Reading the Detectives discussion
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What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread
Amy wrote: "After seeing the Miss silver novels recommended so much I want to read one. They seem like they would be just my type a book. The problem is that my normally outstanding Library only has one of the..."There is no story arc in the Miss Silver books so it doesn't matter which order you read them in. She sometimes mentions other books but there are no spoilers.
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One of the reasons I try to read in order is you also see the development of the writer. Otherwise, things can sometimes seem disjointed.
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Talking of good mysteries, this is not a Golden Age one, but I recently finished The Night of the Mi'raj, which was an excellent novel set in Saudi Arabia.
So many mysteries have great settings, don't they? Whether they are set in a country you know relatively little about or perhaps on the Titanic, sometimes the setting can help make a book. Has anyone else read a mystery where they loved the place it was set as much as the mystery?
I am currently reading and enjoying " Harbour Street" by Ann Cleeves.
Susan wrote: "I am currently reading and enjoying " Harbour Street" by Ann Cleeves."I read The Crow Trap a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I'll be looking out for more of her books this year.
Susan wrote: "Has anyone else read a mystery where they loved the place it was set as much as the mystery? "This is exactly how I feel about Louise Penny's Three Pines mysteries. Every time I read one I want to pack up and move there immediately.
To a lesser degree I feel the same way about Moose County from the Qwilleran cozy mysteries.
I feel the same about Three Pines and their residents. That's what I love about the Nordic mysteries, the locations.
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Judy wrote: "An interesting location definitely adds a lot to the experience of reading a mystery. I love the setting of Venice in the series of Commissario Brunetti novels by Donna Leon, though ..."I agree, although unless that setting is a major urban center (such as Venice), the repeated murders can stretch the limits of credulity sometimes (Moose county suffered from this for me).
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Susan wrote: "Yes, sometimes very rural and peaceful areas seem to have more murders than downtown Detroit, don't they?! I also enjoy books which are set in closed communities - whether that is on board a cruise..."There's a long-running TV series here in the UK called Midsomer Murders set in a small village. After over 100 episodes there are jokes about whether anyone is left alive in the area! In fact I just searched to check the spelling and found out that the latest episode didn't feature a murder at all, so maybe they have run out of victims!
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I think most people would love to live in some of these places with warm and "cozy" folks. I can put myself in some of these places in a well written mystery. I think I'd like to live in Downton Abbey.
Susan wrote: "I think most people would love to live in some of these places with warm and "cozy" folks. I can put myself in some of these places in a well written mystery. I think I'd like to live in Downton Ab..."me too, but only as a member of the family, definitely not a servant! *:D
Susan wrote: "Yes, a lot of early Golden Age books are plot driven - rather than character driven - and, in that case, the series order is less important."Thinking of my favorite series, I think it depends a great deal on the series. For example, in the Evan Evans series, it make sense to read them roughly in order because he does develop over time, girlfriends come and go and come again, he -- well, don't want to issue spoilers, but let's just say that if you read out of order you have to imagine some things happening in books you haven't read yet. With Lord Peter, especially the Harriet Vane books are much better read in order. But in the Nero Wolfe series, I think it matters very little which order they are read in (with a few exceptions; Family Affair should be read later rather than sooner). And with Miss Marple, I don't see any reason why reading in order makes any difference at all.
Susan wrote: " Has anyone else read a mystery where they loved the place it was set as much as the mystery?"
Oh, yes, many.
The Amelia Peabody books are so heavily centered on Egypt, and I find the settings every bit as interesting as the plots. The author, Barbara Mertz, writing as Elizabeth Peters, was an accomplished Egyptologist, and I understand that her descriptions of Egypt, the antiquities, and the settings are very true to fact.
In Robert Upfield's Bony mysteries the Australian outback forms a major element in the stories, and is a delightful introduction to a part of the world most of us have no experience with. (Do we have any Australian members who can verify or dispute the accuracy of his descriptions?)
