Scan barcode
nik_reads02's review
4.0
So fun - great setting, writing and a solid mystery. Sort of whimsical and ridiculous, I really enjoyed it.
tobyyy's review
2.0
Bleh. This book tried too hard to be clever. Filled with bumbling policemen — with the intent of poking fun at the stereotypical bumbling policemen of other novels — this was just an exercise in frustration for me. I most likely will not continue on with this series although admittedly I am curious to see if it improves as it goes on.
tithonus's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookish_redpanda15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mindenrose's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
Awful. It sounded funny and I thought I would give it a go. It was so boring, the characters were lazily stereotyped- a bumbling policeman, a bright young trainee, etc. I gave up about: 2/3 in. Just really badly written as well.
smitz's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
A Shot in the Dark is the first book of a new series set in 1950's Brighton. Based on Lynne Truss' BBC Radio 4 series with some of the same characters, this novelization is a decidedly odd & farcical lampooning of post-WW2 police procedurals.
Released 6th Nov 2018 by Bloomsbury, it's 304 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.
The author has an unerring ear for dialogue and setting. The book really reads exactly like it was written contemporaneously for the time in which it's set. The pacing is superb and it moves along at a good clip. I never found my interest flagging. Ms. Truss has a deft touch with characterizations (she's been writing these characters for a while for audio plays, and it shows).
That being said... for an almost cozy read, there is a prodigious amount of violence (much of it gratuitous). People are constantly being stabbed, slashed, shot, throttled, flung out of amusement park rides into the ocean, run over, and otherwise mutilated. There is a disconcerting amount of *glee* in the descriptions. There is a bizarrely psychotic Punch & Judy man who is both hysterically funny and scary in about equal measure.
The language is way over the top. The violence is omnipresent. I personally loved the denouement, but readers who need everything to be tied up in a neat bow with the good guys the unequivocal winners by page 298 are going to be driven nuts by the end.
Four stars. Worth a read, but definitely different.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Shot in the Dark is the first book of a new series set in 1950's Brighton. Based on Lynne Truss' BBC Radio 4 series with some of the same characters, this novelization is a decidedly odd & farcical lampooning of post-WW2 police procedurals.
Released 6th Nov 2018 by Bloomsbury, it's 304 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.
The author has an unerring ear for dialogue and setting. The book really reads exactly like it was written contemporaneously for the time in which it's set. The pacing is superb and it moves along at a good clip. I never found my interest flagging. Ms. Truss has a deft touch with characterizations (she's been writing these characters for a while for audio plays, and it shows).
That being said... for an almost cozy read, there is a prodigious amount of violence (much of it gratuitous). People are constantly being stabbed, slashed, shot, throttled, flung out of amusement park rides into the ocean, run over, and otherwise mutilated. There is a disconcerting amount of *glee* in the descriptions. There is a bizarrely psychotic Punch & Judy man who is both hysterically funny and scary in about equal measure.
The language is way over the top. The violence is omnipresent. I personally loved the denouement, but readers who need everything to be tied up in a neat bow with the good guys the unequivocal winners by page 298 are going to be driven nuts by the end.
Four stars. Worth a read, but definitely different.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
nglofile's review
I am a fan of droll, and I also appreciate a well-executed send-up. This, however, somehow manages to be clever but not fun, and that's more than mildly disappointing.
I lost count how many times I paused to consider whether to continue, but there were glimmers of wit that would take me further. When Twitten himself enters, it was almost as if a lamp had been turned on in the dusk, which sparked new hope. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to combat the overall stodginess, and though I pushed through the ups and downs until the halfway point, I couldn't foresee anything making a stubborn completion worthwhile.
audiobook note: Matt Green's narration was a factor in my hanging in as long as I did. In addition to smooth reading in a lovely accent, he presents as being in on the joke, which successfully endears him to the reader. Voices for a minor character or two are gratingly cartoonish, but I couldn't determine if the lack of nuance was an intentional choice in service to the satire or no.
I lost count how many times I paused to consider whether to continue, but there were glimmers of wit that would take me further. When Twitten himself enters, it was almost as if a lamp had been turned on in the dusk, which sparked new hope. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to combat the overall stodginess, and though I pushed through the ups and downs until the halfway point, I couldn't foresee anything making a stubborn completion worthwhile.
audiobook note: Matt Green's narration was a factor in my hanging in as long as I did. In addition to smooth reading in a lovely accent, he presents as being in on the joke, which successfully endears him to the reader. Voices for a minor character or two are gratingly cartoonish, but I couldn't determine if the lack of nuance was an intentional choice in service to the satire or no.
jazzlovestoread's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
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
1.75