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A review by ashleylm
The Mad Hatter Mystery by John Dickson Carr
3.0
Started well, then gradually lost me. Compared to his first book (which I read first), this is much more fun. But he has a habit that irks me (in both books). He has a police detective, but this detective seems to think the way you solve crimes is to hang out with your amateur detective buddy, plus one or two other random friends, and interview suspects, attend crime scenes, etc. It's just ludicrous. Miss Marple's police cronies might consult her, but they never dragged her around with them or had her hang out while the interviews went on.
At one point one of the amateurs, with the police's blessing, pretends to be the police. And without giving too much away, characters continue to die (needlessly) because of their blasé attitude toward detection, and I can't stand it.
On the plus side: inventive, fresh plots, not too too serious. Also, it feels quite modern, really (it's 1933 but I would have thought late 40s early 50s). But the detetive(s) rub me so completely the wrong way, I think I have to back away from Mr. Carr's oeuvre now.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
At one point one of the amateurs, with the police's blessing, pretends to be the police. And without giving too much away, characters continue to die (needlessly) because of their blasé attitude toward detection, and I can't stand it.
On the plus side: inventive, fresh plots, not too too serious. Also, it feels quite modern, really (it's 1933 but I would have thought late 40s early 50s). But the detetive(s) rub me so completely the wrong way, I think I have to back away from Mr. Carr's oeuvre now.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!