Review: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath
Gaby Meares
I loved [b:The Left-Handed Booksellers of London|49867186|The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (Left-Handed Booksellers of London, #1)|Garth Nix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581368800l/49867186.SY75.jpg|67924695]. So I was super excited to be immersed again in Nix’s re-invented 1980s London, complete with left-handed booksellers who protect ordinary folk from mythical bad guys.
This next instalment disappoints on several levels. We see virtually nothing of the bookshops and the literary references that were so enjoyable in the first book are few and far between. The pacing is all over the place, it starts with a bang, then slows down to a crawl, then races to the finish. We are introduced to many new characters, but learn nothing about them, apart from what they wear (which is described in minute detail), what car they might be driving (again, so much information about different types of cars) or what weapon they are carrying. This level of detail added nothing to the story - in fact it bogged it down. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:
The convoy back to London….was led by a Met Police Rover SD1-V8 with lights flashing; followed by Greene’s unmarked Jaguar XJ12; another Police Rover SD1; then Cousin Emilia’s astonishingly bright silver Range Rover, which Merlin explained had been custom outfitted for a Saudi sheik who then reneged on the deal, which explained its metallic silver finish, walnut panelling, camel leather seats with built-in heating, and armoured glass windows. If that wasn’t enough, there was a gold Ford Capri Mk3 full of booksellers following, and behind it a nondescript blue Ford Transit….; and bringing up the rear was a Met Police Triumph 2.5PI…
I really cannot see a young adult reader being at all interested in this list of car models; it certainly didn’t interest me!
If you haven’t read the first book I think you’d struggle to grasp what was going on to be honest. There are a few clues peppered through the book, but nothing that substantially explains who all these people are and what they are doing. I felt like I was dropped back into the world, without a refresher course!
I’m really sad to say I am disappointed in The Sinister Booksellers of Bath.