Clearly I'm on a Jasper Fforde kick at the moment. His books are so cleverly written you just don't want to put them down until you've finished! I love that he gives you just enough hints to keep you guessing.
When I was younger I loved a certain revered author's books, and read them all. But as I got older I realized that Miss Marple, as well as certain of her other characters, all seemed to discover the murderer via a piece of information known only to them, and never shared with the reader until the last moment. Harrumph, I say.
I much more enjoy a book where the clues are out there, delivered in a timely manner as the story progresses, so that I can try and guess the killer's identity. A red herring or two thrown in the batch are good, a good guy who's a bad guy, or a bad guy who's really a good guy are equally welcome, and a little bit of romance, as long as it doesn't take over the story, piques my interest. Just make it interesting, fun and suspenseful. Is that too much to ask?
Apparently not for Fforde; thus far I've found his books witty and clever, intelligent and fun.
The Big Over Easy stars detective Jack Spratt from the Police Nursery Crimes Division. Sound familiar? Jack Spratt could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean...
The shell of a large egg is found smashed at the bottom of a wall. When it's reconstructed the entry and exit wounds of a bullet are found. Thus begins the search for Humpty Dumpty's killer. What makes this book so fun is that Jack doesn't know he's a fictional character. The story reads like a well written crime/forensics drama, the murder victim just happens to be a large animated sentient egg.
There are lots of things thrown in for fun. For instance, Jack is an amalgamation of several fairy tale Jacks, and has a propensity for giant killing as well as solving crime.
Two big thumbs up, or 5 Stars, for THE BIG OVER EASY.
I can't say that I'd enjoy that book from the description. However, I do enjoy your description of it. B
ReplyDelete:} Hee hee, you make me laugh!
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