You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
robinwalter's Reviews (1.87k)
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stupidly overlong and over complex. The writer is deeply in love with his own cleverness, which is a particular shame as this writing is not that clever.
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This one was more overtly political than the previous two, with the burgeoning independence movement of 1920s India integral to the plot. A very informative read, and a well-structured mystery, but for some reason I didn't feel the tension and malice of the earlier two.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bit over long, but a good continuation of the series, the female lead character's growth was good to see
adventurous
mysterious
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:
No
An interesting story, but not as engaging as the first
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In my review here of Malice Domestic, the second Antony Maitland mystery, I asked
"Will Antony EVER strut his stuff in wig and gown to ensure Justice is served?"
I was very pleased that Trusted Like the Fox provided an emphatic affirmative answer. This excellent story was set almost entirely in the courtroom, and it was a great read for that reason. It was also another testament to Ms Woods' skill as a writer, in that she got me invested in a courtroom drama with an utterly unlikeable protagonist.
The accused in the case Antony defended in this story started off as unsympathetic, and went way downhill from there. As the story progressed I lost any shred of sympathy for him, and by the very end actively disliked him. He was on trial for his life and by the time the story finished I'd have been happy to kill him for the crime of being a selfish, thoughtless, spineless prat. Which is exactly what made the book such a triumph.
As the story progressed, the defendant would do or say something that triggered a rage reflex and I'd think "surely it can't get worse", and then it did - several times. One stunning revelation toward the end of the trial especially had me channelling my inner Red Queen and shouting "Off with his head!" All of which served the purpose of making it very clear that the hero of the story was Antony and not his (anti)pathetic defendant. A sign of how well Ms Woods made the accused unlikeable is that grumpy old grouch Uncle Nicholas came across as the voice of sweet reason throughout this story.
For FINALLY placing her barrister sleuth in silks and in court, and for making me root for Antony even while being repulsed by his defendant (NOT client, I have to remind myself) , I'm giving this one 4.75/5. Had the accused NOT been someone who Groundskeeper Willy would have said needed killin' , I might have given it 5/5
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
An action packed novella and a satisfying end to the series
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another fast paced murder mystery, but the real strength of this story was Kali's own personal growth. A shame it all happened in what turned out to be the penultimate book of the series.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An interesting and basically random collection of musings. Here are some of my favourite lines
Only I’m not a writer. I’m a novelist. And the novelist does not know the joy of writing.
I couldn’t have written a hundred-volume work with a hundred characters. But perhaps a work in a hundred volumes with one character.
In Le Fils I took an actuary as a character. These are unquestionably the people who cast the coldest eye on human life,
isn’t silence sometimes the more difficult option?
I wonder if the essential characteristic of crime isn’t its illogic, which would explain why in the Middle Ages it was attributed to demons taking possession of a human being, and why today the psychiatrist is more and more often called in.
Won’t we always end by believing in what suits us best personally? It’s for this reason that I can never convince myself that any man is wholly insincere, even a politician.
Only I’m not a writer. I’m a novelist. And the novelist does not know the joy of writing.
I couldn’t have written a hundred-volume work with a hundred characters. But perhaps a work in a hundred volumes with one character.
In Le Fils I took an actuary as a character. These are unquestionably the people who cast the coldest eye on human life,
isn’t silence sometimes the more difficult option?
I wonder if the essential characteristic of crime isn’t its illogic, which would explain why in the Middle Ages it was attributed to demons taking possession of a human being, and why today the psychiatrist is more and more often called in.
Won’t we always end by believing in what suits us best personally? It’s for this reason that I can never convince myself that any man is wholly insincere, even a politician.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
A very informative look at the history of country I knew little about beyond the linguistic heritage it preserves