bibliobabe94's review against another edition
2.0
Not the best in the series. Seems like too much of the story was extraneous info, just filling up the word count. Still like the characters. Wish there was more of the philosophical and religious discussions that made this series different.
bibliozabs's review
2.75
This series was meh and I can’t believe I read all seven and I wouldn’t have had I not bought them.
The last 20% of this book was exposition about how the killer was caught. Not once but twice - first btwn Max and Cotton and second btwn Max and another main character. Snooze fest.
After seven books I don’t have a clear idea about the main dude, Max, except he’s hot and doesn’t know it which is soooo endearing apparently. 🙄
The last 20% of this book was exposition about how the killer was caught. Not once but twice - first btwn Max and Cotton and second btwn Max and another main character. Snooze fest.
After seven books I don’t have a clear idea about the main dude, Max, except he’s hot and doesn’t know it which is soooo endearing apparently. 🙄
nonna7's review against another edition
4.0
his is the most recent book by the author & features the always dashing, Max Tudor. When. Netta, a somewhat disagreeable older woman dies, nobody is surprised. Her doctor calls it natural causes. Her son, Colin, has been in Saudia Arabia working for a British company. His wife, Jane, is home with his daughter (and her stepdaughter, Poppy.) The two do not get along at all. Jane had refused to go to Saudi Arabia, complaining about the restrictions on women there. She isn't happy at home though. She is living with Colin's mother who isn't easy. Colin comes home for the funeral. Soon after he is found dead, an apparent suicide, with the lady of the manor who has not died. However, she is in critical condition and is comatose for a long time. Meanwhile, Max is assisting in the investigation, despite the bishop's irritation. This was a fun read. I really enjoy her books even if she does leave out the red herrings that a lot of other authors throw in. I hope she has another book coming out in the next year or two. She seems to go every two years.
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favourite of the series, but still fun. I had the murderer pegged, and I wanted more of Max and Awenna, but it did exactly what it said on the tin, with the added bonus of some bookish in jokes.
jennhorejsi's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I’ve finished this series to date. This book had a pretty intriguing plot line, and a good mystery, it kept me fairly interested. I give it an extra star for that. It takes place largely in the main village of Nether Monkslip, which I find to always be a plus. Whenever Malliet’s capable writing focuses on the the lives of everyday people, it is very strong. But I always find I want to like this series more than each actual book. I mean what’s not to like about a dashing vicar detective, his Wiccan wife, and a charming English village in the bizarrely named county of Monkslip?
Alas, while reading the series I noticed it takes me forever to finish a single book. The series doesn’t grab me in an obsessive kind of way. I think Malliet is a solid writer, but I’ve noticed she has problems with the pacing of the books. The intros can drag on too long, or sometimes I’ll notice a paragraph that is very similar to a paragraph I read a few pages ago. I think she falls a little too in love with her characters—the upperclass can be very doltish and funny, but sometimes it is too over the top to be believable. And she has particularly fallen in love with her sympathetic characters—Max is unbelievably handsome, kind and oblivious to his charms. His wife, the perfect Pagan goddess. Particularly odd is the build-up of hero worship in the relationship between Max and DCI Cotton. Thank god Malliet seems to have pulled back on that in this installment. My final bone of contention is that the anticlimax of the book, the final explanation of motive, the tidying up of exposition can take chapters and chapters! And sometimes some new element of danger appears at this point when you really just want to be done with it all.
So I still recommend this series to lovers of English cozy mysteries, but we’ll see what the future brings!
Alas, while reading the series I noticed it takes me forever to finish a single book. The series doesn’t grab me in an obsessive kind of way. I think Malliet is a solid writer, but I’ve noticed she has problems with the pacing of the books. The intros can drag on too long, or sometimes I’ll notice a paragraph that is very similar to a paragraph I read a few pages ago. I think she falls a little too in love with her characters—the upperclass can be very doltish and funny, but sometimes it is too over the top to be believable. And she has particularly fallen in love with her sympathetic characters—Max is unbelievably handsome, kind and oblivious to his charms. His wife, the perfect Pagan goddess. Particularly odd is the build-up of hero worship in the relationship between Max and DCI Cotton. Thank god Malliet seems to have pulled back on that in this installment. My final bone of contention is that the anticlimax of the book, the final explanation of motive, the tidying up of exposition can take chapters and chapters! And sometimes some new element of danger appears at this point when you really just want to be done with it all.
So I still recommend this series to lovers of English cozy mysteries, but we’ll see what the future brings!
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I love Max Tudor's mysteries and it was a pleasure to read this one meeting again the characters from this series.
As usual this mystery was entertaining and fun to read, full of humour and wit.
It has a sound plot and it's well written but I missed some of the village characters that were like a shadow on the background.
I really liked it and can be read as a standalone even if it's better to have read the previous instalments to really appreciate it.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley
As usual this mystery was entertaining and fun to read, full of humour and wit.
It has a sound plot and it's well written but I missed some of the village characters that were like a shadow on the background.
I really liked it and can be read as a standalone even if it's better to have read the previous instalments to really appreciate it.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley
carodonahue's review against another edition
4.0
More 3.5 stars- as always, a fun setting and characters memorable, but for some reason the last few chapters seemed incredibly repetitive- explaining what happened to person after person nearly the exact same way- surely different aspects could have been clarified with each one rather than a full rehash? It made me feel a bit like the author assumed the reader wouldn’t understand otherwise, which was a bit irritating. If that had been summarized more, it would earn a full 4 stars.
The narration was also enjoyable, as usual- I prefer listening to these as they aren’t so elaborate that it’s impossible to follow and the voices of all the village characters are a lot of fun.
The narration was also enjoyable, as usual- I prefer listening to these as they aren’t so elaborate that it’s impossible to follow and the voices of all the village characters are a lot of fun.
piepieb's review
4.0
I so enjoy this series, it's like reading a "Midsomer Murders" episode! The Fr. Max Tudor books just keep getting better and better. Many thanks to the author for my (autographed) advance copy 😊
annarella's review
4.0
I love Max Tudor's mysteries and it was a pleasure to read this one meeting again the characters from this series.
As usual this mystery was entertaining and fun to read, full of humour and wit.
It has a sound plot and it's well written but I missed some of the village characters that were like a shadow on the background.
I really liked it and can be read as a standalone even if it's better to have read the previous instalments to really appreciate it.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley
As usual this mystery was entertaining and fun to read, full of humour and wit.
It has a sound plot and it's well written but I missed some of the village characters that were like a shadow on the background.
I really liked it and can be read as a standalone even if it's better to have read the previous instalments to really appreciate it.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley
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