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sarahrita's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via netgalley.com.
If you love a good murder mystery with an Agatha Christie feel, you'll love this book.
If you love a good murder mystery with an Agatha Christie feel, you'll love this book.
vsbedford's review against another edition
3.0
An updated cozy that perhaps suffers from a few too many characters and a thoroughly unpleasant victim - I think it spends a bit too much time establishing the nastiness of Linzi Bray and the world building suffers because of it. The writing style is a bit disjointed but I think there are some glimmers of an interesting future here.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
briarfairchild's review against another edition
4.0
Cosy Crime is a genre I like, since it's generally not too scary and is unlikely to give me nightmares (why yes, I am an enormous wimp). 'The Art of Murder' is an excellent and worthy addition to the genre which I recommend to anyone who likes good, well drawn characters and good plotting.
I don't much like the appellation 'Cosy Crime'. It sounds all warm and comfortable - which some is, but 'The Art of Murder' isn't really. I very much enjoyed the contrast between the real bleakness of the events and characters, and the - yes, the cosiness of the setting of the majority of the novel, which is a weekend art group course in a lovely-sounding B&B (address please!). I loved the way all the little happenings kept getting less and less little and more and more chilling (those wasps - bleargh).
For me, it's always the characters who make or break a book and I've got to say that this is an area in which Nicola Slade has never yet failed! There are, of course, Harriet and Sam, both of whom I am extremely fond of. Then there's the delightfully nasty victim - whom I also found myself feeling quite sorry for, despite her unmitigated horridness. I've got to say, though, I felt even sorrier for the murderer. I didn't guess who it was, either! As for the other characters - the necessary other suspects - there's a nice variety, ranging from horrendous to heavenly, and I particularly liked Seren, Bonnie and Donald. Ms Slade really has the knack of making good rounded characters, even when you don't see a massive amount of them in the story.
So, all in all, highly recommmended! This is one of a series but you don't need to have read any of the others to enjoy this (though you'll want to afterwards).
I don't much like the appellation 'Cosy Crime'. It sounds all warm and comfortable - which some is, but 'The Art of Murder' isn't really. I very much enjoyed the contrast between the real bleakness of the events and characters, and the - yes, the cosiness of the setting of the majority of the novel, which is a weekend art group course in a lovely-sounding B&B (address please!). I loved the way all the little happenings kept getting less and less little and more and more chilling (those wasps - bleargh).
For me, it's always the characters who make or break a book and I've got to say that this is an area in which Nicola Slade has never yet failed! There are, of course, Harriet and Sam, both of whom I am extremely fond of. Then there's the delightfully nasty victim - whom I also found myself feeling quite sorry for, despite her unmitigated horridness. I've got to say, though, I felt even sorrier for the murderer. I didn't guess who it was, either! As for the other characters - the necessary other suspects - there's a nice variety, ranging from horrendous to heavenly, and I particularly liked Seren, Bonnie and Donald. Ms Slade really has the knack of making good rounded characters, even when you don't see a massive amount of them in the story.
So, all in all, highly recommmended! This is one of a series but you don't need to have read any of the others to enjoy this (though you'll want to afterwards).
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