Diane’s Comments (group member since Dec 25, 2015)

Diane’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I suspected Mrs. Erskine, jealous wife, deep voice, tall, athletic. It didn't look good for her on my possible murderer list.
I did appreciate though Miss Marple's sympathy for Mrs. Erskine's misery in loving a husband who did not love her back.

Sandy wrote: "I very much enjoyed this book. One of the aspects of Miss Marple I appreciated was that she let the young couple investigate more or less or their own, even though she was worried for their safety...."

I thought the same and is why I enjoyed this one so much. It's a nice change to not have the detective hog every scene but to allow others to shine.

This one is so far my favorite Miss Marple book. I picked it up from the library this morning and just had to read it to the end. Very good.

I really thought all the characters were well done. I even liked Elsie and hope that somehow she will somehow be able to stay in the boys lives. I don't remember the book addressing the fate of the children.
I had forgotten this was a Miss Marple mystery until she popped up near the end and agree that Jerry could have solved it without her help.

Susan wrote: "Yes, I agree, but we can't impose our standards on another time. Actually, what Jerry did (dragging her on the train and taking her to be kitted out as he wanted) reads uncomfortably now."
I was uncomfortable with him taking her to London but was happier about it when he at least had the sense to turn her over to a woman for her transformation. He could have devastated her reputation in that era and in that small town but I don't think guys always understand that sort of thing.

I so agree about Megan being much too immature for marriage. Eventually she and Jerry would be fine together but now she needs more education and/or a job. She really needs to leave that tiny town and experience life a bit or twenty years form now she will be one sad, wistful housewife.

I just finished Vanity Dies Hard and I actually, really and truly, guessed most of the answer to what was going on and quite a while before the end. I didn't guess all of it but am proud of myself for even getting most of it. Normally I never can figure out the endings of mysteries.

Susan wrote: "It must be me, but I read this for another group and really didn't like it."

I just finished it and I didn't take to it either. I'm stilling mulling over why since it is receiving such raves from everyone else.
Some day I'll try The League of Frightened Men as Judy suggested above, but not yet.

Roisin wrote: ".. avoid those who will be too, ahem, unaware of whether it is 2017, loosing their clothes, vomiting, staggering through the busy streets...."

Oh my goodness, Roisin. Where on earth do you live??

Sandy wrote: "Wend wrote: "Oh dear, I'm in the minority here. I thought the book was OK, but no more than that."

I'm another in the minority ..."

Me too. It struck me as if a writer for People magazine decided to write a mystery. Something was missing but I can't quite put my finger on what.

Susan wrote: "I am hopeless at guessing. I think there were three or four possible suspects that I thought it could have been."

Me too. I never guessed the guilty party.

I just finished an audible of this book and found the whole concept intriguing. Very good and, as usual, I did not see the ending coming.

I think she really is attracted to Peter. She likes intellectual challenges and he is not some mindless aristocrat only interested in hunting. I think she is also aware that her salvation from the noose by Peter and her poverty would create an unbalanced relationship and perhaps she even resents his saving her a bit. Gratitude can be difficult to bear. Also she just got out of a relationship that she had thought was good and is probably afraid to repeat it and, as Pghfan said, she is more interested in getting her life back together.
If she really didn't care about Peter, she would not have made a point of buying a wine colored dress.

Jill wrote: "Montague Egg is the uncle you wish you had. Love the maxims."

Perfect!

I was able to guess the answer to the first mystery which is amazing for me. I never can do that. I'm really enjoying the Montague Egg stories.

I was sure that one person murdered Campbell but that the whole group was deliberately covering for him. That everyone was leaving town and having weak or difficult to prove aliabies struck me as a collaborative effort to obfuscate the facts.
Oh well. Some day I'll figure out the ending of a mystery book.

Susan wrote: "Linda, I glazed over with the time tables I'm afraid!"
Me too. I enjoyed it but decided not to waste brain power on the tables or keeping track of who was where and when.
I loved the Scottish accents and read a lot of it out loud pretending to be Scottish.

Judy wrote: "I've just watched the first episode of the TV version and the sweet omelette looked horrible, like scrambled eggs with jam.

It belatedly struck me that I wasn't even sure what a sweet omelette is..."

I was thinking that they were really crepes suzette which are very thin dessert pancakes. They are traditionally made table side and set aflame with brandy or something. I've had them but they are not something I would order or make for myself.

Susan wrote: "I wasn't clear whether he was at the trial to see Miss Climpson or, as you say Everyman, had seen the clippings in the paper and then gone. Perhaps I have glossed over that bit somewhere, but it wa..."

What I wasn't clear on was how or why was Miss Climpson on the jury. It would be a mighty strange coincidence that out of all the possible eligibles in London, she was selected. Or did someone pull strings and if so, who.

Lady Clementina wrote: "What I enjoyed best in this book was the characters- Lord Peter and Bunter as usual but best of all Miss Murchinson and Miss Climpson in particular. They showed such spunk and I loved the way they ..."

The ladies were great. I loved that they were not totally at ease with what they were doing. They had fears, nervous attacks, guilty consciences, and excitement, all the emotions any ordinary person would have had. And yes, lots of spunk.