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[Bionic Jean]

True Leslie, although I have been known to give her 4* - more often 3 though. No, for some reason the two T's just rub me up the wrong way.

[John]

I just love Tommy and Tuppence, particularly the three (?) foreign spy adventure ones - not so much the first one. They really could be by a different author, couldn't they. Time for a re-re-read!

[C.J.]

***Carol*** wrote: Much as I love Christie, I couldn't bear Tommy & Tuppence!

Me neither. Too twee. I think marital detectives are awfully hard to write, & if Christie was trying for a nonalcoholic Nick & stronger Nora, she didn't really pull it off.

[Bionic Jean]

That's an interesting theory Carol ...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Jean wrote: "That's an interesting theory Carol ..."

So does anyone know of an author (particularly a golden age author) who pulled off a good husband/wife detective team?

[Bionic Jean]

Well there's always Dorothy L Sayers

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

So far, I can't get hold of Sayers or Allingham. I have a Kindle now though, so may try with that.

[John]

Other threads have mentioned the Mr & Mrs North books by Frances.and Richard Lockridge from the 1940s - about twenty or more. I've not heard of them before, but there are cheap copies on Amazon, and one e-book, but not in English!

Currently, of course, the Debora Crombie Kincaid books.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'll add them to my list. I volunteer at an op (charity)shop & usually sort the books. Like letting a wino loose in a liquor store!

[Susan]

Great place to volunteer, now if they only served wine too.

[Kay]

Carol, Amazon had Allingham

[Kay]

Oops! They had a number of Allingham books for Kindle for 99 cents. I got five in the Campion series. Not in order but it really doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned.

[Leslie]

Carol wrote: "Me neither. Too twee. I think marital detectives are awfully hard to write, & if Christie was trying for a nonalcoholic Nick & stronger Nora, she didn't really pull it off..."

Nice idea but Christie wrote Tommy and Tuppence 12 years before Chandler invented Nick and Nora!

[Ellen]

Leslie wrote: "Carol wrote: "Me neither. Too twee. I think marital detectives are awfully hard to write, & if Christie was trying for a nonalcoholic Nick & stronger Nora, she didn't really pull it off..."

Nice i..."

Dashiell Hammett wrote The Thin Man in 1934 which was the first appearance of Nick and Nora. I expect most people are familar with them through the movie versions.

[Leslie]

Oops, yes Hammett not Chandler! I always mix those two up.

[C.J.]

Leslie wrote: "Nice idea but Christie wrote Tommy and Tuppence 12 years before Chandler invented Nick and Nora!"

Hmm! Thanks, Leslie. That makes me wonder if Hammett thought T&T were an idea he could improve upon...which he did...

I always mixed up Hammett & Chandler too, until I read more Chandler & realized what a better writer he is.

[Joan]

So far, I have been unable to get into Sad Cypress. On the other hand, I reread After the Funeral quickly and enjoyed it. It's the one that Sophie Hannah said was "the best all-rounder." I'm not sure about that. It had a major flaw common to many Christies: There was ample motive and opportunity for almost any of the major characters to have been the murderer. Poirot revealed "the solution" very dramatically in the drawing room, but it was not a unique solution by any means. Still, it is a good read.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

I have just been listening to some BBC4 audios of Christies works. The quality is marvellous - all the sound effects and a different person voicing each character. So far have listened to Murder on the Orient Express, And Then there were None, and A Carribean Mystery. Strongly recommended.

[Joan]

Shortly after finishing After the Funeral, I managed to "get into" Sad Cypress. They're actually quite similar, and I can see why a Christie fanatic like Sophie Hannah thinks they're two of the best. I'm now on to the third of five recommended by Hannah: The Moving Finger. Unfortunately, I think I remember this one (whereas I didn't remember the first two, even though I've read all of the Christies); so I might not wind up finishing it.

[Joan]

Finished The Moving Finger even though I did remember whodunit.

I think I need a break from Sophie Hannah's favorite Christies for a while.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Joan wrote: "Finished The Moving Finger even though I did remember whodunit.

I think I need a break from Sophie Hannah's favorite Christies for a while."

Yes it's possible to overdose on even the most favourite author.

I'm just about to start The Clock Strikes 12 by Patricia Wentworth.

[Susan]

Finished two wonderful books: Thin Air by Ann Cleeves and The Ice Twins. Couldn't put either one of them down.

[Karlyne]

***Carol*** wrote: "Joan wrote: "Finished The Moving Finger even though I did remember whodunit.

I think I need a break from Sophie Hannah's favorite Christies for a while."

Yes it's possible to overdose on even t..."

I love Patricia Wentworth, and this is a good one!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Karlyne wrote: "I love Patricia Wentworth, and this is a good one!
"

Oh good! Someone from another group I'm in didn't care for it. For me, so far it's fine - very Christie-ish!

[Karlyne]

It's not my favorite Wentworth, but I like it!

[Leslie]

I'm not sure I remember The Clock Strikes Twelve -- I know I have read it as it is on my shelf. Off to look at the blurb to see if it will jog my memory...

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Dodger, which I found had a little bit of a mystery component to it. I wasn't sure going in how I would feel about Pratchett using Dickens but I ended up liking it.

