Thinner Than Water

Virginia Freer #3

by E.X. Ferrars

Virginia Freer and her husband, Felix, separated though they may be, are together again after appearances in Frog in the Throat and In at the Kill. Here, they attend an old friend's wedding and-as usual-find murder waiting for them.

Genres: Mystery

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Aka Elizabeth Ferrars

Elizabeth Ferrars is a pseudonym of Morna Doris MacTaggart Brown. She was born in Rangoon, Burma.

Reviews

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I got over the fact that the description and the cover for the digital version led me to expect something a bit different, this was quite well done
The cover made it look like Felix and Virginia were a sort of Nick and Nora-ish couple, but no sparkling dialogue of that kind ensued. Their relationship, an odd friendship, is subtler, possibly sadder. But the mystery was sound, the characters interesting, if mostly unlikable. I’ll likely read more in the series.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in the series so far. Just a great relationship between the "I" (Virgina) and her not exactly ex husband Felix, where the love and frustration are incredibly relatable, even if the body counts aren't. Ferrars knows how to mine the tenderness from this particular relationship, notably in this passage where a murder victim's daughter proposes no one can understand that kind of loss. Virginia reflects:

"'Not by death, no.' I had lost Felix, the Felix whom I had once believed existed, but who had vanished into nothingness under the searching light that intimacy had cast upon him. But at least another Felix was alive and almost as good as new."

There is also a great humor in this one too that I particularly enjoyed, usually via Virginia's responses to Felix's more audacious notions.

As for the plot itself... no-show father of the bride found dead after the ceremony... it's intriguingly conceived and doled out, with enough loose strands and dead ends to keep it interesting but not overly labyrinthine.

Closing remark: not sure if it was intentional or not, but I couldn't help but notice the frog totem in book 2 has been replaced by an owl in book 3. Wondering if that animal motif will continue.

[Melissa Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not many of the characters introduced in this one were very likeable - which is good, since two ended up dead and a third was the murderer. The two ongoing characters remained about the same: one does want to see some growth, particularly in the narrator who does remain a bit obtuse at times. Still, an enjoyable entry into the series.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this book ends is maybe a top 3 golden age mystery ending for me.

[Allison Henle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightfully entertaining.

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very British, pretty good, a little boring.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.