A November free-for-all side-read

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

I'm too tired to come up with a theme for November, so I'm throwing out a chance for an open nomination.

No more than one book per person, when we get to 10 nominations, I'll close & set the poll. All books published before 1970, please!

1. Family Matters by Anthony Rolls; nominated by Tara
2. The Spoilt Kill: A Staffordshire Mystery by Mary Kelly; nominated by Themis-Athena
3. The Port of London Murders by Josephine Bell; nominated by Christine PNW
4. The Feast by Margaret Kennedy; nominated by Mike Finn
5. Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North; nominated by Marie.
6. The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer; nominated by Jessica

[Tara]

I'll suggest Family Matters by Anthony Rolls:

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retreats into a private world, hunting for Roman artefacts and devoting himself to bizarre mystical beliefs. Robert's wife, Bertha, feels that there are few things more dreadful than a husband who will persist in making a fool of himself in public. Their marriage consists of horrible quarrels, futile arguments, incessant bickering. Scarcely any friends will visit the Kewdinghams in their peaceful hometown Shufflecester. Everything is wrong - and with the entrance of John Harrigall, a bohemian bachelor from London who catches Bertha's eye, they take a turn for the worse. Soon deep passions and resentments shatter the calm facade of the Kewdinghams' lives. This richly characterised and elegantly written crime novel from 1933 is a true forgotten classic.

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Tara wrote: "I'll suggest Family Matters by Anthony Rolls:

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retre..."

Thanks, Tara! That looks interesting!

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

Christine PNW wrote: "Tara wrote: "I'll suggest Family Matters by Anthony Rolls:

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retre..."

Thanks, Tara! That looks interesting!"

It's very funny -- I read it a few years ago. (It was highly praised by Dorothy L. Sayers, incidentally.) Though ever since I read it, I've been wondering about the science behind the reveal! :)

[BrokenTune]

Tara wrote: "I'll suggest Family Matters by Anthony Rolls:

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retre..."

Ooooh! I'll hold back on a suggestion of my own because Family Matters was one that came to my mind, too!

[Tara]

BrokenTune wrote: "Tara wrote: "I'll suggest Family Matters by Anthony Rolls:

Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle..."

Great minds Tune ;)

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

OK, I'm going to nominate the book I just finished, Mary Kelly's The Spoilt Kill: A Staffordshire Mystery.

It's less mystery than no-holds-barred psychological and social analysis, with an anything BUT cozy outlook, on late 1950s / early 1960s English / British society. Why this book hasn't survived in print until today is the true mystery here; the writing is top-notch, and the atmosphere straddles the borders of noir to a surprising extent.

The plot as such concerns a murder at a Staffordshire pottery manufacturer, modelled on the likes of Spode and Wedgwood; and while that murder actually does turn out to be central to the book and its characters, for the first 1/3d or so you wouldn't think as much, as Kelly takes her time building the characters and atmosphere -- but it all pays off in spades at the end. The book had come with great recommendations, but Kelly still managed to bowl me over completely.

[BrokenTune]

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "OK, I'm going to nominate the book I just finished, Mary Kelly's The Spoilt Kill: A Staffordshire Mystery.

It's less mystery than no-holds-barred psychological and social analysis,..."

I like Mary Kelly a lot, too, so now it is already going to be a tough choice!

Btw, I completely missed that BLCC re-issued the next in that series - Due to a Death - earlier this year, with a lovely new cover.

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

BrokenTune wrote: "Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "OK, I'm going to nominate the book I just finished, Mary Kelly's The Spoilt Kill: A Staffordshire Mystery.

It's less mystery than no-holds-..."

I recently downloaded it, on the strength of being by Mary Kelly alone -- I didn't even check which series (if any) it was part of! :) Though I suspect that The Spoilt Kill will have been hard even for her to top.

[BrokenTune]

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "OK, I'm going to nominate the book I just finished, Mary Kelly's The Spoilt Kill: A Staffordshire Mystery.

It's less mys..."

