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These Names Make Clues
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March 23: These Names Make Clues - SPOILER Thread - (1937)
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Unfortunately this is another of those books where the characters have two names. I don't know if is just me, but I did seem have a bit of trouble with all the double names. I did like the overall plot, but the side-tracking of the journalist didn't do a lot for me. I do enjoy reading about Macdonald, but didn't think this was as good as Lorac's other books we have read.
Jill wrote: "Unfortunately this is another of those books where the characters have two names. I don't know if is just me, but I did seem have a bit of trouble with all the double names. I did like the overall ..."That’s how I felt, wish I had nominated another of this excellent series! The journalist at the end really got on my nerves, maybe because the narrator (I read Kindle and listened to audiobook through Scribd subscription) made him particularly annoying! I like to do both read and listen with nonfiction or a complex mystery, because it often helps convey tone, attitude, emotion, etc., but it an also backfire when the narrator makes a character deliver lines in a grating or obnoxious voice!
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I actually loved the start and the puzzles: I even decoded the first message! But agree that the names were too confusing, and I lost track of people.
I really disliked that whole section where Macdonald was off stage and that annoying journalist took over - I hate those jaunty stories with car chases and people being knocked over the head in barns!
By the time Macdonald comes back, I'd sort of lost interest - and he comes back with a solution that appears out of nowhere.
So not one of my favorite Loracs. It was such a great start, I wished she'd stayed in London with the party crowd
I’m going to differ from other readers and say that I enjoyed this one enormously! It helped a lot, I think, that I was reading the paperback; I dog-eared the page where the names are sorted out and referred to it often, and that really helped me stay on track.I didn’t mind Vernon the journalist, I rather enjoyed the drawing out of suspense when Macdonald seemed to be getting close and suddenly we were taken away from him. Vernon’s thrashings around did help me focus on those who were closer to the center of the plot. I understood that the authors with weird names were the main suspects but missed the perpetrator—not surprising since we don’t learn crucial things about that person till the last act.
If you’ve ever tried to do a crossword in the London Times, you’ll know that the types of clues being handed out by the Coombes are pretty typical! I consider myself decently good at American crossword puzzles, but the London ones always leave me completely stumped. Just one more proof that English eggheads are smarter than American ones! Or at least trained in this type of thinking from birth.
So Susan, at least one reader is entirely pleased that you nominated this book!
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I'm halfway through, and like everyone, I'm struggling with keeping track of who is who. It's a bit confusing.
Abigail wrote: "I’m going to differ from other readers and say that I enjoyed this one enormously! It helped a lot, I think, that I was reading the paperback; I dog-eared the page where the names are sorted out an..."Thanks, Abigail! And thanks for clarifying about American vs English crossword puzzles, I’ve read so many books where someone is working on The Times crossword, and they read out a clue, and I say to myself, “what the what?” We share the same language, their humor is the best, and yet…
Susan wrote: "I didn't dislike the book, although it was not my favourite Lorac. I think it had a lot of good aspects, but I had to keep track of who was who and I didn't much like the chase round the countrysid..."Good, I agree wholeheartedly, I just ordered some more Lorac paperbacks from Book Depository in England- God knows when they’ll be available over here! I figured rather than wait, just order and have on hand when I want a good mystery to read.
This was my first encounter with CI MacDonald and I liked him. He was intelligent and not morose as so many senior police officers seem to be in crime novels. I mostly kept up with who was who but I was a little perplexed when the journalist popped up again. I quite liked him (he was a teeny bit Campionesque which endeared him to me) but he was just a bit of a surprise. I think MacDonald mentioned to one of the other characters that he had worked with the journalist before and so I expect for people who read the book when it was first published he mayn't have been such a surprise.
I was quite amused by the surprisingly murderously inclined pacifists!
I will definitely give another MacDonad story a go.
Craftyhj wrote: "This was my first encounter with CI MacDonald and I liked him. He was intelligent and not morose as so many senior police officers seem to be in crime novels. I mostly kept up with who was who bu..."
Lol, you’re right, I forgot they all proclaimed themselves proudly pacifists- I guess that noble belief goes out the window when they’re up against it…glad you enjoyed it, Crafty! I’ve read Macdonald mysteries as I could get them, but they’ve not been published in order, so if I ran across the journalist previously, I didn’t remember him. I’ve got some Lorac’s I haven’t read yet in my personal library, ordered from England a couple years ago as a birthday treat, I’ve only read one, they are earlier books, maybe I’ll come across the journalist there!
This was my 21st Lorac plus one written by her as Carol Carnac. I rated 2 titles 5 stars and the rest have been 4 stars. McDonald is one of my favorite series detectives ever. I will never quite understand why they have been out of print so long. I hope they republish them all and if they do will be sad when the last one comes out. As usual this one kept me excited to keep reading. I did not find the section with the journalist annoying but am always glad when McDonald is front and center.
I love Macdonald too, and liked the setting of the mystery. Like most of you I was a bit confused by all the characters, but on the whole another good mystery by Lorac.
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Ooh what was the right answer, RC? I loved the start too, and as a fan of codewords tried to decode the message, but I must have got something wrong as I made it "On knowledge needed seek no end os desk"!
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I rather liked Peter Vernon although I was very pleased that pacifist ring idea of his turned out to be a red herring, as I'm not a fan of gangs, secret societies etc in detective stories! it sounds as if he possibly features in some of the earlier Macdonald books that haven't been reprinted yet - maybe helping Macdonald in the same sort of way that journalist Nigel Bathgate helps Alleyn in some of the early Marsh books?
I think so - I don’t remember him in the other Lorac’s I’ve read, but he might not have made an impression. I’ve ordered several other Lorac mysteries from Book Depository in England, when I get around to reading them I’ll let you know if/when Vernon turns up!
I just finished reading my first Lorac, after reading Carol Carnac's "Crossed Skis." Hard to believe it's the same author. I enjoyed Carnac much more, since I could keep the characters straight. With "These Names," I found too many paths to follow, and only really began to enjoy the puzzle towards the end, with the names and clues tied together. But definitely will read another MacDonald novel, since he's a very appealing detective.
I enjoyed this. It was my first Lorac so I guess it was my favorite Lorac. Look forward to more Macdonalds. I liked Vernon. I think he was like Bathgate in that he could do things and be places while Macdonald was still holding forth in London.I was relieved to see the violent pacifists did not hold up. Although I think Christie had one with violent pacifists - unless it was only in the film version.
I think Christie had a theory about readers only being able to hold five suspects in their minds and I think this exceeded five. So that could be part of the reason for confusion.
Looking for that first clue in the "hunt" I was re-reading part of the beginning in my paperback and saw more to the relationship of "Miss Burney" and "Jane Austen".
But I look forward to further in the series. And I think I probably prefer Lorac in PB than on the Kindle. Easier to refer back.
‘Should detectives go to parties? Was it consistent with the dignity of the Yard? The inspector tossed for it—and went.’
Chief Inspector Macdonald has been invited to a treasure hunt party at the house of Graham Coombe, the celebrated publisher of Murder by Mesmerism. Despite a handful of misgivings, the inspector joins a guestlist of novelists and thriller writers disguised on the night under literary pseudonyms. The fun comes to an abrupt end, however, when ‘Samuel Pepys’ is found dead in the telephone room in bizarre circumstances.
Amidst the confusion of too many fake names, clues, ciphers and convoluted alibis, Macdonald and his allies in the CID must unravel a truly tangled case in this metafictional masterpiece, which returns to print for the first time since its publication in 1937.
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