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bookaneer808's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I read this mainly for the atmosphere, which is vividly realised. London during the Blitz, with sirens wailing, incendiary bombs falling, Civil Defence men on bikes, hoping to evade the bombing in the local shelter - all these are clearly evoked.
The murder itself is striking - wandering through Regent's Park during blackout, Bruce Mallaig sees a man on a bridge light a cigarette and is struck by his handsome, good-humoured face. Seconds later a sinister face looms from the dark and the man is struck down....murder with a witness!
I found the solution quite unsatisfactory - the clues pointing to the killer aren't very clear, and some questions about other suspects are left unanswered.
Also I was taken aback by the strong vein of anti-Irish sentiment; one character tells the detective that the victim - who we already know is a wrong un -
"had the wit, the versatility, the charm and the good looks of the real Southern Irishman-and he had the illogical, rebellious, thriftless lying habits of that type."
Nowhere does anyone try to refute this sweeping generalisation of an entire country, so it is tacitly accepted as true.
Also the short story at the end, The Permanent Policeman, is appallingly anti-Traveller as well as anti-Irish, and approves an illegal search of a caravan...it's also a bloody boring story.
The murder itself is striking - wandering through Regent's Park during blackout, Bruce Mallaig sees a man on a bridge light a cigarette and is struck by his handsome, good-humoured face. Seconds later a sinister face looms from the dark and the man is struck down....murder with a witness!
I found the solution quite unsatisfactory - the clues pointing to the killer aren't very clear, and some questions about other suspects are left unanswered.
Also I was taken aback by the strong vein of anti-Irish sentiment; one character tells the detective that the victim - who we already know is a wrong un -
"had the wit, the versatility, the charm and the good looks of the real Southern Irishman-and he had the illogical, rebellious, thriftless lying habits of that type."
Nowhere does anyone try to refute this sweeping generalisation of an entire country, so it is tacitly accepted as true.
Also the short story at the end, The Permanent Policeman, is appallingly anti-Traveller as well as anti-Irish, and approves an illegal search of a caravan...it's also a bloody boring story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
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