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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

March is here, so let's get our new group read started! Many thanks for the introduction and setting up the threads, Susan.

Who is reading this one? I haven't started yet but am looking forward to it as I really enjoy Lorac, and it sounds as if it has a great Golden Age plot.

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

PS I was pleased that we saw some more of Olive towards the end of the book, just when I'd been moaning in the other thread that she hadn't come in very much!

I would agree this wasn't a favourite for me either, Jill - I was intrigued by the chocolates theme at the start but this seemed to get lost, with so many side plots, and I also had a job keeping track of all the characters. I did enjoy the humour but I didn't feel it really hung together as a mystery.

I've just finished listening to Listening Valley, another novel by D.E. Stevenson and enjoyed it a lot - it's a sort-of sequel to Celia's House with some of the same characters. One problem with listening to the audiobook for me was that the narrator did a terrible accent for a French character, so that I started to cringe every time this particular character came in!

I'm about 2/3 of the way through now and enjoying the quirkiness of the story, and Punshon's witty turns of phrase, but finding it a bit rambling at times. I'm also wishing we saw more of Olive in this book - I think she didn't come in all that much in the previous book either.

Sandy wrote: "I thought that was how the gun was set off. White flipped the switch of the mining 'thing' used to initiate blasting remotely while reaching for the cigarettes...."

Oh, thanks Sandy, that makes sense. When I saw about the mining gadget and the tree I got mixed up and thought I was wrong! I note the copy I was reading also has someone smoking on the cover!

Welcome Jenn and Libby, glad you both found us. I hope you will discover lots of authors to enjoy here!

I'm another one who can't visualise the complicated methods of murder. I thought I remembered from first time around that the shooting was somehow set off by fetching the box of cigarettes, but I don't think that was actually the case!

I'm glad too and looking forward to these discussions :)

And I'm late yet again... sorry, it slipped my mind that I hadn't posted the result. But we do have a winner! It is Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac, aka E.C.R. Lorac, which will be our April group read.

This means we will now have group reads by Lorac two months running, as she also won the poll for the March read with These Names Make Clues! So no Lorac nominations for a couple of months now to give other authors a chance.:)

Full results:
Crossed Skis (Julian Rivers #8) 7 votes, 43.8%
The Polo Ground Mystery 3 votes, 18.8%
Mystery At Lynden Sands 3 votes, 18.8%
The Crime Coast 2 votes, 12.5%
Death of My Aunt (Malcolm Warren Mysteries #1) 1 vote, 6.3%

Thank you for all the recommendations! I will check some of these out soon :)

I've started this now and am enjoying the early chapters - it strikes me the whole idea of buying boxes of chocolates and searching for the person who made them must have been pure escapism by the time this book was published in 1942!

I just read the start of the introduction by Curtis Evans (I always go back and read it properly after finishing the book) and was interested to see that he says this book is probably the one that started the whole E.R. Punshon revival, after he mentioned it in a list of his favourite Golden Age mysteries. It will be interesting to see if we all think it's one of the best in the series.

I've finished this one now - I enjoyed the humour and the academic atmosphere, even though at times it was hard to keep track of all the characters!

A lot more fun than the previous book. I also enjoyed the way we get several possible solutions at the end, although it's a shame that the last one sends a confession letter, which is never my favourite way to end a mystery.

I've finished rereading this one now and really enjoyed it - I did remember whodunit and vaguely how, but it didn't spoil my appreciation at all, as it's all about the characters!

I think the first time I read it I was a bit confused by the switch from Mary to Vicky as Hugh's love interest, as Jackie mentioned above, but this time around that worked fine for me as I like Vicky's character so much - she might seem silly to start with but there's a lot more to her than that. A great moment when she tells Mary that at heart Mary is a bit disapproving of Ermyntrude, but she, Vicky, is always on her mother's side.

I like Mary as well though and am glad she gets a love interest of her own too.

After enjoying the humour of Vicky and Hugh, I'm wondering if one of our Heyer experts can recommend one of her romance books with similarly appealing characters?

The further into the book I get, the more I love Vicky. I'm even thinking I wouldn't mind her living next door now.

Great points, Sandy. Sadly some of the jurors, and others involved with the case, are more bothered about getting away from court than about getting the right verdict.

Looking back at my own brief review of The Silent Speaker, I see I also really enjoyed the interaction between Wolfe and Archie, although I couldn't keep track of the plot very well. Love that series.

I also own this, Sandy, but haven't started it yet - hope to do so soon!

Teri-K wrote: "Ermyntrude is fun to read about, as is Vicky, though I wouldn't enjoy spending much time with them in real life. ..."

Definitely, I'm constantly laughing at both of them, especially Vicky with all her pretensions and her different outfits which are supposed to turn her into different characters! But they would drive me round the bend in real life.

I'm enjoying my reread of this so far because of all the great humour, though I haven't got up to the murder yet!

I'm looking forward to this one but need to finish a couple of other books first before I start!