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The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
yawn The Decagon House Murders is a pale imitation of the novel it is trying to pay homage to. While by no means a terrible read, I found it to be boring and ultimately deeply underwhelming. As the self-proclaimed whodunnit enthusiast that I am, I was looking forward to reading this, especially as it promised…
1980s, 2 STARS, 20th century, 3rd pov, Adult, amateur detective, CRIME, golden age detective fiction, ISLAND, japan, JAPANESE AUTHOR, male authors, men who do not seem to know how to write women, MURDER, murder mystery, MYSTERY, published in 1987, read in 2022, revenge, SUSPENSE, The Decagon House Murders, THRILLER, whodunnit, Yukito Ayatsuji -
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
Originally published in 1946 The Honjin Murders is a locked-room murder mystery. Throughout the course of the novel, the author pays homage to Golden Age detective novels, by alluding directly to authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie and their works and by being quite self-aware when it comes to the conventions that…
1930S, 2 STARS, Adult, aristocracy, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, CRIME, DETECTIVE, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), drama, golden age detective fiction, heavy on telling, HISTORICAL FICTION, japan, JAPANESE AUTHOR, locked-room mystery, male authors, manor/big house, My reviews, MYSTERY, published in 1946, read in 2021, reading, TRANSLATED FICTION, wedding drama, whodunnit -
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie — book review
Death on the Nile is one of Agatha Christie’s most ingenious mysteries. While Christie has definitely penned more ‘twisty’ whoddunits, the shifting dynamics between the book’s various players make for a suspenseful story. With the exception of our wonderfully punctilious Poirot, Death on the Nile is almost entirely populated by unlikable characters (who are either…
1930S, 3rd pov, 4 STARS, AGATHA CHRISTIE, BOOK REVIEW, British author, british classics, CLASSICS, CRIME, Death on the Nile, DETECTIVE, egypt, england, favourite authors, female authors, golden age detective fiction, hercule poirot, HISTORICAL FICTION, light reads, MURDER, murder investigation, murder mystery, MYSTERY, published in 1937, QUEEN OF CRIME, re-reads, read in 2020, REVIEW, rich people, whodunnit -
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi — book review
The Eighth Detective is not quite the “thrilling, wildly inventive nesting doll of a mystery” it’d be promised to be. I approached this novel hoping for something in the realms of Anthony Horowitz. Sadly, The Eighth Detective seems closer to The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, in that both novels are hellbent on ‘confusing’ the…
2 STARS, Adult, Alex Pavesi, arc, books about books, books about writers, BOOKS ON WRITING, Contemporary, CRIME, DETECTIVE, golden age detective fiction, male authors, murder mystery, MYSTERY, mystery puzzle, netgalley, published in 2020, read in 2020, short stories, story within a story, SUSPENSE, The Eighth Detective, unnamed country, whodunnit -
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz — book review
“Can you tell me what happened on the night of the murder? I asked and even as I uttered the words I felt slightly ridiculous. They sounded so old-fashioned, so clichéd. If I’d seen them in a novel, I’d have edited them out.” Anthony Horowitz has written yet another labyrinthine whodunnit that pays homage to…
2.5 STARS, Adult, Anthony Horowitz, books about books, books about writers, British author, Contemporary, CRIME, DETECTIVE, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), england, golden age detective fiction, Greece, hotel, lgbtq+ side, male authors, Moonflower Murders, murder mystery, MYSTERY, netgalley, problematic, prostitution, read in 2020, story within a story, Susan Ryeland #2, whodunnit -
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — book review
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is an excellent example of why I consider Agatha Christie to be the Queen of Crime. “Fortunately words, ingeniously used, will serve to mask the ugliness of naked facts.” It’s curious that one of the most influential crime novels ever written came about by accident. The idea for this novel…
1920s, 1st pov, 4.5 STARS, AGATHA CHRISTIE, Booklr, British author, CLASSICS, DETECTIVE, england, favourite authors, female authors, golden age detective fiction, hercule poirot, MURDER, murder mystery, MYSTERY, poirot, published in 1926, QUEEN OF CRIME, re-reads, read in 2020, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, unreliable narrators, village, whodunnit -
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case by Agatha Christie
“Who is there who has not felt a sudden startled pang at reliving an old experience, or feeling an old emotion?” Curtain bids a bittersweet farewell to the one and only Hercule Poirot. While I know that by this point Agatha Christie feelings towards him were less than amicable, her novel doesn’t convey its creators…
1930S, 1940s, 4.5 STARS, British author, british classics, Captain Hastings, CLASSICS, CRIME, Curtain, Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case, DETECTIVE, england, female authors, golden age detective fiction, hercule poirot, manor/big house, murder mystery, MYSTERY, published in 1975, QUEEN OF CRIME, READ IN 2019, SUSPENSE, whodunnit -
Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie — book review
This was a light and entertaining read perfect for a warm summer day. Christie must have had fun writing the character of Mrs Boynton, an oppressive and tyrannical matriarch who wouldn’t be out of place in a story by Shirley Jackson. The hatred that Mrs Boynton’s children nurture for their mother seems understandable…and I doubt…
20th century, 3rd pov, AGATHA CHRISTIE, Appointment with Death, British author, british classics, CLASSICS, CRIME, DETECTIVE, drama, england, female authors, golden age detective fiction, hercule poirot, HUMOR, Jerusalem, murder investigation, murder mystery, MYSTERY, published in 1938, READ IN 2019, west bank, whodunnit -
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz — book review
I like to think of myself as a “serious” Agatha Christie fan. With the exception of one or two books—aberrations of some sort—I have always enjoyed reading Christie. I also happen to be a huge fan of the Poirot ITV series (starring the impeccable David Suchet) on which Horowitz has worked on. As Horowitz demonstrates…
3.5 STARS, Anthony Horowitz, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, books about books, books about writers, BOOKS ON WRITING, British author, Contemporary, CRIME, DETECTIVE, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), england, golden age detective fiction, HISTORICAL FICTION, Magpie Murders, male authors, murder investigation, murder mystery, mystery puzzle, published in 2016, READ IN 2019, small town crime, story within a story, village, whodunnit -
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz — book review
The Word Is Murder offers readers a mixture of old and new. The prose and murder-mystery are heavily reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey, whom are often referred as the most prominent golden age detective fiction writers. What is innovative about The Word Is Murder is that it blurs the line between fiction and…
1st pov, 3.5 STARS, AGATHA CHRISTIE, Anthony Horowitz, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, books about books, books about writers, BOOKS ON WRITING, British author, Contemporary, CRIME, DETECTIVE, england, golden age detective fiction, LONDON, male authors, murder investigation, mystery puzzle, PUBLISHED IN 2017, READ IN 2019, SUSPENSE, The Word is Murder, whodunnit
luce [is reading] 