Finishing this book combines two of my challenges: the TBR and the book with a word meaning “evil” in the title in the What’s in a Name challenge.
Genre: Thriller
Year of publication: 1958
Type of mystery: Murder
Type of investigator: Amateur
Setting & time: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA; contemporary.
News commentator Zachary Blake returns to Martha’s Vineyard one year after his wife drowned in the sea off the island’s shore. Ostensibly there for a holiday, he is really investigating whether there is any truth in a letter he has received which claims his wife’s death was not accidental.
This is the first McBain book I read that isn’t part of the 87th Precinct series. In terms of quality it is not on par with those Precinct books I have read, but it’s not bad either. Mediocre is more like it. The writing and characters are, as always in McBain, well done, but I have issues with the story, especially the TSTL behaviour of the hero, and I don’t just mean bringing his daughter with him when setting out to investigate a potential murder on his own, but really just about everything he does. His behaviour does create some nicely thrilling scenes, but I am sure the story could have been made thrilling without having him act like he only has half a brain. Additionally, there is a highly unconvincing romantic thread in the narrative, which seems to have been included a) to add a few pages to the book and b) to provide Zach with a helper in the final showdown with the bad guys. 2 stars.
Genre: Thriller
Year of publication: 1958
Type of mystery: Murder
Type of investigator: Amateur
Setting & time: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA; contemporary.
News commentator Zachary Blake returns to Martha’s Vineyard one year after his wife drowned in the sea off the island’s shore. Ostensibly there for a holiday, he is really investigating whether there is any truth in a letter he has received which claims his wife’s death was not accidental.
This is the first McBain book I read that isn’t part of the 87th Precinct series. In terms of quality it is not on par with those Precinct books I have read, but it’s not bad either. Mediocre is more like it. The writing and characters are, as always in McBain, well done, but I have issues with the story, especially the TSTL behaviour of the hero, and I don’t just mean bringing his daughter with him when setting out to investigate a potential murder on his own, but really just about everything he does. His behaviour does create some nicely thrilling scenes, but I am sure the story could have been made thrilling without having him act like he only has half a brain. Additionally, there is a highly unconvincing romantic thread in the narrative, which seems to have been included a) to add a few pages to the book and b) to provide Zach with a helper in the final showdown with the bad guys. 2 stars.
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