What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 4,101-4,150 of 4,457

[Bicky]

Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Finished reading both Information Received and P.C. Richardson's First Case.

Enjoyed both of them. The wit in the first and the solidity in the second..."

Thanks. Went there and posted!

[Bicky]

Judy wrote: "PS, we have also had previous discussions of Information Received and the threads for those are still open too. :)"

Thanks, went there too.

[Fred]

Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interesting things there."

Annabel wrote: "As if I didn't already have too much on my TBR list, I picked up a modern reprint of what is apparently an early locked room classic in Oxfam today. The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux,..."

Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interesting things there."

If you enjoy locked room mysteries/impossible crimes check out Gigi Pandian's "The Cambodian Curse and other stories." She uses the locked room lecture from John Dickson Carr's "Three Coffins" as the basis for each story featuring historian/sleuth Jaya Jones or magician Sanjay Rai.

[Bicky]

Fred wrote: "Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interesting things th..."

Thanks Fred, not only for the reference but also the introduction to a new writer.

[Bicky]

Fred wrote: "Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interesting things th..."

Incidentally, I have often been puzzled by the fact that when faced with a locked room or otherwise impossible problem, why don't they call upon a magician? It reminds me of Uri Geller fooling scientists.

[Carolien]

I've started Thin Air. I am getting close to the end of the series and starting to wish there were more to come! Loved it.

[Judy]

Bicky wrote: "Incidentally, I have often been puzzled by the fact that when faced with a locked room or otherwise impossible problem, why don't they call upon a magician? ..."

Jonathan Creek started out as a magician solving locked room mysteries in the TV series, though it then changed over the years.

[Jill]

Now starting The Widows of Malabar Hill for the group buddy read

[Lady Clementina]

Jill wrote: "Now starting The Widows of Malabar Hill for the group buddy read"

I'm enjoying it a lot.

[Jemima]

Reading Swing, Brother, Swing on audible. About to start
Look to the LadyMargery Allingham

[Susan in NC]

Started . Enjoying it very much - great characters and atmosphere in 1920s Bombay.

[Jughead]

Just started "They Came to Baghdad" by Agatha Christie

[Jemima]

I picked up a beautiful hard cover edition to They Came to Baghdad at a library sale for 20 cents last week. I was stoked. Looking forward to reading it soon.

[Fred]

Bicky wrote: "Fred wrote: "Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interest..."

Bicky wrote: "Fred wrote: "Judy wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Thanks for the reference to the blog. Very interesting. Very helpful. ..."

Thanks Bicky, glad you like the Curtis Evans blog - I have found lots of interest..."

Clayton Rawson did feature a magician as a detective. In John Dickson Carr's biography, he studied magician's tricks to come up with some of his impossible crimes.

[Susan in NC]

Jemima wrote: "I picked up a beautiful hard cover edition to They Came to Baghdad at a library sale for 20 cents last week. I was stoked. Looking forward to reading it soon."

Yay! I love when that happens, you go not expecting anything, and find a great book at a great price!

[Nickleby]

Just finished AC’s ‘Five Little Pigs’ a few days ago. Not exactly a surprise ending, but still really enjoyable. Currently in the middle of ‘The Labyrinth of Spirits’, fourth book in the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’ collection by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

[Bicky]

Jemima wrote: "I picked up a beautiful hard cover edition to They Came to Baghdad at a library sale for 20 cents last week. I was stoked. Looking forward to reading it soon."

The joy of secondhand shopping.

In Delhi, there used to be a Sunday market with a long street full of people selling books out of sacks! One needed to be poker faced. It made a great difference, whether I paid fifty paise or one Rupee. To not show my hand, I even ended up buying books in which, then, I had no interest as there often was a bulk discount. At times buying ten books was cheaper then just buying the one book I really wanted, if I had picked it up with sufficient casualness. The amount of money was limited, not the number of books. For the sellers, it was a kind of clearance sale. They wanted to get rid of their entire stock, while bargaining hard. And, of course, the other buyers were my enemies.

And then to take home the armloads of books in very very crowded buses on a long ride home, already perusing the first of my treasures while fellow passengers looked at me strangely.

Later, remaindered books from USA would be brought to India by the shiploads and end up in roadside stalls often with the mark of small town libraries. The sellers had bought them by the weight. By now, I was travelling by car and so just had to load up the trunk.

