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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book, there were so many twists and turns and I would have never ever guessed who was the murderer.
It was well written and her descriptions of England and Scotland were so well done. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
It was well written and her descriptions of England and Scotland were so well done. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
A man is stabbed while waiting in line to see a popular show. The line is supposed to be so tightly packed that there is no way to tell when he was killed because his corpse could have been carried along by the crowd for a long while before the crowd loosened up enough for his body to fall to the ground.
It was simply too silly a start for me to ever fully embrace the story. We're talking about the British in the 30s in a queue for a play. This was not a stampede, not a rock concert, not a football game, not a group of drunks. The British know how to queue. Jokes are made about the British and their appreciation for a good queue. That a line for the theater could be so tightly packed and chaotic that it could hold a corpse fully erect and move it around without anybody noticing was an absurd idea.
The characters were never fully developed. The plot moved so slowly. The writing was uninspired. Clearly her first in this series because Tey's later work was wonderful.
It was simply too silly a start for me to ever fully embrace the story. We're talking about the British in the 30s in a queue for a play. This was not a stampede, not a rock concert, not a football game, not a group of drunks. The British know how to queue. Jokes are made about the British and their appreciation for a good queue. That a line for the theater could be so tightly packed and chaotic that it could hold a corpse fully erect and move it around without anybody noticing was an absurd idea.
The characters were never fully developed. The plot moved so slowly. The writing was uninspired. Clearly her first in this series because Tey's later work was wonderful.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is, I think, the fourth Tey book I've read, but it's actually the first in the Inspector Grant series. I like Grant a lot, but not as much as say, Armand Gamache. The mystery was interesting enough. Some of the plotline is actually REALLY similar to the next book in the series, A Shilling For Candles; in both there is a young man with TONS of evidence against him and yet he's on the run being protected by female characters. These women, I've noticed, never seem to get in any trouble. I did not guess the mystery although I had an inkling that something from earlier in the novel would be important, and I was right.
I will definitely read more Tey mysteries in the future.
I will definitely read more Tey mysteries in the future.
A 1930s mystery murder tale, how Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard figured out thefight thread.
I liked this book. Tey writes very well, as always; her characterization isn't always as nuanced or inventive as other writers (Alan Grant is pretty flat to me, which can be a problem at times because so much of this book is spent in his head), although Miss Dinmont was a pearl. However, the plot in this book - with the simmering unease the entire time that they're missing something and have the wrong man - is quite well done. The ending twist feels simultaneously quite abrupt and yet well-earned, given the long buildup.
Had to downgrade it a star because of the sexism and racism, though. Grant's attitude toward Marcable is particularly galling.
Had to downgrade it a star because of the sexism and racism, though. Grant's attitude toward Marcable is particularly galling.
I desperately wanted to love this - another queen of crime who's writing I wasn't familiar with. However compared to Sayers and Christie, her characters are a bit flat. The mystery itself is an interesting premise, but solved through happenstance with an ending that was highly unlikely.
When there was dialogue on the page, the book was great, but an over abundance of Dickensian 2-page-paragraphs means that Tey's writing doesn't translate well to the modern day reader. If she had slashed some of her narrative for a bit more character building, we might have a winner.
On the whole, good for those who have literally read everything else.
When there was dialogue on the page, the book was great, but an over abundance of Dickensian 2-page-paragraphs means that Tey's writing doesn't translate well to the modern day reader. If she had slashed some of her narrative for a bit more character building, we might have a winner.
On the whole, good for those who have literally read everything else.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well that was fun. Thanks to a book rec from a fellow #craftlitpodcast listener, I will be diving into ALL these. Murder mystery with beautiful writing in a way I just didn’t expect. And also? Didn’t see that one coming.
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:
Complicated