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

Sandy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Susan_MG wrote: "Taking a break from fictional detectives, police and spies to read Straight On Til Morning: The life of Beryl Markham. I read Markham’s book, West Into The Night years ago and was intrigued when I ..."

I quite liked West with the Night when I read it years ago.

Greg wrote: "I'm reading a Christie short story collection, The Hound of Death, from 1933."

A collection of Christie that I wasn't aware of and very few of the stories sound familiar. Good find.

Being a stickler for reading at least the first book in a series before any others, I am reading The Plague Court Murders because I requested the second book which is Christmas related. After complaining about locked room mysteries with our Lorac read, this and the second in the series, are both in that genre. The detective in the series (who doesn't appear until the second half) is an amusing addition. This one has no footsteps in the mud; the second features no footsteps in the snow.

I also plan to read the first book.

Not my favorite Lorac and I only gave it two stars. Not only did I not believe the murder method would work (a problem I often have with locked room mysteries) but I thought the brothers' elaborate plan far-fetched. Even Veronica, the most sympathetic character, annoyed me as I felt she was overly protective of her twin and had no valid reason for hiding him.

One reason murder is suspected is that there is a lot of missing money.

I thought I had one aspect figured out (not the locked room bit that I tend to ignore) but now something has happened to blow my theory. Back to being completely befuddled.

I loved the audio version of Lincoln in the Bardo

Sarah wrote: "This sounds ridiculous, but I had to go without a computer for a little over a week, since my laptop died and I had to depend on my cell phone to do everything a computer does. Some people can use ..."

While I can understand your relatives not wanting to relive their expedience, it will be a shame if that knowledge dies with them. I hope you can convince them to share.

And a week with only a phone for access sounds hateful to me.

Keith wrote: "How about

'Thrones,Dominations', Dorothy L. Sayers / Jill Paton Walsh"

Yes, I think Walsh did an excellent job with her Sayers continuation.

Jan C wrote: "I'll nominate The Lyttleton Case by R.A.V. Morris.

Sir James Lyttleton sent a wire saying he was going to America and then he vanished. The chance discovery of a ..."

I own that one so it must have been free at some time. Currently $1 in the US.

I listened with the print version at my side and the narrator paused when there was an 'er' but did not say 'er' so it sounded very natural.

Susan in NC wrote: "I loved the setting, humor, and the atmosphere. And I appreciated that at the center of all the criminal activity were rare and precious books!"

I agree completely, but it took me six years before I read the next in the series and I haven't yet read the third though it is on my TBR list. So, while enjoyable, it is not a series I follow avidly.

This was a re-read but from eight years ago. Surprisingly I remembered the premise, the victim and the college setting, especially the president. Shandy is a pleasantly grumpy character though I have no idea why he should suddenly attract women.

I will be starting soon.

I am listening to one of our December reads, Rest You Merry, which is a re-read from eight years ago. I have recently read three historical mysteries to complete a challenge in another group but not all were 'keepers'. As my main read, I am about to start The Mystery Guest, follow-up to The Maid, and just published. I also have Sherlockian Limericks by Isaac Asimov that I hope to incorporate with a few Holmes re-reads. I discovered this book's existence in the back of an old library book where the publisher listed their other books.

Then, waiting patiently, is another new book. The Proof of the Pudding for Christmas.

In the US The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall is free. This is #4 in a series we will be testing in 2024.

Susan in NC wrote: "Rosina wrote: "I never managed to get any of the academic staff straight in my mind - possibly because I was listening to the audiobook, which gives one no chance to look back and revise. So as a w..."

For mysteries I try to always have a hard copy handy for just that reason.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the US members! This year I'm eating at a restaurant so all the great food without any work.

I found the religious discussions depressing as we don' t seem to have advanced. That said, I enjoyed visiting with Cadfael and his abbey but very glad the visitor left. I've learned to accept, or perhaps ignore, the young lovers and their immediate commitment.

Sorry about the murderer as he seemed a reasonable person caught up by lust for a book, then to find he had killed needlessly. I wonder if the description was based on a real book.

While reading I thought of our earlier discussion of an abridged version. I kept wondering what had been left out; it is a quite short book.