It was Mr. Ricardo's habit as soon as the second week of August came round to travel to Aix-les-Bains, in Savoy, where for five or six weeks he lived pleasantly. He pretended to take the waters in the morning, he went for a ride in his motor-car in the afternoon, he dined at the Cercle in the evening, and spent an hour or two afterwards in the baccarat-rooms at the Villa des Fleurs. An enviable, smooth life without a doubt, and it is certain that his acquaintances envied him. At the same time, however, they laughed at him and, alas with some justice; for he was an exaggerated person. He was to be construed in the comparative. Everything in his life was a trifle overdone, from the fastidious arrangement of his neckties to the feminine nicety of his little dinner-parties. In age Mr. Ricardo was approaching the fifties; in condition he was a widower-a state greatly to his liking, for he avoided at once the irksomeness of marriage and the reproaches justly levelled at the bachelor; finally, he was rich, having amassed a fortune in Mincing Lane, which he had invested in profitable securities.
--This text refers to the
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4.0 out of 5 stars
3 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good mystery, bad story structure
Jun 12 2011
By Paul Roberge
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The first part of this novel present a fast-paced, suspenseful story of murder and detection, with effective surprises. I would give that section of the novel 5 stars. Unfortunately, the murderer is unmasked two-thirds of the way through. The rest is anticlimactic, the retelling at length of the story of the murder before its discovery, a story that we already know for the most part. The retelling is (for my taste) too detailed, beginning with plot-irrelevant information on the origins of one of the characters. The retelling does go on to explain some of the details of the crime, but these are usually slight: such as why was one sofa pillow was found wrinkled and the other marked by a drop of blood.
Unless you're interested in the back-story, I would recommend skipping Chapters 15 (Celia's Story) through 20 and going straight to Hainaud Explains (Chapter 21, location 2750).
Generally, the writing is good, the characters are credible, and the plot holds interest. Hainaud the detective has an ambivalent personality that flips between kindliness and biting sarcasm, often at the expense of a happenstance sidekick named Mr. Ricardo who repeatedly states the obvious as if he were making brilliant deductions.
Unless you're interested in the back-story, I would recommend skipping Chapters 15 (Celia's Story) through 20 and going straight to Hainaud Explains (Chapter 21, location 2750).
Generally, the writing is good, the characters are credible, and the plot holds interest. Hainaud the detective has an ambivalent personality that flips between kindliness and biting sarcasm, often at the expense of a happenstance sidekick named Mr. Ricardo who repeatedly states the obvious as if he were making brilliant deductions.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great crime story
Dec 13 2009
By B. Smith
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The Inspector Hanaud books were famous during Mason's lifetime and very popular. If you like Agatha Christie style books you should like this too.
Personally I prefer his other books such as The Drum and The Broken Road, but that is a personal preference as regards the subject matter. The book itself is just as well-written as the others.
Personally I prefer his other books such as The Drum and The Broken Road, but that is a personal preference as regards the subject matter. The book itself is just as well-written as the others.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great detective story
Sep 25 2011
By K
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The detective in this story has a little bit of an attitude but he is good. Not much of a surprise ending though.
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