And VanGulick's Judge Dee mysteries again are written by a very experienced Sinologist, and are a wonderful background to the stories.
Susan wrote: I think I'd like to live in Downton Abbey"But, I assume, only as member of the family. There was a series, I think called Manor House, where they tried to fairly replicate the lives of an Edwardian house, and those who took the roles of servants quickly rebelled (they lost I think at least two kitchen maids who just couldn't take it.) I know that for servants at the time it was just the way life was, but whenever I imagine myself living in those days it's always as one of the gentry!
It would make me crazy with someone brushing my hair and dressing me. I guess I'd adapt.
Susan wrote: "It would make me crazy with someone brushing my hair and dressing me. I guess I'd adapt."I don't mind cooking or cleaning or doing the laundry so having a ladies maid would be my dearest wish. I was love it if someone would pick out my clothes and be responsible for making me look presentable. I keep hoping my DD (11 yo) is going to develop and interest in hair or makeup because I will be delighted to let her experiment on me.
I have just finished Whose Body?
by Dorothy L. Sayers. Goodness! I don't think I have ever read a book with so much dialogue!A worthwhile read though.
Everyman wrote: "Susan wrote: " Has anyone else read a mystery where they loved the place it was set as much as the mystery?"
...In Robert Upfield's Bony mysteries the Australian outback forms a major element in the stories, and is a delightful introduction to a part of the world most of us have no experience with. (Do we have any Australian members who can verify or dispute the accuracy of his descriptions?)..."
Oh, I had forgotten about these -- Upfield always made me want to visit the outback (even though in general it is not a place that sounds appealing to me). I have read his mysteries more than once because the setting (both place and time) are so good to read about that it didn't matter if I remembered the solution of the mystery.
I'm in the middle of a Charles Finch reading marathon. One book down and three on my nighstand.I'm listening to The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer, which is a Regency mystery. Much more mystery than romance.
Everyman wrote: "Susan wrote: " Has anyone else read a mystery where they loved the place it was set as much as the mystery?"
Oh, yes, many.
The Amelia Peabody books are so heavily centered on Egypt, and I find..."
I'm not an Australian, but do live close by - New Zealand.
Arthur Upfield wrote the Bony series of books. He was born in England, but was sent to Australia when he was around 20 years old. If I recall his father was displeased with his lack of academic/employment achievements. During WWI he met and married a nurse, and when they returned to Australia they travelled around the country, particularly the outback, where he took a great interest in the Aboriginal culture. And it was the knowledge he gained through this that became the Bony series.
The books were made into a TV series in the early 1970s, but were given the title Boney. As I recall, since I know you are asking, the spelling used for the TV shows was supposed to have also been used for the books, but there had been an uncorrected typo. Another story was that the Boney spelling made it clear how the name should be said. The TV series was a great success 'downunder', and the lead was a New Zealand actor!
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I'm not Australian, but we drove from Darwin to Adelaide two years ago along the Stuart highway and it was a very special experience. The scale of the vast open spaces is mind boggling (and I'm used to some fairly big spaces in parts of South Africa, Namibia). I haven't read Upfield in a while, but I think he caught it very well.
I just finished a reread of a Heyer mystery, The Unfinished Clue. I didn't want to read A Blunt Instrument (as Feb. though close isn't here yet) so decided to enjoy one of her other mysteries. You can read my review (it has no spoilers):http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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Just starting "Mycroft Holmes" by Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. Caught my eye because of the author and also because I really enjoy anything Sherlock Holmes related!
I hope you’ll report back to us on Mycroft Holmes, Julie—would be very interesting to get your assessment! I have always admired Abdul-Jabbar: a very thoughtful, subtle, intellectual kind of a guy, not what you’d expect from a professional athlete. Have been a fan since he was Lew Alcindor.
Susan wrote: "I have started, "Death in the Stocks." I have never read anything by Heyer before, but I have a feeling I will be reading more by her.":) I am looking forward to rereading that in a few days! I am always happy when new people discover Heyer.
