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

Sandy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

FYI, in the US, The Anonymous Venetian by Donna Leon (Brunetti #3), seems to be Dressed for Death. Wish they wouldn't do that!

I am interested in the Iain Pears series.

I have read all of Anne Perry's Monk series and am trying to work my way thru her Pitt series. As said, the books are very similiar so need to be widely spaced.

I would like to try the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler. The first is Full Dark House and is the only one I've read. I think I heard the series has recently wrapped up.

I'm starting the Matthew Shardlake Dissolution series again, but those are 600 pages!

I've followed Maise Dobbs and like, not love, the series. I read each as it comes out.

P.S. $3 in the US

I will nominate The Body in the Silo, next in a series of which I, and maybe we, have read the first two. I own the rest and would like to continue. If I remember correctly, this is the insurance investigator who consults with his wife and plays elaborate games of solitaire.

Judy wrote: "I started The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman a few weeks ago but didn't warm to it and gave up... however then I was given the second book in the series as a..."

Especially true with humor.

I have started Dark Fire, the second in a series set during Henry VIII. I read the first quite a while ago and loved it. Too many series, sigh.

Revision: Looking differently on Amazon, I see Body in the Dumb River for $10 on kindle in US.

The kindle version of The Body in the Dumb River is not available in the US but I expect it will be someday as that series eventually makes it. Surfeit of Suspects is one of next year's challenge.

And, as traditional, the butler did it.

I also liked the first half of the book better than the second maybe because I found Jeremy the most interesting character and he faded as the book progressed. I was convinced that Dennis was going to be the baddie because Philpotts warned them about double agents. I am glad to be wrong as I grew to like him, though I question his taste in women.

Judy wrote: "I have to agree that Hilary is quite annoying - I suppose she must be amazingly beautiful."

I think our narrator puts her attraction all down to personality (or at least not looks). And the money isn't talked about as though it is a tremendous amount.

I read The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss several years ago and quite liked it.

I am about half done and, while enjoying the two male leads and the widowed sister, would like to know what is going on. I expect a murder very soon.

I agree completely. If all endings, and characters, were like that one I would change genre.

I felt the headmaster would have beaten any boy that badly if he felt he could get away with it, which he probably couldn't with the local lads. At least the cook was nice to the maid, but the family was quite unpleasant even to each other.

I'm about a third in and thinking we need a few more suspects.

I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series. However, I'm glad there will be more escapist books to read before starting the next social problem. What are we going to do with all the various waste we produce, toxic, nuclear, plastic?

The dark side did not ruin my pleasure. I loved how the staff deals with their idiot boss, how Brunetti interacts with his children and how much he loves and respects his wife. The mystery is excellent and at least one of the bad guys has been eliminated, I did wonder how the mother got from the morgue to the 'palace' after picking up her gun, before the police did.

My favorite part might have been the discovery of the dump, from Brunetti's fear he was going to be killed by his friend, to wading thru the stuff and tossing his shoes and socks, and finally, checking that his feet still looked like feet even though red from all the scrubbing.

I hope the Count (a great character) can keep his friend safe in the south. I wish there were some way the parents of the two victims could be told of the heroics.

Great series, so far.

Only a few chapters in and getting reacquainted with Brunetti and his family. He certainly has a lot of steps to climb each day and I like how he uses the backstairs to avoid his boss. And the doctor has his own method for dealing with the boss.

I own Martin Edward's book and really should refer to it more as I read these classics. He often has interesting insights.