The Peacock Room
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
When Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English literature, she’s hoping for a quiet life. But trouble knows where to find her.
There’s something wrong with her new students. Their unhappiness seems to be linked to their flamboyant former tutor, Professor Petrarch Greenwood, who holds decadent parties in his beautiful Bloomsbury apartment.
When Helen is asked to take over his course on the Romantic poet William Blake, life and art start to show uncomfortable parallels. Disturbing poison pen letters lead down dark paths, until Helen is the only person standing between a lone gunman and a massacre.
THE PEACOCK ROOM is the intriguing follow-up to the acclaimed thriller UNLAWFUL THINGS, which introduced the literary sleuth Helen Oddfellow.
Reviews
I do love a literary mystery and one which involves William Blake and Christina Rossetti adds the icing to the cake as far as I am concerned. The Peacock Room seems to tick all my boxes, with the added interest of female academics and University politics thrown in. This is a novel with several layers. Helen has her own insecurities in her work at the University but has a feeling of responsibility towards her students. The students seem naive and vulnerable, such a contrast to the flamboyant Professor Greenwood. Helen has to decipher a complicated mystery and as we watch her, it is difficult not to be engrossed with the background details about Blake, as well as other writers. Lurking in the dark web, you see malign interpretations of his work and a huge degree of misogyny. London is very much part of the story and a great background to the suspense which mounts as the story develops. It feels like a race against time at the end and certainly the ending does not disappoint with several twists and turns to surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and look forward to, hopefully, meeting Helen Oddfellow again. In short: a tense mystery with a range of characters.
I ADORED Lane’s previous book, Unlawful Things, and The Peacock Room has gone that one step further. This author cannot write books quick enough – I’m ready for at least the next 5 books now. From the first page, I was instantly reminded how fantastic the writing is, as well as the topics which may lay ahead. You’re introduced to an ominous character which immediately draws you in – you won’t be able to put this book down. The Peacock Room is much more topical and relevant – it includes feminism and the dark web, as well as disturbing topics including rape and mental health. This is much darker, in my opinion, which is why it just edged ahead of the previous book for me (weirdo, I know). It had its gruesome and entirely unexpected shocks throughout to keep you on edge, and also the historical fiction element just made sense! It’s a believable plot and there’s so much analysis and research gone into it. I’m already in awe of how the author comes up with these ideas, wrapped up with the mind-blowing and plot twist ending, and offering the reader food for thought throughout. This is one of those rare books which deserves a standing ovation. I’ve only read two of Dan Brown’s books but give me Lane’s over them any day. A high, high 5-star – this has undoubtedly claimed a spot in my top reads of the year, like Unlawful Things did last year (here).