I'm reading a recommendation of Carolien's - Lady Audley's Secret Really enjoying so far - the style reminds me of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
I'm re-re-re-re and maybe more res -reading Rex Stout's Too Many Women.I haven't read it for at least ten year, but as soon as I started it, the magic was back. It's more heavily Archie than many of the Nero Wolfe books. But delightful.
Everyman wrote: "I'm re-re-re-re and maybe more res -reading Rex Stout's Too Many Women.I haven't read it for at least ten year, but as soon as I started it, the magic was back. It's more heavily Arc..."
I am waffling between re-re-reading a Stout (The Doorbell Rang) or a Ngaio Marsh (Death in Ecstasy)...
Leslie wrote: "I am waffling between re-re-reading a Stout (The Doorbell Rang) or a Ngaio Marsh (Death in Ecstasy)... ."
You can't lose either way. But I do love "The Doorbell Rang." At least if you're old enough to remember a certain person I won't name to avoid spoilers.
I've just read Troubled Waters by Elizabeth Lemarchand (published 1982, set in 1980), which I saw recommended somewhere on Goodreads. I enjoyed it; it was a good mystery, with well-drawn characters and relationships, interesting red-herrings, and likeable police detectives. I didn't realise that it was one of a series until I looked for other books by her; it worked well as a stand-alone, although I suspect I'd feel I knew the policemen better if I'd read earlier books. I'm now going to read the first couple in the series, which were published in the 1960s.
Some interesting background on Golden Age fiction, in the New Yorker:http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
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I thought there was some interesting stuff there...and agree with the writer, would be fascinating to have Eliot's take on the (then) newly evolving hard-boiled style from the US. I downloaded the evil Wilson piece, slagging off crimefic, for later! : D
Thanks, Ms M. Fascinating to read the opinions (and it added some forgotten authors to the TBR list).
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http://www.spectator.co.uk/2013/12/a-...
I'm reading The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards at the moment, so am very interested in getting extra background from articles like these.
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And speaking of articles...M. Poirot's London pied-a-terre is for sale...sort of...smidge under £700,000! The first article has an interesting bit about how they did all the filming up front.http://www.jackson-stops.co.uk/london...
http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property...
Judy, thanks for the PD James info, I'll have to get caught up this evening.
Carolien, now I'm definitely interested in SS Van Dine!
Miss M wrote: "And speaking of articles...M. Poirot's London pied-a-terre is for sale...sort of...smidge under £700,000! The first article has an interesting bit about how they did all the filming up front.http..."
There is a biography of Huntington that I've been reading for a while, Alias S.S. Van Dine by John Loughery. I don't think I have yet gotten to the point where he starts writing mysteries, although he is connected with The Smart Set.
Thanks, Jan, I will take a look at that one.
This is not a golden oldie but a good English whodunnit. "From the Cradle" by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards. I received mine with no cost from Kindle unlimited.
I think that this sentence from the New Yorker article sums up why I am such a fan of the Golden Age mysteries;"A key tenet of Golden Age detection was “fair play”—the idea that an attentive reader must in theory have as good a shot at solving the mystery as the story’s detective. "
While I have enjoyed many a mystery which doesn't 'play fair', I do prefer to have a chance at figuring out who did it!
Judy wrote: "I've just been reading another interesting article about Golden Age fiction, by P.D. James , which was published in 2013. The headline is "Who killed the golden age of crime?" She q..."Thank you for the link, Judy. I'm also reading The Golden Age of Murder. Wouldn't you say that P.D. James was incorrect when she said "The women writers ... were particularly popular and successful"? Given the examples detailed by Martin Edwards I don't think that was so, at the time.
What I do think is true is that the writers she named (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh) have stayed popular and are still read today, whereas the majority of the male writers who were enormously popular at the time have been forgotten since. Of course, some are being rediscovered and republished now.
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Reading the Detectives
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It's not a problem. I've read her books in the order I acquired them and she always provides enough information that you know where the characters fit in, but the mysteries are standalone.