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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
A collection of short stories The Teahouse Detective gives us mysteries told to a lady journalist by the old man sitting in the corner of the tea shop while he ties intricate knots in string.
The Teahouse Detective stories were published in the early 1900s. This means that the stories are slower paced and not as graphic as books published today. There are a few slurs in the book about race and class that could be seen as problematic today but not so offensive that it makes the book unreadable.
The lady journalist while wanting to know the Old Man's opinions on the mysteries that have taken place does at times come across as condescending. She isn't very likable when you can tell she thinks she is better than he is. The old man is obviously quick witted and smart. Solving the mysteries by just attending the inquests and from information he picks up here and there. He never takes his knowledge to the police however as he does not care if justice is served or not.
Overall the book was a nice change of pace in my reading. I think that if I would have used a story or two in between books as a break instead of reading them all at once I may have enjoyed it even more. If I happen to come across other titles by Baroness Orczy I will pick them up.
I received this book free on NetGalley for my honest review.
The Teahouse Detective stories were published in the early 1900s. This means that the stories are slower paced and not as graphic as books published today. There are a few slurs in the book about race and class that could be seen as problematic today but not so offensive that it makes the book unreadable.
The lady journalist while wanting to know the Old Man's opinions on the mysteries that have taken place does at times come across as condescending. She isn't very likable when you can tell she thinks she is better than he is. The old man is obviously quick witted and smart. Solving the mysteries by just attending the inquests and from information he picks up here and there. He never takes his knowledge to the police however as he does not care if justice is served or not.
Overall the book was a nice change of pace in my reading. I think that if I would have used a story or two in between books as a break instead of reading them all at once I may have enjoyed it even more. If I happen to come across other titles by Baroness Orczy I will pick them up.
I received this book free on NetGalley for my honest review.
Fun old-fashioned mysteries- To put it simply, Unravelled Knots is a nice addition to the three-book series.
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Unravelled Knots is the third (and final) collection of Teahouse Detective short stories by Baroness Orczy. Originally published in 1926, this edition is due out 2nd June 2020 from Steerforth on their Pushkin Press imprint. It's 320 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats).
The format is much the same as the other collections. They're presented as intellectual exercises, pas de deux between an eccentric old man and reporter Polly Burton, set as conversations in the ABC Teashop, where the old man in the corner sits for the most part alone. His engagement with the crimes is strictly intellectual, he's not out to hand the criminals over to justice. He reminds me a bit of Poirot, with a touch of Mycroft Holmes and a healthy foreshadowing of Nero Wolfe.
These are cleverly constructed mysteries. Some of them are somewhat transparent by modern tastes, but I really think that's because so many of the literary devices she employed have been copied and reused since then that modern readers are familiar with the twists and turns.
This would make a superlative commute read. The 13 stories are short and could be read during free moments here and there. They're all well written and a lot of fun to read.
Four stars. I'm very happy that Pushkin is preserving and presenting these gems to new generations of readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Unravelled Knots is the third (and final) collection of Teahouse Detective short stories by Baroness Orczy. Originally published in 1926, this edition is due out 2nd June 2020 from Steerforth on their Pushkin Press imprint. It's 320 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats).
The format is much the same as the other collections. They're presented as intellectual exercises, pas de deux between an eccentric old man and reporter Polly Burton, set as conversations in the ABC Teashop, where the old man in the corner sits for the most part alone. His engagement with the crimes is strictly intellectual, he's not out to hand the criminals over to justice. He reminds me a bit of Poirot, with a touch of Mycroft Holmes and a healthy foreshadowing of Nero Wolfe.
These are cleverly constructed mysteries. Some of them are somewhat transparent by modern tastes, but I really think that's because so many of the literary devices she employed have been copied and reused since then that modern readers are familiar with the twists and turns.
This would make a superlative commute read. The 13 stories are short and could be read during free moments here and there. They're all well written and a lot of fun to read.
Four stars. I'm very happy that Pushkin is preserving and presenting these gems to new generations of readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
I love Baroness Orczy's mysteries and these were excellent.
I was happy to read it and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I was happy to read it and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No