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mborer23's review against another edition
4.0
Lord Peter becomes entranced with a beautiful and clever murder suspect. Did mystery writer Harriet Vane kill her onetime lover, a fellow writer, using the method used in one of her stories? Lord Peter takes on two tasks: finding the real killer, and convincing Miss Vane that his intentions are honorable. Great story, with a tricky resolution.
nickimags's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pawswithprose's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
about_wind_and_willows's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
heyheyhell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.75
my favourite of the series so far! i've heard good things about harriet vane's introduction, and it seems to be true - in that she seems to prove a lovely foil for peter w., and seeing him loose his hat a bit (and contrive to help his policeman friend propose to his lady sister by way of softening the blow that he wants to marry the formerly accused-for-murder, living in sin for a year, detective novelist woman - a scheme his sister easily ferrets out and has no problems with "clearing the way" - hilarious.) the mystery is tricky and fairly realistic for these novels, and the side characters are generally a load of fun :) more again of the recurring theme of a kind of proto-feminisim that comes across very much congruous to the setting
zoer03's review against another edition
5.0
Another classic from the quintessential crime author from the Golden Age of crime writing. This time with some classic sleuthing not just from the main character but from an unlikely source.... a spinsterish middle age woman, who at the time of this novel and the time it is set in would have been called one of "the Superfluous Woman" these were woman who after the deaths of many men in fields across france after WW1 found it hard to 1. marry and 2. there was simply a dearth of men. This then lead to a lot of women working or trying to find work and not sure what to do with their essentially unique freedom, and thus the term superfluous was coined ( in disparaging remarks might I add). Anyway this little character is a gem and is what makes the whole novel come alive with excitement and pace. This is a must read.
marmoo's review against another edition
4.0
As the introduction of one of my favorite literary heroines, this book will always have a special place in my heart. Harriet Vane doesn’t get too much time on the page this novel, but her appearance ushers in some thought-provoking explorations of gender, art, and commerce that the series only continues to improve on in later installments.
The mystery mechanics aren’t quite as compelling as the character beats—as the whodunnit of the mystery quickly skips over into a howdunnit, with a hair more focus on logistical vs. emotional considerations than I like in my detective novels—but the character growth is more than worth the price of admission.
The mystery mechanics aren’t quite as compelling as the character beats—as the whodunnit of the mystery quickly skips over into a howdunnit, with a hair more focus on logistical vs. emotional considerations than I like in my detective novels—but the character growth is more than worth the price of admission.
mitchk's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75