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Wednesday, April 15, 2020

The Viaduct Murder

** spoiler alert ** Since I'm quarantined, I thought I would start reading a mystery series. I chose a series by Ronald Knox because I heard praises of his work, both religious wise and secular.

I was disappointed in his first mystery, The Viaduct Murder. His style is not my cup of tea. In fact, I had to look back at when this book was first written because the style reminded me of Sherlock Holmes--nineteenth century.


I've always found Holmesian deduction not natural and improbable if not impossible.


The character of Rendall-Smith is a near waste. She's introduced but not necessary. The other characters bounce sleuthing theories around like a golf ball (pun intended). I just felt the characters too nineteenth-century English (I dare say).


Then to have the murderer caught in the beginning after suffering chapters of Holmesian deduction was just a bit much.


That being said, since I believe in second chances (and third and ...) I just might read another Ronald Knox mystery.

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