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bmip666's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
angelajuniper's review
3.0
It was okay - the first half was too long, the second half was too short. Plus I totally guessed the culprit early in the piece so was almost disappointed when proved right. If you like Sherlock Holmes, A Three-Pipe Problem is a nice, gentle read. It won't captivate you but it's better than watching paint dry. Make your choice.
bev_reads_mysteries's review
4.0
From the Back of the Book: Sher's Last Case! Sheridan Haynes, that is. You've no doubt seen him on television, portraying the immortal Sherlock Holmes in the famous TV series. But now Sheridan Haynes--actor and dedicated Holmes buff--has a new mission: to beat Scotland Yard at solving the baffling Karate Killings, in which three men have been murdered, each with a single chop to the neck.
Against the elaborate modern technology of the Yard, Sheridan Haynes has his own wits, his intimate knowledge of Holmseian deduction, and the assistance of the Baker Street Irregulars--three bemused traffic wardens along for the fun of it. The result is one of Julian Symons' finest novels: a suspenseful, brilliantly inventive mystery novel starring a modern--and slightly dotty--version of the greatest detective of them all!
MY take: This is a marvelous send-up Sherlock Holmes. An absolutely brilliant pastiche that I read quite some time ago and still remember fondly.
Against the elaborate modern technology of the Yard, Sheridan Haynes has his own wits, his intimate knowledge of Holmseian deduction, and the assistance of the Baker Street Irregulars--three bemused traffic wardens along for the fun of it. The result is one of Julian Symons' finest novels: a suspenseful, brilliantly inventive mystery novel starring a modern--and slightly dotty--version of the greatest detective of them all!
MY take: This is a marvelous send-up Sherlock Holmes. An absolutely brilliant pastiche that I read quite some time ago and still remember fondly.
cmbohn's review
4.0
Actor Sheridan Haynes is really Sherlock Holmes. Well, not really. But he does play him in a British television program. He has a bit of an obsession about the detective. They share the same initials. He even has a flat on Baker Street. If only life were as simple as it is in the books.
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story.
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story.
lushr's review
3.0
Nice cosy mystery, at first it took a bit to get into, I haven't read a mystery in a long time, but it was a comforting read with a surprising ending, even if you know who the murderer is from about one third in. Intrigue, interesting characters, good pace.
apuskas's review
This was aggressively mediocre, at best.
(It was really quite bad! Had this person not met an editor at some point in their lives?)
(It was really quite bad! Had this person not met an editor at some point in their lives?)
kukushka's review
2.0
Nothing special. It’s a fairly short read, so I suppose it’s fine for a rainy day – that’s assuming you can get through all the racism, sexism, and anti-modernism without bursting a blood vessel. Someone really needs to inform Mr. Sheridan Haynes (the main character) that the Victorian era was only wholesome and lovely if you were rich and male.
As far as the plot itself goes, there’s not much to it. About 95% of the novel is an introduction to the character of Sheridan Haynes, a jerk who completely ignores his wife (she leaves him, but by the end she’s realized that she loves him and comes back, finally learning to accept all the “quirks” that had made her leave), bullies and ridicules his colleagues, and thinks altogether too highly of himself. He’s a bore to read about, especially since most of his lines consist either of “I hate cars! I wish the combustion engine had never been invented!” or “Sherlock Holmes is god. Anyone who doesn’t worship The Master is a moron!”
There’s no character development. Sher (as he is called) learns absolutely nothing. He loses his job because of the way he acts, but is immediately offered another. He loses his wife, but she comes back with no compromises. Everything is just handed to him and he learns nothing.
The mystery itself is almost in the background. There’s an overview of the murders in the first few pages and then a description of how they had happened at the end. Everything in the middle is just repetitive character exposition. Quite frankly, the resolution wasn’t entirely satisfying either. “I kill people because my dog got run over, then I will help an actor solve my own crimes for no reason whatsoever” just doesn’t do it for me. Cassidy could have at least made an attempt to throw Sher in the wrong direction or, if he really felt all that guilty about what he’d done, he might have tried hinting at it. But no, he plays out like a perfectly ordinary innocent character right up until his confession.
The writing style is really the only redeeming quality of the book. It’s simplistic, but it gets the job done and at no point was it confusing. It makes A Three Pipe Problem a very easy and quick read.
Overall, I’d say the whole novel was just a 192-page excuse to use the term “nig-nog.”
As far as the plot itself goes, there’s not much to it. About 95% of the novel is an introduction to the character of Sheridan Haynes, a jerk who completely ignores his wife (she leaves him, but by the end she’s realized that she loves him and comes back, finally learning to accept all the “quirks” that had made her leave), bullies and ridicules his colleagues, and thinks altogether too highly of himself. He’s a bore to read about, especially since most of his lines consist either of “I hate cars! I wish the combustion engine had never been invented!” or “Sherlock Holmes is god. Anyone who doesn’t worship The Master is a moron!”
There’s no character development. Sher (as he is called) learns absolutely nothing. He loses his job because of the way he acts, but is immediately offered another. He loses his wife, but she comes back with no compromises. Everything is just handed to him and he learns nothing.
The mystery itself is almost in the background. There’s an overview of the murders in the first few pages and then a description of how they had happened at the end. Everything in the middle is just repetitive character exposition. Quite frankly, the resolution wasn’t entirely satisfying either. “I kill people because my dog got run over, then I will help an actor solve my own crimes for no reason whatsoever” just doesn’t do it for me. Cassidy could have at least made an attempt to throw Sher in the wrong direction or, if he really felt all that guilty about what he’d done, he might have tried hinting at it. But no, he plays out like a perfectly ordinary innocent character right up until his confession.
The writing style is really the only redeeming quality of the book. It’s simplistic, but it gets the job done and at no point was it confusing. It makes A Three Pipe Problem a very easy and quick read.
Overall, I’d say the whole novel was just a 192-page excuse to use the term “nig-nog.”
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