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message 1501:
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Leslie
(new)
Jul 25, 2014 08:32AM
Just finished a Ngaio Marsh that I hadn't read before (an early one too!), Vintage Murder. It must be the first one in which Alleyn travels to New Zealand, so that part was fun, and Marsh kept me guessing until close to the end. I did miss Detective Sergeant Fox though...
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Leslie - Vintage Murder: one of my favourites. I listen to it periodically in the car on cassettes (yes, they still work!) bought years ago. Read by the incomparable James Saxon, having to deal with accents from Cockney to Maori. But I do have to look at the printed version too, to see the wonderful floor plan of the theatre and surrounding areas. Love the whistling - 'that's' the ticket'! And at least Fox is in it by proxy. Lucky you to have read it for the first time.
Ah, but that's only because you don't have the opportunity, John!
(Said with a certain amount of drollery. Years ago I remember we were harangued by an English-hating Welshwoman in a railway carriage (the sort you can't escape from) claiming that "the trouble with you English is that you are always oppressing your colonies." When Chris mildly pointed out that he was English and had never oppressed a colony in his life, that was her answer. One for the family history book! :D )
(Said with a certain amount of drollery. Years ago I remember we were harangued by an English-hating Welshwoman in a railway carriage (the sort you can't escape from) claiming that "the trouble with you English is that you are always oppressing your colonies." When Chris mildly pointed out that he was English and had never oppressed a colony in his life, that was her answer. One for the family history book! :D )
Just half-way through No Orchids For Miss Blandish, by James Hadley Chase. In the American hard-boiled style, plus explicit violence and eroticism at the same time. Very strong for 1939, necker mind 2014. Now I know why my older brother had a hidden copy when we were teenagers in the early 1960s. Gruesome, but a real page-turner. Not for the squeamish, which I am, but I'm determined to see if the villains get their comeuppance!
John wrote: "Just half-way through No Orchids For Miss Blandish, by James Hadley Chase. In the American hard-boiled style, plus explicit violence and eroticism at the same time. Very strong for 1939, necker min..."Oh, I have that on my Kindle but I am not a big fan of the hard-boiled style...
Not your cup of tea, then, Leslie, but it's worth reading James Hadley Chase's biography on Wikipedia. English, born in 1906. WWII Squadron Leader. Third or fourth book banned for obscenity. After a dozen of these, he changed names and produced another 80 high sellers!
I recently finished Little Girl Lost, by Brian McGilloway. I liked it! I was particularly happy with the way things turned out between the detective Lucy Black and her mother.Once again, I'm happy to express my gratitude to Mike Gabor, from whom I first learned about Brian McGilloway. I've now read all five Ben Devlins and the first of two Lucy Blacks (and intend to read the second Lucy Black).
Ray wrote: "Reading Blood at the Root by Peter Robinson. Really enjoying the series so far."That is one of the best Inspector Banks novels. Please let us know what you thought of it once you've finished.
Leslie wrote: "Just finished a Ngaio Marsh that I hadn't read before (an early one too!), Vintage Murder. It must be the first one in which Alleyn travels to New Zealand, so that part was fun, and ..."But that one always makes me thirsty for champagne!
Karlyne wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Just finished a Ngaio Marsh that I hadn't read before (an early one too!), Vintage Murder. It must be the first one in which Alleyn travels to New Zealand, so that par..."I would love to share a jeroboam with you!
Leslie wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Just finished a Ngaio Marsh that I hadn't read before (an early one too!), Vintage Murder. It must be the first one in which Alleyn travels to New Zeal..."Wouldn't that be fun?!? Just think of all the books we could discuss!
Thanks. I reserved the first book in the series from the library. I'm second in the waiting line and the library has a bunch of copies. For a not new book, that shows how popular it is.
message 1517:
by
Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while)
(last edited Jul 30, 2014 06:52PM)
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Currently reading Elizabeth Adler's The Heiresses. A lovely story with a bit of mystery to it. Thoroughly enjoying it after failing to finish another of hers.
I'm reading "Death on Safari" by Jessica Hill. I believe the author posted about her book on this site. It is very enjoyable and a fun read. I loved the Safari and it's camp as the backdrop. I would definitely recommend it for those that need a break from the more intense mysteries.I'm looking forward to her next endeavor.
Just finished reading Peter Lovesey's The Last Detective. Luckily for me, my memory of having enjoyed it when I read it 20 years ago or so was accurate, but I had forgotten the entire plot. Looking forward to the BoTM discussion.
I've just finished Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer. A most enjoyable period piece & (as I'm saying everywhere) Sgt Hemingway is my favourite Watson.