I liked The Spoilt Kill but nowhere near as much as Dead Corse. ;)

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

BrokenTune wrote: "I liked The Spoilt Kill but nowhere near as much as Dead Corse. ;)"

The setting (an industrial production site, in this case a steel mill) seems to be similar to that of The Spoilt Kill?

[BrokenTune]

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "I liked The Spoilt Kill but nowhere near as much as Dead Corse. ;)"

The setting (an industrial production site, in this case a steel mill) seems to be similar to that of The Spo..."

Yes, similar, but a quite different in other aspects. I need to remind myself about the ending and solution to The Spoilt Kill, tho.

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

BrokenTune wrote: "Yes, similar, but a quite different in other aspects. I need to remind myself about the ending and solution to The Spoilt Kill, tho."

I'm sure the rest is different -- it just struck me that Kelly's interest in this sort of setting is, in and of itself, outside the bounds of classic Golden Age mystery writing. (And she was also anticipating the Silver Age, e.g., books by authors such as Julian Symos, in that way.)

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

I own both books, so either works for me!

I'm going to nominate The Port of London Murders, which will be released for US readers in a few days. Themis nominated it earlier and it looked great, but withdrew it b/c BLCC hadn't yet released it in the US!

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

Christine PNW wrote: "I own both books, so either works for me!

I'm going to nominate The Port of London Murders, which will be released for US readers in a few days. Themis nominated it earlier and it looked great, but withdrew it b/c BLCC hadn't yet released it in the US!"

Oh, excellent! I thought about making that my repeat nomination but wasn't sure about North American publication dates, whereas I was fairly sure about The Spoilt Kill -- but they're both really great books. Wow, the selection really *is* going to be a difficult one this time around, on the basis of a mere three books already!

[Mike]

I have 'The Port Of London Murders' (I couldn't resist the cover) but I'd be happy with either of the other two.

Just to help us have another tight-run poll, I nominate:

'The Feast' by Margaret Kennedy.
The Feast

It's 1947 and seven guests die when a cliff collapse onto a Cornish coastal hotel in midsummer. This one is interesting as much for the class tensions it displays as for the mystery.

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

Mike wrote: "Just to help us have another tight-run poll, I nominate:

'The Feast' by Margaret Kennedy."

Oooh, this one looks phantastic as well!!

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Just a reminder that we're still collecting nominations for the November side read. If you haven't already put up a book, you still have time.

I'm going to close the nominations on Saturday, September 12th so I can get a poll up before I go on vacation.

[Marie]

I’ll nominate Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North.
In the introduction, Martin Edwards writes: “Amy Wright had married late in life, to a much younger man. She was quite comfortably off, yet is found dead at her home, poisoned by gas in her own bedroom.” The verdict is suicide while the balance of her mind was disturbed, but Sgt. Cluff disagrees.
Cluff is stolid and relentless. North’s writing is spare and crisp. I’m enjoying this 1960 novel immensely. Amazon/Kindle £2.99 UK; $3.82 US.

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Marie wrote: "I’ll nominate Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North.
In the introduction, Martin Edwards writes: “Amy Wright had married late in life, to a much younger man. She was quite comfortably off, yet is..."

thanks, Marie!

[Jessica]

I don't think I saw this poll happen yet so I assume we still need books for it? If so, I nominate The Unfinished Clue since I have it sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

The poll is (finally) up! VOTE HERE!

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Our November Side Read is:


The Port of London Murders

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

Christine PNW wrote: "Our November Side Read is:


The Port of London Murders"

Oooh, great!

[Lisa Bianca]

Has there been a poll on these nominations yet? I can't find anything in messages or the discussions. Excuse me if it is staring me in the face and really i have plenty to go on with reading in the meantime :)

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Two posts up it says that The Port of London Murders is our November side-read!

[Lisa Bianca]

Christine PNW wrote: "Two posts up it says that The Port of London Murders is our November side-read!"

Thank you Christine, I can see it as clear as day, now I've asked. Apologies. :)

[Christine PNW, Agathyte]

Lisa wrote: "Christine PNW wrote: "Two posts up it says that The Port of London Murders is our November side-read!"

Thank you Christine, I can see it as clear as day, now I've asked. Apologies. :)"

Lol - no worries!