Craftyhj’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2022)

Craftyhj’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

This was my first experience of Brand's writing. I enjoyed it, period-inevitable misogyny aside, and will definitely read more. The first one int eh series doesn't have great reviews - what do others think?

interesting Judy. thanks for the info. I'm going to see how I get on with the Angela books and see if I am enjoying them enough to work through them first.

Michaela wrote: "There is a comment in the beginning of my kindle edition that says that the books are all stand-alones but you understand more if you read both the series. I found this a bit unfair, and will defin..."

thanks for that. I checked on the authors website but she seemed to hedge her bets a bit.

Hi, I have only recently found these via a 99p deal on the first in the series. I have not read any of the Angela Marchmont ones yet. Would I be better catching up with them first?

I've just finished Swan Song and Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin. My plan is to catch up with the group ready for the next buddy read in the series.

I do enjoy the character of Gervase Fen although I think he is definitely better when in Oxford than on his travels.

The thing that always strikes me when I read the GAC books is just how much they all smoked! They must have lived in a permanent fog!

Gary wrote: "Currently reading/listening to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Amazingly this is the first time I have read this book. How did I miss this in the 1970s and 1980s when I was cutting thr..."

this one of Christie's very best I think.

I finished this today and I am still not sure if I enjoyed it or not! Some elements were good - I like a book with a small cast of characters as it really allows the author to draw everything out of them. I did however feel that this book was 50 pages too long.

I am always a little disappointed with the "suicide" ending - Christie was an over-user of this too. On the other hand I live in the UK and the last death penalty was carried out before I was born and so I imagine readers of the time would have perhaps been more sympathetic to this sort of ending.

I think I will give Inspector Knollis another outing.

I'm about a third of the way through this one. I'm nor sure how much I read;y like the characters but at this point I am sufficiently invested to want to know what happens so I shall continue. I am not sure if I would read any more in this series though. I have plenty of other GAC series on the go as it is!

I am continuing on through my Inspector Alleyn journey with Death in Ecstasy

Just about to start this one on Scribd (UK)

I am 2/3rds of the way through the third Inspector Mallett book, Suicide Excepted by Cyril Hare.

Mallett is taking his time to appear properly in this one and it is not as good as a result. I think there are a couple more twists and turns to come before the reveal.

I'm continuing my journey through the Mrs Pargeter series by Simon Brett. I am just starting number 6 of 8, Mrs Pargeter’s Point of Honour

Rosina wrote: "Reginald Hill - author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series - explained it rather well. In the series, which starts at the beginning of the 1970s and goes on until the 2000s Dalziel hardly ages at all,..."

I always think the same applies to Wexford by Ruth Rendell.

I'm continuing on with my Campion travels, having just started The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

Judy wrote: "I've just read the Edmund Crispin novella The Hours of Darkness, which was included in [book:Bodies from the Library 2: Forgotten Stories of Mystery and Suspense by the Queens of Cri..."

I imagine it would be quite exhausting being Mrs Fen although life would definitely not be dull!

I love The Wind in the Willows - it brings such happy memories of sitting at the kitchen table reading as a little girl.

I have been reading Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris and Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York - the original books which prompted the film.

I've just finished The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin. I quite enjoy the Gevaise Fen books once I have allowed for the casual patriarchy of the era.

I've just finished the first Maigret, Pietr the Latvian. I find the style very choppy although I appreciate this may also be increased by translation. I am a bit unresolved as to whether to continue with Maigret. I see that the general opinion is that they do not need to be read in order. Which are peoples favourite Maigrets?

I've just read the first one in this series. I shall probably carry on with the series as I liked the character of Freddy although I found the writing a little difficult at times - too many 70+ word sentences.

I'm definitely going to "audio" this one. I can't decide which version - I do love to listen to Hugh Fraser but I wonder if he is too firmly entrenched as Hastings for it to work in this one. Decisions, decisions ....