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A Spider On The Stairs (Phillip Bethancourt And Jack Gibbons Mysteries, #4) (2010)

by Cassandra Chan(Favorite Author)
3.57 of 5 Votes: 4
ISBN
0312369409 (ISBN13: 9780312369408)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Minotaur Books
review 1: This was a random pick off the library shelf. I was looking for a cozy mystery and the cover appealed to me. I was running out of time so after a very brief look at the jacket description I took it. I was so pleasantly surprised. it's a British mystery, always a plus in my book, and kept up a good pace. The two main characters changing viewpoint kept things interesting. The mystery wasn't one I was able to solve early on and when the bad guy was revealed, it was totally plausible with an excellent setup that gave you all the pieces but didn't give away the answer. Not formulaic at all. But what I liked best about this mystery was the lack of gore and violent description. And the book was about a serial killer! But whenever a crime scene was discussed it was very ... moresimple without too much details. It was enough to let you know what was going on, without getting into the nitty-gritty of it all. And yet nothing felt lacking. It still held an element of drama and suspense without having to be nasty. I was impressed because its a hard mystery to find nowadays that isn't too gross or too cheesy. Hats off to Chan for towing that fine line! I look forward to reading more of her mysteries.
review 2: It's the worst December that anyone in York can remember, and half the police force is down with the flu. Jack Gibbons is sent up from Scotland Yard, just barely recovered from gunshot wounds, to determine if a death is linked to a serial killer. He doesn't think so, but he's asked to stay and help the York police. Meanwhile, his best friend, amateur detective Phillip Bethancourt, is in Yorkshire reluctantly celebrating Christmas with his wealthy family. Phillip would much rather be helping Jack, who is disturbed by what seem to be links between the serial killer and the case he's working on. A terrific new book by Chan. less
Reviews (see all)
Laura
Lost interest and stopped reading. Stopped reading needs to be added to the shelves category.
chloe880
Easy read English mystery. Perhaps "Cozy Mystery" category. Nothing edgy.
Kez
So far just okay. I'm 3/4 through it so may as well finishing it.
olusanyaoni
Decent plot but fluffy characters.
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