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worried's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hannahg1702's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
inkreads's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is the second in the DI Caius Beauchamp series and a perfect advertisment to read the first in the series "The Other Half"
This novel centres on the rich and shameless and the people who desperately aspire to join that crowd. Dripping with elitism, corruption and intrigue, The In Crowd follows DI Caius Beauchamp as he investigates a cold case with new evidence and a new case that erupts with the discovery of a body in the Thames, just a short distance away from a high-end Richmond Garden party
The two key plus points were belting; a fantastic protagonist in the immensely likeable and relatable DI Caius Beauchamp and two powerful mystery plotlines that left my brain fizzing with delight as I was absolutely blindsided with the ending
Another plus point for me were Caius' colleagues DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes, what a great mixture of personalities to make a truly effective investigative team
Vassell is a master of the descriptive narrative, not just in setting a scene but building personalities and characters. This encourages the reader to understand characters on an intimate level for good or bad and this adds an extra dimension to their actions and inteeractions.
The In Crowd firmly establishes a new space in the mystery genre and I absolutely loved it. Vassells writing is witty, articulate and oh so deliciously quirky! I was thrilled to read this novel and look forward to following Caius and seeing where they take us next
Thank you very much to Netgalley, Faber and Faber Limited for this brilliant ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
This novel centres on the rich and shameless and the people who desperately aspire to join that crowd. Dripping with elitism, corruption and intrigue, The In Crowd follows DI Caius Beauchamp as he investigates a cold case with new evidence and a new case that erupts with the discovery of a body in the Thames, just a short distance away from a high-end Richmond Garden party
The two key plus points were belting; a fantastic protagonist in the immensely likeable and relatable DI Caius Beauchamp and two powerful mystery plotlines that left my brain fizzing with delight as I was absolutely blindsided with the ending
Another plus point for me were Caius' colleagues DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes, what a great mixture of personalities to make a truly effective investigative team
Vassell is a master of the descriptive narrative, not just in setting a scene but building personalities and characters. This encourages the reader to understand characters on an intimate level for good or bad and this adds an extra dimension to their actions and inteeractions.
The In Crowd firmly establishes a new space in the mystery genre and I absolutely loved it. Vassells writing is witty, articulate and oh so deliciously quirky! I was thrilled to read this novel and look forward to following Caius and seeing where they take us next
Thank you very much to Netgalley, Faber and Faber Limited for this brilliant ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
emmareadscrime's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jen_meds_book_reviews's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The In Crowd sees the very welcome return of DI Caius Beauchamp and his colleagues, DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes, as they are once again drawn into the strange, and often underhand world, of the rich and the shameless. This time they are faced with two cases - both triggered by situations that may or may not be natural or accidental in causation - but which lead them into a very intriguing and muddled situation involving politics, cover ups and missing people and missing millions. Our lovely detecting trio aren't the only familiar faces we get to see again. albeit that I think most readers will be far happier with their presence than a certain other rogue from The Other Half, a very different Mr Beauchamp who has not yet learned his lesson in how to behave like a civilised human being it seems ...
What I love about this book, and it's predecessor, is that there is a wonderfully rich and warm vein of humour that threads through it, particularly from between the three Detectives as they navigate these two very different yet equally interesting cases, and somewhat complicated personal; lives, especially for Caius, even if he doesn't yet know it. From a rather unfortunate 'meet-puke" as the author puts it (very apt), to a tangled web of personal connections that lead him right back to his potential 'murder for millions' investigation, it seems the poor chap is destined to have a complicated love life. I do love him as a character, his well meant attempts to keep his colleagues healthy which are only ever met with a lukewarm reception, to his principled nature and dogged determination, he's a lot of fun to be around. Matt and Amy hold their own too, and as a trio they work well together. Matt has a strange obsession with lavender shortbread (don't ask) and Amy is chasing down a promotion, but they are just a fun bunch to spend time with.
The investigations this time are both complicated and strangely simple at the same time. One is a cold case, triggered by the situation in which Caius met Callie - the story of a teeneager who vanished from an exclusive boarding school a couple of decades earlier and who was never found. The second was that of a woman whose body was found in the Thames - the subject of an unexpectedly bloody opening to the book - who had been previously linked to a scandal in which a company pension fund had been syphoned away, the owner and the money never to be seen again. One is being motivated by a political angle, the other Caius' desire to do right by the missing girl. Both lead to some very surprising revelations and, in one case, a rather disturbing discovery.
The book has a good pace, the stories are equally compelling, and the characters are so varied and, sadly, believable, that even where they may seem to be exaggerated, they really probably aren't. Charlotte Vassell really does a brilliant job of creating that privileged politico-edged 'country club and pony set', both celebrating and riculing their pomposity and entitlement at the same time. And it works so well. I was completely immersed in their lifestyle, repulsed and fascinated by it, and laughing along with Caius, Matt and Amy as they poked fun and disbelief at how the other half lived. It's not the first time they have set foot in that particular world after all.
