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| B00O6XEM60
| 3.00
| 1
| Mar 1973
| Mar 1973
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liked it
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Still making my way through the batches of the mystery magazine. You would think that a grand anniversary issue might pull out all the stops with qual
Still making my way through the batches of the mystery magazine. You would think that a grand anniversary issue might pull out all the stops with quality, but we've got another mid-range issue with a mix of good and not-so-good. I love the Marsh story (even though I wish she hadn't killed off Timothy Bates). And other good mysteries include "How to Trap a Crook," "The Gold Medal Caper," and "Captain Leopold Gets Angry." The Ron Goulart story is fun--but not really much of a mystery and the rest are pretty meh. ★★★ "Chapter & Verse" by Ngaio Marsh: Timothy Bates, a New Zealand bookman who had become friends with Alleyn when the inspector was in that country, arrives in England with an old Bible with odd inscriptions. Alleyn is not at home & Bates tells Troy that he's got something a bit in Alleyn's line...but he dies in a fall from the church tower before Alleyn gets home. (Can I just say that I'm a little disgruntled at how Marsh bumps off charming friends of Alleyn's--first Bunchy in Death in a White Tie and now Bates, who is a lovely little bookseller.) "Bread Upon the Waters" by Robert Edward Eckels: A con man helps a younger man realize a greater return on his inheritance. "The Biological Clock" by Isaac Asimov: Mario Gonzalo, one of the Black Widowers, relates a story about the murder of his sister. Her death was ascribed to junkies breaking into the house and he doesn't dispute that. He just wanted to talk about the odd feeling he had that day, but Henry, the waiter with a flair for detection, sees a different solution. "Stand & Deliver" by John Dickson Carr: Carr's short essay on real-life highway men in 17th & 18th centuries. "The Cornish Mystery" by Agatha Christie: Mrs. Pengelley suspects that she might be a victim of steady poisoning. But she's not sure. She thinks it might be her husband who is doing the poisoning. But, again, she's not sure. She asks Poirot to investigate...and then she dies. Did her husband really poison her? "The Baby Spoon" by Patricia Highsmith: The story of an English professor, his wife, a starving poet (from a real garrett, no less), and a missing baby spoon. "Lobster Shift" by R. R. Irvine: A newsman on the "lobster shift" (late night babysitting of the news tickertape machine--where journalists in the doghouse get sent) finds himself in the middle of a RFK-style assassination plot. "Thomas Wolfe & the Tombstone Mystery" by Theodore Mathieson: A historical mystery about Thomas Wolfe and the revenge that followed him--one tombstone at a time. "How to Trap a Crook" by Julian Symons: Francis Quarles provides a very simple example of how to trap a crook who dabbles in the arts. "The Gold Medal Caper by Ron Goulart: A really fun parody of tough guy, noir mysteries. Best first line I've read in a long time: It had probably been a mistake killing the engineer because now there was nobody to make the train go. "Fifty Years After" by Anthony Gilbert: Vicky Gaye got herself in "trouble" in the Victorian era and then was found dead. It was labeled a suicide, but the housemaid and Vicky's former governess meet 50 years later and realize that Vicky didn't do it herself. "Captain Leopold Gets Angry" by Edward D. Hoch: Captain Leopold gets really angry when crooks kidnap children. But he gets even angrier when they kill old men who try to protect children.e] First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 11, 2024
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Sep 14, 2024
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Sep 11, 2024
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Paperback
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| B0094968OA
| 3.00
| 1
| Feb 1965
| Feb 01, 1965
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liked it
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Continuing my journey through EQMMs that I've accumulated over the past ten years and we have another mixed bag. The stories that are good are very go
Continuing my journey through EQMMs that I've accumulated over the past ten years and we have another mixed bag. The stories that are good are very good-- "My Ladies Tears," "A Stroke of Genius," "The Mysterious Mr. Smith," "Into Thin Air," and "Do Not Choose Death" but the rest are pretty meh. I'm guessing there's a reason I was unfamiliar with the Poe story (despite having what I thought was a volume of all his work) and I have the feeling that I've read the Robert L. Fish Holmes pastiche before and was just as unimpressed then as I am now. And "How to Break out of Sing Sing" and "The Gag of the Century" don't seem to me to be mysteries at all--though I guess we could stretch a point for "Sing Sing" since it does involve crooks. ★★★ for the collection overall. "The Case for Miss Peacock" by Charlotte Armstrong: A retired librarian who reads a lot of mysteries finds it more difficult to prove her innocence in an armed robbery case that one might expect--but she's not all that upset about it. "My Ladies Tears" by Christianna Brand: When Don Juan decides to dismiss his mistresses in advance of his impending marriage, he thinks the ladies will be satisfied with tear-drop diamonds as a memento. But at least one of them isn't.... "Fire with Fire" by Richard Lewis: Professor John Garten finds himself in debt to a con man and decides on a unique way to pay off his debt. "Just Meat" by Jack London: Two thieves, a fortune in jewels, and the results when it comes time to divvy up the spoils. They each think they'll get their heart's desire... "The Adventure of the Big Plunger" by Robert L. Fish: A Sherlock Holmes pastiche featuring Schlock Homes--Schlock's brother Criscroft asks him to investigate the death of Lord Fynch-fframis--who was either pushed out his window or committed suicide. "How to Break out of Sing Sing" by Robert Hardin: Loot (a criminal, not a policeman) decides that the best way out of prison is to pretend to get himself reformed. His pals think he's crazy and doesn't have a chance of fooling the shrink. "A Stroke of Genius" by Victor Canning: Lancelot and Horace pull off a perfectly good robbery. The cops don't suspect them of a thing...until Lancelot takes up painting. "The Mysterious Mr. Smith" by James M. Ullman: Ted Bennett is hired by a pre-fab home builder to find out why a Mr. Joe Smith is masquerading as one of the company's salesmen. "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" by Edgar Allan Poe: An odd, dream-like story of life, death, and reincarnation. "The Gag of the Century" by William Bankier: The lengths some guys have to go to in order to get paid for writing gags for Windy Winter.... "Into Thin Air" by Helen McCloy: A bank president has absconded with $380,000 and somehow manages to disappear (with the cash) while in mid-flight aboard a private plane. "Hit & Run" by Neil M. Clark: When Vic has a couple of "small ones" and hits someone who rushes out on a bicycle in front of him, he knows better than to stop and help...just look what happened to Jim when he hit that old lady who stumbled out in front of him... "Do Not Choose Death" by Charles B. Child: The wife of a famous surgeon is found strangled and the killer has apparently left his fingerprints in lipstick... "First Kill" by William Fay: A sensitive story about the first time Office Heidig kills a man in the line of duty. He asks himself, Did he really give the man time to surrender? "The Spinning Wheel" by David Alexander: A pretty playboy gambles on a plan to inherit his older wife's money...only to lose the pot to a more experienced player. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 30, 2024
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Sep 2024
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Aug 30, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1685126197
| 9781685126193
| 1685126197
| 4.50
| 8
| 1944
| May 14, 2024
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really liked it
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Our favorite grocer turned amateur detective is back for a second round of sleuthing in the wilds of Alaska/ F. Millard Smyth is visiting Harding Lake
