Reading Summary for April 2024

 

I read six novels this month, and I was pleased with the variety. I am working on increasing the number of eBooks I read. This month I read one (the Bill Crider book) , and one of the books I am currently reading is also an eBook, so I have read a total of three this year, up from one in all of 2023.

I have been putting together a list for 20 Books of Summer at 746 Books, and I am looking forward to reading those books. 

General Fiction

The Jane Austen Book Club (2004) by Karen Joy Fowler

Five women and one man form a book club to discuss Jane Austen's novels, one per month. Their ages range from 30 to nearly 70. I liked this book a lot, but the narrative style was challenging. See my review.

Fiction, Western

The Sisters Brothers (2011) by Patrick deWitt

This novel is a western, a genre that I have little familiarity with. Eli and Charlie Sisters work for the Commodore. Their current assignment is to find Hermann Kermit Warm and kill him. Charlie is the older brother and runs the show. Eli narrates the story; he doesn't enjoy killing and would be just as happy to find another way to live, but he feels loyal to Charlie. The story is set in the West when it was lawless, and there are many interesting historical facts to be learned, but I didn't enjoy the story of a life of crime until it was close to over. It is well-written and Eli is a great character. I am glad I read it through to the end, but it just wasn't the book for me.

Science Fiction

The Humans (2013) by Matt Haig

This is a science fiction novel about an alien who comes to earth, and takes over the body of a mathematician, Andrew Martin. However, for me this was more like reading a philosophy book or a self help book. I loved it. See my review.

Crime Fiction

The Found Him Dead (1937) by Georgette Heyer

They Found Him Dead is a very bland title for an entertaining mystery novel set in a country house. Members of the Kane family are dying, and the police are not sure who is causing the deaths or why. See my review.

Winning Can Be Murder (1996) by Bill Crider

Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas has fond memories of playing football for the local high school team in his youth. Like almost everyone else in Blacklin County, he is enthusiastic about the home football team's chances to go to the state finals this year. The football theme did not interest me as much as the earlier books I have read in this series, but a Dan Rhodes mystery by Bill Crider is always an entertaining and fun read, with lovable main characters and a lot of eccentric secondary characters. This is the 8th book in a 25 book series.

The Mistress of Alderley (2000) by Robert Barnard

A successful actress has been set up in a country house by her lover; he visits only on weekends and she thinks she has the perfect life. I love Barnard's style of writing; his books often have unusual or unexpected endings. This one was more straightforward as far as the mystery goes but the mystery had me interested from beginning to end. Another bonus for me was that the policemen in this book were Charlie Peace and his boss, Mike Oddie, from the author's Charlie Peace series. 

Just Finished

I finished reading The Warden by Anthony Trollope for the Classics Club Spin and I will be reviewing it soonish, so I won't say too much about it right now. It was the first book I have read by Trollope, and a very good read, once I got used to the style of writing.

Currently reading

I am reading A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong on my Kindle Scribe, which I purchased in February. As you can probably tell from the title, it is a time travel book. With the purchase of the Scribe I got a three-month free trial of Kindle Unlimited. That gave me access to A Rip Through Time, and I wanted to take advantage of the subscription before it ran out. For the first few chapters, I was unsure how much I would enjoy this book, but I am about 50% through it right now and it is getting better and better.

The photos at the top and bottom of this post were taken in early May in our back yard.  We have been working on clearing out weeds in the back. There is still lots of work to be done but soon we will be able to buy some new plants for pots. 

The photos were taken and processed by my husband. Click on the images for the best viewing quality.

The #1937Club: They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer

I read They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer for the 1937 Club hosted by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings. And isn't this a lovely image for the club?

They Found Him Dead begins with a large gathering of family and friends at the home of Silas Kane and his mother, Emily Kane. The occasion is Silas Kane's 60th birthday celebration. With most of the main cast introduced at the beginning, it is difficult to figure out the relationships. But that is part of the fun.  And there are some very interesting characters in this family.

The next day the body of one of the family members is discovered at the bottom of a cliff and the death appears to be accidental. But when there is a second death in the family, Scotland Yard is called in. Inspector Hannasyde and Sergeant Hemingway arrive and start gathering facts and evidence. Young Timothy Harte, 15 years old, is staying at the Kane's country house while his parents are traveling; he is fascinated by the investigation and offers plenty of tips to the policemen. 

