Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Gallery Books (2007), Paperback, 816 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Murder sparks witchcraft hysteria in this "thoughtful" and "entertaining" seventeenth-century historical mystery from a New York Times�bestselling author (Stephen King). It's 1699 in the coastal settlement of Fount Royal in the Carolinas when Rachel Howarth is sentenced to be hanged as a witch. She's been accused of murder, deviltry, and blasphemous sexual congress, and the beleaguered, God-fearing colonial village wants her dead. But Matthew Corbett, young clerk to the traveling magistrate summoned to Fount Royal to weigh the accusations, soon finds himself persuaded in favor of the beguiling young widow. Struck first by her beauty, Matthew believes Rachel to be too dignified, courageous, and intelligent for such obscene charges. The testimony against her is fanatical and unreliable. Clues to the crimes seem too convenient and contrived. A number of her accusers appear to gain by her execution. And, if Rachel is a witch, why hasn't she used her powers to fly away from the gaol on the wings of a nightbird? God and Satan are indeed at war. Something really is happening in the newly established settlement�of that Corbett is certain. As his investigation draws him into the darkness of a town gone mad, and deeper into its many secrets, Corbett realizes that time is running out for him, for Rachel, and for the hope that good could possibly win out over evil in Fount Royal. From the award-winning author of Boy's Life and Gone South, Speaks the Nightbird is an "absorbing historical mystery" (Publishers Weekly).… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member readermom
The plot device of an innocent person in jail and the brave legal defendant comes to find the true villain has been used from Perry Mason and before. It is enough of a trope that when you see a book following this pattern, you assume that something new and different will happen, not the same old
The writer was working very hard to give the reader a good experience. There were some good lines, "He was the salt of the earth, yet you could tell he didn't have many spices to choose from." is one example that I chuckled at. But it felt too forced. Good descriptive writing feels effortless, this felt plodding and labored. Describing a person's clothing in detail is fine if it is important to set the tone and for a plot point, which it was the first time. The second and third and more it felt more like a box to be checked off. OK, they get up, I describe in detail the clothes they put on, they go about their day.
That was one thing that bothered me, but I finally had to quit writing when I realized that I didn't care about the characters, and I felt that they didn't either. The situation is a woman accused of witchcraft and a magistrate sent with his young clerk to try her case. Because of a convoluted plot sequence the young man ends up in jail next to the witch. The magistrate is supposed to be worried for the young man because of his proximity to evil. Perhaps he will be tempted and effected by her presence. That is a legitimate concern for 17th century minds. But the dialogue and internal monologue that went with this was so unconvincing I had to quit. If an author is going to write a book about people of faith, he should be able to convincingly portray them.
It was the reading equivalent of watching a Jr high production of The Crucible. I was going to just read the end to see if the ending was how I guessed it would be. When I came back to the book the next day I realized didn't even care enough to do that. Watch an episode of Perry Mason instead.
Show More
Perry Mason-esque plot. That is what I wanted from this book, a new twist on something very familiar.The writer was working very hard to give the reader a good experience. There were some good lines, "He was the salt of the earth, yet you could tell he didn't have many spices to choose from." is one example that I chuckled at. But it felt too forced. Good descriptive writing feels effortless, this felt plodding and labored. Describing a person's clothing in detail is fine if it is important to set the tone and for a plot point, which it was the first time. The second and third and more it felt more like a box to be checked off. OK, they get up, I describe in detail the clothes they put on, they go about their day.
That was one thing that bothered me, but I finally had to quit writing when I realized that I didn't care about the characters, and I felt that they didn't either. The situation is a woman accused of witchcraft and a magistrate sent with his young clerk to try her case. Because of a convoluted plot sequence the young man ends up in jail next to the witch. The magistrate is supposed to be worried for the young man because of his proximity to evil. Perhaps he will be tempted and effected by her presence. That is a legitimate concern for 17th century minds. But the dialogue and internal monologue that went with this was so unconvincing I had to quit. If an author is going to write a book about people of faith, he should be able to convincingly portray them.
