Quality historical fiction - Die a Dry Death

[TulagiHotel-HH]

[disclaimer - I am from the same publisher, Diiarts, as Greta van der Rol, but I read this book as if I had picked it up at a bookstore. If you find this troubling, don't read on.]

Die a Dry Death charts the wreck and subsequent events of the Dutch merchant ship Batavia on its way to the Dutch East Indies in 1629. I for one had no idea of such a vast tragedy ensuing after one of the survivors took command of the refugees and started murdering them systematically.

The book has a wide cast of characters, but I would like to pull out two that have been crafted with extraordinary clarity and skill: a lady of high ranking, Lucretia van der Mijlen, who has to walk the tightrope between life and death, and Jeronimus Cornelisz, the homicidal employee of the Company, who slips into the dark side when he gains control of the islands on which the refugees live.

This could be a book of numbing detail and side stories aplenty, but it isn't. Greta van der Rol has done an outstanding job keeping the stories apace, and tightly reined in so as to keep the central story going. As you read this book, you'll see how you get attracted to it and want to keep reading as you hope for the best for the poor souls on the desolate islands... and yet you know it is not necessarily going to go that way.

I recommend this book to any historical fiction fan, and to all friends of books based on real life and given an extra dimension through fiction.

See it at http://amzn.to/bR6CVt

[thinkpad]

Thanks for the tip, looks interesting. I've put it on my TBR list.

[TulagiHotel-HH]

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

Thanks for the tip, looks interesting. I've put it on my TBR list.

Well done I do believe you will be happy you did.

[neilmarr]

Sounds a good read, Tulagil. Thanks. I wonder, though, if it's available in ebook format anywhere other than Amazon for Kindle. Best wishes. Neil

[TulagiHotel-HH]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

Sounds a good read, Tulagil. Thanks. I wonder, though, if it's available in ebook format anywhere other than Amazon for Kindle. Best wishes. Neil

Hello Neil, our pubisher (Diiarts) is working on getting all their books out in all possible ebook formats - I'll keep you posted on when they come out.

[rhadin]

If you want to read the nonfiction story of the Batavia, I recommend Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story Of The Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash, which is available in ebook form.

[JaneD]

That looks like a fantastic read, and it's at a very reasonable price. I put it on my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation - I would have never stumbled across this on my own.

[neilmarr]

***our pubisher (Diiarts) is working on getting all their books out in all possible ebook formats - I'll keep you posted on when they come out***

Thanks, Tulagi. I'll look out for it. Best wishes. Neil

[TulagiHotel-HH]

Originally Posted by JaneD

That looks like a fantastic read, and it's at a very reasonable price. I put it on my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation - I would have never stumbled across this on my own.

thanks Jane, I do think DaDD is a very good read, and would say so even if she was not my friend and colleague at Diiarts.

Incidentally, see www.diiarts.com for a book called Harbour. It's at least as good as Greta's.

Cheers,

Heikki

[Belfaborac]

Sounds like something right up my alley. Thanks for the tip!

[TulagiHotel-HH]

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

Sounds like something right up my alley. Thanks for the tip!

Hey no problem Even if I did not know her, I'd be writing the same recommendation for her book.