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mwana's review against another edition
moneyispizza's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mgeake's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thereaderred's review against another edition
4.0
The cover may let you think that this is a quaint 1940s British mystery novel, but it is anything but. Think American Psycho but in Wartime England instead of 1980s Wall Street and you would have some idea of what this book entails. The titular Mr. Bowling is very much like Patrick Bateman in some ways, mainly for their gentlemanly persona, mixed in with an aspect of inflated self worth and general contempt for others around them. It's shocking to find out that the writer of this book, Donald Henderson, died tragically young, because he certainly has what it takes to set a scene. I plan to read more things by him once I find them.
onlyliana's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
muggsyspaniel's review
5.0
With this being published by the Collins Crime Club and praised by Raymond Chandler I was expecting some kind of British Chandler equivalent. I was expecting to meet a killer and the policemen hunting him but this felt like it had more in common with Patrick Hamilton's Hangover Square than anything else.
It is a darkly comic thriller that follows the, possibly insane, killer and his thought processes as he kills his way around the blackout.
Highly recommended.
It is a darkly comic thriller that follows the, possibly insane, killer and his thought processes as he kills his way around the blackout.
Highly recommended.
kiwimrsmac's review against another edition
5.0
A clever story from a different era. With exquisite writing, you're whisked inside Mr Bowling's mind as he ponders his lapse in character and the inevitable consequences. Fate has a different path in store for the worried man, a path he'd rather not tread, but tread it he does.
For a book which at once seems wordy yet sparse, you're served delicious characters, barely formed but solidly understood. Whether they live or die, leads you onwards at a cracking pace.
Class struggles, civility, the English stiff upper lip is in full view. Bowler hats and Belgium maids. What more could you want in a crime noir novel?
Well worth a second read.
For a book which at once seems wordy yet sparse, you're served delicious characters, barely formed but solidly understood. Whether they live or die, leads you onwards at a cracking pace.
Class struggles, civility, the English stiff upper lip is in full view. Bowler hats and Belgium maids. What more could you want in a crime noir novel?
Well worth a second read.
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