From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

An Instance of the Fingerpost

Iain Pears

Start date: September 15, 2021

Finish date: October 5, 2021

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Some members wanted to read and discuss this famous historical crime novel.
[close] Some members wanted to read and discuss this famous historical crime novel.

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What Members Thought

Sep 11, 2021 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book seems to have been on my reading radar forever and so I was pleased to finally get to it. I did read my first Iain Pears a while ago, and hadn't much liked it, but this is obviously his most famous novel and I was keen to give it a try.

Set in Seventeenth Century Oxford, it is set during the restoration of the monarchy, after the English Civil War and obviously England is still a little confused by events and keen to demonstrate their loyalty to the new King . There are those character ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2021 Jill rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: jill-s-seventh-years-aty-challenge

It is obvious that the author did a lot of research before writing this book, but I found it one hard slog wading through it. I had read The Portrait last year and found that to be overly long, but this was way, way too long. It held my interest at the start, despite the inhumane experiments on various animals, as I realized science demands these, and the characters seemed very likely for the time it was set. That took up the first third of the book. After that I'm afraid, I fast became disinter ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2021 Sandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-detective-grp, mystery-historical, own, z2021-own-24, z2021-go-the-distance, rread-2021

A fascinating book but I found it a slow read as the style reflects the period. I can not call it gripping and the murder mystery is not the prime interest, but I liked how the various narrators each interpreted, and reported, the facts from their own point of view. Even the final and most complete version is influenced by the narrator's feelings.

I appreciated the author's bios of the characters at the end as I recognized many as historical figures but others were new to me. Very interesting to ...more

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Sep 21, 2021 Frances rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: chose-not-to-finish

Well, I gave up on this one after about a third-I was struggling through this historical mystery set in 17th century Oxford-which should be something I'd love-but instead it was a slog. Off to something else! ...more

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