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caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
This is more about the characters than the plot, at least for me. We have the cynical reporter Jammy Hopkins, a set of socialites that includes Marta Hallard (who's portrayed more positively in later books), the accused, something of an innocent, and best of all Erica Burgoyne, a sensible girl who immediately upstages everyone else in the story. A somewhat confusing ending, and when the murderer is found to be insane, I felt that Tey had given up a bit. Fun nonetheless, even reading a forty-year-old paperback that was so much more than slightly foxed that I immediately tossed it into the recycling when I was done.
purpleberryblue's review
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
3.75
ashleylm's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know what it is about Josephine Tey that I like so much. I love Agatha Christie: she knows what she does best, she drops heaps of red herrings and subtle clues and populates her books with mostly interesting characters and situations. I love Dorothy Sayers: she also is well aware she's writing a mystery, but she treats that as scaffolding upon which she will build entirely different books as she proceeds. But Tey? She writes mysteries as if she's unaware she's writing one, and as a result they're sort of graceful and haunting, 100% fitting into the mystery genre, and yet different in a way I can't explain (but will read other reviewers to see if they can nail their description of what I can't).
This isn't perhaps my favourite, in that the premise isn't tremendously exciting (a woman is murdered, there's a big clue with CLUE!! written all over it (a button!!), and the lead investigator has almost no personality whatsoever. And yet, it charms, especially as it gets closer to its conclusion. Some of the minor characters and situations (the victim's brother, the young girl's search for the coat, etc.) are especially keen, yet other chapters fall a bit flat by comparison.
Still, this was an early one. it's miles better than her first (the disappointing The Man in the Queue) and almost as good as the terrific later books.
Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.
This isn't perhaps my favourite, in that the premise isn't tremendously exciting (a woman is murdered, there's a big clue with CLUE!! written all over it (a button!!), and the lead investigator has almost no personality whatsoever. And yet, it charms, especially as it gets closer to its conclusion. Some of the minor characters and situations (the victim's brother, the young girl's search for the coat, etc.) are especially keen, yet other chapters fall a bit flat by comparison.
Still, this was an early one. it's miles better than her first (the disappointing The Man in the Queue) and almost as good as the terrific later books.
Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.
salomongirl77's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
a_ab's review
4.0
This is an unusual detective series. One of the most brilliant aspects of it is the credit it gives to the side characters and the time it takes to develop them. It might seem meandering and its prose too poetic at times, but the books are thoroughly enjoyable and accomplish what all best books should aspire to do - create a vivid reality in which the reader is allowed to exist for the duration of the book. A thoroughly delightful reading experience.
teresac's review against another edition
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
mgeake's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
miniingrid's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Disfrutaría más de los libros de Tey sin los comentarios racistas "de la época"... Pero tengo que reconocer que son muy entretenidos.
geri_reader's review
4.0
Great mystery, lots of humor, plot twists, interesting characters, well-written. I read this because it was the recommended read for a book group this month. I like the Inspector Grant character, probably read some Tey mysteries years ago, but plan to read more now.
cleheny's review
3.0
I've always loved The Daughter of Time, but I hadn't read any of Tey's other Alan Grant mysteries. A Shilling for Candles is enjoyable, largely because Tey writes lively and direct prose and creates some great characters. Grant is intelligent and thoughtful, but he's not perfect. He has a healthy respect for imagination but that imagination consistently takes into account the facts. Erica Burgoyne is another interesting character; she's a teenager who is independent and lives a bit in her own head. The reader gets the impression that she is socially awkward and doesn't have a lot of friends her own age. But her independence and self-confidence (which are never precious or precocious) lead to an important turning point in Grant's investigation. And Grant's genuine liking of Erica, and his appreciation of her ideas and actions, makes him a more endearing character.
I think a real triumph of this book is the way Tey explores celebrity and brings alive the character of the victim, Christine Clay, who is dead when we first meet her. There are no flashbacks or revealing letters hidden by the murder victim and then later discovered; Christine Clay is revealed (and, sometimes, hidden) through the reminisces of her theatrical colleagues, her husband, people she knew as a child, and--the only direct evidence we have from her--through her will and a codicil. Yet somehow, as the mystery draws to a close, I felt that I had gotten to know and like Christine, and that her death was a cruel and pointless thing.
The resolution of the mystery does rely on Grant's discovery of some last-minute clues that are indicated to, but not shared with, the reader. That irritates me a bit; part of the fun of a mystery is learning along with the detective, and seeing if you put the clues together to get to the same result. It feels like a bit of a cheat to have the detective learn something that isn't shared with the reader, but which is the key to revealing the murderer. Still, this is an enjoyable and satisfying read.
I think a real triumph of this book is the way Tey explores celebrity and brings alive the character of the victim, Christine Clay, who is dead when we first meet her. There are no flashbacks or revealing letters hidden by the murder victim and then later discovered; Christine Clay is revealed (and, sometimes, hidden) through the reminisces of her theatrical colleagues, her husband, people she knew as a child, and--the only direct evidence we have from her--through her will and a codicil. Yet somehow, as the mystery draws to a close, I felt that I had gotten to know and like Christine, and that her death was a cruel and pointless thing.
The resolution of the mystery does rely on Grant's discovery of some last-minute clues that are indicated to, but not shared with, the reader. That irritates me a bit; part of the fun of a mystery is learning along with the detective, and seeing if you put the clues together to get to the same result. It feels like a bit of a cheat to have the detective learn something that isn't shared with the reader, but which is the key to revealing the murderer. Still, this is an enjoyable and satisfying read.