Terrific ... Cunning ... A witty, knowing homage to classic detective fiction, but also a deeply sensitive examination of the loneliness and confusion of grief ... Readers will enjoy the Easter eggs hidden in the underbrush ... Serve[s] as a bracing meditation on the different ways we perceive death (and fiction).
Entertainingly avant-garde ... Ms. Hegarty is after more than a simulation of golden age mystery in the 21st century, mixing in elements that suggest a work of metafiction as written by the Marx Brothers ... Poignant ... Shows how the true mysteries of death and life can elude the consolations of genre fiction —even as Ms. Hegarty’s audacious concoction transcends the limitations of form.
Deliriously slippery ... Devilishly clever ... Having already pulled the rug from under us, Hegarty gradually begins to unspool the truly satisfying twist to her novel ... [A] fiendishly elegant jigsaw puzzle of a book ... Not every aspect of the novel works perfectly: obscured behind the screen of the novel’s literary game, it’s possible that Abigail’s world doesn’t come fully to life ... But when it comes to whether you’re in the hands of someone phenomenally talented here, who has constructed something entirely original, there’s no mystery.
Blends an entertaining country house murder mystery with a poignant exploration of grief ... With a fairly large cast of characters appearing early on, I was impressed by how distinctive Hegarty makes each of them ... It makes for a witty novel, but Hegarty is not parodying the tradition, she’s celebrating it ... I was willing to play along with the back and forth between the lighthearted mystery and the darker contemporary scenes, but Hegarty walks a fine line between amusing and confusing ... Bell and Sacker make a terrific pairing, both of them as daft as brushes, and I would cheerfully read more of their adventures ... In time, Bell invites the reader to solve the crime for ourselves...having fully invested in the novel and been delighted by it throughout, I found this rather unsatisfactory ... That said, the final chapter is a masterclass in creeping out the reader ... It takes skill, and even a sense of anarchy, to produce a novel as funny, baffling, and occasionally moving as Fair Play. Some readers may be frustrated by the lack of answers provided but no one will doubt its wit and originality.
Readers of both classic mysteries and literary fiction will enjoy this intermingling of the two in Louise Hegarty's first novel ... An utterly fresh approach to the standard whodunit that adds emotional heft to playful pastiche ... Hagerty infuses this play on the traditional narrative with other self-referential commentary and winks at genre specifics ... Skillfully manipulates the genre, calling attention to the reader's expectations and subverting familiar tropes in the service of nuanced storytelling. A thoroughly satisfying and thought-provoking read.
Readers, especially fans of Richard Osman, will happily go along with the plot’s many reversals and take heart in its surprisingly tender conclusion. Hegarty’s wonderfully eccentric characters, expert knowledge of classic whodunits, and ability to balance silly hijinks and serious emotional stakes mark her as a writer worth keeping tabs on. For mystery lovers, this is a joy.
