A series of confusing, racist, Anti-Semitic stories. None of the characters are admirable. The mysteries are mostly atmosphere followed by “as you know” mansplaining. The only memorable characters are the ones he gives over to racist caricature.
Taught me several things not to do:
- Don't lean on description over plot. A thin mystery is a boring mystery, no matter how you dress it up in thick descriptions.
- Don't hold your characters in contempt. If you don't like writing about them, why would anyone want to read about them?
- Don't assume that insisting two characters are friends is enough for the audience. If they're friends, readers should be able to tell without being told. If no one can tell, then, maybe they're not friends after all?
