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Garden Of Beasts


8 replies to this topic

#1 DAN LIGHTER

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 05:18 PM

Garden of Beasts is the book that gave Ian Fleming Publications the idea for Jeffery Deaver to pen the next novel.



From Jefferydeaver.com



In 2004, Deaver won the Crime Writers' Association's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for his book Garden of Beasts. In his acceptance speech he talked about his life-long admiration of Fleming's writing.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, was in the audience. She explains, 'I'd always enjoyed Jeffery Deaver's thrillers, but I particularly liked Garden of Beasts: it demonstrated that he was not only a master of the contemporary American thriller but could also write compelling novels of period suspense within a European setting. I didn't know anything about the author himself and expected a fairly low key response from him when he received our award.

'I was surprised and delighted when he spoke very fondly of Ian and about the influence that the Bond books had had on his own writing career. It was at that point that I first thought that James Bond could have an interesting adventure in Jeffery Deaver's hands.'




What do we think of Garden of Beasts if we have read it? I have put my comments in spoilers so as not to spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet.



Spoiler




Expectations will be high for Project X after reading Garden of Beasts. This is a bestselling thriller writer who has gone on record that he learned a lot from Fleming so maybe the expectations are deserved. Garden of Beasts is very much a recommended read.

#2 David Schofield

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 06:12 PM

Dont' do this, Dan.

I'm desperate to go into Project X a Deaver virgin; the last thing I need is people encourging me to read his stuff by making it sound so bloody tempting.

B)

#3 whiteskwirl

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 06:17 PM

I just checked out Garden of Beasts today. Hopefully I'll get to reading it this week.

#4 DAN LIGHTER

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 06:33 PM

Don't' do this, Dan.

I'm desperate to go into Project X a Deaver virgin; the last thing I need is people encouraging me to read his stuff by making it sound so bloody tempting.

B)


Interesting point David, the virgin approach. Stick to your guns then you can judge Project X as a stand alone Bond book. I wanted to get a flavor of Deaver, I must admit I have got all excited with the announcement and went out and got it. This wont be the last of his books that I read. I don't want to over hype Garden of Beasts and then it disappoints some.

#5 terminus

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:42 PM

I think I'm going to pick this up alongside his new one if I manage to get to the signing in Manchester for his new book.

#6 DAN LIGHTER

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 10:38 PM

I think I'm going to pick this up alongside his new one if I manage to get to the signing in Manchester for his new book.


Be interested to know what you think of it terminus. I will be reading more of his work as I am intrested in a bit of American set fiction. He didn't become a bestseller for writing rubbish books.

Spoiler


#7 terminus

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Posted 03 June 2010 - 12:35 AM

Flicked through the third chapter today and it seemed to be a pretty good piece of work, definitely something I want to pick up. Was tempted to get it today but decided to wait, as also wanted that Young Sherlock Holmes novel - but will also need to wait for that too.

#8 dlb007

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Posted 03 June 2010 - 03:10 AM

Purchased Garden of Beasts today. Will post any thoughts and comments as soon as I finish. I'm on vacation for the next two weeks, so hopefully I'll finish soon. I found only one copy at Barnes & Noble for about $8. Too good to pass up.

#9 Glenn

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Posted 03 June 2010 - 06:41 AM

I have had it on my shelves for a while now, but have never gotten around to read it. I have read the first five Lincon Rhyme novels, A Maiden´s Grave and Shallow Graves. To me he has been pretty hit and miss. The first three Rhyme novels outshine the other four that I have read. I´ll give Beasts a go soon and see what I think of it. Still it is exciting that an A list fiction author has accepted the Bond gig.