It was the reading equivalent of watching a Jr high production of The Crucible. I was going to just read the end to see if the ending was how I guessed it would be. When I came back to the book the next day I realized didn't even care enough to do that. Watch an episode of Perry Mason instead.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Veeralpadhiar
Only Robert McCammon could have written such a wonderful tale. McCammon portrays an extremely intriguing mystery involving a witch trial in 1699 Carolinas. It would infuriate you towards the superstition and ignorance of the times. Should I have been a time traveler, I doubt if I would have
Matthew Corbett (the protagonist) is the clerk of magistrate Woodward who is conducting the trial of Rachel Howarth accused of being a witch. Only Matthew believes that there is more to the story and Rachel might be wrongly accused of being a witch. But the superstitions of the times and his ordinary position of a clerk does not help his position of trying to unveil the truth. But Matthew tries his damnedest hard to prove her innocence and at one point someone asks him,
Why can’t he move on with his life? He is young (20 years) and his whole life is ahead of him. With the passage of time, his mind would come to terms with what happened and surely life would move on.
And I think the reply that Matthew gave defines the true essence of this novel:
"Everyone goes on,” he repeated, with a taint of bitter mockery. "Oh, yes. They go on. With crippled spirits and broken ideals, they do go on. And with the passage of years they forget what crippled and broke them. They accept it grandly as they grow older, as if crippling and breaking were gifts from a king. Then those same hopeful spirits and large ideals in younger souls are viewed as stupid, and petty... and things to be crippled and broken, because everyone does go on."
Show More
ventured into the 17th century world. No, thank you.Matthew Corbett (the protagonist) is the clerk of magistrate Woodward who is conducting the trial of Rachel Howarth accused of being a witch. Only Matthew believes that there is more to the story and Rachel might be wrongly accused of being a witch. But the superstitions of the times and his ordinary position of a clerk does not help his position of trying to unveil the truth. But Matthew tries his damnedest hard to prove her innocence and at one point someone asks him,
Why can’t he move on with his life? He is young (20 years) and his whole life is ahead of him. With the passage of time, his mind would come to terms with what happened and surely life would move on.
And I think the reply that Matthew gave defines the true essence of this novel:
"Everyone goes on,” he repeated, with a taint of bitter mockery. "Oh, yes. They go on. With crippled spirits and broken ideals, they do go on. And with the passage of years they forget what crippled and broke them. They accept it grandly as they grow older, as if crippling and breaking were gifts from a king. Then those same hopeful spirits and large ideals in younger souls are viewed as stupid, and petty... and things to be crippled and broken, because everyone does go on."
Show Less
LibraryThing member bobmoore
A fan of McCammon's work (personally, Mine is his best), I confess I bought this book because it was new and it looked like I'd get a lot of nighttime reading from it. I am most of the way through it and I find I'm skimming more and more. The book has all the earmarks of a typical mystery:
Show More
interesting start, losing speed as it plods to the end, and no doubt some irritating plot twist to justify it all. I concur with the reviewer who felt a hundred pages could be cut without hurting the story. It smacks of some of King's titles where one suspects he was getting paid by the pound. Ironically, my edition sports a brief recommendation from King. Show Less
LibraryThing member DavidPyle
One of the thicker books on my shelf but well worth the read. It reminded me of some of the old Dark Shadows episodes from years gone by. The character development was done well, but in more of a "breadcrumb" fashion. You will still be learning about each one right up to the end of the book.I was
Show More
expecting more of a blatant horror aspect from the story, but the book was so descriptive that it made up for my preconceived ideas and expectations. One could almost feel the chill of the rain on your back and the slush around your ankles as the characters plodded through the ill weather plaguing the settlers of the little village.The story gave a good interpretation of the living standards of early America and the lifestyle of a close knit community -along with the quirky and strange that are still around today. The “witch hunt era” concept was interesting. Again, I would like to have seen deeper into the minds and emotions of those characters that met an untimely demise.Overall, well worth the time spent. Show Less
LibraryThing member lesleydawn
I found this book to be a little slow at the beginning, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Fantastic!
