Customer Reviews

The English School of Murder

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The writing is splendid, the story is intriguing (I was kept in the dark as to the miscreant - no small feat). The protagonist is human and likeable, and the cast of characters a motley crowd of eccentrics. I loved this book, laughed my way through it (while puzzling),and truly hated turning the last page.

Anybody who has studied another language abroad will appreciate the humor in at the English School. There are many characters that are enjoyable to despise. Other characters are quite sympathetic. Best of all the writing is concise, original, and humorous. She manages to write complex dialog simply by implying the speaker from their style of speech.

Maybe it gets lost in translation. This British mystery is long on a kind of pseudo-sophistication and short on genuine wit or humor. The protagonist isn't particularly likable or even memorable. He seemed as amoral as the mystery's criminals, who deal cocaine, act as pimps, and arrange orgies for the amusement of spoiled internationals intent on combining a little education with a lot of vice. The only truly likable character is killed off early in the novel, making the rest of it an unappealing read.