Our favorite grocer turned amateur detective is back for a second round of sleuthing in the wilds of Alaska/ F. Millard Smyth is visiting Harding Lake while he contemplates whether he wants to buy his friend Blaine's grocery store in Fairbanks. Blaine has a cabin on the lake which he has put at Smyth's disposal--where the little grocer can enjoy the Alaskan countryside and read his Flatfoot detective magazines to his heart's content. While there he meets the members of the Abby Association, a group of friends and relatives who have a shared interest in a mining concern. There are the Kingdom brothers, Virgil and Benny; Virgil's wife, Bella; Abby Thorne and her daughter Chris; Ethan Frazee, his uncle Trigger Joe, and his half-sister Jade Lothrop. He immediately notices the tensions between the brothers as well as between Ethan and Jade. Trigger Joe is all worked up--apparently everyone in the Association wants to sell out except him, and it's an all or none deal. Mysterious goings on also get the amateur sleuth's attention--clandestine meetings between various Association members, "Dipper" symbols left along the paths winding through the cabins, flashlight signals, and someone has been getting into his cabin. When Trigger Joe's body is found with a bullet in the heart in a burning empty cabin, it looks like someone got impatient for the the sale to go through. Do any of the mysterious activities have anything to do with the murder? Smyth is eager to put his Flatfoot skills to work, but the deputy marshall who shows up to take charge of the investigation isn't inclined to accept amateur help. He isn't swayed by Smyth's success in the earlier case involving the Senator's daughter (Murder Breaks Trail). So, Smyth teams up with a set of boy scouts (in Benny Kingdom's charge), all improbably named Bill and so known as One, Two, & Three, to do what they can to clear up the mystery. Bits and pieces of Trigger Joe's most recent will--which left his assets divided between Ethan and Jade--are discovered. Since the previous (and still existing) will left it all to Ethan, suspicion rests on Ethan for a while. But then other evidence is found that spreads the suspicion around. A second murder takes place and Smyth comes up with a plan to draw the killer into the open, but will the little grocer survive long enough to tell the deputy marshall who it is? As with the first Smyth story, we have a closed circle mystery. A storm cuts the lake residents off from the main roads and the marshall arrives by plane--there is no other way in or out. Boyd also gives us a memorable cast of characters with well-developed backgrounds and built-in tension. The brothers have always been rivals with Virgil, the "King," outshining his brother on every score. Ethan and Jade have never gotten along either and Chris has always envied Bella's luck in capturing the King. We have another compelling background character in the Alaskan landscape. The area around the lake comes alive and seems intent on keeping the group stranded until the killer can be caught. I found the story to be tightly plotted and enjoyable overall, but I have to say that Smyth seemed much more diffident and nervous in his amateur investigations than in the first novel. One would (and did) expect him to be more confident after his success in Murder Breaks Trail, but he stutters his way through several discussions of the murders and clues. I'm also really curious (and this is just me wondering about things)--why on earth does Smyth go off to Harden Lake in the first place? If he's thinking about buying a grocery store, why isn't he in Fairbanks where the store is? You'd think he'd want to get the lay of the land of the place he was going to be--not off in the wild. It's not like the man actually swims (everyone else does) or boats or really seems to enjoy doing outdoorsy stuff. He likes looking at the scenery, but that's about it. But--despite my slight quibbles over Smyth--this is an entertaining mystery and I once again appreciated getting a glimpse of Alaska in the early years before statehood. I'm grateful to Boyd's goddaughter, Elizabeth Aden, for sending me a copy to review. These novels have been difficult to get hold of and she has had them reprinted as well as publishing several novels that were left unpublished at Boyd's death. I recommend you check them out. I accepted this free copy with the understanding that I would provide an honest review and have received no other compensation of any kind. ★★★ and 1/2. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 03, 2024
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Jun 04, 2024
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May 29, 2024
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Paperback
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| unknown
| 4.00
| 5
| Jan 01, 1945
| 1945
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really liked it
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Charlie Murphy is a young man with all kinds of troubles. He's home for a vacation, but his dreams of time to do whatever he wants whenever he wants d
Charlie Murphy is a young man with all kinds of troubles. He's home for a vacation, but his dreams of time to do whatever he wants whenever he wants die quickly. His mother is trying to set him up with a young woman who gives him a pain in the neck. Another young woman is dogging his footsteps wherever he goes. And the gangly, overall-wearing young woman next door keeps dragging him into murders. Well, not exactly. Charlie comes home late one evening to a mother who wants to know where he's been and who he's been with (and how on earth are you going to be awake enough to go play golf with Constance [the pain-giver] tomorrow?). Oh, and by the way, would he take care of the exotic bird in cellar before he goes to bed? Huh? But Charlie, ever the dutiful son, goes down and finds an ordinary owl. He opens the cellar window and tries to encourage the bird to fly away. The owl has other ideas. He's taken a fancy to Charlie and refuses to go. So, Charlie leaves the owl and the open window and toddles off to bed. Later, he hears a noise and goes to investigate. The owl is still there...and so is a dead man dangling from the open window. When the police arrive in the person of Lieutenant Ryan, a wheelbarrow track leads directly to the house next door and blood is found on the Regents' wheelbarrow. The bodies start piling up and it begins to look pretty bad for someone in the Regent household. Charlie has developed a soft spot for Blue Regent (is that a name or what?) and plays hero, apparent accomplice, and amateur detective all at once. But is it possible his lady love is a killer after all? As with most of the Margaret Scherf mysteries I've read, this one is great fun and a little off-the-wall. Charlie's mother is bigger-than-life Irish and the most meddlesome woman ever. If I were Charlie, I'd be moving out pronto. Of course, he's got bigger troubles than "Mayme" (as he calls her)--what with trying to dispose of guns and a second murdered man and Lt. Ryan implying that he might get locked up at any minute. But Charlie and Blue come through in the end and help Ryan nab the culprit. I had a sneaking suspicion "who" that was--but I didn't realize who the "who" was. (I promise that makes sense when you read the story...). Lots of frantic to-ing and fro-ing by Charlie and Blue and Daffy (Blue's sister) as well as others. Lots of bullets flying (though few hitting anything vital). Lots of clues and red-herrings and action. Just plain lots of fun. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 17, 2024
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May 17, 2024
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May 17, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| B0007E865A
| 4.00
| 3
| Jan 01, 1945
| 1945
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liked it
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Peggy Cameron is the spoiled daughter of an influential newspaper publisher. But she is determined to be a good reporter and flies to Chungking China
Peggy Cameron is the spoiled daughter of an influential newspaper publisher. But she is determined to be a good reporter and flies to Chungking China to get the real story of the Sino-Japanese battles of the early years of World War II. The U.S. hasn't entered the war yet and is actually more pro-Japan--still sending materials and doing business with the country that would soon send war planes to Pearl Harbor. The officials all want to shuttle her through official Embassy channels, but Peggy knows they won't show her what it's really like on the ground in China. On the way in, she makes friends with Ted, the pilot, who promises to get her in contact with the Americans in China who are trying assist the Chinese efforts to repel the Japanese who will in turn help her interview Chinese citizens. Although she says she wants to report the facts, she does come with a certain bias and she'll have to learn to overcome it if she's going to do her job properly. It isn't long before she's in the thick of things--just when there are rumors of Chinese traitors and even Americans helping the Japan bombers find their targets in the blackout. She meets Bill and Henry, Americans helping to train the Chinese fighters, and Tina, Olga, Mei-Ing are women of various backgrounds (mixed, Russian, Chinese) who are also assisting the cause. There are others whose loyalties are uncertain. When Henry intercepts coded messages originating from their location and directed at the Japanese, the hunt is on for the traitor(s), but can they find them before a devastating attack? Herbert Yardley was a code breaker in World War I. He also served as a personal adviser to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and later as an adviser to the Canadian government. So, he knows his onions when it comes to codes and situation in China. Carl Brabo was a professor of English at the University of Chicago. The story is a pretty standard war-time spy thriller novel. But it was definitely interesting to see a World War II novel from the American point of view, but set before America officially entered the war. And so many of the war-time thrillers I've read have been set in the European theater, so it was also interesting to have one set in Asia. Pretty good characterization and good background on a part of the war I didn't know. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 16, 2024
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May 17, 2024
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May 16, 2024
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Hardcover
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| B001TB0B8U
| 2.00
| 1
| Sep 1965
| Jan 01, 1965
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it was ok
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I have to say that I thought this collection one of the weakest of the EQMM's I've read so far. The best of the bunch are the Christie and the Queen..
