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

Sandy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I will be reading this but not for a few days. I've enjoyed following Bobby's career. And Pushon better have varied plots with so many books.

I am about a third through, savoring the last of Hilary and his / her young friends. I quite like the letters.

I discovered Aird and her humor relatively recently and really like the series so far. This was a reread, this time by audio, and, like Robin, I enjoyed the narration. For those with an Audible account, many of the series are / were free.

Memorable line: is a knot garden like a Noh play?

I should have said that there is no support in the book for my conviction that Madeleine is a murderer. The drains (whatever they are) are brought up early in the book, so Berkeley probably thought that was what killed Denny. But I believe Madeleine was devious enough to delude her creator.

And I assumed Madeleine murdered Denny because she was tired of being married to him. She did seem to be dead set against divorce. Widowhood would be acceptable.

Rosina wrote: "I don't understand why libraries limit the time that one may keep an ebook - or indeed, claim not to have copies to lend until some are returned."

The publishers would only be adle to sell a library a single copy ... not acceptable.

Tara wrote: "Under the deadline of needing to return the ebook to the library in 2 days, I'm rushing to finish Murder on the Celtic by Conrad Allen aka Edward Marston...."

I understand that deadline only too well. It's worse with ebooks that might just disappear while a physical book remains with me as long as I can handle the shame when I return it late.

I just noticed my audio version of By the Pricking of My Thumbs has a second book that is really the last T&T.

I have a couple of books going: By the Pricking of My Thumbs, the last of Tommy and Tuppence when they are middle-aged, and The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions, a collection of Phyrne Fisher short stories, some old, some new, all new to me.

I enjoyed reading the book, but it was an adventure story rather than a mystery. I thought the author did a good job portraying the rather one-dimensional characters with Jim and his rich friend being the best developed. Carson was an unbelievable mix of good (once) and evil (now). I wonder if Carson really was Jim's father as they seemed so physically different. At least that would legitimize the dubious marriage - I won't address marrying someone after one weekend as this is fiction. The will was the only way of getting Jim enough money to continue living, and marrying, without working.

Regarding fixing up the house, my understanding was that Carson planned for it to be his permanent residence until his plans went awry.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Two questions - anyone wonder what Julia wanted to talk to Edmund about right after he gave her the fatal dose? "

I thought she was going to tell him that Madeleine was 'cheati..."

I like that theory of Julia's undelivered message to Edmund and all the ramifications. There wouldn't have been a murder and thus no book, so Berkeley needed him to ignore her.

CBD for Dummies should start with a warning to not take it into Russia, or anywhere it is illegal! Perhaps only the US members will understand the reference: a basketball star is in prison because she was caught with it in her luggage.

I've started and am enjoying the humor. It doesn't seem like a traditional GA country house mystery so far.

P.S. Yes, Ivy's husband is one of the very unpleasant characters in the book and I don't predict a lot of happiness for her. I assume she was sent to Spain because her husband suspected the resumption of her affair. Maybe she can find a way to stay there.

I liked this one well enough - mostly for Berkeley's sarcasm and snide remarks - and I was interested in the outcome. I guessed that Birkleigh would be blamed for Denny's typhoid death (my second guess was that he would say something damaging on the stand once he was feeling confident).

However, I am sure that Madeleine killed Denny somehow and while that didn't seem to happen in the book, I remain convinced of her guilt. And that she did in her parents as well.

I am also one who was expecting we would learn what Julia wanted to say to Birkleigh.

I agree that the entire village was populated with people I never want to meet.

I agree that Berkeley is an interesting author with a different variety of plots. I'm enjoying the sarcasm and like the comparison to the Lucia series.

I am very close to halfway mark, and no one seems to be quite as they appear. Fascinating read but there is no one to rout for.

Michaela wrote: "I´ll try with another woman writer that did quite well in the last poll:

[book:Post After Post-Mortem: An Oxfordshire Mystery|60..."

In the US the kindle version that is not available until Feb '23.

I read a couple of books that were about to disappear off my kindle one of which was a mystery, The Cold Blue Blood, the first in a new series. I found it enjoyable (read it in a day which is always a good sign) but probably not a series I will follow. Lots of character and setting introduction, as is customary, in the first book.

I still have a couple of other books that will expire soon before I can start this month's reads. I oversubscribed during my covid isolation! The next books are Harlem Shuffle and one of Arthur Upfield Bony series (historical mystery set in the Australian outback).

I also thought Timothy was younger than 15; must be the way he acts.