Felt like it was going in too many directions and that the connections were kind of forced, almost had enough plot to stretch into two books instead of pushing into one. ( )

Garnet Havelock and his girlfriend/soulmate Raphaella Skye investigate the appearance of the spectre of a Dominican monk at the nearby mansion of a recently deceased professor. At the time of his death, the professor had been doing research on the fanaticism of this monk and his torture, execution, and burning by the Italian Inquisition. A second plot concerns Garnet's discovery of a GPS and cell phone at what seems to be a militia training camp in the woods near Orillia, Ontario. Garnet is a pivotal figure in the resolution of the mysteries surrounding both strange occurrences.

Bell's parallel plots are fast moving, his characterization is sound, and the love between his two main characters is affecting. His articulation of the theme, however, is rather heavy handed. We're fairly regularly bopped over the head with the notion that democracy suffers and intolerance thrives when small, exclusive groups of men press for adherence to a single religious truth and for the establishment of a theocracy. This was the case during the (Catholic Church's) Inquisition and it's the case now when Islamist adherents use terror and torture to make others toe their lines. Generally, the book is well done. Certainly, it's highly respectful of young readers' intelligence, based as it is on historical figures from the time of the Inquisition. An added note: Bell's book works well without the (sometimes troublesome) language and graphic sexual scenes that are often seen in young adult texts. However, some of his ideas may still ruffle the feathers of fundamentalist readers...so the book is subversive in its own neat way--challenging younger readers with its more liberal ideas about religion, sexuality, feminism, and marriage/family life. ( )

Fanatics is a YA novel by Canadian author William Bell, set in the small Ontario town of Orillia. Young Garnet, having completed school and an apprenticeship to become a cabinet-maker, is searching for a rental space where he can set up his own wood-working shop, with the enthusiastic support of his parents and his girlfriend, Raphaella. When a friend directs him to the nearby mansion of a recently deceased relative, he is pleased to sign a 3-year rental agreement with the mansion's inhabitant Mrs. Stoppini, the former housekeeper and companion of the deceased. In this odd arrangement, he pays only one dollar for the rental of the former carriage house, ideal for his purposes, with the only requirements being that he restore the somewhat burned fireplace mantle and bookcases that were damaged in the library at the time of the unfortunate demise of the former owner, and that he inventory and catalogue the 4,000 or so books in the library in his spare time. But Garnet soon realizes that the library contains more than just books, and that the deceased's last work, a study of fanatical religious zealots including the 15th Century monk Savonarola, has raised the ire of paranormal forces, and he and Raphaella must find a way to combat them before they too suddenly find themselves deceased.... There's more to this book, including a modern-day terrorist plot being hatched in the region and the mounting of a musical play, "Merrie Olde Orillia," for which Raphaella serves as the stage manager, but all of the plot elements are neatly related to each other, and Bell's depiction of small-town Ontario rings true, although some of the supernatural elements are a bit over the top. This is evidently a sequel to an earlier book, Stones, which I have not read, but it holds up well on its own, one doesn't need to know the earlier novel to enjoy this one. As the main characters are in their late teens or early 20s at the time of this novel's events, I'm not sure I'd classify it as YA exactly, but I certainly breezed through it in practically no time, and enjoyed doing so. Mildly recommended. ( )

At once intriguing, horrifying and fascinating, William Bell’s follow up to Stones has had me engrossed. Garnet Havelock has finished his apprenticeship and he is keen to begin work as a cabinetmaker. A chance conversation in a coffee shop leads to an offer he can’t resist. He signs a contract with mysterious Valentina Stoppini: he will be allowed to set up his workshop in a coachhouse on the Corbizzi property. In exchange, he promises to repair and catalogue the mansion library. Garnet and his girlfriend, Raphaella, are soon at work in the library but they are not alone, and cannot shake the feeling that danger lurks in the ominous room.

“Every house has its own night noises, and the older the building the more it seems to creak and groan, like an old dog getting comfortable in his basket. The Corbizzi mansion was no different. And if you had a big enough imagination, every squeak and crack had a sinister cause – a malevolent intruder creeping slowing up the stairs, an evil spirit bent on revenge pushing open a door. What is there about the dark that awakens primitive images and drags them to the surface of your mind?”

This is a captivating story that teens will thoroughly enjoy.