A well-written book, though too strong a depiction of human failure and disloyalty for my taste. I quit before the ending, thereby missing any reformation.
Not a bad story at all, if the reader is able to accept the brilliant detective being out-witted again and again by the criminal, and never quite catching up. Without all the failures and near escapes, of course, it wouldn't have needed nearly so many pages to complete, nor could the romance have succeeded.
The baroness is a sprightly writer, but this detective strikes me as another character inspired by Sherlock Holmes. There are two main problems with it.
First, Lady Molly supposedly depends on woman's intuition, but the clues are often so sparse as to make the solutions appear to depend upon mind reading and similar powers. Second, the attraction of Sherlock Holmes, besides his reasoning powers and scientific approach, is his well-developed eccentric personality. Molly, though continuously described by her adoring "Watson" as beautiful, graceful, attractive to all men, etc, doesn't come fully alive as a character.
Once again I must throw cold water. While there is a degree of charm in these short mysteries by Davis, all-in-all they are little more than low-end pulp. The humor adds some readability, and those who really like dogs might well be attracted to the mutt, but otherwise there simply isn't much here.
Mainly a character problem for me, I think, in that the characters, while strongly delineated, seem un-rounded.
I'm surprised at the enthusiastic prior reviews. This qualifies as corn and little else but. The characters are trite, including the brilliant detective who suspects person after person, accusing not a few, and the situations contrived.
Except for bridge devotees, I would have thought there'd be little interest. But then, I didn't finish it.
Out of the sixteen or so Oppenheim books I've so far read, The Governors stands high, primarily because of the female characters.
It shares many of Oppenheims usual faults: blatant coincidences, characters who fail to respond to provocation as normal humans should, excessive gourmandizing (food, drink, continual smoking by everyone), too great a fascination with the English upper class, and a happy ending in which almost everyone participates, deserving or not. In fact, it might be argued that Oppenheim's greatest weakness is weak villains who are too weakly punished.
Still, the heroine makes up for a great deal.
Next, on to The Great Impersonation, EPO's most successful story.
Oppenheim creates some interesting characters, although his hero has such a store of self restraint as to be unbelievable. Too bad, also, that he couldn't offer better motivation to hide the blatant coincidences, always one of his weak points.
Has an intriguing moral dilemma and a worthwhile plot, however, until we come to the happy-ending-for-everyone portion.
For once you create a fine villain and intriguing mystery but your penchant--indeed, your obsession--for endings where everyone lives happily after (except for minor characters) spoils the drama.
I fail to see how you obtained publishers for your 150 books, some of them quite paltry.
Recent comments: User reviews
Please excuse my mild cynicism.
First, Lady Molly supposedly depends on woman's intuition, but the clues are often so sparse as to make the solutions appear to depend upon mind reading and similar powers. Second, the attraction of Sherlock Holmes, besides his reasoning powers and scientific approach, is his well-developed eccentric personality. Molly, though continuously described by her adoring "Watson" as beautiful, graceful, attractive to all men, etc, doesn't come fully alive as a character.
Not a bad read, though.
Mainly a character problem for me, I think, in that the characters, while strongly delineated, seem un-rounded.
Except for bridge devotees, I would have thought there'd be little interest. But then, I didn't finish it.
It shares many of Oppenheims usual faults: blatant coincidences, characters who fail to respond to provocation as normal humans should, excessive gourmandizing (food, drink, continual smoking by everyone), too great a fascination with the English upper class, and a happy ending in which almost everyone participates, deserving or not. In fact, it might be argued that Oppenheim's greatest weakness is weak villains who are too weakly punished.
Still, the heroine makes up for a great deal.
Next, on to The Great Impersonation, EPO's most successful story.
Has an intriguing moral dilemma and a worthwhile plot, however, until we come to the happy-ending-for-everyone portion.
For once you create a fine villain and intriguing mystery but your penchant--indeed, your obsession--for endings where everyone lives happily after (except for minor characters) spoils the drama.
I fail to see how you obtained publishers for your 150 books, some of them quite paltry.