abject_reptile's reviews
5450 reviews

The Slaves of Society: A Comedy in Covers by Allen Upward

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3.0

An inconsequential bit of very late Victorian fluff that surely ought to have been a play. Enjoyable nonetheless.
The House on the Mall by Edgar Jepson

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4.0

I suppose the plot was rather silly and yet it had an oppressively sinister aspect that reminded me of Dr Mabuse or Blake of Scotland Yard (which holds an inexplicable attraction). And why am I reviewing a book that no one else will ever read?
Martin Hewitt, Investigator by Arthur Morrison

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4.0

Not quite a 4 star read but as it's better than Chronicles - though not as good as The Red Triangle - and there's no half star I'll give it four. I'd have no hesitation whatsoever if Morrison hadn't been so partial to exposition and obsessed with the evils of Haiti. But those are mere trifles.
Arsene Lupin Vs. Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc

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4.0

What the author does to Holmes and Watson doesn't bear thinking about. I ought to have given it 3 stars but I'm a sucker for this sort of thing.
The Five Jars by M.R. James

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3.0

He didn't quite pull it off but there were some fine moments. A collection of intriguing ideas and amusing dialogue held together by a thinnish plot.
The Land of Lost Toys by Juliana Horatia Ewing

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3.0

The title story is a 4 star read. The stuff of nightmares.