A Murder Mystery Extravaganza
Bea’s Books
A month or so ago I decided it was time for me to become the detective I had always aspired to be. Not just any detective, that is, but a book detective, I wanted to figure out the killer before the main character did. As I embarked on this “Murder Mystery Extravaganza” of mine, I realized that particular method of reading and appreciating a murder mystery is not much fun (it happened once, and I’m not sure I would like it to happen again). So when I received my article deadline, I began thinking about what I had recently read that would receive the honor of a review for all to read, and realized that I had three options. One, write a glowing review about one of my favorite murder mysteries yet, two, write a scathing review about a particular book I highly disliked, or, three, go a bit wild and write them both! As evidenced by the following article, I favored the latter. So let’s get started, shall we?
I think we should begin on a high note, with one of my favorite murder mysteries. “A Most Agreeable Murder” by Julia Seales takes place in the fictional town of Swampshire, inhabited by swamps, glowing frogs and a population heavily influenced by A Lady’s Guide to Swampshire, a book written by the founder of said town. This book lays out the correct conduct for a lady living in Swampshire. Should any lady go against these rules, she would be disgraced. The book follows Beatrice Steele (a fabulous name if I do say so myself), who has a secret obsession…with murder! Oh woe! If anyone found out her passion, Beatrice herself would be disgraced.
When Beatrice and her family are invited to a party, the family’s hopes are in Beatrice’s younger sister, Louisa, who’s beauty and demeanor are sure to garner the attention and, hopefully, an engagement from the rich guest of honor, Edmund Croaksworth. Soon enough, a guest at the party is dead and it is up to Beatrice and a fellow (already-disgraced) detective to figure out who carried out the horrid crime.
I loved this book for its humor that often left me laughing out loud and reading hilarious tidbits to those both willing and unwilling to listen, of which always got a chuckle. The book also displays the contradictory and sometimes ridiculous ways of sexism and how society is built around such rules and constructs. The mystery had a very old-fashioned way about it, especially in the clues and ways the detectives went about their investigation. Overall this is one of my favorite murder mysteries so far. I would recommend this to anyone with a sense of humor, appreciation for old-fashioned things and an interest in murder mystery. This book is suitable for ages 12+, depending on reading level.
Next up, “The Word is Murder” by Anthony Horowitz. The purpose of the following paragraphs is simply to tell you not to read this book. I am very sorry to say that I wasted 387 pages of my life on this underwhelming novel. The author narrates the story as himself, inserting his real background into a mystery story he makes up, blurring the line between fact and fiction to an uncomfortable extent for my personal taste.
When the author, Anthony, is approached by an ex-detective still half-working for the police named Hawthorne, he is asked to write a book about the detective as Hawthorne investigates the murder of Diana Cowper. This murder isn’t like any other, as Mrs. Cowper planned her own funeral the same day she was killed. I liked this aspect of the book, and the “web” the author created out of this concept. The issue is, two thirds of the book is Hawthorne and Anthony interviewing people who proceed to give them long and winding tales about their lives that, in most cases, include nearly nothing helpful to advance the plot. I found myself bored and prepared to give up by page 150, but decided I was too far in and, very possibly, the book would get better. Sadly, it did not. Hawthorne is extremely intelligent and good at his job, but Anthony knows nearly nothing about him and Hawthorne barely tells him what he’s thinking or his thoughts on the case. Subsequently, Anthony is always two steps behind. Although the author’s world-building and descriptions of London are spot on, the characters lack depth and can fall flat, especially Anthony and Hawthorne.
The result is a book where the reader has no fun whatsoever attempting to figure out who the murderer is because any important information used to build off original concepts and eventually understand and work out the murderer’s identity is delayed until the end. I would not recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an exciting, interesting or noteworthy murder mystery. If you do choose to read this, I would recommend it for ages 13+.
That’s all for now! If you would like to continue on your own “Murder Mystery Extravaganza” and need more recommendations, the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series by Holly Jackson is one of my all time favorites.