My favorite character, possibly because we get much of the story from her point of view, is Patricia Allison, companion and secretary to Emily Kane. She is intelligent and down-to-earth. She has caught the eye of Jim Kane, who is Timothy Harte's half-brother. Most (if not all) of Heyer's mysteries involve a romance, but I liked this potential romance because there isn't a lot of angst involved. The focus of the novel is not on the romance but on the mystery.

Another wonderful character is Lady Norma Harte, Timothy and Jim's mother, who is traveling in Africa as the book starts but returns in time to be considered a suspect. She is a strong female character, not afraid to speak her mind.

I haven't even mentioned the Mansell's, a family who have been close friends of the Kane's for years. Joseph and his son Paul are partners in the firm of Kane and Mansell. The Mansell's seem to be pushing the Kanes to support a scheme in Australia that Silas Kane is not in favor of. There are many more characters I haven't described and you can see how confusing the many characters could be. In this case it was not a problem at all for me and the book was a lot of fun to read.

There are eight mysteries by Heyer featuring Hannasyde and / or Hemingway. In later mysteries, Hemingway has worked his way up to Inspector.

I loved this interchange between the policemen from Scotland Yard:

“You're more prejudiced against Paul Mansell than I've ever known you to be against anyone," said Hannasyde.

"Not prejudiced,"said the Sergeant firmly. "I never let myself get prejudiced. All I say is, that he's a nasty, slimy, double-faced tick who'd murder his own grandmother if he saw a bit of money to be got out of it.”

The only small complaint I have is that I did not like the ending. It made sense, and the groundwork had been laid, but it just wasn't satisfying. But overall, a good read, and I am eager to read more of Heyer's mysteries.

The two mystery novels by Heyer that I have read in the last few years are Envious Casca (1941), set at Christmas, and Death in the Stocks (1935). I enjoyed both of them.

Reading Summary for August 2021

I read nine books this month, a bit more than usual. I read two historical fiction novels, two science fiction novels, and five crime fiction novels. Some were contemporary novels and some were older novels from 1950 and before. And a decent number of short stories, although I should be reading more.

I finished all of the books on my 20 Books of Summer list, and am glad to be back to unplanned reading. 

 

Historical Fiction

The Women in Black (1993) by Madeleine St. John

In some ways this is a wonderful book. It is about several women who work in the women's dresses department in a big department store, in 1950's Australia during the Christmas rush and post-Christmas sales. The setting is great. I enjoyed reading the book, I cared about the characters, but it was too light and "feel good" for me.  I keep having mixed feelings about this; I might come back to it and review it in December. There is a film adaptation directed by Bruce Beresford.

Historical Fiction / Romance

The Grand Sophy (1950) by Georgette Heyer

Miss Sophy Stanton-Lacy is an outrageous woman. She is young but was raised by her father to be independent and think for herself. She is always trying to fix people and usually succeeds. This is only the second Regency romance by Georgette Heyer I have read (and I haven't read any by other authors). I enjoyed this as much as I did Frederica. The plots are quite different, but I did notice similarities in the heroines in the two books, and the types of families involved. Both feature a number of younger children, which was interesting.

Science Fiction

Way Station (1963) by Clifford D. Simak

All I knew when I started this book was that it was a science fiction classic about a man on earth, in the US in the 1960s, providing a station where aliens from other planets stop overnight while traveling from planet to planet. This is completely hidden from the rest of the world. It is a very interesting and entertaining book, with lots of tension, because his station is discovered, and I was surprised at the ending. It is very much of its time, but I did not mind that at all.

Just One Damned Thing After Another (2013) by Jodi Taylor

This is the first book in a time-travel series. The main protagonists are historians from St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. Each has a special area of expertise but the assignments may take them to any time in the past. The story carries you along pell mell through adventure after adventure, and the historians find out that there are lots of challenges ahead.  There are now 12 books in the series and I will be reading the next one for sure. 

