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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I really like this author, but I felt the characters weren't as well-rounded as those in her Ruth Griffith novels. It was an interesting storyline, with a few nods to the time period (particularly "The Mousetrap" being a new stage play) but wasn't as gripping as her aforementioned series. I'll likely pick up the next book in this series.
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
Classic murder mystery with the added twist of involving a magician and the theater. The ending fell a bit flat for me though.
mysterious
tense
medium-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
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Fun to listen to, but downgraded one star by the obviousness of the culprit. Guessed it before the halfway point of the book, which meant I finished listening just to find out the motive.
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thoroughly enjoyed.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an easy little listen. I wasn't tremendously sucked in, and I think I found some of the characters similar, so I got confused who was who sometimes. I would read another one of these for a little relaxation. It is another trauma-from-WWII story. I would try the author again in another series, I think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Classism
‘Looks as if someone’s sliced her into three,’ said Solomon Carter, the police surgeon, chattily. ‘We’re just missing the middle bit.’
Brighton, England, 1950. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens does not have to wait long to find ‘the middle bit’: it is delivered to him as ‘Captain Stephens’ at the police station in a third box. It reminds him of a magic trick, invented by his old friend Max Mephisto. Max and Edgar served together, during World War II, in a shadowy until known as the Magic Men. Edgar tracks down Max who is still on the variety circuit. While he is initially reluctant to help Edgar, he soon changes his mind when he discovers that he knows the murdered woman.
When another person known to Edgar and Max is murdered, they are convinced that the answer relates to their service in the war. And when Edgar receives a letter mentioning a specific magic ‘trick’ he is sure that he, Max and the others they worked with are in danger. But who is killing them and why?
Ms Griffiths depicts Brighton in the grips of post-war austerity, with public taste in amusement moving away from variety shows. The tension increases as Edgar and Max contact their former colleagues to warn them as they try to identify who else might be targetted.
It took me a while to work out who the murderer was, only just ahead of the reveal. I had a few guesses only to be proven wrong. Sigh. My sense of smell failed to pick up all the red herrings. A clever mystery that held my attention from beginning to end.
This is the first book in this series, six books have now been published with a seventh due later this year. Ms Griffiths is a prolific author, but I have only read a couple of her books so far.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Brighton, England, 1950. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens does not have to wait long to find ‘the middle bit’: it is delivered to him as ‘Captain Stephens’ at the police station in a third box. It reminds him of a magic trick, invented by his old friend Max Mephisto. Max and Edgar served together, during World War II, in a shadowy until known as the Magic Men. Edgar tracks down Max who is still on the variety circuit. While he is initially reluctant to help Edgar, he soon changes his mind when he discovers that he knows the murdered woman.
When another person known to Edgar and Max is murdered, they are convinced that the answer relates to their service in the war. And when Edgar receives a letter mentioning a specific magic ‘trick’ he is sure that he, Max and the others they worked with are in danger. But who is killing them and why?
Ms Griffiths depicts Brighton in the grips of post-war austerity, with public taste in amusement moving away from variety shows. The tension increases as Edgar and Max contact their former colleagues to warn them as they try to identify who else might be targetted.
It took me a while to work out who the murderer was, only just ahead of the reveal. I had a few guesses only to be proven wrong. Sigh. My sense of smell failed to pick up all the red herrings. A clever mystery that held my attention from beginning to end.
This is the first book in this series, six books have now been published with a seventh due later this year. Ms Griffiths is a prolific author, but I have only read a couple of her books so far.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith