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alkora's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
cwebb's review against another edition
What a piece of crap. Static crap. Talky talk and nothing else.
Oh hey, yeah, sure, a bomb exploded - before the story even started! And then until the middle of the book nothing else happens but talk talk talk. So stupid boring.
Didn't finish.
Oh hey, yeah, sure, a bomb exploded - before the story even started! And then until the middle of the book nothing else happens but talk talk talk. So stupid boring.
Didn't finish.
jwoodsum's review
4.0
2nd in the series whose premises is an alternate WWII where England and Germany reach a peace agreement in the early days of the War; so Hitler hasn't died and is still ruling Germany in 1949. England is slowly becoming more and more overtly fascist. Riveting and chilling.
liketheday's review
4.0
It is possible that I couldn't wait for my library to give me the sequels to [b:Farthing|183740|Farthing (Small Change, #1)|Jo Walton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442714837l/183740._SY75_.jpg|1884104] and that I ran out to my local used bookstore almost as soon as they opened to see if they were there. Only this one was, which was disappointing at the time, but now I think that's a pretty okay outcome.
This book sort of reverses the story of the first one, which follows a detective and an aggrieved daughter as they piece together a murder from two different points of view. In this one, we follow the same detective and an actress as the detective works out the mystery behind a strange death and the actress gets pulled into the plot set up by the dead person and tries to continue it.
At first I found the actress's plot a bit boring and a bit weird in a bad way. I couldn't quite fathom how she'd gotten herself into this mess and what was up with her relationship with her quasi-captor, and I dreaded every switch back to her point of view. But I remained as fascinated with the detective as I was in the first book, and his situation only gets more dire so those sections kept me reading. And then finally at the end the book brings itself together and makes an exciting race for the finish that kept me reading past my bedtime yet again.
There's a preview of the third book at the end that made me less disappointed that I'll have to wait for it from the library, but glad that I've got it on hold so I can read it soon!
This book sort of reverses the story of the first one, which follows a detective and an aggrieved daughter as they piece together a murder from two different points of view. In this one, we follow the same detective and an actress as the detective works out the mystery behind a strange death and the actress gets pulled into the plot set up by the dead person and tries to continue it.
At first I found the actress's plot a bit boring and a bit weird in a bad way. I couldn't quite fathom how she'd gotten herself into this mess and what was up with her relationship with her quasi-captor, and I dreaded every switch back to her point of view. But I remained as fascinated with the detective as I was in the first book, and his situation only gets more dire so those sections kept me reading. And then finally at the end the book brings itself together and makes an exciting race for the finish that kept me reading past my bedtime yet again.
There's a preview of the third book at the end that made me less disappointed that I'll have to wait for it from the library, but glad that I've got it on hold so I can read it soon!
suzemo's review
4.0
I really enjoy these Small Change books. The alternate history of "what might have been" and then what could be happening in what might have been.
I feel like this book suffers from middle book syndrome. I don't enjoy it as much as the other two, although it's a superb book. So this book < the other two, but >> most books in the universe.
We switch from the English-country-manor mystery murder scene in Farthing to London's theatre crowd. A bomb goes off, killing a some-what famous actress, and the police Inspector Carmichael is once again one of the two main characters. There is still some intertwining of characters (both big and historic, and smaller) from Farthing because the other main character in this book is on of the daughters of an aristocratic character who has rejected her place in life and become an actress. The mystery and world Walton writes is riveting and I find it easy to become immersed in it.
Along with the Third Reich and questions of "what could have been" there are a lot of social questions and issues floating around. Things to think about, which are still relevant today.
Brilliant. Lots and lots of love for this book.
I feel like this book suffers from middle book syndrome. I don't enjoy it as much as the other two, although it's a superb book. So this book < the other two, but >> most books in the universe.
We switch from the English-country-manor mystery murder scene in Farthing to London's theatre crowd. A bomb goes off, killing a some-what famous actress, and the police Inspector Carmichael is once again one of the two main characters. There is still some intertwining of characters (both big and historic, and smaller) from Farthing because the other main character in this book is on of the daughters of an aristocratic character who has rejected her place in life and become an actress. The mystery and world Walton writes is riveting and I find it easy to become immersed in it.
Along with the Third Reich and questions of "what could have been" there are a lot of social questions and issues floating around. Things to think about, which are still relevant today.
Brilliant. Lots and lots of love for this book.
quietdomino's review
Alternative history mystery (book 2) set in an England that made peace with Hitler. Uncompromising in showing the concessions that let good people stumble their way into fascism. The worst/best book to read at the moment.
melledotca's review
3.0
More like 2.5 to 2.75. Though I got further into this one before she made the characters truly slap-worthy.
reluctantheroine's review
3.0
This is my favourite book in the series, if only because I think the theatre is usually a pretty good setting for a mystery or thriller.
maria_pulver's review
5.0
The book follows the pattern of the first one of the series while the intrigue is different as the female heroine is.
This still works very well for the main moral line: too many people loose their freedom bit by bit without paying attention and they ignore horrors happening to others without any moral qualms or any inner driven need to help these oppressed.
This still works very well for the main moral line: too many people loose their freedom bit by bit without paying attention and they ignore horrors happening to others without any moral qualms or any inner driven need to help these oppressed.