Thanks to whoever left this on the shelf.

Now available on the Official BookCrossing Zone bookshelf in The Glencorse Centre, 4 Firth Road, Auchendinny, Midlothian, EH26 0QZ

The OBCZ is in a bookcase in the cafe area and is clearly labelled.

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Updating book details prior to release

Released to obcz

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Retrieved from obcz

Bringing to Old Gang Meetup but will leave in the Filmhouse OBCZ if not picked up.

Although this book is registered at www.bookcrossing.com, you don't have to be a member. It's perfectly OK to just take the book and enjoy it. Of course, if you can visit the website and let us know that you've picked it up, that would be even better - you don't even have to join, you can add your comments anonymously - you can also post your review when you've read it, then return it or pass it on to someone else.

If you do join Bookcrossing, you'll be able to see what happens to it afterwards - for ever!

THE ZIG ZAG GIRL was taken from the Filmhouse Cinema’s BookCrossing bookshelf after the meeting this afternoon as I know some readers who live near Brighton and are partial to mystery books! And I’m interested in thrillers myself, I oughtn’t to forget to mention.

My thanks goes to German bookcrosser qued for visiting Edinburgh and for being the inspiration for this afternoons meeting. Lovely to meet her and admire the new BC bookshelf here! Great work Cassandra2020 for getting that organised – much praise!!!

Cover: Brighton, 1950: a seedy seaside resort in the grip of post-war austerity, pea-souper fogs, and now, murder…

When the body of a girl is found cut into three, DI Edgar Stephens recalls a magic trick called the Zig Zag Girl. Its inventer, Max Mephisto, served with Edgar 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 a bad comedian and dancing girls. Reluctant to get involved, Max changes his mind when the dead girl turns out to be his former stage assistant. Another gruesome death soon follows – and this time both Max and Edgar know the victim.

Then Edgar receives a letter warning of another ‘trick’ to come. The Wolf Trap is the deadliest illusion of all, but who will be the target?

THE ZIG ZAG GIRL by ELLY GRIFFITHS (2014) | ISBN: 9781784291969 | Publisher: Quercus

A great plot, and one with surprises, always a neat trick and one I as an avid mystery reader appreciated. Griffiths makes The Zig Zag Girl a pleasing start to a new series. I did feel though that Max Mephisto got more centre-stage time than DI Edgar Stephens whose sketchiness I felt quite unsatisfactory. I’m hoping that is redressed in the next in series as it would be pleasing if he had more oomph! Perhaps DI Stephen’s fallibility is intended to be a defining feature of his character which offers him an appealing vulnerability?

Lastly I was hoping for a greater sense of period setting. However, I had the feeling this was mostly played out against a blurred background. Disappointing especially as I had been looking forward to vividly drawn historic scene setting in this. None-the-less I can see giving more of the novels following a chance to convince me that tracking this detectives career would be worthwhile.
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I’ve selected the next reader for this and will make up a book box for it to go travelling.

Now listed as ‘Travelling’, because this was posted Wed 23 May. Be aware Mr F9 I only had this – number one - of the currently four strong series so if this inspires you to read further know that I would welcome further books from this series after you have read them.

Stephens and Mephisto Mystery series
1. The Zig Zag Girl (2014)
2. Smoke and Mirrors (2015)
3. The Blood Card (2016)
4. The Vanishing Box (2017)

Received by Mr Flutterbies9 sometime at the beginning of June (I think -sorry a bit of a muddle at present with registering and timing).

Well, two readers in this house. First Mr Flutterbies9 read this and passed it to me saying "you must read this, it is good".

I liked this but was in two minds about it - mostly, I note, from an issue that rainbow3 had as well. What particularly bothered me was the 'thinness' of Edgar as a character (even the eventual villain had mostly discounted him as a 'innocent' character!) and Max had more presence than Edgar. The plot was quite well thought out and the various magic tricks explained in enough detail to get their meaning (but not how they really work - apart from one which is well known) and I had worked out around half way through who the perpetrator was likely to be but enjoyed finding out how the discoveries were peeled onion like to the end result. An easily read book with no gory detail but enough victims to satisfy anyone in one book! Twists and turns abound and are doubly added to from wartime experiences for the characters, however my second quibble was the motive behind it all which I found just too unlikely. No way could I ever have seen that happening in a wartime situation with such a waste of resources - even for misinformation!! Nonetheless I did think this was a good start book to a series.

If I do find any others of these I would happily read them, and pass them on, but am unlikely to go out of my way to find them.

No definite plans at present but I may have an idea for this.

Released into the UK Crime Bookbox - one Elly Griffiths taken out, one Elly Griffiths put back in.

Taken from the crime bookbox.

I figured out who the murderer was quite early on and just wanted to get to the end of the book. I didn't take to any of the characters so wasn't bothered who got killed.
I like the idea of a magician and policeman working together so I might try the next in the series, if it comes my way, just to see if it gets any better.

Sending as a birthday gift

Thank you so much for sending this and all the other lovely bits. Look like this is well travelled :)

Popping in the crime and mystery bookbox

Chosen from the Crime and mystery bookbox