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valefimbres's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tarshka's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my favorite Ngaio Marsh book, because the setting is nicely described. I wish she'd written more books taking place in New Zealand, since she lived there it would have been a nice way to distinguish her from Agatha Christie and the like.
1mpossiblealice's review against another edition
2.25
Not my favourite Marsh by a long way. There's loads of the book before anyone even dies - which sometimes is fine, but in this instance it was clear who was going to be killed and that person just became more irritating and I kept wanting him to be killed just so I wouldn't have to read about him anymore. The characters mostly feel believable but almost all of them were annoying. The young female character just seems to be there for some odious men to flirt with/assault and not much else. And there's very little Alleyn in this book, and none of his friends etc like Nigel or Fox or Troy, who are some of my favourites.
However - the setting is original and interesting. The book features Maori characters and while the way they are presented can seem patronising at times to a modern reader, for the time of writing she's way more inclusive etc than most other writers - there are a few Maori characters, they have names and distinct personalities and feel like a proper part of the story. She also mentions the fact that Maoris fought for the British in WW2 (this book is set during WW2) which I didn't know, and the historical context was good. She also does create very good characters, they feel like real people, just mostly quite annoying real people!
So this isn't going to put me off the series, but it's not one of my favourites.
However - the setting is original and interesting. The book features Maori characters and while the way they are presented can seem patronising at times to a modern reader, for the time of writing she's way more inclusive etc than most other writers - there are a few Maori characters, they have names and distinct personalities and feel like a proper part of the story. She also mentions the fact that Maoris fought for the British in WW2 (this book is set during WW2) which I didn't know, and the historical context was good. She also does create very good characters, they feel like real people, just mostly quite annoying real people!
So this isn't going to put me off the series, but it's not one of my favourites.
slferg's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kvedja's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
shlee64's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
the_maggieg's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
julieannhummingbird's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
schnurln's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
bmip666's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25