Alfred Alcorn

My first impression of this book was that the language was, for lack of a better word, annoying. The author seemed to fall into the trap of using big words just because he knew them, which simply made the prose sound dated and stuffy. My sense of annoyance eased a little bit, however, once I became better acquainted with the protagonist and first-person narrator, Norman de Ratour. He is the essence of old-fashioned trying to stay contemporary. Although his language was bothersome at first, he quickly becomes more endearing than annoying, more like a grandfather figure than one of those long-winded old men who love nothing more than to hear themselves speak. However, aside from that, I didn't find this book very original. Not generally a fan of mysteries anyway, I found very little to truly enjoy. Most of the characters are unconvincing in their performances and agendas, and the relationships are overly fluid and very superficial. The story as a whole was simply not believable, and suspension of disbelief didn't kick in at all. It's presented as something that could happen in our world, and yet somehow it just doesn't fit.… (meer)