Amazon.ca:Customer reviews: Cardinal Black (The Matthew Corbett Novels)

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 5, 2019

Cardinal Black is every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as the rest of the Matthew Corbett series. Among them, I have my favourites... this is easily one of them.
I would start at the beginning because each story builds on the plot and characters of the previous ones.

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Amazon Customer

Great Story

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 1, 2020

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Great story in the series.

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Heidi Sutherland

Terrific

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 4, 2020

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Waited so long for this installment of the series

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Adele Wolfe

Nice

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 16, 2019

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Would recommend

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A. Wolf

Himmelfahrtskommando für Matthew Corbett

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on February 4, 2020

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In seinem siebten Abenteuer begibt sich Matthew Corbett zusammen mit Julian Devane, einem Killer im Auftrag von Professor Fell, auf ein wahres Himmelfahrtskommando. Die beiden sollen das von Cardinal Black gestohlene Buch der Zaubertränke zurückbringen. Matthew hat allerdings ein sehr persönliches Interesse daran, das Buch zu holen. Seine Freundin, Berry Grigsby, hat sich durch ein unbekanntes Gift des Professors in ein verwirrtes Kind zurückverwandelt. Sie lebt in ihrer eigenen Welt und erkennt Matthew nicht wieder. Ohne die im Buch aufgelisteten Gifte und Gegengifte ist sie verloren. Und die Zeit läuft gegen sie. Wenn Berry nicht binnen drei Wochen ein Gegenmittel bekommt, wird sie für immer in diesem Zustand verharren.
Matthew verfolgt eine blutige Spur, gespickt mit satanischen Ritualen. Cardinal Black und seine Männer haben ein ganzes Dorf dem Erdboden gleich gemacht, bevor sie mit zwei Schiffen verschwanden. Ihre einzige Chance besteht darin, in London nach dem Verbleib eines Dreimasters der Royal Navy zu forschen. Julians Quellen offenbaren, dass die Schiffe keineswegs gestohlen wurden. Hinter Cardinal Black steht noch ein weiterer, weitaus mächtigerer Mann, der im Geheimen die Strippen zieht. Sein Name lautet Samson Lash und er ist Vizeadmiral der Royal Navy. Wie sich herausstellt, versteigert er das Buch der Zaubertränke an eine ausgesuchte Klientel. Meuchelmörder, Attentäter und Serienkiller der unterschiedlichsten Herkunft finden sich in der Villa des Admirals ein, um ihr Angebot abzugeben. Matthew und Julian, deren Verhältnis sich während ihrer Reise von Gegnern zu Gefährten gewandelt hat, gelingt es, zwei der geladenen Gäste zu überwältigen. Da es sich natürlich auch um versierte Killer handelt, hat die Konfrontation tödliche Folgen. Als preußische Abgeordnete verkleidet, begeben sich die beiden schließlich mitten in die Höhle des Löwen. Noch können sie nicht ahnen, dass die größten Hürden noch vor ihnen liegen.
Nahtlos führt McCammon die Saga um seinen Helden Corbett nach den Ereignissen in »Freedom of the Mask« fort. Matthew, der sich nun im Mutterland England seinen Gegnern stellen muss, durchläuft dabei eine Feuertaufe, die den jungen Mann nicht nur abhärtet, sondern auch traumatisiert. Er muss begreifen, dass es zuweilen notwendig ist, schlimme Dinge zu tun, um Gutes zu bewirken. Doch ist er wirklich ein guter Mensch? Diese Frage lässt ihn oft nicht schlafen. Was unterscheidet ihn groß von Julian Devane, der kaltblütig für Professor Fell mordet? Neben dem wilden, actiongeladenen Abenteuern versteht es McCammon vorzüglich, dieses Coming-of-Age eines Problemlösers darzustellen. Er malt nicht schwarz oder weiß; es sind vor allem die Grautöne, die Robert McCammon meisterlich beherrscht. Selbst ein grausiger Killer zeigt eine andere, 'normale' Seite und wird dadurch zu einem leidenden menschlichen Wesen. 'Monster' existieren in der Welt Matthew Corbetts nicht. Die wahren Ungeheuer sind Menschen, die ihresgleichen unsagbare Dinge antun.

One person found this helpful

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Paul F. Brooks

Matthew strikes a devil's bargain with Professor Fell

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 16, 2019

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"Cardinal Black" (2019) by Robert McCammon [0823 - crime novel - May 16, 2019]
"Cardinal Black" (2019) by Robert McCammon is the seventh book is his Matthew Corbett series. The titles and date of publication for the first six books are listed below.

