From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Vane Pursuit

Charlotte MacLeod

Start date: December 15, 2025

Finish date: January 6, 2025

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in the Peter Shandy series.
[close] Next in the Peter Shandy series.

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What Members Thought

Jun 26, 2011 Bev rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: academic-mystery, mystery, humor

Vane Pursuit by Charlotte MacLeod is one of my loosely contrued academic mysteries. MacLeod has two sets of series characters: Professor Peter Shandy & his lovely librarian wife Helen and Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn. Both series are very literate and very funny and feature an eccentric cast of supporting characters.

Peter Shandy teaches at the fictional Balaclava College and Helen is one of the college's librarians. They manage to get into all kinds of non-academic scrapes and Vane Pursuit is Vane Pursuit by Charlotte MacLeod is one of my loosely contrued academic mysteries. MacLeod has two sets of series characters: Professor Peter Shandy & his lovely librarian wife Helen and Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn. Both series are very literate and very funny and feature an eccentric cast of supporting characters.

Peter Shandy teaches at the fictional Balaclava College and Helen is one of the college's librarians. They manage to get into all kinds of non-academic scrapes and Vane Pursuit is no different. Helen has been asked by the Balaclava Historical Society to document and photograph all of the remaining weathervanes designed by the county's very own Praxiteles Lumpkin. She is also to write up a report for the Smithsonian Institute. However, Helen's job becomes dangerous when a gang of ruthless robbers decide to steal the priceless antiques. It seems that Praxiteles's handiwork has become a hot commodity among collectors--collectors who don't care how they acquire the desired object. It soon becomes apparent that somebody has been using Helen's researches to lead them to the valuable vanes. After a local weathervane which used to grace the Lumpkin Soap Factory is stolen and the factory is burned to the ground, Helen travels to Maine to get a photograph one of the last remaining vanes. Once the photos have been taken, she and her friends decide to relax with a bit of whale-watching--only to have their boat commandeered by the vane-snatchers. Meanwhile, back on the farm (almost quite literally--Balaclava College is an agricultural institution), Peter is getting into trouble of his own. In an effort to get to the bottom of the factory arson and the local vane thefts, he and Cronkite Swope have a run-in with a group of shaggy and demented survivalists. He manages to escape their clutches, rush off to rescue Helen, and then finger the mastermind behind the thefts and arson.

Just so you know, this isn't meant to be a serious, life-like mystery. This is meant as good clean fun and will need a good dose of belief suspension....but it's well worth it. Lots of extraordinary circumstances paired with delightful literary references and witty interactions. Some of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. I love the doings of Peter Shandy and the rest of the Balaclava county residents. The only thing missing in this one is President Svenson wading in and taking on the bad guys single-handily--Svenson loves nothing so much as a good brawl with a group of ruffians. Three and a half stars. ...more

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Feb 08, 2025 Jackie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars rounded up to 4, since I learned the word "titivate" which feels like a useful word to know.

Hard to say how much of my enjoyment of this book was due to low expectations. Also the fact that I recently listened to The Curse of the Giant Hogweed, which was much more challenging.

I found this one a pretty satisfying collection of eccentrics, bad guys, and at least one whale to go along with familiar characters and a couple new ones that live in Maine.

I now love immersing myself in a wor ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 Susan in NC rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-reread

I first read this Peter Shandy mystery years ago and did not remember much about it; upon rereading I realize why - this is when I felt MacLeod jumped the shark with the series! Survivalists, antique thieves, an heiress living in an underground tunnel, and a dash of obscure Latin American history got to be a bit too much - plus, no President Svenson to add titanic bluster and comic relief! I think the next two books return to the beloved and familiar grounds of Balaclava College which will be a ...more

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May 16, 2016 Jenn Estepp rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comfort-food, sleuths-and-gumshoes, libraries-are-great

Another amusing entry in the Peter Shandy series. The solution isn't as at all difficult to suss out, but the characters are so appealing and I love that as the books go along, MacLeod just sort of says screw it and throws in all sorts of outlandish and looney bits. ...more

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