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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
This smartly written, old fashioned, murder mystery, take place in England in the early ‘50’s and tells the story of a group of magicians (loosely based on the Magic Gang who were stationed in Egypt ) who served together in Scotland during WWII and are reunited 5 years later after the death of one of their fellow servicemen. Highly energized and fast paced, the story takes you back more than half a century, where Edgar uses his skills as a policeman to assemble the clues. We are given clues, and red herrings and with no cell phones, no DNA, and no crime lab, it is a wonderfully refreshing novel!
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5 stars. I read #3 in this series first and liked it so I got this one.
Summary: It's post WWII Britain. Stephens (now a detective inspector) and Mephisto (a magician) were comrades in a special unit during WWII. Someone is killing off people in their old unit and they investigate.
The author's writing is easy to read and follow, I got into the story right away. There is a bit of suspense up to about 75% of the book, then most people will have guessed the answer. Some of it was a bit confusing as the book was written in 3rd person and followed both Stephens and Mephisto and it was hard to tell which narrative belonged to whom, and this is despite their disparate personalities.
I enjoyed the somewhat depressing background of recovering Britain, the sea side towns and the dying variety profession. The author did a good job of making the setting feel alive. Apart from that, I've read her other series and she does a good job of bringing the characters alive. Definitely going to read #2 as I want to find out what happens next.
Summary: It's post WWII Britain. Stephens (now a detective inspector) and Mephisto (a magician) were comrades in a special unit during WWII. Someone is killing off people in their old unit and they investigate.
The author's writing is easy to read and follow, I got into the story right away. There is a bit of suspense up to about 75% of the book, then most people will have guessed the answer. Some of it was a bit confusing as the book was written in 3rd person and followed both Stephens and Mephisto and it was hard to tell which narrative belonged to whom, and this is despite their disparate personalities.
I enjoyed the somewhat depressing background of recovering Britain, the sea side towns and the dying variety profession. The author did a good job of making the setting feel alive. Apart from that, I've read her other series and she does a good job of bringing the characters alive. Definitely going to read #2 as I want to find out what happens next.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was hesitant to read this one because of the backdrop, but I was in the mood for Elly Griffiths, so I gave it a go, and I really enjoyed it! James Langton's narration was fantastic! I guessed the killer before the end, but that didn't keep the story from being compelling and engaging.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a fantastic mystery! I loved the 50s setting in England and I loved the concepts around magic. This was a great first in a series and definitely makes me want to read more of them. The ending was not my favorite but the rest of the story was really good!
A few months ago, a patron came into the library wanting a book with, and I quote, blood. That's when I came across Elly Griffiths' [b:Bleeding Heart Yard|60980164|Bleeding Heart Yard (Harbinder Kaur, #3)|Elly Griffiths|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1655071269l/60980164._SX50_.jpg|93532706] on our "new" shelf. I can't remember if the patron took to book, especially since it's the third novel in a series, but I CAN tell you that's the day I checked out The Zig Zag Girl. Armed with both the e-book and the audiobook, I dove in the first of the Brighton Mysteries.
Edgar Stephens and Max Mephisto, as a detective and a stage magician, are the odd couple, and I love them. I love the seedy variety show feel mixed in with the murder mystery. While I've never been to Brighton (especially in the 1950s), it feels like I have, and I want to go back. I almost solved the mystery of the zig-zag girl before they did, but Griffiths, Stephens, and Mephisto are smarter than I.
It seems the name of the series has changed as it has evolved. My audiobook says it's "A Magic Men Mystery," while GR is telling me it's a part of "The Brighton Mysteries." Somewhere else in the series, I think they're called "Stephens & Mephisto"? Either way, it looks like the next book in the series is [b:Smoke and Mirrors|28444095|Smoke and Mirrors (The Brighton Mysteries #2)|Elly Griffiths|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455288421l/28444095._SY75_.jpg|45935550], and it's now on my TBR.
Edgar Stephens and Max Mephisto, as a detective and a stage magician, are the odd couple, and I love them. I love the seedy variety show feel mixed in with the murder mystery. While I've never been to Brighton (especially in the 1950s), it feels like I have, and I want to go back. I almost solved the mystery of the zig-zag girl before they did, but Griffiths, Stephens, and Mephisto are smarter than I.
It seems the name of the series has changed as it has evolved. My audiobook says it's "A Magic Men Mystery," while GR is telling me it's a part of "The Brighton Mysteries." Somewhere else in the series, I think they're called "Stephens & Mephisto"? Either way, it looks like the next book in the series is [b:Smoke and Mirrors|28444095|Smoke and Mirrors (The Brighton Mysteries #2)|Elly Griffiths|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455288421l/28444095._SY75_.jpg|45935550], and it's now on my TBR.