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schellenbergk's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
As with a lot of compilations, it’s mixed. Some stories are great, others are a chore to read.
halellery's review against another edition
3.0
It's a book of short stories - classic detective stories from some of the great criminal authors. All good and well, except that short stories aren't my cup of tea. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself.
sadiqua_fatima's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
1mpossiblealice's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this - part of the reason it's 4 stars instead of 3 is that this collection contained stories I've never read before (they haven't been published anywhere else, that's part of the point of the book) and writers I'd never heard of. Having read lots of Golden Age collections, that's unusual.
I really enjoyed some of the stories, some were just fine, some were in between. Nothing that I thought was awful, although there are two stage play type things in here that I admit I skipped because I didn't want to read a play!
I really liked the Cyril Hare story and the AA Milne in particular. I'll definitely be picking up the second of these collections.
I really enjoyed some of the stories, some were just fine, some were in between. Nothing that I thought was awful, although there are two stage play type things in here that I admit I skipped because I didn't want to read a play!
I really liked the Cyril Hare story and the AA Milne in particular. I'll definitely be picking up the second of these collections.
sara_h's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
An anthology of 16 short stories written by some of the best authors from the Golden Age of Mystery. Very enjoyable.
tombomp's review against another edition
3.0
I skipped the play which opens with a "yeah this is racist" disclaimer and then 1 page in you get a Japanese character talking about his samurai spirit. I'm good. Otherwise... mediocre stories that I gobble up cause I'm a sucker for generic golden age mystery stories. If you are, you'll probably enjoy it enough, if not, nah
izzatiidrus's review
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
3.0
This compilation of short stories was better than I expected but not as good as I would have liked it to be.
Surprisingly, my one favourite story - the only one I gave a 5-star rating to - was Bread Upon the Waters, written by A. A. Milne, who was more famously known for creating Winnie the Pooh.
Equally surprising was the fact that one of my least favourite stories - which I gave 2-star rating to - went to my beloved mystery queen, Agatha Christie. Her story The Wife of the Kenite had the right feel of suspense and mystery, but alas, there were too many religious references and that's just not my cup of tea.
Otherwise, the short stories in general were pretty good, but none actually memorable. That being said, if I could get my hands on the rest of the books in the series, I still would.
Surprisingly, my one favourite story - the only one I gave a 5-star rating to - was Bread Upon the Waters, written by A. A. Milne, who was more famously known for creating Winnie the Pooh.
Equally surprising was the fact that one of my least favourite stories - which I gave 2-star rating to - went to my beloved mystery queen, Agatha Christie. Her story The Wife of the Kenite had the right feel of suspense and mystery, but alas, there were too many religious references and that's just not my cup of tea.
Otherwise, the short stories in general were pretty good, but none actually memorable. That being said, if I could get my hands on the rest of the books in the series, I still would.