rileyc16's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
agmaynard's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On my radar for a number of years. Thanks to a buddy read, I now have read it! A puzzler, involving sleight of hand of sorts, science, and detective work by a doctor, a cop, and a budding private eye. Colorful characters and settings. First detective novel by a Black author that featured an all-Black cast of characters. This needs to be filmed, stat!
scrow1022's review against another edition
4.0
Most entertaining. Dialogue, setting, historical view of criminology, philosophical inquiry among characters. Weaving together many different aspects thanks to the shifting focus between characters, which also breaks it up nicely and moves it along.
tylovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maya_7's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
byejohn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
stacey_franklin's review against another edition
4.0
Took me a little while to get into the story, but was worth it in the end. Very well constructed mystery.
cgreenstein's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was a twisty, surprising mystery with vibrant characters and vivid descriptions of different facets of life in 1930s Harlem.
boxofdelights's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a lot of fun, even though it doesn't play by the rules of the mystery genre: right at the end, it tosses in a large amount of information that had not been mentioned or even hinted at. And it still leaves at least two important "How did he do that?" questions unanswered!