Scan barcode
andrewcox's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting, i enjoyed the whole reverse aspect of the story telling....it worked for me.
bookishsteph1's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. One of my favourite BLCC books so far.
briarfairchild's review against another edition
2.0
I think Freeman Wills Crofts was better at writing the traditional whodunnit than these would-be psychological crime stories. I've come to this straight after 12.30 From Croydon and liked it even less. It doesn't help that the author put a note at the start explaining that he had made "an effort to tell a story of crime positively", an endeavour at which he completely failed. The motive for the murder is that the protagonist dislikes being poor and wants to support his mistress. Not exactly calculated to make the reader feel sympathetic towards him! In addition, he's entirely selfish - it's clear that he is interested only in himself and cares little for anyone else. You can see the author trying to make it look as though he finds himself forced into a corner where the only option is to connive in a murder, but it just isn't convincing. Also there's a really weird religious enlightenment bit at the end which doesn't fit in with the rest of the story, doesn't fit with the protagonist's character, adds nothing to the plot... it's just a bit odd!
I'm hoping Freeman Wills Crofts didn't try too many more of these experiments with the detective novel and stuck with what he was good at!
I'm hoping Freeman Wills Crofts didn't try too many more of these experiments with the detective novel and stuck with what he was good at!
beckmank's review against another edition
4.0
This was an unusual caper in that we don’t see Inspector French until about two-thirds of the way through the book. Instead, we spend time with George Surridge. By the time French enters the scene, the reader knows whodunit and why, but we aren’t sure how the murder was accomplished.
It was interesting to witness the breakdown of George from his guilt in the part that he played in the murder. Most mysteries are told solely from the perspective of the detective, and the reader misses out on this aspect. The novel was cleverly put together in that while the reader knows the identity of the murderer (and the accomplice), we don’t know how it was done. Mr. Crofts uses Inspector French’s perspective to work through that plot point mystery.
While this is classic crime, it is definitely not your classic whodunit mystery. Mr. Crafts chooses to explore what caused the murder in the first place, and the aftermath of the accomplice in lieu of the investigation. It is much more of a character study and the effects of making morally wrong decisions than a mystery. I think it was very well done.
For my full review, please visit Hidden Staircase.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was interesting to witness the breakdown of George from his guilt in the part that he played in the murder. Most mysteries are told solely from the perspective of the detective, and the reader misses out on this aspect. The novel was cleverly put together in that while the reader knows the identity of the murderer (and the accomplice), we don’t know how it was done. Mr. Crofts uses Inspector French’s perspective to work through that plot point mystery.
While this is classic crime, it is definitely not your classic whodunit mystery. Mr. Crafts chooses to explore what caused the murder in the first place, and the aftermath of the accomplice in lieu of the investigation. It is much more of a character study and the effects of making morally wrong decisions than a mystery. I think it was very well done.
For my full review, please visit Hidden Staircase.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
cdbellomy's review against another edition
3.0
Did not enjoy the book at first. I think because I did not enjoy watching someone become a "bad" person. However, I did enjoy the police procedural aspect.
alexclare's review against another edition
4.0
This adds a new element to golden age detective fiction as it has a distinct psychological angle.
fellfromfiction's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful! Interesting take on a murder mystery.
agmaynard's review against another edition
3.0
More like 2.5 shading to 3. I thought the chapter headings that began with "Venom" were thoughtful and the author made a heartfelt attempt with the inverted tale to show what he wanted to with his religious point of view. George is faced with a choice of doing right or wrong. He saw it, though, a choicing among evils instead.
More...