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lelia_t's review against another edition
4.0
Of the E.C.R. Lorac mysteries I’ve read so far, this is one of my favorites. Lorac is clearly interested in the characters she creates in this book, which, in turn, makes them interesting to us. And Lorac weaves in the mayhem of the Blitz to great effect - while also celebrating the dauntlessness of some of the regular London citizens, like Mrs. Maloney.
The more I read Lorac’s mysteries, the more I appreciate that Chief Inspector MacDonald is simply a nice guy. Nothing hard-boiled about him. He actually likes people, without letting that muddle his firm conviction that murderers must be brought to justice, or distract him from the problem he's trying to solve. I don't know if that's an oversimplification on Lorac's part, or if I've just been overexposed to the idea that investigating crimes darkens a detective's viewpoint. I imagine MacDonald's uncomplicated steadiness was something readers would have craved as they came out of the daily nightmare of wartime England.
The more I read Lorac’s mysteries, the more I appreciate that Chief Inspector MacDonald is simply a nice guy. Nothing hard-boiled about him. He actually likes people, without letting that muddle his firm conviction that murderers must be brought to justice, or distract him from the problem he's trying to solve. I don't know if that's an oversimplification on Lorac's part, or if I've just been overexposed to the idea that investigating crimes darkens a detective's viewpoint. I imagine MacDonald's uncomplicated steadiness was something readers would have craved as they came out of the daily nightmare of wartime England.
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoying Lorac's books - one can see why they sold at the time. Murder in the blackout: German bombing raids are not only the backdrop but play a significant role in both the commission of the crime and the solving of it.
krobart's review
3.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2022/02/23/review-1807-murder-by-matchlight/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2022/02/23/review-1807-murder-by-matchlight/
evenshadow's review
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
tracey_stewart's review
4.0
It's so lovely to find a new-to-me golden age mystery, and one that almost lives up to favorites of its era. Murder by Matchlight – which I received through Netgalley, thanks very much – is a Dover reissue of a book originally published in 1945, the story of a murder in a park in London as the war continues to rage across the Channel.
And it was wonderfully enjoyable. The mystery is a lovely puzzle, with the wartime setting, some fun and exotic elements, and sheer happenstance combining into just a whole lot of fun. One suspect says:
"If I’d wanted to kill Johnnie Ward—which I didn’t—I shouldn’t have done it in a way that would have brought Scotland Yard to my door next morning. Oh, no. If I’d done it, no one would have been any the wiser. I may be a clown, but I’m an efficient clown."
Which is a wonderful defense, isn't it?
I loved the characterizations. The victim was terrific – lovable, in his way, so that the reader can find room for regret at his death … but he also had plenty of truly exasperating ways and habits, and inspired lots of lovely motives. The police refused to follow the "official detectives are always idiots" school of thought, and the young hero-suspect declined to over-involve himself in the case and become an improbable sleuth. And the theatrical folk of the boarding house where the victim (and a bunch of the suspects) lived were marvelous.
(Also: there is a character named Tracey. Mr. Tracey. Heh.)
The setting is equally enjoyable. Set in 1944 and published in 1945, this is a London where nearly every able-bodied man is either at war or on his way, and where the civilians left home are in almost as much danger as their loved ones in actual battle as bombs rain down with alarming regularity. It's a setting in which a murder investigation – especially, in a way, this investigation – feels almost irrelevant.
"It seems to me that the fact that one ne’er-do-well has met a violent end is not a matter of supreme importance in a world which is in the throes of a convulsion which may destroy civilization itself before we’re through."
I was almost afraid to click on the author's name to see his – oh, no, sorry: HER other books. So often I read something by an author new to me, fall in love, and then find that there's little (or nothing) else out in the world by that writer. But! According to her Goodreads author profile: "She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second." Pardon me while I do a bit of a happy dance.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
And it was wonderfully enjoyable. The mystery is a lovely puzzle, with the wartime setting, some fun and exotic elements, and sheer happenstance combining into just a whole lot of fun. One suspect says:
"If I’d wanted to kill Johnnie Ward—which I didn’t—I shouldn’t have done it in a way that would have brought Scotland Yard to my door next morning. Oh, no. If I’d done it, no one would have been any the wiser. I may be a clown, but I’m an efficient clown."
Which is a wonderful defense, isn't it?
I loved the characterizations. The victim was terrific – lovable, in his way, so that the reader can find room for regret at his death … but he also had plenty of truly exasperating ways and habits, and inspired lots of lovely motives. The police refused to follow the "official detectives are always idiots" school of thought, and the young hero-suspect declined to over-involve himself in the case and become an improbable sleuth. And the theatrical folk of the boarding house where the victim (and a bunch of the suspects) lived were marvelous.
(Also: there is a character named Tracey. Mr. Tracey. Heh.)
The setting is equally enjoyable. Set in 1944 and published in 1945, this is a London where nearly every able-bodied man is either at war or on his way, and where the civilians left home are in almost as much danger as their loved ones in actual battle as bombs rain down with alarming regularity. It's a setting in which a murder investigation – especially, in a way, this investigation – feels almost irrelevant.
"It seems to me that the fact that one ne’er-do-well has met a violent end is not a matter of supreme importance in a world which is in the throes of a convulsion which may destroy civilization itself before we’re through."
