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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Magpie Murders. This was equally fun. It is a nook within a book with lots of easter eggs and word play. Figure it out or not- either way you’ll enjoy the book.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder
In the style of a classic whodunit from the golden age of mysteries, this second entry into the Susan Ryeland series is, in the words of a passage in the book, a "complicated mystery."
As in Magpie Murders, there is a similar yet separate novel within the original novel. That right there is the complicated part, i.e., keeping track of the huge cast of characters with one half being based on the other half.
Susan, an editor, has been asked to help solve a murder that was allegedly based on a novel written by the now deceased author Alan Conway, a man Susan could not stand. Susan returns to the genteel English countryside from Crete where she has tried to create a new life without books. She is not exactly content. What follows is a nonviolent mystery where just about every character could have committed both the first and the second murder, which are eight years apart. This is true in both novels in this one book.
This is intelligent writing of the highest degree, but it is truly confusing. Anyone who reads for just 20 min each night will spend half that time trying to remember who is who. In the conclusion, it gets even more detailed where we learn Alan Conway had matched initials of characters in each story. So the doctor in the main story may have had the initial LC and so does the doctor in the 'novel' within. Lots of other symbolism too and that started to become overwhelming.
Such a great idea to embed one novel within another. These are puzzles requiring solving. All the traditional motivations are present: greed, jealousy, lust, racial prejudice and even a touch of fanaticism. Looking back, there are signposts along the way. Very, very clever stuff.
As in Magpie Murders, there is a similar yet separate novel within the original novel. That right there is the complicated part, i.e., keeping track of the huge cast of characters with one half being based on the other half.
Susan, an editor, has been asked to help solve a murder that was allegedly based on a novel written by the now deceased author Alan Conway, a man Susan could not stand. Susan returns to the genteel English countryside from Crete where she has tried to create a new life without books. She is not exactly content. What follows is a nonviolent mystery where just about every character could have committed both the first and the second murder, which are eight years apart. This is true in both novels in this one book.
This is intelligent writing of the highest degree, but it is truly confusing. Anyone who reads for just 20 min each night will spend half that time trying to remember who is who. In the conclusion, it gets even more detailed where we learn Alan Conway had matched initials of characters in each story. So the doctor in the main story may have had the initial LC and so does the doctor in the 'novel' within. Lots of other symbolism too and that started to become overwhelming.
Such a great idea to embed one novel within another. These are puzzles requiring solving. All the traditional motivations are present: greed, jealousy, lust, racial prejudice and even a touch of fanaticism. Looking back, there are signposts along the way. Very, very clever stuff.
I hadn't read the first Susan Ryeland book (I bought this one because it sounded good and was on sale, but didn't have any indications it was part of a series... oops) but I enjoyed this one! I feel like I understood everything without having read the first. I was a bit frustrated with the book-in-a-book style because it felt like a 200+ page deviation from the plot, but I actually came to enjoy it more than I expected. The ending came together well, so it's a solid mystery read.
Fun, fun fun. Well there is death etc. But love the format.
Two murder mysteries for the price of one. With a total of four victims and three guilty parties - just to add a little more maths. I find these books so reminiscent of Christie, brimming with predicable, unpredictably that I consume them at a leisurely pace. In both cases I was surprised by the solution and gratified to see all the clues laid out in plain sight. There is no rushing it through the pages, worrying about the safety of the characters. Just a steady unfolding of the facts until it is ready for the reveal.
I keep wondering which detective came first. Did Horowitz plan to do a golden-age series, with Atticus Pund but find it too prosaic and add on Susan Ryeland? Or was it the other way about? Susan is not always the most engaging character, but I do like her complications. Atticus and Andreas are both to be adored. I kind of hope there will be a book for each of Alan Cumming’s novels.
I keep wondering which detective came first. Did Horowitz plan to do a golden-age series, with Atticus Pund but find it too prosaic and add on Susan Ryeland? Or was it the other way about? Susan is not always the most engaging character, but I do like her complications. Atticus and Andreas are both to be adored. I kind of hope there will be a book for each of Alan Cumming’s novels.
Horowitz's storytelling in this sort-of standalone (following characters Susan Ryeland from The Magpie Murders) is complex, chock full of red herrings, and the actual clues are buried so deep it borders on cheating! The story is also populated with loads of unappealing characters.