Crime Fiction

Lockdown (2020) by Peter May

This is a police procedural mystery set in London during a pandemic that has paralyzed the city. I enjoyed it, but it is not my favorite book by Peter May. See my thoughts here.

The Art of Violence (2020) by S. J. Rozan

This is the thirteenth book in S.J. Rozan's series about private investigators Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, and I have read every book in the series. I loved this book, especially the ending. See my thoughts here.

The Turquoise Shop (1941) by Frances Crane

Beginning in the early 1940's, Frances Crane wrote a series of over 25 books featuring Pat and Jean Abbott. This is the first book in the series, set in a fictionalized version of Taos, New Mexico, where Jean Holly owns a shop that sells antiques, art, and jewelry. Pat Abbott is a private investigator, who at the beginning of the story maintains that he is just there on vacation. Most of the books had a color in the title, and they were set in a variety of locations. In all the books, Pat does most of the investigating, and the stories are narrated by Jean. The other book I read in this series, The Indigo Necklace, was set in the French Quarter in New Orleans during the closing months of World War II. For me, these are enjoyed for the locations and the ambiance of the 1940's and 50's, and the mystery is just a sideline.

The Mouse in the Mountain (1943) by Norbert Davis

This is a book I have been meaning to read for nearly 10 years. It is vintage crime fiction from the US, published in 1943. The story is humorous. One of the characters is a large dog named Carstairs, a Great Dane. His owner is Doan, a private investigator. It is a very short novel, set in Mexico, about 150 pages. There are two more short novels and two short stories in the Doan and Carstairs series, and I will be reading them all. Coincidentally, Norbert Davis was related to Frances Crane, author of The Turquoise Shop (above). Davis was Crane's son-in-law and they both wrote mysteries in the 1940's. 

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973) by John Godey

This novel is about the hijacking of a New York City Subway train. The story takes place in one afternoon and is told from the point of view of the hijackers, policemen, staff from the transit agency, and some of the passengers taken as hostages. My full review here.

Currently reading and What's Next?

I am currently reading a Miss Silver mystery by Patricia Wentworth. The title is The Chinese Shawl, it is the 5th book in the series, and it was published in 1943. Loving it.

I will be taking part in RIP XVI (Readers Imbibing Peril), although it is now an event that takes place primarily on Instagram and Twitter. But other bloggers are joining in and it isn't a stretch for me, since I mostly read mysteries anyway. It was Kay's post at Kay's Reading Life that motivated me to do it this year.

I will be finding a couple of books to read for The 1976 Club in October and also novellas to read for Novellas in November. I am planning to stick with books I already own, but if anyone has suggestions, I would welcome them.

The lovely flowers above are geraniums. The cat is Rosie in her favorite chair. Both photos were taken by my husband.

20 Books of Summer 2020

This is my fifth year of joining in the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. It is very flexible. You can go for 15 Books of Summer or 10 Books of Summer if 20 is too much to commit to. Books can be substituted along the way. And that is fine.

The event is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. The description is here. This is her list. And the links for those joining in are HERE.

This year, for this event, summer starts June 1st and ends September 1st. I finished my list last summer so I will go into this optimistically. Of course, part of the intent is to review the books read and that is never going to happen with me, but still, I enjoy reading them all.

Here is my list:

Crashed (2010) by Timothy Hallinan
#1 in the Junior Bender series. Set in Los Angeles.

The Grand Sophy (1950) by Georgette Heyer
Regency romance.

Tripwire (1999) by Lee Child
#3 in the Jack Reacher series.

A Trick of the Light (2011) by Louise Penny
#7 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series

The Way Some People Die (1951) by Ross Macdonald
#3 in the Lew Archer series

The High Window (1942) by Raymond Chandler
#3 in the Philip Marlowe series.