I have to say that I thought this collection one of the weakest of the EQMM's I've read so far. The best of the bunch are the Christie and the Queen...and I've read both of them before. "A Fine Winter Thirst" is good and pulls at the heart strings a bit with that ending. "The Mystery of the Fulton Documents" is a much better Dupin pastiche than the Goulart story's parody of hardboiled pulp (quite frankly it made no sense to me and I didn't find it funny at all). The Chandler story is a much rougher version of his novel The Big Sleep (which I read last year and enjoyed very much). I didn't get much out of "to Reach the Sea" or "Who Walks Behind" and the rest of the stories are okay. ★★ and 1/2 (a very weak 1/2...so I'm not rounding up) "Blood Brothers" by Christianna Brand: The Birdswell identical twins are said to be devoted to each other. And so they are...until they both get involved with the same woman. Then murder and competing alibis put them in Inspector Cockrill's sights and it's every man for himself. "Unc Probes Pickle Plot" by John Jakes: A story chock full of slang that makes it a bit of a trudge to read through. And the big mystery--who switched a jar of about-to-be prize-winning pickles for a jar of beets at a town fair--is pretty ho-hum. "The Mystery of the Fulton Documents" by Michael Harrison: An Auguste Dupin pastiche in which Dupin discovers how the top-secret weapon plans were smuggled out of a French official's safe. "Bloehm's Wall" by George Emmett: Bloehm is slowly dying from a cancer eating away at him. He's always know that Emil will show up one day to settle old scores. But when Emil does things don't quite go as he anticipated. "A Fine Winter Thirst" by George Emmett: A mute itinerant worker finally finds love--only to have it snatched away from him by a cruel barkeeper. "All the Way Home" by Jaime Sandaval: Tommy has to listens to rumors about his dad and Miss Abby Hunter, the young teacher who taught school about a mile from their home. Tommy's dad had installed Miss Abby in the lighthouse near their property and Tommy's mom was none too pleased. Things come to a head one windy night when the lighthouse burns down and Tommy's Dad's boat is found adrift. "The 'Supernatural' Murder" by Agatha Christie: Dr. Pender takes center stage next with a tale of a seemingly impossible murder cloaked with a bit of mysticism. The murder was committed on the night of a costume party near the grove of Astarte. The grove was on the estate of Sir Richard Haydon, a man who was rival of his cousin Eliot for the love of the beautiful Dianna Ashley. The grove contained a mysterious summer house which was rumored to have been a place where secret rites were held long ago. Diana decided to dress the part of Astarte--appearing in a mysterious glow in the summer house. The vision startled Sir Richard and he then stumbled to the ground. when the others reached him, he was dead from a knife wound...but there was no knife to be found. Miss Marple spots the answer. "The Needle's Eye" by Ellery Queen: A man suspects his new son-in-law and his father of having evil designs of one sort or another on either himself or his daughter (or both). He asks Ellery to investigate--and in the process Ellery solves a murder and the mystery of a pirate's hidden treasure. "To Reach the Sea" by Monica Dickens: An odd little story about a woman having an affair and a wig with hair that grows--oh, and one drowning. In a river. Nowhere near the sea...as far as I can tell. "The Curtain" by Raymond Chandler: A rehearsal story for Chandler's The Big Sleep--all the bones are there--from the old General who wants to know what happened to his son-in-law to red herrings before Carmody (Marlowe's predecessor) figures out what really happened. The killer has changed--but not the motivating factor. "The Peppermint Striped Goodbye" by Ron Goulart: Seems to be a mash-up parody of Chandler's "The Curtain" and a Ross MacDonald Lew Archer story. Rumor has it this is funny. Don't attribute that rumor to me... "The Restorer of Balance" by Avram Davidson: In the matter of feeding tigers--who is the hunter and who the hunted? "Who Walks Behind?" by Holly Roth: George feels compelled to help a man who claims to be a refugee...but he's not sure if it's safe. If perhaps there's someone following after... First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 05, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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Mar 05, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1939474043
| 9781939474049
| 1939474043
| 3.38
| 259
| 2004
| Jun 24, 2014
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liked it
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Benjamin Cooker, renowned wine critic, is waylaid while on a trip to Paris. He is beaten and his prized classic Mercedes is hijacked. But as upset as
Benjamin Cooker, renowned wine critic, is waylaid while on a trip to Paris. He is beaten and his prized classic Mercedes is hijacked. But as upset as he is about the stolen car, he is more upset about the briefcase with his wine-tasting notebook which held years' worth all the wines he had tasted the world over. He is sure he will never see any of his possessions again. He is sent to the Tours region to recover where he meets a suave Englishman a car even better than a Mercedes. Cooker has always wanted a Morgan Plus 8--or at least to ride in one. So he makes friends with Sir Robert Morton and fulfills his dream. While Cooker is in Tours a series of thefts involving priceless Grand cru wines takes place. The wines belong to a friend of Cooker. And the very night that Morton leaves the hotel the young woman with whom he had arrived (and who had packed up and left while he and Cooker were out joy-riding) is found strangled. This discovery is followed by the apparent suicide of the concierge--a young man who Cooker had made friends with. The police believe it to be an easy case--Gaetan, the concierge, had strangled the woman and then killed himself in a fit of remorse. But Cooker doesn't believe it and points out a few inconsistencies to the police. But if not Gaetan, then who--and why? Cooker and his assistant Virgile manage to answer those questions as well as help their friend Boüard get to the bottom of the wine thefts. Oh...and Cooker gets his Mercedes and the notebook back intact too! This is a perfectly fine little story. Most interesting for the locale and the interesting tidbits about wine. I also really enjoyed Cooker and Virgile and their working relationship. There is, however, no great complex mystery. For one, there just aren't really a lot of suspects to sift through. It's not difficult to figure out whodunnit. Definitely more of a comfort read than an intellectual puzzle. My biggest question is--did the culprit just happen to be in Tours at the same time as Cooker or was it planned? And if was planned, how did they know he'd be there? First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Mar 27, 2024
not set
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Mar 28, 2024
not set
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Mar 03, 2024
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Paperback
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| 4.00
| 1
| 1966
| 1966
|
really liked it
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I'm still working my way through the Ellery Queen collections/magazines that I've picked up over the last several years. This is another great collect
I'm still working my way through the Ellery Queen collections/magazines that I've picked up over the last several years. This is another great collection with familiar (to me) names such as Steinbeck, the Lockridges, Crispin, Starrett, and the like. I've read one novel by L.A.G. Strong (All Fall Down) and have Kersh's Prelude to a Certain Midnight sitting on the TBR stacks. I appreciated Strong's novel much more than the short story included here. In fact, Strong and Kersh's stories share a common theme--they're about incidents that may or may not have happened exactly as related. My favorites in this anthology are those by Woolrich, the Lockridges, Walsh, Kantor, and Carr--but overall this is a very strong collection. ★★★★ "All at Once, No Alice" by Cornell Woolrich: Our narrator, Jimmy Cannon, fell head over heels in love with Alice Brown and his feelings were returned. So, after a very (VERY) short courtship, they elope--are married by a justice of the peace along the way and due to a shortage of hotel space in the town where they land for their honeymoon, have to sleep apart on their honeymoon. When Jimmy goes to collect his new bride the next morning, she's gone. And so is all trace that she ever existed. Only one man believes him...but will they find her in time? "How Mr. Hogan Robbed a Bank" by John Steinbeck: Mr. Hogan is just your average grocery store manager who comes up with a fool-proof plan to rob the bank next door to the grocery store. "Dead Boys Don't Remember" by Frances & Richard Lockridge: Captain Heimrich is called on to assist in the hunt for a kidnapped boy. He's very much afraid that it's already too late--the boy is old enough to remember details about his kidnappers and Heimrich knows that dead boys can't remember details... "You Can't Love Two Women" by L. A. G. Strong: Maurice has been carrying on an affair and the strain of keeping secrets is getting to be just to much. If it goes on much longer he's going to lose his mind...so he dreams up a plan that will give him an alibi. "The Clue of the Scattered Rubies" by Erle Stanley Gardner: Sidney Zoom is the only one who believes Eva Paine didn't kill her father-in-law for a fortune in rubies. But the evidence doesn't look good... "I Killed John Harrigan" by Thomas Walsh: Walter believes he has pulled off the perfect murder--killing a well-known loan shark who was bleeding him dry. But his conscience won't let him see an innocent man executed... "The Grave Grass Question" by MacKinlay Kantor: Dr. George Martindale's father and brother were killed when he was a young boy and he promised his mother he'd get the man (men) who did it. He just didn't know it would take almost 60 years to do it... "Blind Man's Bluff" by Roy Vickers: When a blind man decides to murder the man in love with his wife, he thinks the police will be too blind to see how it was done. He doesn't realize that the one clue he himself can't see will give him away a few years later. "The Crime by the River" by Edmund Crispin: A servant girl in the house across the river from the Chief Constable is dead. The Superintendent thinks he know who did it. Much depends on how one of the men in the case got to the Chief Constable's house... "£5000 for a Confession" by L. J. Beeston: A journalist, a doctor, an actor-manager, and an amateur detective walk into The Yellow Club...and the amateur detective has a tale of burglary to tell. With an unexpected punch line. "Karmesin & the Crown Jewels" by Gerald Kersh: Kamesin is offered seven million dollars to steal the crown jewels of England for King Tombala of South America... "This Was Willi's Day" by Aaron Marc Stein: Willi is a gigolo with big dreams and he makes slow plans to make those dreams come true. Then he meets a woman who puts those dreams on fast-forward. "Blackmail" by Stephen McKenna: A man is unwise enough to tell a group of fellow passengers how he thinks a good blackmailer should operate. And then puts himself into the hands of his star pupil... "Murder on St. Valentine's Day" by Mignon