There's Trouble Brewing - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

This is the third Nigel Strangeways mystery, first published in 1937.

Private detective and poet Nigel Strangeways is invited to address the Maiden Astbury literary society. The picturesque Dorset town is home to Bunnett's Brewery, run by the much disliked, and feared, Eustace Bunnett and shortly before Nigel's visit, Bunnett's dog Truffles, was found dead in one of the brewery's vats. The culprit was never caught - although there was no shortage of suspects - but when a body is then found in the same vat, boiled down to its bones, Nigel is called into action to help capture the killer.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Susan]

In this mystery, like so many in this period, virtually everyone had a good reason for doing away with the victim, including the couple that Nigel are staying with. I wondered whether anyone felt, at any time, that he was in danger? He was staying with two suspects and, although he wanted to clear them, did he think they could have been guilty, I wondered?

[Judy]

I didn't feel that Nigel was in danger, but I did suspect Sophie at one point - when she disappeared off to bed with a headache, I started thinking this must be a clue to something, but it wasn't at all! I was quite pleased about this though, as I liked Sophie.

[Susan]

It was quite creepy at the end, when you realised someone had been staying in the attic of the house and poor Miss Mellors had her head battered in...

[Sandy]

A different sort of plot device that really has two murderers as good brother Joe certainly tried to kill bad brother Eustace. I suspected that Eustace had killed Joe, as the body identification was questionable and Joe was the only person missing, but not all the rest of the machinations. The time tables started reviving memories of Wimsey's Red Herrings. I could feel a twitch coming on.

[Susan]

Oh dear, Sandy. Some of these books do like a time table and they are quite difficult. I always imagine someone sitting by the fire, with a pad and pencil, trying to work out the clues! Perhaps modern readers are too lazy to join in? I certainly am :)

[Judy]

Me too - timetables get me glazing over! But must say I found this a lot more fun than 5 Red Herrings!

[Sandy]

I agree that time tables need a paper and pencil. It may have been part of the crossword puzzle craze. I enjoy crosswords and other pencil puzzles, but never bother when I'm reading. After all I will get the answer by the end of the book!

And, yes, in this book the time table was secondary.

I'm looking forward to revisiting Nigel.

[Susan]

Even though it's only us, I am happy to add the next Nigel Strangeways to our buddy read list. The Beast Must Die is a classic, so possibly there might be more takers...

[Judy]

That sounds great - I'm getting hooked on this series.

[Susan]

Good to hear, Judy! One of my very favourites and always happy to re-read them. Plus, I haven't read them all, so looking forward to us getting to that point in a few books time :)

[Judy]

I'll look forward to that too, Susan.

[Judy]

I like to think I'm too lazy to work out the timetables, but I suspect I couldn't do it even if I did invest the time!

[Judy]

Sandy, well done for guessing the solution- I thought Joe was dead but didn't work it out apart from that!

[Susan]

http://thepassingtramp.blogspot.co.uk...

Came across this, about Nicholas Blake

[Judy]

Interesting article, Susan - I had never heard of the other GA author mentioned in this piece, Todd Downing. There were so many!

I really like the Passing Tramp blog, which has many interesting articles by Curtis Evans who has done a lot of the introductions to the Dean Street Press books and I think for some other publishers too.

[Sandy]

Susan wrote: "http://thepassingtramp.blogspot.co.uk...

Came across this, about Nicholas Blake"

Interesting ... Thanks. I see the exploring wife gets lost.

[Susan]

She gets killed in the blitz, Sandy. Oddly, except as an aside in one novel, her death is never mentioned - despite the fact she is the lead character in some novels. I am not quite sure what that says about Nicholas Blake, the author, or Cecil Day-Lewis, the man!