Marking Time (1991) by Elizabeth Jane Howard
#2 in the Cazalet series


The Provincial Lady in Wartime (1940) by E.M. Delafield
#4 in the Provincial Lady series

Buddha's Money (1998) by Martin Limón 
#3 in the George Sueño and Ernie Bascom series, set in South Korea in the 1970s

Fall of a Cosmonaut (2000) by Stuart Kaminsky
#13 out of 16 books in the Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov series, set in Moscow, Russia (usually)

Shooting at Loons (1994) by Margaret Maron
#3 in the Judge Deborah Knott series, set in North Carolina

Other Paths to Glory (1974) by Anthony Price 
#5 in the David Audley series (spy fiction)

The Women in Black (1993) by Madeleine St John 
Historical fiction set in 1950s Australia

The Absent One (2012) by Jussi Adler-Olsen
#2 in the Department Q series, set in Copenhagen, Denmark

Woman with a Blue Pencil (2015) by Gordon McAlpine
A standalone historical mystery with a unique structure.

An Air That Kills (2019) by Christine Poulson
#3 in the Katie Flanagan series. Katie is a medical researcher.

American Spy (2019) by Lauren Wilkinson
Espionage fiction.

Young Bess (1944) by Margaret Irwin
#1 in the Elizabeth I trilogy

The Consuming Fire (2018) by John Scalzi
#2 in the Interdepency Trilogy (science fiction)

Dragonsdawn (1988) by Anne McCaffrey
A book in the Pern series (science fiction / fantasy).

Frederica: Georgette Heyer

I have never considered Georgette Heyer to be a forgotten author, but she is included in The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler (which I am currently reading). Until now I have only read her mystery novels, and they are not that well-known. But I have always thought that her romances are fairly popular. Recently I decided that I had to give them a try. I lucked into finding a copy of Frederica, one of her best liked Regency romances, last September at the annual book sale I go to every year.

The Regency romances are set in England during the time that King George III's son reigned as Prince Regent (1811-1820). The title character is the eldest in a family of five children. Both parents are dead, and Frederica brings her three youngest siblings to London to secure a husband for her sister, who is young, shy, beautiful, not very bright but a talented dressmaker. Frederica seeks out their distant cousin Vernon Dauntry, the Marquis of Alverstoke to help introduce them into society.

Frederica is close to 25 years old and considers herself to be past marriageable age. She has a younger brother who sees himself as the head of the family but is really much less responsible than Frederica (and off at school). It is important to Frederika that Charis marries well, and her intention is to ask Alverstoke to introduce her sister to high society. The extended conversation between Frederica and Lord Alverstoke when they first meet to discuss that possibility is very entertaining.

Alverstoke is a genial man when he wants to be and quite impressed with Frederica and her younger sister, Charis, but he is well-known for being self-centered and not interested in doing favors for others. He has already refused to help his sister's daughter who will be coming out at the same time. So people are very surprised when he begins spending a good bit of time with various members of the Merrivale family.

This book is full of likable characters. Frederica is of course a wonderful heroine, but she is so focused on doing anything she can to improve the situation of her family that she seemed to miss a lot of what was going on around her. So, she is a realistic character, not idealized. Felix Merrivale, at 12, is very interested in new technology and mechanical inventions. Jessamy, 16, is very serious about his studies but loves horses. They also have a wonderful dog. There are also some unsympathetic characters, such as Alverstoke's sister who doesn't approve of his behavior but is willing to use him and his money for her own purposes. But even those characters are fun.

This was not the type of romance I was expecting, but then I have little experience with romance novels so have nothing to compare against. For me, this book was about Alverstoke's growth as a person.  He is in his late thirties and not at all looking for any serious relationship or anything to tie him down. He starts out as a selfish, thoughtless cad, very sought after because of his wealth, and ends up helping out the family in many ways. I was disappointed that Charis's talent at dressmaking was not more a part of the story. It does turn out that, shy as she is, she has a mind of her own.

In summary, Frederica was an engaging book, and I learned a lot about Regency England. I plan to read more of Heyer's Regency romances over time, starting with recommendations  at Yvette's In My Own Words. I already have a copy of The Grand Sophy (which includes a glossary of Regency slang).

See reviews at Pining for the West and Tor.com.


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Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2009 (orig. publ. 1965)
Length:     437 pages
Format:    Trade paperback
Setting:     London
Genre:      Regency Romance
Source:     Purchased at the Planned Parenthood book sale, 2019.

My Reading in September 2019

When I review this month's reading, I can see that I have been moving away from vintage mystery novels and reading more contemporary fiction. That is neither good nor bad but I don't know why it is happening.

