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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I'm reading 2 of our forthcoming buddy reads at the moment - they are very different, so no danger of mixing them up! I'm just over halfway through a paperback edition from the library of Murder on the Oceanic. I'm finding it quite an enjoyable light read, but the various things that always annoy me about this series are annoying me once again - I'll save them for the discussion!

I'm also currently reading our next Cadfael book, The Potter's Field, and enjoying it a lot so far. It has an intriguing and different plot.

Susan in NC wrote: "Listening to Joan Hickson (my favorite Marple) narrating Murder at the Vicarage,.. I’ve always found it interesting, this is narrated from the vicar’s POV, Miss Marple is in the background for much of it... I always wondered if she toyed with the vicar as her detective…."

That's an interesting idea! He would have been another good detective. As you say, Christie had written Miss Marple short stories before this so I think she would have been keen to progress with her as a detective, but maybe the vicar could potentially have been an extra detective like one or two of her other characters such as Colonel Race?

Our poll is now open - please vote for the book you most want to read in May.

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Any more nominations? The poll will be posted at the weekend.

I'll nominate Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly. I believe this has been nominated before and didn't win, but as a lot of this author's books are now on Kindle in the UK, I'll have another try. It's the first in the Henry Gamadge series.

An antiquarian book dealer spends his vacation investigating murder in this series opener from Agatha Christie’s favorite American author. New York handwriting and rare book expert—and a gentleman sleuth—Henry Gamadge is vacationing in coastal Maine when the police there need his help. It’s a strange case involving a seemingly natural death, a large inheritance, a mysterious nighttime rendezvous, and a troupe of summer stock actors who start dying off. Something is clearly afoot, but nothing quite seems to fit. With an eye for frauds, Gamadge is just what the local detective needs to throw the book at a killer . . .“

Jackie wrote: "Judy, I thought for sure I'd have some advice for you but I think all of Heyer's heroes are loyal ... honestly, I'll bet you like any of the romances you try. ..."

Thanks, Jackie! I'll make a date with one very soon and let you know :)

Great nomination, Jan - it looks as if the only book by J.S. Fletcher we've ever read in this group is The Paradise Mystery, way back in 2016.

I liked the ending of this book better as well, although the explanations went on for a long time!

There was a Catherine Aird title in today's Bookbub (UK), A Going Concern (book 14 in the Inspector Sloan series), £1.99 on Kindle.

Oops! I'm late in posting this, apologies, but it's time to nominate for our May 2024 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.

Must say I was a bit disappointed when Caroline picks the rare orchid - as this is so unrealistic in general, surely she could have decided to leave it there and save some wildlife, whatever attitudes at the time were.

I agree, A Month in the Country is brilliant - hopefully you can get it from the library or will soon get an offer on it in the US, Sandy.

Susan in NC wrote: "Only three reviews so far, about 3-1/2 stars I think, not her best, etc., so can’t help wondering if they’re abridged, too…will keep you posted!..."

Thanks Susan! Looks like that one is on Faded Page and, once books appear there, unknown publishers sometimes seem to issue them - presumably they must have to get copyright approval?!

I was also excited to see that British Library has just brought out a Carol Carnac title, Impact of Evidence - hopefully you will get this one soon in the US as well. I wish BL would publish her titles a bit quicker, but then again I still have several to go so can't really complain!

Hi Susan, I don't think the order matters with Lorac but I was interested to read Crook o'Lune next as it has characters who are also in Iron Dogs and, knowing me, I'll probably forget about them soon! I'll be interested to hear what Death at Dyke's Corner is like, that one isn't available in the UK but I have a few of hers to be going on with. :)

Sorry, Crook o' Lune actually comes later than The Theft of the Iron Dogs, I'm getting mixed up. Anyway, enjoying it so far.

Susan in NC wrote: "I guess we’ll never know, but I’ll wonder from now on about those cheaper Kindle versions of her books, from that publisher (I’ve picked up a few, they all have the stylized noir type drawings for covers), and will check for an original uk title!.."

I know what you mean, Susan - I've found one or two of those reissues slightly disappointing, so am now wondering if all the text was there. I've just started reading Crook o' Lune, which I was curious about after our group read of The Theft of the Iron Dogs: A Lancashire Mystery, though Crook o'Lune actually comes first of the two!

I was going to listen to this one, as I bought it with an Audible credit before ending my membership recently, but then found that narrator David Thorpe does a really terrible voice for one of the characters so that I can't understand what they are supposed to be saying, grrr. So I've now bought it on Kindle and will alternate between the two!

Sandy, I think you are right that this is a spoof - very light and silly and not at all realistic in its set-up, with all the chorus girls staying at the same hotel with respectable people like Lady Morton!

I quite enjoyed it but also felt it pretty much washed over me, as Susan said.

I had one classic mystery spoilt before I read it by a character joking about the plot in the TV series Rosemary and Thyme - so annoying!

Sandy and Susan, sorry to cause confusion - I was posting late at night and didn't make much sense, sorry! I've just looked back at the introduction and most of it is indeed background and there aren't any spoilers, but I was pleased to read it at the end because there are quite a lot of comparisons between this book and 'And Then there Were None', which make more sense after reading the book. I don't think it matters whether you read it before or after, anyway :)

Sorry, it may be OK to read it first, Sandy, but I prefer to read introductions afterwards. You could always start it and then stop if you think it is giving too much away, maybe? I do sometimes do that to get a bit of background.