The Streets of Babylon - A London Mystery by Carina Burman brings writer Euthanasia Bondeson to life in this work of historical fiction. A trip to the Great Exhibition turns into more of an adventure than Euthanasia and her niece Agnes had planned. When Agnes disappears, Euthanasia finds herself caught up in the mystery, even going undercover to find out what happened to her devoted niece.
The author uses a descriptive first-person narrative and conversational dialog to tell her story. I have to admit, historical fiction has never been my favorite, and I almost gave up on this book because the first sixteen or so pages are just a descriptive narrative of Euthanasia's surroundings. I have to be grabbed by the story or I just can't read the book, but I decided to stick with it and I'm glad I did. This mystery novel is an entertaining and sometimes humorous trip to London back in the year 1851: "The cigar tasted of adventure. It had the aroma of London: rich, racy, sinful and alluring. I leant (sic) back and smoked in silence."
The author, Dr. Carina Burman, is a professor at Uppsala University. She has written several books on the 18th and 19th century and has written four other novels prior to this one. Sarah Death translated The Streets of Babylon from Swedish. Death has devoted her studies to Swedish women writers, and she works as a translator and editor of Swedish literature.
Death's translation to English is so smooth there isn't any evidence that the story was first told in another language. The characters are vivid, and the reader will feel as if they are part of the events as they unfold. The story takes us on a captivating trip back in time with interesting - and at times quirky - individuals, who quickly come to feel like friends.
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