Official Review: Murder In Absentia by Assaph Mehr
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Official Review: Murder In Absentia by Assaph Mehr
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Murder In Absentia" by Assaph Mehr.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Murder in Absentia by Assaph Mehr is a murder mystery in a fantasy world where magic and mythological creatures exist. Set in the city of Egretia – a fictional city which borrows elements from the historical Roman Empire – the story starts when Felix the Fox is hired to investigate the death of Caeso, the young son of Corpio, one of the city Rhones (a government position).
One morning in Corpio’s household, his son Caeso is found dead in his bedchamber. The terrible grimace on his face, the way his body is positioned, and the strange tattoo on his skin convinced Corpio that this is not any normal death. This event would be a scandalous affair, especially with his distinguished position in the government, so he summons his servant to hire Felix the Fox, a detective with expertise in cases that require utmost discretion. After being presented with the case, Felix starts his investigation immediately, going from one place to another, interrogating person after person after person. We follow Felix on his quest to uncover the mystery of this event which, most probably, involves foul play and illegal magic practices.
The story is written in Felix’s point of view. The way the narration is written is comparable to someone who writes in their diary – through detailed, and sometimes private, information. Every single thing Felix does, no matter how unimportant, is written out. Every single character he encounters, directly and indirectly, is described in detail. Wherever he goes, the author would describe his surroundings vividly so as to allow the reader to be able to walk down the same path and experience the story with him, which makes the story more engaging and interesting.
I enjoyed reading Murder in Absentia. I especially like Felix. A lot of authors try to make their heroes stand out by giving them enhanced abilities, all the while forgetting that sometimes, readers want to see an imperfect character capable of growing. That is not the case with Felix. He is brilliant, both physically and mentally. And yet, throughout the story, there are a number of times when he made mistakes. The author created him with limitations, just like us. He falls down and runs into dead ends but his resolve to achieve his goal does not stop him from getting up and trying again.
I also like how the thrill of craving for answers is real in this story. Even with the detailed descriptions of everything, there is always room for asking questions. Throughout the story, the reader will be presented with a solution to a previous clue Felix encountered, but at the same time get introduced to another twist. The more the story progresses, the more twists come up. The story is written in a way where the reader would have a hard time figuring out the mystery before getting to the end, where it will be completely solved.
I want to point out one thing I do not like about this book. The amount of narration, regardless of how detailed it is, must be controlled to avoid making the story draggy. It seems like the author got a little too excited in introducing us to this world that he went overboard with his details. While reading the book, I remember having asked myself a number of times whether or not a certain part I’m reading will have any significance later on. Most of it did not. I believe that it is good to make it easier for the reader to visualize the story, but anything that is not related to the plot should be kept short.
I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. In the middle part of the book, I found a couple of spelling and grammatical errors. Other than that, it is very well-written and left me wanting more, both from the author and his character Felix. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. Egretia is worth exploring!
******
Murder In Absentia
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3 out of 4 stars
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Murder in Absentia by Assaph Mehr is a murder mystery in a fantasy world where magic and mythological creatures exist. Set in the city of Egretia – a fictional city which borrows elements from the historical Roman Empire – the story starts when Felix the Fox is hired to investigate the death of Caeso, the young son of Corpio, one of the city Rhones (a government position).
One morning in Corpio’s household, his son Caeso is found dead in his bedchamber. The terrible grimace on his face, the way his body is positioned, and the strange tattoo on his skin convinced Corpio that this is not any normal death. This event would be a scandalous affair, especially with his distinguished position in the government, so he summons his servant to hire Felix the Fox, a detective with expertise in cases that require utmost discretion. After being presented with the case, Felix starts his investigation immediately, going from one place to another, interrogating person after person after person. We follow Felix on his quest to uncover the mystery of this event which, most probably, involves foul play and illegal magic practices.
The story is written in Felix’s point of view. The way the narration is written is comparable to someone who writes in their diary – through detailed, and sometimes private, information. Every single thing Felix does, no matter how unimportant, is written out. Every single character he encounters, directly and indirectly, is described in detail. Wherever he goes, the author would describe his surroundings vividly so as to allow the reader to be able to walk down the same path and experience the story with him, which makes the story more engaging and interesting.
I enjoyed reading Murder in Absentia. I especially like Felix. A lot of authors try to make their heroes stand out by giving them enhanced abilities, all the while forgetting that sometimes, readers want to see an imperfect character capable of growing. That is not the case with Felix. He is brilliant, both physically and mentally. And yet, throughout the story, there are a number of times when he made mistakes. The author created him with limitations, just like us. He falls down and runs into dead ends but his resolve to achieve his goal does not stop him from getting up and trying again.
I also like how the thrill of craving for answers is real in this story. Even with the detailed descriptions of everything, there is always room for asking questions. Throughout the story, the reader will be presented with a solution to a previous clue Felix encountered, but at the same time get introduced to another twist. The more the story progresses, the more twists come up. The story is written in a way where the reader would have a hard time figuring out the mystery before getting to the end, where it will be completely solved.
I want to point out one thing I do not like about this book. The amount of narration, regardless of how detailed it is, must be controlled to avoid making the story draggy. It seems like the author got a little too excited in introducing us to this world that he went overboard with his details. While reading the book, I remember having asked myself a number of times whether or not a certain part I’m reading will have any significance later on. Most of it did not. I believe that it is good to make it easier for the reader to visualize the story, but anything that is not related to the plot should be kept short.
I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. In the middle part of the book, I found a couple of spelling and grammatical errors. Other than that, it is very well-written and left me wanting more, both from the author and his character Felix. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. Egretia is worth exploring!
******
Murder In Absentia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like furybeginner's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare
