Did I enjoy D.E. Ireland's Wouldn't It Be Deadly? Yes and no, honestly. I loved the premise; I did. Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins are characters that I loved, loved, loved from My Fair Lady. And the idea of reading MORE about them definitely appealed to me. The fact that their further adventures would be a mystery--again added to the appeal. I love reading in the mystery genre. So what did I like and what did I not like?
Well, I liked plenty. I found Eliza Doolittle's character to be completely believable. I loved her just as much as ever, for the most part. I liked spending more time with her. I also liked the mystery elements well enough. It's a murder mystery, the victim is Emil Nepommuck, and the prime suspect is Professor Henry Higgins. He is a convenient suspect certainly since his alibi is practically nonexistent. For better or worse, the Inspector Detective working the case is a cousin of Eliza's, his name is Jack, and I liked him very much. Eliza and Henry team up to solve the murder BEFORE Henry himself is arrested for a crime he didn't commit. If the mystery has a flaw, it is that it starts off stronger than it finishes. The resolution to me seemed weak and a bit convenient. One more thing that I really liked was Henry Higgin's mother. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED her presence in the novel. So, there were plenty of things that I did enjoy.
I didn't like a few things about the book, however. One being, as I mentioned earlier, the resolution of the mystery. The person who did it just seemed to come completely out of the blue. I don't remember there being any--or many--clues that would lead one to guess who did it before the big reveal. I would say that overall the reader is not asked--or encouraged--to participate in solving the crime by making guesses. That isn't an absolute must for me, but, I do like seeing clues throughout, and knowing that it is possible to piece everything together yourself. But perhaps the most disappointing for me was the characterization of Henry Higgins. Towards the end of the novel, a BIG revelation is made about Henry Higgins personal life, and, I just DON'T SEE IT AT ALL as being in character. It concerns his alibi, so I won't mention specifics at all. But that SOURED the book for me.
© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
Sorry that didn't work for you. I had about this book from the Carstairs Considers... blog and I think he liked it better than you did. I suspect I'll enjoy this book on a day when I want something super light and fun.
Hi Becky, I’m coming your way via Joy’s British Isles Friday blog. If you get a moment, I hope you’ll check out my #BriFri post too.
I’m like you in that I feel a lot better when I can go back and say, Aha! as I pick up the clue crumbs the writer has left for us. I also like the idea of spending time with Eliza. Is this a whole series of books? Interesting idea!
Here’s my #BriFri link: http://simcarter.blogspot.com/2015/10/above-ground-on-london-underground-day_9.html
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