Scan barcode
A review by robinwalter
Dead Man Twice by Christopher Bush
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
This was my third Ludovic Travers and the best yet. It slowed me to a crawl, and that is a real compliment. I slowed right down because I wanted to try to follow the intricate setup of the murders. And I absolutely loved that Bush included a diagram of the "howdunnit" - bravo!
The other thing that made the slow reading a joy was Bush's writing. A selection of phrases that really caught my eye:
He has the meretricious polish of his particular breed,
He rubbed his hands as if it was the first cup for years, and himself the purveyor of some rare, incalculable delight.
Those examples showcase a style of writing that I enjoy - carefully constructed and clever, but not florid. So far, each of the three Travers books I've read has had gems like those. There was something extra special about this one, though
On the subject of cars, Travers was likely to be too communicative. Franklin cut in with a hasty question.
In the gentlest possible way, Bush here lightly pokes fun at his own 'hero'. That is not the norm in my experience of writers from that era. It also ties in nicely with the other remarkable thing about the Travers books so far - their truly collaborative nature. In this one, the lead police officer actually manages to piece it all together himself. Crucially, he does so after Travers (naturally), but the fact that the police and other investigators are shown as competent and intelligent independent operators is a real delight. The climactic resolution is interesting too - Travers revealing himself to be thoughtful and empathetic and not obsessed with "winning the case". I started this third story already thinking there was something of Albert Campion (my all time favourite) in Travers, the way he handled the very end strengthened that feeling. An exceptionally enjoyable read.
The other thing that made the slow reading a joy was Bush's writing. A selection of phrases that really caught my eye:
He has the meretricious polish of his particular breed,
He rubbed his hands as if it was the first cup for years, and himself the purveyor of some rare, incalculable delight.
Those examples showcase a style of writing that I enjoy - carefully constructed and clever, but not florid. So far, each of the three Travers books I've read has had gems like those. There was something extra special about this one, though
On the subject of cars, Travers was likely to be too communicative. Franklin cut in with a hasty question.
In the gentlest possible way, Bush here lightly pokes fun at his own 'hero'. That is not the norm in my experience of writers from that era. It also ties in nicely with the other remarkable thing about the Travers books so far - their truly collaborative nature. In this one, the lead police officer actually manages to piece it all together himself. Crucially, he does so after Travers (naturally), but the fact that the police and other investigators are shown as competent and intelligent independent operators is a real delight. The climactic resolution is interesting too - Travers revealing himself to be thoughtful and empathetic and not obsessed with "winning the case". I started this third story already thinking there was something of Albert Campion (my all time favourite) in Travers, the way he handled the very end strengthened that feeling. An exceptionally enjoyable read.