LibraryThing member johnmischief
After a ten year break from publishing McCammon is back.
Formally a horror writer, he returns with a historical thriller/mystery novel with undercurrents of his previous horror background.
I won't go into the plot or characters(that's the fun of reading it),but i will say that apart from a few minor
It is a lengthy novel, but at no time did i think it became laboured. A central character that i liked, a nice set of villians and a collection of humourous or despicable characters that inhabit this book means that Fount Royal will live in the memory for years to come.
Highly recommended.
Formally a horror writer, he returns with a historical thriller/mystery novel with undercurrents of his previous horror background.
I won't go into the plot or characters(that's the fun of reading it),but i will say that apart from a few minor
Show More
faults that stopped this from receiving 5 stars, this is McCammon at his best.It is a lengthy novel, but at no time did i think it became laboured. A central character that i liked, a nice set of villians and a collection of humourous or despicable characters that inhabit this book means that Fount Royal will live in the memory for years to come.
Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sandra2891
I really enjoyed this book. It's about a witch trial that takes place just after the Salem Witch Trials. This time period is fascinating and I kept wondering how the mystery would unravel itself.
LibraryThing member KerriL
This is an excellent piece of historical fiction. It is set in the last year of the seventeenth century and there is a lot of fear of the unknown, and fear of the coming new century. The characters are interesting and believable and complex. The plot continues to twist and turn throughout the
Show More
entire book. Definitely worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Timothy_Dalton007
This book was outright amazing, the only comparison I can draw for this novel would be something like Law & Order: Witch Trials. Thereby seeing the first lines of the novel indicating the location in the Carolinas, I hear the distinctive DUN! DUN! in my head just thinking about it. There is
Robert McCammon makes every detail matter and I sopped it up like I was eating biscuits and gravy. Sometimes picking out details that I would read knowing that there was an obvious reason why it was mentioned, but having to wait a while until the answer comes to fruition. I'm very glad to know that Matthew Corbett makes an appearance in 3 more novels! I'm already ready to crack open the next volume in the series. I read this book right after finishing Wolf's Hour by McCammon, but this book was a completely different animal. Robert paints pictures in your mind that you can't help but see clear as day, and the dialogue is also quite amazing, as his attention to detail in the character's speech, and talking style is painstakingly rendered. I can only imagine how long it must have been for the author to craft this masterpiece. Also, I'll give a nod to Robert for not including so much detail to the main character being quite the slut that Michael Galatin from the Wolf's Hour was. I have to give McCammon a lot of credit on this novel, and I don't feel guilty in the slightest from awarding this book 5 stars, which is not something I do all willy nilly!
Show More
definitely some shady dealings going on in the town of Fount Royal where an accused witch is on trial and the one and only penalty for cavorting with the Devil is death by flames. For a town that deems itself holy and wants nothing more but to purge it's self from the presence of evil, nearly everyone in the town seems to be guilty of something. But down the rabbit hole Robert McCammon takes us, who is to blame for the atrocities that have been committed in this town? Did the accused truly murder her husband and the Reverend? Is the owner of the town a silent schemer? Does the Dr. in the town have ulterior motives? Does the new Reverend that arrives to the town care too much about lustful ideals than saving souls? What's up with all the rain? Why does my stomach hurt right now? All but the last two questions get answered in this epic book. This book is really long, and I mean REALLY long, but it is extremely enrapturing. This book isn't for the feint of heart, if you are the occasional reader this may not fit the bill for your wants and desires, but if you like to be kept guessing the whole time, it is sure to please.Robert McCammon makes every detail matter and I sopped it up like I was eating biscuits and gravy. Sometimes picking out details that I would read knowing that there was an obvious reason why it was mentioned, but having to wait a while until the answer comes to fruition. I'm very glad to know that Matthew Corbett makes an appearance in 3 more novels! I'm already ready to crack open the next volume in the series. I read this book right after finishing Wolf's Hour by McCammon, but this book was a completely different animal. Robert paints pictures in your mind that you can't help but see clear as day, and the dialogue is also quite amazing, as his attention to detail in the character's speech, and talking style is painstakingly rendered. I can only imagine how long it must have been for the author to craft this masterpiece. Also, I'll give a nod to Robert for not including so much detail to the main character being quite the slut that Michael Galatin from the Wolf's Hour was. I have to give McCammon a lot of credit on this novel, and I don't feel guilty in the slightest from awarding this book 5 stars, which is not something I do all willy nilly!
