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annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Long Farewell is the 17th Inspector Appleby mystery by Michael Innes. First published in 1958, this reformat and re-release from Agora Books, out 12th Dec 2019, is 184 pages and available in ebook format (other editions in most other formats). Worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book, along with most of the rest of the series, are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I have been a fan of the Inspector Appleby mysteries as long as I can remember and I revisit them regularly. They're a lighthearted brand of classic British mystery with intricate plots and well defined (if archetypal) characters and the dialogue is often witty and stylish. They're self aware and not above poking good-hearted fun at everything from the class system to academia to police procedurals. They never devolve into mean-ness or ad hominem attacks and the good guys generally get their man (or woman) in the end. This one is true to form and I am not quite sure how it happened, but I don't remember having read it before.
The book has aged well, despite its 60+ years. The prose is crisp and nuanced. The language is possibly slightly more academic than modern cozies. Due diligence in reading is richly rewarded with many subtly humorous exchanges. There's a scene between Inspector Appleby and Professor Prodger which was perfect and surprised a chuckle out of me. It's lovely to read a classic, very well written, good humored, solidly British mystery.
This edition includes a very short informative author bio. The ebook format also has handy interactive links to some of Michael Innes' works. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Four stars. A fun light read and very well written.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Long Farewell is the 17th Inspector Appleby mystery by Michael Innes. First published in 1958, this reformat and re-release from Agora Books, out 12th Dec 2019, is 184 pages and available in ebook format (other editions in most other formats). Worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book, along with most of the rest of the series, are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I have been a fan of the Inspector Appleby mysteries as long as I can remember and I revisit them regularly. They're a lighthearted brand of classic British mystery with intricate plots and well defined (if archetypal) characters and the dialogue is often witty and stylish. They're self aware and not above poking good-hearted fun at everything from the class system to academia to police procedurals. They never devolve into mean-ness or ad hominem attacks and the good guys generally get their man (or woman) in the end. This one is true to form and I am not quite sure how it happened, but I don't remember having read it before.
The book has aged well, despite its 60+ years. The prose is crisp and nuanced. The language is possibly slightly more academic than modern cozies. Due diligence in reading is richly rewarded with many subtly humorous exchanges. There's a scene between Inspector Appleby and Professor Prodger which was perfect and surprised a chuckle out of me. It's lovely to read a classic, very well written, good humored, solidly British mystery.
This edition includes a very short informative author bio. The ebook format also has handy interactive links to some of Michael Innes' works. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Four stars. A fun light read and very well written.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
annarella's review
5.0
A well crafted and engrossing Golden Age Mystery, I found it enjoyable and it kept me hooked till the end.
I loved the description of the Garda Lake and I liked the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting and I like the Shakespeare quotes and the discussion.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end and it's well thought and fascinating.
I look forward to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the description of the Garda Lake and I liked the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting and I like the Shakespeare quotes and the discussion.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end and it's well thought and fascinating.
I look forward to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
Sir John Appleby, Inspector at Scotland Yard, is on holiday in Italy and decides to stop in and see an acquaintance who is also abroad. Lewis Packford is a well-known, if flamboyant, Elizabethan
scholar with a penchant for quoting Shakespeare at the most interesting moments. Packford often puts together spectacular discoveries and springs them on his colleagues with much glee--sometimes with hints and portents beforehand and sometimes all at once. Appleby's conversation with Packford at the Italian villa would seem to indicate that another such literary bombshell is about to drop.
When he returns to England, Packford invites several of his colleagues to his country house--presumably with a view to impressing them with his latest bit of scholarship. But before Packford can produce his most recent surprise, a shot rings out in the library and he is found dead with a brief note written in his own hand beside him. The note reads: Farewell, a long farewell. A Shakespearean reference which is taken to be an apt suicide note for such a scholar. The police are satisfied with the suicide verdict--particularly since Packford had just been exposed as a bigamist. But Packford's solicitor is not and, when the solicitor brings the matter to Appleby's attention, neither is Appleby.
Appleby's investigates and finds that Packford had apparently acquired a rare book purportedly annotated by William Shakespeare. The scholars and bibliophiles who make up the house party (and who are still present well after the funeral is over) might have killed to get their hands on the precious book. One of Packford's wives may have killed him in a fit of passion. And then there's Packford's brother--who inherits the family home. It's up to Appleby to figure out who was desperate enough to shoot the Shakespearean scholar.
