The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
christinecc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Crispin did it again, guys. (And he broke the curse of the 50-50 awful-excellent book! Books 1 and 3 being super fun, and book 2 an UNBELIEVABLE mess of a book.)
I can't explain the cover because we really don't get any fancy opera attendance scenes. The star of this book is the backstage drama of rival singers, tense rehearsals, stolen makeup remover, and conductors on the verge of a mental breakdown (or a firing, whichever comes first).Â
The mystery begins when the star tenor (an out-and-out detestable person) is found dead, and anyone could have done it. Or was it a suicide? While the police pushes the suicide angle, Oxford don (and eternal clown) Gervase Fen investigates the evidence that doesn't fit that theory. But what is the murder is the end of it? Why should someone else die when the most hateful person backstage is gone?
I loved every minute of this book. It's funny, it's dark, it (as usual) breaks the fourth wall in delightful ways, and Gervase is incorrigible. He also shows a subtle amount of growth since his previous adventures, where his carelessness led to some tragic consequences. Gervase is more cautious here and also more considerate of others without giving up his vanity (of course).Â
When the sad moments hit, they hit hard, and when you read a funny passage, you can't help but laugh. I especially loved the backstage chaos after murder has ruined the rehearsal schedule but everyone still needs to show up for this German opera:Â
"in the orchestra-pit, a trombonist was doing a very creditable impression of a Spitfire diving, and a clarinetist was surreptitiously playing jazz."
"Rutherston gave a final impassioned address in which he begged the chorus to try and look like sixteenth-century Nurembergers instead of like an elementary eurhythmics class."
If you've been in any kind of theatre or orchestral performance, you know this vibe.
Recommended if you want to laugh, cry, and sit on the edge of your seat as the stakes get higher and Gervase never stops looking for the answer. I can't wait to try the next in the series.Â
I can't explain the cover because we really don't get any fancy opera attendance scenes. The star of this book is the backstage drama of rival singers, tense rehearsals, stolen makeup remover, and conductors on the verge of a mental breakdown (or a firing, whichever comes first).Â
The mystery begins when the star tenor (an out-and-out detestable person) is found dead, and anyone could have done it. Or was it a suicide? While the police pushes the suicide angle, Oxford don (and eternal clown) Gervase Fen investigates the evidence that doesn't fit that theory. But what is the murder is the end of it? Why should someone else die when the most hateful person backstage is gone?
I loved every minute of this book. It's funny, it's dark, it (as usual) breaks the fourth wall in delightful ways, and Gervase is incorrigible. He also shows a subtle amount of growth since his previous adventures, where his carelessness led to some tragic consequences. Gervase is more cautious here and also more considerate of others without giving up his vanity (of course).Â
When the sad moments hit, they hit hard, and when you read a funny passage, you can't help but laugh. I especially loved the backstage chaos after murder has ruined the rehearsal schedule but everyone still needs to show up for this German opera:Â
"in the orchestra-pit, a trombonist was doing a very creditable impression of a Spitfire diving, and a clarinetist was surreptitiously playing jazz."
"Rutherston gave a final impassioned address in which he begged the chorus to try and look like sixteenth-century Nurembergers instead of like an elementary eurhythmics class."
If you've been in any kind of theatre or orchestral performance, you know this vibe.
Recommended if you want to laugh, cry, and sit on the edge of your seat as the stakes get higher and Gervase never stops looking for the answer. I can't wait to try the next in the series.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
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