The Stranger House

August 29, 2005
Fans of the witty Dalziel/Pascoe police procedurals (Good Morning, Midnight
, etc.) by Diamond Dagger–winner Hill may be nonplussed by this stand-alone, a mix of historical mystery, gothic romance, ghost story and tutorial on religion and Norse mythology. Samantha "Sam" Flood, an Australian mathematics whiz, visits the isolated British village of Illthwaite before attending graduate school at Cambridge, hoping to discover the origins of her grandmother who emigrated from the place as a child. Miguel "Mig" Madero, a former novice priest now a history scholar, seeks the link between an ancestor who disappeared during the Spanish Armada defeat and a Catholic Illthwaite family. The villagers, quirky and devious, seem to know more than they'll reveal. Sam and Mig, initially antagonistic, join forces when their quests intersect. Spanning four centuries and related by several narrators, who slowly clarify the mystery, the book is too long and repetitive and seasoned with wild coincidences. Still, the engrossing historical background, especially Elizabeth I's campaign to eliminate English Catholicism, more than compensates. Agent, Caradoc King at A.P. Watt (U.K.)
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Two strangers arrive at Illthwaite, England, seeking information about their respective ancestors. Both stay at Stranger House. In this dryly humorous, deliberately paced, subtle thriller, Reginald Hill serves up an ambitious story of religious persecution, two unsolved murders--one from the fifteenth century and one from the 1960s--Norse mythology, buried treasure, and human sacrifice. Gordon Griffin's narration makes this story shine as he exerts control over the flashbacks, the foreshadowing, and the dizzying swirl of events. Griffin provides unique voices for a brash 20-something Australian mathematician; a former seminarian who suffers from manifestations of stigmata; a blacksmith with a Viking swagger; and a host of quirky, devious villagers. Even at a hefty 16 hours, this audiobook left this reviewer wanting more. K.A.T. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine