FW05) Let Dead Enough Alone

[Lisa, Moderator]

Welcome to our discussion of Let Dead Enough Alone, by Frances Lockridge, which is part of our Fall/Winter Collection Group Reads. Your discussion leader is Lisa.
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Summary

Capt. M. L. Heimrich of the New York State Police may not have the flash of hard-boiled city detectives, but there’s no lead the intrepid investigator won’t follow until his every hunch is satisfied . . .

A New Year’s Eve party should be filled with champagne, laughter, and the good company of others. And the Halley’s celebration at their country house is exactly that. But the next day has barely dawned when a shocking discovery begins the new year with a dreadful bang.

Psychologist Margaret Halley is convinced her depressed husband drowned himself in the lake. But why would a man intent on suicide walk through a hundred yards of deep snow to jump into a freezing lake when there was a bottle of sleeping pills next to his bed?

As Captain Heimrich investigates the Halleys—and their guests—he has a sinking feeling that someone must have sent John Halley to his watery grave.

[Icewineanne]

For the past two days I haven’t been able to use the search line to find books. Everytime i enter a book name to search, a message pops up saying “feature disabled” - how can they disable the search function?! So annoying
Anyway enough with the rant, I’ll join you Lisa if I can get find a copy of this.

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Icewineanne wrote: "For the past two days I haven’t been able to use the search line to find books. Everytime i enter a book name to search, a message pops up saying “feature disabled” - how can they disable the searc..."

I've had the same problem but it's working now. Thank goodness.

I've got the book. Will get started.

[Lisa, Moderator]

What a pain! Anne, do you have access to Hoopla?

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

I'm having a terrible time getting into this one. I'm gonna try again tomorrow.

[Lisa, Moderator]

Uhoh Sheri…

[Nancy]

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "I'm having a terrible time getting into this one. I'm gonna try again tomorrow."

I know what you mean. I’m not sure if it’s my ebook setup, but in chapter one it was difficult to tell if it was the wife or husband talking. In chapter two? (listed as II without any break) it took awhile before I realized it was another character reminiscing in her head

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Nancy wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "I'm having a terrible time getting into this one. I'm gonna try again tomorrow."

I know what you mean. I’m not sure if it’s my ebook setup, but in chapter one..."

same for me. Things have settled down a bit now though.

[Lisa, Moderator]

I'm about 50 pages in, and although it's a little quirky, I do like it. I went back and reread the first chapter, between the husband and wife, after I had the context of the events that unfolded. Just to get a little more sense of the pair. I found it interesting.

I also find it a bit of a conflict of interest for a therapist to invite a patient (well, former patient, I guess) to a party.

How's everyone else doing with the book?

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

It starts coming together after a while when you can get everyone figured out :)

[Nancy]

I’m doing fine…downloaded Hoopla app to iPad and that has helped a little with the format. I agree with Sheri. I’m half way through and am waiting for the second murder to occur…someone saw something or figured out something. Isn’t that how it goes? Still not sure who did it.

[Nancy]

Reread chapter 1 with new format. It’s weird that the wife would want to go to the summer cottage/estate in the middle of winter. (view spoiler)[ I think she probably did it…and the rest is just red herrings (hide spoiler)]

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

I just finished and there is a second murder.

The writing is unusual, the way it stops and starts, and just sort of meanders once in a while, but I've had people tell me they can't keep up with the conversation when I'm with my 3 sisters because we don't finish a sentence, so....

I did like it. (view spoiler)[I think most will figure out one of the murderers and probably why too, but so sure about the other. (hide spoiler)]

[Nancy]

I finished the book. I liked the story. I did figure out (view spoiler)[ one of the murderers , but not the other….although I should have because of what Audrey had seen (hide spoiler)]

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Nancy, I'm curious. (view spoiler)[what did Audrey say?> (hide spoiler)]

[Nancy]

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Nancy, I'm curious. [spoilers removed]"

Audrey said (view spoiler)[ she saw Margaret held an item in her hand as Margaret went up the stairs. Margaret was carrying an empty glass…the one her husband drank from (hide spoiler)]

The reason I didn’t guess (view spoiler)[ Margaret is that from their first conversation, both she and John seemed to know about each other’s lover. They didn’t seem to care (hide spoiler)]

[Lisa, Moderator]

Finished last night. I did like this one quite a bit. It had sort of a different feel; the dialogue was a bit unusual, as you mentioned, Sheri. I liked the writing for the most part - I thought the descriptions of place were good, and I found it easy to picture the setting. Not a ton of character development, and we didn't get much of a sense of Heimrich. I felt like I knew Lynn and I did find her backstory and her character growth enjoyable. I had to keep reminding myself who some of the other guests were. Again, I'd love a cast of character list with a paragraph on each at the beginning of every whodunnit :)

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Nancy wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Nancy, I'm curious. [spoilers removed]"

Audrey said [spoilers removed]

The reason I didn’t guess [spoilers removed]"

Oh right. Hers got poured out.

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "Finished last night. I did like this one quite a bit. It had sort of a different feel; the dialogue was a bit unusual, as you mentioned, Sheri. I liked the writing for the most part - I thought the..."

Did you ever figure out, or were we told and I've forgotten, just what Lynn's problem was that she was in therapy?

[Lisa, Moderator]

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Finished last night. I did like this one quite a bit. It had sort of a different feel; the dialogue was a bit unusual, as you mentioned, Sheri. I liked the writing for the most part - ..."

Sheri, they touched on it in Chapter II. It seemed that she was just paralyzed by fear and indecision, incapable of making the simplest choices, very self-conscious. Seemed like anxiety/depression?

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Finished last night. I did like this one quite a bit. It had sort of a different feel; the dialogue was a bit unusual, as you mentioned, Sheri. I ..."

I remember that but was wondering if there was more. Thanks.

[Lisa, Moderator]

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Finished last night. I did like this one quite a bit. It had sort of a different feel; the dialogue was a bit unusual, as you mention..."

Yeah, we didn't get too deep of an explanation, that's for sure. I did like Lynn and her character arc as she initially reflected on those internal struggles, and then seemed to overcome them, embracing some of her characteristics that she once felt shame about.