slferg's review against another edition
5.0
I thought I had read almost all of Crispin, but apparently I missed this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it - as always.
Fen has decided to broaden his horizons by running for Parliament. So he goes down to the borough he is campaigning for and learns about campaigning. He worries whether he will win the election since he has waited so late to start his campaign, but his contact assures him that is what will win - he's taken his oppponets by surprise and they aren't ready to deal with him. The only inn he can stay in has an overzealous owner who is trying to remodel it on his own and begins work promptly at 7 o'clock every morning - which is way too early for Fen. He sees a man staying at the inn who looks familiar though he can't recall his name or occupation. There is also a mysterious good-looking girl who attracts his attention. But mostly, he thinks he just wants to win the seat he is running for. The usual cast of characters (and I mean 'characters') makes this fun.
Fen has decided to broaden his horizons by running for Parliament. So he goes down to the borough he is campaigning for and learns about campaigning. He worries whether he will win the election since he has waited so late to start his campaign, but his contact assures him that is what will win - he's taken his oppponets by surprise and they aren't ready to deal with him. The only inn he can stay in has an overzealous owner who is trying to remodel it on his own and begins work promptly at 7 o'clock every morning - which is way too early for Fen. He sees a man staying at the inn who looks familiar though he can't recall his name or occupation. There is also a mysterious good-looking girl who attracts his attention. But mostly, he thinks he just wants to win the seat he is running for. The usual cast of characters (and I mean 'characters') makes this fun.
beledit's review against another edition
3.0
This is my second Edmund Crispin and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Entertaining, intelligent, classic British crime in a sleepy English village.
grubstlodger's review against another edition
3.0
‘Buried for Pleasure’ is the sixth book in the Gervase Fen series and the third I’d read.
It moves away from the Oxford-based mysteries, with Fen wanting to recuperate from editing Langland by running an parliamentary campaign. In some ways this shakes the series up a little but it does mean we miss two of my favourite elements of Fen’s stories; Lilly Christina III, his unruly car and Wilkes the Whisky-guzzler. There were also fewer literary jokes this time through, except the bit-part of a mystery writer who rehearses his fictional murder.
There was also a change in Fen’s character. While he did the usual thing of holding on to information, he was less moody then the early books. When confronting murder, he used to have a cold and icy rage but when a friend is killed, he doesn’t seem to care particularly. He is still arch, particularly in regard to politics (and gets to make a big anti-political speech) but breaks the fourth wall far less.
The mystery itself is not very involved but like the other books, it’s more a case of journey than destination and it’s a fun journey. Not many writers would distract the writer during the first big exposition section with the buzzing of insects… nor would they describe the noise of renovation as a ’piratical sea-fight with cutlasses’. Another piece of useful information is smuggled through the salty phrases of a grandma.
I do wonder why there isn’t a series of Gervase Fen mysteries, it’s an enjoyable world to be in and I shall pick up more whenever I see them.
Oh - and what was it with the poltergeist? Was it the landlady?
It moves away from the Oxford-based mysteries, with Fen wanting to recuperate from editing Langland by running an parliamentary campaign. In some ways this shakes the series up a little but it does mean we miss two of my favourite elements of Fen’s stories; Lilly Christina III, his unruly car and Wilkes the Whisky-guzzler. There were also fewer literary jokes this time through, except the bit-part of a mystery writer who rehearses his fictional murder.
There was also a change in Fen’s character. While he did the usual thing of holding on to information, he was less moody then the early books. When confronting murder, he used to have a cold and icy rage but when a friend is killed, he doesn’t seem to care particularly. He is still arch, particularly in regard to politics (and gets to make a big anti-political speech) but breaks the fourth wall far less.
The mystery itself is not very involved but like the other books, it’s more a case of journey than destination and it’s a fun journey. Not many writers would distract the writer during the first big exposition section with the buzzing of insects… nor would they describe the noise of renovation as a ’piratical sea-fight with cutlasses’. Another piece of useful information is smuggled through the salty phrases of a grandma.
I do wonder why there isn’t a series of Gervase Fen mysteries, it’s an enjoyable world to be in and I shall pick up more whenever I see them.
Oh - and what was it with the poltergeist? Was it the landlady?
nini_f's review against another edition
2.0
A pleasant read but one that I have to admit didnt grip my attention for long periods of time. The characters were colourful and the crimes slightly bizarre but I found I just couldn't get lost in this book.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
Edmund Crispin is wonderful. He deserves to be better known than he is. Four and a half stars.
cymrugeek's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Classic crime, slightly dated. I usually enjoy Edmund Crispin detective stories but found a few faults with this story. The faults weren't because of the age of the book. Still a pleasant read.
carolwolverine's review against another edition
2.0
Había leído buenas reseñas de esta saga de libros pero la verdad es que me desconectaba constantemente de la lectura . Me parece un poco flojo para ser un libro tipo "quién lo hizo".
librosprestados's review
3.0
Una novela entretenida, divertida y fácil de leer, pero probablemente la que menos me ha gustado del autor.
Tiene todo los ingredientes para gustar: el excéntrico profesor y detective aficionado Gervaise Fen que de repente se presenta como candidato al Parlamento de un pueblo de la campiña inglesa, un pueblo lleno de habitantes más excéntricos que el propio Fen y una trama de chantaje y asesinato.
Y sin embargo todos esos aspectos no acaban de cuajar bien. Es como si el pueblo y el asesinato no se mezclaran en ningún momento y se quitaran tiempo el uno al otro. Los que deseen más comedia con las locuras de cada pueblerino se frustrarán por la trama de asesinato, y los que se interesen por el crimen verán como una pérdida de tiempo cada anécdota del pueblo.
Y además Fen parece menos Fen que nunca. Es menos excéntrico, más serio, incluso más cínico, es casi como si fuera una persona normal.
Eso no significa que el misterio no esté bien hilado (lo está) o que el libro no sea divertido (he soltado carcajadas alguna que otra vez), pero lo encuentro más flojo que otros títulos escritos por Edmund Crispin. Aún así, una novela un poco más floja de Crispin es mejor que muchas novelas del género, así que aún así es bueno leerla.
Tiene todo los ingredientes para gustar: el excéntrico profesor y detective aficionado Gervaise Fen que de repente se presenta como candidato al Parlamento de un pueblo de la campiña inglesa, un pueblo lleno de habitantes más excéntricos que el propio Fen y una trama de chantaje y asesinato.
Y sin embargo todos esos aspectos no acaban de cuajar bien. Es como si el pueblo y el asesinato no se mezclaran en ningún momento y se quitaran tiempo el uno al otro. Los que deseen más comedia con las locuras de cada pueblerino se frustrarán por la trama de asesinato, y los que se interesen por el crimen verán como una pérdida de tiempo cada anécdota del pueblo.
Y además Fen parece menos Fen que nunca. Es menos excéntrico, más serio, incluso más cínico, es casi como si fuera una persona normal.
Eso no significa que el misterio no esté bien hilado (lo está) o que el libro no sea divertido (he soltado carcajadas alguna que otra vez), pero lo encuentro más flojo que otros títulos escritos por Edmund Crispin. Aún así, una novela un poco más floja de Crispin es mejor que muchas novelas del género, así que aún así es bueno leerla.
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