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Starting/joining in with buddy reads
By Judy · 1343 posts · 372 views
By Judy · 1343 posts · 372 views
last updated 3 hours, 31 min ago
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White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Shetland #2) (August/Sept 25)
By Susan · 29 posts · 12 views
By Susan · 29 posts · 12 views
last updated Sep 04, 2025 12:17PM
What Members Thought
I enjoy Elly Griffiths's writing style and I really like the main characters, police inspector Edgar Stephens and his old friend Max Mephisto. Max is my favourite and it's nice to see him growing as a character in this one - it's intriguing to get a glimpse of his aristocratic background and the contrast with his current life, as a stage magician performing in slightly seedy venues. The 1950s setting feels convincing, with many little details of everyday life.
However, the story involves crimes a ...more
However, the story involves crimes a ...more
I wasn't sure whether or not to read on with The Brighton Mysteries, but I am glad I continued as I enjoyed the second in the series far more than the first.
Again, we have Max Mephisto, currently in Pantomime in Brighton, plus his old friend, D.I. Edgar Stephens. The two were in the war together and Edgar is in love with Max's daughter, Ruby.
Flashback to 1912 and another pantomime version of Aladdin at Hastings and the murder of one of the Babes in the Wood, Betsy Bunning, found with her throat ...more
Again, we have Max Mephisto, currently in Pantomime in Brighton, plus his old friend, D.I. Edgar Stephens. The two were in the war together and Edgar is in love with Max's daughter, Ruby.
Flashback to 1912 and another pantomime version of Aladdin at Hastings and the murder of one of the Babes in the Wood, Betsy Bunning, found with her throat ...more
This is something a bit different in the way of historical crime novels. I hadn't realised until I'd almost finished this book that it is actually the second book in a series with the first being 'The Zig Zag Girl' so I can confirm that this can be read as a standalone novel without reading the first one in the series. DI Edgar Stephens has to try and find two missing children in snowy Brighton in November 1951. His friend - Max Mephisto - is rehearsing for his first appearance in pantomime as t
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This is the second instalment in another great series by one of my favourite modern mystery writers. Set in 1950's Brighton, the series feature two friends-a 30 year old Detective Inspector with the local force and Max Mephisto, a 40-something magician and theatre performer, so there is (or has been in the first two books) a combination of police procedural and backstage theatre settings, which provide a delightful contrast. This outing features missing children and their involvement in a very a
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Oct 28, 2024
Shannon Teper
rated it
it was ok
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review of another edition
Shelves:
british-mystery,
1950s
I loved "The Zig Zag Girl" and was ready to devour the rest of the series, in addition to trying the author's second series. However, I didn't enjoy this book at all. And the blurb seemed so promising, outlining an intriguing plot, a wintery setting, and fairy tales, no less! I was fond of Edgar in the first book, but found him tiresome in this sequel. He was preachy, and had some very 21st century opinions for a book set in 1951. He also spent most of the book saying and thinking the same thing
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Elly Griffiths has taken a new turn in this new series, after her Ruth Galloway novels, with a period setting, Brighton in the early 1950s. Max Mephisto is starring in pantomime - Aladdin - when two local children disappear. His old friend DI Edgar Stephens is in charge of the investigation, and turns to Max when it looks as though some of the pantomime cast might be involved. When the children's bodies are discovered in the snow both locals and cast are implicated. And is the children's interes
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Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
3.5 - enjoyable stuff!
Jan 03, 2022
Lynnie
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2022,
favourites,
crime,
christmas,
historical-mystery,
sussex,
post-war,
police-procedural,
brighton
My first read of the new year and an excellent one too! I love books set in the post war era. The mystery is complex, the writing is smooth and it's a joy to meet characters again from the first book and to be introduced to new. Emma Holmes is very interesting and hope she will be in future books.
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Nov 02, 2015
Jane
marked it as to-read
Apr 14, 2016
Beth
marked it as to-read
Aug 21, 2021
Daniele
marked it as read-next
Sep 08, 2022
Laura
marked it as to-read
