Frances’s Comments (group member since Aug 21, 2017)

Frances’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I'm coming to this very late and am a little over half-way through. Very much enjoying this (haven't read any Heyer other than the first mystery with this group) and must give some of her non-mysteries a try. I am also enjoying the three very different Aunts who feature in this one.

Thanks Rosina-so she only becomes heir once all the other descendants are dead-so quite farfetched, but a very enjoyable read nonetheless!

I have just finished and really enjoyed this, but still don't really understand the mystery. How did Camilla come to be left out of the inheritance? Was it that everyone in the generation above her gets a crack at it before her turn comes (as although they keep referring to the young people as cousins, it was Camilla's mother that was Deirdre's cousin-is that right)?

Nonetheless, I do love the writing and the style, and the epistolary way of transmitting information really works in this case.

Rosina wrote: "I don't know if that 'history' was based on any real events. England was a lot less given to witch trials and executions than other European countries, including Scotland, and burning was not the legal punishment. "

I didn't think it was based on any real events, I think he just made that up as background to explain why there would be witchcraft/devil worship (his pairing, not mine) in that town at this time.

I wondered if the town might be based partly on Teignmouth, but does anyone have any other ideas if there might have been an actual town model for Tolnbridge?

I believe he stressed that this was something peculiar to this town with its history of burning witches in the past long after it had died out elsewhere in the country. You're right though that it is sloppy to lump the two together.

I quite enjoyed this, although agree that Fen is annoying and too mannered to like, which is I think a handicap for a mystery series-not to like the detective! As I said in the other thread, I had to go back and read The Raven which made that particular chapter quite striking in its silliness. I also liked that the organ and Choral Evensong music were brought into the plot-as someone who has sung in an Anglican church choir that regularly sings Evensong services it was an added bonus. The plot was of course somewhat ridiculous but I was completely fooled by Frances-I rather expected Fielding might have been the mastermind, given how he had latched onto Fen and invited him along on the trip to Tolnbridge. I look forward to further reads in this series.

I'm about half-way through and really enjoying this one. I pulled out my old E.A. Poe to have a read-through of The Raven after the relevant chapter (for those not at this point yet, it isn't a spoiler and might increase your enjoyment to (re)read before you reach this segment!)

Agree there are lots of words I don't recognize either, but also reading a book book so can't be bothered to look up.

Funnily enough when I read this the first time through I assumed Hilary was male-someone in this group pointed out that this is never specified and I was watching for it in the first book and agree that it is never made clear, but I still "read" the character as a vaguely androgynous male.

I will be joining you later but first need to get through Holy Disorders-a busy month!

Neer wrote: "There is one moment that stood out to me: When Sloane views the body of the boy, the author states that he felt weary and tired. I too did the same. Did anybody else feel it too? Somehow that death hit me harder than Sister Anne's. "

I too felt that way-the loss of a young student with his whole life ahead of him felt so shocking, and while not to justify or lessen the wrong of killing a nun, I have always had a sense of them living in a sort of liminal space between earth and heaven, so that death is less shocking or perhaps represents the next stage in their life, rather than the stage to come after work and possibly marriage and family and becoming the patriarch to your children and grandchildren.

I'd like to try again for The Floating Admiral, which I think would fit in nicely with our year's project as it has various members of the detection club writing a chapter each of a mystery novel, and then providing all their solutions at the end.

Going by my ratings, I gave 4 stars to Flowers for the Judge, Dancers in Mourning, Pearls Before Swine, Tether's End, The Tiger in the Smoke, and The China Governess.

I gave 2 stars to The Crime at Black Dudley, Police at the Funeral, The Fashion in Shrouds, and The Mind Readers.

Wow, interesting to see people's different opinions on these-I didn't review most so I'm sure my ratings were also somewhat dependent on my mood at the time!

Thanks for pointing out the fact that this was finished by her husband-I didn't know that and it had just felt a bit off.

While I've enjoyed reading through all the Allinghams in order and discussing them here, I've decided I'm not a great fan. I might even have joined this group for the chance to read through as I remember Allingham as one of my favourites, but that I'd never really understood her characters. I hoped that reading them in order would give me a better grasp of the backstory and the whole family/secret identity/other job of Albert Campion but no, none of this is ever really explained. That is perhaps a very modern aspect of Allingham, but not one I enjoy in a mystery series!

While I may at some future point reread one or two, I plan to give away the paperbacks I had already owned or accumulated for this read as I wouldn't ever reread the series.

Nonetheless, it's been a pleasure doing this buddy read with all of you and again I was glad to get the chance for a full read through of the series.

Page 199 of 227 in my edition, Morty says to Campion You're still being goddam mysterious. Do you get a kick out of it? and that is exactly what I feel like saying to Allingham after 19 books.

I'm just starting this and totally agree with Abigail-what the heck is going on and I feel I'm swimming in a murky pond trying to grab hold of something solid to follow in the plot.

I will look forward to hearing about this, but won't read myself. I've been burnt a few times by self-published books not living up to their ratings so have decided not to read any more until someone I know (and in this case I will accept this group's opinion :) ) has read and recommended.

One downside of reading a series in order is that the first book is often a "starter" novel and they get better as you go along, so you risk giving up on later novels which are stronger.

The one exception for me was Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which explains why Christie is the Queen!

Just finished this one and did not suspect at all-Aird played with the idea of someone being able to impersonate the dead nun so that her death was discovered later, but then I completely missed the thought that it could have been the wrong victim, particularly as there seemed to be very good reasons for this one to be murdered.

Interesting that the book was kept quite short-no elaborating on the previous wife of the murderer-where is she?-or on exactly why the cousin of the victim was staying locally for so long. I also wasn't completely clear on why the murderer would have been concerned about Tewn causing problems once he realized the gown had still seemed warm-that seemed far-fetched.

All in all an enjoyable first novel, and I too will enjoy continuing the series as a buddy read, particularly with the Allingham series coming to an end.

I've just started this and enjoying it so far, and will hope to join the ongoing read. I do like these isolated community mysteries, and a glimpse into a completely alien way of life.

i've just finished this and quite enjoyed it, although I was disappointed that Tony didn't do more of the detecting-I suppose I was expecting one of Christie's adventurous young women! I also find the whole getting engaged to someone you don't particularly like or love thing annoying, particularly Kenneth who had this strange mix of possessive jealousy about Violet without appearing to like her very much. Are we expected to believe that she committed 2 murders on the expectation of marrying the money? Seems a bit farfetched even for a murder mystery! Anyway, I look forward to the next H&H instalment.