Some really good sections of writing and description in this one, but the characters were all quite unpleasant and overall I didn't particularly enjoy the mystery. ( )

Not an author I have read before but one which I would be keen to read more of.

Another of the British Library Crime Classics series. A psychological mystery, with the writing very good.

The book was nominated for the Golden Dagger Award on publication.

Big Ship

15 August 2022 ( )

When I started this novel, I was blown away at once by the writing style. I had expected a traditional Whodunnit, or at least a similar old-fashioned crime story taking place by the sea, simply because I was reading a British Library Crime Classic. But it was so different!
The style of this novel is very literary, and while it certainly has elements of a crime story, it felt foremost like a novel about the characters, their feelings and experiences. Unfortunately, I found most of them unlikeable, including the main character, and after some time the story got a bit too negative and bland for my liking. I wanted to shake them all or hit them on the head for wasting their lives like that. Hence, I had to adjust my rating a little bit, because I would have liked to see at least a little bit of another development. After some time, the story seemed to drag on and on and I just wanted it to finish. However, it still is a good novel and the description of the setting and the style are excellent. I will look out for other novels of this author. ( )