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

Sandy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Opportunity to do a lot of audio books coincided with several Audible freebies about to expire meant I have tried several books that I have been ignoring.

In ascending order:

Murder in Fulbridge Village: A 1920s Mystery, I did not finish this one

An Occupied Grave, ok but no intention of continuing the series

A Body on the Beach, a very kind and patient set of experienced detectives training the younger team members. Interesting plot.

Fallen Into the Pit, by Cadfael's author and the lead character is as calm and understanding as Cadfael. His young son 'helps' with the investigation. Will consider continuing but I have too many series currently.

Mud, Muck and Dead Things, currently reading and liking it so far.

Meanwhile I await the library delivery of one of our buddy reads.

I read the next Maigret, Maigret and the Toy Village and found it a bit strange with Maigret's fascination with a young woman mirroring Bobby Owen's. Once again Simenon has written a concise and well-plotted mystery.

Judy wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I have very mixed feelings. While I liked the characters and the writing, I do not care for murders that are committed by psychopaths. There is no real motive to uncover and in this b..."

I too intend to try another as there were parts I really liked and Madden and his police cohorts were wonderful characters. Hoping for "normal" murderer next time.

My library request for the book has been "in transit" for (what seems like) weeks.

I liked this T&T more than the earlier ones, but then I like a nice domestic murder more than international intrigue. While "everyone" assumes Tuppence always recklessly puts her life in danger, looking at gravestones is not usually risky.

Interesting resolution to the mystery. Will the husband face any consequences for harboring a murderer?

Judy wrote: "Has anyone seen the TV adaptation of this one, from the Marple series starring Geraldine McEwan?

I'm a bit wary of watching it as it has Miss Marple added into the story (I wish they hadn't done ..."

Those sounds like ridiculous changes, and completely unnecessary.

I have started and find I am quite fond of Bernie. The pre-WWII atmosphere of fear in Berlin is very well done.

I really need to be completely sitting up before drinking my coffee so having it in bed never sounded good to me. I even have trouble reading in bed. Maybe having it delivered to a side table and chair which old bedrooms always had.

I am deep into T&T and am enjoying the middle-aged couple more than the youngsters. Listening to Hugh Fraser.

I have very mixed feelings. While I liked the characters and the writing, I do not care for murders that are committed by psychopaths. There is no real motive to uncover and in this book there wasn't a mystery as we met the killer early. However, the police's identification showed intelligent work and the chase scenes were exciting. I also liked the interaction within the Scotland Yard personnel, though I gather Madden will no longer be part of the team.

The twist at the end might be the final blow. I cannot fathom how the killer could have positioned a dead body into the driver's seat in a moving, burning car. I felt that was added simply to allow our heroine to be put in mortal danger.

I also did not care for the involvement of the Freud-like character. Probably in that time period such a concept was new and an explanation needed, but it is familiar to today's readers.

I switched from listening with book in hand, to reading only for speed.

I am reading it but losing patience with the plot at about the halfway point. Characters are great.

Elly Griffiths has started a new series with the first book just published, The Frozen People. It involves time travel (small shudder) so I was hesitant but have requested it from the library. I'm far down on the list due to my hesitancy.

However, CrimeReads has an interview with the author and it sounds quite interesting.

crimereads.com/elly-griffiths-on-vict...

I loved Ruth Galloway, like her other ongoing series (name escapes me but see today's deals), and am wavering regarding the Brighton magician series we are buddy reading.

Interesting ... I am halfway into River of Darkness and liking it less, though the characters are great. Could be an interesting discussion.

I have started one of our buddy reads, River of Darkness and loving it. Listening with a paper copy by my side.

I second Susan's comment regarding Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

I found the ending very unsatisfying; a very unlikely duo, one with a weak motive.

Judy wrote: "On another tack, was anyone else surprised that Diana disappears from the book after being the viewpoint character at the start? I was a bit disappointed as I found her a likeable character, but I ..."

I was surprised and expected her to reappear, at least until I forgot about her. Suppose it was a method of introducing the family from an outsider's viewpoint.

A Christie trivia question (to be pondered independently as the answer would be a spoiler):

One book Ragnar found impossible to translate because the solution depends on two English words that are different by only a letter. He had to resort to keeping the English word.

My library has his books filed under R in the Icelandic tradition of going by first names.

Another winner from my recent library windfall: Death at the Sanatorium. I only picked this book because I want to read the next in the series, not yet published, and I feel compelled to read in sequence. Set in Iceland, it bounces between two time periods (with a couple of short visits to an even early time). The premise is a young future police investigator writing his dissertation on the handling of an old murder.

The author's note expounds on his love of Christie and his search of Icelandic translations during his youth. Starting in his teens, he translated them for publication himself.

I've finished two of my new books and both were excellent. I thought Knave of Diamonds was one of the best in the series.
The other is the first in a new series, A Case of Mice and Murder. While I thought the main character and his sidekick were a bit too good to be realistic, that made them very pleasant company. It is set in 1901, in the London legal enclave of Temple Inn, resulting in a somewhat closed circle of suspects.

Jennifer wrote: "Judy wrote: "I'd like to nominate Murder Included by Joanna Cannan, the first in her Detective Price mystery series.


In the UK..."

I found it also. I had to search Amazon by the author and then it appeared. Clicking on the picture of five books brought up Detective Pitt. And clicking on the single book gives me the $18 option. Thank you for persevering Jennifer.