It seemed to have all the elements I would have expected from the genre. Clever detective, helpful amateur sidekick, multiple potential suspects, lots of red herrings, shirtwaists.
I thought early on the historical detail was a little heavy handed. It was like having a guided tour of a museum: and on the left, you will see a Hammond typewriter, quite typical of the period...
The award was for best first novel. Usually people who've had their 1st novel published are only to happy to show up at the book chat. I never got an answer.
Possibly, yes. The voice did slip a little on occasion and there seemed to be a couple of anachronisms of speech, but on the whole she held it up pretty well.
Some Amazon reviews complained of the stilted narrative, but it did feel somewhat authentic to the period.
There's also a BBC series showing on PBS at the moment called "Sherlock" which puts the Holmes and Watson characters into a modern setting. That's an entertaining whodunnit, too.
71 comments:
Welcome to Chatsville.
Hello
Wasn't there a guy named Chatsworth on Dobie Gillis?
Hold on while I Google Dobie Gillis
Hi. Where are you chatting from?
Chatsworth T Osborne Jr, apparently
Chatting from a hotel room in NY state.
The rich kid.
What exactly do you do when you're here?
Sorry, I've exhausted my knowledge of Dobie Gillis.
You must be really valuable to your employer.
Exactly?
They like me to show up occasionally.
This is the whole chat. Us.
Lucky I read the book, then.
I see this book is compared on the back cover to Caleb Carr's books. Ever read any of his?
Nope.
Actually, I think this is the first "detective" yarn I've read.
Apart from maybe a couple of Agatha Christies years ago...
And, of course, the complete "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators"
Me neither. This might be my first historical detective yarn. Though I saw The Name of the
Rose.
I found it quite entertaining and easy to read.
Surprised it was an award winner, though.
After reading this I read The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. It was fantastic. Sort of a mystery/alternate history.
I don't know if it was because I knew the writer was female, but it took a while to get used to the idea that the narrator was a male detective...
I thought this was well done, though I felt like the guilty party didn't have a big enough role. I felt like I had to go back and see who that was.
It seemed to have all the elements I would have expected from the genre. Clever detective, helpful amateur sidekick, multiple potential suspects, lots of red herrings, shirtwaists.
Trying not to give away whodunnit.
There was some sleight of hand to hide the "twist" ending.
But of course, in the end, you don't have a butler and do the murder yourself, do you?
It seemed to be well researched re the geography of the city.
I thought early on the historical detail was a little heavy handed. It was like having a guided tour of a museum: and on the left, you will see a Hammond typewriter, quite typical of the period...
Couldn't help imagining Alistair, the criminologist, as the guy at the start of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The award was for best first novel. Usually people who've had their 1st novel published are only to happy to show up at the book chat. I never got an answer.
Very mysterious.
Of course if she showed up and it was two people, she'd have left already.
This wasn't her only published novel, though...
Not if we tied her to a chair in the crypt.
You should read all four of Alan Bradley's mysteries starring Flavia de Luce. They're hilarious.
More to add to the list...
So long as they're available for Kindle!
Who does she think she is? I'm Evil Editor. This is worse than that hockey player who didn't go to the White House.
She didn't seem to quite know what to do with Joe.
Made a big deal out of how he resented the up and coming young 'uns subordination and then followed him round like a puppy at the investigation scene.
Then he disappeared for a while. And as soon as he reappeared he had a stroke to get him out of the way again...
That's true. That was set up to be a major source of conflict. Then poof.
On the other hand, if he'd stayed around, that might have seemed a tad cliched...
After watching the new Sherlock Holmes movie at the weekend, Ziele seemed awfully genteel...
One could attribute the excessive detail to an attempt to write in the style popular at the time the book is set.
Is the movie good? I saw the previous one.
Possibly, yes. The voice did slip a little on occasion and there seemed to be a couple of anachronisms of speech, but on the whole she held it up pretty well.
Some Amazon reviews complained of the stilted narrative, but it did feel somewhat authentic to the period.
I enjoyed it, yes. It was a "ripping yarn". Moriarty was good.
Guy Ritchie's directing is a little heavy handed sometimes, though.
There's also a BBC series showing on PBS at the moment called "Sherlock" which puts the Holmes and Watson characters into a modern setting. That's an entertaining whodunnit, too.
These chats go more efficiently when there are two. I've already said all I had to say. Which, as you may have noted, was pretty much nothing.
Is that right after Downton Abbey?
I assume there's potential for Alistair and Simon to solve a few more cases together. So long as Isabella doesn't come between them.
Is that right after Downton Abbey?
Not sure. I caught a re-run at like 2 or 3 in the morning.
Are they in her second book?
Ah I see she has three books starring Zeile and Alistair
Don't know...
Ziele and Mulvaney are...
Yes, looks like they all are...
Probably needs another three to have a shot at TV...
Maybe a bit slow for American TV, though?
British TV loves Whodunnits.
While you're sitting around your hotel tonight doing nothing, write a fake plot for The Star Bear Odyssey.
I'll see what I can do...
Yes we like our crime shows set to loud rock music. So loud you can't hear the dialogue.
I guess the closed captions cost so much they want everybody to use them?
I'm ready to call it a chat. In fact, I'm ready to call it the last chat.
It was a little quiet.
Fun talking, though...
I only use closed caption when I'm watching British whodunnits.
Yes. Much calmer than when there are bunch of people trying to be heard.
Enjoy the rest of your stay.
Me too.
You can find out who dun it quicker that way...
Have a good evening!
Talk to ya later.
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