Reading the Detectives discussion
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The Case of the Canterfell Codicil
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June 24: The Case of the Canterfell Codicil - SPOILER Thread - (Challenge Title)
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Definitely classic in the sense that Anty reveals all in a drawing room like Hercules Poirot - we don’t know how he came to his conclusions about the two killers until he chooses to tell us. We don’t really have “fair play”, but I don’t consider that so important in a cozy series like this, it’s more about a likable hero, quirky characters, witty dialogue, etc. For me, this one achieved that, entertaining enough to finish, at least! Glad I found the audiobook available as part of my Audible subscription.
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I thought most of the characters too similar to each other and found it hard to care about the plot. I thought the bit in the ending where Anty gets the confession was clever, but the rest of it was just dull. I did find it perfect bedtime reading though, as I usually felt sleepy after a few pages!
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This one didn't really work for me. I think it was mostly a characterization issue. I thought the main character, the main servant, and the grandfather had pretty good characterization, but some of the other characters felt like we were told what their personality was without having much evidence of it in the story.I'm still in for the next one because Christmas.
I thought this one started well, with the Wodehouse tone and the humorous encounter with the detective on the train, but the author didn’t keep this up in the later parts as the plot began to be revealed.I agree with Vanessa about the characters, only Anty and the Major really stuck in my mind. Still, it wasn’t bad for a first book and I’d probably read another
The first book in the Anty Boisjoly Mystery series was written by P.J. Fitzsimmons and first published in 2020.
1920s gadabout Anty Boisjoly takes on his first case when his Oxford chum is facing the gallows, accused of the murder of his wealthy uncle.
Not one but two locked-room murders later, Boisjoly's pitting his wits and witticisms against a subversive butler, a senile footman, a single-minded detective-inspector, an errant goat, and the eccentric conventions of the pastoral Sussex countryside to untangle a multi-layered mystery of secret bequests, ancient writs, love triangles, revenge, and a teasing twist in the final paragraph.
The Case of the Canterfell Codicil is a classic, cosy, locked-room mystery with an improbable plot inspired by Agatha Christie and prose in the style of an homage to PG Wodehouse.
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