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ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't mind reading it, but it was never particularly exciting, and furthermore I honestly don't think the author played fair. The resolution involved information that we did not have, and also relied on a bit of (I'll assume true) arcane legal knowledge which was not heretofore mentioned. That's not cricket, as they once used to say.
If I knew, to make up an example, that a butler could only inherit their master's estate if the master died at least two miles from his primary home, then it would certainly shed light on some mystery where the body appeared to have been relocated after the murder, etc. etc. This is that kind of thing, and it isn't fair that the solution should hinge on something 99.9% of the audience would never have heard of.
And, once again, it's one of those books where the police happily engage the help of a layperson for no clear reason other than the author has decided that person's their series' detective so much do something to justify their prescence!
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
If I knew, to make up an example, that a butler could only inherit their master's estate if the master died at least two miles from his primary home, then it would certainly shed light on some mystery where the body appeared to have been relocated after the murder, etc. etc. This is that kind of thing, and it isn't fair that the solution should hinge on something 99.9% of the audience would never have heard of.
And, once again, it's one of those books where the police happily engage the help of a layperson for no clear reason other than the author has decided that person's their series' detective so much do something to justify their prescence!
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
alexclare's review
3.0
A very easy read, following all the proper rules of a Golden Age novel. The resolution was a little deus-ex-machina which was a bit of a let-down.
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