oldwindways's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
matt4hire's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kris7's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
roadtripreader's review
3.0
One thing about Judge Dee - he knows whodunnit. And you know what, it is NEVER the obvious one. Vampires are a sneaky bunch and it makes sense that to judge a Vampire you have to be Chief Whip of sneaking and trickery.
Jonathan is not long for this world. He seems to be deteriorating emotionally and he has less interest in what his master is called to do. Understandable, he is human, always on the road, communicating with one being that is not human and at times going without food for days. Jonathan's key role is basically to be a sounding board for Judge Dee (not that he is really necessary to the case-solving process which he seems to be realizing) yet he was literally just an echo chamber in this book : yes master, yes master, yes master. And dont get me started on his slobbery- on this, I could totally understand if Judge Dee wanted to throw him off a cliff.
The case was bound to be interesting, 3 potential killers all confess but who is the real killer.
Jonathan is not long for this world. He seems to be deteriorating emotionally and he has less interest in what his master is called to do. Understandable, he is human, always on the road, communicating with one being that is not human and at times going without food for days. Jonathan's key role is basically to be a sounding board for Judge Dee (not that he is really necessary to the case-solving process which he seems to be realizing) yet he was literally just an echo chamber in this book : yes master, yes master, yes master. And dont get me started on his slobbery- on this, I could totally understand if Judge Dee wanted to throw him off a cliff.
The case was bound to be interesting, 3 potential killers all confess but who is the real killer.
samratbasani's review
5.0
I love the idea of a murder mystery where the mystery is everyone's claiming to have done it, and Tidhar does a great job of running with that premise and making it even more interesting.
eol's review
dark
funny
fast-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? Yes
3.75
elementchaos's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alba_marie's review
4.0
{4 stars}
This is the second Judge Dee mystery. This ancient, powerful vampiric judge travels Europe with his human servant Jonathan, ensuring that peace is kept within the vampire community. This story focusses on the Count, who has been killed not once, but evidently 3 times by 3 separate killers. Each killer claims the count's "inheritance" (ie his castle, title and lands) for themselves, and the judge and Jonathan must figure out which is the real killer. This story was better than the first, presenting a more enticing mystery and a little more of the vampire world-building. This story lets off a serious Sherlock & Watson vibe (even calling the mystery "elementary!"), if only Sherlock and Watson investigated vampires.
This is the second Judge Dee mystery. This ancient, powerful vampiric judge travels Europe with his human servant Jonathan, ensuring that peace is kept within the vampire community. This story focusses on the Count, who has been killed not once, but evidently 3 times by 3 separate killers. Each killer claims the count's "inheritance" (ie his castle, title and lands) for themselves, and the judge and Jonathan must figure out which is the real killer. This story was better than the first, presenting a more enticing mystery and a little more of the vampire world-building. This story lets off a serious Sherlock & Watson vibe (even calling the mystery "elementary!"), if only Sherlock and Watson investigated vampires.