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robinwalter's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Not one of the better Treasure mysteries. Muddled and overly drawn out, with too little of Treasure himself
shelfofunread's review
3.0
2.5 stars. An enjoyable enough crime novel, although one not without its flaws.
I read this as a 'Christmas' mystery although the season is barely mentioned and has no bearing whatsoever on the plot. If it wasn't for the title, I'd have failed entirely to pick up the seasonal connection.
The plot, which focuses on a murder in a cathedral community and the proposed sale of an ecclesiastical relic, is decent enough but I felt it was woolly at times and lacked the sharp neatness that I find satisfying at the end of a good mystery. And there's almost too much plot at times - I felt the author was rushing to tie up loose ends, with some of the 'red herrings' placed too obviously.
There are also way too many characters in this book. I understand a cathedral will have a fair few staff but do we really need to meet all of them during the course of 300 pages? At least 4 could have been removed from the plot or amalgamated into one role without losing anything. I fact, when the killer was revealed, my initial reaction was 'who?' as I'd entirely forgotten about the character in question.
Take this book for what it is and overlook the flaws however and it's a fun enough read for a couple of evenings. The central character of Mark Treasure is pleasant enough and the sleepy atmosphere of a cathedral market town well realised. Just don't expect to be able to join up all the dots all the time!
I read this as a 'Christmas' mystery although the season is barely mentioned and has no bearing whatsoever on the plot. If it wasn't for the title, I'd have failed entirely to pick up the seasonal connection.
The plot, which focuses on a murder in a cathedral community and the proposed sale of an ecclesiastical relic, is decent enough but I felt it was woolly at times and lacked the sharp neatness that I find satisfying at the end of a good mystery. And there's almost too much plot at times - I felt the author was rushing to tie up loose ends, with some of the 'red herrings' placed too obviously.
There are also way too many characters in this book. I understand a cathedral will have a fair few staff but do we really need to meet all of them during the course of 300 pages? At least 4 could have been removed from the plot or amalgamated into one role without losing anything. I fact, when the killer was revealed, my initial reaction was 'who?' as I'd entirely forgotten about the character in question.
Take this book for what it is and overlook the flaws however and it's a fun enough read for a couple of evenings. The central character of Mark Treasure is pleasant enough and the sleepy atmosphere of a cathedral market town well realised. Just don't expect to be able to join up all the dots all the time!
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