G. Eberhart: Our narrator, James Wickwire, is a senior vice president at the local bank. He manages the estates of various widows who are clients of the bank. Most of them cause him anxiety--but not Clarissa--she had always kept her head when it came to money matters. Could balance a bank book with the best of them and never fell for wild cat schemes. That is until the day a young assistant cashier brought him a check for $20,000 written in lipstick on a dainty, lace, heart-shaped handkerchief from Clarissa to an unknown handsome young man. He thinks Clarissa has finally fallen for a slick line...but he didn't expect it to lead to murder. "A Piece of String" by Clarence Budington Kelland: Things look black for old man Asbury's grandson when the man is found dead and the only way into his room was through Ransome Asbury's room. But Asbury's old friend Scattergood Baines finds the answer to the puzzle in a piece of string and a broken ice pick. "The Tragedy of Papa Ponsard" by Vincent Starrett: Papa Ponsard is a book store owner who dreads parting with his books and yet he knows he must sell some or be ruined--for he owes 300 francs in back rent and fears every day that Monsieur Gebhart will show up and kick him out of his shop. But few customers enter his store these days. So he starts cataloguing his books so he can try to draw in customers through the mail. Then an innocent change (on the part of his daughter's suitor) in a book's price results in an unexpected twist of fate--both wonderful and tragic. "Taboo" by Geoffrey Household: Our narrator, a psychologist, tells the story of a visit to the village of Zweibergen in the Carpathian mountains. Local men began vanishing without a trace and the villagers began to whisper of creatures in the night. He and another visitor decide to keep watch and trap the killer--whether man or beast--with lasting effects for both of them. "The Silver Curtain" by John Dickson Carr: Jerry Winton is having terrible luck at the gaming tables. Then a man comes along and offers him ten thousand francs to just go to a doctor's house and pick up some pills. Sounds like an easy way to earn some much-needed cash. But then that same fellow winds up dead with a knife in his back outside the doctor's establishment...and there's no one around but Jerry. And he didn't do it. Fortunately, Colonel March of Scotland Yard is on hand to explain what happened and who really did it. "Bride in Danger" by Ellery Queen: Ellery has been invited as an eligible bachelor (the bride's mother is hoping to do a little more matchmaking) to a wedding in Wrightsville. He finds himself serving as a repository for various secrets and almost winds up attending a funeral for the bride instead of a reception for the happy couple. His eye for the right word helps him identify the person with murderous intentions toward Dr. Farnham's intended. "The Girl Who Lived Dangerously" by Hugh Pentecost: A man who runs rigged carnival games finds himself caught up in a much more deadly game when his helper is killed--apparently over a poker game gone wrong. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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| Jan 01, 1965
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Another in a small batch of EQMM editions that I picked up some time ago. A very good selection of stories this time--with just one that I wouldn't re
Another in a small batch of EQMM editions that I picked up some time ago. A very good selection of stories this time--with just one that I wouldn't recommend highly ( "The Seeker of Ultimates" --which I'm very doubtful is a mystery at all). The Pentecost is advertised as a "complete action-suspense novel," but at 58 pages I just don't see how you can call it a novel. Even novella would be pushing it. I'm calling it a long short story--and a terrific debut for the lead character. It is the first appearance of Pentecost's artist turned amateur detective, John Jericho. Here, he is on a quest to find the man who killed a woman on the street outside his apartment--in full view of about 30 witnesses. None of whom will speak. The pastiche of Poirot is delightful. And I enjoyed the nonfiction pieces by Gardner and Innes. ★★★★ "Jericho & the Silent Witnesses" by Hugh Pentecost: All John Jericho wanted to do that night was get down on canvas the look, the mood that he had seen in Lucinda Laverne's face at the bus stop. But a scream outside his window interrupted and he found himself in the middle of a murder investigation (the first of many for Jericho) with ties to a riverfront kingpin. [various references on the internet indicate that this was based on the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964] "Getting Away with Murder" by Erle Stanley Gardner (nonfiction): Gardner examines hard-boiled crime and the changes wrought from its infancy to the 1960s. He also says that the "school of realism" isn't as solidly based in the real world as its practitioners might want to claim. "Death as a Game" by Michael Innes (J.I.M. Stewart; also nonfiction): Innes argues for murder mysteries as entertainment and that if things become too realistic (and literary) that all the mystery goes out of it. "The Scientist and the Bagful of Water" by Arthur Porges: Lieutenant Trask is sure that Preston Whitney has killed James Connors for financial gain, but has little hope of proving it. It appears that Connors was killed by a prank with water balloons gone wrong. He takes the case to his scientific friend, Cyriak Skinner Grey, on the outside chance he can spot something the good lieutenant has missed. "Elementary, My Dear Job Seeker" by Charles McIntosh: An applicant for a private investigator's job finds a unique way to guarantee he gets it. "The Teccomshire Fen Mystery" by Cathie Haig Star: A delightful send-up of Christie's Hercule Poirot. The master sleuth Pierre Choulot must find out who shot the artist while he was painting. "Poirot Indulges a Whim" (aka "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" ) by Agatha Christie: Mrs. Robinson lands an incredible deal on a new flat in a fairly prestigious building. So incredible that Poirot decides he must investigate. "The Halloween Mystery" by Ellery Queen: Ellery's secretary Nikki is invited to a Halloween party where everyone is directed to dress up as black cats. The invitation specifically says, "Be sure to drag your boss-cat along, also costumed." Ellery is reluctant...but goes. He's expecting to be bored silly by a society party. Of course, there's a murder game. And, of course, there's a real murder. But which of the black cats was unlucky enough to kill while Ellery Queen was in the house? "They's Things in the Deep Woods" by M. L. Dunn: About what a man's willing to do when he sees his kin disrespecting the wood. There's some things go on that a man just doesn't want to know about. "Tiger in the Cellar" by Joan D. Ladd: The wife of a policeman takes on a burglar with interesting results. "The Seeker of Ultimates" by Joe Gores: A couple of physicists decide to prove that Satan doesn't exist and use a computer in the attempt. But what if Satan doesn't want to be disproven? "A as in Accident" by Lawrence Treat: Officer Mitch Taylor investigates a murder that's been covered by a fake auto accident. But even that little trick isn't as straight-forward as it looks. First posted on my blogMy Readers' Block>. ...more |
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| 3.00
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| Nov 1958
| Nov 01, 1958
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Listed as a "Winter All Star Issue" --I'm not entirely sure that is a fair description. Of the thirteen stories, only seven are by well-known authors w
Listed as a "Winter All Star Issue" --I'm not entirely sure that is a fair description. Of the thirteen stories, only seven are by well-known authors who might be considered stars. And I wouldn't say that all of stories are star-performers. This is a standard collection for Queen's mystery magazine with a few outstanding stories ( "Command Performance," "All Men Make Mistakes," Itchy the Debonair, "and" The Footprint in the Sky "), a few duds (" The Absence of Mr. Glass "--not really much of a mystery at all--and" The Heirloom "--same), and the rest are decent, but not extraordinary. ★★★ for the collection. "A Routine Night's Work" by George Harmon Coxe: A police procedural where what looks like a routine suicide is connected to a recent unsolved murder....and may not be quite so routine after all. (one hit on head; one poisoned; two shot) "Hercule Poirot: Armchair Detective" (aka "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim" ) by Agatha Christie: Mr. Davenheim has vanished from his country house, The Cedars. Poirot bets Japp five pounds that he can solve the mystery of the disappearance without moving from his chair. Japp takes him up on it and agrees to share all the information he gathers--well, of course you know who wins the bet. "Command Performance" (aka "The Statement of Jerry Malloy" ) by Anthony Boucher: Eugene Dakin and Jerry Malloy are a famous double-act that goes sour after Gene marries a girl named Stella. The police are listening to the statement of Jerry Malloy about what happened the night Stella gets killed and they (and the reader) get a bit of surprise. (one stabbed) "All Men Make Mistakes" by Frances & Richard Lockridge: Corporeal Crowley has a hunch that a straightforward auto accident isn't--an accident, that is. But it isn't until Captain M. L. Heimrich makes a little driving mistake that they figure out how murder was done. (one auto accident) "Hand on My Shoulder" by Peggy McIntyre: A playwright finds an unusual way to prevent an actress whose is too hold from playing the lead in his first really good play. (one fell from height; one poisoned) "The Absence of Mr. Glass" by G. K. Chesterton: Father Brown calls on a famous psychologist to help him help one of his parishioners. The young woman is in love with a young man her mother has deemed unsuitable and there are a few mysteries that need resolving before the two young people can get together. But Father Brown winds up teaching the famous man a thing or two... "The Heirloom" by Patricia Knowlton: Carlotta is on her deathbed and wants to pass a family heirloom on to her daughter-in-law personally before its too late. But there's something the daughter-in-law ought to know about the pretty necklace.... "Itchy the Debonair" by Dashiell Hammett: Itchy is a fairly successful small-time crook--until a chance remark or two earn him a description as a "debonair gentleman crook." Which he resents at first. But when he learns about Raffles and other literary gentlemen in his fraternity, he thinks "There might be something to this 'gentleman crook' stuff. People had written books about them..." He decides to embrace the description. And that is his undoing. "Murder--Early American" by Ruth Chessman: A bondwoman in Colonial America devises what she believes to be the perfect murder plot to both release her from her drudgery and capture the heart of the heir of her mistress. (one hit on head) "The Gambler's Wife" by Charles G, Norris: The hardened owner of a gambling parlor is touched by the heart-wrenching tale of the wife of one of his patrons--a patron who has lost all the couple had. He returns the money to the woman on condition that her husband never come to the establishment again. Imagine his reaction when the man walks in the very next night.... "The Footprint in the Sky" by John Dickson Carr: Is it possible for someone to sleepwalk and bash someone else over the head and not even know it? "Dear Mr. Lonelyheart" by Talmage Powell: Young Southern girl meets older Northern man in the Lonelyhearts column. Marriage follows. And most likely murder too... (but not on the page) "Salesmanship" by Talmage Powell: The local mortician is not doing well. It's not that business is lacking, but the poor people who are his main customers rarely are able to pay for his services. But then he thinks up a way to sell a nice pricey crypt with all the fixings...and to someone who can definitely meet the cost. (one fell from height) First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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| 1948104156
