Mark Pghfan’s Comments (group member since Mar 06, 2014)

Mark Pghfan’s comments from the The Parlor PI's group.

I'm nearing the end of this section and I hoping something in the current day will happen! And Ella is assuming the body is 100 years or so old. How can she be sure of that? She seems to be assuming the body in the woman in one of Harriet's tales. Wouldn't it be clever if Harriet is the culprit and she invented the curse to cover up a more recent murder? In the 1930's I assume they would be able to know a skeleton's age, though.

I doubt Robert would be very much older or younger than Harriett. But is seems he prefers younger actresses!

Early in this section, Ella meets Tom, who will be her gardener. This is a sweet story.

Well here we are in the middle section, and it becomes clear to me (since I didn't read the previous novella) that Ella has a gift for seeing ghosts, both people and cats. And that Uncle Albert know it.

Anyway, Ella finds the skeleton of a woman who died brutally some time ago. As also seems to be the body of the spirit she just recently saw in her "cottage".

The investigation begins. I wonder how this will impact the current events in the book?

The cottage was built for the mother of the duke who owned the big palace, after he got married. That is why it is pretty big! I'm about ready to move on to the next section, but lets keep this open as well!

And what do you think about a possible romance with the young doctor!

I am to about the same place Nicole. Things are moving quickly and there are a lot of characters, but they seem to be well drawn so that I'm not (yet) mixing them up.

I was at a hotel yesterday when I first posted, and the wi-fi was awful, hence the short post.

If you are about this far along, you will get an idea of what the "curse of Arundel Hall" is, and it is a doozy!

Though this was written pretty much current day, it is set in the mid 1930's. Unlike some books that do this sort of thing, this really reads like it was written then. Anyone else notice that?

Greetings! I am travelling and the internet is SOOOOO slow. Anyway, our book starts with Ella Bridges reminiscing about Christmasses growing up. Soon, she is married, and widowed by age 22. The book is set in 1935, which gives an interesting classic feel to it. In the house she is then living in, there is talk of a ghost. And then Ella falls riding a bike, after seeing a phantom. What is this all about?

Sorry this is sketchy, but the computer is driving me crazy. I'll try again later.

I thought Bom might have been too good to be true. But, you never know...

Since this was a kind of last-minute choice, I'll wait a bit to start the discussion, so you can all get the book. I downloaded it to my kindle last night. Perhaps a July 5th start?

I did enjoy the book as well, though I was a leetle disappointed in the ultimate culprit, Kenny, who did not figure hardly at all in the story up to that point. I do try to figure things out if I can, and that made it quite difficult. And I agree about all the great risks Clare took in the investigation. The only other book of the series I have read was the Christmas-oriented one we read a few years ago, and I don't remember her being so brave/stupid!

I have no idea how to find such a thing!

Greetings! Since July is my birthday month and Ian (the other poster with a July birthday) has ceded the decision to me, I select:

The Curse of Arundel Hall, by J. New.

This description comes from Amazon, regarding the book:

"Miss Marple meets The Ghost Whisperer’ – Perfect For Fans of Golden Age Murder Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries, Clean Reads and British Amateur Sleuths."

I will like to note that this is the second in the series. Though we usually try to start with the first, I found that the first is a mere novella, and I thought not particularly sufficient grist for discussion.

I will probably get this on my Kindle. Let me know who will participate and when you think your copy will arrive.

I will set up a thread with my title.

I vote to wrap it up all in one thread.

About thirty pages to go!

I have a pick I was going to use in August, but can bring it to the fore earlier if need be.

I thought we were going to have Ian pick for July, since his birthday is earlier in the month. Though I haven't seen him post in a little while. Are you still here, Ian?

No idea, though my guess is they are a composite of real things.

The plot thickens, eh?

I'm about to head into the final section.

Well, the mysterious person(s) off shore, both in the very beginning, and now at Bom's party, are quite interesting. Couldn't be Bom, because he is at the party. I am still unsure of whether David was the real victim, in the first murder, and I am always suspicious when someone appears to have been poisoned but doesn't die. Though, admittedly, he was quite sick.