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

Tara ’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

This is one of the few murder mysteries that I have read where I figured out the killer, but only I think because I knew it had a twist ending to it. I suspected it was either the doctor, or that Ackroyd wasn't really dead, although I was leaning more heavily towards the former solution. The phone call he received to summon him to the murder scene always felt suspicious to me, and once they mentioned him tinkering around with mechanical devices, I knew they were connected.
The unreliable narrator trope is somewhat overused these days (Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train being more well-known and better executed examples), but I suspect at the time this was quite novel and unexpected. I have no clue how I have been such a Poirot fan for years, and I have never read or seen an adaptation of this story. It was a real treat, and I look forward to giving it a re-read in the future, as many of you report liking it better the second go round so that you can fish out the clues.
The one weak spot for me was the motive, as I did not feel as though there were clues in that regard within the story, but perhaps a re-read would prove me wrong there. I found it quite interesting that Poirot seemed to take the doctor into his confidence, and if he had been as clever as he supposed himself to be, perhaps he would have picked up that he was the prime suspect!

Amy wrote: "Just started:

The Devil's Novice

I'm reading the series in order at the rate of one or two a year. Great series. I remember my grandmother reading these books when I was a kid and l..."
I was drawn to these books as a kid, mainly because I loved the cover art that was reminiscent of stained glass windows. I've read a bunch of the books, but not in order, and spread out over many years. I recently got an abridged collection of the audiobooks from audible that were fun to listen to as the narrator is Derek Jacobi, who also starred in the shows. One suspects that a lot of murders from that time period went unsolved (if they were classified as murders at all), so its interesting to see how they can be solved before modern technological advancements (or even fingerprinting) were available.

I was never a fan of Finney as Poirot (did they use shoe polish is his hair? I think Poirot would have been appalled), but as an ensemble piece, MOTOE was very good I thought. I plan on watching the Branagh version eventually on Netflix, but I am prepared to be disappointed. Ustinov wasn't bad, but I agree he did not look the part. Suchet will always be my #1 choice, and I cannot help but picture him when I am reading. He even has the egg shaped head!
I also adore the Rutherford movies, although now that I have read so many of the Miss Marple books, I feel that she is not as subtle and dowdy-appearing as the real character was. I think the best way to look at that portrayal is as an inspired-by story versus a strict retelling.
I tend to be a bit of a purist at heart, but I like the thought that movie adaptations, by their very nature, cannot be exactly like their book counterparts, but rather are an interpretation of the story via a new media.

Sandy wrote: "In preparation for an author talk on a new biography of Tesla, I am reading Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World. So far Edison is the le..."

I've heard the Edison was a bit of a thug, sending out goons to intimidate other inventors that were his competitors. Not quite how he is remembered today....

Ahead of a Tolkien conference I am attending next month with this author speaking, I am reading Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth by John Garth. So far, its very interesting and well-written.

I love that retro cover! I would pick up the book solely from that.

This one started off strong for me, but I gave up any hope of solving it when they started in with who was where in the theater, and dark hallways and tight squeezes near bicycle sheds. I also agree with another poster that the male characters all blended together for me, and I didn't bother to sort out who was who.
For being such a smart and dashing detective, Alleyn's taste in women runs towards the rather obvious sort.
Despite outlandish methods, she did stick to one of the oldest motives there is....

In my quest to listen to every audiobook Derek Jacobi has recorded, I just started H.G. Wells' The Time Machine . I've seen the movie with Rod Taylor, but this is my first experience with the source material. So far, it reminds very much of Conan Doyle's The Lost World , which I also enjoyed. Something about 19th century adventure and fantasy that reads like a safari gone wild. Its a short book, so I should be able to finish it up in a few days,

One has to wonder how often people just disappeared that Holmes got away with his spree for so long.
Added bonus: you can impress all your friends at cocktail parties with your knowledge of the history of the Ferris Wheel!

Jill wrote: "I finished The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and was so good to get back to a full Poirot story. Now reading [book:The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That C..."

I listened to the Devil on audiobook Jill and I quite enjoyed. The juxtaposition of a serial killer with the amazing advancements of the Chicago Worlds Fair was an interesting way to present that story. You'll have to let us know how you like it.

And I thought I was so clever for figuring out who the killer was! I was frustrated with the degree that Charles fell under Rosamund's spell, but unfortunately it wouldn't be the first time that a man overlooked a beautiful's woman flaws. I think in general when we are in love we wear rose-colored glasses, and I would imagine in the years that Charles was away, he created an idealized version of her in his mind. He started out strong, but the longer he was around her, the more he became blinded by her. I don't know that he was dim, so much as naive and gullible.
The moment I read Charles' letter, I knew that was going to be used against him, although I wasn't sure exactly how. I get that a certain amount of propriety would have been used, but how could he not see that its vagaries could easily point to something much more sinister than romantic overtures (okay, perhaps my earlier assessment that he wasn't dim isn't holding up very well...)
The final scene in the library reminded me of And Then They Were None (view spoiler)[and the way in which Vera's character was hypnotized into committing suicide. (hide spoiler)] It is difficult for most people to understand, but if the victim is in the right frame of mind, not entirely impossible.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this, and I would be interested in reading more in the series, if ever I could find the time!

