Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil

Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil by James Runcie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe it’s because I read this on the heels of another of his books; maybe it’s because short stories (which these are) don’t allow for intricate plots (or in this case clues); maybe it’s because the opening tale was the least satisfactory of the four, which set a tone for the book that the author then never quite managed to shake. Whatever the case, I found it very tough going.
Sidney’s likeable enough, as are most of his companions, but in this book his friend Inspector Keating seems especially badly drawn. At one point he’s meant to be having an affair—though we scarcely see any proof of it; the next minute it’s over and his wife, although she’s keeping him on a short leash, has forgiven him. And quite why he’s so anxious to whisk Sidney off to France in one of the cases (Female, Nude) is anyone’s guess.
It’s a pity, because Runcie is really quite brilliant in his descriptions of people. Here’s what he does with one minor character: “Daisy Playfair spoke in a husky voice that sounded like a sore throat, and with her tongue forward in the mouth, as if she was about to offer an all-too-alluring kiss. Her lipstick was glossily pink, her skin was tanned and her cleavage was pleasingly visible. Sidney tried not to stare and composed himself by looking down to the floor and concentrating on her white slingbacks; only to discover that Daisy also possessed the most erotic feet he had ever seen.”
But that’s just my own humble opinion…what do you think? Do let me know!

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