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

Tara ’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I started 2 new books yesterday, both from series that I am making my way through in chronological order: K is for Killer by Sue Grafton and A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters. They are very different time periods and moods, but books I have read and re-read over the years. This is my first attempt at reading them in order though, which adds another layer to the experience.

Sandy wrote: "I just finished Frequent Hearses, a Gervase Fen book, though he is almost a minor character in this story. The supporting cast is excellent however: a wonderful Scotland Yard detecti..."

I tend to keep my phone nearby with my dictionary app open to look up words I don't know (I love this feature on the kindle because you just have to highlight the word to research it). Not that I necessarily remember the words, but I feel smart in the moment!

Balaji wrote: "I'm reading Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie and also The Incident at Fives Castle (Book 5 in the Angela Marchmont Series) by Clara Benson"

How are you enjoying the Marchmont series? I read the first one and liked it, but I haven't read any of the subsequent ones.

I agree Hugh is a great narrator, and I almost prefer listening to his audiobooks over reading the books myself. He does a pretty good version of Poirot too.

Yes, I do recall it was a nickname derived from Madonna, but it would seem that calling her Mother (or some form therein) would have been more appropriate. I have just never liked calling your parents by their given names, but perhaps that is a quirk of mine.

Venables certainly played the part of the villain well (and it turns out he was one, even if he wasn't the murdering kind). Osborne also fooled me, and he just seemed like someone who was earnest and wanted to see justice done. The clever bit is that all of his actions also work in the reverse: that he is twisted killer who wants to insert himself into the investigation (although that personality trait somewhat belies his behavior in all of the other murders he committed where no one else in the organization knew who he was or what he was up to).
I think it would have been near impossible for the police to catch on, especially as the previous deaths were considered natural causes without suspicious circumstances. And even if their attention was drawn, the most obvious cause of death was witchcraft, which would have been easily dismissed as being superstitious. It was nearly the perfect plan...

I enjoyed Mark Easterbrook as the narrator, and I wonder if he will pop up in future stories. I listened to the audiobook version, which was narrated by Hugh Fraser (aka Captain Hastings) so it had a Poirot connection for me, even if there wasn't one in the storyline.

While I do agree that too much romance can distract from an otherwise suspenseful mystery, if the story is particularly dark or depressing, it can bring a bit of light into your reading. Marsh has a light touch in this area, and I do not feel like it overwhelms the story. Also, as much as I grew up loving Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, I just don't know how realistic it is to have virtually no romantic interests at all. If you like the character, you want them to be happy, so I was rooting for Alleyn and Troy to get together.
A lot of slick, oily characters in this one. Was I the only one who was annoyed that Bridget called her mother Donna? It seemed so disrespectful to me. It was also humorous that in one breath Bridget says that Donald resented Bunchy because he wanted to be his own man, and in the next breath is saying how he is taking advice from Withers, who clearly seems to be a bad egg. Perhaps the fact that he was not family was enough for Donald to listen to him.
I think in reality, one of the more obvious suspects, such as Dimitri or Withers, would have been the real killer. But of course in a mystery novel, you know they are most likely just red herrings.

I agree with the consensus that the books are getting better as the series moves along. I think that's partially due to more character development, and partially that Marsh seems to have dropped most of the slang vocabulary, which I found difficult to follow at times. This book also focuses on Alleyn's humanity, and even if he is personally effected by the murder, he still has to be a professional and find the killer.

I just started The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD by Nicholas Meyer as a buddy read. As a bit of a purist, and a long time reader of Sherlock Holmes, I have tended to avoid the fanfic. So far though it is enjoyable, even if it can't pass for the real thing.

Susan wrote: "I think she felt uninspired and stressed in life generally. She took the plot from another short story and so she, sort of, rehashed the plot. I think, as an author, that is probably a last resort ..."

And we are often our own worst critics, aren't we? But her public enjoyed it, and that's what is most important!

At one point I was concerned that Katherine might have been the killer (following the adage about keeping your enemies closer), so I was pleased it didn't turn out that way. This was a fun read, so I'm not sure why Christie wasn't a fan.

I read this one last month when it became available at my library, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details (I should start taking notes), but I do recall enjoying the characters and storyline. Another home run for Christie!

Susan wrote: "I thought the relationship between Poirot and Hastings seemed extra warm in this novel, almost as though Christie was reassuring herself. What did everyone else think?"

Agreed Susan. It was one of the few redeeming qualities of the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, although sometimes I find myself unable to distinguish one character from another, especially early on in the telling. This method of murder was one of the more believable of the outlandish variety Marsh is partial to, if only due to the fact that Sonia appeared to be so difficult and disagreeable, that the other artists were not surprised by her squirming and distemper. I enjoyed the introduction of a love interest for Alleyn, and I do not think that it interfered in the story, aside from the fact that I was pretty sure that she was not the murder suspect. We shall have to see how that element plays out in future stories.

Marsh seems to excel in creative backdrops, and this outing is a prime example of that. I especially enjoyed meeting Lady Alleyn, who is urbane, yet warm and welcoming. You can see where Roderick gets his wit. I enjoy the romantic element, if only to show that police detectives can find happiness and love (too many portrayals are self-destructive, dysfunctional types, but perhaps that is a more modern theme).

Personally I didn't care much for this one. My proclivities lean more towards the traditional murder mystery, so this style just does not appeal. I think the varying stories cobbled together into one didn't help much either. It surprises me that despite their close association, that Hastings lacks such perception, both of Poirot and himself. How many times can he be surprised by Poirot's low opinion of Hasting's intelligence, and such a high regard for his own? The one redeeming quality is their mutual affection and willingness to put their own lives at risk for the other's protection.

This is the type of story where the identity of the killers/criminals almost does not even matter. Discovering who is numbers one through four doesn't add too much to the plot, it is mostly the danger and suspense that matters. I enjoyed a few tidbits throughout, but I doubt I would read this one again. However, it would have been interesting if there had been a real Achille hidden somewhere in the background, with an even keener mind that Hercule!

I'm shocked that I managed to avoid what the actual spoiler was in this story, although I knew it has a 'twist'. But I agree that once you know the outcome, you can still enjoy reading it on other levels.
While I also missed Hastings, it is interesting to view Poirot from an 'outsider's' perspective, almost like getting a fresh glimpse into the character. It also intriguing to see that despite the fact that Poirot is a real detective, and a rather famous one at that, that his skills and methods are still underestimated, right up until the end!

This was my favorite in the series thus far, although Alleyn's propensity for attraction to beautiful actresses wears a bit thin at times. The man must be lonely.
He did seem more relaxed than in earlier books (he was on vacation after all), although I suspect that could have as much to do with the degree of formality in London society versus elsewhere as anything else. It was also nice to get some back story into his past, as both a soldier and an author. Despite a certain degree of affectation, I think he has a tendency of being humble about his abilities and skills, perhaps as a way to ensure he is underestimated by the suspects.
Ever since the Lord of the Rings movies I have wanted to travel to NZ, so it would be nice to add a Marsh detour to that trip!