Scan barcode
penny_literaryhoarders's review
4.0
After a series of dud reads, I reached for Maureen Jennings and her historical Detective Murdoch mystery, Let Darkness Bury the Dead. I knew that this type of book would work well to pull me from the reading slump I've been in.
I wasn't worried either about not reading any of the previous Murdoch Mysteries because even Jennings notes that she has specifically set this one when Murdoch is much older than he is in the TV series, so it does not confuse those reading/watching that series. So this particular one works very well as a standalone.
I did feel the ending rushed to its close, and the killer was fairly easy to identify, but those are two small issues really in an overall very enjoyable story.
I own the full series of her Tom Tyler mysteries, and have read [b:Season of Darkness|13155268|Season of Darkness (Detective Inspector Tom Tyler, #1)|Maureen Jennings|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333579307s/13155268.jpg|14209707] already, so reading the rest in this series will be a pleasure.
I wasn't worried either about not reading any of the previous Murdoch Mysteries because even Jennings notes that she has specifically set this one when Murdoch is much older than he is in the TV series, so it does not confuse those reading/watching that series. So this particular one works very well as a standalone.
I did feel the ending rushed to its close, and the killer was fairly easy to identify, but those are two small issues really in an overall very enjoyable story.
I own the full series of her Tom Tyler mysteries, and have read [b:Season of Darkness|13155268|Season of Darkness (Detective Inspector Tom Tyler, #1)|Maureen Jennings|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333579307s/13155268.jpg|14209707] already, so reading the rest in this series will be a pleasure.
yubsie's review
4.0
I was really curious what was going to be in the first Murdoch novel since the show came along. I can't say "extensive time jump" was what I expected, but it was a really solid choice. The WWI setting wound up being really interesting, and seeing Murdoch in his new role of senior detective was really interesting. Also I love Madge, she's great, would read a Madge spinoff. With the important role WWI played in Canada's history as a nation, there's a danger in overglorifying it, but Jennings steers clear of it and treats PTSD in much the way I've come to expect of her.
pageturner92's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I don't know if I have a rating. I don't even think I could give it one as stars can't describe the emotional pull this particular Murdoch Mysteries had on me. Rightly so, it has a completely different feel to the others, yet there is familiarity in Murdoch, his relationship with other members of his department, and the Toronto landscape.
Here we see that crime and death is complex, that context and experience have control, and that sometimes the reasons are beyond our understanding.
I thought I felt cheated by the huge time jump between A Journeyman to Grief and Let Darkness Bury The Dead but now I don't mind. This story was more about the personal and mental affects of war rather than anything and I applaud Maureen Jannings for providing me with a perspective I don't usually see or read about.
Here we see that crime and death is complex, that context and experience have control, and that sometimes the reasons are beyond our understanding.
I thought I felt cheated by the huge time jump between A Journeyman to Grief and Let Darkness Bury The Dead but now I don't mind. This story was more about the personal and mental affects of war rather than anything and I applaud Maureen Jannings for providing me with a perspective I don't usually see or read about.
More...