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jdcorley's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Here, a few books in, Stout has his formula down to a razor's edge. This one's wonderful in part because Wolfe is active - in his way - from the very beginning of the book. There's no long break where Saul Panzer is doing something off screen that eventually cracks the case, but instead, right from the beginning Wolfe is cooking something up. And Stout gives sufficient implications and hints to cause us to question the basis of the mystery itself, leaving us both susceptible to and excited by every twist and turn. Hell, even the racial slur a character drops is subject to immediate, dry correction by Wolfe. This is just about as good as Wolfe gets and it's superbly constructed and executed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Racial slurs
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