Diana Gabaldon - Lord John And The Private Matter

Pros: Brilliant historical detail, a wickedly convoluted plot and a strong likable gay hero.

Cons: A bit slow off the start; some superfluous, underdeveloped characters.

The Bottom Line: This is well written, fitting all the forms and functions of the historical mystery. It's a four star book, but a positive Gay hero bumps it to five stars.

Review: Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon (ISBN 038533747) is the first "Spin Off" from the Epic Outlander series. In this book, Ms. Gabaldon tries her hand at historical fiction, a genre she admits she loves. She could not in good faith to ...

Pros: intricate story, good characters

Cons: first 50 pages hard to get through

The Bottom Line: Read it, but be prepared to struggle through the first chapters.

Review: I am a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, and I am looking forward to the publishing of the next book in that series. Lord John and the Private Matter is not an Outlander book per se… it’s more like a spin-off. In ...

Pros: Gabaldon's descriptions are lush and evocative

Cons: A bit too much emphasis on Grey's sexual leanings

The Bottom Line: Buy it for light reading, but don't expect "Outlander"-type work

Review: According to an interview with Diana Gabaldon on ivillage.com, asked why she decided to write "Outlander", I quote: "When it came time to decide what sort of novel to write, I at first thought I might write a mystery, given that I read perhaps more of ...

Pros: Rabid Diana Gabaldon fans will be momentarily satiated.

Cons: Not long enough or well developed enough.

The Bottom Line: See Review.

Review: Diana Gabaldon is an author that was first recommended to me by a coworker during a discussion on historical fiction. She recommended Gabaldon’s Outlander series to me, but mentioned that these books were romance novels. Not one for bodice ripp ...