bookaneer808's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Set during a snowy week in a rural English house, a local woman is found dead on the grounds - decapitated. It seems to follow a pattern set the year before when the headless body of another young woman was found.
There are six people staying in the house who become suspects - the squire and his guests. But the crime seems impossible - then another woman is killed...also beheaded.
A tense, claustrophobic tale where to suspect ones friends is impossible - yet what other explanation could there be?
There are six people staying in the house who become suspects - the squire and his guests. But the crime seems impossible - then another woman is killed...also beheaded.
A tense, claustrophobic tale where to suspect ones friends is impossible - yet what other explanation could there be?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Classism
slferg's review against another edition
4.0
Set in England during WWII, there is a house party at Pigeonsford Estate. The owner, Stephen Pendock, has as guests Lady Hart, her two grandaughters Venetia and Francesca, Venetia's husband Henry, and James Nicholl. Grace Morland, who always paints the church tower has invited herself to the patio to paint the tower in the snow. As per custom, she is invited to tea before she returns home. She is in love with Stephen Pendock, but he appears to be falling for Francesca. The summer before there was a murder in the woods by the house where a young woman was decapitated with a scythe that is still unsolved. They memory is hanging heavily on the house. Then Grace Morland's adopted? cousin Pippi turns up at her house. Grace is murdered that night and decapitated with Fran's new hat placed on her head. Inspector Cockrill is not happy with the behavior of the house party, although he does derive some amusement from them trying to work out theories to solve the crime.
The ending and solution are rather unusual.
The ending and solution are rather unusual.
fernandie's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the handful of suspects, I really had no idea who did it.
Content warning: Lots of anti-Semitic remarks / Jewish stereotypes.
Content warning: Lots of anti-Semitic remarks / Jewish stereotypes.
quietjenn's review against another edition
2.0
I thought it was mediocre but serviceable until we got to the end and then I hated it so much that if it were a real book instead of a kindle book I would have thrown it across the room in disgust.
ambergold's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Brilliant book. I WISH Brand's endings were not always so bittersweet however: Agatha Christie, whom she strongly resembles in style and content, almost always managed to wrap up her books with a sense of justice and completion and even happiness. Brand's always leave for me a bit of a creeping sense of wrongness. Other than that, however, these are pitch-perfect whodunnits.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2013/04/2013-book-104.html
persey's review against another edition
1.0
The anti-Semitism was bad, the classism worse, but both were of the period. It was the mystery itself, trite and overwrought, with red herrings screaming "Look at me!", that was unforgivable.
nichola's review against another edition
4.0
Points deducted for traditional and contextual racism.
But overall a fun read. I quite understand why next to Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh and Catherine Aird; Brand is closest to Christie.
Will definitely read on!
But overall a fun read. I quite understand why next to Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh and Catherine Aird; Brand is closest to Christie.
Will definitely read on!
hcq's review
3.0
A solid classic English country-house mystery. It is slightly marred by the casual bigotry of the time: One character is Jewish, and it gets mentioned, often, in not so nice terms--but, then again, said character has married into the main family, and there are several mentions of how much his wife loves him, so in fairness, it's not a completely evil caricature.
I was curious about this, because I recently saw an old, WWII-era movie featuring her Inspector Cockrill character. The movie was pretty good (with the always delightful Alastair Sim playing the lead), so I went looking for the books he first appeared in. I'm rather impressed with the casting, actually; Sim fits the bill awfully well.
I was curious about this, because I recently saw an old, WWII-era movie featuring her Inspector Cockrill character. The movie was pretty good (with the always delightful Alastair Sim playing the lead), so I went looking for the books he first appeared in. I'm rather impressed with the casting, actually; Sim fits the bill awfully well.