Wrack and Rune - SPOILER Thread - (Professor Shandy #3) (August/Sept 24)

[Susan]

Welcome to our August/Sept 24 buddy read of Wrack and Rune The third of the Peter Shandy mysteries, this was originally published in 1981.

A gruesome murder leads Professor Peter Shandy to uncover an ancient Viking curse.

When 105-year-old Hilda Horsefall tells young reporter Cronkite Swope of a stone carved with Norse runes that once sat in the nearby woods, the writer starts salivating at the thought of breaking the news that Vikings once marauded through their sleepy Massachusetts countryside. But while he's jotting down notes, a scream rings out, and Cronkite finds an even bigger story. A farmhand has been burned to death by quicklime, and Cronkite gets an exclusive scoop.

In this neck of New England, strange deaths are invariably referred to Professor Peter Shandy, the only local with the know-how to connect fearsome quicklime to the Vikings of old. But as he digs into the ancient mystery, he finds the forgotten Norse gods are not above demanding a modern sacrifice.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Jill]

I've given this book a 4 star rating, but really it is a weak 4 star, as although I enjoy the main characters, there were a lot to keep track here.
It starts with an horrendous death by quicklime, and then more crimes gradually come to light. most of the blame for the incidents are blamed on the curse of a runestone buried on the property of two elderly characters who are being more or less hounded from their farm for various reasons. There are some lighthearted moments but also some pretty sinister occurrences. I did feel at times there was quite a lot of repetition, and it wasn't as easy a read, as were the previous books.
I loved the part about the women riding in!

[Susan in NC]

Exactly, not as enjoyable as others in the series - this one has never been a favorite. I did appreciate all the information on the difficulties of maintaining a family farm, and the realistic pressure to sell to developers, especially if younger generations aren’t interested in doing the work.

[Sandy]

I agree with the above statements, especially the women on horseback. MacLeod seems to always include a visual treat. I found the villains a bit confusing and the plot a bit weak. The characters carried the story, but I am hoping for better in later books.

[Judy]

I didn't really enjoy this much and am hoping the series improves. We didn't see enough of our regular characters for my liking and I definitely agree with you, Jill, that there was too much repetition. I'll carry on for at least one more book, but if it's no better than this one then I may be tempted to give up on this series and just occasionally reread the first book at Christmas!

[Vanessa]

I was also missing the college. The farm characters didn't really work for me, but I wouldn't mind if Cronkite showed up again, though.

I did think the author handled Spurge well, especially for 1981.

[Judy]

Yes, I agree Cronkite was an enjoyable character, Vanessa.