The Mystery of the Crooked Man (Pushkin Vertigo) (2024)

A mystery which is a bow towards Agatha Christie and following which Christie's fans will find a lot of clues regarding her life and works. It is a rather cozy mystery since it avoids gory descriptions. The protagogist is a woman who experienced some trauma, both in her childhood and in her adult life but who is determined to track down the Crooked Man. There are twists and turns which leave you guessing, at least they worked for me, and the end was rather unexpected. A good weekend read, especially during summer.
*Many thanks to Tom Spencer, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley for a free aduiobook in exchange for my honest review.*

This is Tom Spencer swimming in the Sea of Agatha Christie and having so much fun at the beach playing the the murder mystery tropes. We have it all, the unlikeable narrator who we should not like but really grows on us. Red herrings are firmly a species in this sea along with The Crooked Man who is or isn't according to the tangled threads we are asked to untangle.

I quite enjoyed this and am left with a smile on my face.

An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss.

Literary skulduggery…

Agatha Dorn is an archivist at the Neele Archive, a library of rare manuscripts and first editions, situated in central London. Agatha specialises in the work of Gladden Green, the greatest of the Golden Age mystery novelists, whose books starred a foreign detective, Père Flambeau, and have been the subject of a hugely successful series of TV adaptations. Once upon a time, Gladden Green mysteriously vanished for a couple of weeks, turning up in the Pale Horse inn in Harrogate. Critics still argue over why she disappeared – mental breakdown, or wicked revenge on her unfaithful husband, Archie? But now Agatha has discovered a manuscript in a box of papers left to the archive, which seems to be a lost novel Green dashed off during her hiatus. ‘The Dog’s Ball’ will be a literary sensation, but the launch will become swamped in mystery, corruption, skulduggery and death...

How many Christie references did you count in that mini-blurb? The whole book is full of them, very cleverly used and often hilarious. I chuckled my way through this, and was torn between rushing through it because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened and reading it slowly to savour the fun and play spot-the-reference. It is in no way a Christie pastiche, thankfully. It is entirely modern in style and the plot, while it has aspects of impossible crimes and whodunits, is based firmly in the contemporary world. At first, the Christie references were a bit jarring – so blatant and not always entirely respectful of either Christie or her legacy, but rightly or wrongly I decided that anyone who knew her work so well must love her!

And so I became a Gladden Green enthusiast and then, once I arrived at the Neele, a Gladden Green expert – though on the sly, since I do not really like the idea of anyone knowing that anything matters to me very much. I especially did not want them knowing about my love of what they might wrongly consider the subliterary corpus of a conceited old sow.

For I should say, even now, people mostly do not take Gladden Green seriously. But then, people are idiots.

Agatha is self-centred, opinionated and cantankerous, drunk much of the time and hungover most of the rest. I couldn’t stand her for the first twenty pages or so, and by the end I adored her! She’s also intelligent, witty, sarcastic and determined, and even quite brave sometimes (though that may be because of the gin). To cap it off, she’s an extreme grammar pedant, who will always say for whom rather than who for, and who asterisks out all the swear words. I felt I’d found a soul mate!

Crime bookshops smell weird, because of all that cheap paper in one place. The crime-fiction subculture is a world in which, my career in Green notwithstanding, I have never had much interest. There is something vaguely p*rnographic about it. When one talks to hard-core crime people, one invariably has the impression that they would much rather be listening to a description of the mutilated body of a young girl than whatever one is saying.

The actual plot gets progressively more convoluted as it goes along. It all centres round whether the manuscript is genuine or fake, but there’s much more to it than that. Unscrupulous business people, a possible buy-out of the Neele, ambitious co-workers, ex-girlfriends, Agatha’s childhood nightmares about the Crooked Man seeming to come real, people going missing and other people dying – it’s complicated! It does all work out in the end, but I must admit I had to read the last couple of chapters twice to get a firm grasp on who dun what to whom and why! But there’s a lovely mix of humour and growing tension, and I had fun guessing (wrongly) who would turn out to be the baddie(s).

