I should be honest right off the bat and admit that I’m not much of a mystery reader. I have devoured Lilian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who series, but that’s more for the cats and the small town of Pickax than the mysteries. So why would I pick up The Frost Fair by Edward Marston at the library?
Well, let me explain that the summer after my junior year in college, I took a three-week course in London. Much of my free time was spent wandering around the city exploring (and yes, most of it alone. Some things are better for parents to know after the fact.). One day, I was wandering along the south bank of the Thames on my way to the Globe Theatre. I happened upon a tunnel in the pathway (with a road overhead) that was decorated with the story of the Frost Fairs. Several hundred years ago, the Thames River would freeze completely over during the winter. When that was the case, entertainers, food booths, and salesmen moved onto the ice, ready to cater to the tourists who would come to enjoy this novelty. I loved the idea of this temporary festival, fun with a hint of danger (just how long would the ice last?).
Well, let me explain that the summer after my junior year in college, I took a three-week course in London. Much of my free time was spent wandering around the city exploring (and yes, most of it alone. Some things are better for parents to know after the fact.). One day, I was wandering along the south bank of the Thames on my way to the Globe Theatre. I happened upon a tunnel in the pathway (with a road overhead) that was decorated with the story of the Frost Fairs. Several hundred years ago, the Thames River would freeze completely over during the winter. When that was the case, entertainers, food booths, and salesmen moved onto the ice, ready to cater to the tourists who would come to enjoy this novelty. I loved the idea of this temporary festival, fun with a hint of danger (just how long would the ice last?).
So when I found a book, mystery though it was, titled The Frost Fair, I couldn’t resist picking it up. I should have known better. There’s nothing wrong with the book. It’s a good read. The mystery has plenty of twists and is really not at all gory, for which I was very grateful. However, the ice had melted and the Frost Fair was over by page 60. That left 300+ pages to go without the reason I picked up the book.
If you like mysteries, especially ones in historical settings, you would probably enjoy this book very much. In fact, it’s the fourth in a series about architect Christopher Redmayne (which I didn’t know until I entered it on Goodreads), so there’s even more books to enjoy. It just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, which always makes it difficult to like a book as much as it deserves. I guess I’ll find my Frost Fair fix somewhere else.
If you like mysteries, especially ones in historical settings, you would probably enjoy this book very much. In fact, it’s the fourth in a series about architect Christopher Redmayne (which I didn’t know until I entered it on Goodreads), so there’s even more books to enjoy. It just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, which always makes it difficult to like a book as much as it deserves. I guess I’ll find my Frost Fair fix somewhere else.
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