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mrsoakley's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
booksuzi54's review
4.0
The Zig Zag Girl, #1 in the Stephens and Mephisto Mystery by Elly Griffiths.
I am caught up with the Ruth Galloway series, so I decided to start this one at the beginning--- and it is a good start for a new series. Do not confuse it with the Galloway series , though--- very different tone and settings. Set in post war Great Britain, circa 1950 the story opens with a brutal murder of a woman employed in the magic trade. Magic and Illusion make up the core of this fascinating series , and I learned some interesting facts. Good read for this rainy day.
I am caught up with the Ruth Galloway series, so I decided to start this one at the beginning--- and it is a good start for a new series. Do not confuse it with the Galloway series , though--- very different tone and settings. Set in post war Great Britain, circa 1950 the story opens with a brutal murder of a woman employed in the magic trade. Magic and Illusion make up the core of this fascinating series , and I learned some interesting facts. Good read for this rainy day.
arielzeit's review
5.0
Wonderfully well plotted and interesting mystery set in the world of stage magicians in '50s England. The setting is based on a true story: During WWII, there was a special British Army unit of stage magicians called the Magic Men who were supposed to use sleight-of-hand and illusions to fool the Germans into leaving the English coastline alone. In the book, they were led by a very beautiful woman who was involved with two of them. She died tragically aboard a burning boat, and her death haunts one of the men, who has become a police detective in the resort town of Brighton. All of the Magic Men are living civilian lives in the post war period but then suddenly people connected with them are murdered in ways that evoke classic magic tricks, the first being "the Zig-Zag Girl," a trick in which a woman seems to be sawed into three. I did guess the murderer but it was very well done.
balisally's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars because some of the plot can be guessed at. It’s a nice little read though, and I expect I’ll read the others in the series.
cakegeek's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
onlyanimpulse's review against another edition
3.0
I never figure things out but I figured this out, not the why but the who
snix's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
cathm1970's review
4.0
This is the first Griffiths book that I knew who the killer was about 1/2 way through. It was a good read - and actually felt good to know I had it figured out!
mermcw's review
3.0
3.5. I listened to the audiobook and found myself going back and re-listening at certain points, mostly trying to keep characters straight, but by the end I felt like the characters were more distinct in my head. Good start to the series (and bonus for James Langton narration; he was already a favorite of mine from the Charles Lenox mystery series by Charles Finch).