The School of Night: A Novel

by Louis Bayard Narrated by Robert Petkoff

Overview

From Louis Bayard, an ancient mystery, a lost letter, and a timeless love unleash a long-buried web of intrigue that spans four centuries

In the late sixteenth century, five brilliant scholars gather under the cloak of darkness to discuss God, politics, astronomy, and the black arts. Known as the School of Night, they meet in secret to avoid the wrath of Queen Elizabeth. But one of the men, Thomas Harriot, has secrets of his own, secrets he shares with one person only: the servant woman he loves.

In modern-day Washington, D.C., disgraced Elizabethan scholar Henry Cavendish has been hired by the ruthless antiquities collector Bernard Styles to find a missing letter. The letter dates from the 1600s and was stolen by Henry's close friend, Alonzo Wax. Now Wax is dead and Styles wants the letter back.

But the letter is an object of interest to others, too. It may be the clue to a hidden treasure; it may contain the long-sought formula for alchemy; it most certainly will prove the existence of the group of men whom Shakespeare dubbed the School of Night but about whom little is known. Joining Henry in his search for the letter is Clarissa Dale, a mysterious woman who suffers from visions that only Henry can understand. In short order, Henry finds himself stumbling through a secretive world of ancient perils, caught up in a deadly plot, and ensnared in the tragic legacy of a forgotten genius.

Editorial Reviews

MAY 2011 - AudioFile

It’s sometimes the case that a narrator inadvertently calls attention to all of a book’s weaknesses. That’s certainly true with Robert Petkoff in this mystery. His reading emphasizes the artificiality of Bayard’s dialogue and poorly developed characters. The plot, diverting enough, concerns a long-lost letter written to Thomas Harriott, an Elizabethan-era inventor and friend of the doomed Sir Walter Raleigh. The novel’s hero, disgraced scholar Henry Cavendish, is convinced by his outsized collector friend, Alonzo Wax, that the letter is a map leading to gold. Bayard intersperses the present with interludes back in time to Harriot and his budding romance with a servant girl. Petkoff, following the author’s lead, portrays these and other characters as caricatures. It doesn’t help that he also employs an inconsistent English accent. M.O. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Fascinating…A few codes and cryptograms are all you need to get caught up in an enigmatic mystery like The School of Night.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Exhilarating…Bayard adds twist after satisfying twist... At its heart, The School of Night illuminates a glimpse into legend, assuring readers that this ancient classroom offered a curriculum heavy on secrets.” —The Washington Post

“Rich and rewarding...Mr. Bayard writes seamless prose and conjures the past with credibility.” —The Wall Street Journal

“[A] superb intellectual thriller...The author's persuasive portrayal of undeservedly obscure real-life scientist Thomas Harriot, a member of the school, enhances a plot with intelligence and depth.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“[A] compelling literary thriller” —Library Journal (starred)

“An entertaining intelligent thriller…fast-paced [with] several superb twists.” —The Mystery Gazette

“[D]eftly rendered. . . . Bayard (The Black Tower, 2008, etc.) blends luminaries of history, lost treasure, intrigue and a double-twist conclusion into a highly readable concoction.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Bayard's latest. . . interweaves the antic comedy of the modern-day caper with the tragic and affecting love story of the past.” —Booklist

“Bayard has crafted a deft, immensely engaging, and in the end, surprisingly moving novel” —James Williams, popmatters.com

MAY 2011 - AudioFile

It’s sometimes the case that a narrator inadvertently calls attention to all of a book’s weaknesses. That’s certainly true with Robert Petkoff in this mystery. His reading emphasizes the artificiality of Bayard’s dialogue and poorly developed characters. The plot, diverting enough, concerns a long-lost letter written to Thomas Harriott, an Elizabethan-era inventor and friend of the doomed Sir Walter Raleigh. The novel’s hero, disgraced scholar Henry Cavendish, is convinced by his outsized collector friend, Alonzo Wax, that the letter is a map leading to gold. Bayard intersperses the present with interludes back in time to Harriot and his budding romance with a servant girl. Petkoff, following the author’s lead, portrays these and other characters as caricatures. It doesn’t help that he also employs an inconsistent English accent. M.O. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169110708
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	03/29/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

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