I enjoyed this more than I expected to, and I would be interested in reading more in the series (although if I stacked all of my currently reading books in a pile, it would surely topple over). Angela's role in the story reminded me of some of the Miss Marple stories in their peripheral nature, which is an interesting ploy. I thought the characters were well developed, and I liked Charles in particular. Hopefully him and Sylvia show up in future stories!

I'm a bit late to the party, but still in ahead of the wire, so that counts! Sadly my old paperback started falling apart from the beginning, but my husband recently purchased some bookbinding glue, so hopefully we can fix it up.
There is something rather fascinating about cults, even if you can't understand why someone would ever join one. I agree that Bathgate's role is more natural here than in other circumstances. I wonder if his editor gave him more latitude in his work and deadlines since that gave him almost unlimited access to inside scoops? It would seem like a fair trade-off.

I finally finished, after an early start in the month, a stalling mid-month, and then a mad dash to wrap it up before the month was over. Unfortunately the start and stopping led me to lose details of the storyline along the way, but overall I enjoyed this one. And, for the first time, I actually guessed the killer (Ogden's maid's casual reference to the pot that needed to be replaced was the clincher).
I agree that this was a rather odious bunch, with Janey being the only character that garners sympathy (although clearly she has very bad judgment). I found it interesting that Alleyn changes his tone and mannerisms to reflect what he thinks his witnesses/suspects want to hear. It is a psychological element to detective work that I can't say I have seen much of.
Personally I think Marsh's storytelling has gotten stronger as the series has moved along, so I am looking forward to the next one. They might not be as classic as Christie, but they are just the type of books you would pack into a suitcase for a vacation, and gobble them up as you lounge by the pool.

I just finished listening to The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes from Audible. Derek Jacobi was the narrator, and he is one of my favorites, so it was a great treat to revisit these stories.
My next listen (I always have an audiobook in the rotation) will be I is for Innocent as I work my way through the alphabet series. I haven't read a lot of mysteries with a female detective (besides Miss Marple), so I like the different perspective.

I think you are on to something there Judy. I feel like many modern attempts to set stories in earlier times either ignore these changes in language and slang altogether, or do a bad job of it. As much as I can be confused with what they are talking about sometimes, it does have the impact of transporting you in time in a way that stories that "travel well" are not as effective in doing. From that perspective it is both a story for a story's sake, as well as a historical artifact, which is pretty cool in my book.

Luckily I was able to get a digital copy of this from my library, and I had to race to finish before it was due back in a few days. When you are actively reading 6-7 books, it can be difficult to juggle priorities sometimes. While I think it is next to impossible to figure out whodunnit in these short stories (not that I am any more successful in full length books), as you really aren't given enough clues to do so, they are fun. I also think that Poirot's quirks are less evident in smaller doses, which might work well for people who find his habits and mannerisms annoying. Hastings certainly is exasperated with him time and time again.

I have never read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, despite being a Christie (and pretty much exclusive Poirot) fan since my teenage years. Luckily I was able to score either a free or cheapie version from Kindle some time ago, so I will gladly be joining in next month's read!

I hadn't read these before, but nearly all of them have been adapted in the David Suchet series, so I was familiar with the plots and endings ahead of time. I did enjoy them in spite of that, as you can read a story or two when you don't have time for more in-depth reading. My favorite was Wasps' Nest, as the premise (preventing a murder) was a turn from the majority of cases when the detective is only involved after the crime was committed. I also thought the fact that Poirot's friend was the one he was going to try to prevent from committing a crime, despite being the victim as well, was very intriguing. You wonder how many cases of murder have actually being vindictive suicides in our history.

I find Marsh to be very different from Christie, but I enjoy both of them in their own way. I probably never would have read these books if not for this challenge, so I'm glad I found it.

Jody wrote: "Tara wrote: "I recently started The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson after very much enjoying the Longmire series on Netflix. The book is very..."

I am really getting into his writing style Jody, and I think I will carry on with the series. Unfortunately having watched the show first its impossible to not envisage the actors when reading the books, but I am trying!

Welcome to the challenge Adrian! It's certainly never too late to start, and you can still easily catch up. I started last year's Miss Marple challenge in August, and I managed to both backtrack and move forward with the rest of the challenge, albeit not in the correct order. IMO these books get better as you progress, so it's definitely worth keeping at it.