I do love the academic mysteries--particularly when there are dotty dons littering the landscape. We've got several here--and they are being as eccentric and inscrutable as one could wish. On top of that there are some fine red herrings, interesting conversations, and a midnight farce in the library. Four stars.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
scholar with a penchant for quoting Shakespeare at the most interesting moments. Packford often puts together spectacular discoveries and springs them on his colleagues with much glee--sometimes with hints and portents beforehand and sometimes all at once. Appleby's conversation with Packford at the Italian villa would seem to indicate that another such literary bombshell is about to drop.
When he returns to England, Packford invites several of his colleagues to his country house--presumably with a view to impressing them with his latest bit of scholarship. But before Packford can produce his most recent surprise, a shot rings out in the library and he is found dead with a brief note written in his own hand beside him. The note reads: Farewell, a long farewell. A Shakespearean reference which is taken to be an apt suicide note for such a scholar. The police are satisfied with the suicide verdict--particularly since Packford had just been exposed as a bigamist. But Packford's solicitor is not and, when the solicitor brings the matter to Appleby's attention, neither is Appleby.
Appleby's investigates and finds that Packford had apparently acquired a rare book purportedly annotated by William Shakespeare. The scholars and bibliophiles who make up the house party (and who are still present well after the funeral is over) might have killed to get their hands on the precious book. One of Packford's wives may have killed him in a fit of passion. And then there's Packford's brother--who inherits the family home. It's up to Appleby to figure out who was desperate enough to shoot the Shakespearean scholar.
I do love the academic mysteries--particularly when there are dotty dons littering the landscape. We've got several here--and they are being as eccentric and inscrutable as one could wish. On top of that there are some fine red herrings, interesting conversations, and a midnight farce in the library. Four stars.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
cmbohn's review against another edition
4.0
Chief Inspector John Appleby is visiting Italy and takes the time to drop in on an old friend. Lewis Packford, a Shakespearean scholar, is pleased to see his friend, but Appleby gets the idea that he has a secret he's working on.
Just a few weeks later, Appleby is at Packford's funeral. His friend has committed suicide. But his lawyer thinks it was murder and wants Appleby to investigate.
Appleby finds that Packford had no shortage of motives for murder. He was a bigamist, he was deep in debt. But he also had a houseful of guests, and they all have secrets of their own. The more Appleby digs, the more he believes that this was no suicide.
I really enjoyed this one. I thought I remembered how this book ended, but I was wrong. I am so glad I found this one!
Just a few weeks later, Appleby is at Packford's funeral. His friend has committed suicide. But his lawyer thinks it was murder and wants Appleby to investigate.
Appleby finds that Packford had no shortage of motives for murder. He was a bigamist, he was deep in debt. But he also had a houseful of guests, and they all have secrets of their own. The more Appleby digs, the more he believes that this was no suicide.
I really enjoyed this one. I thought I remembered how this book ended, but I was wrong. I am so glad I found this one!
miramanga's review against another edition
3.0
I do love a classic style murder mystery, especially when the reader is transported back to a genteel time of gentlemen detectives, knighted ones in this instance.
It took me a minute to slip into the archaic language but the rewards of stepping back in time through the pages more than made up for the discombobulation.
I was delighted at the dry humor that interspersed Sir John's investigations and loved his gentle unraveling of the situation, picking up clues even during the most innocuous conversations. The plot had twists and turns and a few red herrings which kept me turning the pages.
Many thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.
It took me a minute to slip into the archaic language but the rewards of stepping back in time through the pages more than made up for the discombobulation.
I was delighted at the dry humor that interspersed Sir John's investigations and loved his gentle unraveling of the situation, picking up clues even during the most innocuous conversations. The plot had twists and turns and a few red herrings which kept me turning the pages.
Many thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.
anjana's review against another edition
4.0
I have read and enjoyed one previous work by the author, Death on a Quiet Day, and I was happy to try another by the author. After my last read, I was a little apprehensive when I saw how much the first chapter leaned into Shakespeare. My next to nothing knowledge on the topic made me fear being left out of the entire narrative, but I was happily mistaken.
There are some narrative styles that one clicks with and for some reason, I like Sir Appleby and way his mind works. He has a very systematic approach and for the most part, keeps us, the reader in the loop. This last part is not very common in the books that I have read of sleuths/cops based in that period. On a random trip to Italy, Sir John happens to meet an old friend who delights in the most random of things, and he sends him off with very odd thoughts both voiced and implied. Soon after, the man is no more. The circumstances surrounding his death are strange, to say the least, and after a few instances of goading as well as the memory of the peculiar last meeting gets an investigation underway with Sir John heading down to the scene of the crime. As he gets to the point, he meets the odd members of the situation in an orderly fashion giving us an entertaining introduction to them all. There are more oddball characters thrown in than I would have expected from a tale of this size, but they were essential to the narrative increasing the stakes of the background. Finally, the ending. The resolution happened in a surprising twist after I was lulled into thinking I knew where it was going, and like a majority of the times that has happened, I enjoyed the suddenness. The whole situation stretches over just a couple of days before being wrapped up.
