Reviews

The Widening Stain by W. Bolingbroke Johnson, Nicolas A. Basbanes

amphipodgirl's review against another edition

3.0

I found this so-so as a mystery, but some of the little satires on college life were quite amusing. And as an alumna of Cornell I quite enjoyed trying to figure out which buildings the various bits were sent in.

waywithwords's review

adventurous funny mysterious tense 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

4.0

abookishtype's review against another edition

3.0

Originally published in 1942, The Widening Stain is a mystery that flirts heavily with satire. W. Bolingbroke Johnson (the pseudonym for Morris Bishop) spends just as much time creating eccentric academics as he does planting clues for the murders of two professors at an unnamed American university. Our detective is Gilda Gorham, a cataloger, is part of what drew me to this book. I can’t resist a mystery investigated by a librarian...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

vesper1931's review against another edition

4.0

1942 After a university President's party, Chief Cataloguer Gilda Gorham discovers a body in the library. Later another body is discovered in a locked room. Is there a connection, what could be the motives, and who is the guilty party. Gilda seems determined to find the answer.
Overall an enjoyable tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, with its likeable characters and a cast of suspects.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

canadianbookworm's review

funny informative lighthearted mysterious medium-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

4.0

https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-widening-stain.html

estreetgirl's review

lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

krikketgirl's review

lighthearted 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? Yes

3.0

devinsf's review

3.0

Pseudonymously published, this is the only fictional work of a prolific academic in language studies and noted limerick enthusiast. An oldschool murder mystery set in a university library, we follow middle-aged cataloger Gilda as she unspools the case. The author strikes an unusual tonal balance, with highbrow lit references (and lighthearted needling of out-of-touch academicians) nestled inside standard genre fiction tropes. A quick, unusual read for the mystery fan or latin-reading postdoc in your life.