Rachel Howzell Hall confidently delivers a highly entertaining stand-alone that pays homage to Agatha Christie while finding its own individual approach ... As she does in her series, Hall delivers a racially diverse group of characters with contemporary sensibilities. At the same time, They All Fall Down adheres to the classic plot twists established by Christie ... While Hall’s series is superb, They All Fall Down should be her breakout novel.
... a modern-day homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None—and it’s, well, killer ... Readers familiar with the keen wit from Hall’s police procedural series starring Detective Elouise 'Lou' Norton will recognize the sharp attitude and snarky world view as Hall introduces us to Miriam Macy ... rides on Macy’s raw, unfiltered takes ... Hall’s writing is a master class in strong, first-person voice. Readers are advised to not skim Macy’s recollections of her troubled life back in L.A. Macy’s biting wit, the near nonstop string of stinging commentary that might have put her in this very pickle, is her constant companion ... Where Dame Agatha went with a cinematic, omniscient third-person voice for And Then There Were None, Hall has chosen a first-person voice for They All Fall Down. That choice presents a challenge ... Hall takes this leap with a fearless flair—the same fearlessness she used to work in the shadow of Agatha Christie and give the story a fresh twist. In short, Hall makes it easy to take the plunge.
Though some of the secondary characters aren’t made distinct enough from one another, which may prove confusing, those who give Hall’s fifth novel a try will stick with it for the compelling story and a more diverse set of characters than one typically finds in mysteries. The book is a solid recommendation for patrons looking for something after Fred Van Lente’s Ten Dead Comedians (2017).
The reader travels with Miriam from sunny California to Mexico, and—thanks to Hall's writing—becomes immersed in what she is thinking and experiencing. While much of the book is a lovely murder mystery à la Agatha Christie, there are also some beautiful metaphors about the people and the situation and life ... The ending is strangely satisfying and horrifying at the same time. Does a much-changed Miriam make it back to her family and a new life? Read the book. You won't regret it.
... cleverly updated ... secrets emerge in tantalizing installments. When people start to die, Miriam turns sleuth. Hall slips from funny to darkly frightening with elegant ease.
Hall borrows Agatha Christie’s broad strokes but employs fresh twists to keep readers guessing. Sex, drugs, and racial tension heighten the drama and create an additional layer of conflict, but the characters feel more like collections of tics and tropes than flesh-and-blood beings, lessening the tale’s impact and robbing it of verisimilitude ... Hall offers a soapy, modern take on a Christie classic.
