Reading the Detectives discussion
Group Challenges
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2024 Challenge: Revisiting the Golden Age
A reminder of just how wide is the world of mystery! I haven’t read any of these and look forward to learning more. Thank you for all the work that went into this compilation.
Thank you so much for setting up this amazing challenge! Adding to what Abigail said about the wide world of mysteries, I haven't heard of a single author or book in this challenge and definitely look forward to exploring new authors in this genre.
Same here, haven’t heard of any but the Crown Colony series, but definitely appreciate the effort you all have put in, and the reminder of so many intriguing series out there to explore! Thanks so much!
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Susan wrote: "We tried for a mix and hopefully, with Sandy's help, have checked availability in the US and UK at the very least."I can’t get most through my usual sources (scribd, library), but all are available on Kindle in the U.S. I’m dropping scribd next year after my subscription expires, might try Kindle unlimited again to get many of these titles free! Very nice variety here! ;o)
Reading one of the Crown Colony books - so far not too crazy about it. But maybe it will pick up.
I am still trying to decide whether I will join in with these, as I have so many of the traditional books from the GA period still to read. Maybe the discussions will sway me.
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So true, it's not as though we have read all the GA but I am always lured by the shiny new stuff.
One advantage of the GA still available: these books have stood the test of time, and editors/publishers consider them worth a read. Though getting a manuscript published might be harder today, given the conglomeration of publishing houses and dearth of small and independent presses. Like Sandy, I read both GA and new stuff, like Mark Billingham's first book of a new series he's starting, The Last Dance. I also want to read some of the new books mentioned on the "What Mysteries Are You Reading Right Now" thread. Great suggestions woven together!
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I appreciate you all sifting through the many “new old” GA-type series for us, and offering us up the first and second of each series (I’m one of those diehard “read series in order” people!) I get so many suggestions from BookBub, kindle and audible of cozyish, GA type books, I don’t know which are worth my time - and although I like to read from book 1 in a series, it usually takes time for an author to hit their stride with a new series and bring it all together. So I’ve learned to be patient with first books! It’s the rare author who can dazzle me from book 1…
I like new GA authors too, and will definitely try the "firsts" and then decide which I want to continue. And I agree that it´s easier to have a list of already chosen series, so thanks again for this! Looking ahead to joining in! :)
Some of the new are okay but others just seem to be trying too hard.
True. I’ll be interested to try the ones in our new challenge to see what I think.
This sounds good! I have so many Golden Age books to read. I find them for free on fadedpage.com I also am a collector of the era and my stack is over flowing at present.
Yay! I wasn’t able to participate this year due to tooo many things on my plate. I kept some Agatha’s in rotation but I miss this group and I love the yearly challenges!! So count me in for 2024
I think my local library must be falling down on the job. They did not have a single title in this challenge.
Ellen wrote: "I think my local library must be falling down on the job. They did not have a single title in this challenge."I´m used to not getting the books read here in my library, but the positive side of the 2024 challenge is that they are all very cheaply available on Kindle or for free on Kindle Unlimited.
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Seeing posts about all the author’s books being read here is what attracted me to the group. I haven’t read any of these books and it’s going to be a new adventure.
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See from your profile you like Mick Herron too - he's a favourite of mine!
Yes I do like Mick Herron’s books. Crime, espionage and Golden Age Mystery are my usual reading. I’ve finished Stealing The Crown and I see this is another favorite author to investigate. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments reading about the Americans.
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The difference between reading the words on the page and listening to audio can really change the tone and depth of an authors work. I listen to a lot of books while walking, driving, etc. . Good narrators are so important.
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Susan wrote: "I am listening to Stealing the Crown on Audible and I kind of wish I had read it now, as the narration is not great."Oh, thank you for telling me this - I’ve got an Audible credit to use, but I’ll save it for another book! I’ve got the kindle, I’ll stick with reading the first book in this series.
Susan_MG wrote: "The difference between reading the words on the page and listening to audio can really change the tone and depth of an authors work. I listen to a lot of books while walking, driving, etc. . Good n..."Oh, this is so true! I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction and classics the last few years, and a good narrator keeps me on pace to finish doorstops like Middlemarch, which I finally did this year! But a good narrator makes all the difference, whether clarifying the emotional impact an author is trying to make, or delivering the dialogue between characters in a clear way - I catch inflection and meaning I might otherwise have missed by just reading.
And with nonfiction, especially if the author is reading, their passion for their subject often comes through!
Similar to Jessica, I haven't participated in any of the challenges here since 2017/2018, but I'm hoping that some of these inspire me, so I'm in.😊
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Hopefully you find some good reading in the challenge. Those are mostly untested. Also the buddy reads have been doing a few excellent series.
Susan in NC - I am so lame when using GR! I missed your comment. I agree about missing details. When I am listening I have had authors important use of language go right over my head. I will always use audiobooks but if it’s an author whose writing is particularly notable I read the print. I am looking forward to continuing with this 2024 challenge.
I find the exact opposite, I miss things when I’m listening but not when I’m reading the book. Won’t have time to participate in the whole challenge but will join you for the discussions in May & Nov for Ovidia Yu’s books. They’ve been sitting on my physical bookshelf for years ☃️
This is an exciting challenge. Hopefully I will be able to acquire all the titles.
