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kandicez's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
It took me a long time to get through this. Not because it wasn't well written, or interesting. It was both, but because it's non-fiction, and not only NF, but EXTRA NF. Extra NF for me is NF that isn't really entertaining on it's own. Am I learning something? Sure, but I absolutely know I am as I read. I prefer to be very entertained and almost tricked into learning. Does that mean I have the intellect of a five year old? Maybe. So?
mlsweeten's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
While nonfiction tends to be a bit dry and tedious, I found this one interesting enough to keep reading throughout the day. Part true crime, but the crimes are far enough removed from modern times that they didn’t bother me. This is really a lot more about the evolution of true crime to penny bloods then detective novels and eventually cozy mysteries.
mrsbettysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
heather_boo's review against another edition
4.0
I thought it was interesting to learn about some of the most sensational murder cases in England. They shaped people’s expectations of what they wanted in crime books, and gradually this led to the golden age of detective fiction followed by thrillers and suspense. I especially enjoyed learning how the social status of detectives changed, and because they began as sort of lower class individuals it gave rise to the amateur sleuth, Marple, Wimsey, Holmes and the like.