Carol wrote: "I've just finished Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer. A most enjoyable period piece & (as I'm saying everywhere) Sgt Hemingway is my favourite Watson.":) I am also a fan of Hemingway :) I haven't read Behold Here's Poison in a long time - maybe it is time to reread it!
Kay wrote: "I've read several Heyer books recently and enjoyed all."Ditto to Carol, Leslie, and Kay. I also enjoy Heyer's mysteries. She was certainly a versatile writer.
I am reading Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham. It is the 4th in the Albert Campion series. I am having a very good time. It is so entertaining.
Ellen wrote: "I am reading Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham. It is the 4th in the Albert Campion series. I am having a very good time. It is so entertaining."I read most of the Campion books decades ago -- I really should make time to reread that series!
I just finished rereading a different Heyer mystery, Footsteps In The Dark -- really more of a suspense than a mystery but fun nonetheless.
Leslie wrote: "Ellen wrote: "I am reading Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham. It is the 4th in the Albert Campion series. I am having a very good time. It is so entertaining."I read most of the Campion ..."
Read Footsteps in the Dark recently. There is a discussion on the Georgette Heyer Goodreads group.
I'm not sure I've ever read the Campions in order. That might be a good idea!(But I did read the Heyers in order a few years ago after I finally found Envious Casca to complete my collection.)
I recently finished an Agatha Christie that was new to me -- Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, formerly published under the title The Boomerang Clue. It is an early stand-alone mystery (first published in 1934 or '35). I found it fun but slightly predictable.
Penny wrote: "Am reading the next Monkeewrench book
- I really enjoy these books."Penny, I have read this series and thoroughly enjoy the various characters. Is there a new book out?
I normally enjoy Val McDermid's books, but this latest one (Northanger Abbey)does not appeal to me. The writing is good, as usual, but the story would be better appreciated by teenagers or young adults.
Yvonne wrote: "Penny wrote: "Am reading the next Monkeewrench book
- I really enjoy these books."Penny, I have read this series and thoroughly enjoy the various characters. Is the..."
dont know if its new to you but it is to me its
and the GR gizmo doesnt have a picture of it. says published in US in 2012, so not that new!
Yvonne wrote: "Penny wrote: "Am reading the next Monkeewrench book
- I really enjoy these books."Penny, I have read this series and thoroughly enjoy the various characters. Is the..."
its got a different name in the US if thats where you are - off the grid I think
Penny wrote: "Yvonne wrote: "Penny wrote: "Am reading the next Monkeewrench book
- I really enjoy these books."Penny, I have read this series and thoroughly enjoy the various cha..."
Oh yes. I have read that one, also.
Just finished the second one in the Ruth Galloway series
I enjoyed it and it was a fun, quick read - not quite as good as The Crossing Places. I felt the story of Ruth's life etc was more to the fore in this one than the actual murder story was - I guessed who it was very early on (unusual for me as I am decidedly bad at that!!)
I just finished a book that I have waited, literally, years for. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth I didn't think he was ever going to release a new one. Also, reading the new Charles Todd.
Kay wrote: "Thanks, Joan. I had forgotten about Marcia Muller. I always liked her books."You're welcome!
I've just reread Whose Body? and enjoyed it very much. I also read The Children of Men by P.D. James which is her non-mystery set in a post apocalyptic England. I really enjoyed it, she made the end of the world so very British!
I think both of those are fairly British, Carolien! :D
I much preferred The Children of Men - P.D. James's one SF novel - to the all-action film version. It seemed to lose most of the novel's interest for me!
I much preferred The Children of Men - P.D. James's one SF novel - to the all-action film version. It seemed to lose most of the novel's interest for me!
I haven't seen the movie, but the book has a lot of very pithy side comments on the society which I doubt can be easily transferred to a movie.
Yvonne wrote: "Mara, Are you reading The Long Way Home? I am anxiously waiting for my library to get it."Yvonne, I finished a few days ago. I liked it. One of the reasons I subscribe to Audible.com is the fact that it takes forever for them to get a book by a popular author. Or it takes forever to cataloge the book.
I'm almost finished with Agatha Christie's Poirot Loses a Client, also called Dumb Witness.
It's pretty good, except that so much of the novel has a slowness because they aren't sure if there really was a murder, and some of the helpless female characters seem outdated. Still, it's fun to see Poirot and Hastings solve the case.
It's pretty good, except that so much of the novel has a slowness because they aren't sure if there really was a murder, and some of the helpless female characters seem outdated. Still, it's fun to see Poirot and Hastings solve the case.
Books mentioned in this topic
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Wicked Autumn (other topics)
Cover Her Face (other topics)
A Mind to Murder (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alice Clark-Platts (other topics)Chris Ould (other topics)
Adrian McKinty (other topics)
Will Thomas (other topics)
Anna Katharine Green (other topics)
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