Matthew Corbett is a "problem solver" - a private investigator - working for the London-based Herrald Agency in New York City in the very early years of the 17th Century. To put it mildly he is resourceful, intelligent, tenacious and a magnet for troubles.

"Cardinal Black" picks up right after the events from "Freedom of the Mask" (2016). Matthew strikes a devil's bargain with Professor Fell in order to obtain an antidote for the poison weakening his love interest. Matthew agrees to find a man in Italy in possession of a certain magical mirror that can conjure demons. Four stars since I believe this title was not as thrilling - there I said it - as the other volumes - but still a good read.

The popularity of these books rest with Author McCammon narrative skill in creating larger than life characters, engrossing descriptions of life in 17th Century America and England and adroit stories of good yet fallible characters and very, very evil individuals. In addition the authors interjections of humorous descriptive phrases and comical situations leavens the ghoulish antics of Dr. Fell and his minions.

If the subject matter of these stories mildly interest you then I feel confident you will enjoy reading these books.

In my opinion interested readers should make an effort to read the six books released so far in the sequence they were published - see listing below. Characters and incidents show up from previous books and Corbett's story is told chronologically. The story in "Cardinal Black" is a direct continuation of the previously published book "Freedom of the Mask". Yes, you can read this book as a stand alone but your experience will be much more nuanced and enjoyable if you read the others - just my opinion.

"Speak the Nightbird" (2002)
"Queen of Bedlam" (2007)
"Master Slaughter" (2010)
"Providence Rider" (2012)
"River of Souls" (2014)
"Freedom of the Mask" (2016)

18 people found this helpful

Johnny Nys

A decent book but not without its mistakes

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on January 5, 2020

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"Cardinal Black" by Robert McCammon is the seventh book about problem solver Matthew Corbett, a kind of private detective who gets some strange things in his inbox around 1700.

The book was a bit difficult to follow at the beginning, because I did not remember exactly what happened in the previous books. Corbett was sent on a mission by his rival professor Fell, who imprisoned Corbett's lover. Corbett goes out with a henchman of Fell to get hold of a book about potions. They encounter two other rivals from Fell, a vice-admiral named Lash, and his compatriot Cardinal Black. They organize an auction of the book in question that they want to sell in exchange for the plans of a flying warship.

It is a story about the struggle between good and evil, but especially about how good people can do bad things and vice versa. It's about making choices, about making sacrifices, about morality.

However, McCammon does not write without error. His choice of words sometimes leaves something to be desired. At the beginning of the book, he tries too hard to come across as lyrical. Unfortunately, his attempts do not work. He also repeats words, perhaps because he thinks it is funny, and the result indeed sounds ridiculous, but I fear not in the desired way.

This does not mean it's a bad book. Once you are in the story, the involvement with the characters is quite high. Here and there are also drawings in the book, which outline a certain scene down to the graphical details. Some scenes are quite horrible. The previous books contain much more humor. The story does have a great adventure and action content, and here and there reminded me a bit of "The Hateful Eight" by Tarantino.

And the series is still not done. With an open ending and a clear promise of what is to come, I am certainly looking forward to the next part, which I think could well be the final ending.

KarenKoontzfan

Another winner

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 8, 2022

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As usual, McCammon did not disappoint. Thrilling from beginning to end. Matthew Corbett is a favorite.
I highly recommend this series.

Judy L.

Great read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 29, 2022

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I loved reading the entire series.

James Walker

CARDINAL BLACK: McCammon does it again.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 18, 2019

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The Mathew Corbett series has included some of Robert McCammon’s best works. These books have all been exciting thrillers. It helps to read them in sequence, but you can jump in here if you like! This book is an outstanding read (or listen). You escape to a different time period and McCammon’s gift is his ability to describe people, scenes, period clothes, and even food so that you are “really there.” And if you listen to the Audible version, the characters really come alive... the best narrator ever!!

There’s always been at least a little of the macabre! For those who liked the early McCammon books and the horror genre that made him famous ... it’s really back in CARDINAL BLACK! But not so much the supernatural as the evil that lives in some men’s (and women’s) hearts and minds.

Good vs evil has always been an underlying theme of McCammon’s books but who would have thought that the good guys and the evil guys could end up on the “same side”. There are a few hints that the next book in this series will have even more supernatural horror like the old days. I can’t wait!

I hope we don’t have to wait as long for the next as we did for CARDINAL BLACK but McCammon’s books are definitely worth the wait!

7 people found this helpful

5 star		71%
4 star		22%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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