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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9781416551119
ISBN number: 1416551115
Label: Pocket
Manufacturer: Pocket
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 656
Printing Date: October 23, 2007
Publishing house: Pocket
Sale Popularity Level: 25908
Studio: Pocket
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Product Description:
His epic masterwork Speaks the Nightbird, a tour de force of witchhunt terror in a colonial town, was hailed by Sandra Brown as 'deeplysatisfying...told with matchless insight into the human soul.' Now, Robert McCammon brings the hero of that spellbinding novel, Matthew Corbett, to eighteenth-century New York, where a killer wields a bloody and terrifying power over a bustling city carving out its identity -- and over Matthew's own uncertain destiny.
The unsolved murder of a respected doctor has sent ripples of fear throughout a city teeming with life and noise and commerce. Who snuffed out the good man's life with the slash of a blade on a midnight street? The local printmaster has labeled the fiend 'the Masker,' adding fuel to a volatile mystery...and when the Masker claims a new victim, hardworking young law clerk Matthew Corbett is lured into a maze of forensic clues and heart-pounding investigation that will both test his natural penchant for detection and inflame his hunger for justice.
In the strangest twist of all, the key to unmasking the Masker may await in an asylum where the Queen of Bedlam reigns -- and only a man of Matthew's reason and empathy can unlock her secrets. From the seaport to Wall Street, from society mansions to gutters glimmering with blood spilled by a deviant, Matthew's quest will tauntingly reveal the answers he seeks -- and the chilling truths he cannot escape.
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Rated by buyers 
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I would read a shopping list written by McCammon. I am in awe of his ability to describe places and characters. The fact that he also has the imagination to create wonderful plots, is the cherry on the ice cream.
An example:
"Suddenly old wild-haired Hooper Gillespie stood up and said in his raspy wind-weathered voice, 'See here sir! I've got a problem needs fixin!'"
See how much he tells the reader in one sentence?
The richness of description takes you into the world of New York in 1702 with such ease that when you do happen to close the book at the end of a chapter there is a moment of reorientation while you re-enter the modern day.
Read this book if you love adventure, great characters and a page-turning plot.
Rated by buyers -
The Queen of Bedlam is the sequel to McCammon's masterpiece Speaks the Nightbird starring law clerk Matthew Corbett. Matthew is back, this time in 1702 New York City working as a clerk to a magistrate and spending his evenings stalking the headmaster from his former orphanage. Before Matthew takes things into his own hands, a serial killer starts killing and mutilating businessmen, including the headmaster, and Matthew wants to know who else hated the man enough to do him such violence. Matthew is also invited to work for an early private investigation firm that takes him to an insane asylum to determine the identity of a beautifully and rich older woman who says nothing except to ask if the king's reply has arrived. Matthew's fierce sense of justice and what is right sends him on many quests that somehow end up tied together and of course endanger his life. You know how it feels when you ride on a roller coaster? The slow rise to the very first hill that stretches your nerves to their limit followed by swoops and spins that leave you reeling and breathless leading up to the sick feeling of wanting it to be over while at the same time hoping it never ends? That's a Robert McCammon book. I don't know how to describe it any better than that.
Rated by buyers -
McCammon never dissappoints but with this series, especially, The Queen of Bedlam, he has stolen some nights of sleep and had my pulse racing by the end. The hero is credible and the villians subtle and complex. He also captures New York in the summer of the early 1800s to a compelling and repulsive degree.
Rated by buyers 
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So, I have just finished reading the Queen of Bedlam, a sequel of sorts to Speaks the Nightbird. Young Matthew Corbett is back. In brief, I liked this story. It was a bit slow to begin within, but McCammon is creating a new backdrop on which the drama is to play out (near the turn of the 18th century New York), so this is expected. Historical fiction does require some work in that regard but McCammon doesn't belabor things in that regard. In all though the development of the story and ending was quite good.
Like Speaks the Nightbird, this is a murder mystery (a serial killer). McCammon creates a rich cast of characters and lots of twists and turns, some obvious, some less so in Matthew endeavoring to solve these crimes. His characters, as always, have depth and are believable. You like some, hate others, and find some pitiable or just plain loathe. He assiduously avoids the lazy deus ex machina, where is characters are suddenly blessed with profound insight or profound skills to get his story out of a hole, as you see so often nowadays with less capable writers. There is no cheating or shortcut taking here. And, as always, his description and dialog is neither too extensive or too threadbare, just right. He seeks neither to belabor, preach, pontificate or manipulate the reader through a contrived story. His plotting is tight, though not without the odd blue herring.
If you're expecting Boys Life circa 1700 you're in the wrong book. Regarding myself as a fan of McCammon, I neither want another nor expect another Boy's Life. The one he gave us was perfect and sufficient. This tale continued to reinforce my belief in an author who takes risk with his work and doesn't work in a comfort zone. He tries new things, experiments, giving the reader a new, deep experience with each book. This is something I look forward to and I was not disappointed with here either. For, though it is a sequel of sort to Speaks the Nightbird, it is a standalone story as well. Apart from Matthew Corbett, there is little to connect them, so one is not a prerequisite for the other. Though I would recommend reading 'Nightbird' first, just because it is quite a treat. On the flipside, it contains all the McCammon trademarks.
So I have to say I find little to disappoint about the story. Perhaps my one complaint is that the dialog is a little 'modern' at times. But then, I'd rather having it like this than in almost unreadable old english. It's a long read at 600+ pages, but I would think of much worse ways of spending the time. He does take his time in developing the story so if you're an instant gratification type person, you might find this a little bit of a struggle. Whereas if you do like a well crafted, well developed, well researched and well written murder-mystery tale, then this is not too bad at all. There's a lot to savor! Enjoy!
Rated by buyers -
QUEEN OF BEDLAM is Robert McCammon's long-awaited sequel to SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, which I count as one of the most enjoyable novels I've read in recent years. BEDLAM is not as magnificient as NIGHTBIRD, but it's a highly enjoyable work in it's own right.
This novel is essentially a historical mystery in colonial New York, around the year 1700. A serial killer is apparently at work on the streets, and young Matthew Corbett is determined to track him down. In the meantime, Corbett has to figure out what to do about his own future and career, and he encounters a series of interesting opporunities as the story progressses.
One of the many pleasures of this novel is how McCammon captures the spirit of colonial America. My understanding is that McCammon does a lot of research for these novels, and it really shows one very page. The author also does a superb job with character creation, giving every character (no matter how small) a distinct and vivid personality. There is also plenty of humour in this book, a McCammon trademark.
QUEEN OF BEDLAM is a bit slow at the beginning, and McCammon does take his time in setting the stage for the story to unfold. While this novel isn't as thrilling and fast-paced as some of McCammon's earlier work, it is still highly enjoyable to spend time in his historical universe. The conclusion of the book is very exciting, and ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that promises more entires in the series.
All and all, this is a very fine effort, and I heartily recommend it. My only warning is to read SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD very first to maximize your reading pleasure.
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