So many of the books remained unread. I now find I have out of print books stacked in a forgotten bookshelf. For decades, I had stopped reading detective fiction but continued to pursue them as bargains. For example, if the book had a 'Penguin Crime" label or was an Ace double or was by an author I had liked or, in fact, just had a mystery label, I knew that a time might come when I would want to read it. It has.

Life's undeserved gift- karma?

[Bicky]

Fred wrote: :Clayton Rawson did feature a magician as a detective. "

Will follow it up. Andrew Mayne has a very interesting series with Jessica Blackwood, an ex-magician FBI agent.

[Jemima]

Bicky wrote: "Jemima wrote: "I picked up a beautiful hard cover edition to They Came to Baghdad at a library sale for 20 cents last week. I was stoked. Looking forward to reading it soon."

The joy of secondhand..."
Yes absolutely. Your stories of India are fascinating. Do you still live there?

[Bicky]

Jemima wrote: "Your stories of India are fascinating. Do you still live there? "

Thank you. Yes, I still stay in India. Always have with a few sojourns in USA and a year in Mexico City.

[Sandy]

Wonderful reminisce of your book buying, Bicky. Thank you for sharing.

[Jill]

Starting Stop Press The forth in this series, for the buddy read this month. I wasn't keen on the two previous books by this author but I did like the first book. Hoping this one is better.

[Bicky]

Sandy wrote: "Wonderful reminisce of your book buying, Bicky. Thank you for sharing."

Thank you for appreciating.

[Judy]

I’m about a third of the way through Stop
Press and enjoying it so far, Jill.

[Jemima]

I know who to ask if my group travels to India this year on our books around the world journey. Right now I’m seeking some recommendations for a book set in Holland or by a Dutch author. Preferably the first as I love learning about other countries. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Lady Clementina]

Bicky wrote: "Jemima wrote: "I picked up a beautiful hard cover edition to They Came to Baghdad at a library sale for 20 cents last week. I was stoked. Looking forward to reading it soon."

The joy of secondhand..."

1 rupee for a book? When was this? (and where?-Darya Ganj?) The cheapest ones I find are around 50.

[Lady Clementina]

[Susan]

I am currently re-reading the second Shardlake, Lady :)

Also, I am enjoying The Boy in the Headlights: the 3rd in one of my fave Nordic Noir series.

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "I am currently re-reading the second Shardlake, Lady :)

Also, I am enjoying The Boy in the Headlights: the 3rd in one of my fave Nor..."
:)

I really enjoyed The Widows of Malabar Hill/A Murder at Malabar Hill that I read just before this. Looking forward to our discussion.

[Bicky]

Starting The Widows of Malabar Hill with trepidation, a problem I always face when reading books situated in India but written by non-Indians.
Meanwhile continuing with Basil Thomson's Richardson series.

[Lady Clementina]

Bicky wrote: "Starting The Widows of Malabar Hill with trepidation, a problem I always face when reading books situated in India but written by non-Indians.
Meanwhile continuing with [author:Basil Thomson|165437..."

It's very good-the setting is done perfectly. And she does have Indian roots.

[Susan in NC]

Lady Clementina wrote: "Bicky wrote: "Starting The Widows of Malabar Hill with trepidation, a problem I always face when reading books situated in India but written by non-Indians.
Meanwhile continuing with [author:Basil ..."

Thanks, good to know it’s authentic, I enjoyed it, too.

[Susan]

I am about halfway through Malabar Hill and enjoying it so far.

[Bicky]

I have just finished The Hotel Majestic and plan to read many more Maigret novels.

When, I was in my teens, I tried to read Georges Simenon but found him too slow. Today, I find the pace enchanting and Maigret's humanity uncommon.

The French setting was very interesting with the close 'cooperation' between Maigret and the magistrate.

[Judy]

I've read a couple of Maigrets so far and hope to read on with the series, Bicky - though this is one series where I may not be too strict about reading in order, but go more on which books I manage to get hold of.

[Judy]

I've just finished listening to the Welsh mystery Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen, in the audible edition read by Roger Clark. He is an excellent narrator and I really enjoyed it.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bicky]

Judy wrote: "I've read a couple of Maigrets so far and hope to read on with the series, Bicky - though this is one series where I may not be too strict about reading in order, but go more on which books I manag..."

