Tara ’s Comments (group member since Jul 12, 2017)

Tara ’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

LovesMysteries wrote: "Roisin wrote: "Ouch! : )

I didn't think she was miscast. The actress is pretty! I saw that version some years ago before I read the book recently.

Was it just Elsa's looks that grabbed Amyas or h..."

I guess I'll have to agree to disagree on this point, but that is why beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm glad that others enjoyed the adaptation more than I did :)

Reading my first Dorothy B. Hughes with Dread Journey, which has recently been reprinted after being out of print for about 20 years. Normally I'm a sucker for train books, but I can't say the 40s Hollywood atmosphere and characters are my speed. But, if one doesn't explore other genres, how do you find out what you like?

Just getting to the David Suchet adaptation of this book, and one point that really sticks out at me is how very miscast the part of Elsa is. She looks a bit like an ostrich (and not in a flattering way). Given how the story rests on the point that Elsie is so breathtaking and vibrant (not just to Amyas, but to everyone that meets her), it is vital for this element to come through visually. I am also not a huge fan of the "darker" Poirots, that seem a consistent theme in the later seasons/series.

Jessica wrote: "This was so enjoyable! I read on Wikipedia that Agatha felt she ruined a perfectly good book by introducing Poirot. I can sort of see that, not that I think it was ruined by Poirot of course! But i..."

I had heard this as well Jessica, but I just don't see how this story would have worked without him. While I can't see him living in a cottage in the country (he has decried the failings of nature far too often), it works for me in all other respects. I would agree with this viewpoint in the context that the murder itself is not needed to make this story work.

Sandy wrote: "What about the tea 'party' at the end when Gerda dies? It seemed tacked on to me with Poirot popping up out of the blue to save the day."

I wondered at this myself Sandy, especially given that Henrietta knew she was being followed, purposely avoided her tail, but somehow missed Poirot's car? Unless she was only watching for the specific car she had seen before, this doesn't seem to make much sense.

I also did not understand what the big fuss about John was all about. You can respect him as a doctor and a professional, but that is a far cry from being in love with (or more accurately obsessed with) him. He might have been a great doctor, but he was a horrible person to those who loved him. I think this is most evident in his relationship with Veronica Cray. He was tormented by her for years, but the moment that she expresses her love and desire for him, somehow that frees him from her grip, and he can toss her aside like so much garbage (but only after sleeping with her of course)!

I did enjoy the romance between Edward and Midge. It appeared early on that it was a bit of settling on both their parts, and it made sense they broke it off. But the fact that Edward was so despairing after Midge's rejection, but somehow carried on after 4 refusals from Henrietta, the sole woman he was supposedly capable of loving, shows his true feelings. And despite Midge being described as plain and solid, she is just want Edward needs to really live.

Just finished, and ended up getting wrapped up in the characters. The murder almost seems besides the point in a way, its the relationships that really pop in this book. The ever-present artist obsessed with their art grows a bit tiresome, but I suppose that might have been how Christie felt about her own writing.

The one aspect I did like about this book was how the author's experience as an art critic really came through in Vance's art interests. Similar to Marsh's love of the theater, it feels genuine, and is a smart way for an author to incorporate things they themselves love into the characters, thereby making them more human. Sadly, it wasn't enough to change my opinion of him as a snob and a bore.

Just finished this recently, but it was a real struggle to get through, despite my love of NYC mysteries and that time period. I agree with the group that his snobbery and affectations make it impossible to like him. You get the sense that the author is attempting to portray him as sensitive and insightful, but he just comes across as obnoxious. I had picked up an SS Van Dine omnibus at a library sale, so I'm not opposed to reading the others, but probably only if the group was reading.

I'm about 1/3 through, and already hating John Christow. Christie at her character development best!

I'm really trying to like James, but so far, I'm not in love with these books. I did enjoy this month's read more so than the first, but it only really redeemed itself for me towards the end. It dragged through most of the book, but I thought the section from Nagle's perspective when he was planning out the murder of Jenny was so suspenseful and well-written. I agree with others that it as interesting glimpse into a detective's thinking when his judgment is clouded by his preconceptions. This also adds to the suspense of Nagle's attempted murder, as the reader believes he is already a killer.

And Jessica--I totally missed that similarity, although now that you mentioned it, I don't see how I could have missed it!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Sandy. Hopefully this will allow you even more pleasure from reading once you're back at 100%

Listening to The Highwayman by Craig Johnson, which is a novella from later in the series. So far I have only read the first book, but I loved the show, and its quite the change of pace from my normal routine of British GA mysteries.
Speaking of GA, I'm also listening to Passenger from Frankfurt by Christie, just to get my Hugh Fraser fix!

Jill wrote: "I thought from the beginning when Troy had taken someone's place that they must have all been in on it."

It was fun trying to figure out who the one innocent person was rather than the guilty one!

It was a bit of a stretch that our criminal mastermind was an amateur lepidopterist, and was able to assume the identity of a famous one who just happened to be out of the country at the time (although it is a good example of the risk of such a ploy, and where it could realistically go wrong). I would also assume that their gang would have been large enough to book up an entire cruise (given the passenger list was so small), rather than risk having interlopers who could become suspicious.
But all in all, it was a fun read, and a real page turner for me. I also found it believable that Troy would be wary of strange goings-on (being the wife of a police detective), but also hesitant to make a fuss over what seemed to be nothing when she explained it out loud. I could see all of us feeling foolish in such circumstances.

I quite enjoyed this one as well. I agree with others that Marsh's writing gets stronger with each outing (although the plots of some are not as good as others). Having Troy as the primary narrator provided an alternate and interesting way to pace out the story, and I just love any mysteries on trains or boats. It certainly sounded like a lovely cruise (aside from the criminal aspect).

Trying a new detective series, The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton. So far not particularly clever plotting (I found the first story way too obvious), but good character building. Looking forward to more stories.

My copy was titled Murder in Retrospect, that I got specifically for the Dell mapback version. I believe this was the American title, which I prefer over the nursery rhyme reference. Most of her books of this variety have weak links in terms of successfully connecting the rhyme to the story/characters, so I could really do without. But it was a solid mystery nonetheless, and is best served by a close reading. I'm also going to listen to the Hugh Fraser audiobook, and a BBC full cast dramatization.

I would definitely be interested in reading another Molly Thynne with the group. I picked them up when they were on sale on Kindle, but have only read the first two.

I alternated between suspecting Angela and Elsa, so while I thought Elsa might have done it, Christie was quite effective in pointing the finger at Angela. I thought it was masterful how all the clues were provided in just the specific way people said things. While the character (and the reader) are meant to interpret it one way, an astute reader thinks about what the alternatives might be. I also found the repetitive nature of each suspect's story being told twice to slow down the pace a bit, but there were subtle differences in what they told that were key to the narrative.

Sue wrote: "Rosina wrote: "the recurrent characters were on an express train, while the real world was on the slow train. They called at the various stations, but took far less time between stops. ..."

I like..."

I often thought the Miss Marple books felt like she was shoe-horned in. You always wanted a bit more!