This short discussion of the mystery genre will interest any fan, but particularly those of the classic English mystery. (Newcomers be warned, there are plenty of spoilers.) The writing style is a bit on the fussy and formal side, with a fair bit of filler (so-and-so is great, will always be remembered, yadda yadda yadda), but with some dry wit that made me laugh aloud several times. Each chapter also opens with an entertaining cartoon.My main problem with the book was that in every area in which I know the subject very well, I generally disagreed with James and wanted to argue the point. There was one fact stated about a well-known book that was simply wrong (The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey does not have a first-person narrative) and many opinions given that I could readily provide counter-examples to, especially concerning the books of Agatha Christie. It made me wonder how much I could really trust James' comments on the authors I don't know.
