Judy’s Comments (group member since Oct 01, 2015)

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Just opening up this discussion. I've just picked this one up from the library but haven't started it yet - looking forward to it although I'm sad to get to the end of such a great series.

Who is reading this one and, if you've read the others too, what do you feel about the Beck books as a whole?

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hope you enjoy it, Sandy. I think this may become my new favourite series!

Opening up this discussion. Who is reading this one?

I thought the beginning was very exciting although I got a bit lost in the amount of dialogue as the book went on, and had to Google lots of words I'd never heard of!

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Just opening up this discussion - who is reading this one? I've started but still have a long way to go.

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Just opening up our new buddy reads, with thanks to Susan for setting up the threads.

Who is reading this one? I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down - I liked it better than the first in the series.

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Congratulations to your daughter, Susan! Great news.

Frances and Susan, I noticed this 'poor child' incident too and wondered for a minute if I was looking at the wrong book! I searched for any info and found a couple of discussions which mentioned that the same incident is also mentioned in The Pale Horse. I saw one post suggesting that this encounter happened to Christie in real life and haunted her but I don't know if that's just speculation.

Aird, thanks Google!

I'm reading one of our next buddy reads, A Dead Liberty by Catherine Airs. For some reason I find the title hard to remember! Not very far in yet.

Some great ideas here! I will look back at this thread when trying to sort out my GR shelves. I also need to sort out my real bookshelves but that's another story...

I did notice there was a lawyer's firm called 'Cole & Cole' in Murder as a Fine Art, which I'm guessing was a Detection Club in-joke referencing fellow-members G.D.H. and Margaret Cole!

There is also another Lorac book set in Lunesdale, Still Waters, being published by British Library in December in the UK - I hope you don't have to wait too long for that one.

Still on the subject of Lorac, I've just noticed that there is actually a paperback of Death On The Oxford Road for £9.95 in the UK, but it's listed under "E.C.R Lorac" with no point after the R, so it comes up as by a different author! It doesn't look like a very good quality edition though.

Susan, I've finished Murder as a Fine Art now and would have to say I don't think it's one of Lorac/Carnac's best - there are a large number of characters, so it's hard to keep track, and some of it is a bit dry. I still found it quite enjoyable though, as her writing is always very readable.

Just saw this Netflix trailer for The Thursday Murder Club - looks good I think.
https://youtu.be/50DYgzRBhFA

Thanks Sandy, it's interesting to hear how you use your TBR. I've never really used mine properly and was wondering how others keep track of their reading wants.

I enjoyed the writing and the humorous and poignant moments but I felt as if the police could have saved the deaf sister - surely they shouldn't have left her in danger?

I was also a bit disappointed by the way the plot develops, as I'm not a big fan of everyone turning out to be a spy/in disguise - there are a few GA novels where this happens. I suppose there have been nests of spies in real life, but it just seems a bit far-fetched, and would there be enough for them to do in that one neighbourhood?

Just wondering how people use their "want to read" lists on Goodreads? I added quite a lot of books years ago, then found I wasn't reading many of them so mainly stopped using it - I'm now trying to read a few of the ones I added!

I'm currently reading Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead, which I added about 10 years ago after watching the TV series! I'm finding it quite interesting, especially the more general parts about the history of department stores, which are largely becoming a thing of the past these days.

Jan C wrote: "Judy wrote: "We haven't read Death on the Oxford Road, Jan..... It was probably one of the $1.99 specials."

Ooh, in that case I hope it turns up in the UK too!

I've started reading another Lorac/Carnac title, Murder as a Fine Art which is one of the British Library reissues - I had previously made a false start on this one as I found the first few pages confusing, but made sure to read that part when I was wide awake this time and am enjoying it now!

Susan in NC wrote: "Yes, amazing casts - almost felt as if jamming big stars was the goal, and the plots were twisted accordingly to play to their strengths!"...

True - probably hard to cast a big name and then give them not much to do. I hadn't thought about the unnecessary plot twists being added in for this reason, but it sounds very likely!

Sandy wrote: "My favorite aspect of this book may be Miss Marple's protective attitude towards the young people: forever warning them to not investigate, to not believe everything they are told..."

I liked her protective attitude too and think it makes the warmth of her personality come across even though she doesn't come into the story as much as I'd remembered from my previous read!

I kept wondering if she really wants them not to investigate, though, since she is the one who says that Gwenda must have lived in the house before and suggests there really was a murder, so without her they might never think to investigate in the first place. Maybe she is torn between her protective feelings and her desire for justice, and the knowledge that there may be a killer still at large.

The McEwan and McKenzie Miss Marple versions have some great actors but it's a shame about all the strange changes to the plots - thanks for the warning about this one, Susan!