Reading the Detectives discussion
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What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread
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As for magpies: we have a well known rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told." which shows it is only seeing a lone magpie that brings bad luck and groups of magpies are said to predict the future.
Susan wrote: "-As for magpies: we have a well known rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told." which shows it is only seeing a lone magpie that brings bad luck and groups of magpies are said to predict the future. ."I saw eight magpies when I was walking the dog a couple of weeks ago - so I don't know what that means. Apart from the fact that magpies obviously did well in that area.
Magpie Murders sounds interesting - but the kindle edition is way too expensive.
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It goes up to 10 Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
But I think the version we use now has changed over the years. It used to be
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral,
Four for birth
Five for heaven
Six for hell
Seven for the devil,
his own self (think they gave up on the rhyme here!)
So possibly why magpies are seen as unlucky as 1,3,6&7 aren't great outcomes! I think also they may mate for life which is why if you see a solitary one it's bad luck as they have lost their mate.
I like all the different ways people try to ward off the bad luck, I've heard various phrases such as "hello Mrs Magpie" works, or saluting the magpie, or making someone else see it too so they get the bad luck, making funny little hand movements......
Is this a British thing to be this obsessed with magpies or does the same apply elsewhere?
Michelle wrote: "Is this a British thing to be this obsessed with magpies or does the same apply elsewhere? ..."We don't have any magpies here in New England so, although I have heard the rhyme, I would have to say it is a British thing.
But there are magpies in western U.S. so maybe they obsess over them too!
I've just finished an old friend Behold, Here's Poisonwith the Georgette Heyer group. Nearly finished another reread of Brat Farrar Amazing writing.
Michelle wrote: "It goes up to 10 Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
But I think the version we use now has changed over the years. It used to be
One for sorrow,
Two for mirt..."
Your rhyme is the one I've always known for Magpies. We have Magpies here in NZ and they are not looked on too kindly. They become very nasty during mating time and have been known to cause really nasty injuries to people who innocently pass by. The farmers don't like them either as they have a tendency to attack newborn lambs.
I saw a magpie in Colorado at Christmas.
Michelle wrote: "It goes up to 10 Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
But I think the version we use now has changed over the years. It used to be
One for sorrow,
Two for mirt..."
We have magpies in the Western US, but I don't personally know of any superstitions about them. They're generally considered nuisance birds. (I'm from Colorado, have lived in California. Had them both places.)
Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I've just finished an old friend Behold, Here's Poisonwith the Georgette Heyer group. Nearly finished another reread of Brat Farrar Amazing writing."
I love Brat Farrar!
I have finished the penultimate McGee book, Cinnamon Skin which was a solid entry in the series. McGee/MacDonald have mellowed as the series progressed in terms of sexism (the early books had some quite objectionable sections in this regard).Also finished is a contemporary cozy called September Fair. Not bad but the writing could be better.
I just finished The Moor in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. I read this before, listened this time and really enjoyed it both times. I love the strong sense of place and eccentric characters. Ready to start Miss Pym Disposes by Tey, (reread), and The Murderer is a Fox, Ellery Queen, (new to me).
Glad to see us Brits are not the only ones with a magpie obsession!
Judy wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I'm reading X by Sue Grafton. So far it is better than W for Wasted. For me, this has always been a very uneven series."I see the last one I read was [book:U Is fo..."
I've read some very mixed reviews for Y! I may wait for Z. If both have poor reviews I may not bother reading either of them.
Leslie wrote: "I love Brat Farrar! It's a classic. I'm working my way through Tey - hope to get to The Franchise Affair soon.
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Currently reading Thirteen Guests..."
I've been meaning to read that one - Mystery in White is the only book by J. Jefferson Farjeon I've read so far. Have you finished now, AngryGreyCat, and did you enjoy it overall?
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I feel I'd like to finish the series after getting this far, but had better get hold of V is for Vengeance and see how I get on with that!
Judy wrote: "I feel I'd like to finish the seri..."
The funny thing about the Grafton books - even the ones I enjoy I can't remember anything about them afterwards. Other than W- I do remember that one was longer than usual with a lot of filler.
I have finally finished the Martin Beck series (1960s-70s Swedish police procedurals) with the final book, The Terrorists. I very much enjoyed this series and am sorry to be at the end.
Teri-K wrote: "Ready to start Miss Pym Disposes by Tey, (reread)"oh, that's my favorite Tey - so subtle, so sad, so chilling!
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I loved the first 2 books in this series and have number 3 ready to go, as soon as I finish one or two of the books I'm currently in the middle of!
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They've all blurred together for me somewhat, but I do remember especially liking one of the more recent ones which was partly set at an earlier period (1950s?)
Leslie wrote: "I have finally finished the Martin Beck series (1960s-70s Swedish police procedurals) with the final book, The Terrorists. I very much enjoyed this series and am sorry to be at the ..."I felt like that when I finished the series.
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today. It's a great series and you can read this as a stand alone, so do come and join in.
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is often mentioned in those lists of the 'best' GA mysteries and is considered something of a classic.
Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Judy wrote: "I feel I'd like to finish the seri..."
The funny thing about the Grafton books - even the ones I enjoy I can't remember anything about them afterwards. Other than W- I do remember th..."