| 9781948104159
| 1948104156
| 3.80
| 10
| 1917
| Sep 01, 2018
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really liked it
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"Dear Krag, are we all bewitched? How did this piece of paper come to be taken from a locked compartment in the police station and arrive in the posse
"Dear Krag, are we all bewitched? How did this piece of paper come to be taken from a locked compartment in the police station and arrive in the possession of this very intoxicated man? Why did he crumple it in his hand, as if life and death depended on its possession? Why was he murdered? And who exactly is this man anyway?"(Detective Sirius Keller) A policeman is on his rounds one evening in May when he hears noises from the house of the Abbot Montrose. He summons aid and when he and his colleague reach the scene, they find evidence of a fierce fight, bloodstains, broken glass, a remnant of the Abbot's vestments--but no sign of the gentleman. Detective Sirius Keller and Detective Asbjørn Krag are assigned to the case and it turns out to be quite a tricky one. That there has been a robbery, there is no doubt. But what has happened to the Abbot? Is he dead? Has he been kidnapped by the thieves? Did he go willingly. The detectives suspect the worst. Despite the fact that all the clues seem to point to Arnold Singer, a man who worked in the Abbot's gardens, Krag thinks there is more to it than meets the eye. Things get confusing when a man claiming to be the Abbot shows up at the inn owned by Singer's father-in-law. Then a note is received in the Abbot's handwriting that indicates that he is, indeed, alive. Singer makes two confessions. Detective Keller is tied up twice. And two men are really killed. But is either of them the Abbot? You'll just have to read this for yourself to find out. At its core, this is a very well-plotted puzzle with intricate clues that lead back to the initial event. It took me a while to settle into the translated style--some of the scenes seemed a bit disjointed to me, but I'm pretty sure it was the style of the translation and not due to Elvestad's abilities as a writer. His plot is action-packed and new clues pop up in almost every chapter. It almost reads like one of those cliff-hanging serials--though our heroes aren't in danger at the end of each episode. It's more like "And now our heroes have been given clue X...join us in the next chapter to see what our daring detectives will make of this...." He has a solid mystery, great descriptions of the locales, and well-defined characters. I particularly enjoyed the bantering relationship between Keller and Krag (see 5th quote below for an example). These two obviously know each other well and can give each other a hard time without hard feelings. The ending took me completely by surprise and the unique solution really helped offset the difficulties I had early on with the translated style. Thanks to Kazabo Publishing for sending me this interesting early Norwegian mystery. ★★★★ First line: Policeman Number 314 put his police whistle in his pocket, stood motionless, and peered down the street. Number 314 is standing next to the desk and eating his buttered bread with slow deliberation. Nothing prevents a policeman from eating his sandwich in the evening. Often lonesome souls walking at night can hear paper rustling from a darkened gateway, that's the policeman eating his sandwich. In many quiet cities nothing happens over the long nights at all except that the policeman eats his sandwich. (p. 6) There lay Keller, bound hand and foot, with a gag in his mouth. Krag undid the gag, and while he was still cutting Keller's bindings, his friend vented his anger with a volley of curses so inspired that Krag wished he were taking notes. (p. 69) "The more complicated a thing is," said Krag, "the simpler the solution must be. Once you have found the right thread, any knot may be unraveled smoothly." (p. 106) [shades of Sherlock Holmes] "Are you taking notes? Is that exactly what he said?" (Krag) "No. I memorized it and I'm going to take it on stage as a cabaret act. Yes, of course I'm taking notes." (Keller; p. 153) [Gotta love the sarcasm.] First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Paperback
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| 0345483022
| 9780345483027
| 0345483022
| 3.71
| 2,793
| 1987
| Dec 28, 1996
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really liked it
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Jay Omega (Professor James Owens Mega) is attending his first ever science fiction convention--as a featured author. Under the pen name Jay Omega, he
Jay Omega (Professor James Owens Mega) is attending his first ever science fiction convention--as a featured author. Under the pen name Jay Omega, he has written a hard SF novel--which has been given the title Bimbos of the Death Sun and a lurid cover by his publishers--and his partner, Marion Farley (Professor of English, science fiction specialty) advises him that he should go to a convention and promote his book. So he does. He doesn't expect the weekend to involve sharing author honors with one of the most odious fantasy authors, Appin Dungannon or judging a writing contest or serving as Dungeon Master for a live "Dungeons & Dragons" game...or becoming involved in a murder investigation when somebody decides they've had enough of Dungannon and shoots him in his hotel room. Dungannon's fantasy series may have been beloved by fans...but he certainly wasn't. His idea of author/fan interaction was to insult their intelligence at every opportunity. Poor Lieutenant Ayhan doesn't know what to make of the case when it's assigned to him.There are elves, Star Trek officers, vampires, storm troopers, and more wandering the hallways of the hotel. Since 90% of the convention attendees are in costume, it's difficult to pin down who's who--and he's never sure when someone mentions a name if it's a real person or not. "I didn't see....Yes, I did. Going down the hall toward the room, I passed two Imperial Storm Troopers, and when I came out, I ran into Dracula." [Louis Warren] Lt. Ayhan sighed, "I love this case." He wonders which of these crazy SF/Fantasy folk went off the murder deep-end and decided to rid the world of the rude author. But, having just met him that weekend, Jay Omega wonders who didn't want to kill him? When Jay's expertise is needed with the victim's computer, they realize that portions of Dungannon's most recent novel have been deleted. Could the deletions hold the key to the murder? So, this was hilarious--dated views of women notwithstanding. I never attended a SF convention--I was too young when I was in my full-throttle science fiction phase. But I did write Star Trek parodies and poetry and, had I been able, I'm sure I would have attended a con in full Trek costume. I'm pretty familiar with the rabid fan mentality that McCrumb portrays. I see that some of the reviewers on Goodreads take exception to her poking fun at these things. But I can definitely recognize the types and enjoy the fun being had. I don't think she's being cruel and, quite honestly, some of the behavior is very funny. Full points for setting, background, and general ambiance. The mystery plot itself is a little obvious. Mainly because I didn't think McCrumb built up enough solid motives among the "suspects" --and really didn't have the lieutenant do much in the way of investigating those suspects. The death occurs rather late in the game and so the ending was a bit fast and forced. An earlier murder with more investigation and motive development would have been welcome. I'm not as familiar with McCrumb's work, so I looked to see if this was her debut mystery, but she had at least three under her belt at that point (and possibly four--depending on the timing between this and Paying the Piper). Still, this was a highly entertaining book and I enjoyed reading it. ★★★ and 1/2. [rounded up here] First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. I own this as a two-in-one with Zombies of the Gene Pool ...more |
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Mass Market Paperback
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| B000OR4XWA
| 3.00
| 1
| Dec 1946
| Dec 01, 1946
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liked it
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The White Dress (read 12/14/14): The White Dress is one of the most romantic-thriller-esque examples in Mignon Eberhart's work--at least of those I've
The White Dress (read 12/14/14): The White Dress is one of the most romantic-thriller-esque examples in Mignon Eberhart's work--at least of those I've read so far. The reader knows exactly what's in store from page one when Marny Sanderson steps off the plane in Miami. She faced an unexpected and obscurely frightening thought; it was nonsense and yet it had a certain authority strong enough for Marny to pause a second, her hand on the railing, caught by an absurd compulsion to retreat, to turn around, re-enter the plane, go back to New York, go anywhere, but go. It was exactly as if she were afraid of something, as if some vague and unaccountable uneasiness, unrealized or, at least, certainly not acknowledged, had crystallized that moment and become fear. Her feeling of uneasiness grows when at a secluded pool on her employer's luxurious Biscayne Bay island estate, she finds herself in the arms of a handsome stranger and then being kissed by the handsome and charming Andre Durant. It changes to terror verging on hysteria when she encounters an unknown woman who proves to be Durant's estranged wife. Her sense of foreboding is proved right when all events lead to a single conclusion--murder! Her well-ordered life--the life of the perfect secretary, devoted to her her job--is turned upside down...she learns about love and lust, horror and fear. And she learns that behind one of the familiar faces on the small island lurks the heart of a killer. I generally like Mignon Eberhart--but I prefer the stories with her recurring characters Sarah Keate & Lance O'Leary or Susan Dare to her stand-alone romantic thrillers. Not that the thrillers are bad; they're just not my particular cup of tea. This one is a good example of the type--plenty of romantic tension, lots of suspicion to go around, and an effort to put our heroine on the spot and frame her up for murder. A decent read for me at ★★★ and I'd bet that those who like their mysteries with a romantic-suspense twist would rate it higher. [Reviewed on my blogMy Reader's Block. ********************** The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout (read 3/5/24) Cheney Boone, the Director of the Bureau of Price Regulation (hereafter BPR) is found beaten to death in his dressing room just before he's set to give a speech at a gathering of the National Industrial Association (NIA). The NIA is made up of a group of big business concerns and there isn't much love lost between the two agencies. Boone was repeatedly struck with a monkey wrench that was among his props for the speech. [Bev's first question: why on earth did the man have not one, but several monkey wrenches for his speech. This isn't really pertinent to the mystery...but inquiring minds want to know.] Given the antagonism which exists between the BPR and the NIA, the NIA has already been found guilty at the bar of public opinion. Public opinion doesn't really seem to care which NIA member did it--they're all guilty by association. Nero Wolfe, who has been goaded into figuring out a way to get paid--so Archie, Fritz, Theodore, and all those orchids won't be homeless, puts Archie to work on a scheme that manipulates the NIA into practically begging him to investigate and snatch their chestnuts out of the fire. The key to the case winds up being a leather satchel containing speech recorder cylinders that Boone's confidential assistant Miss Phoebe Gunther seems to have misplaced. Phoebe is next on the killer's hit list. And when the satchel is found, there are only nine cylinders when there should be ten. Whatever was on that last cylinder must be hot stuff and Wolfe pulls out all the stops...including doing a turn as a mental case...to find it. In the meantime, Cramer is pulled off the case because he's given Wolfe too much latitude (and gotten no results). And he's replaced with Inspector Ash who is a horse's rear-end. Wolfe contrives to pull his rabbits out of hats with Cramer present so he will get the glory and be reinstated. I love the ending where Cramer wants to say thank you (with the gift of an orchid) but doesn't want to be all mushy about it. For about half to two-thirds of the book, I felt like this was the same old, same old. Archie goads Wolfe into working. Wolfe defies the police. Wolfe is threatened with jail time. Wolfe, for apparently inexplicable reasons, chooses to keep Archie out of part of the investigation--hiring a detective agency to do a bunch of leg work; using Saul Panzer and not letting Archie listen in on Saul's reports. The story is saved by the ending. Wolfe's theatrics as a man suffering from a nervous breakdown and his interactions with Archie during that period as well as the ending proper where he reveals all (plus Cramer with orchid in hand) makes it all worthwhile. ★★★ [Review posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ********************** The Hollow (read 2/26/24): Agatha Christie gives us a nice little country house murder. Lady Lucy Angkatell invites a group of friends and relatives that is sure to cause tension somewhere...and it mostly revolves around Dr. John Christow. Christow is a brilliant doctor with a terrific manner with patients and some innovative ideas about a cure for a deadly disease. But he's not really any good with personal relations. His wife Gerda worships him and is exactly what he thought he wanted yet he treats her poorly. Henrietta Savernake, a sculptor, is his mistress--because she's more vital and intelligent than Gerda, but he wants her to focus only on him (and not her art)...like Gerda does. Edward Angkatell has always loved Henrietta and hates Christow because Henrietta won't agree to marry him. Others at the house party include Midge Hardcastle, poor relation who must work for her living, who is in love with Edward; David Angkatell, a young intellectual, who feels like an outsider in the family and seems to hate everyone--including Christow. Thrown into the mix is Veronica Cray--Christow's first love who wanted him to give up his life's work as a doctor and come with her to America while she became a Hollywood star. He told her no. She's back in England and determined to get him back. She isn't pleased when he tells her no again. And then...after he spends a late night at Cray's nearby cottage and then is summoned back in the morning--where he tells her that there most definitely isn't anything doing...he's found dead by the swimming pool, shot to death. And his wife Gerda is standing over him with a gun in her hand. Just at that moment, Hercule Poirot (also staying in another nearby cottage and who has been invited to lunch) comes to the scene...a scene that he initially feels has been staged (as a little joke) for the "great detective" and, as the investigation unfolds, still feels staged, though he's not quite certain by whom and to what purpose. But once the little grey cells have the chance to ponder all of the clues--both real and red herrings--he is able to resolve the question. I enjoyed this one more for the characters than for the mystery (I spotted what was going on quite early--long before Poirot makes any indication that he knows the culprit, even if he can't prove it yet). Not that the mystery isn't interesting--it is. Christie does some interesting things with the plot and clue placement. But anyone who thinks Christie only does cardboard cutouts and her characters have no depth should really take a look at this one. The standard characters are given motivations and emotional lives that really resonate on the page...and even Gudgeon, the butler who has few scenes, is more than just the wooden-faced, typical butler. But my favorite has to be Lady Angkatell. Probably because with her apparent non sequiturs that have a way of hitting the nail on the head every time she reminds me a great deal of the Dowager Duchess in Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. And I adore the Dowager. Lucy Angkatell is a bit more frightening than the Dowager--she definitely seems to know what she's about in putting together certain persons. But in general she does appear to want what's best for everyone (even if what she thinks is best isn't necessarily what they think is best). A very good mystery that I found most interesting and fun. ★★★★ [First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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| B075VY1GNB
| 4.00
| 1
| 1941
| Jan 01, 1944
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really liked it
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Janet Cooper, diving instructor at the Hotel Quillan discovers the wealthy Nina Arkwright hacked to death in one of the women's dressing rooms at pool
Janet Cooper, diving instructor at the Hotel Quillan discovers the wealthy Nina Arkwright hacked to death in one of the women's dressing rooms at poolside. She doesn't immediately raise the alarm because she's afraid that the police will hone in on her beloved Joel Markham as prime suspect--especially since he said that Mrs. Arkwright deserved killing not two days before she wound up dead. [I'm not clear on what good she thought a delay would do....] When the janitor goes into the women's rooms to clean up, he finds Nina as well as a cheap green hat that the woman would never have worn a collection of newspaper clippings about an aviator who was lost as sea making a publicity flight in Arkwright's interests, and a broken flowerpot with the blue geranium that it housed--but no weapon. The ax that the killer wielded has disappeared. Only two people were seen leaving the pool area during the crucial period and neither of them could have concealed an ax about their person. Janet's fears are realized after all those who knew Nina have been interviewed and there are indications--in addition to Joel's incriminating exclamation--that Joel might be the guilty party. It seems that it was likely that Nina was going to kick the scientist off her payroll at a plant where he had made some terrific discoveries. Captain Loring immediately arrests Joel on suspicion of homicide. But Joel doesn't seem worried. "You'll want a lawyer, I suppose?" Loring said wryly. Joel shrugged. "Not right away. You wouldn't let me out anyhow. Take a day or two to find out you've made a mistake." Janet isn't as confident as Joel and spends the rest of the book playing amateur detective. She blindly goes off to meet mysterious telegram-senders, eavesdrops on conversations, and devises a plan to trap the killer--all without getting herself bumped off in the process. Quite a feat, considering that the killer has no problem killing a second hotel guest with the missing ax when she discovers the secret of the blue geranium. But there are other mysteries to solve before the killer can be pinpointed--why did Nina arrange to have a dinner party with all black decorations--as if for funeral baked meats? Why did she come home late the previous night looking like she'd been in a brawl--with a black eye and bruises? Why did she insist on wearing a cheap green hat which wasn't her style and didn't match what she was wearing? This was a fun little mystery--not too difficult to spot the killer, though it took a bit more effort to figure out the exact motive. Janet did get a bit on my nerves towards the end--even after Joel was proved innocent (he was still cooling his heels in jail when the second murder occurred), she was going off on her own and keeping back information from the police. Captain Loring made it clear to her that he was on her side and she still didn't share things. She's fortunate that her meddling didn't get her into bigger trouble than it did. Pretty fairly clued. I didn't pick up on a crucial piece that would have helped with the motive. Very enjoyable. ★★★ and 1/2 (rounded up here) First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0446404276
| 9780446404273
| 0446404276
| 3.72
| 47
| Jan 12, 1995
| Apr 01, 1996
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liked it
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Lots of bossy women and domineering men who get their just desserts. Lots of couple on cruises and holidays who aren't really enjoying each other's co
