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The Queen of Bedlam by Robert McCammon
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The Queen of Bedlam (edition 2007)

by Robert McCammon

Series: Matthew Corbett (2)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
5571542,754 (4.13)1 / 35
2nd in series dealing with Matthew Corbett. Here he as a "problem solver" investigator must learn the identity of a woman in a mental hospital as well as solve the problem of a corrupt orphanage official that leads to a far greater problem. Face paced and marvelous about what pre-America must have smelt, looked, and been like. The scenes of violence held me spellbound though sometimes they were overlong. ( )
  flashflood42 | Dec 15, 2012 |
English (14)  Danish (1)  All languages (15)
Showing 14 of 14
I read the audio version of this tale. The narrator does such an excellent job of delivering the story. The length might seem daunting at more than 23 hours listening time, but the characters are so well crafted and the writing evoking the time in history that time seems to fly by when listening. I love the author’s use of language and the clever turns of phrase. This won’t be the last of his books that I read. ( )
  Fish_Witch | Jul 4, 2023 |
With a mystery plot even more convoluted and outlandish than [b:Speaks the Nightbird|1525997|Speaks the Nightbird (Matthew Corbett, #1)|Robert McCammon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404931453s/1525997.jpg|16692325], McCammon never fails to entertain as Corbett, the problem solver, goes from one hazard to another like a curious cat. This time New York and Philadelphia provide the background and McCammon continues his masterful portrayal of character. The payoff disappointed me a bit compared to Nightbird and I hope McCammon isn't going to fall into the trap of focusing all the subsequent books on Dr. Fells' death vow and his crime "organization."

McCammon says he has eight more Corbett books in the hopper so this series has a long way to go as Corbett is still a young man.

It is nice to see a "horror" author able to break out of the pigeonhole, especially one this talented. ( )
  Gumbywan | Jun 24, 2022 |
Fucking LOVE this series. If you buy into the story and keep the faith, you will be rewarded with a storyline you never expected but 100% deserved. Clever, witty and full of continuously evolving, lovable and quirky characters! ( )
  erinlizzyward | Apr 17, 2022 |
Poor Matthew Corbett. Dude kinda can't get a break.

Having read the first two novels now, I think I have the basic outline of a Matthew Corbett adventure:

1 - Become embroiled in a mystery.
2 - Go against his authority figure to solve the mystery.
3 - Along the way, get handed some deeply encrypted clues.
4 - Watch the only person that could possibly decrypt them disappear.
5 - Meet a girl and develop a heavy crush.
6 - Defend that girl against some sort of clawed wildlife and end up getting rather mauled.
7 - Get raped while drugged.
8 - Solve the mystery and earn the grudging respect of the authority figure he'd previously defied.
9 - Walk away from the girl he has a crush on for no good reason.
10 - Somewhere in between all this, get beaten up at least once.

For all of that, I actually enjoyed this one more than the first. The pace was a bit more brisk, the historical facts piled on a little more judiciously. Even though he doesn't get along with animals and can only get laid when he's drugged, the little bugger's kinda growing on me.

I'll give him another shot.
  TobinElliott | Sep 3, 2021 |
In this sequel to Speaks the Nightbird, McCammon offers such a breathtaking mix of suspense, historical fiction, and even sprinklings of horror, it's a bit breathtaking. As a character, Matthew Corbett is as real and flawed as he is entertaining, and it's wonderful to travel with him through the branches of this novel. More than in any of McCammon's other works, I found myself guessing as to how all of the threads could possibly come together, but of course they did. I read the last 200 pages of this one in one sitting--it was impossible to do otherwise--and the book has been a reminder of how entrancing McCammon's worlds are.

Absolutely recommended. ( )
  whitewavedarling | Dec 20, 2020 |
I was glad to see Robert McCammon return to Matthew Corbett and his circa 17th century novels. I’m both a fan of historical fiction and McCammon, who is one of my all time favorite writers, making his mark in the horror genre. Making it even better, I had a chance to meet McCammon, and he signed a copy of this book for me.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the other two Corbett books prior to this one, and The Queen of Bedlam did not disappoint. The prose is rich in this novel. The pacing worked out great. The character development and the array of characters was really strong. There were some very memorable characters, including the villains, which mostly consisted of some strange individuals. The backstory behind this when it got revealed was compelling. The elements of mystery were well done. There really wasn’t much that I can complain about, except that I thought there some parts that were perhaps a bit too long winded, and some of those sections could have been trimmed to make the novel better.

The novel concluded nicely. The final action sequence was strong, and it left itself open for additional novels in the future, as Corbett now has a job as a private detective and has made some really serious enemies. I look forward to reading more in the series.

