Official Review: The Rat Taker by Shirleyann Costigan
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- Okafor Prosper
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Official Review: The Rat Taker by Shirleyann Costigan
The Rat Taker by Shirleyann Costigan is a historical fiction novel that follows Simon Ratiker, a wealthy businessman who has just employed Jonathan Purchell, a clerk, to help him pen down his story, from his days living in poverty to meeting his master, Amaury Swain, and working as a rat taker. Simon also goes into detail on what the job of a rat taker was like and narrates his passionate affair with Maude, his master's concubine, whom he fell in love with. There are memories that Simon hopes to uncover in this process, however. It also seems odd that Simon has had other clerks that didn't last long working for him and left town immediately after they were fired. Jonathan knows that there is more to Simon's story and embarks on the journey to uncovering Simon's secrets.
The story is set in 14th century London, and I have to commend the author for the brilliant job done in executing the setting. The author accurately captures the devastating plague that affected England while capturing the suspicion that rats contributed to the spread of the "Black Death." The descriptive writing style employed, which is a variant of early modern English, further puts readers firmly in that period and makes the story feel real.
The Rat Taker is told from the first-person perspective, switching between Simon and Jonathan as we are fully immersed in both characters' worlds and understand their actions. There is a lot of suspense as Jonathan discovers that all is not as it seems, and the story takes a twist that puts his life in danger. Shirleyann Costigan's ability to draw readers in with unexpected events is my favorite aspect of the book. The book starts as an inspirational story, highlighting Simon's rise through hard work until I found myself trying to solve the mystery behind Simon's wealth and the missing people from his life.
Furthermore, The Rat Taker is an exceptionally well-edited book, as I did not find any errors while reading, which I highly appreciated. I cannot think of anything I dislike about the book. While the perspectives shift and we also follow Simon's story in two different timelines, there is no confusion, as everything is clearly narrated and well organized.
All things considered, The Rat Taker deserves a maximum rating of four out of four stars. At 118 pages, the book is a steady-paced, concise, and entertaining read. Readers who enjoy historical fiction and mystery novels will enjoy this book.
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The Rat Taker
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