A review by depizan
Death in Fancy Dress by Anthony Gilbert

mysterious 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

2.0

 This was a strange book, both in terms of pacing and in terms of story. Granted, half the pacing problem was that the characters weren't very likable, which will suck the tension out of anything. But I don't think it was just that that made everything feel strangely non-urgent. The blackmailer, the question of who would marry Hilary, the eventual murder... it never felt like anyone in the book really felt these problems were a matter of grave importance. Maybe that was because the narrator had no stake in any of it, maybe that was because the writer was trying too hard to be witty with everyone's dialogue.

But the story was also a weird one, in large part because the cad and bounder and eventual murder victim seemed not that different from the narrator's wonderful best friend. There was just something a bit odd about the underlying assumptions or morality of the whole thing.

Also,

why did Eleanor call Tony (and Jeremy) down? Because she knew they'd be involved by Philpotts? But how could she know? Or was she aware that Dennis was investigating "the Spider"? Maybe I missed something because the book was less than gripping, but that left me a bit confused.