This book is rumored to be the first mystery novel ever – and since it is old enough to be out of copyright it was easy to pick it up and check it out.
There is a really good mystery in these pages, but it certainly takes a long time to get there. The book really could have used some editing to pick up the pace a bit. You could tell the author was in no hurry – maybe they were paid by the word?
But despite the evolution of the genre since this book was written it still was a great story and when the mystery was solved I completely didn’t see it coming.
One unique point was that the story is told from the different points of view of several characters. At first I thought that they would all be trustworthy but at a certain point you realize that their backgrounds and opinions are coloring the narrative. However I was hoping the author would take advantage of this a little more – it could be more interesting to see the same event from different perspectives.
The different characters also had different speaking styles, and it was a pleasure to see how they used the same language to convey different opinions and ideas. I don’t get a lot of British English in my usual reading so it was fun.
So, it was a good mystery that was a little long-winded, and for the most part holds up even in these modern times with the exception of references to civilized people vs. uncivilized people.
Next I am reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.
