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

Judy’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

I'm getting towards the end now and am also getting more into it, Susan. I also like the characters, but I'm not sure if I'll want to carry on with the series if the other books are also this long and slow - I'll see how I feel at the end.

Abigail wrote: "Great warning, Judy!"

Thanks Abigail! Just noticed there is also a 'Complete Works of Rex Stout' which is really The Wizard of Oz etc as well... I'm not sure what is going on but hope Amazon removes these strange books from their site!

Thank you to Susan and Jill, grabbed it too!

Susan wrote: "Have just realised that, sadly, the whole Gervase Fen series are not easily available on kindle, so anyone following this series might need to think ahead as we read on. The next two are on kindle, just something to be aware of...."

Thanks for the warning on this, Susan. I've just had a quick look and at least a couple of the titles which aren't on Kindle are available as ebooks from Kobo. Shame I can't read Kobo books on my Kindle, although I can on my phone!

Also, a word of warning - Amazon has a book listed called "The Complete Works of Edmund Crispin", very cheap on Kindle, but it appears to actually be the complete works of Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz etc - I suspect some automated system has gone haywire! I noticed this while looking up Crispin availability and have clicked the button to report it to Amazon in case anyone is misled.

Susan wrote: "So often in GA mysteries the endings are so bizarre that you just have to accept them, don't you? It's as though authors were trying to find the least likely means of killing someone!"

Yes, definitely! I suppose, aside from the entertainment value, they didn't want to come up with methods that people would copy in real life - and not much danger of that with methods like the trapdoor one here, where it's hard to understand it, let alone copy it!

Great to hear people are enjoying this one so much. I've got to admit I'm still struggling with it at halfway through, but maybe it will pick up for me in the second half, as I enjoyed the first book.

Thanks Susan! I haven't tried Salley Vickers but will do so. :)

Emma wrote: "I liked the operatic shenanigans in this one (although Meistersinger is not one I know beyond the plot), and enjoyed it very much until Fen revealed how the murder was done - whereupon I got comple..."

Good to hear you enjoyed it, Emma. I've just posted a few thoughts about the ending over in the spoiler thread if you want to join the discussion there.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The ending of this is very clever - one of those outrageous twists that we usually associate with Christie!

I didn't find it terribly believable, especially the idea that the man becoming so ill doesn't bother to seek any medical attention because he is too busy, and doesn't notice that the cream is making his skin problems worse - but I didn't really mind that it wasn't realistic.

I also agree with Emma's comment in the other thread that I struggled to visualise the ending - in particular, I got a bit lost with all the business about the trapdoor and the noose.

Jackie wrote: "Judy wrote: "Hope you enjoy it, Jackie."

I did, it was a good mystery with interesting characters."

That's good to hear. I've enjoyed pretty much all the Lorac books I've read so far, and it's good to see more coming into print.

Welcome, Adam, good that you found the group.

Our new batch of four buddy reads are all open for discussion - please drop by and join in!

The non-spoiler threads are linked below:
Swan Song by Edmund Crispin:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Maigret at the Crossroads/The Night at the Crossroads by Georges Simenon:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Who is reading this one? I've finished it and found it an exciting and atmospheric read, though I had one or two problems with the plot which I'll mention later in the spoiler thread.

Just opening up our latest Maigret discussion, with many thanks to Susan for the introduction.

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

I'm about a third of the way through and must admit I'm struggling a bit with this one - there are so many characters that I keep forgetting who they all are, and I can't really follow the plot.

The period detail is great and the author must have done a huge amount of research, but all the detail sometimes slows the story down, I feel.

Let's open up this thread as it is mid-month. Who is reading the second in the Falco series?

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

Must say I really enjoyed getting back to Fen with this book. There are references to previous book The Moving Toyshop and it has quite a lighthearted feel.

The whole operatic/musical setting seems very well done, as you would expect seeing that author Edmund Crispin was also a successful composer under the name (Robert) Bruce Montgomery.

Just opening up this buddy read as it is mid month. Who is reading this one?

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

It's mid month, so time to open up our latest batch of buddy reads, with thanks as ever to Susan for setting up the threads. :)

Who is reading this one? The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I've borrowed it from the library but haven't started yet as I want to finish the Falco book first to avoid mixing up my historical mysteries!

The disguise and especially the gold tooth fragment did stretch creduility, I agree!