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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I started out reading these books as part of my Year of Reading Virtuously project, but I don't know if I'm allowed to keep them there since they've become my drug of choice. I'm even doing that thing I do with authors whose books come out infrequently--I'm rationing myself books and chapters to make them last longer. There's nothing virtuous in that, surely. :)
For reasons I can't explain, this one seemed quite long, as had O Jerusalem. But it was thoroughly enjoyable: familiar characters in new and challenging situations; compelling new characters brought into the mix; and (while war stories aren't much my thing) the brutal honesty/honest brutality of King's portrayal of the WWI experience, with an interesting emphasis on the recently-illuminated aspect of rushed executions of young soldiers by an insecure, inefficient command structure, added an element of gripping importance that hasn't always been present in the mystery portions of the plot.
I renew my goodnatured exception to the amount of time Holmes and Russell spend apart, and my fervent wish for a spin-off romance of the two.
For reasons I can't explain, this one seemed quite long, as had O Jerusalem. But it was thoroughly enjoyable: familiar characters in new and challenging situations; compelling new characters brought into the mix; and (while war stories aren't much my thing) the brutal honesty/honest brutality of King's portrayal of the WWI experience, with an interesting emphasis on the recently-illuminated aspect of rushed executions of young soldiers by an insecure, inefficient command structure, added an element of gripping importance that hasn't always been present in the mystery portions of the plot.
I renew my goodnatured exception to the amount of time Holmes and Russell spend apart, and my fervent wish for a spin-off romance of the two.
As usual with King's books, there's a lot of history here. What I didn't know about the first World War could fill many books, and this novel opened my eyes to that.
A fun and engaging mystery, too!
A fun and engaging mystery, too!
This series of books often features lots of wandering and figuring out what the mystery itself is. But if you hold on, they end really well with action, mysteries solved and all that.
I saw a few reviews of this book before and I few that I agree with. The highlights probably are Marsh, Ali and Iris as I'm not really impressed with Mary Russell nor King's interpretation of Holmes himself. Early on, I had thought about giving up but I wanted to see if I was any better after a while. It wasn't but I do have other books in the series and each is another chance to like the series. Another review did state that this story is one of the weaker ones, as it is.
After "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" I needed to go a different way. And this re-read was it. Enjoying it again!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Complicated
I am simply in love with this series! This is not my favorite in the bunch, however, it keeps you reading. Familiar faces, an unusual case, and Mary's usual spunk are lovely. Looking forward to continuing with number 7.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A