This was a bit of a strange duck. It's a locked-room mystery set on a ship ("Death on the Nile" anyone?), although the crime happened in Paris weeks earlier. It is told from the viewpoints of each of the characters, chapter by chapter (including one by the person who ends up being "It"). It features a bumbling inspector from Paris who is smart, but not as smart as he thinks he is. It is set in the 1870s, although it feels more like it should be set in the pre-World War I era (1910s). And the person who actually figures it all out? A stuttering Russian man who is apparently quite attractive to women while being completely a cold fish on the page.Still, the whole set-up is an interesting concept. I may have to look into more by Akunin. I'm curious is this was an unusual set-up or if each of the books in the series are similar.
Good characterizations, but a bit "between the wars"-ish for me. If you love Dame Agatha, you'll like this.
No comments:
Post a Comment