The book works fine on its own merits – Agatha is a wonderful creation, the humour gives it the tone of a cosy despite a few rather tragic aspects, and the plot held my interest even as I became ever more confused. But it’s even more fun if you happen to be a Christie fan! I found myself laughing at all kinds of odd moments of recognition – like Agatha’s old friend (partner? Even Agatha is unsure about that) being called Murgatroyd. Or like her brutal (but funny) depiction of Gladden Green’s literary executors and their money-grasping editorial control over every aspect of her posthumous career – not unlike my own opinion of the Christie estate and how they milk her legacy. Despite the slyness of some of the humour, it reads like an affectionate tribute to the acknowledged Queen of Crime, and I loved every moment of it. I do hope Agatha finds herself immersed in more trouble some time…

Was I a crazy woman, haphazardly but unmistakably drifting down and out, sick, unemployed, drunk, obsessed with solving a murder that had never occurred? Or was I a maverick, pursuing truth and justice when no one believed in me, even at the cost of my own well being? I should have bought myself a cat way back, when Nancy got the curator's job at the Neele, and saved myself all this anguish. But then I would have had (ugh!) hairs and poo and cat puke all over my flat at the Gatehouse – I understand there are things called hairballs that cats produce. I didn't even want to think about those. No, a cat was not a price I would have been willing to pay, even in retrospect.

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3.25*

In this standalone mystery we meet Agatha Dorn, a cantankerous archivist, grammar pedant, gin afficionado and murder mystery addict. When she discovers a lost manuscript by Gladden Green (Agatha Christie coded), the Empress of Golden Age detective fiction, Agatha's life takes an unexpected twist and overnight fame. This newfound fame takes a nosedive when the novel is exposed as a hoax, and when her ex-lover turns up dead, with a scrap of the manuscript by her side, Agatha suspects foul play.

Agatha turns detective to uncover the sinister truth that connects the murder and the fraudulent manuscript but to do so she has to uncover family secrets and most importantly stay sober for long enough to investigate.

This was a solid mystery story that has obvious great affection for the Golden Age of crime whilst remaining modern, current and also very very bookish which I really enjoyed. The story and mystery as a whole was inventive with a 'denouement' that I didn't see coming which was a great surprise.

I didn't however like the character of Agatha. She is designed to be an outsider and prickly - a mix in my mind of Sally Diamond (Strange Sally Diamond) and Eleanor Oliphant (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine), unfortunately for me she leaned more towards Eleanor (a book I really disliked) than Sally (a book I loved). I found her lacking an empathetic interior that allowed me to see beyond that stiff and difficult exterior. I think if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant then this characterisation will work for you but sadly it didn't for me.

Despite that I found the story to overall be an engaging and fun read. There's some memorable supporting characters and I did like how we got to know more about Agatha as the story unfolded. Readers of cosy mysteries and classic crime will likely enjoy this and I was glad that we had a fully self-contained story that was resolved in an engaging, twisting and satisfying way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for a digital review copy of "The Mystery of the Crooked Man" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Not very impressed as I didn't like the main character at all.

Agatha Dorn isn’t particularly easy to like at the beginning. A grammar pedant, gin aficionado (at points, to her detriment), and a lowly archivist at the small, under-funded Neele Archive, a library of rare manuscripts and first editions in London. When she comes across a previously undiscovered manuscript of the Golden Age author, Gladden Green - modelled on Agatha Christie - she becomes an overnight sensation, giving her the long-awaited recognition she feels she deserves. That is, until it’s discovered it’s a fake. All of a sudden, the attention she’s been so long seeking turns negative and unwelcome, and she hides away after being fired from her job.

Agatha has a difficult relationship with both her mother, who needs some personal care that Agatha is not especially inclined to give, and her brother, who is a highly-trained, highly-paid consultant surgeon working from Harley Street, and with whom she’s always had a bit of a distant relationship. Throughout her life, she’s also been tormented by someone she calls the Crooked Man. When she starts investigating the death of her friend Murgatroyd (Amy), she’s convinced she sees this man, but how, when he’s only a figment of her imagination? She’s never told anyone about him, so who is this person?

