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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I've started this now and am enjoying it so far - Simenon always seems to jump straight into the story and the books are really varied. Interesting to see how quick Maigret is to give up his usual holiday as soon as a friend asks him to do some extra detective work.

Great discussion in this thread. I've finished the book now and really enjoyed it - great characters and so many layers of historical detail. I didn't pick up on the anachronisms you mention, RC, but then again I'm no expert on the Tudor period though I do find it fascinating. I do agree about the incident with the bells being rather far-fetched though!

Susan and Susan, great point about the constant fear of saying the wrong thing, or being denounced by someone who likes your house or land etc. It all feels very like the totalitarian regimes of later centuries and puts across how, even though Tudor Britain is sometimes presented as a sort of golden age, it wasn't for most people.

Great to hear you are loving this series. Susan. It hadn't struck me until you said it, but I agree it is a bit odd that he travels there on his own, and can't speak the language. Somehow the tension builds up through all the descriptions of him hanging around and eating.

I recently read a Maigret book with a similar set-up, where Maigret travels to the Netherlands for an inquiry, but I think the Hungarian police are a lot more helpful to Beck in this one than the Dutch police are to Maigret. I liked the way Beck builds up a sort of tentative friendship with the Hungarian policeman (sorry, can't think of his name!)

I agree Beck seems fairly happy to escape the family holiday - there is certainly a feeling of distance between him and his wife and kids.

I also thought the treatment of alcohol in this book was interesting - the way it is a factor in the crime right at the start and then also in the main story, and towards the end Beck himself is drowning his sorrows.

I found myself warming to Beck more in this book than in the first one. The introduction by Val McDermid to the edition I read says the series is about the team, not just about Beck, but while that was true in the first book, here Beck is isolated for much of the time, while he investigates in Budapest, and I think we get to know him more.

I felt there was less about him feeling ill and depressed in this one than in Rosanna, maybe because of all the sunshine and the surprisingly good food he enjoys in the hotel behind the Iron Curtain. Ironically, he finally succumbs to depression when he arrives at his delayed holiday.

I thought the solution to the disappearance was very clever - and although I'd previously read the book a few years ago, I didn't remember anything, definitely not the final twists.

I was struck by the fact that in the end it is a personal motive rather than all the drug dealings which leads to the killing, and is also connected to the personality of the victim, which has gradually emerged through the book.

I've finished this now and must say I think it is a wonderful read - very hard to put down and so tense. The translator's prose style is also extremely readable.

I've started reading this one, second time for me. Enjoying it so far - the opening is very noir and atmospheric.

I agree Fen is kinder and more patient in this one, though he is still eccentric! I've just finished and found it very enjoyable, but must admit I kept getting the teachers confused with each other.

Abigail, I agree it took a while to get going but I think it gets very exciting in the second half with the search for Brenda through the woods. I was sad about Mr Merrythought, but what a wonderful dog character.

Hi Susan, thank you, good spot - just to confirm, An Oxford Tragedy is the February book, and Inquest is the March book.

Craftyhj, that won't be a problem at all - they are standalones and not really a series except for featuring the same detective. Only some of the titles have been republished anyway, all out of order - hopefully more will be reissued :)

Jill wrote: "Crispin often gets his name into the books."

Oh yes! Lots of humour and playfulness to enjoy in this series. I like the fact that Crispin treats the murders themselves with seriousness, though.

Great that you both enjoy the series too, Susan in NC and Julie. Looking good for more buddy reads!

I've seen a recent report that Disney Plus is planning to adapt the series for TV, and hopes to film four episodes in the UK this year.
No casting details yet but the director is said to be Justin Chadwick, who directed the film of The Other Boleyn Girl and a series called Becoming Elizabeth about the young Elizabeth I.
https://deadline.com/2023/01/disney-a...

Does anyone have any thoughts on who would be good to play Shardlake? The BBC did plan to make a series starring Kenneth Branagh years ago, but it never happened and I think he would be a bit old now (he's about the same age as me, early 60s) and is also tied up with all his films.

Good to hear you loved it Susan, and that you are hoping to pick it up soon, Sandy.

I'm halfway through now and have just come across a reference to Crispin's most famous book The Moving Toyshop -someone in this novel is apparently a friend of one of the characters in that one! Fun to have this kind of connection.

I wasn't very keen on book 2 so it's good to hear this one is better. Not sure if or when I will get to it as I'm so behind (I haven't finished any of the buddy reads this month yet, Sandy!), but it sounds quite tempting from the comments so far.

Is that the old series with Rupert Davies, Rosina? I've been recording those from Talking Pictures and trying to watch episodes after I read the book, and I agree they usually follow the plots.

Good to hear you are enjoying this series, Susan. I'm looking forward to rereading this.

Hi Susan, no, I've never read this series before. Good to hear that it gets even better!

I also have a non-series book by C.J. Sansom, Winter in Madrid, so should move that one up my list.

Just opening up this discussion - hard to believe that we are already on the 9th Maigret book!

Who is reading this one? I've borrowed it from the library but haven't started as yet.

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

Opening up this read as we are now mid-month and it's the weekend. Sorry, I put this in the wrong thread and had to move it!

Spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/edit/...

Who is reading this book, the second in this celebrated series? I read it six years ago and only really remember the atmosphere and that I liked it. Hoping to reread, but I must finish a couple of other books first!

I've read about a third of this book and am enjoying it a lot - it's great to get back to Fen, and I think school settings tend to work very well in mysteries in general.