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kirkw1972's review against another edition
5.0
Elly has a way of making her characters standout so much. Even the secondary ones. While the deaths are sad with brilliant tension throughout there’s always a little bit of humour throughout that appeals and makes the stories just that bit more for me.
For this one we have a magical plot and are back at the time of the Queen’s coronation.. I’m trying to read Elly’s back catalogue and buy the books but found this in my netgalley stash so it’s the first I’m reading in this series rather than starting at the beginning. There’s witchcraft, spooky suspense and lots of twists and turns to keep you reading well into the night.
I’m currently working my way through all Elly’s books and this is yet another excellent read.
For this one we have a magical plot and are back at the time of the Queen’s coronation.. I’m trying to read Elly’s back catalogue and buy the books but found this in my netgalley stash so it’s the first I’m reading in this series rather than starting at the beginning. There’s witchcraft, spooky suspense and lots of twists and turns to keep you reading well into the night.
I’m currently working my way through all Elly’s books and this is yet another excellent read.
stephlyon25's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
I seldom give 5 star reviews so you can say I really enjoyed this book. The setting is post-war Britain at the time of QEII's coronation and the story revolves around the police of Brighton, a small seaside vacation town in England and the performing/entertainment community. This is the 3rd book in the series but you don't need to have read the first two to read this book.
The post-war setting is really well done. I don't know if the author is British but she's done a bang up job of the time, place and people. The performing community includes live stage acts such as dancers, impressionists and magicians as well as a British Roma family.
The main characters are Edgar Stephens a detective inspector, Max Mephisto a magician who knew him during the war, Ruby who is Max's daughter and a fellow magician and Emma a detective sergeant.
The backdrop story is about persons unknown planning to disrupt the upcoming coronation and I say backdrop because this is a character driven novel and the plot actually takes second place to the people in it (for me anyway). I loved the character development and the characters themselves who are full of life, even the supporting ones. These are all just people going about their lives when they are interrupted by this event. There is even a little bit of romance going on and that to me was more suspenseful than the whodunit itself. The whodunit is revealed in a rush at the end, not by deduction but by action.
I was a bit sad when it ended because I want to know what happens next to all the characters. I'll definitely want to read any sequels coming up and I'll look up the first two books that I missed.
I got this book as a free ARC.
The post-war setting is really well done. I don't know if the author is British but she's done a bang up job of the time, place and people. The performing community includes live stage acts such as dancers, impressionists and magicians as well as a British Roma family.
The main characters are Edgar Stephens a detective inspector, Max Mephisto a magician who knew him during the war, Ruby who is Max's daughter and a fellow magician and Emma a detective sergeant.
The backdrop story is about persons unknown planning to disrupt the upcoming coronation and I say backdrop because this is a character driven novel and the plot actually takes second place to the people in it (for me anyway). I loved the character development and the characters themselves who are full of life, even the supporting ones. These are all just people going about their lives when they are interrupted by this event. There is even a little bit of romance going on and that to me was more suspenseful than the whodunit itself. The whodunit is revealed in a rush at the end, not by deduction but by action.
I was a bit sad when it ended because I want to know what happens next to all the characters. I'll definitely want to read any sequels coming up and I'll look up the first two books that I missed.
I got this book as a free ARC.
thewordwitch's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
raeallic's review against another edition
3.0
So far my least favorite in the seriesb but still a good enjoyable story. Really looking forward to the next!
naluju's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
This series just keeps getting better... spattered with humor and the hint of mismatched unrequited love keeps me on the hook. And then there were the cast of characters... always a treat! This series is just the right bit of diverting during this time.
fictionfan's review against another edition
4.0
Long live the Queen!
It's 1953, and Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is investigating the death of a fortune-teller who drowned off the Brighton pier. It looks like an accident, but the possibilities of suicide and murder have to be ruled out. However, Edgar's investigation is interrupted when he is called to London by General Petre to look into the mysterious death of Colonel Cartwright, who used to be one of Edgar's superior officers during the war. General Petre has called on Max Mephisto to help too, since Max also worked with Colonel Cartwright, and there are aspects of the murder that suggest it may have something to do with the Magic Men – the outfit Max and Edgar were involved in, which used illusion to fool the Germans into thinking the Allies had greater defences than they actually did. It soon transpires that Colonel Cartwright was afraid that a plan was afoot to disrupt the coronation of the new young Queen, Elizabeth II, so Edgar and Max are under pressure to solve the case before that event takes place in a couple of weeks time.
I've enjoyed the previous books in this new series of Elly Griffiths' a great deal, so had high hopes for this one. The Brighton setting just after the end of WW2 is brilliantly evoked, especially the rather seedy tone of the theatres and musical halls, and the performers who live a nomadic life around the various seaside towns of England, with, if they're lucky, an occasional booking amidst the bright lights of London's West End. Max is currently performing at the Theatre Royal in London, and has been tempted somewhat against his better judgement to appear on the new-fangled television – a medium he fears will lead to the final death of the already fading variety theatre. The TV show is scheduled to be shown on the evening of the Queen's coronation.