I would definitely pick up more books by this author the next chance I get. I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley (the reprint published last year) and the publishers, but the review is solely based on my affinity to the writing style and my reading experience as a whole.
There are some narrative styles that one clicks with and for some reason, I like Sir Appleby and way his mind works. He has a very systematic approach and for the most part, keeps us, the reader in the loop. This last part is not very common in the books that I have read of sleuths/cops based in that period. On a random trip to Italy, Sir John happens to meet an old friend who delights in the most random of things, and he sends him off with very odd thoughts both voiced and implied. Soon after, the man is no more. The circumstances surrounding his death are strange, to say the least, and after a few instances of goading as well as the memory of the peculiar last meeting gets an investigation underway with Sir John heading down to the scene of the crime. As he gets to the point, he meets the odd members of the situation in an orderly fashion giving us an entertaining introduction to them all. There are more oddball characters thrown in than I would have expected from a tale of this size, but they were essential to the narrative increasing the stakes of the background. Finally, the ending. The resolution happened in a surprising twist after I was lulled into thinking I knew where it was going, and like a majority of the times that has happened, I enjoyed the suddenness. The whole situation stretches over just a couple of days before being wrapped up.
I would definitely pick up more books by this author the next chance I get. I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley (the reprint published last year) and the publishers, but the review is solely based on my affinity to the writing style and my reading experience as a whole.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
A well crafted and engrossing Golden Age Mystery, I found it enjoyable and it kept me hooked till the end.
I loved the description of the Garda Lake and I liked the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting and I like the Shakespeare quotes and the discussion.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end and it's well thought and fascinating.
I look forward to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the description of the Garda Lake and I liked the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting and I like the Shakespeare quotes and the discussion.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end and it's well thought and fascinating.
I look forward to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
smcleish's review against another edition
3.0
Originally published on my blog here in May 2000.
When flamboyant Lewis Packford is found dead after a pistol shot is heard, it is assumed that he has committed suicide - after all, he has just been exposed as a bigamist. But unanswered questions remain, and Sir John Appleby starts to investigate. ("The long farewell" is a phrase from Cardinal Wolsey's retirement speech in Shakespeare's Henry VIII, rather than an oblique Raymond Chandler reference, and it is its appearance on a note makes Packford's death seem to be suicide.)
As a detective story, there seem to be distinct holes in the plot, notably that Appleby ignores what seems to me the most obvious lead, the anonymous notes sent simultaneously to Packford's wives to get them to turn up at his house (which has the rather pleasing name of Urchins) at the appropriate moment.
Nevertheless, The Long Farewell is enjoyable, with an interesting background in the more eccentric fringes of Shakespeare scholarship.
When flamboyant Lewis Packford is found dead after a pistol shot is heard, it is assumed that he has committed suicide - after all, he has just been exposed as a bigamist. But unanswered questions remain, and Sir John Appleby starts to investigate. ("The long farewell" is a phrase from Cardinal Wolsey's retirement speech in Shakespeare's Henry VIII, rather than an oblique Raymond Chandler reference, and it is its appearance on a note makes Packford's death seem to be suicide.)
As a detective story, there seem to be distinct holes in the plot, notably that Appleby ignores what seems to me the most obvious lead, the anonymous notes sent simultaneously to Packford's wives to get them to turn up at his house (which has the rather pleasing name of Urchins) at the appropriate moment.
Nevertheless, The Long Farewell is enjoyable, with an interesting background in the more eccentric fringes of Shakespeare scholarship.
zaung's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: ARC provided by publisher for an honest review
An intriguing mystery with some very neat twists. The pacing was a tad too slow for me, but I can see why it needed to be that way. This is proper pen and paper mystery, no chases and no suspenses. It's about clever questioning and finding the contradictions.
A fun read for a rainy day with a good cup of tea by your side.
An intriguing mystery with some very neat twists. The pacing was a tad too slow for me, but I can see why it needed to be that way. This is proper pen and paper mystery, no chases and no suspenses. It's about clever questioning and finding the contradictions.
A fun read for a rainy day with a good cup of tea by your side.
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