English Mysteries Club discussion
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What are you Currently Reading?
Jill wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "I have a question and I'm not sure where to put it, so I'm going to put it here because it's kind of about the book I'm reading. As I said above, I'm reading The Birthday Mystery, a..."Is suet pudding more like pot pie or lava cake in that there is a filling inside a cake shell?
There is a filling but the outside is not like pastry or cake
The book I started reading in electronic format last night, House Blend, a short (11-chapter) novel in my Goodreads friend Heather Day Gilbert's Barks and Beans "cozy' mystery series, isn't in the Goodreads database yet, since it's not expected to be published until October. Heather kindly shared an advance e-copy with me earlier this year, in a format compatible with my Kindle app; and since my Internet access was messed up for some reason last night, I got a good start on reading it.
I finished “ The Golden Age of Murder” by Martin Edwards and posted a 4 star review. It is a great history of the founding of the Detection Club and its early writers. It took me two weeks to read this 486 page book because I kept stopping to research authors and books to read! I just finished the May club read by John Bude today, it was fabulous!
A Gentle Murderer by Dorothy Salisbury DavisI’m halfway through this terrific crime novel. For a “gentle murderer” his methods are truly gruesome. Originally published in 1951, this is a new Library of Congress Crime Classics reprint edition with an introduction by Leslie Klinger & new reading notes.
I'm reading The Winter Mystery by Faith Martin and I have another "British Food" question. When I make tea, I use loose leaf in a tea thing. When it's done, I pull the thing out and have my cup. In books, it seems like they put tea in a kettle (I'm guessing bags?) and then just leave them in there until the kettle is empty. Or do they have special tea pots? Is overly bitter tea just a thing? Here's the passage I'm referring to."She walked to the stove and removed the kettle, checked that Sid had spooned a good amount of tea into the teapot - he had - and reached for the sugar. The tea made,..."
Please help me understand this.
Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare. I have read a few Francis Pettigrew and decided it was time to get to know Inspector Mallett better. Enjoying it so far.
I read Death of a Valentine by M.C. Beaton It is book 25 in this cozy mystery series. I recommend it. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Although set in Scotland, the author lives in England.
This afternoon, Barb and I started on the second book of the Barks and Beans "cozy" mystery series,
Iced Over, by my Goodreads friend Heather Day Gilbert. (I've mentioned the series before on this thread.) We're both fans of the author, though my favorite part of her work is actually her Viking-themed historical fiction (which is a genre that Barb doesn't get into). This particular series will particularly appeal to dog lovers.
Finished The Murder at Redmire Hall by J.R. Ellis a short while ago. An enjoyable read, but whilst I was reading this I had the deja vu feeling that I'd read the book before. However, I only purchased the paperback recently and the book is definitely not on the list of books that I have read since the book was published in 2018. Perhaps I'm reading far too many books in this genre and all the storylines are starting to merge together lol lol.
Barb and I are now continuing our read of the Barks and Beans Cafe' mystery series, by Heather Day Gilbert, with the third book,
Fair Trade.
I’m reading Josephine Bell’s The Port of London Murders in a Pandora Women Crime Writers paperback edition from the Eighties. The title itself was a come-on, because I am always drawn to anything nautical or waterfront-related. It indeed has great atmosphere and is really quite gritty for the period, more in keeping with the down-and-out novels of a writer like Patrick Hamilton than with other Golden Age mysteries.Also reading Arthur Rees’ The Shrieking Pit, published at the end of World War I, set in seaside Norfolk, partly at a creepy inn. Ambience to burn, and well-written too. It also fits very well into my project of reading both non-fiction and fiction about all the English counties.
Although I very much enjoy reading Golden Age mysteries, I am hopeless at spotting clues and honestly don’t even really care about solving the mystery, or about the rules of “fair play” (shocking, I know 😏 ). I am there for the characterization, the social milieu, the atmosphere, the prose.
I just finished
Dr. Sam Johnson: Detector by Lillian de la Torre, and will now go on to the second book in the series. Excellent historical mystery short stories, "authored" by his friend and biographer, James Boswell. Who knew that Dr. Johnson was such a clever detective. And they are of the "clever school of mystery solving," too, which makes them doubly fun to read. And readers also get text written as if it's Boswell's 18th century prose... delightful way to spend an afternoon.
