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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Thank you Susan and Sandy - I've also had a quick look around and couldn't find info on any US editions apart from the Audible one. I'm thinking it might be better to wait a little to read this title as a group read, until either the BLCC version or another edition is available in the US.

Nominations please for our March group read! As usual, please only nominate books written and published in the Golden Age period, or a little earlier or later - if in doubt whether a title is eligible, please ask. Just one nomination per group member, and only one book by any individual writer can be nominated per month.

If you aren't sure whether we have read something, the group bookshelves may help, or just ask. If it was at least 3 years ago that we read it, it is fine to renominate. Looking forward to seeing your nominations!

Thank you for opening up this thread, Susan - I'm excited for our new challenge! Looking forward to revisiting this one - I've read it before but am hoping not to remember the plot.

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

Thank you for opening up the threads, Susan! Looking forward to our first group read of 2025 - I'm just getting started with this one.

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

The challenge link is here, for anyone who wants to read more and hopefully join in :)
https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

Yes, Happy New Year to everyone for tomorrow!

Susan, yes, I've read all the Wolf Hall books and loved them - for anyone who hasn't, thank you for mentioning the kindle deal today! That's a great place to start.

I was a bit disappointed by Dramatic Murder by Elizabeth Anthony, as I thought it fizzled out rather after a great start - also only the first couple of chapters are really Christmassy. Still glad to have read it though for that early part.

At the moment I'm about halfway through another Christmas book from British Library, Who Killed Father Christmas?: And Other Seasonal Mysteries, which I'm enjoying more. This is a collection of short stories but jumps around between older and more recent authors, rather than just going through in chronological order as usual with BL, which is making for a lot of variety and a fun read.

Frances wrote: "I also appreciated that it was Flavia who had the big revelation and understanding-so often it has been Jonathan who appears to have solved things, so I enjoyed the actual police detective arriving at the solution...."

Yes, it was great to have Flavia solving the case for a change! Frances and Sandy, I agree it is a satisfying "happy ever after" for the main characters, but also agree that I would have been happy to read on about their art detective agency! I thought it was quite fun to be left guessing about the artist who created the triptych.

Sorry to be late but I do hope that all those celebrating are having a good Christmas break/happy holidays!

My favourite out of the buddy read series this year has definitely been Shardlake, which has helped to get me hooked on reading about the Tudor period. I'm sad that we only have one more of this wonderful series to go, although it is a huge book so there's lots to savour.

My other favourites at the moment are probably the Martin Beck series, Brunetti and Bradecote and Catchpoll, though it's early days with that series.

Welcome, Ian and Nick, great that you have joined, just in time for the start of our Christie challenge!

Great to hear that members are looking forward to this. It will be good to read some Christie classics together.

There's a spoiler thread linked below, Jackie:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Sandy wrote: "I've started one of my library Christmas books, The Santa Klaus Murder. Golden age and common set up: family gathers for the holiday and someone murders the patriarch."

I think that one was our very first group read here, Sandy! A long time ago now, but I remember enjoying it.

I'm reading a newly-published British Library Christmas mystery, Dramatic Murder by Elizabeth Anthony, which has a spectacular start in a snow-bound Scotland. I'm about halfway through and it has stopped being so Christmassy now, though! I helped myself to a few Christmas mysteries on Kindle Unlimited and hope to find time for one or two more. :)

Glad you were able to grab it, Susan. The Catherine Aird books are often very expensive apart from sales, although there are now some on KU!

I was a bit disappointed with this one to be honest. It was nice to be back with Flavia and Jonathan, but I found the plot hard to follow and it felt rather samey in some ways, with Mary Verney turning up again.

I was also a bit irritated by all the descriptions of the newly-wed Flavia feeling nauseous and not knowing what might be causing it for about half the book - surely two detectives could work this one out between them!

I've just noticed a couple of good Kindle deals on crime books. A Going Concern by Catherine Aird, which is in number 14 in the Calleshire Chronicles series we're reading as buddy reads, is currently 99p.

There's also a Rex Stout Nero Wolfe book for 99p, Please Pass the Guilt.

I felt very sorry for Elizabeth - what happens to her is so tragic, so much betrayal.

Hope you enjoy it, Susan! I'm addicted to Shedunnit :)

Despite being a bit slow to get going, I thought this book became powerful as it went on. The solution is quite shattering and darker than some of the previous books in this series.