Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
REREAD
This was the third or fourth Reggie Fortune collection I ever read, but in retrospect I'm unsurprised that it was the first one written- the stories are a bit more conventional, with the unconventional ones leaning more toward ridiculous (Hottentot Venus) than dark and compelling, as some of his later stories do. The best/most interesting of them is probably The Business Minister. Still giving them a 4 because I enjoy Reggie Fortune and these were still a fun read, even if I did kind of wish I were later in the run, but I wouldn't go higher than that. Also, even if the stories can be conventional, Fortune himself still has an interesting turn of mind and action.
This was the third or fourth Reggie Fortune collection I ever read, but in retrospect I'm unsurprised that it was the first one written- the stories are a bit more conventional, with the unconventional ones leaning more toward ridiculous (Hottentot Venus) than dark and compelling, as some of his later stories do. The best/most interesting of them is probably The Business Minister. Still giving them a 4 because I enjoy Reggie Fortune and these were still a fun read, even if I did kind of wish I were later in the run, but I wouldn't go higher than that. Also, even if the stories can be conventional, Fortune himself still has an interesting turn of mind and action.
Overall, I am opposed to any screen reading, as I will always love having a physical book on me, but Call Mr. Fortune was due to be the exception to the rule due to its availability. It is accessible via Google Books at 262 pages.
Call Mr. Fortune is set as six short stories, making it easily digestible. I went in fully prepared to read one case and call it done, but was quickly enveloped in the Sherlock Holmes-esque storytelling. Mr. Fortune starts out as a general family doctor taking over his father's business, but rapidly turns into a criminal investigator with his medical background.
Each story is its own mystery, not always(see Case V), but commonly referring to a murder. In Case I, Mr. Fortune is not trusted to take on the case as he is a young physician, a family doctor, but quickly asserts his prowess in the field as he solves the mystery at hand. He is then trusted by the Criminal Investigation Department and called upon for any new case to be investigated for cause of death, and ultimately, the person behind the crime.
"Of course he does know a lot, does Mr. Fortune, a rare lot of stuff. But that's natural, as it were. What upsets you is the sort of way he feels men. It's as is if he had senses you haven't got. Very strange the way he knows men." (page 240) Reggie Fortune is able to pick apart and see things at an angle no other could take, making him into a detective akin to Sherlock Holmes.
And then, there is his love of muffins that is recurring and made me giggle the more I saw it across each case. Mr.Fortune is a carbohydrate king:
"Reginald communed with himself as he ate his third muffin." (page 3)
"Reggie, having eaten all the muffins, lit his pipe and meditated on the cases left him by his father." (page 6)
"There he sat before an empty plate which held muffins, and lit one of his largest cigars." (page 165)
"'What I want is muffins,' said Reggie-'several muffins and a little tea and my domestic hearth. Then I'll feel safe.'" (page 210)
"'I found scraps of wool in Herbert's mouth and nostrils. That's the case, Lomas, old thing. Come and have tea. There's rather decent muffins at the Academies'.'/'Good God!' said Lomas. 'Muffins!'" (page 150)
Call Mr. Fortune is set as six short stories, making it easily digestible. I went in fully prepared to read one case and call it done, but was quickly enveloped in the Sherlock Holmes-esque storytelling. Mr. Fortune starts out as a general family doctor taking over his father's business, but rapidly turns into a criminal investigator with his medical background.
Each story is its own mystery, not always(see Case V), but commonly referring to a murder. In Case I, Mr. Fortune is not trusted to take on the case as he is a young physician, a family doctor, but quickly asserts his prowess in the field as he solves the mystery at hand. He is then trusted by the Criminal Investigation Department and called upon for any new case to be investigated for cause of death, and ultimately, the person behind the crime.
"Of course he does know a lot, does Mr. Fortune, a rare lot of stuff. But that's natural, as it were. What upsets you is the sort of way he feels men. It's as is if he had senses you haven't got. Very strange the way he knows men." (page 240) Reggie Fortune is able to pick apart and see things at an angle no other could take, making him into a detective akin to Sherlock Holmes.
And then, there is his love of muffins that is recurring and made me giggle the more I saw it across each case. Mr.Fortune is a carbohydrate king:
"Reginald communed with himself as he ate his third muffin." (page 3)
"Reggie, having eaten all the muffins, lit his pipe and meditated on the cases left him by his father." (page 6)
"There he sat before an empty plate which held muffins, and lit one of his largest cigars." (page 165)
"'What I want is muffins,' said Reggie-'several muffins and a little tea and my domestic hearth. Then I'll feel safe.'" (page 210)
"'I found scraps of wool in Herbert's mouth and nostrils. That's the case, Lomas, old thing. Come and have tea. There's rather decent muffins at the Academies'.'/'Good God!' said Lomas. 'Muffins!'" (page 150)
This book is ably described by the Classic Mysteries podcast and that's what caused me to grab this from my local library. Mr. Fortune is actually a doctor, a pretty fair doctor but an absolutely excellent detective. He doesn't cavil about meting out his own sense of justice which is interesting. The stories are short and to the point. I probably won't seek out any of the author's other works but this one was worth reading.