ashleylm's review
4.0
Quite good, and getting stronger as it went on--more touching than expected, given the author's light touch.
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
verityw's review
4.0
Book 2 in the Dandy Gilver series - which I'm reading slightly out of order *headdesk* - but I really enjoyed this - I thought the story was interesting with hidden depths and I think Dandy and her friends are a hoot. I really do need to try and read these in order though...
bananatricky's review
4.0
Dandy Gilver and her friend Daisy are invited to visit an old school friend Freddy who has married an American (Cadwallader) and returned to Queensferry where the two of them have rebuilt a ridiculous castle, complete with dungeons. Their visit coincides with the centuries old Ferry Fair, a tradition which is the cause of much strife since it involves a local resident donning a costume made of burrs and walking around the town taking a nip of whisky at every stop. For some reason, although they are newcomers to the town and there are several other families with more right to host the Fair, Freddy and Cad have been invited by the townsfolk to open the Fair and hand out prizes for bonniest baby and best fancy dress costume etc. Their sudden elevation may have something to do with the vociferous protests of the local temperance supporters and as a consequence Robert Dudgeon, Burry Man for the past 25 years, has come to Cad the night before the Ferry Fair to resign. Cad and Dandy manage to persuade Robert to continue but that could have been a mistake when Robert drops dead from alcohol poisoning at the end of the day.
At first Dandy feels guilty about persuading Robert to be the Burry Man with such tragic results but a series of strange incidents suggest there may be more to his death than first suspected.
I am really pleased because I guessed part of the plot quite early on, but I didn't guess all the elements (or indeed the murderer) and what makes these stories so good in my opinion is the way that the clues are scattered through the book, there to be picked up by the discerning reader or to be recalled ruefully when their relevance is disclosed later in the book - I'm thinking specifically of the two Conshies.
What I also love is the ring of authenticity about these books, if I didn't know better I would believe that they were written in the 1920s. Now I'm not claiming any great knowledge of the period, the books may be completely anachronistic, but they feel real. The attitudes of the landed gentry, the way in which Cad behaves quite reasonably but is looked at askance by the locals, the interactions between rich and poor etc.
Really enjoying this series.
At first Dandy feels guilty about persuading Robert to be the Burry Man with such tragic results but a series of strange incidents suggest there may be more to his death than first suspected.
I am really pleased because I guessed part of the plot quite early on, but I didn't guess all the elements (or indeed the murderer) and what makes these stories so good in my opinion is the way that the clues are scattered through the book, there to be picked up by the discerning reader or to be recalled ruefully when their relevance is disclosed later in the book - I'm thinking specifically of the two Conshies.
What I also love is the ring of authenticity about these books, if I didn't know better I would believe that they were written in the 1920s. Now I'm not claiming any great knowledge of the period, the books may be completely anachronistic, but they feel real. The attitudes of the landed gentry, the way in which Cad behaves quite reasonably but is looked at askance by the locals, the interactions between rich and poor etc.
Really enjoying this series.
jmeston's review
4.0
'Sounds like the author has read their Wodehouse,' said my spouse after I read him the narrator's dilemma of being chosen to judge the Bonny Baby competition at the fair. Yes! I am not as fond of the darker melodramatic themes in this story. But there we are.
kimmerp's review
5.0
Wow. I decided to continue reading this series on the hopes that my inability to connect with the first book in the series was an anomaly. My persistence paid off! For a historical amateur detective story, this was a great read with a well structured, relatable plot. Maybe some of Dandy's tangential trains of thought were frustrating in their timing or duration, but on the whole they were fun looks into her personality.
thepickygirl's review
3.0
Dandy is back. The boys are at the seaside with the nanny, and Hugh is busy with contractors and estate business. Dandy's school friend Buttercup and her American husband have moved into the family castle in South Queensferry. Since Buttercup is more comfortable in a speakeasy than a Scottish burgh, Dandy and her friend Daisy are called in to assist with Burry Man's Day, part of the Ferry Fair. As the big landowners, Buttercup and her husband Cad are in charge of entertainment, judging bonny baby contests and passing out small gifts to the village children. There's a hitch in the program when Robert Dudgeon, reigning Burry Man, decides he doesn't want to participate. No one can blame him. He dresses up with burrs covering his body, going around to pubs for whisky and small tips. But Cad and Dandy talk to Robert, and he changes his mind, donning the burry man suit, scaring and thrilling children in a very superstitious community. At the end of the day, Robert participates in the greasy pole climbing contest and drops dead. Weak heart and too much whisky take the blame, but Dandy isn't satisfied. Why, after 25 years, did Robert Dudgeon hesitate to act as Burry Man? And why did one of the pub owners and his daughter react so oddly when the Burry Man visited? Dandy calls in Alec, and the pair of them work to find out how and why the Burry Man met his death.
This book was so much better than the first, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the local customs and problems - the teetotalers and the men who drink whisky like milk - as well as post-war sentiments. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Verdict: Dandy and Alec hit their stride, and The Burry Man's Day is a success.
This book was so much better than the first, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the local customs and problems - the teetotalers and the men who drink whisky like milk - as well as post-war sentiments. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Verdict: Dandy and Alec hit their stride, and The Burry Man's Day is a success.
metta's review
1.0
I'm still reading this -- I'm just about to begin Chapter 9; since I haven't read the first in the series, I feel a bit at times clueless to who some characters are. For one, who is Hugh?
--EDIT--Finished. So, Hugh is her (Dandy's) husband? How does Alec figure into this? Still confused. I wish the library had bought the first book in this series.... That aside (it wasn't that much of a distraction), I just could not get into this book; I guess it's simply not for me.
--EDIT--Finished. So, Hugh is her (Dandy's) husband? How does Alec figure into this? Still confused. I wish the library had bought the first book in this series.... That aside (it wasn't that much of a distraction), I just could not get into this book; I guess it's simply not for me.
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