Review: A Woman ahead of her time
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 12, 2012
As much as I loved the Miss Marple mysteries, the sensible shoes and lady-like behaviour did annoy me a little. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed Madame Koska, the character, so very much. She is as observant and smart as Miss Marple, but would never be seen dead in frumpy, sensible shoes! Madame Koska is what all women would like to be : smart, strong-willed, brave and elegant. There is also an element of mystery about her. 'Vhy' does she pretend to be Russian when she's not?The sense of mystery surrounding Madame Koska is part and parcel of the greater mystery. Ilil Arbel teases us with just enough information to keep us reading long into the night. As the story unfolds, suspicion lands on all the characters, even those who appear to be the most innocent. I would never call Mr Korolenko an innocent, but I would call him sexy. Very. Right from the beginning his erudite, gentlemanly style is at odds with his scandalous past and ambiguous present. Could this intriguing man be the arch criminal the police have been chasing for so long?It's been a long time since I have enjoyed an escape from the present more! Highly recommended.Madame Koska and the Imperial Brooch