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

Frances’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I also love the Shedunnit podcast and have even done the paid membership for this.

I'd be interested int he Elly Griffiths series as I've been enjoying the Ruth Galloway books very much

Susan in NC wrote: "Same with the Mick Herron books I’ve read! I guess because the humor was so entertaining"

I really enjoy the Mick Herron books, and one of the minor things I appreciate about them is the absence of sexual violence. I remember in one book a beautiful young woman was introduced and I started steeling myself for her to be sexually assaulted as that always happens to beautiful women in thrillers=but it didn't! I almost wrote him a thank you note!

I skipped penhallow as well when I realized it wasn’t the detectives of this series.

I read the first Philip Kerr and found the level of violence particularly sexual violence put me off reading any more. Are all the novels similar in this regard or was that a one-off?

Susan in NC wrote: "Apologies if this is anyone’s favorite, but it’s Death in the Stocks. The artist and his sister, both suspects in a murder, are both rude and obnoxious, and the family lawyer investi..."

I think I felt the same way-this was my review from the beginning of our read:

This was the first Georgette Heyer I've read, and the first in her 9 or so volume series of mysteries set among the bright young things in 1920's/30's London. It was a fun read, a decent mystery though not particularly difficult to solve, and the detectives and the amateur detective seemed decent sorts, but the bright young things themselves started to wear on one quite early on. I'll try another at some point, but not sure I'll go through the whole series if they are all similar to this one.

So I'm really glad I stuck with them as I enjoyed the rest more as well, Susan!

I've just finished this and also sad that this will be the last Hemingway mystery, although I've saved Envious Casca to read over Christmas so I have that to look forward to.
Why does Hemmingway keep changing sidekicks? What happened to Hannyside-or was he just getting too much for Heyer to stick? They also mentioned Grant a few times in this one, and I for one am glad he's gone with his irritating Gaelic words thrown in (I have no problem with gaelic speakers, just the random tossing in of obscure phrases). Mavis really was too annoying and I for one was rooting for her to be the villain, but it would probably have been too much for her to be a secret marksman.

Not sure I buy the solution=I thought it would be obvious if a body had been moved, and the "convoluted plot because the murderer was a mystery writer" thing was a bit much even for me. This might be because it is becoming a thing for mystery characters to comment on how much like a book their situation is which was amusing the first time but now that Anthony Horowitz has taken it to extremes with his Hawthorn and Horowitz series featuring himself (starting with The Word is Murder) as the sidekick it is all becoming a bit too meta for me.

I do like that she squeezed in a romance although it took me a while to differentiate Abby from Mavis (both being someone's niece) and like Susan I was relieved it wasn't the squire or the Lindales, and that their secrets were safe.

I've never read a non-mystery Heyer so am considering doing so-any recommendations? Also, which other series are the Heyer fans reading? I'm doing the Mrs Pargeter ones, and will continue Catherine Aird-any others that would appeal to those who liked the Heyer?

Susan in NC wrote: "Oh, right, and Hemingway was chatting her up and she said, “Sauce!” Which I found hilarious!"

Just came to that bit! OK Rosina’s cover gets a pass!

I’m over half way through and have yet to meet the saucy blonde in a black negligée…

Also, this book could definitely use a map and cast of characters at the beginning!

My cover definitely looks mysterious

Judy wrote: "As I mentioned in another thread, I was really amused by Mrs Midgeholme, owner of numerous Peke dogs with names beginning with 'U'! I would have liked to see more of her, but every time she comes i..."

Having just finished Duplicate Death before starting this one, I notice both books have a middle-aged woman who does annoying baby-talk and mother/fathering people who aren't her parents-the nanny in DD and now the Peke owner in this one. Kind of sets my teeth on edge, a bit like the constant tossing about of Gaelic phrases in the last one-does this happen here? Hemingway hasn't shown up yet so I don't know who his sidekick will be.

I've just finished this one and quite enjoyed it! I also liked the relationship between Timothy and Beulah, and would have liked to see more of them together. I kept getting confused about the relationships between Timothy, his brother, their mother vs Jim's wife-I wish they'd used Pat's name instead of referring to her incessantly as Mrs James Kane!

The mystery was quite intriguing until the solution hinged on someone taking down a painting, removing the wire, replacing it with string, rehanging the painting and then strangling Mrs H with the wire-that was just too unbelievable even for a committed mystery fan! And Lance, who seemed like a bit of an airhead, would be the last one to do something like that-so when that started to seem like the solution I wondered if it was in fact his sister Beatrice who did it!

Anyway, I look forward to reading the last in the series next.

I quite enjoyed this one-I agree with Sandy that I'm less interested in the spy thrillers than the murder mysteries, but do like Tommy and Tuppence and the setup of the couple. I understand young Alfred/Albert (can't remember the name) who works in Mrs Vandermeyer's building will be a recurring character so that's fun.

Hard to believe that Jane Finn kept up the lost memory act for 5 years! I also suspected Julius from the start so that was a typical Christie twist that he was fine and Peel Edgerton was the real villain.

I've also just finished my reread, and look forward to the rest which I don't think I've read before.

I am just starting this now, having noticed that I missed this one as I was about to begin the July Heyer read. I'm only part way in and just realized on reading this thread that we've seen Timothy Harte before. Sometimes one needs a primer on all the continuing characters in a series, particularly when months or years go by between reading various books.

I've just finished as well and echo others' comments. The atmosphere is so well done, and the historical details fascinating. The descriptions of Henry VIII, the visits with the Queen, and in particular the details of the Mary Rose are so well done. I've also visited the Mary Rose exhibit in Portsmouth and it is highly recommended, and reading this account of the great ship sinking so quickly on her maiden voyage is really gripping-a Titanic story for the middle ages.

It is great seeing the progress of the various characters, particularly Barak-I shared his frustration with Shardlake continuing to pursue these dangerous investigations of little known benefit and much risk. I look forward to the remaining two instalments and am only sorry to assume that Sansom may not have been able to finish Sharlake's story arc.

I am just starting this one today, having wrapped upThe Secret Hours, so quite the change of time, place, and pace. This will be my first time reading this one and I've really enjoyed the series so far. Glad to see that Barak and Tamasin have worked out their differences!

I've just finished this-it didn't really grab me as I'd hoped, perhaps because it's more of a thriller than a mystery, and the ending was just bitter-I had not anticipated that a lowly policeman could win a society beauty, and the death just doesn't sit well for a mystery-if that isn't breaking one of the cardinal rules, it should be! As I'd said in the other thread, I don't know if it's the style or the translation, but I was somewhat disappointed and don't think I'll carry on with the series, though I'll at least check out the next one!

I've just started and am about a third of the way in. Enjoying it so far and yes seems more a thriller than a mystery, but we'll see how it pans out. I'm also struggling a bit with the style, and will confess I've never been able to enjoy the Russian classics, Anna Karenina probably being the only one I've ever finished and enjoyed-so I don't know if I'm just not a fan of the style or maybe there is something lost in translation.
I will definitely finish this one but not sure if I'll continue on the series-see you in the spoiler thread in a few days!