Devi Nair
đ±đ Read on Kindle | đ 320 pages â± ~4 hours đ Read as part of a Book Club pick (February) đ·ïž Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
I tried! Honestly, I did. The Mystery of the Crooked Man had all the ingredients I usually adore: an eccentric protagonist, literary intrigue, and a meta-mystery about a lost manuscript. But twenty percent in, I was still waiting for the story to come alive. Agatha Dorn, despite being pitched as âspiky,â came across not as deliciously flawed but downright insufferable, like the kind of person who corrects your grammar and drinks the last of your gin while doing it.
Agatha Dorn, our central character, is clearly designed to be âunforgettable,â but for me, she landed firmly in off-putting territory. Sheâs written as unapologetically cold, unsympathetic, and emotionally distant, and while I appreciate flawed characters, I need something to hold onto. Wit, vulnerability, humor, growth⊠any one of those wouldâve helped. Instead, spending time in Agathaâs head felt like work rather than intrigue.
The premise had promise (and the comparisons to The Twyford Code and Magpie Murders make sense), but the pacing felt sluggish, the tone mean-spirited, and I never reached the supposed twist where things finally heat up. Perhaps readers with a higher tolerance for prickly protagonists might find the payoff worth the wait. But I couldnât hang around long enough to find out. Lifeâs too short, and my TBR stack is too tall.
Would I recommend it? Not this time. I love a sharp mystery, but The Mystery of the Crooked Man was more sour than clever for me. I DNF'd at 20%, and it just didnât click. That doesnât mean it wonât work for others. Readers who enjoy deeply abrasive protagonists, slow-burn literary mysteries, or character studies over plot may find more to appreciate here. But if youâre coming for cozy vibes, charm, or early intrigue, this might test your patience. Lifeâs too short to force a book that isnât clicking, and this one just wasnât for me.
đ±đ Read on Kindle | đ 320 pages â± ~4 hours đ Read as part of a Book Club pick (February) đ·ïž Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
I tried! Honestly, I did. The Mystery of the Crooked Man had all the ingredients I usually adore: an eccentric protagonist, literary intrigue, and a meta-mystery about a lost manuscript. But twenty percent in, I was still waiting for the story to come alive. Agatha Dorn, despite being pitched as âspiky,â came across not as deliciously flawed but downright insufferable, like the kind of person who corrects your grammar and drinks the last of your gin while doing it.
Agatha Dorn, our central character, is clearly designed to be âunforgettable,â but for me, she landed firmly in off-putting territory. Sheâs written as unapologetically cold, unsympathetic, and emotionally distant, and while I appreciate flawed characters, I need something to hold onto. Wit, vulnerability, humor, growth⊠any one of those wouldâve helped. Instead, spending time in Agathaâs head felt like work rather than intrigue.
The premise had promise (and the comparisons to The Twyford Code and Magpie Murders make sense), but the pacing felt sluggish, the tone mean-spirited, and I never reached the supposed twist where things finally heat up. Perhaps readers with a higher tolerance for prickly protagonists might find the payoff worth the wait. But I couldnât hang around long enough to find out. Lifeâs too short, and my TBR stack is too tall.
Would I recommend it? Not this time. I love a sharp mystery, but The Mystery of the Crooked Man was more sour than clever for me. I DNF'd at 20%, and it just didnât click. That doesnât mean it wonât work for others. Readers who enjoy deeply abrasive protagonists, slow-burn literary mysteries, or character studies over plot may find more to appreciate here. But if youâre coming for cozy vibes, charm, or early intrigue, this might test your patience. Lifeâs too short to force a book that isnât clicking, and this one just wasnât for me.