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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I was expecting more from this and wound up feeling a tad bit bored waiting for something interesting to happen.
3.5 stars. Started off strong but dragged towards the middle and I found the conclusion unsatisfying. For a murder mystery, there wasn’t much investigation. I really liked the characters though, so I’ll give the next book in the series a try.
Not sure I enjoyed this anywhere near as much as the Ruth Galloway series, but i’ll give one more book a try.
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After a bit of a slow start, I really enjoyed this one - though I did guess who dun it mid book, I did not guess why. Lots of tricks within tricks in this one, and in a book about magic and the dying of variety shows - what in the States we would call Vaudeville - they were totally warranted.
Edgar Stephens is a detective inspector in Brighton in the early 1950s, and he is presented with the head and legs of a woman who looks like she was a showgirl at one point - and this leads him to looking up his old war buddy, the magician Max Mephisto. Soon it becomes clear that the unit they were attached to during the war, the Magic Men, is the intended target of a serial killer.
I will say that though I started guessing at the possibility of the murderer early on, and looking for clues to disprove it, it was readily apparent why it never occurred to DI Stephens. And I certainly did not guess the many twists and turns and hidden secrets of the Magic Men.
Edgar Stephens is a detective inspector in Brighton in the early 1950s, and he is presented with the head and legs of a woman who looks like she was a showgirl at one point - and this leads him to looking up his old war buddy, the magician Max Mephisto. Soon it becomes clear that the unit they were attached to during the war, the Magic Men, is the intended target of a serial killer.
I will say that though I started guessing at the possibility of the murderer early on, and looking for clues to disprove it, it was readily apparent why it never occurred to DI Stephens. And I certainly did not guess the many twists and turns and hidden secrets of the Magic Men.
I really enjoy all of Griffiths' other series, but I just couldn't get into this one. It was a quick read, but I guessed all of the twists.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Brighton's Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is called to the train station where a dead body has been found in the "left luggage" area. Well, two-thirds of a body, anyway. With each third in a separate trunk. When the missing third is delivered to the police station, addressed to "Captain" Edgar Stephens, his rank when he left the army, the inspector starts to think this might be a bit personal. The murder reminds him of a magic trick that his old friend Max Mephisto used to do as part of his show. The two men served together in WWII in a secret unit known as "The Magic Men." Edgar calls on Max, who just happens to be in Brighton for the week, and the two set about solving the mystery together.
3.5 Stars
I've never read any of Elly Griffiths' other mysteries but this one was good. I had a vague guess as to "whodunnit" but I didn't really know why or how. There was a more personal twist at the end that did surprise me quite a bit. I like surprises.
But somehow the whole novel felt a bit gray. DI Stephens seems to have PTSD and he's not really happy with anything in his life. He's a smart guy but he doesn't seem to be all that great at detective work. His heart was broken during the war and he's never gotten over it. He's living in a ratty flat and doesn't really seem to do much that he enjoys. He's just existing. He seems like a genuinely nice guy so I wanted him to snap out of it and start doing something--anything!--that made him happy.
Max's character takes a bit of a back seat to Edgar, which was unfortunate because he's the more entertaining one. He's a born magician even though he was actually born to the aristocracy. He's a charming womanizer who tries to pretend that he's heartless. He does have a big heart though and he goes out of his way to help his friends and acquaintances. I don't even remember how he was described in the book but I honestly kept picturing him as Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride movie, a character I adore, so that helped I'm sure!
I mostly liked James Langton's narration. The voices he used for females were breathy and made all the women sound like airheads even though they weren't. Otherwise he was solid.
All in all, I enjoyed this mystery but I don't think I'll be chomping at the bit to continue the series. Readers who are bigger mystery buffs than I am should enjoy it more.
3.5 Stars
I've never read any of Elly Griffiths' other mysteries but this one was good. I had a vague guess as to "whodunnit" but I didn't really know why or how. There was a more personal twist at the end that did surprise me quite a bit. I like surprises.
But somehow the whole novel felt a bit gray. DI Stephens seems to have PTSD and he's not really happy with anything in his life. He's a smart guy but he doesn't seem to be all that great at detective work. His heart was broken during the war and he's never gotten over it. He's living in a ratty flat and doesn't really seem to do much that he enjoys. He's just existing. He seems like a genuinely nice guy so I wanted him to snap out of it and start doing something--anything!--that made him happy.
Max's character takes a bit of a back seat to Edgar, which was unfortunate because he's the more entertaining one. He's a born magician even though he was actually born to the aristocracy. He's a charming womanizer who tries to pretend that he's heartless. He does have a big heart though and he goes out of his way to help his friends and acquaintances. I don't even remember how he was described in the book but I honestly kept picturing him as Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride movie, a character I adore, so that helped I'm sure!
I mostly liked James Langton's narration. The voices he used for females were breathy and made all the women sound like airheads even though they weren't. Otherwise he was solid.
All in all, I enjoyed this mystery but I don't think I'll be chomping at the bit to continue the series. Readers who are bigger mystery buffs than I am should enjoy it more.