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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
‘It was four o’clock of a spring evening; and Robert Blair was thinking of going home.’
I enjoyed this 1948 British mystery about the investigation of a mother and daughter accused of brutally kidnapping a young woman named Betty Kane. While Betty Kane’s claims seemed unlikely, how could she describe various aspects of the Sharpe’s home, The Franchise, unless she had been inside?
Robert Blair, the country solicitor first telephoned by Miss Marion Sharpe for assistance when she and her mother were about to be interviewed by the police, is at first hesitant to be involved. But, convinced that the Sharpe women are innocent, Blair quickly becomes keen to solve the case.
The story unfolds and the case is solved in fewer than three hundred pages. Inspector Grant’s role is
miniscule: Robert Blair is the hero. I won’t write more about the story (no spoilers here) but I will add that some aspects may seem quite foreign to more modern sensibilities.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I enjoyed this 1948 British mystery about the investigation of a mother and daughter accused of brutally kidnapping a young woman named Betty Kane. While Betty Kane’s claims seemed unlikely, how could she describe various aspects of the Sharpe’s home, The Franchise, unless she had been inside?
Robert Blair, the country solicitor first telephoned by Miss Marion Sharpe for assistance when she and her mother were about to be interviewed by the police, is at first hesitant to be involved. But, convinced that the Sharpe women are innocent, Blair quickly becomes keen to solve the case.
The story unfolds and the case is solved in fewer than three hundred pages. Inspector Grant’s role is
miniscule: Robert Blair is the hero. I won’t write more about the story (no spoilers here) but I will add that some aspects may seem quite foreign to more modern sensibilities.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I loved this story so much. Even though Inspector Grant was barely in it. Such a cozy little mystery.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow, I absolutely loved this mystery and found it to be quite gripping for an older book (1948), which feels to me like the very beginnings of the thriller/courtroom drama genre. The initial mystery was very intriguing, the defense of the accused kept me hooked, the public reaction to the charges added another element of interest and surprise, and the ending was superb. I think what really knocks it out of the park, though, is the characters. They are so real and relatable. I felt like I was a cousin, called in to help them get through this. Very vivid and memorable scenes and dialogue. There are times when this book can feel a little dated, but there were also some quite modern sentiments, so nothing detracted from the story for me.
Excellent. Complacent solicitor is caught up defending two eccentric women against a flawless-seeming girl. And pulls it off. Inspector Grant scarcely makes a cameo but is not needed. A book easy to read and relevant today, with only a few details like telegraph poles and someone being notable for going out withOUT a hat, dating it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well written but not a mystery the reader can solve.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Like a cross between Law and Order SVU and Miss Marple.
Published in 1948, and yet it still astounds. (I suppose we can forgive the very odd assertion of people with blue eyes being highly sexualized.)