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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
The Magpie Murders is a two party mystery book - it starts off with our Main Character (who is a editor) reading through her prickly clients most recent book. Only, the last few pages of the sure-to-be bestseller are missing! And worse than that - the author has turned up dead. So off our MC sets to solve both the mystery of the authors death and the mystery contained within the missing pages -those very pages could be the key to the murder.
This book is a mystery-within-a-mystery. And honestly the mystery-within-the-mystery was much more engaging than the primary story. I couldn't connect well with the "real world" of the editor trying to solve the mystery, and enjoyed the secondary "book" mystery much better. The MC was just bland, and I didn't connect with her or her struggles at all. Now the characters in the mystery book (the one within the mystery book - its very confusing I know), I really connected with them and found the story fascinating. The change between the two worlds was a bit jarring - especially because I had one that I strongly wanted to return too above the other. I found that the book seemed to drag on, especially when all I wanted to know was what happened in mystery book inside the mystery book.
Overall it was an interesting read, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries especially since I know not everyone has the same taste as me.
This book is a mystery-within-a-mystery. And honestly the mystery-within-the-mystery was much more engaging than the primary story. I couldn't connect well with the "real world" of the editor trying to solve the mystery, and enjoyed the secondary "book" mystery much better. The MC was just bland, and I didn't connect with her or her struggles at all. Now the characters in the mystery book (the one within the mystery book - its very confusing I know), I really connected with them and found the story fascinating. The change between the two worlds was a bit jarring - especially because I had one that I strongly wanted to return too above the other. I found that the book seemed to drag on, especially when all I wanted to know was what happened in mystery book inside the mystery book.
Overall it was an interesting read, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries especially since I know not everyone has the same taste as me.
I started this book a few months ago, wandered away and was able to pick it back up when I finally got some breathing space, and the plot was all right there.
What was good: I liked the Christie-esque mystery (the Pünd), and Susan in the modern day.
What was bad: the incessant “if only I had known that at the time” garbage foreshadowing; how closely the mysteries were tied together, how unpleasant most of the supporting cast was.
I don’t know how this book has a sequel, but I would give it a try.
What was good: I liked the Christie-esque mystery (the Pünd), and Susan in the modern day.
What was bad: the incessant “if only I had known that at the time” garbage foreshadowing; how closely the mysteries were tied together, how unpleasant most of the supporting cast was.
I don’t know how this book has a sequel, but I would give it a try.
This was a hard one for me. I really wanted to like it because I like Anthony Horowitz and I love Agatha Christie novels (which this was compared to) but I had a hard time getting into it. The story within the story reminded me of a Midsomer Murders episode and I was just starting to really get into that story when it switched back to the present. I was way less interested in the story in the present especially since you still didn't know how the Pund story ended and all I wanted to do was get to the end so I could know who killed Pye.
It didn't help that I didn't really care for Susan. I mean she's an editor and she's going around asking everyone personal questions and almost none of them tell her it's none of her business. It just didn't seem at all realistic. I mean these people didn't even know her at all. I mean I don't like mysteries where the person investigating is not a detective or PI so that might have been part of the problem as well.
I did like the reason behind Alan Conway's death. It was very clever and unique.
But then when I did finally find out who killed Pye, I was kinda disappointed. Maybe because I had this long interval to build up my desire to know and then it was a quick ending. And Pund didn't even gather all the suspects together like Poirot and most detectives do so you knew as soon as you saw that it was just Robert and Joy in the room that it had to be one of them. I personally like it when the detective brings all the suspects together and lays out the case and how he got where he did. This book was missing that.
It didn't help that I didn't really care for Susan. I mean she's an editor and she's going around asking everyone personal questions and almost none of them tell her it's none of her business. It just didn't seem at all realistic. I mean these people didn't even know her at all. I mean I don't like mysteries where the person investigating is not a detective or PI so that might have been part of the problem as well.
I did like the reason behind Alan Conway's death. It was very clever and unique.
But then when I did finally find out who killed Pye, I was kinda disappointed. Maybe because I had this long interval to build up my desire to know and then it was a quick ending. And Pund didn't even gather all the suspects together like Poirot and most detectives do so you knew as soon as you saw that it was just Robert and Joy in the room that it had to be one of them. I personally like it when the detective brings all the suspects together and lays out the case and how he got where he did. This book was missing that.
4.5, loved it, although I guessed the killer.. but not the motive (which I'm not super on board with.)
A good solid mystery. Or should I say mysteries? Enjoyed it but it lost me at the end. I think COVID has reduced my attention span. Every book I red seems to need a good edit.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best books that I have read all year. Superb writing that reminds me of classic whodunnit crime novels.
A wonderful smart book by Horowitz - a book within a book. I quite enjoyed the entire 'whodunnit' and nods to the greats in the genre. The one item is that the main character at the end spoiled it a bit for me - both by the whole 'acting like a detective and telling you your crime' and the sudden conclusion.
My first “who done it?” Couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the next one.