Reviews

A Shot in the Dark by Matthew Costello, Neil Richards

silverannika's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

ladyethyme's review

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3.0

Very nice simple cozy mystery, nothing too deep, but it is nice to read a cozy British mystery actually written by Brit, instead of an American.
The last five I’ve read were veeeeery clearly American-written, and possibly they’ve never been to England (much less bothered with anything like…historical research. *gasp*). Using Americanisms and modern attitudes/language in historical settings…

romanici's review

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4.0

Audiobook. Love the characters.

lisakimmence3's review

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2.0

Unfortunately, this bored me. I listened to this on Audible and I think what threw me was there was no clear transition between Harry's and Kat's parts. That had me losing interest pretty early on and it was just too easy to tune this one out. I'm not sure if I'll continue on with the series. I may give the second installment a chance but, if that fails to keep me interested, I will forego the remaining books.

kellyvandamme's review against another edition

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4.0

Fun cosy mystery set in a fictional Sussex village in 1929.
Harry is the typical English "old chap" and Kat is his impulsive wife, whose upbringing in the Bronx couldn't be further from Harry's upbringing with his aunt, Lady Lavinia. They make a great duo, they are opposites but very much alike in all the ways that matter, and I loved them from page 1!
Master sleuth that I am, I guessed most of the plot, though I did need Kat and Harry to fill in the details, but who even cares when the way to the finale is so entertaining?!
If cosy mysteries are your bag, this one needs to find its way onto your shelves! Recommended!

gawronma's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted 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

3.0

A really nice cozy mystery.

tobyyy's review against another edition

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3.0

Review to come if I remember!~

jillccox's review against another edition

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3.0

I love the Cherringham series by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards and so I was excited to see that they have a new series out- especially in my favorite niche genre British period mysteries. I enjoyed this... It was entertaining and I’ve already started the second book, but I was a little disappointed. The characters weren’t super developed and the plot was too simple for my tastes. It’s great for a mindless, easy, fun read though.

eddiemunsonssecretbookshelf's review against another edition

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3.0

Meine Meinung

Als eine Mail kam, in der angeteasert wurde, dass das Buch Ähnlichkeiten zur Serie “Downton Abbey” besäße, war ich sofort dabei. Ich liebe diese Serie und suche schon länger nach Büchern, die in einer ähnlichen Zeit spielen oder eine Adelsfamilie behandeln.

Leider besaß es nicht ganz so viel davon. Die Zeit war zwar ähnlich, aber so viel bekam man von dem Adel nicht mit. Vieles hat mich gestört. Das Buch ließ sich leicht und sehr schnell lesen. Dadurch, dass es nicht viele Seiten besaß, gab es auch keine Längen, wurde also nicht langweilig. Allerdings passte vieles nicht in die Zeit. Die Wortwahl war zu modern, die Gespräche platt und inhaltslos, die Charaktere eindimensional. Es hat einfach nicht richtig zusammengpasst, wie ein Puzzle, wo die Teile nicht zueinanderpassen.

Bis zum Ende habe ich mich nicht wie in einem Herrenhaus des britischen Adels gefühlt, sondern wie in einem Theaterstück, wo ich im 21. Jahrhundert sitze und zuschaue. Die Serie geht noch weiter, allerdings werde ich sie wohl nicht weiterverfolgen.

Fazit

2,5 Sterne von mir. Man wird einfach nie ganz in die Geschichte gezogen, sondern bleibt die meiste Zeit außen vor. Auch wenn es nur kurze, serienartige Geschichten sind, sollte man sich mehr mit der Wortwahl des 20. Jahrhunderts befassen.

agnela's review

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Nothing huge, but fits well when you want that old English village vibe.