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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

That's odd, Sandy! I assumed that the TV series had renamed her, but maybe the name was changed in US editions, as you say.

It's been too long since I read a Rex Stout book, so I'm reading one of his books of 3 novellas, Curtains for Three, and enjoying it.

Yes, Dodd is not very likable at all - something of a love-to-hate character for me.

I found it interesting that Wade was from an upper-crust background in real life, but in this book has fairly down to earth characters who work for a living, rather than going for a country house setting.

I wondered if there was a film of this book, and found out it was filmed for TV in 1982. That version doesn't seem to be available for streaming officially, but is on YouTube.

I've just given up on it after watching the first few minutes, as the picture quality is really bad. Ironically, I think it feels more dated because it has been updated to the 1980s, with Luke as a computer expert!

It does have a fantastic cast, including Olivia de Havilland as Honoria Waynflete, Helen Hayes as Miss Pinkerton (renamed as Miss Fullerton for some reason), Timothy West as Gordon and Jonathan Pryce as Mr Ellsworthy. Bill Bixby plays Luke and Lesley-Anne Down plays Bridget.

There is also a more recent version which was made as part of the "Marple" TV series, with Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) added to the story, but it sounds as if this version changed the story completely so I don't think I would bother to watch it.

Hope you enjoy it, Michaela. Is it Hugh Fraser reading the book?

This sounds like an interesting book, Susan - poison pen letters tend to make for a great plot. Dorothy Bowers is an author I haven't tried yet, but would like to.

Michaela, good to hear the challenge tempted you to read more books than you planned to. Hope you enjoy this one.

Good to hear you are enjoying it, Pamela. I know what you mean about the amateur detectives, but I found them quite amusing even if their methods are often somewhat dodgy!

Thank you for the list, Susan. I've also just had a look at the website of the publisher Hachette, which operates the Murder Room imprint, and I see that there The Duke of York's Steps is listed as the first Inspector Poole book. But there could still be linked characters, I suppose?

Anyway I hope to read that one before too long and will look out to see if it follows on from this one in any way!
https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributo...

Battle doesn't come in very much, RC - and it's fine to read as a standalone. Great to hear you are joining in.

Hard to believe, but it's time to nominate for our December 2022 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. Christmas/winter themes are welcome (but not required!)

P.S. We do already have one Christmas mystery lined up as a buddy read in December, The Christmas Egg by Mary Kelly, as that one has been nominated a few times in the past.

Oh yes, the verger and a political figure would both have been good possibilities.

I also wondered if the priest might be a hypocrite who had committed some secret sin that he was being punished for - but in the end it was the sins we see him committing that brought about his downfall!

There is a bit of a mystery about this book, because it is listed on Goodreads and many other websites as the first in the Inspector Poole series, but in fact Inspector Poole does not appear and the main policeman involved is Superintendent Dodd!

I'm wondering if this is just a mistake that has been copied from one site to another, or if there are any characters in this book who also appear in the Poole series. I plan to read more by this author so will hopefully find out the answer in the future - unless anyone knows?

At the start of October, just opening up our discussion of the 10th book in our Detection Club Challenge. Thanks to Susan for the introduction.

Who is reading this one? I enjoyed it and am looking forward to our discussion. The spoiler thread is linked below:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

October is here, so it's time to open up our new threads. Thank you to Susan for the introductions!

Who is reading this one? I've just read it and really enjoyed getting back to Christie, with such an unusual and gripping mystery.

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

Did anyone have a suspect to be the killer? I wondered if it might be the mother of the woman who drowned.

I just found that none of the book links on Goodreads seemed to be working in my previous post, so I edited them out - not sure what is going on with the site! That's a good tip about her name - I can see why they wanted Elizabeth, but wonder why they didn't go for her maiden name of Beauchamp. Oh well, at least her books are coming back into print! :)

Thanks Tania! The presenters didn't seem to like Expiation much, so I'm interested to hear you enjoyed it. I tend to prefer individual editions, but those Delphi collected works are amazing resources, and good to know that it includes all the novels.

Tania wrote: "This looks interesting. I love Elizabeth von Arnim, and it's time I got to more of her books. Vera is based on that marriage, and it's said to be an influence on [auth..."

That's good to know, thank you, I must read that one! I also keep meaning to read Love or Fraulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther as I own both of those.

I've also just heard an episode of the Tea or Books? podcast which recommended Father, which has been republished by British Library Women Writers and is on Kindle Unlimited... decisions, decisions.

I've just finished The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley, a Pride and Prejudice sequel focusing on Charlotte Lucas after her marriage to Mr Collins.

I really enjoyed this - many thanks to Abigail, who recommended it to me! The writing is sensitive and lovely, but there is also a lot of humour surrounding the always overbearing Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

I'm also reading Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Marriages in Literary London, 1910-1939 by Katie Roiphe - this is interesting but rather bitty, as I suppose I should have expected with seven mini-biographies being covered in one book! I've just read a chapter about Elizabeth von Arnim and her second husband, Frank Russell, who sounds like a terrifying personality. This reminds me that I need to read more Elizabeth von Arnim!