I thought this was a complete waste of time and my impression of the people at British Library Crime Classes has taken a hit. The introduction states it is a "country house mystery in the classic tradition" but I disagree. Flippantly written (in a nice manner, at least), the plot is preposterous and so much extraneous dialogue and events unfold that I skimmed a lot, especially the final 150 pages. The two heroes are likeable and act in a reasonable way, though. It's not a mystery at all, just a tiresome tale of a weekend at a country home owned by a jewel collector who isn't above stealing the jewels he collects.

Share/Like this Review?