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melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed. Appleby appears just as a shooting happens - he happened to be invited for dinner that evening, as a special guest to please the mystery writer in a household full of writers, scientists, and painters. And the end is remarkable for it's dependence on physics: it seems a bit far fetched, but there it is.
epitome2213's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars - the resolution was a little bit ridiculous, but the tone and set-up was interesting.
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
The book is interesting even if it is a bit slow. The characters are interesting but it takes quite a long time before the action starts.
I'm a fan of Golden Age mystery but it took quite an effort to keep on reading and sometimes had to go back in order to see if I understood everything.
Quite a good book but it did not age well and it is more an interesting picture of an era than an engaging mystery.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
I'm a fan of Golden Age mystery but it took quite an effort to keep on reading and sometimes had to go back in order to see if I understood everything.
Quite a good book but it did not age well and it is more an interesting picture of an era than an engaging mystery.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
majkia's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting mystery and as usual with Michael Innes, sparkliing dialog.
vsbedford's review against another edition
2.0
An Appleby mystery that indulges in the sort of cross-talk and snobbery of the English country house mystery with not a lot more to hang the reader's hat on. It picks up at the end but you're wading through some real nonsense to get there. I'd not recommend this one but I think the completists for the series won't be too disappointed.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
A Comedy of Terrors by Michael Innes (1st published 1940) is another of my vintage mysteries. I always look forward to reading a Innes novel. His writing is a little off-beat and humorous, but almost always smooth and satisfying. When I opened up A Comedy of Terrors, I was beginning to think I had picked up the wrong book. This has one of the slowest, most convoluted opening chapters of any Innes novel I've read so far. Fortunately I hung in there and in chapter two he righted himself and we were well on our way.
A Comedy of Terrors is the story of a reunion of the Foxcroft family. They have returned to their country estate for the holidays. Some have come to reconcile feuds; some out of curiosity about inheritance. They are a witty and talented family, full of artists and authors and full of eccentricities and schemes. They all have been given pistols so they can join in on Sir Basil's newest hobby--target shooting. But the party turns somber when it seems that someone has decided that Wilfred Foxcroft would make a much better target. Given the setting and the similarity in features among the male family members, there is soon some doubt whether Wilfred was the intended victim after all. Was the intended target really Sir Basil? Or maybe it was Cecil Foxcroft, Wilfred's brother. Motives and alibis become tangled and soon it becomes apparent that only detective inspector John Appleby will be able to untangle it all.
In addition to the opening chapter, this novel went out of the Innes norm in another way. The story is told in the first person by one of the members of the Foxcroft family. Innes normally employs the omniscient narrator for his John Appleby mysteries. So, it is a little unusual to read the story strictly from the point of view of Arthur Ferryman (cousin to the Foxcroft family). Over all, this was an enjoyable vintage mystery. Perhaps a bit more convoluted than most of Innes's novels. And the twist at the end is very surprising...I'll leave it to you to decide if that's a good thing. Three stars out of five.
A Comedy of Terrors is the story of a reunion of the Foxcroft family. They have returned to their country estate for the holidays. Some have come to reconcile feuds; some out of curiosity about inheritance. They are a witty and talented family, full of artists and authors and full of eccentricities and schemes. They all have been given pistols so they can join in on Sir Basil's newest hobby--target shooting. But the party turns somber when it seems that someone has decided that Wilfred Foxcroft would make a much better target. Given the setting and the similarity in features among the male family members, there is soon some doubt whether Wilfred was the intended victim after all. Was the intended target really Sir Basil? Or maybe it was Cecil Foxcroft, Wilfred's brother. Motives and alibis become tangled and soon it becomes apparent that only detective inspector John Appleby will be able to untangle it all.
In addition to the opening chapter, this novel went out of the Innes norm in another way. The story is told in the first person by one of the members of the Foxcroft family. Innes normally employs the omniscient narrator for his John Appleby mysteries. So, it is a little unusual to read the story strictly from the point of view of Arthur Ferryman (cousin to the Foxcroft family). Over all, this was an enjoyable vintage mystery. Perhaps a bit more convoluted than most of Innes's novels. And the twist at the end is very surprising...I'll leave it to you to decide if that's a good thing. Three stars out of five.
thecommonswings's review
2.0
The Golden Age crime writers were an erudite lot and usually pretty unafraid to wear that erudition on their sleeves. Innes/ Stewart was probably the most guilty of this - able to write genuine classics of the genre but sometimes just a little too pleased by how clever he obviously was and more than happy to show it
When this works well, you get Appleby’s End which is this totally unique, heady stew of a book - knotty, florid prose jostling up against a brilliantly gothic setting and a bunch of unique ideas. And when it doesn’t it’s this, which relies on knowing minutiae of English literature for no real reason other than showing off. Innes dangles an interesting plot at us, but swiftly the whole thing dissipates into unfocused prose (which he tries to hide behind the narrator being a literary author) and muddled writing
And basically if any novel deserves to be a short story it’s this one. It literally turns into a rip off of two far more famous and better novels by the second half. The first one is The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley, but in this case replayed simply as showing off/ padding. The second is literally one of the most famous Golden Age crime novels ever written and I won’t give the title because it will give away the whole sorry plot to this thing in an instant. And just me not telling you that title almost certainly means you have guessed it and as such I have freed you from this disappointment
Only Appleby himself acquits himself well but really that’s not enough. Maddening
When this works well, you get Appleby’s End which is this totally unique, heady stew of a book - knotty, florid prose jostling up against a brilliantly gothic setting and a bunch of unique ideas. And when it doesn’t it’s this, which relies on knowing minutiae of English literature for no real reason other than showing off. Innes dangles an interesting plot at us, but swiftly the whole thing dissipates into unfocused prose (which he tries to hide behind the narrator being a literary author) and muddled writing
And basically if any novel deserves to be a short story it’s this one. It literally turns into a rip off of two far more famous and better novels by the second half. The first one is The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley, but in this case replayed simply as showing off/ padding. The second is literally one of the most famous Golden Age crime novels ever written and I won’t give the title because it will give away the whole sorry plot to this thing in an instant. And just me not telling you that title almost certainly means you have guessed it and as such I have freed you from this disappointment
Only Appleby himself acquits himself well but really that’s not enough. Maddening
annarella's review
3.0
The book is interesting even if it is a bit slow. The characters are interesting but it takes quite a long time before the action starts.
