A review by ineffablebob
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

Jasper Fforde's The Big Over Easy is a murder mystery set in a modern urban fantasy world where fairy-tale characters are part of society. Our hero is Jack Spratt, the victim is Humpty Dumpty, Solomon Grundy is a local businessman...you get the idea. Also, detectives are expected to follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and turn their cases into entertaining stories as they solve crimes. The whole thing is entertaining as a humorous whodunit, with all the mythological characters making the setting unique. Many of the references are understated, treating the weird and absurd seriously, and letting the reader infer the humor in the situation. I enjoyed it, though by about halfway through I was kind of losing interest in the next fairy-tale reference and following Jack to the next dead end in his investigation. But Jack's an interesting protagonist and the wrap-up of the Humpty case was entertaining enough to keep me reading through the end.