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

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

If not a sequel, this would make a good mini-series!

Any assistance on whom Edward eventually married?

Lucky for him, the butler addressed this all on his own!

Strong Poison is sixth in the Lord Peter series, but the first book with Harriet Vane. This book in on my to-read list, so I'd be happy with this selection. I am familiar with the story, from the TV and BBC Radio versions. The BBC Radio version has Joan Hickson in a small but important role.

Well, I finished the book last night and found it thoroughly satisfying. The mystery (at least of the murders) is solved and clever it was too. I have to admit that there is a reliance on actual mysticism to explain how Edward heard his mother's voice in the seance with Mrs. Pastor, as opposed to a rational explanation. I got around to realizing that what I wanted was probably not the intent of the author, so my disappointment vanished. (It is explained, in a way, though.)

I should explain that, since the final book is fairly short and that the solution starts very quickly in it, we should just consider the whole thread as spoiler-filled.

A question, though. In the epilogue, when Edward is with his granddaughter, he says she is like her grandmother. Whom do you think Edward married? Violet?

Well, I've made it through these next sections and am ready to begin the penultimate discussion. (Word of the day: penultimate.)

It is not an understatement that the title of book 6 is "And the plot thickens."

Things are happening fast and furious as we approach the end of the book. Lucy and Edward continue their investigations, looking into the strange stuff relating to their fellow seance attendees, including Mr. Barnum. People are connected in ways unexpected, including the unfortunate Sophie, whose body we found in the beginning of the book. We also find the connection to the bees found in the former Willoughby house.

I have been trying to puzzle things out by seeing if I can connect a person with all of the various parts of the mystery, now so disconnected. Clearly someone who knows a lot about the Philadelphia mediums (and fakes,) who knows about Edward's Mother and Lucy's Declan, and has a connection to the Willoughby's bees. I have an idea, but will keep on this till the final book discussion where spoilers will be permitted!

I started into section five last night and will start the next leg of the discussion on Monday, if that works with you all.

I finished this second section, through book four, last night. The investigation goes on as Lucy and Edward visit some of the other seance attendees, and find some pretty strange people in the process.

I am totally enjoying the book, reading far more that I typically read in a day. I think it is because the narrative style is very clean, which I like a lot. There is a bit of good detail, but not too much, and a good feel for the characters not only in what they say but how they act. Mr. Finn knows how to write!

I hadn't thought of that, Tina, but given the ease in which Lucy found Edward, it seems it would not have been too difficult to follow him.

Well, I finally go moving on the book again. Book Three is about the preliminary investigation into the death of Mrs. Pastor, which occurred at the very end of Book Two. Under very strange circumstances, to say the least! We find out early on that it was poison what done her in. It seems there is a mark of where the poison (yet unnamed) was introduced. Our suspects include all of the people present at the seance, including our narrator, the seemingly evil Lucy Collins, Mrs. Pastor's husband, the others at the seance as well as Mr. P.T. Barnum. Though Edward gets top kudos for his reporting on the incident, it looks like his greater task of exposing fake mediums will be on hold. Lucy and Edward enter in a pact to investigate the murder themselves, to clear their names and protect their reputations.

We also get to know a little more about Edward's fiance, Miss Willoughby, who seems quite a blushing flower. We do find some interesting things in another "table tipping" game played by Violet's friends. (Shades of Christie's Sittaford Mystery?)

And what do you think (going back a bit) about Edward's Mother speaking at the original seance. I'm trying to come up with an explanation. Is she not really dead?

Super busy weekend, so I didn't get any further in the book, but I promise to start the next section tomorrow!

"...as opposed to the new-fangled mysteries where the mini-van driving Mom solves the murder while juggling bags of groceries and dropping kids off at soccer games."

I love this description, Allison! We do seem to do a lot of those, and they have their interest, but this is certainly out of our usual book for discussion mode.

I made it through the second book and yes, you are right, there is quite the ending there! Ms. Pastor makes Lucy look like a piker, with all the (presumably) fake stuff going on in the seance. I agree with you all a bit in your questioning how it is that Clark would have caved in to Lucy so quickly. But, Clark is only 25 at this point, and considering the times, rightly concerned about the effect of Lucy's threats on his upcoming marriage. I'd like to see a little bit of him baiting her again, to help spice up the relationship!

I'll start up discussion of the second part on Monday next week. I've a busy weekend up ahead and I'm not sure of my reading time... Too bad you are all so far ahead of me!

Just started this last night and am enjoying it very much. It has a great period feel and the writing is quite crisp and clear (I like straightforward writing in these sorts of books.) I'll step in and continue the discussion after I get a little further in the first book. And hopefully, others will join in?

Well, I got the book. I have them sent to my work address and the damn thing was in last Friday, but no one told me. Anyway, I have it now and will join in post-haste!

Still waiting for my copy. If you feel the need to start, please do. I will check in once I get the book.

Harriet Walter is the actress who plays Harriet Vane in the Sayers TV adaptations. There are three books adapted: Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, and Gaudy Night. I am fine if we read Strong Poison. We can discuss the adaptation as well, which I think is pretty close to the book, as compared to Gaudy Night where large parts of the book were cut out for the adaptation. Admittedly, Gaudy is quite a long book...

I have ordered Half in Shadow and will let you all know when it comes in. I believe I agreed to host, so I guess you all have to wait for me!

I would totally love to read one of the Harriet Vane books and accompanying movie. Strong Poison was the first of them, though I don't know if it was a much focused on her. The second, Have His Carcase, has Harriet in it most of the way.

As far as June goes, let me see if I can get Half in Shadow in to me quickly. If so, I can host.

Half in Shadow seems to have received far better reviews on this site than The Seance, which got very mixed ones. Reading those, I'd choose Half in Shadow. Is this for July or June? I'm not clear where we are going with this thread.

I like the Kate Carlisle or the Ellery Adams one. Not much for knitting or the haunted house stuff.

Seemed pretty close to the book, in my view.