Friday is the day that a lot of crime book bloggers put up a review of a “forgotten book”. This morning, I noticed a post on Roger Ormerod’s The Hanging Doll Murder at In Reference to Murder. It sounded interesting, so I went poking around online and found some copies, not priced astronomically but a little more than I want to spend this minute (fixed retirement income, you know). But then I spotted a copy at a much lower price, and it turned out to be an uncorrected proof. Snapped it right up. I used to see these proofs all the time at the Strand in NYC, and never went in for them much, but I am so much less persnickety than I used to be about condition, ex-libs, etc. I can have books beautifully re-bound here in Tlaxcala for $6.00 / volume, and anyway it’s the text that matters. I think I have overcome my bibliophilic OCD!
Mystery author Martin Edwards (a terrific writer) does a column on forgotten books on his website and also posts it here on Goodreads. A lot of good information there.
Patrick wrote: "I’m reading Josephine Bell’s The Port of London Murders in a Pandora Women Crime Writers paperback edition from the Eighties. The title itself was a come-on, because I am always drawn to anything n..."If you like descriptions of the milieu, try Christine Falls by Benjamin Black My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
"She walked to the stove and removed the kettle, checked that Sid had spooned a good amount of tea into the teapot - he had - and reached for the sugar. The tea made,..."
Please help me understand this."
Sorry for the delay, Tiffany. It sounds as though you put loose tea leaves in a tea strainer ball, or tea infuser, in your cup, and don't use a teapot. Some English people also do this.
Others put several teaspoons of loose leaves in a warmed teapot - one for each person who is to have a cup of tea plus "one for the pot". The kettle of water is boiled, and then the boiling water is poured into the teapot and it is left for a few minutes to "brew" or "mash" before being poured out into cups, sometimes but not always through a mesh strainer. (Milk or lemon can be added to the cups before or afterwards.)
Mostly now though English people use teabags in a teapot.
Just finished Hugh Munro’s Who Told Clutha (1958), the first in his series about a Glasgow shipyard detective. From “Glasgow” and “shipyard”, you know it will be flavorful, and it is! I look forward to spending more time with Clutha, who is tough-savvy.Hugh Munro is not to be confused with Hector Hugh Munro (Saki) or Neil Munro (author of the Para Handy tales). More info here: https://bearalley.blogspot.com/2010/1...
Just finished to write my review about the monthly ( July ) group read.Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer
They say : "A rare gem of the mystery genre makes its first return to print since 1956"
... Actually I gave 3 stars, cause it wasn't a bad mystery but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend who asks me for advice on what to read among the British Library books.
Here is my review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just read Margery Allingham's Coroner's Pidgin -- don't know how I missed it -- she's up there with Christie, Marsh, & Tey in my pantheon. This one's set during WW2, with her sleuth Campion briefly in London on leave. Superb writing as always, & more compactly plotted than many of her novels. Interestingly, like our current group read, Bernard Farmer's Death of A Bookseller, it's also grittier in mood. I liked seeing upper-class entitlement play a role in whodunnit. Can't wait to (re)read another one!
C.J. wrote: "I just read Margery Allingham's Coroner's Pidgin -- don't know how I missed it -- she's up there with Christie, Marsh, & Tey in my pantheon. This one's set during WW2, with her sleu..."This is my favourite Campion book!
I'm listening to the audio of Allingham's Traitor's Purse. Not read any qCampion for ages. Narration is good but the voice chosen for Campion is high and awful.Also doing a Patricia Wentworth reread - spurred by amazon putting several of the audios on sale, these are really good if you like audio (I can often listen in work). Currently reading The Chinese Shawl.
Meep wrote: "I'm listening to the audio of Allingham's Traitor's Purse. Not read any qCampion for ages. Narration is good but the voice chosen for Campion is high and awful.Also doing a Patricia Wentworth rer..."
Sounds good, Meep! I like Allingham and Wentworth.
I'm about halfway through Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston — one of the British Library Crime Classics. Was looking forward to it as many of this series have been fun reading. It is an interesting read, if not very exciting or unusual, but I'm surprised that the general characters, as well as main characters and the victim, are all portrayed very negatively. There's no one to root for.
But the murder has just happened and Kingston is about to introduce us to Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard.
Strange to have a fully unlikeable cast, there has to be something to keep a reader engaged.Hit a book slump so very pleased to fall back to vintage detectives. Lots to rediscover.
Don't seem to have any current author's to follow right now.
I'm reading Mrs Pargeter's Package and although I am enjoying it, I think I need to switch it up after reading too many in this series too close together, as it's getting kind of same-y.
I'm currently reading Death Is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare. It is the second Inspector Mallett book. It is very good - I really like this author, such a pity he was not able to write more before he died. I am having to read this on Openlib.org as it is not available electronically.
