izfehy's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
harrietnbrown's review against another edition
1.0
DNF because of the egregious fatshaming of a character described as "grossly overweight." Really? Shame on you.
theelliemo's review
2.0
A disappointment. I enjoyed the original collaborative novel by the Detection Club, The Floating Admiral, and had high hopes for this modern homage, but it didn’t achieve. This was written using a different approach to the Floating Admiral (in which each participating member of The Detection Club wrote a chapter each), with different authors writing each sub-plot and each part being weaved into the novel as appropriate. It’s lead to a disjointed novel, with little flow, several continuity errors, and a range of underdeveloped and unlikeable characters. The two detectives in particular are dreadful caricatures. Simon Brett’s introduction points out that because the crime genre has developed into so many different sub-genres, it wasn’t possible to write The Sinking Admiral in the same way as The Floating Admiral. Based on this evidence, I would go further, and suggest it just simply isn’t possible.
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