A Local Matter

A Local Matter: A Murder Case from the Notes of George Howard, Secretary to Lord Alfred Tigraines by John McGrew Bennett. This was really quite awful. The Scotland Yard Inspector was so wooden and not at all engaging. His interactions with various characters seemed to me like they ought to be spoken in monotone (at least that's the way I heard it in my head). Lord "Tiger," the one who does the amateur bit and figures it all out....well, he's an interesting character EXCEPT as an investigator. I mean, he didn't really--investigate that is. And then he played it all Sherlock Holmes (not revealing anything till the very end) without the charm of the Holmes stories. I just can't really think of anything redeeming about the book at all. And I was all prepared to like it because, again, it promised me a scholar as the victim. That didn't even wind up being true....can't tell you why, though. It'd spoil the ending. Supposing you still want to give it a try. One and a half stars out of five.