Sandy’s Comments (group member since Dec 14, 2015)

Sandy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Loved this book and am eager to read more in the series BUT ...

I am so confused regarding when the plans were sold. Victim #1 must have had the plans early enough to hide them and then get killed by 4:00. However, when vicar arrived for his visit at 6:00 the dogs were still locked up as strangers were expected. There is no mention of large amounts of cash found and I think Killick would have happily told the vicar if his pleas were too late.

So when did Victim #1 and the two people who killed him arrive and work out a deal? What did I miss?

Glad the thread has been opened as I've been stewing over this for a couple of days!

Absolutely loved it though I couldn't resolve some of the plot points.

Long week-end? How nice for you Brits. When my job was tied to the stock market I got Good Friday off though the rest of the working world didn't.

For any "Dead Men Don't Ski" US fans, The Sunken Sailor: Inspector Tibbett #2 is $1.

Susan in NC wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I’m really enjoying it so far, up to chapter four or five, “The Franks” - I’ve been jumping around in my nonfiction reading over the last couple years, trying to f..."

The World is a strange read. The 'family' emphasis seems to be on dynasties killing off close relatives, and many others, in the most painful way possible. Why I only read it in short segments!

Susan in NC wrote: "I’m really enjoying it so far, up to chapter four or five, “The Franks” - I’ve been jumping around in my nonfiction reading over the last couple years, trying to fill in gaps in my knowledge and in..."

Very interesting and informative nattering. Reading The World: A Family History of Humanity has impressed upon me just how much of the world history is a void for me. Central American is a bit more familiar as I have taken archaeological vacations in the area.

Susan in NC wrote: "My current nonfiction book is Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages by Dan Jones"

I own an Audible version so am interested in your opinion of it.

I am also very slowly working my way through The World: A Family History of Humanity. I can't take too much of this at a time and it is so long! I am on my second three-week library loan and it is on my request list for renewal yet again.

I am currently reading two non-fiction books: Love without wings: some friendships in literature and politics, from 1991, and Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire, a new release. The Palin book I would have loved to get on audio but the hard cover has pictures as recompense.

And there have been a couple of historical mysteries: Silver Lies that I sampled but didn't finish, and A Clash of Spheres, one of a series I had put aside and now need to read the remining two books immediately. It really is a very good combination of real characters and lots of imagination.

Susan wrote: "My phone definitely pings, Sandy! It is useful, to be honest and I would be immediately aware of my nefarious relatives tricks with my bank account..."

And you could have withdrawn all that money the murderer was hiding!

And if the new technology is not used, the plot works today. My phone does not ping with any account activity.

I also appreciated Maigret's determination and his wife's infinite patience. They have a very strong marriage, in contrast to the policemen in the Beck novels that many of the group are reading.

I wonder if Maigret would have been successful, or as determined, if the people concerned in the mystery had not been amoung the few he had met.

By the time they determined the victim's identity I 'knew' the father was involved because Cadfael had eliminated all other possibilities and I always trust Cadfael's gut feeling. I remembered he had left for war (unnecessarily) about the same time as his son joined the order. The actual ending was quite a surprise and very touching.

I will miss Cadfael.

I also thought this one was a bit different and one of my favorites. The Stephen / Matida war plays a more active part than in prior books.

Barely dipped in last night and will be reading it later today. Looking forward to it.

I second the Unruly recommendation! Though I never heard of the author.

Susan wrote: "I'm afraid I have given this series up. If anyone suggests it is worth getting back on board I may give it a try, but I haven't enjoyed the last couple."

You soldiered on a lot longer than I did!

Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Silver Blaze? Is that an alternate title? I’ve never heard of it."

The Holmes story "The Adventure of the Silver Blaze" is the one where the clue of the dog that didn't bark in..."

From Wiki:

"The Adventure of Silver Blaze", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the first from the 12 in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in December 1892.[1]

Doyle considered "Silver Blaze" among his favourite Sherlock Holmes stories.[2] One of the most popular Sherlock Holmes short stories, "Silver Blaze" focuses on the disappearance of the eponymous race horse (a famous winner, owned by a Colonel Ross) on the eve of an important race and on the apparent murder of its trainer. The tale is distinguished by its atmospheric Dartmoor setting and late-Victorian sporting milieu. The plotting hinges on the "curious incident of the dog in the night-time":

Susan in NC wrote: "Silver Blaze? Is that an alternate title? I’ve never heard of it."

The Holmes story "The Adventure of the Silver Blaze" is the one where the clue of the dog that didn't bark in the night occurs, not Hound of the Baskervilles.

I noticed a tine correction between my old hardcover book and the audio. When they are talking about the Sherlock Holmes book with the dog that didn't bark, the book mentioned 'Hound of the Baskervilles' while the audio corrected it to 'Silver Blaze'.