Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I haven't finished this yet but as there are no reviews yet I thought I'd write a few lines to aid anyone trying to decide on their First Reads choice... So far the story seems a bit all over the place... But it has potential. At this point there seem to be a great deal of unnecessary details and background, instead of just jumping into the action, but with a mystery all that could actually end up being important. There is a lot of dialogue, which I generally like but I kind of feel the author is trying a little too hard to mimic Roaring Twenties British slang and it doesn't always flow as well or naturally as novels actually written during that time. However if the other choices don't seem your cup of tea, this is a fun, light choice. It may not be the caliber of Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers but it's a noble attempt at a story set in 1920's England. I will update once I've finished the book. 2/3/2021 Update: This is a light, entertaining story, but not much of a mystery. It's heavy on snappy dialogue, very sparse on clues, detecting or investigating. If you go into the book looking for a light escape it's enjoyable enough but true mystery fans will be disappointed. It's more a story of a group of musical friends in the 1920s who stumble into a diamond theft and consequently, a murder, but very little of the story actually has to do with these events. I also feel the random letters scattered throughout were unnecessary and added nothing to the advancement of plot. That all being said, there are some fun moments, the 1920s London setting works well, and if you don't have high expectations for the mystery aspect, it's not a bad book. The author knows how to tell a decent story, just not how to write a good mystery. I looked back over the choices for this month and, even if this book doesn't stand out, I don't regret my choice or feel any of the others would have been better. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.