Show Less
LibraryThing member TK
I was thrilled to see this book by Robert McCammon. I know he writes mainly horror novels (at least that's what I think, I could be wrong), but one of my very favorite books is his BOY'S LIFE. It's one I go back to every few years. I also loved GONE SOUTH -- deliciously weird and creepy, but not
Show More
horror. When I read one of the reviews that said ths was the first book in a series I was delighted. As I was reading along in this I thought it would make a great series. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the next offering. It is a huge book, but one that I devoured quickly, and hated to get to the last page! Show Less
LibraryThing member flashflood42
1st in Matthew Corbett series. I had read Queen of Bedlam already so had some sense of this novel's plot but I was still enthralled by the detail of a witch trial, the use of hypnotism, swamp fever/lung disease, pirate's treasure, the Seminole Indians, and much more. It's a page turner for sure.
LibraryThing member lalsoong
Awesome historical fiction. McCammon does not disappoint.
LibraryThing member diorama86
I picked up this novel several years ago in an attempt to find some fresh new horror writing. What I ended up with was not quite what I expected; an amazingly well written account of historical fiction. McCammon's attention to historical detail and development of the tale's main protagonist,
Show More
Matthew Corbett, (as the young Sherlock Holmeslike main character) draw you into a fascinating environment that makes you never want to leave. What McCammon has done is to create his masterpiece that leaves you begging for more. Lets hope this is the first of a long series. Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
A lot of this review is just my thoughts while listening to the book…
This book was so hard to put down between the great story and fabulous narration by Edoardo Ballerini I wanted the world to go away so I just listen without interruptions.
There were times this book made my blood boil , these
I can’t stand this Reverend Jerusalem the minute I hear his voice the hair on the back of neck stands up if she really is a witch she should smite him! And Bidwell too he is such an ass!
There are times I feel so bad for Rachel it makes me want to cry and I am not sure I would have such strong emotions without the fantastic narration.
I was a bit shocked by a certain scene with a horse.
From English gentleman, to slaves, to women, to Indian Chiefs and everything in between Edoardo Ballerini is so absolutely amazing! Ballerini has earned a spot in my favorite narrators list his narration of this book was absolutely amazing. I will listen to anything he narrates!
I don’t know why this has been shelved in horror because as usual the demons and devils are just good old human beings. This book is not paranormal, fantasy or horror it is just a good old fashioned mystery.
This was a long story (31 hours on audio) but it kept me rapt the entire time it never bogged down and I enjoyed every word. This was such an interesting look at life at the end of the 1600’s, the superstitions that ruled people’s hearts and the recent fever deaths that still remain in people’s memory. I will definitely continue to listen to this series especially since Edoardo Ballerini narrates them all!
I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author and narrator.
4 1/2 Stars
5 star Narration
This book was so hard to put down between the great story and fabulous narration by Edoardo Ballerini I wanted the world to go away so I just listen without interruptions.
There were times this book made my blood boil , these
Show More
sickening men the way they treated and talked to Rachel and she just had to take it but I loved that the author let us know that our champion Matthew was feeling the same way right along with me! Matthew is so far ahead of his time and has his own mind and doesn’t go along with the hive mind thinking of this witch hunt. I have all these feelings about Rachel’s innocence but when she asks Matthew to hold her hand my mind says, but, but what if she is evil?!!? Great writing plus the hesitation the narrator (Ballerini) puts into Matthews’s voice had me on the edge of my seat. Matthew getting the whipping just broke my heart and made me sick to my stomach but it was an amazing scene.I can’t stand this Reverend Jerusalem the minute I hear his voice the hair on the back of neck stands up if she really is a witch she should smite him! And Bidwell too he is such an ass!
