Reading the Detectives discussion
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What mysteries are you reading at the moment? (2021)
I thought of the movie The Falcon in Hollywood where I think someone loaded a prop gun or the episode on The Ellery Queen Mysteries where Ellery and his dad go to Hollywood to watch the filming of one of his stories, of course someone loaded the prop gun. Also done on Murder, She Wrote.
After two abandoned reads and what I found to be a rather indifferent volume of Saint novellas, Enter the Saint, I have begun The Swaying Pillars by Elizabeth Ferrars
.I've yet to read a poor book by Ferrars and I'm enjoying the atypical African setting of this one so far.
I reread Rachel earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too.
Lady Clementina wrote: "I reread Rachel earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too."I'm about half way done and enjoying it. Du Maurier can really weave a tale and has fabulous storytelling ability.
Franky wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "I reread Rachel earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too."I'm about half way done and enjoying it. Du Maurier can really weave a tale and has fabulous st..."
She sure does and she keeps up the suspense so well too--playing not only with her characters but with us readers as well.
Susan in NC wrote: "I’m enjoying a reread (relisten) of the audiobook of Hallowe'en Party
by Agatha Christie."Nice. I've read a lot of Christie's ones but haven't got to this one yet. I have a copy somewhere. It is a good time of the year to read it.
Franky wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I’m enjoying a reread (relisten) of the audiobook of Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie."Nice. I've read a lot ..."
It is! I read it last year around this time and enjoyed it as a seasonal read, but also find it interesting as a “time capsule” look at the way so much was changing in English society, views of crime, mental illness, parenting, etc. Agatha clearly did not approve!
Franky wrote: "Right now I'm reading My Cousin Rachel. I read Rebecca in the past and really enjoyed it."I loved "My Cousin Rachel" and thought Rachel Weisz was perfect for the role, though the movie was a bit of a let down, IMHO.
Jill wrote: "Just about to start. One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton"I liked it and, as slow as I seem to read sometimes, it only took me a week.
I really liked One by One They Disappeared and look forward to reading The Night of Fear with the group in December. Now starting the next John Dickson Carr for me, The Blind Barber. The title certainly sounds dangerous!
Barbara wrote: "Franky wrote: "Right now I'm reading My Cousin Rachel. I read Rebecca in the past and really enjoyed it."I loved "My Cousin Rachel" and thought Rachel Weisz was perfect for the r..."
Me too, this is one of my favourites by her, she's such a fabulous writer. I haven't seen the film, I don't think I'll go out of my way to seek it out.
Jill wrote: "Now starting the next John Dickson Carr for me, The Blind Barber. "I'm curious to hear what you make of it. I'm a big Carr fan and I struggled with that one. I reread it a few years ago to see if I'd misjudged it and although I felt marginally better about it second time round - there is a good puzzle in there - the humour still grated.
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Judy wrote: "I'm just reading a John Dickson Carr as well, The Case of the Constant Suicides, which I picked up at the library - I'm nearly halfway through and so far I am really en..."That's a very well regarded book and the humor works better overall in it. I like it well enough, although maybe not as much as a lot of other fans do. The setting is superb and there's a good puzzle as its basis too.
Judy wrote: "I'm just reading a John Dickson Carr as well, The Case of the Constant Suicides, which I picked up at the library - I'm nearly halfway through and so far I am really en..."Oh, this sounds right up my alley- you know I love a chuckle with my detectives!
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Sounds great - I like humor with my killings.
I have read two mysteries: Exit and An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed. Having recently read the second Thursday Murder Club, I have been happily spending time with the elderly (where I feel right at home). Both books are fine reads but Thursday Murder Club is my favorite.
P.S. Elderly Lady is not a mystery as she is proudly murderous.
Sandy wrote: "Judy wrote: "I'm just reading a John Dickson Carr as well, The Case of the Constant Suicides, which I picked up at the library - I'm nearly halfway through and so far I..."Well, only fair - the title says right up front not to cross her…;)
Finished Murder in the Maze by J.J. Connington, chemistry professor in RL. First in Sir Clinton Driffield series. It was enjoyable.I had to question "side curtains" and realized it must be what we call windows in the car. It was 1927.