Craftyhj wrote: "I'm currently reading Death Is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare. It is the second Inspector Mallett book. It is very good - I really like this author, such a pity he was n..."It was his only title that I was not able to get on Kindle. I bought a paperback copy. It seems strange to omit just one.
Barb and I have gotten a good start on reading
Spilled Milk the fourth novel in the Barks and Beans Cafe Mystery series, by Heather Day Gilbert (whom I've often mentioned before on this and other threads), We've previously read and liked the first three books (and I've also read an ARC of House Blend, which isn't in the Goodreads database yet); but so far, I'm liking this volume the best of those that I've read.
I read Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill It is set in 1977 Laos and has humorous asides. while Dr. Siri Paiboun solves several mysteries. The author, born in England, lived for several years in Laos. My 4-star review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly It is historical fiction, set in England, from 1935 to 1952 and centered on the child evacuation program during WWII. I enjoyed it and recommend it to fans of historical fiction. My 4-star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
After finishing a light mystery, I sort of slipped into a real crime book: The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb.I didn't plan to get into this book, but I downloaded a sample and then just couldn't stop. I'm not far but every time I pick it up, I want to sit down and devour it.
I read Race, Politics, and Irish America: A Gothic History by Mary M Burke It is not a mystery/thriller, but a scholarly examination of how the Irish fit into American society. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer I strongly recommend this book. It is not a mystery but the story of an amazing woman who was a trailblazer for women astronauts. My 5 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer I strongly recommend this book. It is not a mystery but the story of an amazing woman who was a trailblazer for women astronauts. My 5 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Having finished Spilled Milk, the fifth book in the Barks and Beans Cafe' cozy mystery series by Heather Day Gilbert, Barb and I are continuing right along with the sixth installment,
Trouble Brewing!
read The Watchmaker from Auschwitz by Sergiu Someşan It is historical fiction and I rated it 4 stars. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm almost done with The Complete Father Brown Mysteries by GK Chesterton. I was actually warned by someone that it would be a hard read and very dry. Not the case at all!! I'm really enjoying the stories. They really make you think about things in a different way and some of the solutions to the cases are truly amazing. I would highly recommend any of the Father Brown stories to any mystery lover.
that's interesting, Jenyfer, I've never read any of them but have watched some of the TV series.
Jackie wrote: "that's interesting, Jenyfer, I've never read any of them but have watched some of the TV series."Give them a try, Jackie. You can easily read one story and stop there. They are all short stories and generally not difficult reading.
I recently watched one of the shows at a friend's house and was a little surprised. The characters did not look at all like how they were described in the stories. I was also struck at how violent Flambeau was depicted in this particular show, which is not at all how he was in the stories. But it's common for me to enjoy a book and be disappointed in the show/movie.
I've only read the first Father Brown collection, The Innocence of Father Brown, but it got four stars from me (I linked to my review on our group's reviews thread, but here's the link again if anyone's interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ), and I hope to eventually read all of the stories.Though I've only actually seen part of one episode of the TV series, I know that it doesn't follow Chesterton's originals very closely. For one thing, it brings the setting forward about 50 years in time, from the Edwardian era to the 1950s.
I am usually able to separate the books from the movies (or TV series) by thinking of them as completely different and then enjoying both if possible. The Edwardian era would certainly be different, though!
I'm currently watching Three Pines and it's very different from the books.
I read Of White Ashes: A WWII Historical Novel Inspired by True Events I won this book from LibraryThing. It is historical fiction and I recommend it. My 4-star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reading Arsenal Stadium Mystery by Leonard R. Gribble. I had nominated it for this month's group read because my library had a copy. It lost but I decided to read it anyway. I had never heard of this author before. I am really enjoying it so I am going to buy a few of his titles on Kindle. They are a bargain price.update: The ending was a bit of a let down but I still enjoyed reading the book.
I read. Her Last Words by Carolyn Arnold. I rate it 3.5 stars rounded up. My review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read. The Porcelain Maker by Sarah FreethyI recommend it to historical fiction fans. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak I enjoyed it and recommend it to spy and or mystery fans. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Odyssey’s End by Matt Coyle It is a private eye mystery set in California.My 3.5-star review, rounded up https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
English Mysteries Club
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One has to remember that the word "pudding" has a different meaning in Britain than it does in the US. In the UK, it means dessert so "suet pudding" has any forms, jam roly-poly being one of them since suet is used in it. Does that help?