Carl Alves - author of The Invocation ( )
  Carl_Alves | Jan 29, 2020 |
Three and a half stars. Usually I have trouble sticking with books that are all plot and not much depth to the characters, but every chapter brought new characters and plot lines that kept me going almost to the end. By the last 50 pages or so, the thinness of the characters was hard to ignore. They didn't seem like fully dimensional people, but more like devices to move the plot. The historical accuracy of the dialog also took a downhill turn towards the end, like an actor dropping his accent as the play goes on. But overall it was a fun and quick read and when I'm in the mood for another plot-based historical novel, I'll go for another in the Mathew Corbett series. ( )
  badube | Mar 6, 2019 |
Sloppy, pedestrian writing, silly anachronisms meant (I think) as sly asides, sentence fragments, misused phrases, bad word choices, caricatures instead of characters: what has happened to the Robert McCammon of the brilliant and poignant "Boy's Life"?

Still, McCammon has regained his knack for swift readability, and I found my curiosity to see how things turned out continually overriding my dismay at how poor the writing was.

It's an interesting enough tale, if too convoluted and silly by half. I just wish the good McCammon could have written more of it rather than his doppelgänger. ( )
  erebor | Jan 9, 2016 |
2nd in series dealing with Matthew Corbett. Here he as a "problem solver" investigator must learn the identity of a woman in a mental hospital as well as solve the problem of a corrupt orphanage official that leads to a far greater problem. Face paced and marvelous about what pre-America must have smelt, looked, and been like. The scenes of violence held me spellbound though sometimes they were overlong. ( )
  flashflood42 | Dec 15, 2012 |
McCammon!! You make me want to smack my Grandma into a coma! In all forms of the word, you are badass! Once again, masterfully, you delivered another story of epic proportions. This one was a breath of fresh air, as I usually read multiple books at once, this one was paired with Stephen King’s, Cell. The horrendousness of that book only made this one all the better!

So as it is, The Queen of Bedlam lies in her personal asylum, drifting alone in her mental prison. But were she to speak from the depths, what a secret story she would tell! Thus, Mr. Matthew Corbett is at it again. He embarks on a trek to uncover the murders of three profound members of New York City. (Errr, well population 5,000 at the time) Now, I’m not talking about the Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick maker, but you get the drift. The night assassin makes quick work of cutting masks into their faces as well as slicing their throats. Which causes the denizens of New York to give the murderer his fitting moniker, The Masker. Here lies the mystery of who is The Masker, and why has he selected these specific targets selected for his nocturnal pleasures? Once again there is mystery, there is adventure and there are comedic moments. Matthew seems to always find trouble at his doorstep, and not only is it there, but it’s thundering loudly against his door with Thor’s hammer!

In this novel, Matthew moves another rung up the ladder and now begins working for the Herrald Agency. Further reeling me in and given me pause to wonder in the next novel will he indeed take on the characteristics of Sherlock Holmes himself? McCammon blends action and dialogue, history and fiction, and intrigue with mystery; throws them all in a bowl mixes them up and serves up the perfect tale of cordon bleu mystery stew! The only puzzling question I have now is at what tender age did Mr. McCammon sell his soul to the Devil for such talent, and if not his soul the purchasing price what was the cost? Cause’ I might be willing to get in on that! Anyway, as before Robert doesn’t fail to entertain and as always this novel ends on another moment of piqued interest in what sort of shenanigans will Mr. Corbett get himself into during his next adventure. ( )
  Timothy_Dalton007 | Jun 15, 2011 |
Wow this book was even more intersting than "speaks the nightbird" and it really kept me on the edge of my seat! I am not usually into murder mystery detective books, but this was truly fantastic. I definitely would reccomend it and I am excited to read the next in the series! ( )
  Suzanne520 | Apr 6, 2011 |
This is the second book after Speaks the Nightbird and I was excited to see what would happen to Matthew Corbett next. Matthew stays true to form, always looking to solve mysteries and this book is no different, bringing in several different plot twists along the way. Overall, I liked this book even better than Speaks the Nightbird. It was more exciting and I liked that it was set in NY City. There were more new and interesting characters and Matthew didn't disappoint. The end was really exciting and I couldn't put the book down until it was over. ( )
  Sandra2891 | Mar 12, 2011 |
An amazing read! Can't wait to start the next one. ( )
  maryintexas39 | Dec 15, 2010 |
Incredible novel! This the second of the Matthew Corbett books and long may it continue.
Set in New York this historical mystery/thriller is extremely well written, filled with well developed characters,exciting,well paced and will keep you guessing on multiple thread plots until the end.
I cannot wait to read Mister Slaughter, the third in the series(it will be interesting if nothing else to see if Matthew is given the opportunity to have sex whilst not drugged!).
Highly recommended but read Speaks the Nightbird first. ( )
  johnmischief | Mar 10, 2010 |
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