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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
It was all right; nothing out of the ordinary. The plot wasn't bad, wasn't great; ditto the characters. I like Bath as a setting, because it is a handsome city, but I'm not sure that's enough for me to continue the series. I don't especially care what happens next to the main character, which is not a good sign.
Really, the most memorable thing about this book was a jaw-dropping typo. There were some understandable minor ones, (though getting one of the main character's name wrong is bad), but the amazing one was a chapter header. Yes, there was an error in a single line of display type, on a page: "The Men in White Goats." At first I just thought it was an amusing phrase, but it was less amusing when I realized that it was supposed to read "The Men in White Coats," a particular target of the main character's ire (and one which gets a couple of mentions). Whoops!
And, of course, Lovesey did include what I'm beginning to think is the obligatory British lie about summer actually being hot in England--right out of the gate, too, on p.4. Sigh. Is there some law requiring this, perhaps? Does the UK Tourism Board, or whatever it is, really have that much power?
Really, the most memorable thing about this book was a jaw-dropping typo. There were some understandable minor ones, (though getting one of the main character's name wrong is bad), but the amazing one was a chapter header. Yes, there was an error in a single line of display type, on a page: "The Men in White Goats." At first I just thought it was an amusing phrase, but it was less amusing when I realized that it was supposed to read "The Men in White Coats," a particular target of the main character's ire (and one which gets a couple of mentions). Whoops!
And, of course, Lovesey did include what I'm beginning to think is the obligatory British lie about summer actually being hot in England--right out of the gate, too, on p.4. Sigh. Is there some law requiring this, perhaps? Does the UK Tourism Board, or whatever it is, really have that much power?
Not a good book. Deeply unpleasant protagonist. Unnecessary changes in narrator/point of view. And sadly the worst ebook conversion I've ever seen.
narrative style reminded me of Wilkie Collin's moonstone. Seeing incidents several times from different points of view. I didn't feel the author provided distinctive voices for the different narrators, which lessened the effectiveness. I also didn't particularly like the detective until towards the end. Will probably give others a try , though, overall a satisfactory read
DNF at 71%
Basically, I got this email from Netgalley, teasing me with the promise of getting to read basically a whole series for free so long as I read, reviewed with a specific sentence in it, sent the link off to this email, and they'd send me it. Probably electronically. So, I thought, what the hell? Could be fun.
I was wrong.
It took me 20% to really get interested into it. It was at ~40% where I realized I didn't know anyone's name and would not be able to answer it if someone asked me. It was at 50% when I thought about killing myself to end this torturous read. I skimmed until I just couldn't do it anymore.
Imagine going over the same day from different points of view over and over again. With very little intrigue. Poirot had more intrigue than this one did. Thanks for the opportunity, Soho (the publishing company), congrats on 25 years being in business, but I picked the wrong series from your options.
Basically, I got this email from Netgalley, teasing me with the promise of getting to read basically a whole series for free so long as I read, reviewed with a specific sentence in it, sent the link off to this email, and they'd send me it. Probably electronically. So, I thought, what the hell? Could be fun.
I was wrong.
It took me 20% to really get interested into it. It was at ~40% where I realized I didn't know anyone's name and would not be able to answer it if someone asked me. It was at 50% when I thought about killing myself to end this torturous read. I skimmed until I just couldn't do it anymore.
Imagine going over the same day from different points of view over and over again. With very little intrigue. Poirot had more intrigue than this one did. Thanks for the opportunity, Soho (the publishing company), congrats on 25 years being in business, but I picked the wrong series from your options.
Elegantly written and plotted, this book lavishes loving attention on the classic elements of the whodunit, making the twists and turns (and red herrings) pleasant to follow. The evocation of Bath and its suburbs is well done, and the commentary on Austen scholarship and popular reception is a bonus for literature nerds.