cmbohn's review against another edition
4.0
About 10 pages in to this book, I wasn't sure that I would like it. It starts with the discovery of a woman's body on the train. The police arrive to investigate. Then the writer starts referring to the investigating detective as "the man they called Grazzi." They called him Grazzi? Either that's his name or it's not. A small point of style, but I was afraid that there would be more little things like that that would just bug me. As I got into the book, however, the writer stopped referring to the detective in that way, I got caught up in the story, and I had no more problems.
As I said, the book begins with the discovery of a murdered woman on a train. The police have a list of the passengers in that car and start there. But one by one, their suspects/witnesses are murdered. What is going on? Will they catch the killer before everyone is dead?
I will admit that I guessed the murderer before the end, but I was lost as to why or how the crimes were committed. I wound up really enjoying this one. I haven't read others by this author, and since this is an old book, I'm not sure how easy it would be to find more by him. But I liked this one and I recommend it. Mine has an especially ugly cover - train tracks leading up to strange head - but ignore the cover, don't let the first chapter get to you, and give the book a try.
As I said, the book begins with the discovery of a murdered woman on a train. The police have a list of the passengers in that car and start there. But one by one, their suspects/witnesses are murdered. What is going on? Will they catch the killer before everyone is dead?
I will admit that I guessed the murderer before the end, but I was lost as to why or how the crimes were committed. I wound up really enjoying this one. I haven't read others by this author, and since this is an old book, I'm not sure how easy it would be to find more by him. But I liked this one and I recommend it. Mine has an especially ugly cover - train tracks leading up to strange head - but ignore the cover, don't let the first chapter get to you, and give the book a try.
booksdump's review
challenging
mysterious
slow-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
canadianbookworm's review
4.0
This is a tiny novel that I've been carrying around in my purse, reading whenever I'm stuck waiting somewhere (take-out chicken wings, post-office line-ups...) and finally finished it in a post-office line-up this week.
I've been a fan of Japrisot for a while and my mother-in-law gave me a trio of his paperbacks earlier this year, of which this is one.
A woman's strangled body is found in the sleeping compartment of a train recently arrived in Paris from Marseilles. She had been one of six passengers in the compartment. As the police begin to work the case, they search for her fellow passengers, but someone else is ahead of them and the passengers are meeting sudden violent deaths. We see the story from the point of view of Grazzi, one of the police on the case. This is a fascinating little intellectual piece of work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, as well as the characters.
I've been a fan of Japrisot for a while and my mother-in-law gave me a trio of his paperbacks earlier this year, of which this is one.
A woman's strangled body is found in the sleeping compartment of a train recently arrived in Paris from Marseilles. She had been one of six passengers in the compartment. As the police begin to work the case, they search for her fellow passengers, but someone else is ahead of them and the passengers are meeting sudden violent deaths. We see the story from the point of view of Grazzi, one of the police on the case. This is a fascinating little intellectual piece of work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, as well as the characters.
cspiwak's review
3.0
Having really enjoyed the movie "very long engagement, " I thought I'd give this a try.I thought the plot was interesting, though i was not entirely sold on the ending.
contraryreader's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thebristolreader's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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