Book Review: Who Could That Be at This Hour?

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everything you would expect from Lemony Snicket, including a less than satisfying conclusion or answers to all your questions. This first person narrative follows a young Lemony on his first assignment but everything is wrong. Told in a film noir style complete with monochromatic pictures and descriptions of a monochromatic world. There are clues throughout the entire book but none of them solve the mystery or explain what is going on.
This is a great upper elementary or middle school book. There is little of substantive plot but plenty of nonsensical action. Lemony is always a great wordsmith, being careful to explain nuanced meanings of colloquial phrases and such. Here I am using "and such" to indicate that there are other examples but I am too lay to look them up.
It's a quick read and leads quickly into the next book of the series. The reader is always teased with an answer just beyond their grasp, both a torment and a delight.

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