Reading the Detectives discussion
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Death of an Airman
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May 2022: Death of an Airman - SPOILER Thread
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I really liked this . The humour with the names was a good start. I was convinced the lateness of the doctor attending meant that he was involved, compounded by the Marriott's findings. So was really going in the wrong direction. I did feel that drugs were at the heart of the matter though, because of the freedom of the planes.
I liked it a lot, too. Engaging style, well drawn characters and a decent plot. I thought it was interesting how naive everyone was about the possibility of air travel for drug-smuggling; from a modern perspective, it's pretty well the first thing that came into my mind. One of the things I like about these GA mysteries is the light that the good ones can throw on social mores and the effect of innovation and change.I loved some of the little character portraits - Lady Crumbles, especially, who was quite poisonously painted but in a beautifully light, ironic way. I especially liked her thinking "How could I have let them drag me into this?" when things began to go wrong, neatly turning history on its head - and very reminiscent of some current politicians, for example.
I did get a bit bogged down in some of the hypothesising at one point, I found Creighton rather implausibly dense and naive for a seasoned detective and the ending was a little over-convenient but I thoroughly enjoyed it overall.
My review, if anyone's interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I liked the beginning a lot for the wit and characters but then felt it got a bit bogged down once the drugs angle came to the fore and the police were all a bit slow on the uptake. And, ew, that death by propeller was horrific!
Roman Clodia wrote: "I liked the beginning a lot for the wit and characters but then felt it got a bit bogged down once the drugs angle came to the fore and the police were all a bit slow on the uptake. And, ew, that..."
Bit Indiana Jones
Jill wrote:"Roman Clodia wrote: "And, ew, that death by propeller was horrific!"Bit Indiana Jones"
Bit Catch-22 as well.
Mod
I agree with RC that it gets rather bogged down in the middle, but I've rated it 4* for all the fun I had reading it.
Judy wrote: "I've finished this now. Usually solutions involving drug gangs are a pet hate for me, but despite this plot element I enjoyed it a lot overall for the witty writing style and the characters (especi..."Same here (four stars for fun). And Lady Crumbles is one of the best character names I’ve come across in awhile! ;)
I remember finding the drug (sub)plot unconvincing, or just disappointing. I prefer my mysteries to be domestic/financial/personal, not gang-related.
I enjoyed it very much, The plot was a bit over the top, but I loved the characters and the setting was interesting. Such a pity the author died so young, it would have been lovely to have more of these.
Mod
Judy wrote: "There are a few more by the author on Kindle, Carolien - hope they are also available for you"Unfortunately not! But hopefully I can make a plan. I'd really like to read more.
I liked this too, though no fan of the drugs involved and all the confusion at the end. Was a bit over the top, but otherwise good.
I was able to read this one from Faded Page - you just have to check if your country's copyright laws are the same as Canada's.https://www.fadedpage.com/
This is the only book they have by this author though.
I'm pretty much in tune with everyone else I think. I was really hooked in by the beginning. I loved the dialogue & the vivid cast of characters. I felt the middle was a bit long winded & could have been pruned a bit, but Sprigg managed to pull all his threads together at the end & I only guessed the chief villain a couple of pages before she was revealed.
I would be happy to read more by this author - & a biography of his short life!
There are lots of his works on Amazon DE, some for 3 to 4 Euros, some only 99p, all on Kindle (but there are also paperback editions). Also Translations into Italian and Spanish. There is a biography about the author that´s not available atm.
I liked the characters, the humour and the flying club but the plot seemed to stall (sorry!) once they began following up the drugs angle. I also couldn’t believe how often they took the witnesses at face value and then didn’t follow up once they hit a dead end. Nice that they all assumed the Chief was a man though.
Mod
I agree with you all. I suspected the doctor because he was so incompetent. The endless hypothesizing did drag on. I suspected everybody but Laura at one point or another--including the Bishop. I wondered about a romance between Bray and Laura. They seemed a good match.Deaths by falling from the plane and walking into a propeller certainly tied up loose ends. So glad the Bishop was okay. Loved the marriage proposal in the end.
Mod
My nit-picking criticisms are the unlikely coincidence of Tommy's American 'father' showing up and his voluntary explanation of the entire set up. I suppose I have to give him credit for ensuring the innocent were not blamed and it was all evil Laura's fault. The first time I suspected her was when she left a note to be delivered later.
Hope to find more by the author.
Mod
Very true - it was an amazing coincidence, I do agree! I enjoyed the writing so much that it carried me through the various problems with the plot, though.
I agree with you about getting bogged down in the middle. It stopped my eagerness to finish for a week or so, but I forged again. Satisfactory ending, though. Do you find a lot of GA mysteries get bogged down in the middle? I do, but I wonder why. Perhaps the need to stretch the length unnecessarily?
I finally finished this early this morning - 4:30. I had to find out what happened to the bishop - he was such an innocent who just happened to have a little medical knowledge. I, too, got bogged down in the middle. This book also had the problem many books seem to have - take forever to provide the explanation at the end.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book.
Yes - it was the style and characters that I really liked, Jan. Structurally it did sag a bit in places, but I didn't mind too much.
Mod
Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
Crime in Kensington (other topics)Death of an Airman (other topics)
George Furnace, flight instructor at Baston Aero Club, dies instantly when his plane crashes into the English countryside. People who knew him are baffled - Furnace was a first-rate pilot, and the plane was in perfect condition - and the inquest records a verdict of death by misadventure.
An Australian visitor to the aero club, Edwin Marriott, Bishop of Cootamundra, suspects that the true story is more complicated. Could this be a dramatic suicide - or even murder? Together with Inspector Bray of Scotland Yard, the intrepid bishop must uncover a cunning criminal scheme.
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