Hardcover: 320 pages; Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 8, 2010); Language: English; ISBN-10: 0312538979, ISBN-13: 978-0312538972
You can order “The Bohemian Girl” at Amazon
‘The Bohemian Girl’ by Kenneth Cameron – A Denton Mystery.
I’ve not met Mr Cameron and his hero before. ‘The Bohemian Girl’ is the second novel in the series. American writers seem to love setting their historical novels in Britain or France, anywhere other than home. This has often meant that even if the writer has really researched well and made real attempts to get into the mind set and culture, there have been some shocking howlers appearing in published novels. Mr Cameron wisely chooses to have as his hero an American who is at sea in the polite society of 1901 Britain. Denton, now a popular writer of ‘dark’ novels was once a sherif, amongst many other things. His adventures, which he shares with the public in articles in the newspapers and journals, and his novel writing make him a ‘personality’ in London.
Arriving back from an extraordinary car trip to an unspecified Central European country, Denton finds a note, two months old, from a Mary Thomason, asking for his help. She fears for her life. Of course Denton feels he must investigate and tries to trace her. The body count rises and an obsessive fan appears and stalks him as he hunts for the poor girl. I dare not comment further on the plot for fear of spoiling the novel for readers. The plot twist is most unexpected, although all the clues are there. And beyond that plot line Denton has to face his own demons as well as the murderous demons of the murders he tracks down. It’s a rather convoluted novel, but one which has appeal. It’s also a pleasure to read a historical novel set in the UK, by an American, which is not riddled with cultural or conversational errors.
You can order “The Bohemian Girl” at Amazon
