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A review by edgwareviabank
The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Is it possible to enjoy a book where most of the characters are so despicable I want them dead? Turns out the answer is yes, and The Other Half is that book.
Its fast-paced, meandering plot revolves around a group of despicable rich people. When one of them is found dead in Hampstead Heath, the relationships between the others begin to unravel, and clues about a criminal conspiracy start to surface.
The words "eat the rich" may come to mind several times per chapter as you read this, which I'd guess was precisely the author's intention. Some of the characters sound outright evil, entitled or delusional (in some cases, all of these at once). Others have their redeeming features, and may be more victims than perpetrators, or at least more inclined to question the status quo. But even these people seem to have a hard time letting go of their privilege, and so, ultimately, everyone ends up sounding out of touch with reality in their own way: I could only empathise with them up to a point.
Detectives Caius, Matt, and Amy are good fun, though. A crime novel where the investigators work well together and is a refreshing change from what I've grown accustomed to with the genre. Most of the book's funny side comes from the chemistry between them, and from their interactions with the suspects, where the opposing forces of entitlement and obliviousness vs. human and down-to-earth mindsets clash in ways the author handles with a sense humour that's very on-point (as well as offering food for thought on more serious topics, such as racism and abuse). I'd love to read another novel that features these three characters, so I hope a sequel is in the works.
Its fast-paced, meandering plot revolves around a group of despicable rich people. When one of them is found dead in Hampstead Heath, the relationships between the others begin to unravel, and clues about a criminal conspiracy start to surface.
The words "eat the rich" may come to mind several times per chapter as you read this, which I'd guess was precisely the author's intention. Some of the characters sound outright evil, entitled or delusional (in some cases, all of these at once). Others have their redeeming features, and may be more victims than perpetrators, or at least more inclined to question the status quo. But even these people seem to have a hard time letting go of their privilege, and so, ultimately, everyone ends up sounding out of touch with reality in their own way: I could only empathise with them up to a point.
Detectives Caius, Matt, and Amy are good fun, though. A crime novel where the investigators work well together and is a refreshing change from what I've grown accustomed to with the genre. Most of the book's funny side comes from the chemistry between them, and from their interactions with the suspects, where the opposing forces of entitlement and obliviousness vs. human and down-to-earth mindsets clash in ways the author handles with a sense humour that's very on-point (as well as offering food for thought on more serious topics, such as racism and abuse). I'd love to read another novel that features these three characters, so I hope a sequel is in the works.