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winemakerssister's review against another edition
2.0
With a GR rating of 3.56 I didn't have high expectations for this one. And an author who aligns her protagonist with Agatha Christie kind of sets herself up for scrutiny, and sadly the book doesn't stand up to it. There are quite a few good reviews for [b:Dead and Gondola|60372420|Dead and Gondola (Christie Bookshop, #1)|Ann Claire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649651977l/60372420._SY75_.jpg|95140841], and I'm glad other readers enjoyed it. But it was not for me. I found it to be overly long, a bit sickly sweet, and with too many characters. And so my quest continues for smart, savvy cozy mysteries without excess treacle.
panda_incognito's review
3.0
This cozy mystery started out well with an interesting set-up, a vivid sense of place, and amusing Agatha Christie references. However, even though I didn't want to put this book down for the first several chapters, it started to drag once the investigation got going. There were too many side characters to keep track of, the story moved slowly, and I got tired of the repetitive references to the main character's cat and her love of reading. Both are fine elements in moderation, but they were mentioned too often, and often fell flat as comedic punchlines.
Nonetheless, I liked this enough to give it three stars. Part of this is because of the Agatha Christie elements, particularly the many references to her pseudonymous novel [b:Absent in the Spring|140345|Absent in the Spring|Mary Westmacott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396225976l/140345._SY75_.jpg|1507078]. This book is key to the plot, and since it's a favorite novel of mine that genuinely changed my life, I enjoyed reading about it in this context. Because it's extremely obscure and no one I know has read it, I sometimes feel like it just exists inside my head, and reading about it here was meaningful. Aside from that completely subjective element, there are interesting and creative elements to this story, and it was an enjoyable light read. I'll check in for the next book in the series and see if it improves.
Nonetheless, I liked this enough to give it three stars. Part of this is because of the Agatha Christie elements, particularly the many references to her pseudonymous novel [b:Absent in the Spring|140345|Absent in the Spring|Mary Westmacott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396225976l/140345._SY75_.jpg|1507078]. This book is key to the plot, and since it's a favorite novel of mine that genuinely changed my life, I enjoyed reading about it in this context. Because it's extremely obscure and no one I know has read it, I sometimes feel like it just exists inside my head, and reading about it here was meaningful. Aside from that completely subjective element, there are interesting and creative elements to this story, and it was an enjoyable light read. I'll check in for the next book in the series and see if it improves.
emuhhhh's review
2.0
I liked the mystery but I felt like there were leaps of logic being taken. Also with all the book/agatha christie references it was TOO cheesey
whatkreads's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
shelinstitches's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
graciouswarriorprincess's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mhugie2's review
4.0
Dead and Gondola should be the poster child for a cozy murder mystery! It had everything that one could want from the genre. It was very well written and the characters were endearingly lovable, despite being some of the nosiest and dramatic people ever. There were several times that I found myself laughing, cackling or giggling out loud while reading this book. It was truly an enjoyable read.
This book is exactly what it claims to be, a cozy murder mystery. So that being said, if you are looking for a thriller or a mystery that completely shocks you to your roots, then this is not the book for you. I knew the whodunnit pretty quickly, but the ride that the plot and story took me on was more than worth the read. I mention this because I feel like it would be doing both the author and the book a disservice if someone rated it lower just because the mystery didn’t awe them.
Overall, I loved this book and now have a new go to cozy mystery author. I have not had a book make me laugh like this in quite awhile and for that I thank the author. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Ann Claire, she just seems like my kind of person.
This book is exactly what it claims to be, a cozy murder mystery. So that being said, if you are looking for a thriller or a mystery that completely shocks you to your roots, then this is not the book for you. I knew the whodunnit pretty quickly, but the ride that the plot and story took me on was more than worth the read. I mention this because I feel like it would be doing both the author and the book a disservice if someone rated it lower just because the mystery didn’t awe them.
Overall, I loved this book and now have a new go to cozy mystery author. I have not had a book make me laugh like this in quite awhile and for that I thank the author. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Ann Claire, she just seems like my kind of person.
pages_for_holly's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ndbell80's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I thought that this was a pretty good cozy mystery. I liked the town and the characters a lot. There were parts where the caricatures went a little too far or the author tried to be a little too cutesy for my taste, but overall, I liked it. I was not the biggest fan of the mystery resolution. I think that it takes a special touch for the reveal to be meaningful and believable and one of those things was missing here. I think if there had been a better reveal, I would've bumped my review up .5 - 1 stars.