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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

Susan in NC wrote: "I’ll nominate another Moray Dalton, The Stretton Darknesse Mystery. I don’t know about availability everywhere, but currently $1.99 on Kindle U.S.

‘A capital tale… excellent’ The ..."

Sorry Susan, but this isn't available in any format in the UK - we only have the Dalton titles published by Dean Street Press available here. A shame as it sounds great.

I read this one years ago and remember enjoying it, but haven't started my reread yet - next up after I finish The Port of London Murders! I saw the author of the Jack Haldean series, Dolores Gordon-Smith, taking part in an interesting discussion of the influence of true crime on crime fiction at the "Bodies in the Library" conference a couple of months ago.

Frances wrote: "I also love the Shedunnit podcast and have even done the paid membership for this."

Me too, Frances, I like the extra book club episodes that Caroline Crampton does for members.

Must admit I don't listen to many other podcasts apart from Shedunnit, but keep meaning to explore a few more.

Many thanks for opening up the threads, Susan. I'm late to the party as I've been distracted this week one way and another! I've started this one but am not very far in as yet - very atmospheric so far, and certainly different from the typical GA settings.

Sorry to be a day late, it's been quite a week (excuses... my amazingly clever cat got stuck on a roof, though I finally got her down, and I started a part-time job!)

Nominations please for our October group read. 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. As usual, 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.

PS on my phone so I can't just correct it to Tuppence...

Tupperware? Thanks auto correct! ;)

I wonder whether Christie and her publishers had any letters on this topic from readers when her books started to be popular in America? I suppose Tommy and Tupperware are a bit stereotyped too with "Old bean" etc, but not as much as Julius! Interesting that Jane doesn't talk in the same way

Gretchen wrote: "This was one of the craziest ones maybe because it was written in the classic English mystery but the whole time I was saying to myself this a real murder really did happen ..."

I know what you mean, people often seem to be amazingly unbothered about murders in some of the Golden Age books. While I enjoy lighter books, it's good if there is still some recognition of murder as an appalling crime - it can be a difficult balance to strike. At least Hemingway is determined to get the killer and see justice done.

Jackie wrote: "There are tons of good non-mystery Heyers! if you want a little mystery thrown in try The Toll-Gate. Otherwise, my very favorite is The Grand Sophy..."

Thanks for the recommendation. I picked up Sylvester the other day as it is on special offer at the moment and sounded good - do you like that one, Jackie? I remembered that False Colours was my favourite when I was a teenager, but I'll save that one for later.

What did anyone think of Julius? I felt the way he talks is very stereotyped, but he has a warmth and generosity of spirit which makes him quite likeable. Hard to believe that anybody could be as rich as he is, though!

I'm another fan of the Shedunnit podcast - I met several listeners to the podcast when I went to the British Library's "Bodies from the Library" conference in June, which was a really enjoyable event. I haven't listened to the podcast on Christianna Brand yet but will get to it this weekend. Should be great.

I quite enjoyed this but struggled to follow it, to be honest - I found the plot a bit confusing.

It will be interesting to see if Maigret is retired in the next book and then comes back to work. I've actually just peeped at the blurb for the next book and answered my own question...

I couldn't believe how well I remembered this - I found I remembered most of the plot, which is unusual for me. Then I realised that I'd read it twice before, not once as I thought, and had also seen the TV adaptation with David Walliams and Jessica Raine, so it wasn't that surprising!

I only thought the start of this was a bit like Wodehouse, where the couple meet up and share lots of banter - it soon gets much more like the early Campions, I agree!

A young couple who are desperate to make money actually meet up at the start of Something New by Wodehouse, but, needless to say, their adventures are very different from Tommy and Tuppence's.

That list for the rest of the year looks great, Susan, many thanks. Also some tempting new series coming up. I read the first couple of Brian Flynns ages ago, I think, and have been vaguely meaning to get back to that series for ages, so it will be fun to read more of that one. I've also been meaning to try Gently since seeing the TV series, although the books are set in Norfolk, not up north, so should be very different. :)

If anyone was thinking of joining in on our current buddy read of A Private View by Michael Innes, it's currently £1.99 on Kindle which is better than usual - I found this one an exciting read.

That's a really impressive line-up. A lot of the names are new to me. Who were the authors you have really got to read now, Susan? :)

Good to hear you are enjoying it, Susan.

I've just finished this. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the descriptions of the Welsh countryside and people, and the Viking marauders. But I didn't feel this was really a murder mystery at all. Cadfael doesn't do any detecting and I'd more or less forgotten about the murder until the killer suddenly confessed!

I was wrong about the young lovers at first too, Sandy - I thought the man who gets killed might be the one for Heledd, but then realised I must be wrong when he turned out to be the victim.