English Mysteries Club discussion
Archived Buddy Reads
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Buddy read an Inspector Morse?
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I've thought and thought, but the only anagram I can come up with is "Mike Rosenthal" for "K Eleanor Smith", which isn't smutty so I must be missing something! Do tell! :D
oh - I ll have to look back and find it - you end up with something to do with 'a sore c***' - !!!!
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To get us back on the straight and narrow now, I posted my review today.
Jean wrote: "Hmm. Well if it's the extremely vulgar Anglo-Saxon of the two naughty options there, one anagram would be "courtesan", which is actually quite appropriate when you think about it. But I don't remem..."yes it was! it had courtesan in it - it will annoy me now til I find it!!
Penny wrote: "...I had hoped as the series went on we would feel closer to Morse but Dexter actually doesnt allow that - Morse is what he is and we arent allowed to find out too much more..."I agree to some extent, but we do know more about Morse as a person than is developed in many of the older Golden Age mysteries - for example Poirot. I think Christie did better mystery plots but Dexter did better characters. Morse is still basically the same guy as at the beginning of the series, but we do know that he likes the ladies (!), his beer, his opera, and his crossword puzzles. We get to see inside his head, which makes me feel that I know him (in a way that I never knew Poirot).
I find it interesting that as Morse is nearing retirement, Lewis isn't aging at all! I guess that is the influence of the TV show, which had flipped their ages...
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Jean wrote: "I agree, Colin Dexter is far better at characterisation than Agatha Christie. I think that's one of her weakest points. They're nearly all just types!"yes - I wonder if there has been a gradual shift as crime writing has changed from a detective who is all business and without a back story to the type of stories we have today where the back story is just as important. If you look at something like Gamache or Dalgleish they have developed into fully rounded people, and readers now seem to want that more. Then if you look at 'cosies' sometimes for me they give way too much info - food or decor in great detail!!
Mod
Personally though I think we are in danger of going too much the other way, from what some readers have said about Elizabeth George's recent novels. Some of Ruth Rendell's are a bit like that too - not enough of the mystery element. If I want to read a saga, I could read a saga!
Jean wrote: "Personally though I think we are in danger of going too much the other way, from what some readers have said about Elizabeth George's recent novels. Some of Ruth Rendell's are a bit like that too - not enough of the mystery element. If I want to read a saga, I could read a saga!"That is exactly why I gave up on reading Elizabeth George! I do like both styles but I want the mystery to be the main focus and well plotted. I find that poor mystery plots make me more unhappy in proportion to the number of pages I had to read, so a poor plot in a 180 page cozy doesn't bother me nearly as much as it does in a 420 page Scandinoir!
Our book this month is
I am once again behind in my reading but determined to get through before the end of June as then in July we are on the LAST one!! I hope those of you who have hung in there will feel as big a sense of achievement as I will when we reach The Remorseful Day!!!
Penny - have you run out of steam? Or do you want to continue with these last two?
Leslie wrote: "Penny - have you run out of steam? Or do you want to continue with these last two?"Ooh no!!! I am definitely going to finish - I am simply behind this month due to family events - I couldn't possibly give up now!! I think Jean is still with us too? We are the Musketeers still soldiering on!!! I will probably get this read by the end of June and then go straight on to the last one - its a shame we cant celebrate together when we get to the end!!
OK, good. I was just wondering as the thread had been quiet for a while! I think Jean will want to continue, but she hasn't been on GR for a couple of weeks (I think she is on vacation?).
Yes we are jean-depleted!! hopefully she will return - if she's on holiday maybe she will have read loads of books!!
I have finished it! I actually guessed who did it (quite rare for me!) but I loved this one. Morse is now so much more human and vulnerable and his grumpiness is definitely worse! I found the plot fun but somewhat predictable - nearly all the books have involved affairs - it seems everyone has them!! There were several red herrings in this one though and I was misled a couple of times. What did you think Leslie? Jean are you back yet? (!!!)
Penny wrote: "I have finished it! I actually guessed who did it (quite rare for me!) but I loved this one. Morse is now so much more human and vulnerable and his grumpiness is definitely worse! I found the plot..."I didn't guess! I did like the mystery of this one very much, although Morse's health issues made me sad. But I loved the ending :)
Mod
Long live The "Morse"keteers! I too am determined to continue; never fear, you are not "Jean-depleted"! LOL!
Jean wrote: "Hi, I am back!! Oh dear I haven't started Death Is Now My Neighbor yet though :( You rightly surmised I was on holiday, and read other things... So I may be a month behind unless I can..."Oh you excellent person Jean - the Morseketeers !!!! how clever are you!!! As usual I await your comments with interest - how was your holiday?
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Yours should be the credit for the "Morseketeers" Penny! It's how I read the term "musketeers" which you used ;)
Maybe we could have an end date a bit later, for the whole series, so we can all finish together? I don't mind at all, if you want to crack on though, and stick to your plan. Sometimes it's nice to get something finished so you can move on...
It's been a great "ride" and I'd like to thank you Penny, for having the original idea, starting us off and especially for holding it all together. If you do another series buddy read some time I'll definitely try to join in :)
Jean wrote: "Wonderful thank you! We went to Abbotsbury in Dorset for two weeks, but the weather was so perfect - and unusual - that we stayed for three! I'll be putting photos on Facebook hopefully within a co..."yes that's a good idea - shall we aim for the last sunday of July, 27th? that will give you a bit of time to catch up - are you with us Leslie?
