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jennybeastie's review against another edition
3.0
A complex and interesting British colonial mystery, with even more complexity and interest than that setting would ordinarily give. I appreciate the incredible level of historical detail, even while the sordid details and blatant racism gave me occasional pause -- not that I find it unrealistic, just that I find it uncomfortable. Joe is a sympathetic character, but I'm not sure how many of his adventures I'll choose to follow.
joyful808's review against another edition
3.0
The mystery was good. The writing was good. The characters were just okay.
maddievoss's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.0
alic59books's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shubhra19's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this was a long book for a mystery whose climax I found pretty illogical. But no doubt the whole detective work was good, interesting and kept me hooked up.
The title of this book intrigued me, but Barbara Cleverly could have done it even better. There were some inconsistencies that can be overlooked but it does dampens the whole effect.
leighryks's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this. It didn't grab me as much as some books do, but it was well done and I'll probably read further on into the series.
corrye_11's review against another edition
3.0
At first I was really enjoying this book. I liked that the author jumps right into the investigation but I didn't understand why she would try and insert a love affair. It didn't need to happen and it threw the pace of the story off. It almost felt like filler. It's already a short book but the author could have done more with the investigation instead of adding the affair, which did not lend itself to the plot. The book finished strong and I enjoyed the conclusion.
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I'm on the fence with this book. I like the characters. I thought Joe is a character with depth and room to grow. I just loved Nancy, the Collector's wife. She reminded me of the very courageous, driven women that served in WW1 I've read about. The military life I liked even if I suspect it's not quite accurate. I liked the lush descriptions of Bengal and India. The mystery until the end kept me reading but unlike others I didn't find the "twist" at the end satisfying at all. Spoilers follow.....I find it very disturbing that again, the killer is gay and went on a killing/revenge spree because his lover was killed. A lover, he "rescued" when is was a young boy. Barely veiled hints of an adult taking advantage of a child here. Prentice would have still been in character if he had killed because of his wife. Less flashy and less "oh my god" they were gay lovers twist but more credible in my eyes, especially since the killer is supposed to be this almost half Indian warrior man, who grew up with this life code of revenge etc. It would have made better sense for me if it was for his wife and unborn child. That I would have bought completely. I will read the next ones because I liked Joe Sandilands as a character and I want to see where he's gonna end up.