Colin

Over complicated narrative quite unlike Agatha Christie

Revisado: 12-29-24

Although the story was well read it was far too long , unnecessarily complicated & with too many peripheral characters.
The premise of the story was good, a locked room mystery , resulting from events in the past , but the manner of solving the murders was too wordy with too many needless red herrings & diversions.
The presence of the Scotland Yard detective was completely irrelevant & unnecessary, he added nothing to the story, in fact, confused the issue.
The same is true of the hotel owner, the waiter, the junior clerk & the waitresses.
Having finished the story I felt dissatisfied with the solution in a way that one never felt with an Agatha Christie novel & with no desire to hear it again at a future date as one can with an Agatha Christie story.
To sum up - good idea poorly executed.

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Three cheers for older women sleuths

Revisado: 05-09-24

A fabulous story featuring a trio of feisty older ladies bent on solving a local crime. The characters of the three, Isobel, Becks & Susie were well drawn, complimented each other & showed the reader that older women should not be dismissed. Their age & experience in varied walk of life combine to make a force to be reckoned with not only by the criminals but also by the police.
A well crafted , believable plot that encourages the reader to press on with the story, the dénouement was a work of art where all the twists & turns of the plot came together, all doubts & questions were resolved . Looking forward to the next outing of the Marlow Murder Club.

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Compelling story on many levels.

Revisado: 04-12-24

Compelling story on many levels, the heroin smugglers aspect, the antiques trade aspect but manly the interaction between the various characters on so many levels in solving several mysteries as well as the expected murders.
The storyline about Elizabeth’s husband Stephen was sensitively dealt with without being preachy or maudlin & gave another depth to the characters of cast of elderly sleuths.
Fiona Shaw’s reading of the book added to the enjoyment of it , the reader always knew who was talking by her subtle use of accents but more dynamic qualities to the reading , for example Joyce often spoke as if confidentially to the listener, Garth was outrageous & ridiculous, Ibrahim came over as thoughtful & unsure, not only through his words but how they were delivered.
This book, as with the previous ones would make a good film or TV drama.

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A fitting ending to the Shetland series

Revisado: 10-31-23

Everything turns full circle in this last book in the Shetland series , Jimmy Perez comes to terms with his demons…the tragic death of Fran , his fiancé . This latest case reunites him with Willow, with whom he worked before.
A well planned story with twists & red herrings which draw the reader into the story, developing the characters & setting the scene.

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Gripping story

Revisado: 08-26-23

Another superb story from Ann Cleeves in the unusual setting of Holy Island. The characters & setting provide a dramatic setting for a compelling story of lost love, revenge , greed which results in murder from within the group of friends who first met 50 years ago at this location.
The subsequent lives & circumstances of the participants lead to the dramatic murders which Vera & her team most solve, through revisiting the past & uncovering long hidden secrets.
An excellent story , well read .

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Finely crafted story

Revisado: 10-03-21

Having heard An. c,elves talk about her latest book at a recent Literacy Festival , I was keen to learn more about her new detective Matthew Venn based in North Devon.
As always Ann describes the scene & setting so well that you can picture all the protagonists in the story & by using real places it is an added bonus if you know the area.
The story follows the characters introduced in The Long Call , also set in N Devon, they develop & the reader gets to know more about them.
The story itself was quite complicated with lots of peripheral characters &, as always with Ann Cleeves the final dénouement comes as a surprise but then, on reflection , the reader can see how the ground has been subtly laid to bring about this conclusion.
An excellent story which Ann told the festival participants had already been bought by a TV company , something to look forward to.

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One of her best

Revisado: 04-25-21

One of the very best of a catalogue of outstanding stories...a plot with twists & turns, complex characters whose relations ships change as the story progresses, several cliff- hanger moments & the slow building of tension make this an outstanding story.
Well read by Daniel Wayman.
Having recently listened to Cover her face, The Lighthouse, The Murder Room, The Private Patient & Death in Holy Orders one can chart the development of the author as well as the character of Adam Dalgleish.
Highly recommended as a book or an Audible presentation.

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Lovely gentle story in an unusual setting

Revisado: 02-10-21

A refreshingly different story partly because of its location in Antarctica , partly because the central character is a feisty 86 yr old curmudgeonly lady but mainly because of the 5,000 penguins.
Veronica , a very wealthy lady with no family embarks on a hazardous stay at a penguin research station in Antarctica , on a whim , after seeing a TV programme about the Penguins.
She goes there in order to see for herself if they merit being recipients from her Will to the tune of several millions .
The story is about the people at the research station, Terri , grumpy Mike & Dietrich , an adopted penguin Patrick/ Pip & Patrick , & the long lost grandson she didn’t know she had.
We learn of her life prior to this expedition from diaries entrusted to Patrick & we learn the reason for her feistiness & independence.
An unusual but entertaining story.

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One of the first but one of the best

Revisado: 10-31-20

Jeffrey Archer is a master storyteller & this story demonstrates this .
The twists & turns of the story keep the reader/ listener hooked from beginning to end.
The details of the original scam & the plans to recoup the money are meticulous in their detail & make the plot so much more believable .
An excellent story , well read .

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Fast moving short story

Revisado: 08-19-20

A pacey short story featuring Ann Cleeves Scottish detective Jimmy Perez.
Good characterisation, lots of red herrings & misdirections to leave the reader guessing right to the end.
Good holiday reading.

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