Scan barcode
A review by robinwalter
Tread Softly: An Anthony Bathurst Mystery by Brian Flynn
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an exceptionally well-crafted mystery. It was on track to be at least 4.5/5 until the dénouement, which I found morally and ethically abhorrent.
The whole structure of this story was refreshingly novel for me. When the murder trial and verdict form only the first third of the book, it's clear that the author has something very different in mind for the story. And so it proved to be. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going, I was wrong. It was well-crafted and kept me guessing right up until the climactic twist in the tail. Sadly, that twist is one I find utterly repugnant. It's far from uncommon in Golden Age mysteries, and of the Dean Street Press series I'm reading, I think only Francis Vivian's Inspector Knollis has not gone there - a huge point in his favour. As soon it cropped up in this story, I lost all interest in the "how" and "why" and mechanically skimmed to the very end.
I ended up giving this story 4/5 in recognition of the skill with which the story was constructed. There wer many passages of real wit and humour that had me smiling and pointed toward another near-perfect score. A couple of my favourite examples:
Anthony waited patiently for the birth of a notion. He was right and his judgment sound. His patience was rewarded.
His nationality and his political views, carefully selected and, naturally, by no means immutable, had been his most valuable assets.
The style of writing as above was one of the reasons I was really enjoying the story up until the point at which I all of a sudden was not. An outcome I found not only morally nauseating but also annoying for being another example of a GA detective treating the police as a convenient tool when it suits him,disregarding them when it doesn't. I suspect that many, possibly most, readers will not react as I did, and for those who don't, this book would be an absolute ripper.
The whole structure of this story was refreshingly novel for me. When the murder trial and verdict form only the first third of the book, it's clear that the author has something very different in mind for the story. And so it proved to be. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going, I was wrong. It was well-crafted and kept me guessing right up until the climactic twist in the tail. Sadly, that twist is one I find utterly repugnant. It's far from uncommon in Golden Age mysteries, and of the Dean Street Press series I'm reading, I think only Francis Vivian's Inspector Knollis has not gone there - a huge point in his favour. As soon it cropped up in this story, I lost all interest in the "how" and "why" and mechanically skimmed to the very end.
I ended up giving this story 4/5 in recognition of the skill with which the story was constructed. There wer many passages of real wit and humour that had me smiling and pointed toward another near-perfect score. A couple of my favourite examples:
Anthony waited patiently for the birth of a notion. He was right and his judgment sound. His patience was rewarded.
His nationality and his political views, carefully selected and, naturally, by no means immutable, had been his most valuable assets.
The style of writing as above was one of the reasons I was really enjoying the story up until the point at which I all of a sudden was not. An outcome I found not only morally nauseating but also annoying for being another example of a GA detective treating the police as a convenient tool when it suits him,disregarding them when it doesn't. I suspect that many, possibly most, readers will not react as I did, and for those who don't, this book would be an absolute ripper.