by Charles Finch
This was OK. Readable, not riveting. An upper-class British Gentleman of Leisure who solves mysteries. Lots of class stuff. Lots of descriptive stuff. It’s one of those books that seem to be written with A Screenplay in mind.
The one thing that drove me crazy, though, was that the protagonist is supposed to be “about forty.” His neighbor and friend, Lady Jane, is “just past 30.” So let’s say she’s 32, OK? Throughout the book, the author makes references to things they did together in childhood.
When she was 4, he would have been 12. What kinds of things are they going to do together? Play ball? Explore? There’s not a whole lot of things a 4-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy have in common, you know?
Drove me crazy. I hate things like this because then I don’t trust the narrator. If he’s so cavalier with this odd point and didn’t really think it through, what else is he glossing over?
Slacker, is what I’m thinking.
But if you like those kinds of mysteries—and I could tell you the series this one seems to take after, if only I had a memory. Same class of gentleman with a lady friend. Seems she Does Science or something. Man, it’s Right There. But still escapes me.
Anyway, if you happen to know which series I’m referring to, and if you like them—well: you’ll like this, as well.
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7 comments:
Did you know Charles Finch's grandmother is the artist and writer Anne Truitt?
no, i didn't know that. have you read the book? what did you think of it?
I hate stuff like that too. Even if she's like 12 - he'll be 20, still nothing in common unless he's a complete perv.
It's all in the details.
I read this one and "The September Society" by Finch. Not awful but sort of ho-hum.
When thinking of something similar would it be books by Anne Perry? She wrote a couple of mystery series. She's better than Finch by quite a bit in my opinion but I did think of her when reading these.
Darla
Sounds a little (or a lot) like Laurie King's series, which I do like a lot.
Thanks for the review.
Happy days,
Joanie
Or what about Elizabeth George...gee, maybe I should read the book and see...
by jove, i think you've got it! elizabeth george and inspector linley.
thanks!
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