There are times I feel so bad for Rachel it makes me want to cry and I am not sure I would have such strong emotions without the fantastic narration.
I was a bit shocked by a certain scene with a horse.
From English gentleman, to slaves, to women, to Indian Chiefs and everything in between Edoardo Ballerini is so absolutely amazing! Ballerini has earned a spot in my favorite narrators list his narration of this book was absolutely amazing. I will listen to anything he narrates!
I don’t know why this has been shelved in horror because as usual the demons and devils are just good old human beings. This book is not paranormal, fantasy or horror it is just a good old fashioned mystery.
This was a long story (31 hours on audio) but it kept me rapt the entire time it never bogged down and I enjoyed every word. This was such an interesting look at life at the end of the 1600’s, the superstitions that ruled people’s hearts and the recent fever deaths that still remain in people’s memory. I will definitely continue to listen to this series especially since Edoardo Ballerini narrates them all!
I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author and narrator.
4 1/2 Stars
5 star Narration
Show Less
LibraryThing member buckeyematrat
Speaks the Nightbird is McCammon's first book after a ten-year layoff from writing. He was fed up with the publishing industry and how they handled his previous two novels, Boy's Life and Gone South. McCammon was a horror writer. He helped found the organization, Horror Writers of America, and his
Speaks the Nightbird is the first in a series of colonial America novels that feature his character Matthew Corbett. Matthew is the 20-year-old clerk for Magistrate Woodward who is summoned to Fount Royal, a start-up city on the swampy Carolina coast, to try the case of Rachel Howarth, a woman accused of killing the town minister and her husband while also being a witch. Corbett has been under the magistrate's tutelage ever since he rescued him from an orphanage five years prior and they have developed a father/son type of relationship. The young clerk is extremely inquisitive and has a penchant for solving puzzles.
After running afoul of trouble on the road to Fount Royal, they arrive with only the clothes on their backs to the town. They are welcomed inside the city gates and into the mansion of the the town's founder, Robert Bidwell. What they find in Fount Royal is a town gripped in panic and chaos. It seems that there have been two grisly murders, homes burned, crops dying, and the suspected witch causing all of the evil doings locked up. With three eyewitnesses with wildly fantastic stories and the town's population beginning to move away in fear, the remaining citizens are convinced of the witch's guilt and want her quickly condemned to death so that their lives may return to normalcy.
Ah, but things are not as they appear and here McCammon unfurls a wonderful tale of mystery in front of us all. Matthew Corbett is like a colonial Sherlock Holmes in a town that doesn't want to be swayed that the witch might possibly be innocent. McCammon writes with such rich detail of the period and the character development is amazing. Corbett is a character that you'll quickly identify with, as well as all of the towns people, and they immediately feel like people you already know. If you're a McCammon fan, Speaks the Nightbird is an absolute must. If you haven't experienced his writing yet, pick up a copy of this immediately. I can't stress enough how good this story is and how it'll be hard to put down.
