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

Craftyhj’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Sarah wrote: "I was having a bad day and went for a walk around the neighborhood, which features several Little Free Libraries, and snagged a paperback copy of Patricia Wentworth's "The Chinese Shawl."
https://w..."

I've started working my way through the available Miss Silver books. I read The Chinese Shawl earlier this month. I am enjoying the series. I like Miss Silver and I thought this one was well done other than the reveal which was just a teensy bit awkward (as indeed the final reveals often are in any mystery book). Nonetheless I really enjoy these books and am gradually working my way through them.

Sadly not in the uk. I have a list of authors who I look for whenever I am near a charity shop/secondhand book stall. I have added Wynne to the list.

I thought this was excellent. I am disappointed none of his other books are available.

Right now I have regressed to my childhood and am reading The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown. I read this and all of the sequels avidly when I was about 10 years old. It's quite fun, a little dated but beautifully nostalgic.

Susan in NC wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I plan to start Murder on the Caronia probably today. well, technically I have already started since I read the first paragraph when I downloaded the library book on my..."

Im interested to hear a positive review of the series- I read the first in the Railway series and was very disappointed. Perhaps I will have to give one of these a go.

Yew trees are traditionally planted in church graveyards in the UK so at the time Cyril Hare was writing this would have clearly marked the book out as a murder mystery even if the potential buyer was not aware of the literary quote. It might be the publishers felt that in other countries this wouldn't be known and this might make a difference to potential sales.

Sandy wrote: "I am a good way in and like the alternating plot lines. The names of the two detectives are playful; I can remember who is boss vs underling by knowing Rivers are bigger than Brooks."

well spotted!

Abigail wrote: "Finished Surfeit of Suspects (thank the good lord it’s over) and am rewarding myself with the book I’m most looking forward to among my April group reads, Love in a Cold Clima..."</i>

I had already decided to substitute [book:Surfeit of Suspects with a different Golden Age of Crime - it seems like that was a good decision on my part.

I am rereading the Mitford books during the course of the year. I haven't read them for about 30 years so I decided it was time. Enjoy.

I also smiled at the conversation about duvets. I remember getting my first as a child in the 70s. If I remember rightly it had a truly alarmingly floral cover, very flower power!

I've just finished this and really enjoyed it. It initially seems like an unwieldy cast of suspects but they are quickly whittled down to a manageable number. I liked the character of the detectives which is always important.

Ive read the first two so far - I am going to read When the Wind Blows this month so I will be a little behind this read but will get there.

I think audio may be the way for me when it comes to Dickens. I listened to Gulliver's Travels last year and I don't think I would have waded through it all on paper.

Well done Fred! I have never been able to get on with Dickens - far too wordy.

This was my first encounter with CI MacDonald and I liked him. He was intelligent and not morose as so many senior police officers seem to be in crime novels.

I mostly kept up with who was who but I was a little perplexed when the journalist popped up again. I quite liked him (he was a teeny bit Campionesque which endeared him to me) but he was just a bit of a surprise. I think MacDonald mentioned to one of the other characters that he had worked with the journalist before and so I expect for people who read the book when it was first published he mayn't have been such a surprise.

I was quite amused by the surprisingly murderously inclined pacifists!

I will definitely give another MacDonad story a go.

Abigail wrote: "I’m excited to start reading my first Daphne du Maurier book, Jamaica Inn."

Goodness - I haven't read that since I was a teenager many years ago! I look forward to hearing what you think

I have just this afternoon finished The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. It must be nearly 30 years since I last read it! I shall work my way through the rest of the series over the year.

I found myself conflicted with this book. It was well written and the plot unfolded well. BUT... the characters were rather too similar and more involvement from the women would have stirred things up s but perhaps. Alternatively perhaps the udergrds might not have been let off so quickly.

The suicide exit is quite common in this era - Poirot used to let his victims off more than I might like.

My overall review for this was that I am glad I read it but don't imagine I will ever read it again.

I am gradually making my way though the Campion books on audio. I am currently listening to Traitor's Purse which is number 11 in the series.

how about Mystery At Lynden Sands by J. J. Connington. It is a cheap Kindle book in UK but I don't k now about US.

It is in my TBR so I can't comment on it personally but there is something wonderfully nostalgic about any book titled "Mystery at ...".

I'm listening to the audio version. David Thorpe is one of the very best narrators I have heard and anything he has narrated is always a draw for me. I grew up in rural Cambridgeshire and his accent is spot on for Victoria and her sisters (Juror number 1).