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jrenee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thecommonswings's review against another edition
4.0
More correctly it’s three and a half stars, but I’ll give it a four because it’s still a wonderful read even if it doesn’t quite do justice to the premise. This is definitely second tier Carr, and Bencolin is already creaking as a hero. He’s not as focused as he was in The Lost Gallows and is emotionally a bit all over the show - I would suggest that the obvious relish Carr has in writing Agatha Alison suggested to him elements of both Fell AND Merrivale, although this would almost certainly be a Fell novel a few years later. It’s got the same gothic flourishes that Fell’s novels revel in, albeit with a solution that’s actually a lot more straightforward that much of what was to come. There’s a far greater focus on misdirection - one character is almost gleefully hinted at being the villain, and Carr is spending more time seeding red herrings than an actually complex solution. Which is a nice change, but somehow means the book feels a bit of a let down by the end. It’s not a great crime novel but demonstrates the incredible work to come and is hugely enjoyable
jonjeffryes's review against another edition
3.0
This mystery is high on atmosphere and setting. Carr creates some amazing scenes and an intriguing puzzle of a mystery as his sleuth Bencolin tries to solve the death of an actor in his skull-shaped castle. But the book needed stronger early characterizations of the cast as even towards the end the reader struggles to differentiate the list of suspects.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
Everything in this book is over the top and exaggerated and this made this story a lot of fun to read.
This mix of gothic and Golden Age mystery already features some of the tropes of the more mature John Dickinson Carr I used to read but I enjoyed every moment of it.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought, the setting is amazing and reminded me of gothic novels, the mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
It was an entertaining and engrossing read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This mix of gothic and Golden Age mystery already features some of the tropes of the more mature John Dickinson Carr I used to read but I enjoyed every moment of it.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought, the setting is amazing and reminded me of gothic novels, the mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
It was an entertaining and engrossing read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
depizan's review against another edition
2.0
Theatrical to the point of absurdity, with some moments of good Gothic atmosphere, and about as subtle as you'd expect from the title. At times it feels almost like a cartoon parody of a mystery story instead of a mystery story - the characters are ridiculous, there's not one, but two melodramatic "impossible" deaths, and the castle is something out of Scooby-Doo.
I'm not sure the plot isn't something out of Scooby-Doo. Just with 100% more murder and immolated bodies.
I'm not sure the plot isn't something out of Scooby-Doo. Just with 100% more murder and immolated bodies.
anjana's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book by the author that I picked up and from trusted sources, that there are better ones out there. Despite that fact, I must say I liked the book.
Our detective is requested on a very strange case of a man shot and then set on fire. There is a lingering shadow of a man who died mysteriously from a train years earlier. They set out to the home of the most recently deceased and end up facing a party of possible suspects. There are more misdirections that I could keep track of. Each time I thought I was being clever in spotting a particular anomaly, it turned out that I was being played each time. There is a lot of melodrama, not least because there were to detectives vying for the crowning glory of being the one with the solution. In both the books I have read by the author, there has been a feverish mood with people in mild hysterics almost all the time.
one of the characters was introduced using this very profound line:
‘a Matterhorn in white lace, glaring down over the icy slopes of herself.’ It is probably the first time I felt the description of someone being fat was seen in a more reverent manner.
I was utterly taken in by who the culprit was because I was not focused on that thread of narration. After this, I look forward to reading more by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience. For a conversation on the topic:
https://superfluousreading.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/the-case-for-three-detectives-anjana-kate-and-laurie-discuss-john-dickson-carrs-castle-skull-1931
Our detective is requested on a very strange case of a man shot and then set on fire. There is a lingering shadow of a man who died mysteriously from a train years earlier. They set out to the home of the most recently deceased and end up facing a party of possible suspects. There are more misdirections that I could keep track of. Each time I thought I was being clever in spotting a particular anomaly, it turned out that I was being played each time. There is a lot of melodrama, not least because there were to detectives vying for the crowning glory of being the one with the solution. In both the books I have read by the author, there has been a feverish mood with people in mild hysterics almost all the time.
one of the characters was introduced using this very profound line:
‘a Matterhorn in white lace, glaring down over the icy slopes of herself.’ It is probably the first time I felt the description of someone being fat was seen in a more reverent manner.
I was utterly taken in by who the culprit was because I was not focused on that thread of narration. After this, I look forward to reading more by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience. For a conversation on the topic:
https://superfluousreading.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/the-case-for-three-detectives-anjana-kate-and-laurie-discuss-john-dickson-carrs-castle-skull-1931
annarella's review
5.0
Everything in this book is over the top and exaggerated and this made this story a lot of fun to read.
This mix of gothic and Golden Age mystery already features some of the tropes of the more mature John Dickinson Carr I used to read but I enjoyed every moment of it.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought, the setting is amazing and reminded me of gothic novels, the mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
It was an entertaining and engrossing read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This mix of gothic and Golden Age mystery already features some of the tropes of the more mature John Dickinson Carr I used to read but I enjoyed every moment of it.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought, the setting is amazing and reminded me of gothic novels, the mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
It was an entertaining and engrossing read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
zoer03's review
1.0
Oh god this is bad.... god sake i don’t give a damn about who’s died why they died or who the hell these god awful people are trying to solve it both detectives are like bad caricatures of poirot and Holmes. It’s awful.
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