Show More
publisher didn't want him straying from the genre. It made them money and so they resisted when Bob wanted to write about something else. Anyone that has had the pleasure of hearing McCammon speak quickly realizes that he is not only an interesting individual, but he prides himself as a writer that is constantly growing. He doesn't want to rehash the same old tired story and, unfortunately, his publisher didn't support his desire to pursue writing about anything but horror. Instead of fighting what appeared to be a losing battle, McCammon chose to leave writing behind and spend time with his family. While I applaud his integrity to do what was right and to focus his attention toward his family, the fan in me missed his prose for a decade. If you've followed any of my reviews, you know that I crow to anyone that will listen (and to many that don't want to) about the talent that is Robert McCammon. His writing speaks to me like no other. His characters and dialogue are so realistic and vibrant that it feels like you've known them for much longer than it took to read his stories. Speaks the Nightbird is a perfect example.Speaks the Nightbird is the first in a series of colonial America novels that feature his character Matthew Corbett. Matthew is the 20-year-old clerk for Magistrate Woodward who is summoned to Fount Royal, a start-up city on the swampy Carolina coast, to try the case of Rachel Howarth, a woman accused of killing the town minister and her husband while also being a witch. Corbett has been under the magistrate's tutelage ever since he rescued him from an orphanage five years prior and they have developed a father/son type of relationship. The young clerk is extremely inquisitive and has a penchant for solving puzzles.
After running afoul of trouble on the road to Fount Royal, they arrive with only the clothes on their backs to the town. They are welcomed inside the city gates and into the mansion of the the town's founder, Robert Bidwell. What they find in Fount Royal is a town gripped in panic and chaos. It seems that there have been two grisly murders, homes burned, crops dying, and the suspected witch causing all of the evil doings locked up. With three eyewitnesses with wildly fantastic stories and the town's population beginning to move away in fear, the remaining citizens are convinced of the witch's guilt and want her quickly condemned to death so that their lives may return to normalcy.
Ah, but things are not as they appear and here McCammon unfurls a wonderful tale of mystery in front of us all. Matthew Corbett is like a colonial Sherlock Holmes in a town that doesn't want to be swayed that the witch might possibly be innocent. McCammon writes with such rich detail of the period and the character development is amazing. Corbett is a character that you'll quickly identify with, as well as all of the towns people, and they immediately feel like people you already know. If you're a McCammon fan, Speaks the Nightbird is an absolute must. If you haven't experienced his writing yet, pick up a copy of this immediately. I can't stress enough how good this story is and how it'll be hard to put down.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jlsimon7
This is a hard book to rate. The first half of the book was interesting. If I had stopped there the book would have gotten a 5. The second half of the book, save the last couple of chapters was for me about a 2. It went on and on and on and on with to many reasons for why all of that was just
There were rave reviews on this book, and I can see why. In the first half of the book we are introduced to well developed and exciting characters on a mission. There are mysteries to solve, a damsel in distress, bad guys galore, and common individuals that are like most real people, both good and bad.
On the other hand, McCammon seems to have a predilection for abnormal sexual practices. For example, the descriptions of Rachel's supposed sex scenes with Satan, or the guy who prefers to have sex with his mare (yes I do mean his horse). I don't know if this was his attempt to titillate his readers, but I've seen a lot of negative responses to the sexual preoccupation of this book. I can't say I was forced into indignation, but at the same time I was repulsed. We all know there are examples of such doings, but really, is that what we signed up for when we purchased this book?
This author does seem to have an obsession with the penis. There are many descriptions, inferences, and innuendoes that I doubt very seriously would have been in use in 1699. As a time piece the preoccupation with sex in the puritanical early America's seemed out of place and completely unnecessary.
The verdict for me was a 3. The mystery was interesting if convoluted. The main characters were well developed and interesting. The story line, well, I've already covered enough of that to justify my rating.
Would I recommend this book? No, not really.
Will I purchase anything else from this author? I hope not. It's possible I'll run into another title, not recognize the name and buy it. It would however be a purchase in error.
Happy Reading.
Show More
unnecessary ramble. The last two chapters were back to a 5. So I debated, is it a 3 or a 4. In the end the fact that I would have just quit if it had not been an audiobook I had already invested more than 20 hours into earned it a 3. There were rave reviews on this book, and I can see why. In the first half of the book we are introduced to well developed and exciting characters on a mission. There are mysteries to solve, a damsel in distress, bad guys galore, and common individuals that are like most real people, both good and bad.
