Reviews

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths

onetrooluff's review

4.0

This was recommended by one of our library volunteers. It's a historical mystery set in 1950s England, involving characters who were part of a secret(-ish) camouflage unit during WWII. This (fictional) backstory was very fun to read about. Their mission brought to mind the Monuments Men, a real unit who spent the war working to retrieve or prevent the loss of priceless cultural or artistic treasures across Europe. In both units, experts were pulled from a variety of backgrounds to achieve a particular end.

The mystery side of things was a little gory, but far from outside what I could handle. There are some definite red herrings thrown in along the way, and it kept me guessing.

I also want to point out that I love the US cover. I'd definitely pick up another in this series, and might go give Elly Griffiths' other series a shot.

biancarose88's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

dbevvers63's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I like Elly Griffiths’ books and her style of writing but I think I have a preference for the Ruth Galloway series. It find the characters more engaging than the ones in this Brighton mystery series, the crime plots are good but they don’t quite hold me like her other books. 

knaglieri's review against another edition

3.0

Not as good as the Ruth Galloway series, but decent. I'm not sure how she's going to keep up the cop-and-magician thing. It doesn't seem like something that will work more than once. The end was a little eyeroll inducing.

rachelzellem's review against another edition

3.0

Certainly readable, but I don't know if I care about Edgar or Max enough to stick with the series. It also bears mentioning that I solved the mystery in the first hundred pages, which made the whole thing a little less exciting and ultimately left me questioning the capabilities of our hapless protagonist. I love me some Ruth Galloway, but this is not Griffiths's best stuff.

vwalker3's review against another edition

5.0

I didn’t think it would be possible for me to enjoy a new mystery series as much as I have enjoyed Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series, but I fear I was wrong! Edgar and Max, and the rest of the Magic Men, are fantastic characters, complex and endearing. The story of murder, intrigue, romance, and magic is a classic mystery, well written and fast paced. I’m excited to carry on with the rest of the volumes!

emlo's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

An interesting first book in the series. The story jumps perspective between the 2 main characters Edgar and Max which made me feel as though I didn't get to know either one particularly well. Hopefully their characters will develop more in the following installments. I didn't like it quite as much as her Ruth Galloway series. I enjoyed the slightly decaying golden age theme with the seedy seaside towns and magicians. 

booktwitcher23's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

riipaus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.0

oijas's review against another edition

relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0