tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post1085721794480847621..comments2024-03-11T01:39:11.362-04:00Comments on At the Scene of the Crime: The Phantom of the DagonetPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-58736353583387604942011-07-14T21:30:02.846-04:002011-07-14T21:30:02.846-04:00Oh, no doubt about it- I have been harsh, mainly d...Oh, no doubt about it- I have been harsh, mainly due to my disappointment. If I read it as usual, in a day or two with no other reads interrupting it, I think I'd have liked it more.<br /><br />Either way, I think the first ghostly apparition had a stupidly improbable conclusion, and that it made no sense for the killer to eliminate who he/she tried to kill, as someone else is a far more sensible target. It's like "The Seer in the Sands"- the situation (a message sent from a dead man) is intriguing, and the solution is overall good, but there's a huge hole in the plot (Why didn't the woman ask for the "code word" she arranged with the dead man as one of her questions? It made far more sense than asking for help with a crossword puzzle.).Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-69978779334771827362011-07-14T04:17:07.895-04:002011-07-14T04:17:07.895-04:00I think you're being a bit harsh on this one P...I think you're being a bit harsh on this one Patrick - I re-read it a few months ago and was utterly captivated - sure, some of it is certainly improbable but it is never outrageously unfair. The subplot about the 'ghost' could easily be dispensed with but it is such a theatrical notion that I found it hard not to succumb to its appeal. But I agree completely with you about the how well the atmosphere and characters are caught.Sergio (Tipping My Fedora)http://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-78838369879264642052011-07-13T15:21:51.641-04:002011-07-13T15:21:51.641-04:00Good point, Sextonblake. I might've been uncon...Good point, Sextonblake. I might've been unconsciously channeling that speech...<br /><br />Yeah, turns out my memory was flawed with the fair-play issues, but there's a hole in the killer's plot so big you can drive the plot through it.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-83979722902883203402011-07-13T13:55:44.196-04:002011-07-13T13:55:44.196-04:00I've never read any Patrick Quentin, but seein...I've never read any Patrick Quentin, but seeing you getting mad at the plot problems reminded me of MURDER BY DEATH (1976), where Lionel Twain similarly lets rip at his party of famous detectives:<br /><br />"You've tricked and fooled you readers for years. You've tortured us all with surprise endings that made no sense. You've introduced characters in the last five pages that were never in the book before. You've withheld clues and information that made it impossible for us to guess who did it. But now, the tables are turned..."Sextonblakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-28222747803880479802011-07-13T13:19:06.354-04:002011-07-13T13:19:06.354-04:00After the first few posts, I kept forgetting to ch...After the first few posts, I kept forgetting to check-up on that two-man book-club thread and commend the two of you for only reading a chapter a day or so. I probably would've skipped ahead. <br /><br />It's a shame that your experience with Patrick Quentin hasn't been as wonderful as mine, and, somehow, I don't remember any fair-play issues at all.TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.com