Customer Reviews

Escapade

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a total original. Laugh out loud funny. A fresh mystery. With characters we thought we knew before. I read it twice! Simply great.

The first time I read this book, I could not put it down -- I read straight through and emerged after the last page, dazed, wondering where I was. This book is funny, witty, and well-written. It's a great send-up of the English country-house murder mysteries I used to read. I have given away several copies of *Escapade* and I always keep a spare copy for lending out. I highly recommend this book!

Satterhwait's sardonic descriptions and droll characterizations made me roll with laughter and kept me awake far past my bedtime for a school night. I look forward to his next book with Phil Beaumont and the latest Pinkerton, Jane Turner.

I decided to read Escapade having previously stumbled upon Perfection (a more recent Satterthwait novel). His writing style is engaging and results in a real page-turner. Escapade, set in early 20th century, introduces you to not only historical characters like Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, but to the two wonderful protagonists: Mr. Beaumont and Ms. Turner. If you like English murder mysteries, you will definately enjoy this twist on that theme.

Once started, the reader can hardly pause in finishing this action packed and well crafted mystery. The hero, Phil Beaumont, is a Pinkerton Operative assigned to bodyguard Harry Houdini on a trip to England. The key to the solution of the murder lies in learning the true identity of all the suspects, just as in my THE PINKERTON EYE. The quality of the novel is enhanced by the author's clever use of the epistolary technique
to strengthen the story line. I highly recommend this mystery
novel.

I first ran into this lovely book a year ago and since then have given away 4 copies. The author takes historical fact (the real relationship of ghost buster Houdini and the gullible spiritualist Conan-Doyle) and places it into an English manor murder mystery. What makes it special are the subtle characters created by the author, and the relationship of the main characters: Houdini and his American detective/bodyguard. The fun begins with a distant rumble that gathers speed via well crafted vignettes until the reader and author reach the punch line together laughing. I especially liked the way Houdini's overbearing arrogance and self absorption are gently and kindly managed by the narrator. Read this and pass it on to friends. Oh, the who dunit part is cool, too.

I first ran into this lovely book a year ago and since then have given away 4 copies. The author takes historical fact (the real relationship of ghost buster Houdini and the gullible spiritualist Conan-Doyle) and places it into an English manor murder mystery. What makes it special are the subtle characters created by the author, and the relationship of the main characters: Houdini and his American detective/bodyguard. The fun begins with a distant rumble that gathers speed via well crafted vignettes until the reader and author reach the punch line together laughing. I especially liked the way Houdini's overbearing arrogance and self absorption are gently and kindly managed by the narrator. Read this and pass it on to friends. Oh, the who dunit part is cool, too.

i was attracted to this book because of the author, whom i respect as a very good weaver of tales. and he has woven a rather preposterous tale, but his style has made it very entertaining and easy to read from cover to cover. it looks like the harry houdini was draw straight from the tony curtis movie characterization. and sherlock has nothing in common with jeremy or basil. not as good as the croft mysteries, but better than what lots of others are writing.

Setting: 19th century England, in a not-so-very-tradional manor. Cast (in order of appearance, disappearance or what-you-like): Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a communist lord, an American detective, a psychopath, a charming lady, a medium and a pervert ghost! Other relevant information: Prix du Roman d'Aventures 1996 (in France) A very unusual story in a traditional Golden Age setting. Strange things are happening: will Chin Soo manage to kill Houdini or will Houdini make Chin Soo vanish? will Sherlock Holmes come to the rescue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who may not be quite as good a detective as his hero)? will the communists take over the House of Lords? (maybe the novel isn't quite about British politics but who knows...) A very funny novel, probably one of Satterthwait's very best. I bet that if you try it, you'll LOVE it

I thought this book would be great -- how could you go wrong with a mystery featuring Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at a house party? You could go very wrong, as it turns out.

The writing is sometimes painfully amateurish. Characters are caricatures, and each time they appear, the same characteristics are mentioned, in the same words. This gets really annoying.

The main character is Houdini's right hand man, Phil, whose high opinion of himself is completely unwarranted. He is a condescending, arrogant twit. Other characters are too thinly depicted -- they only consist of a couple of qualities, mostly superficial physical traits, such as weight and hair color.

Once you've endured thousands of sentences containing prose flatter than Kansas, you arrive at the solution. Unfortunately, the solution to the murder is not possible. This is a wee bit of a problem for a mystery. Without giving away too much, if you know anything about ballistics, you will know the author doesn't. His "solution" reveals his ignorance and lack of research, and will frustrate any reader who knows more than he does about guns. It wouldn't have been that difficult or time-consuming to uncover facts such as -- silencers don't silence. They muffle some of a gunshot's sound, but hardly render it silent.

And after reading ESCAPADE'S attempts at wit, you'll just wish someone would silence Phil. For a really witty book, try one by Robert Crais or karen Kijewski. For a good, clever historical, try Bruce Alexander's series. I recommend skipping ESCAPADE.