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A review by awebofstories
Crook o' Lune by E.C.R. Lorac
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Grade: C+
This is the first E.C.R. Lorac that I’ve read, which I think plays an important role in my thoughts about this book. While I don’t believe that reading previous books is necessary for the plot of this one, nor do I think this book spoils earlier installments, I do think that my view of this book is more limited than it would be if I had read the previous 37 books.
I have rarely read a mystery that is as intricately plotted as this one. This machine has so many moving pieces, and Lorac keeps them all moving in perfect order. If we think of many mysteries operating in a puzzle box, this one operates in a puzzle dodecahedron. I am not someone who frequently correctly solves a mystery, but I usually have a solution in mind. This time, however, I had no clue going into the end—yet I could still look back and see how things worked.
Here is where my unfamiliarity with the series may come into play. I really felt that the one place that this novel struggles is with character development. The central detective, Robert MacDonald, comes across as generic. He’s not someone who I can picture in my head, and there was nothing about him that made him stand out. Again, had I read the other books in the series, I might not need that characterization in the 38th book. The secondary characters seem to be exactly who you would think they are when you think of “country folk,” the local Vicar, the shepherd, etc.
The character issues here definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book, but I was sucked in by the plot. I’m not done with E.C.R. Lorac—I plan to go back and read at least a few of the earlier books in this series and see how they work for me.
This is the first E.C.R. Lorac that I’ve read, which I think plays an important role in my thoughts about this book. While I don’t believe that reading previous books is necessary for the plot of this one, nor do I think this book spoils earlier installments, I do think that my view of this book is more limited than it would be if I had read the previous 37 books.
I have rarely read a mystery that is as intricately plotted as this one. This machine has so many moving pieces, and Lorac keeps them all moving in perfect order. If we think of many mysteries operating in a puzzle box, this one operates in a puzzle dodecahedron. I am not someone who frequently correctly solves a mystery, but I usually have a solution in mind. This time, however, I had no clue going into the end—yet I could still look back and see how things worked.
Here is where my unfamiliarity with the series may come into play. I really felt that the one place that this novel struggles is with character development. The central detective, Robert MacDonald, comes across as generic. He’s not someone who I can picture in my head, and there was nothing about him that made him stand out. Again, had I read the other books in the series, I might not need that characterization in the 38th book. The secondary characters seem to be exactly who you would think they are when you think of “country folk,” the local Vicar, the shepherd, etc.
The character issues here definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book, but I was sucked in by the plot. I’m not done with E.C.R. Lorac—I plan to go back and read at least a few of the earlier books in this series and see how they work for me.