On the other hand, McCammon seems to have a predilection for abnormal sexual practices. For example, the descriptions of Rachel's supposed sex scenes with Satan, or the guy who prefers to have sex with his mare (yes I do mean his horse). I don't know if this was his attempt to titillate his readers, but I've seen a lot of negative responses to the sexual preoccupation of this book. I can't say I was forced into indignation, but at the same time I was repulsed. We all know there are examples of such doings, but really, is that what we signed up for when we purchased this book?
This author does seem to have an obsession with the penis. There are many descriptions, inferences, and innuendoes that I doubt very seriously would have been in use in 1699. As a time piece the preoccupation with sex in the puritanical early America's seemed out of place and completely unnecessary.
The verdict for me was a 3. The mystery was interesting if convoluted. The main characters were well developed and interesting. The story line, well, I've already covered enough of that to justify my rating.
Would I recommend this book? No, not really.
Will I purchase anything else from this author? I hope not. It's possible I'll run into another title, not recognize the name and buy it. It would however be a purchase in error.
Happy Reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mainrun
I wish the author would have written it as is, but then re-write it, making the judge's clerk more intelligent. The person bumbled into situations, luckily spotting the "fox" by waking up in the middle of the night when he happened to be sleeping outside THE ONLY TIME he did that. He found that
618 members; 4.05 average rating; 7/15/2017
Show More
people were not what they appeared by breaking into peoples homes and noticing the living space was not what he thought it would be. A less than 10 year old girl told the clerk who was helping the fox after she figured it out. The girl stated the person was singing, and finally remembered who it was. The clerk had only heard one person singing during his time in the 1699 community, but did not think of it. Maybe I should try an Agatha Christie book. 618 members; 4.05 average rating; 7/15/2017
Show Less
LibraryThing member tshrope
In general I liked this book and found it entertaining and captivating. I think it really deserves 3.5 stars. Set in 1699 in the Colonial Carolinas this is a story about a young man, Matthew Corbett, who believes the woman of an upstart town has been falsely accused of Witchcraft and sets about to
I did like it enough though to want to read the next book in the series.
Show More
prove her innocence. It’s a story filled with fully developed characters and lots of “red herrings” to keep the reader interested. I did however think the story was much too long (791 pages in paperback), and the last quarter or so of the book rather unbelievable and over the top. I did like it enough though to want to read the next book in the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member carlahaunted
Too long delayed
I am ashamed that I reached the age of 44 before reading one of McCammon's novels. Having devoured this one as my penance, I must now read them all.
I am ashamed that I reached the age of 44 before reading one of McCammon's novels. Having devoured this one as my penance, I must now read them all.
LibraryThing member clamairy
Speaks the Nightbird was my first (but won't be my last) experience with Robert McCammon. I was complaining to myself while reading it that it was taking forever to get though, but when I was done I couldn't figure out what if anything could have been cut without ruining it.
Matthew Corbett is the
I do think he made the right move not to have everyone speaking like colonials did in at the turn of the 18th century. This isn't set in New England, though, so I am not sure if the 'Goody McMuffin' type monikers and the 'thees & thous' were used in the Carolinas as much they were in the Northeast.
I'll be reading more of this author, though I probably won't go right to the second in this series.
Matthew Corbett is the
Show More
clerk of a magistrate sent to a small town in the Carolina territory to judge the case of young woman accused of witchcraft. It's a bit grim and gory in some of the darker segments, but it was well worth the payoff.I do think he made the right move not to have everyone speaking like colonials did in at the turn of the 18th century. This isn't set in New England, though, so I am not sure if the 'Goody McMuffin' type monikers and the 'thees & thous' were used in the Carolinas as much they were in the Northeast.