One question -- did people in London really call the police "peelers"? I had thought that was an Irish slang... I did figure out that the term bobbies must have originated (as peelers did) as a reference to Sir Robert Peel :)

[Michell]

I am currently reading and loving the Maisie Dobbs' series. I have just checked out A Lesson in Secrets and will be starting it today.

[Kay]

That's interesting, Leslie. I did t know that.

[Kay]

Michelle, is Maisie Dobbs the author? I'm not familiar with those books and am always looking for new ones. New to me.

[Leslie]

Kay wrote: "Michelle, is Maisie Dobbs the author? I'm not familiar with those books and am always looking for new ones. New to me."

Maisie Dobbs is the main character in a series of books by Jacqueline Winspear.

[Karlyne]

Leslie wrote: "I'm not sure I remember The Clock Strikes Twelve -- I know I have read it as it is on my shelf. Off to look at the blurb to see if it will jog my memory...

I just finished listening..."

I'm trying to remember any English references to "peelers", and I can't think of any. I'll keep my eyes peeled. (Oh, boy, cracking myself up.)

[Kay]

Thanks, Leslie. I'll look into those.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'm about half way through a Clock Strikes 12! Very Golden Age. & it's Christie-ish but Miss Silver has her own personality!

[Leslie]

I like Miss Silver much more than Miss Marple! And I like the fact that she is a professional.

[Karlyne]

Leslie wrote: "I like Miss Silver much more than Miss Marple! And I like the fact that she is a professional."

Me, too, Leslie! Although I do love Miss Marple's hidden-in-fluff intelligence, I like Miss Silver's straight-out, up-front professionalism better.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

For me, the book changed as soon as she made an appearance.

[Lesley]

I agree Carol. She took a while to make that appearance didn't she. I'm wondering if she was modeled on Miss Marple with her knitting and all even though she has the more professional detective air about her. :)

[Karlyne]

Ella's Gran wrote: "I agree Carol. She took a while to make that appearance didn't she. I'm wondering if she was modeled on Miss Marple with her knitting and all even though she has the more professional detective air..."

Miss Marple made her appearance in a short story in December, 1927, and Miss Silver's first novel was published in 1928. Miss Marple's first actual book was 1930. Practically simultaneous!

[Leslie]

Carol, has she given any of her Tennyson quotes yet? At first I thought that was a bit much but as I read more of the books, it became a signature feature that made me smile. In fact, those quotes were what inspired me to start reading more poetry (starting of course with Tennyson)!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Karlyne wrote: "Ella's Gran wrote: "I agree Carol. She took a while to make that appearance didn't she. I'm wondering if she was modeled on Miss Marple with her knitting and all even though she has the more profes..."

That's so interesting. I'm assuming it's highly unlikely that Wentworth read the short story. They have both taken the conventions of the detective story & created a distinctive female sleuth.

There is a parallel now (although it's between a TV programme & a book) with The Rosie Project & Sheldon from The Big Bang theory. Lot's of similarity in the male lead & Sheldon, both both created virtually simultaneously.

& EG I was just starting to think (view spoiler)[ Peachy! Another detective story with the upper classes more worried about scandal then that they have a murderer in the family. But it looks like Miss Silver is going to be very firm with them! :D (hide spoiler)]

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Leslie wrote: "Carol, has she given any of her Tennyson quotes yet? At first I thought that was a bit much but as I read more of the books, it became a signature feature that made me smile. In fact, those quote..."

Not yet. I'm about at the half way point!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I don't recall any Tennyson. An enjoyable read. I'm going to check which is the oldest Wentworth title my local library has & put it on my to read queue. :)

[Carolien]

I agree, the Tennyson quotes are lovely. I've always enjoyed Miss Silver more than Miss Maple. I have a shelf full of her books which I enjoy and reread every so often.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Carolien wrote: "I agree, the Tennyson quotes are lovely. I've always enjoyed Miss Silver more than Miss Maple. I have a shelf full of her books which I enjoy and reread every so often."

Based on this reading I prefer Miss Silver too! I liked Miss Marple but her waffly stories sometimes got on my nerves!

[Leslie]

Carolien wrote: "I agree, the Tennyson quotes are lovely. I've always enjoyed Miss Silver more than Miss Maple. I have a shelf full of her books which I enjoy and reread every so often."

Me too! I have my hands full right now with my attempt to read the Inspector Appleby books but I should reread these (and Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham)...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I scored a couple more Ngaio Marsh's at the Op shop. One was Tied up in Tinsel. I'm in the middle of redecorating so I can't access the books to check the other title.

[Carolien]

Leslie wrote: "Carolien wrote: "I agree, the Tennyson quotes are lovely. I've always enjoyed Miss Silver more than Miss Maple. I have a shelf full of her books which I enjoy and reread every so often."

Me too! ..."

I haven't read the Inspector Appleby books. Where do I start?

I've recently read my first Ngaio Marsh and enjoyed it. As soon as I manage to hand back the other 6 books that I borrowed from my mother, I'll continue with the series since she has most of them, but I don't want to borrow anything else at the moment.

[Leslie]

The Appleby series is by Michael Innes -- the first book is Death at the President's Lodging (which was also published under the title Seven Suspects). I am reading them in order but I don't think that it is very important with this series.

[Kay]

My library doesn't have any michael Innes books. Did you get ebooks?

[Carolien]

Thanks, Leslie. I'll see what I can find.