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Return of Captain John Emmett di Elizabeth…
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Return of Captain John Emmett (edizione 2011)

di Elizabeth Speller (Autore)

Serie: Laurence Bartram (1)

UtentiRecensioniPopolaritàMedia votiCitazioni
4824050,714 (3.74)73
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:A man investigates the deaths of his fellow veterans in this "haunting and beautifully written" novel of postâ??World War I England (C. S. Harris, author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries).

London, 1920. In the aftermath of the Great War and a devastating family tragedy, Laurence Bartram has turned his back on the world. But with a well-timed letter, an old flame manages to draw him back in. Mary Emmett's brother, Johnâ??like Laurence, an officer during the warâ??has apparently killed himself while in the care of a remote veterans' hospital, and Mary needs to know why.

Aided by his friendâ??a dauntless gentleman with detective skills cadged from mystery novelsâ??Laurence begins asking difficult questions. What connects a group of war poets, a bitter feud within John's regiment, and a hidden love affair? Was his friend's death really a suicide, or the missing piece in a puzzling series of murders? As veterans tied to John continue to turn up dead, and Laurence is forced to face the darkest corners of his own war experiences, his own survival may depend on uncovering the truth.

At once a compelling mystery and an elegant literary debut, The Return of Captain John Emmett blends psychological depth with suspenseful storytelling that calls to mind the golden age of British crime fiction, "full of jolting revelations and quiet insights" (The Wall Street Journal).

"A captivating wartime whodunit." â??The Bosto
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felt like it was layered and well written but was somehow disappointed in the "solution" ( )
  cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |
A WWI/Post WWI novel about Captain Emmett, who returned home shell-shocked in 1918. His family thought it best if he get treated at a sanitorium for awhile. Sadly, while there, he committed suicide. There is a mystery surrounding his suicide and an old friend is called by the family to see if he can find out the particulars. This is where we learn about the trenches, firing squads, and the rapes of innocent French women. Quite frankly, there were too many things going on in this book that it was difficult to focus. By many things I mean a LOT of conversations. It was a slow-paced book and the ending was a bit of a let-down. I really can't recommend. I listened to this on audio, 14 hours 13 minutes-437 pages. ( )
  Tess_W | Feb 25, 2023 |
Well written and researched novel about the execution of British deserters, shell shock and the war poets of the Great War. The novel is written from the perspective (in third person) of Laurence, who lost his wife and son during the war (in childbirth), and is requested by Mary (the purported sister of John Emmett) to enquire about the mysterious circumstances surrounding captain John Emmett’s suicide, three years after returning from the war. Laurence knew John at school as a classmate, whose family received him at their home during recess, since Laurence had lost both his parents early in life. The subsequent investigation by Laurence and his army mate Charles (who proves to be a true fount of knowledge) slowly uncovers the story behind Emmett, who ran an unofficial journal publishing war poetry and was unfortunate enough to preside over the (botched) execution of one of three British army officers who got shot at dawn for desertion.

The investigation allows Speller to explore the phenomenon of shell-shock, cruel treatment of PTSS in asylums across England, and the phenomenon of executing ‘cowards’ affected by this. She also weaves in a cast of dubious characters that exploited their hedonistic tendencies in circumstances of war (including raping innocent, underage French girls; killing for pleasure; smuggling stolen goods; emotionally blackmailing innocent men, etc). In the end the novel boils down to a hit list of men, who get killed for knowing/witnessing the botched execution supervised by Captain Emmett, creating suspense, and a romance between Laurence and Mary that creates amorous tension right through until the end.

While it is a crafty novel I found some of the key characters a bit too savvy (in an unlikely manner, like Charles always providing key info and being there when you need him) and the layers added to the plot make it a bit overbearing (a tendency many writers suffer from). Speller likes a good detective story and I suspect she will write many more. ( )
  alexbolding | Oct 1, 2021 |
Should be nearer 4 stars - so frustrating only having 5 stars to choose from..... Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very well written. Complicated but the author did such a good job of steering me through the complications I didn't need to do a flow chart as I do with many books. Took a long time wrapping up the story and at the time I thought too long - but a day later I'm not feeling in such a rush! Is she planning a sequel? I got quite excited at the description of Birmingham university clock tower where I was for the first time a week ago myself! And the poetry struck a chord too. ( )
  Ma_Washigeri | Jan 23, 2021 |
Speller's exploration of the psyche of men involved with WWI really touched a chord. Her insights blew me away. Life in the trenches, military customs, shell shock, adapting to 'normal' life: all profoundly depicted. I've been reflecting on not only the book but the historical realities even after turning the final page, which for me is the mark of a great book! ( )
  RachelDavenSkinner | Mar 19, 2019 |
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For my brother, Richard, and for my nephews Dominic, Tristan, William, Barnaby and Charlie, who, had they been born exactly one hundred years earlier, might all have found themselves on the Western Front.
You were only David's father,
But I had fifty sons,
When we went up in the evening
Under the arch of the guns.

Lieutenant Ewart Alan Mackintosh
(died Cambrai 1917)
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In years to come, Laurence Bartram would look back and think that the event that really changed everything was not the war, nor the attack at Rosieres, nor even the loss of his wife, but the return of John Emmett into his life.
They gathered in the dark long before the train arrived at the small station. (Prologue)
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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:A man investigates the deaths of his fellow veterans in this "haunting and beautifully written" novel of postâ??World War I England (C. S. Harris, author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries).

London, 1920. In the aftermath of the Great War and a devastating family tragedy, Laurence Bartram has turned his back on the world. But with a well-timed letter, an old flame manages to draw him back in. Mary Emmett's brother, Johnâ??like Laurence, an officer during the warâ??has apparently killed himself while in the care of a remote veterans' hospital, and Mary needs to know why.

Aided by his friendâ??a dauntless gentleman with detective skills cadged from mystery novelsâ??Laurence begins asking difficult questions. What connects a group of war poets, a bitter feud within John's regiment, and a hidden love affair? Was his friend's death really a suicide, or the missing piece in a puzzling series of murders? As veterans tied to John continue to turn up dead, and Laurence is forced to face the darkest corners of his own war experiences, his own survival may depend on uncovering the truth.

At once a compelling mystery and an elegant literary debut, The Return of Captain John Emmett blends psychological depth with suspenseful storytelling that calls to mind the golden age of British crime fiction, "full of jolting revelations and quiet insights" (The Wall Street Journal).

"A captivating wartime whodunit." â??The Bosto

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