I'll be reading more of this author, though I probably won't go right to the second in this series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member a1stitcher
What a wonderful surprise this book was! I was roaming up and down the aisles of my local library, looking for something a bit different than my usual British/Irish/French historical fiction. I found this one; I had never heard of the author or this series of novels about court clerk Matthew
Show More
Corbett. This novel is the first of Matthew's adventures, set in 1699 South Carolina. Along with magistrate Isaac Woodward, he travels to the rapidly declining town of Fount Royal to hold a trial for witchcraft. What ensues is fascinating, mysterious, foul, at times gruesome, and sad. I will be reading more of Matthew Corbett's adventures. Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
When I first started reading this doorstop of a novel not quite two weeks ago, I didn't get a favourable impression. I wrote:
I'm starting Speaks The Nightbird,: Dec 17: Just started, and already I'm kinda over knowing exactly how tall everyone is. Do I really need to know right down to the inch for
Thankfully, shortly after that, McCammon lost his fascination with precise height measurements. But it does speak to the central issue I have with this first Matthew Corbett novel.
The central premise is excellent. Corbett arrives in the town of Fount Royal as a clerk to a magistrate in the year 1699 to determine the fate of an accused witch. Sounds fun, right? It should be.
But McCammon--who has been guilty of this often enough--tends to pad the novel with so...much...stuff...that it turns what could have been a brisk 400-500 page novel into a monstrous, overlong 800 page novel. They can't just be staying at an inn and get attacked. No, they have to go through virtually every hour of their stay and learn the stories of every one of the inn's inhabitants, odious as they may be, before they are ultimately left behind, with none save one showing up in a couple of sentences later on in the book.
Yes, the novel is rich with detail and seemingly well-researched information, but there's a point when the reader tends to say, "Enough! I get it. They're in a small struggling town in 1699 America. Enough!"
That being said, I'll give it a three because, as I said, buried underneath the slog of detail and overlong subplots, there's a solid story in there. Only the patient or the reader fascinated with history will appreciate every page of this novel. I, instead, appreciated about half.
I'll give the next Corbett novel a go, but if it runs like this one, it may be my last.
I'm starting Speaks The Nightbird,: Dec 17: Just started, and already I'm kinda over knowing exactly how tall everyone is. Do I really need to know right down to the inch for
Show More
me to get into the characters? I think not.Thankfully, shortly after that, McCammon lost his fascination with precise height measurements. But it does speak to the central issue I have with this first Matthew Corbett novel.
The central premise is excellent. Corbett arrives in the town of Fount Royal as a clerk to a magistrate in the year 1699 to determine the fate of an accused witch. Sounds fun, right? It should be.
But McCammon--who has been guilty of this often enough--tends to pad the novel with so...much...stuff...that it turns what could have been a brisk 400-500 page novel into a monstrous, overlong 800 page novel. They can't just be staying at an inn and get attacked. No, they have to go through virtually every hour of their stay and learn the stories of every one of the inn's inhabitants, odious as they may be, before they are ultimately left behind, with none save one showing up in a couple of sentences later on in the book.
Yes, the novel is rich with detail and seemingly well-researched information, but there's a point when the reader tends to say, "Enough! I get it. They're in a small struggling town in 1699 America. Enough!"
That being said, I'll give it a three because, as I said, buried underneath the slog of detail and overlong subplots, there's a solid story in there. Only the patient or the reader fascinated with history will appreciate every page of this novel. I, instead, appreciated about half.
I'll give the next Corbett novel a go, but if it runs like this one, it may be my last.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Treebeard_404
While I persevered until the end, there were so many things about this story that bugged me that I almost gave up on it. Anachronisms, unlikely coincidences, dei ex machina, an infuriatingly short-sighted main character, etc.
[Audiobook note: Good enough narrator, though.]
[Audiobook note: Good enough narrator, though.]
LibraryThing member sawcat
this book is in desperate need of editing. it is way too long. the first quarter of the book or so does not pertain to the plot of the book. It establishes the element of illness for a character, which could have been done in another way, in much less time.
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2013)
Independent Publisher Book Awards (Gold — 2003)
Alabama Author Award (Fiction — 2004)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#3 — 2004)
Original publication date
2002
Physical description
816 p.; 8.14 inches
ISBN
1416552502 / 9781416552505
Other editions
Similar in this library
14 by Peter Clines