Dead Man's Folly vs The Pale Horse: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Ariadne Oliver, English Detective and mystery stories, English literature, Mystery, Fiction
Dead Man's Folly
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Whilst organising a mock murder hunt for the village fete hosted by Sir George and Lady Stubbs, a feeling of dread settles on the famous crime novelist Adriane Oliver. Call it instinct, but it's a feeling she just can't…
The Pale Horse
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To understand the strange events at The Pale Horse inn, Mark Easterbrook knew he had to begin at the beginning. But where exactly was the beginning? Was it the savage blow to the back of Father Gorman's head? Or the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Dead Man's Folly has the widest readership — 2674 ratings behind its score.
- The Pale Horse reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 15 times.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Dead Man's Folly | The Pale Horse | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (2674) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (90) | 3.5 (78) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (87) | 4.0 (177) |
Reception
| Dead Man's Folly | The Pale Horse | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2674 | 177 |
| Editions | 96 | 73 |
| Citations | 1 | 15 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 21712 | — |
| Written reviews | 2674 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 3122 | 7921 |
| Pages | 232 | 272 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Dead Man's Folly or The Pale Horse?
The Pale Horse has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Pale Horse 3.9/5, Dead Man's Folly 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Dead Man's Folly or The Pale Horse?
Dead Man's Folly is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Dead Man's Folly (232 pages, ≈ 4 h 18 m); The Pale Horse (272 pages, ≈ 5 h 02 m).
Which is harder to read: Dead Man's Folly or The Pale Horse?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Dead Man's Folly: Moderate; The Pale Horse: Moderate.