How funny - I'm the same way! I can't remember even after reading a plot summary if a couple of years have passed by. And I liked the series.
I figure I can re-read the series someday and it will seem new and fresh.
I'm actually like that with Dick Francis books. I took so many home from the library & realised after a couple of pages that I had already read it.This is where Goodreads comes in handy! :)
Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I'm actually like that with Dick Francis books. I took so many home from the library & realised after a couple of pages that I had already read it.This is where Goodreads comes in handy! :)"
I haven't forgotten all the Dick Francis I read, but some of them. That kind of thing happens to me more with Perry Mason- I never remember from the name which one it was.
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Magpie Murders is excellent. I loved the concept of a book within a book, each with its own mystery.
One Corpse Too Many, second in the Cadfael, a medieval monk, series. I'm really enjoying this series, both the setting and the characters.
Festival of Deaths, #10 in a series, the first of which will be our group read for December. Each book has a holiday theme and the descriptions of the decoration overdose in Gregor's neighborhood gets a bit repetitive, but the mysteries are always good. Although written in the early 1990's it is eerily timely with its portrait of some Americans view of immigration that has been in the news lately.
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My mystery at the moment is They Do It With Mirrors.
I'm reading Inferno by Dan Brown in preparation to watch the movie on TV later this week.
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..."
I'm a bit disappointed by it - I'm fascinated by the Weimar period but not finding this very convincing. Very readable though.
Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Judy wrote: "I feel I'd like to finish the seri..."
The funny thing about the Grafton books - even the ones I enjoy I can't remember anything about them afterwards. Other than W- I do remember th..."
I have the same problem with the Sue Grafton books. An absolute blank afterwards. I am quite fond of the one where she has to hire the private eye to protect her from a hit as it's got a nice romance element, and that's the only one I ever reread.
My problem with this series is that generally I find the character delineation weak, in that I can't easily visualise the characters and therefore I don't care who did it. Being good at character-drawing is a strange and mysterious skill - for me, Agatha Christie can do it in a heartbeat, making even minor characters like Jane Helier instantly visible, when other, often supposedly better, writers, can't.
I've read a couple of the Cantrell books and found them mixed - don't think I've read this first one. The plotting became repetitive and lots of anachronistic responses to Nazism.
I'm reading The Murderer is a Fox by Ellery Queen. It's not the usual EQ, as the beginning is taken up focusing on the hero, home from WWII with PTSD. His father was convicted of murdering his mother when he was 10 and now the stress of war has convinced him he'll kill his wife. So the wife gets him to call in EQ to help. I'd call it a psychological mystery more than an intellectual puzzle. So far it's really quite gripping. I'm listening to the audiobook and I keep sneaking in a few more minutes to see what will happen next. I really care about these characters, and every development makes it look worse for the good guys.
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The first book features a small child who seems to me to be more like a 10-year-old than a 6-year-old, and the dialogue seems a bit odd at times.
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September/Oct: There's Trouble Brewing
Oct/Nov: The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple
Nov/Dec: Not a Creature was Stirring: Jane Haddam
Jan/Feb: Green for Danger: Christianna Brand
Feb/March: The Documents in the Case: Dorothy L. Sayers
March/April: The Beast Must Die: Nicholas Blake
I will post reminders nearer the time. There's Trouble Brewing is currently open. The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple will open mid-October.
Annabel wrote: "I have the same problem with the Sue Grafton books. An absolute blank afterwards. Yes, I think L was my favourite but I couldn't tell you why.
Interesting what you say about characterisation. Grafton does have a gift for writing conversation though.
Dick Francis is another one. I know I have read at least 20 of his books, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about them - other than the hero often seemed to be very self-pitying!
Wow, I have a pretty clear memory of the Dick Francis books though sometimes my memory needs jogging to connect the title to the plot. I do have that problem with Margery Allingham - I have read lots of hers decades ago and while I remember Campion & Lugg, the individual plots are mostly a blur.
I have finished a very good entry in the Lew Archer PI series, The Galton Case. This one works well as a stand-alone if anyone wanted to try out Ross MacDonald.I am now reading Picture of Guilt (aka A Family Affair), #23 in the Appleby series by Michael Innes.
I'm about to start reading the latest Robert Harris, Munich, which I imagine is going to be pretty much a thriller, which perhaps qualifies as 'mystery'.I am excited about this - RH is one of the few authors for whom I actively and eagerly await their next book. To celebrate, I've posted a rather rambling GoodReads blog about Harris's books which is probably only worth reading if you're a RH fan but here's a link just in case:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Leslie wrote: "Wow, I have a pretty clear memory of the Dick Francis books though sometimes my memory needs jogging to connect the title to the plot. I do have that problem with Margery Allingham - I have read ..."
That's the case with me as well- I can't tell from teh title which one it is (Francis) but one I see the blurb, most times the story comes back to me.
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with the Georgette Heyer group. Nearly finished another reread of Brat Farrar Amazing writing."
I'm getting into Brat Farrar now - really gripped!
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Reading the Detectives
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I got a reference I wouldn't have without this group: something was as out of place as if the children's author Enid wrote pornography. I hadn't heard of Enid before (and don't remember her last name!).
And there must be something about British magpies. We don't have them here on the east coast of the US so no superstitions about them.