Of the ten books I read, seven were crime fiction although one was a mystery / fantasy blend. Of the crime fiction books, only one was written before 1990--Margery Allingham's More Work for the Undertaker, from 1948.

My first foray into Georgette Heyer's historical romance fiction (Frederica) was a success. That one was published in 1965. Reading Neil Gaiman's Coraline was not quite as successful for me, but that is because I don't like dark, creepy stories.

I started two series by "new to me" authors. I read Heartshot by Steven F. Havill and Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson. I was very happy with both of those and will continue reading the series.

Overall, a very good month of reading. Here are the books I read...

Mystery reference

Brit Noir: The Pocket Essential Guide to the Crime Fiction, Film & TV of the British Isles
(2016) by Barry Forshaw

This book covers crime fiction authors from the UK. It is divided into geographic regions within the UK. There is also a section on UK authors whose books are set outside the UK. I do enjoy reading about crime fiction authors and their books, and each mystery reference book has its high and low points. This one is not perfect but is a good overview.

Historical Fiction / Romance

Frederica (1965) by Georgette Heyer

This is my first Regency romance. It has been many years since I have read a book in the romance genre, but so many people enjoy Heyer's romances that I had to give them a try. And I was glad I did. Frederica was an engaging book, and I learned a lot about Regency England. I have more of Heyer's Regency romances on my wishlist and will definitely be trying more.

Fantasy / Horror

Coraline (2002) by Neil Gaiman

This is a very dark and strange story of a young girl who goes through a door in her house into an alternate version of her house and her parents. Beautifully written and very creepy. Definitely a good read to get into the mood for Halloween. It isn't the type of story I enjoy very much, too creepy for me, but I am glad I experienced it.

Crime Fiction

Paper Son (2019) by S.J. Rozan

I wish I could convey to you how excited I was to find out that S.J. Rozan had written another book in the Lydia Chin / Bill Smith mystery series. That is one my favorite contemporary mystery series and the last book was in 2011. The surprise here is that Lydia and Bill are both in Mississippi helping one of her cousins who is in serious trouble. And Lydia had not even known she had relatives in Mississippi. If you are already a fan of this series, I highly recommend this book. If you haven't tried the others, I would read a couple of the earliest books in the series first.  I will be reviewing it, sooner or later, in more detail.

Heartshot (1991) by Steven F. Havill

The first book in a  24-book series set in a fictional county in New Mexico. It features Undersheriff Bill Gastner and Detective Estelle Reyes. I enjoyed this book a lot and will be reading more. My review here.

Joe Country (2019) by Mick Herron

The 6th book in Herron's Slough House series about spies who have been demoted due to some disgrace or screw up in their jobs, and are now working under Jackson Lamb. Amazingly, this is one series I have kept current with. I love the writing, the characters, and the plots get better and better.  

More Work for the Undertaker (1948) by Margery Allingham

The 13th book in the Albert Campion series. I am rereading the series in order because I enjoy Allingham's writing so much. Not my favorite book in the series, but many readers like it a lot. My review here.

The Manual of Detection (2009) by Jedediah Berry

My son bought this book at the book sale last year. We both read it recently, and we both enjoyed it. But it is very hard to describe. It mixes both mystery and fantasy, and I did find it more confusing than most books with that blend. The story is dark but with a good bit of humor, and I liked the ending.

Snowblind (2010) by Ragnar Jónasson

Snowblind is the first book in the Dark Iceland series. The setting is the northernmost town in Iceland, Siglufjörður, close to the Arctic Circle. I have read other mysteries set in Iceland but this part of Iceland is new to me. I liked it, I will be continuing the series. See my review.

A Foreign Country (2012) by Charles Cumming

This was my 2nd spy fiction read of the month. I really like spy fiction, and this book worked really well for me. This is Cumming's first book in the Thomas Kell series. Kell has been tossed out of MI6 but is called back to run a secret investigation. Very complex, lots of surprises, and believable characters. 

Book Sale 2018, Part 1: Forgotten Books

The 44th Annual Planned Parenthood Book Sale ran from September 20th -30th this year, over two weekends. We went on 4 of the days. I bought way too many books, as usual, but a lot of them were small paperback editions of vintage mysteries, which don't take up too much space.

