Bellman & Black

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013.  I just finished book 84.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Summary (via NetGalley):
One moment in time can haunt you forever.
Caught up in a moment of boyhood competition, William Bellman recklessly aims his slingshot at a rook resting on a branch, killing the bird instantly.  It is a small but cruel act, and is soon forgotten.  By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seem sot have put the whole incident behind him.  It was as if he never killed the thing at all.  But rooks don't forget.
Years later, when a stranger mysteriously enters William's life, his fortunes begin to turn - and the terrible and unforeseen consequences of his past indiscretion take root.  In a desperate bid to save the only precious thing he has left, he enters into a rather strange bargain with an even stranger partner.  Together, they found a decidedly macabre business.
And Bellman & Black is born.

My Opinion:
This book was intriguing but not exciting.  It was quiet, building and building to the end.  My only complaint is that the ending felt a little too soft and quiet; I expected a more climatic moment between Bellman and Black.
It held my interest and was well-written, and I will read more by the author.

Quote of the Blog:
*Since this was an ARC, I can't quote directly from the book like I normally would.  Instead I've found another quote that seems fitting.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." ~ Irish headstone