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

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

Yes, Tina, I liked the part about laughing as well. I'm wondering if it worked, though...

Sorry to be late joining in with this. I have been reading, though and am more than halfway through. I'm enjoying it very much--the action keeps going on and on, so I'm driven to read "just one more chapter."

The Little Match Girl shows up again, but I'm not sure it is in this section or not. They discuss it as a possible basis for a play that Tuck considered but cast aside, as it is a tragic story. (I'm trying to not provide any spoilers!)

I don't recall doing Mistletoe Murder in the past. But I am forgetful at times...

Rest You Merry is what I am reading now and nearly done with, so that would be great. I am OK with any other, as long as there are a few people to discuss with!

Just got the book from the library this weekend. Have something else to finish first, though...

I put a request in to the library for this book.

It sounds pretty good. If there are others, I will be in. The Emily Brightwell book seems to be a slight leader in the polls at this point. Would we try both?

Actually, I'm reading the MacLeod book right now. It is pretty interesting. Set on a small college campus at Christmas time.

Since we haven't moved much on selecting a book, may I suggest that if anyone volunteers to host, then they can pick the book from the many selections we have made?

You had me at peppermint hot cocoa. (Peppermint schnapps, perhaps!)

Seriously, I hate to say any of the cozy choices are fine with me, but I am not familiar with most of them. There certainly are a lot of Joanne Fluke options. Any comments on her books in general? Our group formerly on the A&E site has read a Leslie Meier and also a Mrs. Jeffries one. And to make the matter more complicated, we have also read some of the Kate Kingsbury Christmas mysteries (Victorian setting in a hotel.) I found them all pretty good.

I realize all my comments don't help in the least to narrow things down...

Good timing for me!

Although Hastings was not a particularly good detective (despite what he may have thought) he was a good foil for Poirot. I didn't think Catchpool was either. Catchpool was already an detective, apparently with some successes to his name, which makes this even more incomprehensible.

I think that Charles Osbourne turned three of Christie's plays into novels--Black Coffee, Unexpected Guest and Spider's Web. As plays, none of them were particularly big hits like Mousetrap or Witness for the Prosecution. Spider's Web has a lot of humor in it, though.

I'll probably join in as well. I'll watch for a start date.

I finished the book last night and am totally confused. While Christie's plot were complex, somehow they all seemed to make sense. Not so here. I think I'll read the last chapter again and go through that long, exhaustive explanation by Poirot and see if I can understand the thing.

I'm afraid I'dd sit this one out. I'm just getting started on another read and probably won't have time for another.

I'm afraid I agree with Anastasia--this is not Poirot and not the style of Agatha Christie. I am not quite done yet, but perhaps a Christie-like surprise ending would help a bit. Should be finished in a day or two.

I have the movie on VHS! It is OK, but not great and certainly does not offer anything verifiable about what was behind the disappearance.

Well we do have the back story on the business at Great Holling, and we have identified Jennie. But where is she? And Nancy Ducane sounds like a very strange person indeed.

I don't know, Tina. Apparently the year is 1929, so he is not even half way through his career as a private detective! Most of his great cases are still ahead of him.