So here are a few "forgotten" books that I got at the sale.

I just finished reading this book, the 8th book in the Miss Marple series. The wrap around cover illustration is by Tom Adams.

The Sound of Murder is a Rex Stout mystery that does not feature Nero Wolfe. I reviewed it earlier under the original title: Alphabet Hicks. This copy is a new addition to my collection of Pyramid Green Door mysteries.

The Unfinished Clue is one of Georgette Heyer's mystery novels.

I have heard good things about the short stories of Dorothy Salisbury Davis but haven't tried any. And this is is very interesting cover.

Ross Macdonald (pseud. of Kenneth Millar) was married to Margaret Millar. They lived in Santa Barbara, California for many years and both wrote mystery novels. Macdonald's books were primarily hardboiled detective novels; Millar's books were mostly psychological suspense.

The Case of the Lucky Legs was the third Perry Mason mystery (out of over 80 books in the series). The book was published in 1934 but this Cardinal edition, with cover illustration by John Fernie, was published in 1959.

Reading in February 2018

So far I have read nine books in January and nine books in February; a lot of reading for me. Two of the nine books read in February were not crime fiction, although there is a bit of mystery in one of them.

In the non-crime related group, we have:

Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman (2014)

This is a story about World War II, its aftermath, the Holocaust, displaced persons in camps, and the looting of the belongings of Jewish families.The story begins with a Prologue set in 2013 when Jack Wiseman is dying. He passes a pendant that he took from the Gold Train collection on to his granddaughter, with a request to return it to its rightful owner. What follows is essentially three linked novellas, each a self-contained story, depicting some events related to the pendant. See my review here.

The Blitz:  The British Under Attack by Juliet Gardiner (2010)

It took me over a year to read this. It is a very good book, and a topic I am extremely interested in, but it was harrowing to read about the Blitz, and non-fiction isn't my favorite reading. So I took lots of breaks. A lot of it was first hand accounts of life in Britain during the Blitz, what people had to endure, the difficulty of providing support for those who had lost homes or families, and the devastation to the cities.

This is a very readable book and I would not discourage anyone from reading it, but I see it more as a historical reference in which the author has pulled together a tremendous amount of information about this event in history.

Moving on to my crime fiction reads, this month I read three books in the espionage fiction sub-genre, three vintage mysteries, and a historical mystery. And all of these were from my TBR piles, books that I have owned for at least a year, and in most cases it has been several years.

Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer (1935)

Georgette Heyer (1902-1972) is primarily known for her regency romances, but she also wrote 12 mystery novels. Four of them featured Inspector Hemingway, and this is the 2nd novel in that series. I have just recently started reading Heyer's mysteries again, and I am enjoying them quite a bit. See my review here.

The Polish Officer by Alan Furst (1995)

The Polish officer of the title is recruited into the Polish underground after Poland is invaded by Germany in 1939. I was surprised by this book. It was drier than the first two books in the Night Soldiers series, and it felt more like a history than fiction. Many fans of Alan Furst's book consider this their favorite, so I think I am in a minority in my opinion. It doesn't deter me from moving on to the next one in the series, though.

Lumen by Ben Pastor (1999)

Immediately after reading The Polish Officer I started reading Lumen, which is set at the same time in Poland (1939 - 41). The protagonist is a Wehrmacht captain in Intelligence, Martin Bora, stationed in Cracow during the Nazi occupation of Poland. He is tasked with investigating the death of a nun, well known for her prophetic powers. The books were a perfect pair. I learned a lot about Poland during the time period from Alan Furst's book, and it made this one an easier and more interesting read.

The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall (1965)

Quiller is a British secret agent for a covert organization of spies, unacknowledged by the government. This book, originally titled The Berlin Memorandum, was the first in a series of 19 books about Quiller. There is a film adaptation starring George Segal, Alec Guinness, and Max Von Sydow. See my review here.

