Reading the Detectives discussion
Group reads
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Nominations for August 2018 group read - winner!
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A Talent for Murder
‘I wouldn't scream if I were you. Unless you want the whole world to learn about your husband and his mistress.’
Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, boards a train, preoccupied and flustered in the knowledge that her husband Archie is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events. Her rescuer is no guardian angel; rather, he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind. Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her genius for murder to kill on his behalf.
This is based upon Christie's famous disappearance. Andrew Wilson has just released a second book featuring Agatha Christie as a character.
I would like to nominate:-Suddenly at His Residence by Christianna Brand
In the height of an English summer, Grandfather is found dead in the little Grecian lodge among the rose gardens of his estate. Inspector Cockrill has reason to believe that Sir Richard met with an untimely death, and that the evildoer is among the genteel family gathered at the rural manor. But why on earth would one of the loving brood do such a dreadful thing? Simple: the night he died, cantankerous Sir Richard was arranging to disinherit his offspring for the umpteenth time. Someone took murderous steps to protect their own interests. But the murderer left no scuff in the carefully raked sand paths, no trace on the manicured lawns of Swanswater
Jill wrote: "I would like to nominate:-Suddenly at His Residence by Christianna Brand
In the height of an English summer, Grandfather is found dead in the little Grecian lodge a..."
Does this have another title?
Jan C wrote: "Jill wrote: "I would like to nominate:-Suddenly at His Residence by Christianna Brand
In the height of an English summer, Grandfather is found dead in the little Gr..."
Sorry - here it is The Crooked Wreath
How about Quick Curtain by Alan Melville. It is a British Library Crime Classics and is available on Kindle.When Douglas B. Douglas—leading light of the London theatre—premieres his new musical extravaganza, Blue Music, he is sure the packed house will be dazzled by the performance. What he couldn't predict is the death of his star, Brandon Baker, on stage in the middle of Act 2. Soon another member of the cast is found dead, and it seems to be a straightforward case of murder followed by suicide. Inspector Wilson of Scotland Yard is in the audience and jumps in with his journalist son.
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Jan C wrote: "How about Quick Curtain by Alan Melville. It is a British Library Crime Classics and is available on Kindle.When Douglas B. Douglas—leading light of the London the..."
Seems this was published a year before Marsh's Enter the Murderer, so might be interesting to see how closely they resemble each other.
Keep it Quiet by Richard Hull. A fun GA read taking place in a Gentlemen's Club. The poor secretary of the club has gotten himself into a pickle.
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Keep it Quiet
It was just like Morrison to be a nuisance even when he was dead.
Ford, the harried Secretary of the Whitehall Club, is desperate to please even the most disagreeable members just to be left in peace. So, it is a huge inconvenience for Ford when one of the club’s most vexatious members is found possibly poisoned and most definitely dead. It will be terrible for the club’s reputation and it seems easier for all if he finds a way to keep it quiet.
Dr Anstruther is enlisted to help him cover up the death. He finds Ford irksome and ultimately useless but the Club means too much to him to see it dragged through a media frenzy. And besides, Anstruther was the victim’s doctor: as far as he’s concerned, Morrison may have even had a heart condition…
But Cardonnel, the club lawyer (and stickler for protocol), is sniffing too close to the cover-up. And when Ford and Anstruther start receiving blackmailing notes, they begin acting very odd indeed. With so many eyes on them, will they really be able to keep it quiet?
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A Talent for Murder
Suddenly at His Residence (AKA The Crooked Wreath)
Quick Curtain
Keep it Quiet
Any more suggestions?
How about The Floating Admiral? This should have a number of our favourite authors all rolled into one novel.
The Floating Admiral was from The Detection Club and was one of their "progressive" books where each author writes a chapter, possibly taking the story in bizarre directions. I read this years ago and enjoyed it.
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Amazon blurb:
The scene is a fashionable French seaside resort; the witness, Eve Neill, is looking out of her window in the early hours of the morning when she sees the battered body of her prospective father-in-law in the room opposite.
By Eve's side is her ex-husband, who has attempted to force his unwelcome attentions on her. How can Eve tell the police what she saw when disclosing whom she was with might jeopardise her own impending marriage?
Suspicion falls on casual thieves, on the family and on various acquaintances, but the complicated 'locked-room' case is eventually solved by Dr Dermot Kinross, a detective who becomes emotionally involved ...
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There's never been a Carr book I didn't like, great suggestion but may I expand to include The Judas Window by Carter Dickson, who I believe showed the lighter side of Carr, it's also a locked room mystery and available on Kindle
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Makes sense and I very happy with Judy's pick.
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Susan wrote: "Thanks, Lorraine. Re-issued on kindle June 28th, so in plenty of time for the August group read. There are reviews on .com, but not sure if they are for an older edition - someone can let us know i..."Keep it Quiet is supposed to be available on Kindle 6/28. I just pre-ordered.
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A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson
Full results:
A Talent for Murder (Agatha Christie #1) 8 votes, 38.1%
The Floating Admiral 6 votes, 28.6%
Keep it Quiet 4 votes, 19.0%
The Emperor's Snuff-Box 2 votes, 9.5%
Suddenly at His Residence (Inspector Cockrill, #3) 1 vote, 4.8%
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Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
The Floating Admiral (other topics)Suddenly at His Residence (other topics)
Keep it Quiet (other topics)
The Crooked Wreath (other topics)
Quick Curtain (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
John Dickson Carr (other topics)Christianna Brand (other topics)
Alan Melville (other topics)
Andrew Wilson (other topics)
You are invited to nominate books which were written in the Golden Age or slightly later, or those which were written later but are set in the era. Just one nomination per group member, please.