By the end of this book, I loved Agatha. She’s clever, resourceful, determined and, although drunk for a lot of it, digs up plenty of information and clues to get to the answers. Despite the plot becoming a bit convoluted towards the end, it was beautifully done and left me feeling quite satisfied as I’d had no idea ‘whodunnit’ - just like Agatha! I hope this is just the first in a series, as I’d love to read more Agatha. She’s brilliant!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC. All opinions are mine.

Agatha Dorn, Archivist with a taste for gin, haunted by her past, exposed as putting out a fake manuscript, investigates a baffling murder. Agatha is an unlikeable character at the start, distancing herself and avoiding issues to do with family and friends. Yet over the course of the novel I found myself being endeared towards her – you really see why she is the way she is and all the trials she has to go through. I thought in fact the whole novel could have worked if it had been about Agatha’s inner journey to gain insight into herself and her life, but then it develops into a quirky crime novel.
The plot was a little bit bizarre and sometimes it is on the implausible side – then again this is a quirky sort of a cosy crime book so this is what you expect. Agatha fancies herself as a sleuth in a golden age detective novel she so loves. I couldn’t work out her reasoning for her actions at times, but I was carried along with the plot and when it all came together, it was gripping. I didn’t guess the murder until the very end alongside Agatha, which is the mark of a good murder mystery in my book.
The missing manuscript saga seems to have found inspiration from Agatha Christie – including her whole disappearance story with Gladden Green going missing for ten days, even Gladden’s husband is called Archie. The sleuth in the Gladden novels is called Flambeau too, which reminds me of the Father Brown crime mastermind. The book reminded me a little bit of the character Professor T, working out past issues alongside the crime. Overall this book was character led and offered something different with a retro feeling about it. 4.5 stars.

'The Mystery of the Crooked Man' by Tom Spencer.

Meet Agatha Dorn, cantankerous archivist, grammar pedant, gin aficionada and murder mystery addict. When she discovers a lost manuscript by Gladden Green, the Empress of Golden Age detective fiction, Agatha's life takes an unexpected twist. She becomes an overnight sensation, basking in the limelight of literary stardom.
But Agatha's newfound fame takes a nosedive when the 'rediscovered' novel is exposed as a hoax. And when her ex-lover turns up dead, with a scrap of the manuscript by her side, Agatha suspects foul play.
Cancelled, ostracised and severely ticked off, Agatha turns detective to uncover the sinister truth that connects the murder and the fraudulent manuscript. But can she stay sober long enough to catch the murderer, or will Agatha become a whodunit herself?
At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy this because I didn't find the Agatha (the main character) very likable. But as the book went on I started to enjoy it. I didn't see the ending coming so that was a good surprise.
I think if you're a fan of cosy crime then you will enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publisher and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.

Agatha, the main character in this cozy-mystery-like story that pays homage to the Golden Age, is not the sweet and lovely character that you can usually find in cozy stories.
She's self-centered, selfish and ready to play dirty but she's also the child who was ignored by her abusive mother, now affected by dementia.
It's a story about a manuscript by an author that made me think about Ms Christie and references to other author of the Golden Age of Mystery
There's some very poignant moments, a lot of humour, and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The description of AGatha's working environment are very funny.
Agatha is well character, a clever and lonely woman who has to fight to solve the mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read other story featuring this cantakerous character.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was very happy to listen to the delightfully narrated audio presentation of this convoluted mystery. I don’t think I would have made it through the written version, this is a weighty tomb. But in my case any heavy lifting was undertaken by a much lighter audio recording. You definitely get your money’s worth in entertaining listening time. Agatha Dorn has a high opinion of herself and her future. In others eyes she is pedantic, conceited, self-centred, and since childhood haunted by glimpses of the made up crooked man. Going for her maybe intelligent reflection, but then again at the same time blindly naive. Her life is about to become more than even she ever imagined, and that’s not a good thing. Thank you to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

The Mystery of the Crooked Man is a creepy, atmospheric, and gripping mystery.

I loved the mix of modern and old, scandal and red herrings. The character of Agatha was such an unreliable, and I sometimes felt like I was dipping in and out of a fever dream. The little voice of Murgatroyd made for such a compelling internal compass and the crooked man created a highly sinister and almost supernatural undertone that was delightfully creepy.

