A review by melissa_who_reads
The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge by Martin Edwards

3.0

The plot is fine and interesting; but I've come to realize there is a point in Martin Edwards book about half way through when I struggle with it - I don't know if the pacing is off, or I don't like the secondary characters perspective that much, or what it is: they drag for me. In this one, Rachel (the main character) stays in the background for much of the first two thirds of the books, allowing her minions to gather evidence. Two points: the book picks up when she comes to the foreground and takes control of the narrative, as she is an interesting character, and two - it's a bit odd that after being in Truman's head for the middle part of the narrative, once she shows up on the scene we never get his perspective again. Which would be interesting, because she utterly destroys his cover and we don't see him face any consequences from those who learn that he was not who they thought he was .... maybe those awkward scenes wouldn't move the plot forward, but the narrative also seems incomplete without them. She just drops his real name during the denouement and no one reacts with "who?" or "what the ...?" as if they all knew all along that he was using a fake name. At any rate, an interesting plot and characters, but for me it dragged a bit.