Title: Boring Botch of a Great Idea
Product review: My God, what a great idea--and my God, how thoroughly Saylor has botched it!To begin with, Saylor doesn't stay on track at all. The narrative is constantly interrupted so that he can show off every single bit of research he's done for the novel. A good historical novelist uses research to flesh out and propel his narrative--Saylor uses it to slow the book down and make it bloated.Second, the solution to the mystery--the trumpeted titular "twist"--is pedestrian in the extreme.Third, the character of O. Henry, as presented in the novel, is not a character at all--he's a blank, a black hole at the book's center.I have never read a more boring or disappointing thriller in my life.
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