Scan barcode
shanaqui's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I haven't read anything by R. Austin Freeman before (unless there's a short story or two amongst the British Library Crime Classic collections), but The Eye of Osiris turned out to be an unexpected pleasure. Sometimes with classic crime fiction, it's just kind of cosy and predictable, and that's very enjoyable but not surprising. In many ways this was a typical mystery of the period, but The Eye of Osiris did make me think: I felt like this was a fair-play mystery, and that I had the clues I needed to figure out the end result. I got there before the main character (who is very much in the John Watson vein, including by being a doctor), but there were some aspects I wasn't sure of.
And of course, there's the fact that it's related to Egyptian archaeology. It's set in London, but the missing man whose absence is the object of investigation is an archaeologist, and his brother (Godfrey Bellingham) and niece (Ruth) are also fascinated by the subject. Ruth quickly becomes close to our protagonist, as he manufactures an excuse to help her with her work (a commission to write notes on Egyptian history to help someone who doesn't have the time to research), and becomes fascinated with the case of her missing uncle, drawing in an old teacher of his (Thorndyke) to help.
The romance isn't exactly groundbreaking, but I did enjoy the interplay of the characters, and that Ruth is a fully realised woman who is fascinated with her own work, and that our otherwise rather nondescript main character is in turn fascinated with her work and eager to help her. In part that's to get close to her, of course, but he's clearly attracted not just by her prettiness, but by her eagerness for knowledge.
In the end it's not groundbreaking, but it was enjoyable, and I'm planning to read more of R. Austin Freeman's mysteries, especially as some are available on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3551
And of course, there's the fact that it's related to Egyptian archaeology. It's set in London, but the missing man whose absence is the object of investigation is an archaeologist, and his brother (Godfrey Bellingham) and niece (Ruth) are also fascinated by the subject. Ruth quickly becomes close to our protagonist, as he manufactures an excuse to help her with her work (a commission to write notes on Egyptian history to help someone who doesn't have the time to research), and becomes fascinated with the case of her missing uncle, drawing in an old teacher of his (Thorndyke) to help.
The romance isn't exactly groundbreaking, but I did enjoy the interplay of the characters, and that Ruth is a fully realised woman who is fascinated with her own work, and that our otherwise rather nondescript main character is in turn fascinated with her work and eager to help her. In part that's to get close to her, of course, but he's clearly attracted not just by her prettiness, but by her eagerness for knowledge.
In the end it's not groundbreaking, but it was enjoyable, and I'm planning to read more of R. Austin Freeman's mysteries, especially as some are available on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3551
david66's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Another hugely enjoyable and challenging mystery. This 2nd novel was almost as much fun as the first. Only complaint was that, once again, the narrator falls in love with a possible suspect (the exact same thing happens to Jervis who narrates the first novel!)
However these are wonderful stories, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, and I'll continue working my way through them.
However these are wonderful stories, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, and I'll continue working my way through them.
sarah42783's review
4.0
What an enjoyable read! A classic mystery, very well-written, nicely paced and with a very likeable cast of characters, what more can a reader ask for? I liked this book so much that the fact that the technical details was quite outdated (the book was written in 1910), didn't bother me in the least. I can't wait to read other books by R. Austin Freeman!
More...