Lots of bossy women and domineering men who get their just desserts. Lots of couple on cruises and holidays who aren't really enjoying each other's company. A theme of unhappy and childless marriages. Lots of relationships that aren't as good as they should be or as good as they appear. There are those who receive sweet relief and those who don't quite get the relief they expected. This collection is billed as "short stories of suspense" and while there are many suspenseful tales and some murderous stories there are several here that don't really fill the bill as far as I'm concerned. No mystery, no suspense--just stories of people who don't really like each other. Margaret Yorke doesn't seem to have thought much of the institution of marriage--whether longstanding arrangements or an impending ceremony. A great number of these stories are morally ambiguous and there are a few where I disagree heartily with the outcomes. But one thing Yorke does do is make you think. Her themes here are on justice and cause & effect. What may seem like justice to you or me, isn't necessarily the justice she metes out in her stories. But who decides, in the end, what justice is? The best of the bunch "Means to Murder" and the finale, "Greek Tragedy." The rest are variable. ★★ and 1/2. [rounded up here] "The Liberator": An older woman on holiday decides to become an avenging angel, dispatching men and women who have become too big a burden on others...until someone turns the tables. "It's Never Too Late": Sometimes revenge doesn't have to be violent. "Always Rather a Prig": After a reunion of her old girls, a schoolmistress is disappointed in the way a few of them have turned out. She does what she can to set things right. [one in war; one drowned] "I Don't Believe in Santa Claus": Neither Timmy nor Janet want to go the the Christmas party, but Santa has a surprise in store for them. "The Reckoning": Ellen has had enough of Maurice's over-bearing ways and decides to kill him off on the day he reaches his allotted "three score and ten." "Such a Gentleman": Phyllis's godson had always been such a gentleman. Could such a gentleman kill? "A Time for Indulgence": What should a meek woman do if she discovers her husband is a predatory killer? Our narrator knows and says she's going to do it.... "Fair & Square": Mrs. Ford can't stand to see her old flame's daughter being "managed" by the overbearing woman who stole Michael away from her. "The Fig Tree": Thirty years ago our narrator schemed her way into marriage with Bernard--cutting out Teresa. When they meet up with Teresa while on holiday, one of them isn't coming back... "A Woman of Taste": A woman on a cruise with her domineering husband is shown what she really is by a sketch artist. "Mountain Fever": After years of bowing to his wife's wishes to go to the beach on holiday, things finally fall in place for Bob to go to the mountains. "The Wrath of Zeus": A man with a keen interest in Greek mythology is on holiday with his less-than-beloved wife. When an angry sea comes up while they are both swimming, he believes that the god of the sea is going to answer his prayer for relief. "A Sort of Pride": While on a trip to Greece, Dolly finds out that her husband has secret in his past. "Gifts from the Bridegroom": A man decides to forego the planned wedding ceremony and head for parts unknown. His plan affects an equally unhappy married man... "Anniversary": Mavis endured three years with a wealthy old man...looking forward to the day when she would inherit and be ready to travel and do all the things she always wanted to do. After a seemly year of mourning, her bags are packed and she'll be ready to leave in the morning. Or will she? "The Mouse Will Play": Mrs. Bellew has come down in the world--moving from a large home to a small house in a commuter village. Her supposedly prosperous husband having left behind nothing but debts upon his death. To fill the time that once was taken up playing hostess to his business associates and maintaining their spacious home, she begins to take notes on her neighbor's activities... and sending appropriate anonymous notes... "The Breasts of Aphrodite": Lionel wants nothing more than to destroy all evidence of his wife's wanton behavior while on holiday. "The Luck of the Draw": Carmen can't believe her luck when she wins a drawing for a free cruise. But her luck isn't quite the same when the boat returns to England. "Means to Murder": It isn't until years later that our narrator discovers what really happened to his mother that New Year's Eve of long ago. But it's never too late for justice. "A Small Excitement": About one's man's effort at justice for the woman he harmed through their affair. "Widow's Might": Another self-appointed assassin taking out people deemed worthy of execution. These widows are pretty dangerous.... "The Last Resort": Lois makes plans to escape her abusive husband...little knowing he has plans of his own. "Greek Tragedy": Patrick Grant, Yorke's recurring sleuth, takes a cruise and finds that murder can travel a long way. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Aug 29, 2024
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Jun 24, 2023
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| 0801072948
| 9780801072949
| 0801072948
| 4.10
| 466
| Aug 18, 2020
| Aug 18, 2020
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really liked it
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What happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? This is the question p
What happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? This is the question posed by Gina Dalfonzo in her biographical examination of the friendship between Christian thinkers and apologists Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis. The friendship had its beginning in a fan letter that Sayers, then celebrated for her mystery fiction and less known for her Christian work, wrote Lewis the first of what became a fifteen-year correspondence. They met on various occasions, but the friendship grew primarily through the written word--letters exploring their mutually held views, debating their differences, critiquing each others work, bolstering one another on points of perceived weakness, and praising & encouraging strengths. "Over the years they had helped, educated, guided, teased, critiqued, chastised, defended, consoled, and laughed with each other." What more could two friends ask for? One thing that I found frustrating about this book is that most of the letters which promised (in Dalfonzo's descriptions of them) to be very interesting were "apparently lost." She repeatedly employs references in letters--most often in Lewis's replies to Sayers (DLS appears to have kept nearly everything Lewis sent to her)--which indicate that a previous letter held some interesting or profound observations, but we don't get to see them. And, in fact, Dalfonzo quotes very little of the correspondence even though she quotes Lewis's admiration for Sayers' letter-writing abilities. Which reminds me that I really need to read the two collections of Sayers' letters that I have. On the plus side, it was very refreshing to read about this amazing intellectual friendship--to watch how each influenced the other over the years and gave to the other something that was missing in their other friendships. Having enjoyed Sayers' translation of Dante, I especially appreciated Lewis's commentary and critiques of that work. A very strong literary biography of the friendship between two of my favorite authors. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Mar 07, 2024
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Mar 11, 2024
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Jan 29, 2023
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| 1250068738
| 9781250068736
| 1250068738
| 3.90
| 259,422
| Oct 03, 2005
| Jun 30, 2015
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really liked it
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Jane Neal, retired teacher, was much loved and respected in her small community of Three Pines (a suburb of Montreal). She was a good teacher, a kind
Jane Neal, retired teacher, was much loved and respected in her small community of Three Pines (a suburb of Montreal). She was a good teacher, a kind woman, and someone you'd want on your side in moral battles. When a group of masked boys threw manure at a cafe owned by a gay couple, Jane stopped them. When someone needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on, Jane was there. So, why was Jane killed by an arrow one early morning? At first it looks like it may have been a hunting accident, but when Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Montreal-based force takes up the case and makes it clear that it would be better to admit the accident--no one comes forward. And it soon becomes clear that no one using the type of bow that was used could have possibly have thought Jane Neal was anything but a human being. So, murder it is. Now Gamache just needs to find out why Jane was out on that trail early in the morning without her dog; why she finally decided to submit her artwork for the local competition and what that has to do with her death; and why she suddenly let her friends come further into her house than the kitchen. Oh--and of course, he needs to find out who had access to the older-style bows and who could shoot them. And who could have had such a deep grudge against this apparently harmless old woman. This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache series and Penny's debut book. It was also my first introduction to the series after hearing many of my friends say how good it was. I read somewhere that Gamache is a modern-day Poirot. Well...I wouldn't necessarily say that. Gamache is a good detective. He has an eye for detail and he knows how to read people. He gets to the heart of the matter without being caught by distractions and without jumping to conclusions (unlike the little trainee who's with his team and is both insecure and very full of herself at the same time--and very annoying to boot*). He really sells the mystery and he's surrounded by good people (with the one exception just mentioned) who work well together. Penny also does a good job with the plot. It's intricate enough to keep the reader guessing till the end and she leaves no loose ends. A really strong debut novel. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Jun 24, 2024
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Jun 28, 2024
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Jan 29, 2023
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| 0890834776
| 9780890834770
| 0890834776
| 3.00
| 1
| Mar 01, 1979
| Mar 01, 1979
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liked it
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Carol Gates, a young artist who works as an illustrator, attends a party hosted by her friends Angelo and Ginny. While there she meets Steve McCulloug
Carol Gates, a young artist who works as an illustrator, attends a party hosted by her friends Angelo and Ginny. While there she meets Steve McCullough who is staying with the couple as a friend of a friend of Angelo's. By the end of the evening, Steve has died--fallen to his death in the elevator shaft. Since the young man was a virtual stranger to everyone and there seemed to be no motive for either murder or suicide, the death is quickly slated as an unfortunate accident. The latch on the elevator door was faulty and it's possible the young man mistook the elevator door for something else. But Carol can't get an odd conversation from early in the evening out of her mind and can't help thinking that Steve's death was really murder. While glancing around the room, Steve had asked her if she believed in doppelgangers, spoke of coincidences, and wondered if you could recognize people after many years had passed. There are also a few details about the accident scene that caught her artist's eye--one which just might help solve the mystery if she could just remember what it was. And...if she can remember before the killer decides to polish her off too. This is another in a series of "Zebra Mystery Puzzlers," a series from the 70s and 80s that featured illustrations that were meant to help observant readers solve the mystery. These are very simple puzzle plots--think slightly more advanced Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys stories. I read my first two in my teenage years. I do enjoy them and I enjoy the set-up, but I have to say that in my recent return to the series I haven't needed the illustrations to identify the killer. And, as smart and observant as Carol seems to be in all other areas, I'm very surprised she didn't spot them either. And that she played reckless heroine and got herself into that situation at the end where they might have added her to the body count. I did enjoy the mystery plot itself and the various red herrings that were thrown in to cloud the issue--though I will say that I would have enjoyed it more if the primary red herring had wound up being the true answer. In comparison, the actual solution was just a bit of a let down (even if it did make sense). Overall, a fun, light, and quick read. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Jul 18, 2024
