bunnieslikediamonds's review
3.0
Part countryside murder mystery, part alternate history, Farthing is a nice, quick read but doesn't leave much of an impression. Perhaps the characters and their alternate world will be more deeply explored in the next part of the series.
sarahd3's review
4.0
I rather liked this book. It is an alternative history with England appeasing Hitler and garnering a truce with Germany in 1941. It begins as a country house murder mystery that becomes so much more. First in a trilogy by Walton who recently won the Hugo.
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
3.0
Well, now I'm going to cringe every time I hear the word "Mummy." As in, "Mummy, can the servants bring me more tea," or something like that.
I'm a sucker for a good alternative-history mystery, and lately I've been really into novels set in WWII England (as this is, more or less).
I'm a sucker for a good alternative-history mystery, and lately I've been really into novels set in WWII England (as this is, more or less).
rothieee's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
meganclancy's review
4.0
This book is an alternate-history English country house mystery, which is a melding of two genres that I love. It is full of characters bravely making hard choices in difficult circumstances. The detective, Carmichael, reminds me of Richard Jury, the detective in Martha Grimes's books (in a good way--I do enjoy Jury).
linneahedvig's review
4.0
Loved this book! I didn't expect to like it because it's like British history, but with more Nazis and who is down for that, but people kept talking about it and I love Jo Walton, so I was like "okay, I will read it." It's just the perfect kind of alternate history, where only a few things are changed but you get to watch the ripples of the changes spread out and out. I was also skeptical of the two main characters, since both of them loath good, strong Indian tea. But I decided they were okay in spite of that.
ielerol's review
4.0
Whew. Come for the murder mystery, stay for the chilling portrayal of how fascism takes power and the futility of respectability politics or civility to people who don't recognize your right to exist.
gillothen's review
4.0
I started this a while back and for some reason it didn't 'work' for me. Post Brexit and Trump it works all too well. A variant on 'What if Hitler had won the war?', but with a twist - Hess's plan worked, peace was negotiated, and England is led by Tories of the further right persuasion. It looks at fist like a Christie-esque country house murder mystery, but gets much darker.
jajorgen's review
5.0
I read this one for my mystery book group and spent hours thinking about the book after I closed the cover. Farthing is classified as an alternate history but reads more as a historical mystery/suspense novel.
The time is 1949 and England has settled into a peaceful period though Hitler reigns across the Channel. In 1941 England signed a truce with Hitler - he gets the continent, though he's still at war with Russia - and Britain is left alone. Though they've escaped domination by Germany, the British have not escaped the creeping danger of fascism as is evident at the house party being held at Farthing.
What follows seems like a classic British manor house mystery. Someone is killed and the suspect is amongst the guests at Farthing. But in reality the suspense comes from the politics of the time and the danger to the only Jewish member of the household, David Kahn who married the daughter of the manor.
Walton builds the tension fabulously and leaves the reader unsure of who makes it out. Her detective has secrets of his own the people in power will use them to take him down if he doesn't do what they ask.
Nicely done - and everyone in the book group loved it too. I've already gotten the sequel, Ha'Penny, but will hold off on reading it until I'm in the right mindset.
The time is 1949 and England has settled into a peaceful period though Hitler reigns across the Channel. In 1941 England signed a truce with Hitler - he gets the continent, though he's still at war with Russia - and Britain is left alone. Though they've escaped domination by Germany, the British have not escaped the creeping danger of fascism as is evident at the house party being held at Farthing.
What follows seems like a classic British manor house mystery. Someone is killed and the suspect is amongst the guests at Farthing. But in reality the suspense comes from the politics of the time and the danger to the only Jewish member of the household, David Kahn who married the daughter of the manor.
Walton builds the tension fabulously and leaves the reader unsure of who makes it out. Her detective has secrets of his own the people in power will use them to take him down if he doesn't do what they ask.
Nicely done - and everyone in the book group loved it too. I've already gotten the sequel, Ha'Penny, but will hold off on reading it until I'm in the right mindset.