Edgar meantime is still trying to pin Ruby down to setting a date for their wedding, but Ruby is not ready to give up her aspirations to become as great a stage magician as her father, Max. And Edgar's colleague, Emma, is still harbouring feelings of unrequited love for him. Which is all a little annoying, since this book is set two years after the last one, and yet none of these characters seem to have moved on emotionally from how they were left then. Shades of the tedious Ruth/Nelson saga from Griffiths' other series beginning to creep in, I fear. I wish Griffiths could either leave the romance out of her books, or else move it along – she seems to stick her characters into a situation and then leave them there forever. Hopefully she'll resolve this triangle in the next book, or I'm afraid it will become as dull as poor old Ruth's never-ending non-love story.
The plot of this one takes Edgar to America, which provides quite a bit of humour as Edgar tries to understand a society that feels very foreign to him. The picture Griffiths paints of America at that time feels very much based on movies of the period – it doesn't give quite the same aura of authenticity as the Brighton scenes. But it adds an extra element of interest by expanding out from the rather restricted setting of an English seaside town.
For me, the plot of this one is too convoluted and loses credibility before it reaches the end. While it's very well written and has a great dramatic ending, my disbelief was stretched well past breaking point before it got there. However, the recurring characters remain as enjoyable as ever, and as usual there are plenty of quirky new ones introduced to keep the interest level up. I also enjoyed the glimpse of the early days of television, when it was all still experimental and, of course, broadcast live, giving it plenty of potential for unexpected drama.
Overall, this isn't my favourite of the series, but it's still a good outing for Edgar, Max and the other recurring characters, and I look forward to seeing where they go next – with my fingers firmly crossed that they don't remain stuck in their emotional ruts for too much longer.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Quercus.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
It's 1953, and Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is investigating the death of a fortune-teller who drowned off the Brighton pier. It looks like an accident, but the possibilities of suicide and murder have to be ruled out. However, Edgar's investigation is interrupted when he is called to London by General Petre to look into the mysterious death of Colonel Cartwright, who used to be one of Edgar's superior officers during the war. General Petre has called on Max Mephisto to help too, since Max also worked with Colonel Cartwright, and there are aspects of the murder that suggest it may have something to do with the Magic Men – the outfit Max and Edgar were involved in, which used illusion to fool the Germans into thinking the Allies had greater defences than they actually did. It soon transpires that Colonel Cartwright was afraid that a plan was afoot to disrupt the coronation of the new young Queen, Elizabeth II, so Edgar and Max are under pressure to solve the case before that event takes place in a couple of weeks time.
I've enjoyed the previous books in this new series of Elly Griffiths' a great deal, so had high hopes for this one. The Brighton setting just after the end of WW2 is brilliantly evoked, especially the rather seedy tone of the theatres and musical halls, and the performers who live a nomadic life around the various seaside towns of England, with, if they're lucky, an occasional booking amidst the bright lights of London's West End. Max is currently performing at the Theatre Royal in London, and has been tempted somewhat against his better judgement to appear on the new-fangled television – a medium he fears will lead to the final death of the already fading variety theatre. The TV show is scheduled to be shown on the evening of the Queen's coronation.
Edgar meantime is still trying to pin Ruby down to setting a date for their wedding, but Ruby is not ready to give up her aspirations to become as great a stage magician as her father, Max. And Edgar's colleague, Emma, is still harbouring feelings of unrequited love for him. Which is all a little annoying, since this book is set two years after the last one, and yet none of these characters seem to have moved on emotionally from how they were left then. Shades of the tedious Ruth/Nelson saga from Griffiths' other series beginning to creep in, I fear. I wish Griffiths could either leave the romance out of her books, or else move it along – she seems to stick her characters into a situation and then leave them there forever. Hopefully she'll resolve this triangle in the next book, or I'm afraid it will become as dull as poor old Ruth's never-ending non-love story.
The plot of this one takes Edgar to America, which provides quite a bit of humour as Edgar tries to understand a society that feels very foreign to him. The picture Griffiths paints of America at that time feels very much based on movies of the period – it doesn't give quite the same aura of authenticity as the Brighton scenes. But it adds an extra element of interest by expanding out from the rather restricted setting of an English seaside town.
For me, the plot of this one is too convoluted and loses credibility before it reaches the end. While it's very well written and has a great dramatic ending, my disbelief was stretched well past breaking point before it got there. However, the recurring characters remain as enjoyable as ever, and as usual there are plenty of quirky new ones introduced to keep the interest level up. I also enjoyed the glimpse of the early days of television, when it was all still experimental and, of course, broadcast live, giving it plenty of potential for unexpected drama.
Overall, this isn't my favourite of the series, but it's still a good outing for Edgar, Max and the other recurring characters, and I look forward to seeing where they go next – with my fingers firmly crossed that they don't remain stuck in their emotional ruts for too much longer.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Quercus.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
laikiaroo's review against another edition
3.0
Another decent entry in this series. It was a little bit harder than in the previously books to keep track as the 3rd person narration switched from Edgar to Max and back.
I am sad that neither of my libraries have book 4 - I HATE reading books out of order, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.
I am sad that neither of my libraries have book 4 - I HATE reading books out of order, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.