wextra's reviews
55 reviews

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Christie's most popular work by far, this tale of ten people on an island killed one by one really is quite gripping. It's so easy to absolutely tear through the book as the mystery continues to become more and more intriguing and tense. You can definitely see why it became such a popular formula to the point of being the foundation of the slasher film genre and many mysteries since, including works released to this day. My only complaints are that it's a little short and the reveal is actually not as satisfying as I would've hoped but it's still worth a read for any mystery fan.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An absolute classic by Christie with one of the greatest twists that the mystery genre had seen to that point. Sheppard is an intriguing protagonist and a fun read while Poirot is an absolute delight, as are many of the cast of characters, particularly Sheppard's sister, Caroline. So much is owed to this book in particular in this genre and it's absolutely worth a read for anyone new to Christie.
The Return of Munchausen by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky

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adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.75

An absolute master class in playing with language and literary ideas, using the character of Baron Von Munchausen as a vehicle for such. This is, of course, perfect for the character as he is traditionally written and this novella ascends to the highest levels of the extended Munchausen canon for what it does. The ending seals it, as seems typical for Krzhizhanovsky, really putting it over the hump in the end.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Absolutely one of Coleridge's best, this short story length poem tells a grand dark adventure that's absolutely worth the ride.
The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe

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adventurous informative mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

What a shame it is that just as Poe was finally, finally finding a voice for his detective Dupin that he should abandon the character to history and leave other writers to take up the genre mantle! Without a shadow of a doubt, "The Purloined Letter" is the best of Poe's Tales of Ratiocination and the one where the detective genre feels most fully formed as Dupin involves himself in observation and subterfuge the likes of which would become staples of Doyle's much more well-known English detective, Sherlock Holmes. While the story is short, it improves upon its predecessors by not lingering too long on repetition of ideas to fill out the word count. This is one of Poe's best works and yet sadly never adapted into film, although it would be a difficult task to extend the plot into anything substantial. Absolutely worth a look.
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

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adventurous funny informative mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

About on par with Holmes' first outing in the end, the mystery is less intriguing but the character interactions are very strong, there's noticeably more humor that fits ths mood quite well and the perpetrator's motivation ends up being a very entertaining read. The book ends elevate the book mightily and it's definitely a counter to *A Study in Scarlet* in showing more of the fallibility of Holmes which adds very entertaining depth.
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt by Edgar Allan Poe

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informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.75

I give Poe credit for the interesting idea of solving a case entirely through news reports but the lack of action and the leaps in logic required make it lesser than such an idea should be. While I enjoy Dupin tearing apart the suppositions of the media, his own suppositions are equally wild in the end and the ending leaves a lot to be desired. It is better than "Murders in the Rue Morgue" but still not up to the level of later detective fiction.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.5

Perfectly serviceable Poe story about mesmerism and life after death. It doesn't particularly build to anything or do anything particularly interesting with the premise but it's definitely inoffensive.
Herbert West: Reanimator by H.P. Lovecraft

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

Lovecraft's tale of reanimation is full of horrifying scenes and concepts but stumbles a little here and there with repetition due to the nature of its original release. Very worth your time but also peaks early.
The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

One of the more well known of Lovecraft's works and decidedly within the Cthulhu mythos, The Dunwich Horror dispenses with the tense mystery of many of his works in favor of a more action-oriented tale in its latter half that, while highly influential, I found less interesting than his slower and more delibrate works. Very popular for a reason and practically begging to be adapted a billion times with big budget special effects.