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dmturner's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Tey was the best at averting romance and describing landscape and people, while wandering over the course of weeks to the abrupt conclusion of a mystery.
katypicken's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
frannighost's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second time through this book. I'm still disappointed by the romance angle in the book; why doesn't he fall in love with the lovely Zoe? But this time I felt like maybe that was the right choice ...
Alan Grant heads up to Scotland to combat a bad case of claustrophobia. As he's getting off the train after a night of nightmares in his too-small sleeping compartment, the sleeping car attendant finds a dead body, and Grant breaks the news to him that calling the police is the right way to go. At the same time, he absently picks up the dead man's newspaper, which on inspection over coffee in the station leads to a scribbled poem .... which leads Alan to not quite believe the official report that dead man was an unsatisfactory sort named Charles Martin, a mechanic whose French family is all too glad to identify a dead man as the bad son who left under a cloud.
But is it? And if it isn't, who is it? The puzzle leads Grant out of his lethargy and eventually out of his claustrophobia, as he journeys around Scotland and eventually back to London in pursuit of answers.
A good one. The mystery is as satisfactory as the romance is not so much ....
Alan Grant heads up to Scotland to combat a bad case of claustrophobia. As he's getting off the train after a night of nightmares in his too-small sleeping compartment, the sleeping car attendant finds a dead body, and Grant breaks the news to him that calling the police is the right way to go. At the same time, he absently picks up the dead man's newspaper, which on inspection over coffee in the station leads to a scribbled poem .... which leads Alan to not quite believe the official report that dead man was an unsatisfactory sort named Charles Martin, a mechanic whose French family is all too glad to identify a dead man as the bad son who left under a cloud.
But is it? And if it isn't, who is it? The puzzle leads Grant out of his lethargy and eventually out of his claustrophobia, as he journeys around Scotland and eventually back to London in pursuit of answers.
A good one. The mystery is as satisfactory as the romance is not so much ....
rosieclaverton's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book for its portrayal of depression and claustrophobia. I liked it less for the crowbarring in of the heteronormativity that had been largely absent prior to this. I enjoyed the queer coding of Alan Grant and this was a bit disappointing. Also the random shots of racism and disdain for Scottish nationalism.
Mystery was good though. And some sweetness about the missing man and his "friend".
Mystery was good though. And some sweetness about the missing man and his "friend".
krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/day-638-the-singing-sands/
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/day-638-the-singing-sands/
nekreader's review against another edition
3.0
This is another Tey mystery that is more novel than mystery, at least in the classic sense. I really loved parts of this book, but found other parts less satisfying. The descriptions of the Scottish people and landscapes are exceedingly well drawn. Inspector Grant's character is rounded out a bit more. I wish we had seen more of Laura. I liked her and her son, Pat. The actual mystery is really secondary to Grant working through his personal crisis; Nevertheless, the ending was just a bit too tidy. Nevertheless, well-written and throroughly enjoyable.
doctortdm's review against another edition
5.0
There are novels you wish would end and there are novels you hope would never end, the late is how I felt about Tey's "The Singing Sands".
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
It's pretty easy to tell this was not in finished form at her death, good though it is.