Murder Begins at Home by Delano Ames (1949)

Another pleasant and intriguing mystery featuring Jane and Dagobert Brown, a crime solving couple. Most of the books in the series are set in the UK, but this one, the second, is set in New Mexico, USA. One of the things I like about this series is that Jane and Dagobert are intellectual equals; Jane's part is not secondary to Dagobert's. See my review here.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews (2013)

A Russian mole, spies working to turn enemy agents into double agents, a school for using sex in espionage, and lots and lots of violence. Some of my favorite spy fiction is low key and more about the tradecraft and gathering secrets from documents. This one is definitely on the gritty side but also puts the emphasis on tradecraft . Another one that has been adapted to film, now in theaters. A very good book, some very interesting characters, all very well developed. 

Gold Comes in Bricks by A.A. Fair (1940)

A.A. Fair is a pseudonym used by Erle Stanley Gardner for the Bertha Cool and Donald Lam stories. Flamboyant, fast-talking Bertha Cool is the boss; Donald Lam works for her. She spends most of her time telling Donald to change his ways, until he ends up making lots of money for her. This plot involves a very rich man who wants to find out why his daughter is spending too much money. It could be gambling or blackmail.

Death in the Stocks: Georgette Heyer

Last October, I read Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer. It had been a long time since I had read any of her mysteries, and I really enjoyed it. So, I decided to try another one, Death in the Stocks, the first of the novels featuring Superintendent Hannasyde as the detective. And, as luck would have it, I enjoyed this one just as much as Envious Casca. That may have been because I knew what to expect this time.

In a small English village, a man with a knife wound in his back is found dead, clapped in the stocks in the town square. The victim is identified as Arnold Vereker, who has been renting a cottage in the village and using it on weekends. The local police don't feel up to handling the investigation, and Superintendent Hannasyde of Scotland Yard is called in to work on the case. At first, suspicion falls on the dead man's half-sister, Antonia, who was at his house outside the village on the night he died. Her brother, Kenneth, is also a prime suspect because he is heir to Arnold’s considerable fortune. And they both freely admit that they despised Arnold. Their friends, lovers, and relatives provide some other suspects, but no one stands out as the culprit. Most of the investigation takes place in London, since all the suspects live there.

Of the two books by Heyer I have read recently, both are peopled mainly by unlikable characters.  Many of them are rich, or aspiring to be rich. I don't mind unappealing characters as long as they are entertaining, and that is true here. The dialogue between Antonia and her brother and their friends is very good and sometimes unbelievably odd.

I have also enjoyed the portrayal of servants in Heyer's books. In this one, Antonia and Kenneth's housekeeper and cook, Murgatroyd, is a wonderful character. She is is cranky and outspoken, but quite likable, always trying to keep Antonia and Kenneth in line.

The main draw of these mysteries is the combination of humor with a good mystery. They are also light-hearted romances, keeping you guessing as to who will pair with who. If you like mysteries in that vein, I think you would enjoy this story.

Other Sources:
Sparkling Murder at Tor.com
Reviews at Vintage Pop Fictions and In so many WORDS


 -----------------------------

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Landmark, 2009 (orig. publ. 1935)
Length:     314 pages
Format:    Trade paperback
Series:      Superintendent Hannasyde #1
Setting:     UK
Genre:      Mystery
Source:     I purchased my copy

Envious Casca: Georgette Heyer

Envious Casca, published in 1941, is a country house mystery, with a corpse in a locked room, and a smallish set of residents and guests who are almost all suspects. It has the traditional mystery plot with a family group is gathered together at Christmas, but in this case it is not the patriarch of the family who planned the gathering but his interfering, well-meaning brother.

Joseph [the brother] was full of energy. It was nearly all benevolent, but, unfortunately for Nathaniel [the patriarch], who was not gregarious, he delighted in gathering large parties together, and liked nothing so much as filling the house with young people, and joining in their amusements.

It was Joseph who had been inspired to organise the house-party that was looming over Nathaniel's unwilling head this chill December. Joseph, having lived for so many years abroad, hankered wistfully after a real English Christmas. Nathaniel, regarding him with a contemptuous eye, said that a real English Christmas meant, in his experience, a series of quarrels between inimical persons bound to one another only by the accident of relationship, and thrown together by a worn-out convention which decreed that at Christmas families should forgather.

The "young people" do show up. Nathaniel is successfully induced to invite his niece, Paula, and her playwright friend, and his nephew, Stephen, and his fiancée. Plus Mathilde, a friend of theirs.