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Jul 19, 2024
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Dec 25, 2022
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Paperback
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| 1728261155
| 9781728261157
| 1728261155
| 3.91
| 948
| Aug 10, 2021
| Sep 06, 2022
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really liked it
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Another terrific collection of little-known and never-before-collected short stories from the British Library Crime Classics series. This time the mys
Another terrific collection of little-known and never-before-collected short stories from the British Library Crime Classics series. This time the mysteries feature books and the written word--from collectors to writers to disgruntled mystery lovers. We have dying clues left in books and clues that could only be understood by someone who is well-read. There are seemingly impossible murders and inverted mysteries where we wonder if the investigator will catch up with the criminal. In fact, we have a little something for everyone. And what book and mystery lover could resist a whole anthology full of book-related mysteries? Not me! My personal favorites: "A Lesson in Crime," "Malice Domestic," "A Savage Game," and. I would have ranked "Murder in Advance" among them but I just don't see all the indications that Dacre says indicates the guilty party. ★★★★ "A Lesson in Crime" by G. D. H. & M. Cole: A disgruntled (and slightly crazy) mystery fan decides to show a famous detective novelist what the perfect murder is really like. "Trent & the Ministering Angel" by E. C. Bentley: Philip Trent's friend Arthur Selby presents him with an odd incident which occurred just before Gregory Landell died and asks for Trent's advice. After hearing details of a business transaction that didn't need to take place, Trent decides he simply must view the late Landell's rock garden. And there he finds clues to a hidden will. "A Slice of Bad Luck" by Nicholas Blake (Cecil Day-Lewis): At a very Detection Club-like dinner, the mystery writers get a chance to see murder up close and personal when one of their number is stabbed when the lights go out. "The Strange Case of the Megatherium Thefts" by S. C. Roberts: When a couple dozen books go missing from the Megatherium Club, Sherlock Holmes is called in to discover which member (or members) is behind the thefts. "Malice Domestic" by Philip MacDonald: Carl Borden's friends noticed that things just didn't seem right between the writer and his wife. His doctor and his friend suspects even more when Carl has a bout of sickness. And his suspicions seem to be well-founded when he finds arsenic in Carl's food during another bout. But Carl refuses to believe his wife is trying to kill him... "A Savage Game" by A. A. Milne: Coleby, a mystery writer, declares that detective novelists are just as good as the police at taking a bunch of clues and devising a story from them. His friend, Colonel Saxe--the Chief Constable, dares him to come up with the correct story to explain the stabbing of an elderly miser. It would seem that one of his heirs must have done it...except circumstances seem to prove that neither one of them could have. "The Clue in the Book" by Julian Symons: A collector of books and manuscripts is killed just after Quarles contacts him about examining certain documents in the manuscript collection. He quickly determines who poisoned the elderly man.(view spoiler)[ Can I just say that Symons could be rather severe in his critiques of other mystery writers. And the major clue in this one is so absolutely obvious that he might well have just told us in the first sentence who did it. There is zero mystery here. None.(hide spoiler)] "The Manuscript" by Gladys Mitchell: When one brings former lawbreakers into one's home, one shouldn't be surprised when trouble follows--no matter how reformed they might be. A writer hires a maid with a police record--precisely because she has a record. That fact will be useful for his current book. When her usefulness to him is done with, he fires her and she retaliates by throwing his manuscript in the fire. She's later found dead with her neck broken and the police think there is an obvious answer. But maybe not... "A Man & His Mother-in-Law" by Roy Vickers: A fairly self-centered man who thinks his wife should be the "yes-woman" in his life, is brought to grief by his mother-in-law, his wife, and a copy of a book by his mother-in-law's favorite poet. "Grey's Ghost" by Michael Innes (J. I. M. Stewart): A man's ghost writer exacts revenge on his ungrateful employer. That'll teach him to underpay the help... "Dear Mr. Editor..." by Christianna Brand: A very disturbed young woman who tried to kill her sister once and was "punished" (I read put into a facility for the mentally disturbed) is released. She received a letter from a literary editor requesting a murder mystery, so she decides to kill her sister again. But just for the story, you know. "Murder in Advance" by Marjorie Bremner: A playwright is killed after having announced the premise of his next play--about a man who is blackmailed into leaving his job. Some of the details mirror the fate of his friend, a man who recently died in an airplane crash. When the playwright is shot, Inspector Dacre thinks there must have been something in that blackmail story.... "A Question of Character" by Victor Canning: A well-established mystery author finds himself constantly coming up second to his wife--not just her books, though once she starts writing, they're bestsellers; but also in golf and gardening and...anything she decides to take up after he's shown interest. He meets a nice girl and decides to devise his most fool-proof murder plot ever. "The Book of Honour" by John Creasey: A man in the book business in Bombay witnesses the feud between a local man who has become his friend and the man's son--as a result of the son's insolent and illegal behavior. When his friend seems determined to suffer dishonor rather than betray his son, Graham takes matters into his own hands.... "We Know You're Busy Writing..." by Edmund Crispin: What's a man to do when the people in his life--friends, family, neighbors, bare acquaintances--won't leave him alone to do his writing? "Chapter & Verse" by Ngaio Marsh: Timothy Bates, a New Zealand bookman who had become friends with Alleyn when the inspector was in that country, arrives in England with an old Bible with odd inscriptions. Alleyn is not at home & Bates tells Troy that he's got something a bit in Alleyn's line...but he dies in a fall from the church tower before Alleyn gets home. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Jan 15, 2024
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Jan 20, 2024
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Dec 17, 2022
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| 190628802X
| 9781906288020
| 190628802X
| 3.00
| 4
| Jan 01, 1937
| Aug 16, 2007
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liked it
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May Week at Cambridge is a pretty hectic time of year--nightly balls and a huge influx of visitors. This makes a prime setting for a Golden Age myster
May Week at Cambridge is a pretty hectic time of year--nightly balls and a huge influx of visitors. This makes a prime setting for a Golden Age mystery. This particular May Week brings together the surviving members (and children of deceased members) of a university club which started before the first world war. The club, known as the Nine Bright Shiners also instituted a trust fund for any children of the original members. A trust fund that seems to operate somewhat along the lines of a tontine. The children earn an equal share of the trust as soon as they graduate from Cambridge. If any don't survive to graduate (or are sent down, one supposes), then the shares get larger for the remaining children. Sir Vyvyan Roswell-Hogg hosts an annual dinner for them all to get together. But this year the dinner doesn't end well. Roswell-Hogg is found stabbed in the lane running behind his hotel and the diamond pendant presented to his wife by the club is stolen that same night as well. Suspicion soon lands on Wilfred Lanham, one of the founding members and the originator of the trust fund idea. Lanham had fallen on hard times and had applied to trustees of the fund for assistance from the fund (pointing out that exceptions had been made for widows of original members who had been lost in the Great War). But there had already been ill-feeling between the trustees and Lanham and they turned him down. Lanham particularly blamed Roswell-Hogg because he had great influence over the other trustees. Lanham was supposed to be in Cambridge--though to visit his daughter, not to attend the dinner--but when the police go looking for him, he's nowhere to be found. Then several children of the survivors are murdered as well and it begins to look like someone either has a vendetta against the club in general (Lanham again) or is trying to make the shares bigger...or both. The police are making little headway in either finding Lanham or finding any evidence that will point to someone else. Added to the mix is a mysterious man from Chicago who is on the hunt for someone else from America but who doesn't seem quite clear on exactly who that is...Does this connect with the murders or is something else going on? Fortunately the Chief Constable, Colonel Nugent, is good friends with Major Maurice Hemyock, a well-known amateur detective, and Hemyock arrives to sort things out. This is not the strongest mystery by Browne that I have read (see What Beckoning Ghost or Too Many Cousins). It takes a while to get into the swing of things and it was a bit disconcerting not knowing who exactly our narrator was and how they were connected to Hemyhock until we were well into the thick of it. The plot and motive are fairly well-worn (definitely now and, I suspect, even at the time of first printing). And, it may be that I was just having a particularly bright moment when the first clue to the culprit was presented, but I did see where everything was headed from that point. On the plus side, I do enjoy Browne's characters (once I had the chance to get everyone sorted properly) and our narrator--Myra--is quite charming. A decent mystery, but perhaps not the best introduction to Browne's work. First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. ...more |
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Jun 04, 2024
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May 17, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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Mar 28, 2024
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Feb 03, 2024
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Jan 21, 2024
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Mar 05, 2024
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Dec 28, 2023
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Mar 03, 2024
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Mar 11, 2024
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Jun 28, 2024
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Aug 06, 2024
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Oct 13, 2022
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