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I have now finished and really liked it - looking forward to reading more Carr. I'd only tried a couple of his very early titles previously and enjoyed this one much more, as his writing style flowed much better. I found it hard to put this one down. Which are your favourites by Carr, Colin?
Judy wrote: "Colin wrote: "Judy wrote: "I'm just reading a John Dickson Carr as well, The Case of the Constant Suicides... That's a very well regarded book and the humor works bette..."I'd strongly recommend:
Till Death Do Us Part
She Died a Lady
The Problem of the Green Capsule AKA The Black Spectacles
The Emperor's Snuff-Box
The Burning Court
Colin wrote: "Jill wrote: "Now starting the next John Dickson Carr for me, The Blind Barber. "I'm curious to hear what you make of it. I'm a big Carr fan and I struggled with that one. I reread it a few years ..."
I’m over a third of the way through, and it seems very amateurish to me. Valvick’s speech is very irritating. I’m glad I didn’t read this book first, as I doubt I would have wanted to read any more.
Yes, that Norwegian (?) skipper's speech, or at least the way it's written phonetically gets very old very fast. I'd read a reasonable amount of Carr before I came to this so I knew what his best work was like but, as you say, if this had been my first exposure, then I don't think I'd have gone further.
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The first of the Falco series is waiting for me at the library. I did read a few of them many years ago, but I'm not sure which ones.
I read the first Falco a couple of years ago, and last week I couldn’t remember what series it was. I spent quite a while going through my books looking, I wish I had mentioned it here as it would have saved me so much time!
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I've started the third and final entry in the Walter Ghost series by Vincent Starrett, The End of Mr. Garment. The latter two entries take place in Chicago, formerly my home city. So far I have enjoyed them. It appears that in this one Mr. Garment is killed/dies between the time that he arrives at his destination and the time it takes for his host to come out to greet him. Interested to see how this works out.
Listening to the Audible of of our next Maigret book, The Carter of 'La Providence', but the ebook I borrowed from my library has this cover
.
i have just started the second in a series of murders set in 1990s China. I enjoyed the first, and couldn't resist the cover of the second:
Rosina wrote: "i have just started the second in a series of murders set in 1990s China. I enjoyed the first, and couldn't resist the cover of the second: "Sounds interesting. I don't think I've read any mysteries set in China though I have a couple of the Judge Dee ones on my TBR.
Lady Clementina wrote: "RI don't think I've read any mysteries set in China though I have a couple of the Judge Dee ones on my TBR."I loved the Judge Dee books, years ago, and I think I have tried another modern series, though I can't remember any details. The Yellowthread Street series, set in pre-handover Hong Kong, is one of my favourites.
Rosina wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "RI don't think I've read any mysteries set in China though I have a couple of the Judge Dee ones on my TBR."I loved the Judge Dee books, years ago, and I think I have trie..."
I have just found it in my TBR pile -
. I might give it another try, as I still own it!
Finished Fire Will Freeze by Margaret Millar and really enjoyed it. Although it wasn't meant to be, the big almost empty house in the snow, was a bit spooky. Now starting Suicide Excepted , the third in the Inspector Mallet series. Hoping Mallet makes more of an impression on me this time than in the first book.
Jill wrote: " Now starting Suicide Excepted "I liked that a lot. I recall that I cottoned on to the culprit from an especially early stage but it was such an enjoyable book that it didn't bother me in the least.
I've just re-started It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr. I started it a long time ago and have to admit that I recalled nothing of what I had read.
Just started Murder at the Savoy, a netgalley copy; the second in the series but my first time reading it. Set in 1940s London
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I've requested the first in the series, Murder at the Ritz from my library so will be reading it soon.
I just read "Eight Perfect Murders." I thought it gave away the plot twists, the whodunit, whydunit way too early and didn't hold any surprises. I picked it up because it made some list on some mystery blog.
Started The So Blue Marble The So Blue Marble.This is the third Dorothy Hughes novel for me, the first for her.
Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
The Saint Valentine's Day Murders (other topics)The Saint Valentine's Day Murders (other topics)
House of Cards (other topics)
The 39 Steps (other topics)
The 39 Steps (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael Dobbs (other topics)John Buchan (other topics)
Catherine Aird (other topics)
Colin Watson (other topics)
Colin Watson (other topics)
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Haven't read that book but I immediately thought of various GA mysteries set in theatres.