I'm a fan of Golden Age mystery but it took quite an effort to keep on reading and sometimes had to go back in order to see if I understood everything.
Quite a good book but it did not age well and it is more an interesting picture of an era than an engaging mystery.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
I'm a fan of Golden Age mystery but it took quite an effort to keep on reading and sometimes had to go back in order to see if I understood everything.
Quite a good book but it did not age well and it is more an interesting picture of an era than an engaging mystery.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
izabrekilien's review
1.0
Reviewed for Books and livres
I borrowed this at my library because no reader borrowed it and I wanted to find out why - at first sight, it looked rather good ? This was book #6 in a series, but often time, you don't need to have read the rest to understand the story.
Now, I know. It's dull, the characters are horrible and I simply couldn't finish it. I tried !
It starts in a way that made me think about the Victorian period with industries surrounding an old upper class estate, the upper class feeling superior comparing to the middle class, yet the middle class gaining more money than them and gaining entry into their society while they despise them. Then followed too numerous pages with a gathering of pedantic parasites who played intellectual games without doing much of their lives. They bickered, they were all insufferable, you could see the plot coming from very far away - no orignality. I thought maybe when the murder was committed, it would be better ? Nope. Same, you see it coming from far away.
I tried to keep up until the middle of the book and then, finally, I gave up ! Some books and authors are forgotten, but there's a reason why.
I borrowed this at my library because no reader borrowed it and I wanted to find out why - at first sight, it looked rather good ? This was book #6 in a series, but often time, you don't need to have read the rest to understand the story.
Now, I know. It's dull, the characters are horrible and I simply couldn't finish it. I tried !
It starts in a way that made me think about the Victorian period with industries surrounding an old upper class estate, the upper class feeling superior comparing to the middle class, yet the middle class gaining more money than them and gaining entry into their society while they despise them. Then followed too numerous pages with a gathering of pedantic parasites who played intellectual games without doing much of their lives. They bickered, they were all insufferable, you could see the plot coming from very far away - no orignality. I thought maybe when the murder was committed, it would be better ? Nope. Same, you see it coming from far away.
I tried to keep up until the middle of the book and then, finally, I gave up ! Some books and authors are forgotten, but there's a reason why.
smcleish's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in July 1998.
There Came Both Mist and Snow is another early Appleby novel, one which reads almost more like a spoof of the crime genre.
The story is narrated by Arthur Ferryman, a literary author who goes to stay with his cousin, Basil Roper, at his mansion Belrive Priory. This was originally in the countryside, but is now surrounded by a manufacturing town; the ruins of the medieval priory are now lit up at night by a huge neon sign advertising Cudbird's Brewery.
As often happens in detective stories, Ferryman arrives at the houseparty to discover that vast numbers of mutually antipathic relatives are to be at the Priory that weekend. The non-family guests are rivals attempting to buy out the Priory - which Roper is selling to finance a polar expedition - including Horace Cudbird, owner of the brewery - and Appleby. It is a little bit strange that he is invited, given his non-interest in the question of whether or not Belrive Priory should be sold.
Investigations into the shooting of Roper that occurs are hampered by the fact that it's not clear whether the shots were meant for him or whether he was mistaken for someone else. In the end, every single person possible is accused in turn, and all are mystified except Appleby. Ferryman expresses great delight at the bemusement of his cousin, a detective writer named Lucy Chigwidden. She enables Innes to make his satirical points about the crime genre very easily; this is though, a relatively subtle satire and would be easy to read missing what he is doing.
There Came Both Mist and Snow is another early Appleby novel, one which reads almost more like a spoof of the crime genre.
The story is narrated by Arthur Ferryman, a literary author who goes to stay with his cousin, Basil Roper, at his mansion Belrive Priory. This was originally in the countryside, but is now surrounded by a manufacturing town; the ruins of the medieval priory are now lit up at night by a huge neon sign advertising Cudbird's Brewery.
As often happens in detective stories, Ferryman arrives at the houseparty to discover that vast numbers of mutually antipathic relatives are to be at the Priory that weekend. The non-family guests are rivals attempting to buy out the Priory - which Roper is selling to finance a polar expedition - including Horace Cudbird, owner of the brewery - and Appleby. It is a little bit strange that he is invited, given his non-interest in the question of whether or not Belrive Priory should be sold.
Investigations into the shooting of Roper that occurs are hampered by the fact that it's not clear whether the shots were meant for him or whether he was mistaken for someone else. In the end, every single person possible is accused in turn, and all are mystified except Appleby. Ferryman expresses great delight at the bemusement of his cousin, a detective writer named Lucy Chigwidden. She enables Innes to make his satirical points about the crime genre very easily; this is though, a relatively subtle satire and would be easy to read missing what he is doing.
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