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A review by trin
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume
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? No
1.25
A mystery that predates Sherlock Holmes, and that apparently inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to turn his hand to the genre -- because of how bad it is. It is bad. Obsessed with technical detail (endless court transcripts of events the reader is already aware of), flatly characterized, dialect used for the poor (boo!), a mystery solved not by detective work but by, essentially, a deathbed confession.
Maybe deserves a second star for the historical impact, but the very end is all the men conspiring not to reveal vital, life-changing information to two women "for their own good," and I lack the patience. This was boring and annoying and Doyle outwrote it a thousand times over. You were right, bro.
Maybe deserves a second star for the historical impact, but the very end is all the men conspiring not to reveal vital, life-changing information to two women "for their own good," and I lack the patience. This was boring and annoying and Doyle outwrote it a thousand times over. You were right, bro.