Review
Chief among the many gifts the husband and wife writing team of Michael G Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio bring to this atmospheric thriller is the ability to deliver the
environment of Prussia's Baltic Coast in 1808 as a living, breathing, odiferous
locale. Indeed, it is fair to say I spent a good deal of the time reading this
novel with my nose wrinkled. But that is a good thing, since the effect not only
enhances a sense of place but brings the summer of 1808 to the forefront to the
extent that it becomes its own vibrant character. At the outset it interacts
with Magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis as he dodges flies attracted to the dung mounds
that clog the roads in his tiny hamlet. It even interferes with his wife
Helena's sleep when she dreams that one of those cursed flies has crawled into
her baby's mouth.
But that's just the beginning. Throughout, the hot...
Beyond the Book
Baltic Amber
As I read 'A Visible Darkness' I was fascinated by the act of collecting
amber. Michael G Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio, who write under the pseudonym
Michael Gregorio, were kind enough to answer my questions plus give a
bonus teaser about the next Hanno Stiffeniis novel already in the works...
Q. There is, it seems, a rich history surrounding Baltic amber. How much did
you know about the amber trade before embarking on your novel? How did you
research this?
A. We were looking for an original setting for the third story in the
series, and the Baltic coast seemed the ideal place, given that amber has been
collected on the shore for many centuries. It was a dangerous job. You could be
swept off your feet,...
