The Darwin conspiracy WorldCat • Read Online • LibraryThing • Google Books • BookFinder
Darnton uses three concurrent plot lines to reveal a fictional conspiracy that is 150 years old. This takes a little getting used to; he rotates them by chapter. Once you’ve gotten into the story, however, this technique works quite well. In one plot line, two modern day researchers study Darwin, hoping to uncover something new about which to write. The second story tells of Darwin on the Beagle. The third consists entirely of entries in a diary located by the researchers. This diary, which was written by Lizzie, the Darwin child about whom the least is known, hints at transgressions committed by Darwin that made possible his rise to fame.
Darnton does a very good job with giving the reader all the necessary information. The best-written mysteries allow the reader to assemble the clues along with or ahead of the protagonist(s). Stories in which a critical fact or clue is only revealed in the denouement are much less satisfying. Darnton is partially guilty of this, however he only withholds details; the relevant facts are there. All in all, this book is a good read. At times, the characters in the historical story lines express opinions or beliefs that make today’s reader cringe. They are not, however, out of character for upper-class, imperialist, nineteenth-century Britons.