Definitely recommended. If you haven't read The Other Half then I recommend you start there first. Not entirely necessary - this book stands well alone - but it's good to see the progression of the characters and to understand the background of Beauchamp v Beauchamp a little better. The books, and characters are growing stronger each time and it's clear the author loves her Detectives just as much as we do. Can't wait for more.
What I love about this book, and it's predecessor, is that there is a wonderfully rich and warm vein of humour that threads through it, particularly from between the three Detectives as they navigate these two very different yet equally interesting cases, and somewhat complicated personal; lives, especially for Caius, even if he doesn't yet know it. From a rather unfortunate 'meet-puke" as the author puts it (very apt), to a tangled web of personal connections that lead him right back to his potential 'murder for millions' investigation, it seems the poor chap is destined to have a complicated love life. I do love him as a character, his well meant attempts to keep his colleagues healthy which are only ever met with a lukewarm reception, to his principled nature and dogged determination, he's a lot of fun to be around. Matt and Amy hold their own too, and as a trio they work well together. Matt has a strange obsession with lavender shortbread (don't ask) and Amy is chasing down a promotion, but they are just a fun bunch to spend time with.
The investigations this time are both complicated and strangely simple at the same time. One is a cold case, triggered by the situation in which Caius met Callie - the story of a teeneager who vanished from an exclusive boarding school a couple of decades earlier and who was never found. The second was that of a woman whose body was found in the Thames - the subject of an unexpectedly bloody opening to the book - who had been previously linked to a scandal in which a company pension fund had been syphoned away, the owner and the money never to be seen again. One is being motivated by a political angle, the other Caius' desire to do right by the missing girl. Both lead to some very surprising revelations and, in one case, a rather disturbing discovery.
The book has a good pace, the stories are equally compelling, and the characters are so varied and, sadly, believable, that even where they may seem to be exaggerated, they really probably aren't. Charlotte Vassell really does a brilliant job of creating that privileged politico-edged 'country club and pony set', both celebrating and riculing their pomposity and entitlement at the same time. And it works so well. I was completely immersed in their lifestyle, repulsed and fascinated by it, and laughing along with Caius, Matt and Amy as they poked fun and disbelief at how the other half lived. It's not the first time they have set foot in that particular world after all.
Definitely recommended. If you haven't read The Other Half then I recommend you start there first. Not entirely necessary - this book stands well alone - but it's good to see the progression of the characters and to understand the background of Beauchamp v Beauchamp a little better. The books, and characters are growing stronger each time and it's clear the author loves her Detectives just as much as we do. Can't wait for more.
thisisadebut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
whatkatisreading's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
‘The In Crowd’ by Charlotte Vassell is a sequel to the savage and smart ‘The Other Half’ and again stars DI Caius Beauchamp and features high society, twisted relationships and death. In this novel, Caius and his likeable colleagues Amy and Matt are assigned to investigate a mysterious body found in the Thames near Richmond, and what initially seems like a tragic accident pulls at a loose thread in the fabric of London’s upper class. Alongside his team’s focus on the Richmond death and a parallel cold case, Caius begins to date a new woman - Callie - after being cheated on for a second time by his ex. His sleuthing in the first book taught him that connections were everything, but DI Beauchamp is set to uncover more connectivity than he bargained for in this captivating follow-up!
I really like Caius as a main character, and enjoy his slight pretensions as well as how much his team make fun of him! His “meet-puke” (this made me laugh!) with Callie was eventful and cute and their relationship progression felt genuine. The scathing tone employed by Vassell as she describes certain members of the upper class is just as present as in the first book (I knew I was in for a treat and some laugh-out-loud moments when on the first page we met an investment banker who rowed to have an excuse to avoid his family). Despite not describing them kindly, the author feeds avid fascination with the crème-de-la-crème by name-dropping their favourite haunts and immersing the reader into the best London postcodes!
The mysteries in focus in this novel were twisting, compelling and dark. I guessed an intermediate twist, for which seeds were unsparingly planted, but that didn’t in any way spoil my enjoyment. The last chapters - set in an exclusive, secretive gentlemen’s club and our main character’s flat, are intriguing and have me wondering what will come for Caius in Book 3 before this one officially releases!
I received a free review copy of this ebook from the publisher Faber and Faber via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really like Caius as a main character, and enjoy his slight pretensions as well as how much his team make fun of him! His “meet-puke” (this made me laugh!) with Callie was eventful and cute and their relationship progression felt genuine. The scathing tone employed by Vassell as she describes certain members of the upper class is just as present as in the first book (I knew I was in for a treat and some laugh-out-loud moments when on the first page we met an investment banker who rowed to have an excuse to avoid his family). Despite not describing them kindly, the author feeds avid fascination with the crème-de-la-crème by name-dropping their favourite haunts and immersing the reader into the best London postcodes!
The mysteries in focus in this novel were twisting, compelling and dark. I guessed an intermediate twist, for which seeds were unsparingly planted, but that didn’t in any way spoil my enjoyment. The last chapters - set in an exclusive, secretive gentlemen’s club and our main character’s flat, are intriguing and have me wondering what will come for Caius in Book 3 before this one officially releases!
I received a free review copy of this ebook from the publisher Faber and Faber via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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