one novel could be broken into two or three or even more! There is so much substance here. Kate obviously has a deep well of creativity to draw from. There is no doubt she loves her characters, even minor ones. They all have rich, unique backgrounds and tie in nicely with the rest of the story. I can easily see how she could write solely about the Nasi family or Aidan (which I believe she is doing). One of my favorite parts of the novel was the background story of Cal and Ian, which would also make a terrific stand-alone piece! I am truly looking forward to more of Kate’s fantastic work.
Grab yourself a copy of Angel’s Requiem and immerse yourself in a world of crime and culture!
