The List of Adrian Messenger

I really enjoyed its complicated plot and all its characters, especially Anthony Gethryn. A little disappointed with how it resolved, but not a big deal. I'll look for more Gethryn mysteries.

The romance between a couple of characters was a little awkward, both how one of them acted like a silly teenager, and the fact that much is made of how big, how gigantic she is. "Cable address Valhalla?" someone says. As a women of height I had mixed feelings. At the point when she's literally swept off her feet by her lover, she realizes with joy that for the first time she feels little. I should be offended, but in fact that spoke to my heart too. I'd love to feel little!

Although this is a better than okay thriller it is the basis of a really good film -- falling into that small category of movies that were better than the books they were based on. What makes it especially rare is the movie isn't better simply because the book is bad.

What a great novel! This is a classic British mystery that kept my engaged and intrigued. While it is 11th in a series, I have never read any of the others and I didn't feel I missed a thing by starting with this one. It's definitely a stand-alone mystery.

A British novelist, Adrian Messenger, shows up with a list of seemingly unrelated people and wants his friend, who is in law enforcement, to check them out. Just find out if they are still alive or not. That's all he wants to know. When Messenger is subsequently killed in a questionable airplane accident, the search begins to find out if the list is related to his death and how the people on it are related to each other. The answer will take them into the upper echelons of British show more aristocracy.

While easy to read, the book does assume the readers are smart and clever. I like a book that assumes I'm intelligent. It's a smart, classic mystery writing at it's best! show less

A puzzling mystery featuring detective, Anthony Gethryn (13th in the series), who must discover the key to the ten names on the late Adrian Messenger's list. A movie of the same name borrowed the title and a few plot points, but otherwise, this mystery is very different and much more engrossing. Recommended.

I love the movie but the book is even better. I’d like to read another “Anthony Gethryn” mystery but none are in print. They are so old and weren’t that popular I may never be able to track one down but I’ll keep a look out. Of course, this may have been the best one! It is an interesting coincidence that the villains in both of the two mysteries I’ve read (so far) this month were highly intelligent “mastermind” criminals with no concern for anyone or anything outside their own self interests. In The Secret Adversary (Agatha Christie) the criminal decided to become this mastermind in order to use his high intelligence to the best advantage in a field—crime-- that he felt had never been exploited properly by the very show more intelligent. In List the criminal was merely out for great personal gain—wealth and prestige—but his great intelligence and utter lack of concern for anyone but himself made it possible for him to carry out his aims for several years without arousing suspicion. I guess mystery authors love mastermind criminals as much as mastermind detectives. show less

Although a bit old fashioned stylistically, this book is presents a terrific puzzle and its solution and resolution are very satisfying.

Delightful read, recommended by my friend Margaret who always enjoys a good old fashioned murder mystery. Another smart British detective -- I'm telling you, these guys figure out all the clues!