The narration was excellent and created a truly immersive experience. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental segues, which heightened the sense of intrigue gave the feel of an old timey mystery radio serial.

Thank you Belinda Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

Meet Agatha an eccentric woman who gets sucked into real whodunit — when she begins to suspect that her ex-girlfriend may have been murdered — with regard to manuscript that was fraudulent.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator really brings out distinguishable character voices as well as intonation of Agatha as prickly-- yet witty. The story itself is full of twists and turns — with this unlikable main character who grows on you throughout the story. The writing style is like that of Golden age mysteries.

Thank you Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for this ALC. This is my honest review.

Agatha Dorn is a grumpy woman with a sharp tongue, weakness for drink and strict approach to English grammar.

Her quiet life as an archivist takes an unexpected turn when she discovers a missing manuscript by Gladden Green, ‘empress of the golden age of detective fiction’.

Agatha is an overnight media star until the book is exposed as a fake.

When her ex-lover is found dead with a piece of the forgery, Agatha turns detective.

This quirky crime caper raises a large gin to the golden age of classic crime mysteries. A cosy caper with a waspish sting.

A lost manuscript is uncovered and Agatha adorn will authenticate it. But is it genuine? Agatha is a quirky character with her pedantic ways and gin consumption. Her ex lover dies and questions need answering which may put Agatha in danger.

Enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel. Quirky characters set in the literary world. Is money the motive or is there more mystery to uncover? Enjoy finding out.

I really enjoyed this.

Although, in part, a clever homage to and a pastiche of Agatha Christie and her books, this is no cozy mystery.

Rather, it is a delightfully sinister tale of many things gone woefully wrong.

I am surprised that more people have not read this.

Loads of snarky fun!

I had high hopes when I saw this book sitting on the shelf at my local library. Cantankerous archivist Agatha Dorn discovers a lost manuscript by famous author of detective fiction Gladden Green, and lets her newfound fame get to her head, only to be brought down to earth rudely when the manuscript turns out to be a hoax. She then turns detective when she suspects that her former partner, Murgatroyd, did not commit suicide but was killed, when Agatha finds a scrap of the manuscript by Murgatroyd's bed.

Alas, Agatha was a most unlikeable character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever (unlike, say, Ove in A Man Named One, Agatha Raisin or Eudora Honeysett in The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett). She's self-centred and self-absorbed, smug and not very bright, truth be told. But unappealing protagonist aside, this just wasn't a very well-written book. The plot was a little incredible with too many threads that were not very well woven together and the prose didn't help. This is the first time I've had to skim a murder mystery just to make it to the end.

Happy publication day 🎉🥳🥂

And now for something a little different.

I’m supposed to despise Agatha Dorn, I know this, I know it as-well as I know that she’d read my review and rip me a new one for my grammar and spelling. Reader, I loved her. She’s bitter, acerbic, anal, pedantic, self absorbed and awful. She suffers no fools and seems to care for no one.

This is a smart and funny crime novel. The story doesn’t detract much from the blurb, but that’s intended as a compliment. It didn’t need to, it carried along on a wave of cantankerous Agathaisms, gin procured headaches. Murder,suicide, lies, deception and betrayals. I laughed a lot more than I expected, and I just know the author had a great time writing this.

“People who wear as much tie die as her are supposed to be at one with the universe”

“Life is very different for the beautiful”

Excellent work, fantastic narration.

Many thanks to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio arc.

This was one of those books where you love and hate the main character in equal measure, which truly is an incredible feat of writing on the author's behalf. There were many moments where I truly hated Agatha for her arrogance, callousness, obliviousness, etc. but I still couldn't help but root for her (the fact that she's a queer MC certainly helped!) The "mystery" was interesting and just the right level of confusing for you to feel just as lost as Agatha was while she searched for the answers which kept me hooked from the very first sentence. The only downside to this book was the identity of the "Crooked Man", a person which I already suspected from the very first chapter due to a particular memory of Agatha's. Although that was definitely disheartening, I still enjoyed the rest of the story as despite knowing who the killer was, I had no idea what their motives behind their actions were, and it was interesting to find out - as well as to suddenly realise how all of the supposedly individual subplots were interconnected!