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The Strangling On The Stage (2014)

by Simon Brett(Favorite Author)

3.32 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

178029056X (ISBN13: 9781780290560)

languge

English

genre

Graphic Novels & Comics

publisher

Creme de la Crime

series

Fethering Mystery

review 1: Another light read, with the usual occasional barbed comment aimed at the West Sussex middle classes - this time an amateur dramatic society. A bit less of Carole this time and a bit more of Jude; quite glad that this one didn't contain the what-happened-to-everyone-in-years-to-come but which has been a feature of some of the earlier books in this series. I felt a bit less enthusiastic about this one, hard to pinpoint why though. I think that although this series doesn't necessarily need to be read through in order, by the time it is this far in you probably do need to have read an earlier one first, as there is quite a lot of back story to Jude and Carole's "investigations" by now which might be a bit mystifying if this is the first one you read. The best thing about thes... moree really is the social observation: it's entirely recognisable but it is maybe a social group which doesn't feature much in other detective series (neither the low life of the gritty modern thriller nor the more aristocratic or nearly so background of some earlier writers). As I have thought before, I'm not sure I would be comfortable about these books if I were one of Simon Brett's Sussex neighbours!
review 2: It starts off promisingly enough, with a humorous look at all the egos and volatility of amateur dramatics, the gossip of women friends, the absurdities of provincial small-town life. But, although the build-up is decent enough, the murder (weapon) is implausible and the resolution is just plain silly. I've enjoyed other books in the Fethering series: they are frothy, undemanding and cosy fun, but I do like a bit more of a satisfying conclusion in my murder mystery. less

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