The Zig Zag Girl cover art

The Zig Zag Girl

The Brighton Mysteries, Book 1

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The Zig Zag Girl

By: Elly Griffiths
Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
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About this listen

Magic, murder, and a mystery rooted in a murky wartime past. Meet DI Stephens and Max Mephisto.

Brighton, 1950.

When the body of a girl is found cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens, is reminded of a magic trick, the Zig Zag Girl.

The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old friend of Edgar's. They served together in the war as part of a shadowy unit called the Magic Men.

Max is still on the circuit, touring seaside towns in the company of ventriloquists, sword-swallowers, and dancing girls. Changing times mean that variety is not what it once was, yet Max is reluctant to leave this world to help Edgar investigate. But when the dead girl turns out to be known to him, Max changes his mind.

Another death, another magic trick: Edgar and Max become convinced that the answer to the murders lies in their army days. When Edgar receives a letter warning of another 'trick', the Wolf Trap, he knows that they are all in the killer's sights....

©2014 Elly Griffiths (P)2014 Quercus Editions Ltd Crime Fiction Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Detective War

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All stars
Most relevant  
A bit slow going and to let the name’s sink in but persist ends up a good story

Brighton Mystery

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This is another very engaging story from Elly Griffiths. The period detail and Brighton setting are very well realised and the story is full of atmosphere and fitting post-war gloom, although there is humour too and it is certainly not a depressing read. Characterisations are good, particularly with regard to Max Mephisto. It is let down a little by the ending. The perpetrator becomes a bit of a pantomime villain in a narrative that is otherwise based on realism. The reveal, where they explain their motives, isn't convincing. But I do like Elly Griffith's writing. The research is excellent and the prose is lively and inventive in parts. Her work treats readers with respect; we are not patronised as is so often the case with crime fiction.

The reading of the book is excellent. Daniel Philpott has a very good sense of pace and he brings a wide variety of voices to the story, all of which suit the characters very well. He is a pleasure to listen to.

An Engaging Story

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Despite realising who the killer was very early on in the story and some very obvious plot devices, I really enjoyed this. I found the characters to be relatable and ones that I was prepared to invest in.
Although my usual crime preference is more modern, I can see me continuing this series.

Enjoyable listening

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Would you listen to The Zig Zag Girl again? Why?

Yes, to properly give me some context when reading Griffiths' other books for my reviews.

What other book might you compare The Zig Zag Girl to, and why?

This has elements of the Agatha Christie tradition,

What about Daniel Philpott’s performance did you like?

The performance was non-invasive and allowed for one's own imagination to take over.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

For all those hours?

Jonathan Creek gets a 1950's makeover

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Bought on the strength of the brilliant Ruth Galloway series, this turned into a damp squib. Oh boy, this was a real struggle to finish, having restarted a few times, as I kept losing the thread, my mind drifting for lack of ethusiasm. I was happy to reach the end having stuck with it, as I do not like giving up on a credit.

I also have the second book in the series. I can only hope it is a lot better.

It was a struggle.

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Although I worked out fairly early on who the perpetrator was I still enjoyed how the story unfolded. Good story well narrated

Loved it

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Either I'm getting better at subtly guessing twists or this one's was quite gentle. I genuinely enjoyed the story and that's mainly due to the characters. They seem like pretty swell people for the time it's set in.

Gently Entertaining

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Enjoyable story taking the readers back to an age without the internet and mobile phones.

Old fashioned murder mystery

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I was looking forward to trying something new by Elly Griffiths after enjoying her Ruth Galloway stories. Unfortunately this story failed to engage me on any level. The characters were one dimensional, the back story unbelievable and the plot twists could be seen a mile off. The action switched between the two lead characters, Max and Edgar, but the combination of stilted dialogue and poor narration often meant I was struggling to remember which character's viewpoint it was. The narrator didn't seem to have the vocal range necessary to cope with such a wide range of characters.
All in all a very disappointing story and I hope Elly Griffiths won't feel the need to return to the lives of the Magic Men.

Uninvolving mystery

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OK but... too slow and predictable. Set in an era I'm not interested in, the values, the thoughts. I listened yo the end as was on a journey & it passed the time away. I much prefer the Ruth Galloway series.

OK but...

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