You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
The first of the Murdoch Mysteries. I've not read any other books by this author or watched the show.
I liked this. The historical details seemed spot on. The mystery was engaging and I waxed and waned several times about who the murderer was.
There's a tiny bit of LGBTQ content with one character being gay but it is only implied for a long time and then talked around as gossip.
The character of Murdoch was engaging, although he was somewhat inept when finally trying to arrest the BG.
Would I read more of the series? Yes, but I won't be rushing out to buy them.
I liked this. The historical details seemed spot on. The mystery was engaging and I waxed and waned several times about who the murderer was.
There's a tiny bit of LGBTQ content with one character being gay but it is only implied for a long time and then talked around as gossip.
The character of Murdoch was engaging, although he was somewhat inept when finally trying to arrest the BG.
Would I read more of the series? Yes, but I won't be rushing out to buy them.
Jennings creates a really compelling world in this book; the investigation unfolds smoothly, and the protagonist, Murdoch, is instantly likeable. Not quite as lively as the Murdoch in the TV show, but fun nonetheless
this is not a very good whodunit, because it relies on information outside the knowledge of the detective, and has many scenes in which people's identities are withheld from the reader in order to maintain the mystery.
However, it is rich in historical detail about 19th century Toronto, certainly an area not often covered in novels and this added a falvour to the story that I found quite charming. In the sense of atmosphere itholds its own with [b:Gone with the Wind|18405|Gone with the Wind|Margaret Mitchell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328025229s/18405.jpg|3358283], [b:Forever Amber|5368|Forever Amber |Kathleen Winsor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350464965s/5368.jpg|2522906] or even [b:The Guns of the South|101599|The Guns of the South|Harry Turtledove|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320477474s/101599.jpg|554749] - well, okay, maybe not that last one.
The book is not like the TV eries. Urdoch doesn't involve himself in detection by technology, or even retro-fitted steampunk style technologies, and the murder scenes are more graphic than the TV seris, but the book isn't concerned with showing all Canadians to be reall nice and polite people.
Read it for the descriptions of 19th century Canada.
However, it is rich in historical detail about 19th century Toronto, certainly an area not often covered in novels and this added a falvour to the story that I found quite charming. In the sense of atmosphere itholds its own with [b:Gone with the Wind|18405|Gone with the Wind|Margaret Mitchell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328025229s/18405.jpg|3358283], [b:Forever Amber|5368|Forever Amber |Kathleen Winsor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350464965s/5368.jpg|2522906] or even [b:The Guns of the South|101599|The Guns of the South|Harry Turtledove|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320477474s/101599.jpg|554749] - well, okay, maybe not that last one.
The book is not like the TV eries. Urdoch doesn't involve himself in detection by technology, or even retro-fitted steampunk style technologies, and the murder scenes are more graphic than the TV seris, but the book isn't concerned with showing all Canadians to be reall nice and polite people.
Read it for the descriptions of 19th century Canada.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I found this to be rather a disappointment. My spouse and I have begun watching the popular TV series, Murdoch Murders, and have enjoyed them quite a lot. While this book contains characters with similar names, their characteristics aren't much like the video characters. In the video, William Murdoch is a highly educated person who employs scientific investigations to help his investigations along. In the book, we learn that Murdoch was poorly educated and began his working career as a lumberman. Also, he has a mustache, unlike the video character. Then too, Insp. Brackenreid turns out to be an Irishman of the "orange" variety, who had emigrated to Canada as a child, so never darkened the doors of Scotland Yard, and George Crabtree is a bit of a jock. So, it would seem that the only similarity between the book and the video series are the names of three characters and the fact that things are set in the 1890s.
But, I think the biggest disappointment for me is that even the educated people in the book, doctors and lawyers and such like, don't understand grammar. While it's rather common that younger people who have come of age since the 1990s don't don't properly differentiate between objective and nominative case, find it hard to believe that educated people in the 1890s would do likewise. Interestingly, these rather glaring grammar faux pas are also a feature in the videos. I find myself correcting the characters multiple times per episode. Really, they shouldn't talk like the people on sports talk radio in the 21st century. Gah!
Sorry, I got distracted.
Now, as for the story. A young woman, a Therese Laporte is found frozen to death in the snow. It turns out that she had been drugged with opium first. Later on, before her body was discovered by the authorities, her clothes were stripped off. Therese was a maid in the household of Dr. Cyril Rhodes and his wife, Donalda. It seems that Therese was several months pregnant. The only two people in the household who mourned Therese's demise were Donalda and the stable boy, Joe Seaton.
Two people who might have been involved were two young women, Bernadette Weston and Alice Black, who allegedly sewed gloves for a living, but who also seemed to derive most of their income by "entertaining" gentlemen, might know something. Their lodging was near where Therese was found, and Murdoch, upon talking to them, is sure they're hiding something. Later on, he finds Therese's clothes hidden in the outhouse behind the women's lodging.
Another line of inquiry, of course, is to look for the person who got Therese "with child". Might it have been her employer, his son, Owen, or perhaps, the butler? Then too, it could be the not so punctilious father of Owen's fiancée, Harriet Shepcote.
A while later on, Alice is found frozen to death on a lake, having also been drugged with opium.
So, anyway, we have lots of suspects and lots of blind alleys. Eventually, it all gets figured out. I dunno, I gave it 3*, but were it possible on GoodReads, I'd likely give it only 3*-, which to my mind makes it better than 2*+, but still only a vaguely GoodRead.
But, I think the biggest disappointment for me is that even the educated people in the book, doctors and lawyers and such like, don't understand grammar. While it's rather common that younger people who have come of age since the 1990s don't don't properly differentiate between objective and nominative case, find it hard to believe that educated people in the 1890s would do likewise. Interestingly, these rather glaring grammar faux pas are also a feature in the videos. I find myself correcting the characters multiple times per episode. Really, they shouldn't talk like the people on sports talk radio in the 21st century. Gah!
Sorry, I got distracted.
Now, as for the story. A young woman, a Therese Laporte is found frozen to death in the snow. It turns out that she had been drugged with opium first. Later on, before her body was discovered by the authorities, her clothes were stripped off. Therese was a maid in the household of Dr. Cyril Rhodes and his wife, Donalda. It seems that Therese was several months pregnant. The only two people in the household who mourned Therese's demise were Donalda and the stable boy, Joe Seaton.
Two people who might have been involved were two young women, Bernadette Weston and Alice Black, who allegedly sewed gloves for a living, but who also seemed to derive most of their income by "entertaining" gentlemen, might know something. Their lodging was near where Therese was found, and Murdoch, upon talking to them, is sure they're hiding something. Later on, he finds Therese's clothes hidden in the outhouse behind the women's lodging.
Another line of inquiry, of course, is to look for the person who got Therese "with child". Might it have been her employer, his son, Owen, or perhaps, the butler? Then too, it could be the not so punctilious father of Owen's fiancée, Harriet Shepcote.
A while later on, Alice is found frozen to death on a lake, having also been drugged with opium.
So, anyway, we have lots of suspects and lots of blind alleys. Eventually, it all gets figured out. I dunno, I gave it 3*, but were it possible on GoodReads, I'd likely give it only 3*-, which to my mind makes it better than 2*+, but still only a vaguely GoodRead.
Great read. I enjoyed this book as much as the TV show!