ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
It's quite a change of pace. I think I prefer the traditional mystery, with a small cast in a small town (or large house) one of whom must have done it. This book is more of a suspense thriller / police procedural, Dover-style, where they're on the hunt for characters that the reader hasn't met. It's a high 3-stars (how I wish Goodreads was on a 100 point scale like Criticker!) but would be unfair to the 4-star books I've read to rate this quite as highly. In a whodunnit you can guess along, but here, you really can't.
That said, it's in keeping with the other Dovers otherwise, it's enjoyable enough, I was happy to turn to it before bedtime, and I did very much enjoy the twist of the opening situation. But having gone to so much trouble to establish "Dover didn't pay attention" this could have been more of a "whodunnit" after all, and I do wish she'd done that instead. But hey, it's her book!
Note: I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:
(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
That said, it's in keeping with the other Dovers otherwise, it's enjoyable enough, I was happy to turn to it before bedtime, and I did very much enjoy the twist of the opening situation. But having gone to so much trouble to establish "Dover didn't pay attention" this could have been more of a "whodunnit" after all, and I do wish she'd done that instead. But hey, it's her book!
Note: I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:
(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
lnatal's review
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
When one of their own gets kidnapped, there's a sense of jubilation at Scotland Yard.
Not what you might expect, but then the victim is Inspector Dover, and he's not quite the detective England expects. Is this the start of something more sinister?
Set in 1976, Joyce Porter's comedy thriller is dramatised by Paul Mendelson.
Stars Kenneth Cranham as Chief Inspector Dover, Stuart McQuarrie as Sergeant McGregor, Crawford Logan as Commander Brockhurst, Nick Underwood as Inspector Horton, Liza Sadovy as Mrs Withycombe, Carla Simpson as Mildred Denny, Carolyn Pickles as Mrs Carruthers, Andy Harrison as John Perking, Paul Copley as Daniel Wibbley, Nicola Wainwright as Avril, Terry Wale as Gallagher, Laura Smales as Mary Jones, Lucy Paterson as Lesley Whittaker and Joanna Tope as Noreen.
Dramatised by Paul Mendelson.
Director: David Ian Neville
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0192y98
When one of their own gets kidnapped, there's a sense of jubilation at Scotland Yard.
Not what you might expect, but then the victim is Inspector Dover, and he's not quite the detective England expects. Is this the start of something more sinister?
Set in 1976, Joyce Porter's comedy thriller is dramatised by Paul Mendelson.
Stars Kenneth Cranham as Chief Inspector Dover, Stuart McQuarrie as Sergeant McGregor, Crawford Logan as Commander Brockhurst, Nick Underwood as Inspector Horton, Liza Sadovy as Mrs Withycombe, Carla Simpson as Mildred Denny, Carolyn Pickles as Mrs Carruthers, Andy Harrison as John Perking, Paul Copley as Daniel Wibbley, Nicola Wainwright as Avril, Terry Wale as Gallagher, Laura Smales as Mary Jones, Lucy Paterson as Lesley Whittaker and Joanna Tope as Noreen.
Dramatised by Paul Mendelson.
Director: David Ian Neville
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0192y98
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