When Elizabeth Speller appeared on a Book Club list, it was the first time that I heard of her. The book was The Return of Captain John Emmet which is set in the period after the First World War.
I have enjoyed several novels set during this period so I was pleased at the selection. I duly bought a copy and read some reviews on Amazon. They were enthusiastic and perhaps that raised my expectations. Unfortunately, however, I was to be disappointed.
Interesting storyline
The story line in The Return of Captain John Emmet is interesting. It’s a complex plot and evolves slowly. The story is strong enough to hold your attention and keep you reading. However, I found the characters in difficult to relate to. Consequently, despite interest in the plot, I was relieved to reach the end.
Elizabeth Speller is a Cambridge graduate who has written several non-fiction titles and perhaps I may check them out on another occasion.
For fiction, though, if you want to read novels about the First World War, I recommend Sebastian Faulk’s Birdsong and Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy as alternatives to The Return of Captain John Emmet.