This is a very Christmassy mystery, with decorations and planned festivities. Although most of the participants are not in a holiday spirit. Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard is called in on the case on Christmas Day, and is not at all happy about that situation. His arguments and interactions with his assistant Sergeant Ware provide some amusement.

It took me a while to get into the story; the first quarter of the book is mainly setup, introducing us to the characters and their relationships. Unfortunately the book is mainly populated by unsympathetic characters; fortunately, their problems and entanglements were very entertaining. At about halfway in, I was fully hooked.

For most of the book I had no clue who the culprit was, although towards the end it became clearer. Other reviewers have found it much easier to spot the killer, but either way, I don't think it matters. This is just a very fun book to read. I loved the humor and I was very satisfied with the ending.

Georgette Heyer (1902-1972) is primarily known for her regency romances, but she also wrote 12 mystery novels. Four of them featured Inspector Hemingway, and this the 2nd novel in that series.

Other sources:
The Murderous End of an Era at Tor.com
Two posts at Clothes in Books here and here.
Katrina's review at Pining for the West

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Publisher:  Sourcebooks Landmark, 2010 (orig. publ. 1941)
Length:     396 pages
Format:    Trade paperback
Series:      Inspector Hemingway #2
Setting:    UK
Genre:     Historical Mystery
Source:    I purchased my copy

Reading Summary for October 2017

It felt like I read fewer books in October, but it wasn't that bad, it just took me 18 days to finish two of the books, Emma and Strangers on a Train. Whiteout was also read during that time but it doesn't really count because even at 128 pages, a graphic novel doesn't take that long to read.

My project through December of this year is to read one book a month by Jane Austen, as a part of the Jane Austen Read All A-Long at James Reads Books.  In August I read Pride and Prejudice (a re-read)  and in September I read Mansfield Park. October's Austen book was Emma, and as I said, it took me a while. I did enjoy the book but it was slow going. My thoughts on the book are HERE.

I did not realize until I had listed all the books I read this month that four of my five crime fiction books were written prior to 1960. That surprised me because lately I have been reading a higher percentage of contemporary novels.

And these are the five crime fiction books I read in October:

Whiteout (1991), a graphic novel written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Steve Lieber

This is a mystery / thriller set in Antarctica featuring Carrie Stetko, U.S. Marshal. The story has been adapted into a movie of the same title, which I have yet to see.

Strangers on a Train (1950) by Patricia Highsmith

This is a fairly well-known novel, and also has a movie adaptation, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The basic story is that two men meet on a train, and one of them suggests a murder pact. If they each murder a person that the other wants to get rid of, then they can get away with the perfect crime. A very good novel, but a disturbing read. Peggy at Peggy's Porch very kindly sent me this book, which I have been planning to read for years. 

Murder on the Blackboard (1932) by Stuart Palmer

Another book that has been adapted into a film. Oh no, a trend. It was not exactly deliberate, but I have had the Hildegarde Withers Mystery Collection from Warner Archives for quite a while, and wanted to read the book first.

Hildegarde Withers, a third-grade teacher in New York City, finds the dead body of an attractive young music teacher, Anise Halloran, in the cloakroom. Miss Withers calls in her friend Inspector Piper, but by the time he arrives, the body has disappeared. This is a complex mystery with a large cast, which also was a lot of fun to read.

Landed Gently (1957) by Alan Hunter

Another mystery novel with a large cast that confused me, and a lot of red herrings. But that was OK, because I found the hero, Inspector Gently, very charming and I liked that there were multiple investigators. Gently is visiting with the Chief Constable, Sir Daynes Broke, to get a chance at some pike fishing over Christmas, when a visitor at nearby Merely Hall is murdered. Being a guest of the Chief Constable, Gently cannot officially investigate the crime.

Envious Casca (1941) by Georgette Heyer

A country house mystery, with a corpse in a locked room, and a smallish set of residents and guests who are almost all suspects. I read a few of Georgette Heyer's mystery novels decades ago, and liked them well enough, but I was very surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. In a month of very good reading, this was easily my favorite read. Another one set at Christmas.