Review: The Zig Zag Girl

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

During WWII, Edgar Stephens was seconded to a special intelligence group stationed on Scotland's eastern coast. He and the group, dubbed the "Magic Men" were charged with creating a faked military base that would fool the Germans into thinking that a huge military offensive was about to be launched. Stephens found himself working with a group of professional magicians who understood how to create misdirection. Now the war is over, and all have gone their separate ways. Stephens is now a Detective Inspector in Brighton. When the severed body of a magician's assistant is brought to his attention, he renews his acquaintance with the world of theatrical magic. As his investigation progresses, it's clear that the Magic Men themselves are the targets.

I love Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series so I was excited to find a new series. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I couldn't get engaged with any of the characters, and really wasn't interested in the plot. Griffiths was successful in creating seedy, depressing atmosphere, but I felt the characters were also depressed, down-on-their-luck men who felt like failures in life. I also figured out who the murderer was well before the end. Perhaps later installments will improve. There was a lot of "backstory" and what appeared to be groundsetting for future plots. I'm not sure how eager I will be to find out.

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