I was almost afraid to click on the author's name to see his – oh, no, sorry: HER other books. So often I read something by an author new to me, fall in love, and then find that there's little (or nothing) else out in the world by that writer. But! According to her Goodreads author profile: "She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second." Pardon me while I do a bit of a happy dance.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
backpackfullofbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
annieb123's review
5.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Murder by Matchlight is a reformat and re-release of a golden age British murder mystery by E.C.R. Lorac. First released in 1945, this edition from Poisoned Pen Press was released 5th March 2019. It's 264 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. This book is one of the books in the British Library Crime Classics series and it's really nice to see these gems being brought back into print and presented to new readers.
As the others in the series, there is an introduction by mystery history maven Martin Edwards. As engaging as these classic mysteries have been, I have also looked forward in equal measure to Mr. Edwards' insightful commentary.
This mystery may well be my favorite by this author. It's cleverly constructed and written in a classic format. The murder victim is a widely despised "ne'er-do-well". The clues (and red herrings) are presented by the rules and the plotting, dialogue, and denouement are satisfying. The murder takes place during a London blackout during WW2 and the sense of place and atmosphere are palpable. The author makes some interesting points about the murder of one despicable man against the backdrop of WW2 and the blitz.
This is a relatively short novel and this edition also includes a short story from 1953, "Permanent Policeman" which is well plotted and also enjoyable.
Nicely diverting worthy mysteries. Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Murder by Matchlight is a reformat and re-release of a golden age British murder mystery by E.C.R. Lorac. First released in 1945, this edition from Poisoned Pen Press was released 5th March 2019. It's 264 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. This book is one of the books in the British Library Crime Classics series and it's really nice to see these gems being brought back into print and presented to new readers.
As the others in the series, there is an introduction by mystery history maven Martin Edwards. As engaging as these classic mysteries have been, I have also looked forward in equal measure to Mr. Edwards' insightful commentary.
This mystery may well be my favorite by this author. It's cleverly constructed and written in a classic format. The murder victim is a widely despised "ne'er-do-well". The clues (and red herrings) are presented by the rules and the plotting, dialogue, and denouement are satisfying. The murder takes place during a London blackout during WW2 and the sense of place and atmosphere are palpable. The author makes some interesting points about the murder of one despicable man against the backdrop of WW2 and the blitz.
This is a relatively short novel and this edition also includes a short story from 1953, "Permanent Policeman" which is well plotted and also enjoyable.
Nicely diverting worthy mysteries. Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
ungildedlily's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
yetilibrary's review
3.0
Here's what Murder by Matchlight does well: the actual mystery part of a murder-mystery. By the time of the reveal, I still wasn't sure who did it--but the reveal nonetheless felt earned and made sense. Also elegantly done: the setting, of London during the Blitz. Lorac made that place and time feel real and present, without it crowding out the fictional mystery.
Here's what Murder by Matchlight does less well: characters. It's the women characters who are the most poorly sketched (surprising, as Lorac was a woman herself); they're straight from the Grab-Bag of British Women Background Characters, and you could be writing any of them yourself, right now. Some of the men don't fare much better, but a few of them are very well-drawn; at least one (aside from our protagonist-detective) may appear in future novels, and I hope he does, because he was a delight.
And what bothered me even more about Murder by Matchlight: boy, does Lorac hate the Irish. It's not a spoiler to say that the murder victim is Irish, and sprinkled throughout the book are people saying things along the lines of, "Oh yes, I don't care for the Irish at all!" "Nor I. Good talkers, of course, but all ne'er-do-wells." "Indeed, indeed. Drunken thugs, the lot of them--but charming!"It comes as no surprise that the victim himself is a charming ne'er-do-well who gets through life by means of mooching and blackmail. The one Irish person who's not drunk, violent, or a societal leech, moved to London and married a Brit. (The few times I've been to London--over 50 years after this book was published--it seems general opinions of Londoners re: Irish people haven't changed much. I know because my last name is O'Brien.)
(A few times I wondered if any of the characters in this book weren't white. Given how every character, given the chance, said something like "And he was IRISH! Ew!," I felt it was unlikely a PoC character would have made it through the entire book without someone making a comment.)
But all that said? It WAS a good mystery. And I still read Agatha Christie, even though she straight-up found racism to be a charming character trait. I'm undecided if I'll read more Lorac.
tl;dr Great mystery undermined by uneven characterization and anti-Irish sentiment.
Here's what Murder by Matchlight does less well: characters. It's the women characters who are the most poorly sketched (surprising, as Lorac was a woman herself); they're straight from the Grab-Bag of British Women Background Characters, and you could be writing any of them yourself, right now. Some of the men don't fare much better, but a few of them are very well-drawn; at least one (aside from our protagonist-detective) may appear in future novels, and I hope he does, because he was a delight.
And what bothered me even more about Murder by Matchlight: boy, does Lorac hate the Irish. It's not a spoiler to say that the murder victim is Irish, and sprinkled throughout the book are people saying things along the lines of, "Oh yes, I don't care for the Irish at all!" "Nor I. Good talkers, of course, but all ne'er-do-wells." "Indeed, indeed. Drunken thugs, the lot of them--but charming!"
(A few times I wondered if any of the characters in this book weren't white. Given how every character, given the chance, said something like "And he was IRISH! Ew!," I felt it was unlikely a PoC character would have made it through the entire book without someone making a comment.)
But all that said? It WAS a good mystery. And I still read Agatha Christie, even though she straight-up found racism to be a charming character trait. I'm undecided if I'll read more Lorac.
tl;dr Great mystery undermined by uneven characterization and anti-Irish sentiment.