Dead Romantic

Rating:
Summary: Be warned! The puzzle pieces may not be what they appear.
Review: Simon Brett's crime novels are always enthralling, especially if you listen to him reading them. If you are listening in your car, you are likely to overshoot your destination. If you reach your destination before his reading has finished, you might choose, as someone I know did, to drive around the block a few times to allow time to hear how it all ends.

Most are light-hearted, and most feature a less than flawless sleuth. This one is not light-hearted and has no sleuth. Brett presents us with a puzzle and challenges us to solve it. Be warned. Listen carefully to names, and pronouns. The puzzles pieces may not be what they appear to be.

Brett has contrived the puzzle with great skill. Almost every occurrence is plausible, although I find it hard to accept that a woman would wipe down kitchen benches while wearing "long Hollywood style evening gloves". You won't like any of the characters in this book, especially the female tutor whose every utterance is a cliché, but you'll admire the story-teller's skills.

Rating:
Summary: Be warned! The puzzle pieces may not be what they appear.
Review: Simon Brett's crime novels are always enthralling, especially if you listen to him reading them. If you are listening in your car, you are likely to overshoot your destination. If you reach your destination before his reading has finished, you might choose, as someone I know did, to drive around the block a few times to allow time to hear how it all ends.

Most are light-hearted, and most feature a less than flawless sleuth. This one is not light-hearted and has no sleuth. Brett presents us with a puzzle and challenges us to solve it. Be warned. Listen carefully to names, and pronouns. The puzzles pieces may not be what they appear to be.

Brett has contrived the puzzle with great skill. Almost every occurrence is plausible, although I find it hard to accept that a woman would wipe down kitchen benches while wearing "long Hollywood style evening gloves". You won't like any of the characters in this book, especially the female tutor whose every utterance is a cliché, but you'll admire the story-teller's skills.