The Rising of the Moon [Paperback]

Gladys Mitchell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (1984)
• ASIN: B000OTI9G4
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,969,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rising suspense is Rising of the Moon, January 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rising of the Moon (Hardcover)

Rising of the Moon is beautifully written. Two young brothers, Simon, age 13 and Keith, age 11 are orphaned but living a fairly idyllic childhood on a farm with their goodtime older brother, stressed, prim sister-in-law and the family's delectable female lodger. The first grisly murder excites the boys' curiousity and as they play amateur detective their clumsy efforts to help their married brother make him appear guilty. Beatrice Bradley appears midway through the book, gaining their confidence and trust. The charm of the book is the style. Mitchell evokes small town/country life in postwar England. The boys fish, plan to sneak into the circus, and live a very independent life beneath the noses of their pub hopping brother and his more conventional wife.

Readers may guess the identity of the murderer but the boys are so likeable, the lovely lodger so charming that the innocence of childhood versus the horrors of a multiple killer make for a striking contrast.

HOpefully since Diana Rigg's series features the (Beatrice) Adela Bradley character the book will again appear in print.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beguiling Tale of Murder, March 13, 2009

By 

A. Anderson "Book Person" (Chico, Califiornia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rising of the Moon (Virago Modern Classics) (Paperback)

Young women are dropping like flies in this tale of murder in a small, pre-WWII English village, but this is not quite a 'cozy' tale. The narrator, Simon Innes, is 13 years old and describes himself as the Watson to his 11-year old brother Keith. They live with their brother, Jack, and his slightly shrewish wife and with their lodger, a lovely young woman named Christina, whom the boys adore...and perhaps Jack adores as well. As as it is school holidays, they have time on their hands to investigate. A second murder seems to implicate Jack. The town is populated by the odd but intriguing keeper of an 'antique' shop, the local constable who is one of Christina's admirers and the mysterious, repellent 'rag and bone' man. Scotland Yard is called in, and arrives with Mrs. Bradley, a psychologist with 'claw like hands' who is, in fact, the true detective of the piece.

It takes a talented writer to use the point of view of children to tell a tale, but allows an innocent voice to suggest that what they see is better understood by the reader than the narrator. Simon and Keith both charming, not quite fearless, and dogged in their pursuit of trying to figure out who done it. Gladys Mitchell has done a lovely job of putting you into the place, the time and the mindset of a gentler time, when murder was a more horrible happenstance than in modern day. Her characters take a little bit of a stretch to be entirely believable, but the reader who is willing to suspend disbelief for a while will find the exploits of the kids, and the clear eyed conclusions of Mrs Bradley a well done and thoroughly enjoyable read. The need to accept the characters and a somewhat confusing description of the streets and byways of the town (a map would have helped) is what kept me from 5 stars, but it is a niggling complaint. I definitely am going to read more of Gladys Mitchell.

If you like English murders from the Golden Age (Ngaio Marsh, Margaret Allingham, Josephine Tey, Catherine Aird and the like), and you like good writing with a literate voice, you will like The Rising of the Moon.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful classic mystery story, October 21, 2007

By 

Arline Curtiss (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rising of the Moon (Hardcover)

After the first 30 pages I almost gave up. Oh too stilted I thought. Old fashioned. But as I had no other book ready at hand I continued. Then the stilted started to form its own wonderful world into which I began to fit myself comfortably. I felt at home in this small English village. The people were charming. I was caught. It's a small book, 184 pages. Such a delight. I'm glad I didn't miss it. The two young boys playing detective right into the teeth of real danger remind me of Tom Sawyer or the hero of Treasure Island. Unique. Mrs.Bradley, the lead detective, has a flavor of all the old Agatha Christie sleuths, wise, witty and warm, and a bit unknowable. Wonderful mystery to keep you company on a rainy night.