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I also quite liked Murder at the Grand Hotel by Isabella Bassett, which has stuck in my mind more than I thought it would, and The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu.
Just as a reminder, the books in the challenge are:
Jan: Stealing the Crown: T P Fielden
Feb: A Fete Worse Than Death: Dolores Gordon-Smith
March: Murder at the Grand Hotel: Isabella Bassett
April: Murder at the Spring Ball: A 1920s Mystery: Benedict Brown
May: The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony Book 1) by Ovidia Yu
June: The Case of the Canterfell Codicil: PJ Fitzsimmons
July: Burying the Crown: T P Fielden
August: Mad About the Boy?: Dolores Gordon-Smith
September: A Body at a Boarding School: A 1920s Mystery: Benedict Brown
October: Death in the Garden: Isabella Bassett
November: The Betel Nut Tree Mystery (Crown Colony Book 2) by Ovidia Yu
December: The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning: PJ Fitzsimmons
I liked Jack Haldean, and look forward to meeting the cast in the Crown Colony series again. I also found Anty entertaining, I’d read the next one in December if I could get the audiobook. A lot depends for me on availability, also!
I'm getting ready to start the Canterfell Codicil by Fitzsimmons. He/She is new to me.
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Sandy wrote: "My favorites are the two I was already reading: Crown Colony and Anty, followed by A Fete Worse Than Death. Stealing the Crown has potential. The other two will have to have real winners in the nex..."I’d agree with this assessment and feel the same about all of these series!
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It could be a good starting point for new readers of vintage crime stories. A modern author might seem less daunting. Also the writing style might be easier (or perceived to be easier) for some people to understand if they're not familiar with an earlier style. This might encourage crime readers to try a genuine golden age novel. Am I right in thinking that the trend for writing crime books in a numbered series where the story moves on for the main characters is a fairly recent development (1980s onward perhaps)? This might appeal more to some modern readers.Although it's sometimes a bit clunky, a Golden Age style book may give a fuller explanation of a custom, artifact or fashion that's now completely disappeared.
Also, sometimes you can only see the shape of a decade or era sometime later which could add some context to a story.
Personally I prefer to read books written at the time they are set in, but I can see that new series like Maisie Dobbs and Daisy Dalrymple are very popular so these are my fairly random thoughts on why that might be.
Ruth wrote: "It could be a good starting point for new readers of vintage crime stories. A modern author might seem less daunting. Also the writing style might be easier (or perceived to be easier) for some peo..."I agree, Ruth, that a modern writer might be more palatable to a modern reader. Many modern reissues have a publisher note upfront about different racial and gender stereotypes common to an earlier era, for instance; a modern writer would avoid these offensive portrayals. Also, the writing back then was more complex, even as to vocabulary choices.
I think as well, that education these days seems to have less emphasis on the development of modern English from Anglo-Saxon and medievel English to detailed technical grammar and syntax than when I was at school in the late '30s and '40s so the 'quality' of writing is different.
Keith wrote: "I think as well, that education these days seems to have less emphasis on the development of modern English from Anglo-Saxon and medievel English to detailed technical grammar and syntax than when ..."Absolutely! Definitely dumbed down these days! (Sorry, Keith said it much more politely…)
which is why I love Dorothy Sayers . She is a classical scholar , an Oxford MA, one of the first women to be awarded an Oxford Degree in the 1920s (Cambridge women had to wait until 1948) and her writing is scholarly. Her grammar is perfect and her syntax immaculate although I keep coming across minor hiccups in her plots, she started getting a little 'lazy' think, in 'Busman's Honeymoon'.
Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
A Fete Worse Than Death (other topics)Murder at the Grand Hotel (other topics)
The Frangipani Tree Mystery (other topics)
Middlemarch (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Dolores Gordon-Smith (other topics)Isabella Bassett (other topics)
Ovidia Yu (other topics)
Announcing our 2024 Reading Challenge: Revisiting the Golden Age
Welcome to our 2024 Challenge, which features some of the many new crime series set during the era when the original Golden Age of Crime was popular.
As we have only used those books published during the original GA as group reads, only considering more modern series as buddy reads, we thought it would be nice to feature a selection of some of the many series currently available. However, as twelve first books in series might be a little too much, even as a taster, we have opted for six series, using the first and second book of each chosen, and we have tried to choose a range of different eras and settings, from traditional country houses to mysteries set during WWII.
The challenge will open on the 1st January 2024. Please feel free to join in with all the books, or just your own hand-picked choices, from the below list. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on our selection.
Jan: Stealing the Crown: T P Fielden
Feb: A Fete Worse Than Death: Dolores Gordon-Smith
March: Murder at the Grand Hotel: Isabella Bassett
April: Murder at the Spring Ball: A 1920s Mystery: Benedict Brown
May: The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony Book 1) by Ovidia Yu
June: The Case of the Canterfell Codicil: PJ Fitzsimmons
July: Burying the Crown: T P Fielden
August: Mad About the Boy?: Dolores Gordon-Smith
September: A Body at a Boarding School: A 1920s Mystery: Benedict Brown
October: Death in the Garden: Isabella Bassett
November: The Betel Nut Tree Mystery (Crown Colony Book 2) by Ovidia Yu
December: The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning: PJ Fitzsimmons
We hope you will enjoy our selection and we wish you all happy reading and a very happy 2024!