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I started Death Is Now My Neighbor today, by the way, and am really enjoying it!
Jean wrote: "Do you mean for the end of June's read, Penny? ie Death Is Now My Neighbor? Surely the date you gave would have been the end date for The Remorseful Day anyway? So adding ..."Oh yes I see what you mean - I was still aiming to finish by the end of July - that was the original target so I am hoping to stick to that just towards the end of the month rather than the 15th. Is that too much to get through for you?
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Jean, It is good to have you back. I always enjoy your comments. Speaking of which - where is Joan? haven't seen anything posted by her lately.
Penny wrote: "Jean wrote: "Wonderful thank you! We went to Abbotsbury in Dorset for two weeks, but the weather was so perfect - and unusual - that we stayed for three! I'll be putting photos on Facebook hopefull..."I am willing to go with the flow on this, but the end of July is good.
Jean wrote: "Ah now I get you! I had been thinking in terms of calendar months, forgetting that discussions start on 15th. Never mind then. It's probably better if I just go at my own pace, and you keep your or..."Jean - no pressure - get there when you can !!! I think this next one
is quite a bit longer than some of the others so it may take me a while anyway.
Mod
well I think we've done really well to keep going over so long a time - but then the mind turns to other books and other series and then its choices,choices, choices!!
Jean wrote: "Thanks Penny - I'll be really sad to finish this readalong!"This has been an interesting journey -- even though I didn't think every book was wonderful, I have enjoyed seeing the evolution of both Morse and Dexter.
Jean -- new icon picture? Looking good!
Mod
I agree - the books have been more variable than I'd expected, with some really good ones. It's the first time I've read a series of this type through in order, and I definitely enjoyed approaching it this way, as well as the discussions and company :)
great picture Jean - its been a great year for flowers so far - our fields around here are awash with buttercups and some fields are just glorious with poppies you can see the swathe of red from miles away - appropriate for the centenary of WW1
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It's obvious when you think about it. He's so sad when it is brought home to him what he's doing to his body, and yet cleverly rationalises the (view spoiler) treatment to pretend to himself that it allows him to keep the same bad habits.
The balance is quite good in this one, I think, as regards the crime side and Morse's personal life. At least, it is if you're hooked on the series, as we probably all are by now!
Leslie wrote: "So I cried during the last one, The Remorseful Day, even though I knew what was coming..."aaah!!! I have been away walking for a week so am now back into the book - am about halfway now - I know what's coming though!!!
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Jean wrote: "Finished Death Is Now My Neighbor. Oh boy, those last two words made me go all wobbly. Am I going to hold it together for the final one? From what Leslie said, it's doubtful. I hadn't ..."Glad I'm not the only one Jean!! I have deliberately slowed down reading the last one as I dont want to get where it is going!!!!
Great review as always Jean!Well I have finished - I have to admit to getting teary-eyed at the end even though I knew what was coming. We will discuss more later when Jean has had a chance to finish too - no pressure Jean - its the summer so enjoy the weather!!
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You know what? We haven't read the book of short stories about him! LOL!
And thanks :)
Is that Morse's Greatest Mysteries and Other Stories?
Our public TV station, KQED, just showed the last episode of whatever season this is of "Endeavour," the Morse prequel. I was startled & charmed to hear young Morse -- on the verge of a gun battle, no less -- erupt into:"How heavily it dies
Into the west away;
Past touch and sight and sound
Not further to be found,
How hopeless under ground
Falls the remorseful day."
Too bad he doesn't resemble John Thaw as strongly as his journalist pal does. Or, really, at all.
Mod
And what a coincidence! Here in the UK we had a couple of Endeavour marathons on one of the digital channels - all the episodes shown back-to-back. I couldn't remember which I'd seen, so just set the timer...
Now our TV time is spent watching nothing but those. (Think we're in the middle of the third one.) Bliss! :)
I have never actually watched an Endeavor episode - I always seem to miss them!I loved this last book as we see Morse so vulnerable and Lewis obviously worried for Morse. Lewis has come so far with Morse and no one else works well with him - he gets so much stick from Morse, Lewis knows Morse's faults as well as his brilliance and is still able to tolerate his moaning! This book had loads of poetry and prose quotations, like some of the earlier ones, and I actually got a lot of them too! Even the one about not having a brain!
Mod
But the only quotations I can think of for not having a brain, offhand, are from children's books - Winnie the Pooh being a bear of "very little brain" and the scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" with no brain. I can't see either of these filtering into a Morse book! somehow...
English Mysteries Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Jewel That Was Ours (other topics)The Wench is Dead (other topics)
The Remorseful Day (other topics)
Death Is Now My Neighbor (other topics)
Death Is Now My Neighbor (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Colin Dexter (other topics)Colin Dexter (other topics)
Colin Dexter (other topics)
Elizabeth George (other topics)
Ruth Rendell (other topics)
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for some reason because of that I actually enjoyed it more - just to be perverse!! I had hoped as the series went on we would feel closer to Morse but Dexter actually doesnt allow that - Morse is what he is and we arent allowed to find out too much more. We could have entered more of his psyche as he reaches the latter stages of his life and explored his whole depths of loneliness and cyncisim which he has carried for so long - while obviously still craving what Lewis has - a good woman who feeds her husband well!!!!!!