The Serpent in the Garden

The author of The Serpent in the Garden was trained in art, and has worked at Sotheby's in London-so it should come as no surprise that the protagonist of this book is an artist who pays attention to the small details. Although Janet Gleeson does indeed pay attention to detail, she tends to skimp on the plot, especially the mystery itself. However, this is a highly original book, and it was fun to read. Joshua Pope is a fictional artist living in 18th- century London. Commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of Sir Herbert Bentnick and his bride Sabine Mercier at their estate Astley, Pope immediately encounters a mystery of a singular kind: the death of a man purported to be a Mr. Cobb, in a greenhouse on the estate. Sabine Mercier, originally hailing from Barbados, is an avid cultivator of pineapples, a fruit that was in vogue in the mid-18th century in Europe. The death allegedly was by poison; since poison is thought to be the weapon of choice by women, could Sabine or her daughter Violet be the murderer? Its a tangled, twisted mystery that Joshua gets involved in, especially when no one in the family seems concerned over the death of a stranger on their property. Coinciding with the death is the mysterious disappearance of a necklace that belongs to Mrs. Mercier- in the curious shape of a serpent, with the head clasping the tail. The serpent, a serpent of temptation, is the subject of a legal dispute which affects everyone in the Mercier/ Bentnick family. What amazed me, in following Pope's investigation, is how he trusts every untrustworthy person in the book, and mistrusts everyone who he should trust. For someone who claims to be an observer of human character, this feature of the book seemed out of character. If you have read other reviews I have written on this site, you'll know that I'm an avid reader of historical fiction, as well as mysteries. While The serpent in the Garden is neither the best historical fiction nor the best mystery I have ever read, it is certainly well crafted. I can't wait to read other novels by Janet Gleeson.

I wont' try to sum up the events of this book as the other reviewers have done, I believe it is not my place to do so. I will simply give my opinion of it and my feelings towards the piece. It is a very ineresting book, that kept my thoughts occupied for some time. The language is very nice and a murder mystery never hurt anyone, so if you're looking for a book that u want to entice you, I recommend this one among others to set you back in time and live the life of a successful portrait painter looking to solve a mystery.

In 1766, Herbert Bentnick, a widower of under a year, is betrothed to two time Barbados widow Sabine Mercier. Herbert commissions renowned portrait artist Joshua Pope to paint their wedding picture at his Astley estate. However, Sabine, a horticulturist working with her fiancé's pineapple plants, finds a corpse in the hothouse. While the engaged couple and his family seem unconcerned that someone was murdered on their estate, a shocked Joshua takes it upon himself to investigate. He assumes the deceased is Barbados attorney John Cobb based on documents the dead man was carrying. Joshua also learns that Herbert's wife was still alive and with him when he met Sabine, but died shortly afterward. Finally, he realizes how knowledgeable Sabine is when it comes to plants. Joshua's sleuthing efforts prove fruitless and he now must prove he did not steal Sabine's valuable emerald necklace while the family points their accusing fingers at him. As with THE GRENADILLO BOX (different artisan detective - cabinetmaker Nathanial Hopson, but similar theme and era), THE SERPENT IN THE GARDEN is an intriguing Georgian who-done-it with the emphasis on the 1760s England. The story line is loaded with historical detail providing the audience a close look at the upper class mostly through the eyes of the moralistic artist. Joshua is a fine protagonist; however the two antagonists will fascinate readers. Is Herbert a besotted fool or a clever killer and even more intriguing is Sabine as Joshua's circumstantial evidence implicates her as the culprit in at least two deaths. Harriet Klausner