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Title:
The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn
Series:
Doctor Syn #5
Author: Arthur Russell Thorndike
Rating:
3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages:
164
Words: 81K
In
previous books, the Scarecrow had refrained from killing government
people because of the problems it would bring down on his head. In
this book, he throws that all to the dungheap and kidnaps and hangs a
Revenuer in the public square. He also kills several other men in the
process of rescuing one of his confederates. The reasons given were
spurious and cheap.
The “Amazing Quest” only takes up about the last third of the book. I was expecting more. The other “despicable smuggler” let me down too. Dr Syn defeats him so easily that it made me wonder how the Revenuers had any problems with him in the first place. I wanted a battle of wits and I didn’t get one. Some of the government men down in Romney Marsh put up a smarter fight than this guy did.
I think most of what I’d like to talk about are the covers. The little one I used as my featured image shows some white haired gentleman with an eyeglass. I’m guessing it is supposed to be Dr Syn? But the reality is that it is an Uncle to the kidnapped girl and said Uncle gets pushed off that stone he’s sitting one and splattered all over the ground by the Despicable Smuggler. Then I saw this black and white wood cut style cover. These are the first edition versions and you know, I really like them.
Syn is showing his age here and yet you look at his arms and you know he can swing that sword with the best of them. And looking at his face, that is the Scarecrow and not one shred of the Reverend Doctor Syn. I see the entity that hung a Revenuer, kidnapped families and exiled them to France and generally thinks he is above the law.
★★★☆☆
From Bookstooge
Doctor Syn, as the Scarecrow, battles it out with revenuers and dragoons and kills at least one of them. Due to this, he heads to Wales to investigate another smuggler who has kidnapped a young girl. Money is involved. Doctor Syn plunders and kills the other smuggler and gives the money to the girl so she can marry the man she wants. Who is a revenuer. How Ironic.
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