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cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
Good solid mystery with a heck of a twist to its tail, especially when you consider how old it is.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I am fairly sure that synchronicity is in the eye of the beholder or in this case the eye of the reader. At any given time, I can find connections among the books I am reading that would probably appall the authors of those books. So take my connections between this book and A Queer and Pleasant Danger with a large grain of salt. They were published thirty years apart. However, it just feels weird to read these two books both about transgendered people within weeks of each other. This one is a novel and the other is a memoir, but there were some similiarities.
This is the fifth mystery I have read by Moyes and it is probably my favorite. The story was a bit different since I found the subject matter unexpected. I had no idea that anyone was putting transgendered characters in mainstream fiction in the 80's. I am sure that is my blind spot, but I was surprised.
Moyes writes well and I easily fall into her stories. This one was no exception.
This is the fifth mystery I have read by Moyes and it is probably my favorite. The story was a bit different since I found the subject matter unexpected. I had no idea that anyone was putting transgendered characters in mainstream fiction in the 80's. I am sure that is my blind spot, but I was surprised.
Moyes writes well and I easily fall into her stories. This one was no exception.
bookaneer808's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It starts off like a standard *searching for the long lost heir* mystery, but completely upends all expectations of the trope by the end.
Can't say too much for fear of spoilers, but this is genuinely good and highly unusual.
Can't say too much for fear of spoilers, but this is genuinely good and highly unusual.
cmbohn's review
5.0
Wealthy Lord Charlton decides to alter his will, leaving everything to his missing nephew whom he hasn't seen since the boy was a baby. Simon Warwick was adopted after his parents were killed in an Air Raid, and taken to America as a one-year-old. But no one knows the name of his parents, where he is now, or what his new name is. It seems almost impossible to find him, and when Lord Charlton dies before the missing heir can be found, his lawyer is stuck.
But 2 men show up, each claiming to be the missing nephew. Before the lawyer can validate the claims of either one, one of the men is dead.
Enter Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett. He must uncover the backgrounds of both heirs, the dead man and his rival, who is now suspect number one. He thinks he has it all figured out when a jaw-dropping plot twist changes everything.
I really enjoyed this book. I probably would not have given it 5 stars because I did guess the identity of the murderer quite early, but the book is really two mysteries, the identity of the murderer, and the identity of Simon Warwick. And the the latter involved a plot twist I have never before seen in a mystery book and it may still be unique. Even if someone else has used it, I am sure that this is the first time it was ever used, and it will blow you away. Wow! Wow! Wow!
But 2 men show up, each claiming to be the missing nephew. Before the lawyer can validate the claims of either one, one of the men is dead.
Enter Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett. He must uncover the backgrounds of both heirs, the dead man and his rival, who is now suspect number one. He thinks he has it all figured out when a jaw-dropping plot twist changes everything.
I really enjoyed this book. I probably would not have given it 5 stars because I did guess the identity of the murderer quite early, but the book is really two mysteries, the identity of the murderer, and the identity of Simon Warwick. And the the latter involved a plot twist I have never before seen in a mystery book and it may still be unique. Even if someone else has used it, I am sure that this is the first time it was ever used, and it will blow you away. Wow! Wow! Wow!
pattydsf's review
3.0
I am fairly sure that synchronicity is in the eye of the beholder or in this case the eye of the reader. At any given time, I can find connections among the books I am reading that would probably appall the authors of those books. So take my connections between this book and A Queer and Pleasant Danger with a large grain of salt. They were published thirty years apart. However, it just feels weird to read these two books both about transgendered people within weeks of each other. This one is a novel and the other is a memoir, but there were some similiarities.
This is the fifth mystery I have read by Moyes and it is probably my favorite. The story was a bit different since I found the subject matter unexpected. I had no idea that anyone was putting transgendered characters in mainstream fiction in the 80's. I am sure that is my blind spot, but I was surprised.
Moyes writes well and I easily fall into her stories. This one was no exception.
This is the fifth mystery I have read by Moyes and it is probably my favorite. The story was a bit different since I found the subject matter unexpected. I had no idea that anyone was putting transgendered characters in mainstream fiction in the 80's. I am sure that is my blind spot, but I was surprised.
Moyes writes well and I easily fall into her stories. This one was no exception.
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