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What Members Thought
Oct 02, 2018
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-murder-crime-20th-century,
christmassy
3.5★
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me at Christmastime nothing hits the spot like a good old family murder mystery!
I do assure everyone that I adore my husband & children. Mostly.
Mavis Doriel Hay only wrote three detective novels in total, & this was her final one. I can get the other two from another library in my area, but I am not sure I am going to bother.
There was a lot that was right with this novel.
Every character was a character & I didn't need to refer to the People in the ...more
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me at Christmastime nothing hits the spot like a good old family murder mystery!
I do assure everyone that I adore my husband & children. Mostly.
Mavis Doriel Hay only wrote three detective novels in total, & this was her final one. I can get the other two from another library in my area, but I am not sure I am going to bother.
There was a lot that was right with this novel.
Every character was a character & I didn't need to refer to the People in the ...more
A clunky old mystery with a classic set up (country house, Christmas, family, dead patriarch in the study) that is not without curiosity value and some limited charms but basically gets pretty dull fairly quickly. It was one of the earliest British Library Crime Classics, perhaps even the first; it's easy to see why, but sadly this is all title, no trousers.
It's both over- and under-plotted - we are treated to endless speculations and investigations regarding the precise timings and even angles ...more
It's both over- and under-plotted - we are treated to endless speculations and investigations regarding the precise timings and even angles ...more
A great Christmas read.
This is a classic manor house mystery with an extended family and the staff brought together, an unexpected death, a plethora of suspects, and of course the question of an inheritance of substantial assets as part of the storyline. What does the will say? Is it the real will? Is it what the victim intended? Who knew about the contents of the will? How was Santa Klaus involved?
The chapters have varying points of view but the narrators are clearly laid out in the chapter headings so there is no co ...more
The chapters have varying points of view but the narrators are clearly laid out in the chapter headings so there is no co ...more
I really loved to plan the idea that around Christmas time I would be reading this novel. I loved a lot the author’s (murder underground) and as she only wrote three novels I was excited to read another one this year and around the season of the crime. It is really well plot and interesting characters very close to an Agatha christie novel but you are less in the dark and no one is very smart.
Jan 09, 2021
Laura Hannaway
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-library-crime-classics
Excellent Festive Murder Mystery
This was a really excellent book. The story was well paced, the characters interesting and the crime kept me guessing. I particularly liked the fact that this was very much a ‘fair play’ mystery and when all was revealed at the end you could go through the clues and draw the same conclusions.
In short it was well written, well paced and highly recommended.
This was a really excellent book. The story was well paced, the characters interesting and the crime kept me guessing. I particularly liked the fact that this was very much a ‘fair play’ mystery and when all was revealed at the end you could go through the clues and draw the same conclusions.
In short it was well written, well paced and highly recommended.
A 'standard' Golden Age troupe: patriarch gathers family for Christmas and patriarch gets killed. You would think they would learn. This family is pleasanter than most (the exception is a very spoilt child), with an adequate local detective helped in his investigation by a family friend. There is a will and there are prospective changes to that will (isn't there always?). A good read.
...more
Read this as part of a reading group. Dull, dull, dull...
Nov 17, 2015
Gary Vassallo
marked it as to-read
Oct 03, 2017
swatreads
marked it as to-read
Nov 29, 2017
Laurel
added it
Dec 05, 2017
Elizabeth Williams
added it
Jun 09, 2018
Jen
marked it as to-read
Jul 07, 2018
Jamie
marked it as to-read
Nov 18, 2018
Valerie Brown
marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2019
Erin Sorrels
marked it as dnf
Jun 24, 2021
Niveditha
marked it as to-read