I too like to read in order. However, I have a feeling from the research I have cursorily conducted, that in this case the books of the middle period might be the best. So, I plan to deliberately read them without regard to order.

[Jay-me (Janet)]

I'm trying to decide whether to read Crossword Mystery or Murder on the Oxford Canal

[Jemima]

A murder is announced. I love Hinch and Murgatroyd so much. And fluffy little Dora ‘Bunny’.

[Susan in NC]

Jemima wrote: "A murder is announced. I love Hinch and Murgatroyd so much. And fluffy little Dora ‘Bunny’."

Yes! Just reread Miss Marple last year, love her!

[Carolien]

Jemima wrote: "I know who to ask if my group travels to India this year on our books around the world journey. Right now I’m seeking some recommendations for a book set in Holland or by a Dutch author. Preferably..."

You can try Lonely Graves or Outsider in Amsterdam if you want crime authors.

[LovesMysteries]

Jemima wrote: "A murder is announced. I love Hinch and Murgatroyd so much. And fluffy little Dora ‘Bunny’."

One of the best Miss Marple mysteries, definitely one of my faves!

[Susan]

Miss Marple is just brilliant and, I agree, that A Murder is Announced is one of the best.

I have started Flowers for the Judge and am, finally, really enjoying the Campion novels. So glad I persevered with the series.

[Judy]

I've started a reread of Flowers for the Judge too - as a long-time Campion fan, I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying it, Susan!

I'm also now about 3/4 of the way through our other buddy read Stop Press, and have started listening to the audiobook of The Floating Admiral via Scribd - I've been meaning to try this book jointly written by members of the Detection Club in the 1930s. Early days as yet.

[Susan]

I found The Floating Admiral a bit of a mixed bag, as could be expected, I guess. I think they had fun writing it and I would certainly like to read some of the non-fiction efforts by the Detection Club.

[Pamela]

I'm reading The Strangler Vine, which I've had for ages, enjoying it so far. I'm trying to clear some of my TBR backlog but new Books keep popping up!

After that I'll be starting Flowers for the Judge, I've definitely become a Campion fan this time round.

[Jemima]

Susan wrote:

I have started Flowers for the Judge and am, final..."

I read the first one (The Crime at Black Dudley ages ago and though it was pretty confusing and truly weird. I'm now reading Look to the Lady. The character of Campion is really exaggerated...he reminds me of Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel or one of Georgette Heyer's self-parodic heroes like in These Old Shades or The Convenient Marriage who seem to enjoy hamming up a natural tendency to 'foppery' or at least exaggerating aspects of themselves that others seem to despise, which makes them discountable in an enemy's eyes I guess. Campion that I read inDeath of a Ghost more recently is such an entirely different character that I didn't even realise until much later that he was the same man as in Crime at Black Dudley. I wonder why his character is so changed? I'm enjoying this Campion (in 'Look to the Lady') and I also really liked the Campion in 'Death of a Ghost' who seemed so charming and caring, serious, thoughtful and subdued.
One of my favourite things so far in 'Look to the Lady' is the invitation Campion sent to the young man (Val) while he was on the run promising "Improving conversation, beer, light wines and little pink cakes."

[Bicky]

Jemima wrote: "Susan wrote:

I have started Flowers for the Judge and am, final..."

I read the first one (The Crime at Black Dudley ages ago an...Campion that I read inDeath of a Ghost more recently is such an entirely different character that I didn't even realise until much later that he was the same man as in Crime at Black Dudley. I wonder why his character is so changed? I'm enjoying this Campion (in 'Look to the Lady') and I also really liked the Campion in 'Death of a Ghost' who seemed so charming and caring, serious, thoughtful and subdued. "


This is so good to know, because all I remember about Campion was his ridiculousness. Now, I too can start reading Allingham.

[Susan]

I really did struggle with Campion for a few books, but the last few have been much better - there have been less gangs and more actual crimes. Also, Campion is becoming much more sensible! I am now, definitely, a fan.

[Susan in NC]

Just starting to reread Flowers for the Judge . It’s been years, I don’t remember a thing about this one...