I had 8 books out of 286 that received 5 stars this year. I will admit a couple of these probably received 5 stars because I was thrilled to read something good after a few dry spells. I did the Read Harder Challenge at the beginning of the year and while I enjoyed it I did not enjoy some of the books. I can't pick a favorite.
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Winterhouse by Ben Guterson - Elizabeth lives with her hateful uncle and
aunt. When they go on a Christmas vacation without her it seems like
the last straw. She's sent to a hotel called Winterhouse and she expects
the worst. Instead, she finds new friends and people who appreciate her
intelligence. And then she finds a mysterious book and becomes obsessed
with discovering the secrets of Winterhouse. This is a middle-school
book and it really reminded me of a book I read as a child that
influenced my love of mysteries. *Magic is portrayed as real and there
is evil magic as well as a rather macabre scene.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - ten people are lured by
various means to a luxury home on an island and then stranded there.
After a recording accuses all of them of being responsible for the death
of someone they start being murdered one by one. All according to the
methods in an eerie poem hanging in each of the bedrooms. I had read
this before but forgot all the important elements so enjoyed it probably
more than the first time. It's so enjoyable to go back to a master of
the craft.
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielson - 12 yo Gerta wakes one day to
see a barbed wire fence dividing east Berlin from the west. And her
father and brother are on the other side. Her family has already been
under scrutiny because of her father's activities. There doesn't seem to
be any hope her family will ever be together again. But one day she
sees her father dancing on one of the viewing towers in the west. He is
acting out one of their favorite children's songs and she just knows
he's sending a message. Do she and the rest of her family dare to act?
This is a middle grade book but it certainly didn't seem childish to me.
I found it quite exciting at the end. The only quibble I have is the
precocity of Gerta but I think her circumstances certainly contributed
to that.
Tomorrow by Damian Dibben - the last thing his master said to Tomorrow
was to meet him on the steps of the cathedral if they became separated.
And he has been faithfully waiting - for 127 years. Tomorrow is a dog
belonging to a man who has somehow become immortal and he's made his dog
immortal too. They spend the centuries traveling as his master tries to
find a purpose. But they're always on the lookout for a man who has
become their enemy. Told from the viewpoint of the dog, this was
beautifully written. His immortality seems to have made Tomorrow very
wise and eloquent. I could tell from the cover that I would cry at some
point and I was right. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Relic by Alan Dean Foster - Ruslan is the last known human survivor in
the universe. Found on the planet Seraboth by the Myssari, he is now
both their guest and scientific subject. They are determined to
resurrect the human race. Ruslan agrees to help and in exchange they
will search for Earth, the original home planet. Loved the writing,
loved the story.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager - fifteen years ago Emma Davis, the
youngest girl in a cabin of four, wakes to find that her cabin mates
have disappeared. In spite of a massive search, they are not found and
Camp Nightingale has closed down. Now a successful artist, Emma is asked
by the owner of the camp to come back as an instructor as she reopens
the camp. Emma has reasons of her own to want to return. Boy, did this
have twists and turns. The story from fifteen years ago is gradually
revealed and things in the present get scarier and scarier. The twists
keep going until the very end. Some language, I suppose it's the way
girls talk to each other now.
The Velveteen Daughter: A Novel by Laurel Davis Huber - a fictionalized
account, very much researched, of Margery Williams Bianco and her
daughter Pamela. Margery was the author of The Velveteen Rabbit, but
before that Pamela was a child prodigy artist. Pablo Picasso was
impressed by her and she became the darling of Europe and the USA. But
it came at quite a cost to her mental health. The story is told from the
viewpoint of both women. I very much liked the writing style even
though it usually irritates me.
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce - in 1940 London, Emmy Lake has just been
hired as a Junior at a newspaper company and her head is full of
becoming a Woman War Correspondent and Doing Brave Things. But in a
comedy of errors it seems she's really been hired to be a secretary to
Mrs. Bird, an advice columnist for a not very popular woman's magazine. I
loved everything about this book. Partly because I've always admired
the British people during the Blitz. I really enjoyed the humor and the
author's Use of Capitals. A second book is being written and I really
hope it's about these characters.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Feb 18 - 24. 2018
November's Past by A.E.Howe - Larry Macklin seems to be a lackadaisical investigator for the sheriff's dept. but his digging into the facts of a murder of an unknown man suggest otherwise. Yes, it is a problem that his dad is the sheriff and seems to believe in tough love. And his budding romance is cut short because of his job. This was an ok intro to a new to me series, there are 9 books so far. Something for when you don't want to have to think too much.
3 stars
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The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer - 1348, brothers John and William are traveling home and get the bubonic plague. John prays for more time to do a good deed and a voice tells him he can have 6 days. All at once, going home to his wife and children and exposing them to the plague. Or, one at a time, every 99 years. He and his brother opt for the 99 years and the next morning finds them in 1447. Their clothes are wrong, their money is wrong, and even their thinking is wrong. What's still the same is war and oppression of the poor. One day isn't enough to acclimate before they wake 99 years later. And so it goes. Each time is described in detail but John doesn't have enough time to do a good deed before the day is over. An interesting premise that didn't fulfill it's potential for me. And I don't think anyone would have actually been able to understand John and William after a few centuries. Written by a historian.
3 stars
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Winterhouse by Ben Guterson - Elizabeth lives with her hateful uncle and aunt. When they go on a Christmas vacation without her it seems like the last straw. She's sent to a hotel called Winterhouse and she expects the worst. Instead, she finds new friends and people who appreciate her intelligence. And then she finds a mysterious book and becomes obsessed with discovering the secrets of Winterhouse. This is a middle-school book and it really reminded me of a book I read as a child that influenced my love of mysteries. *Magic is portrayed as real and there is evil magic as well as a rather macabre scene. Partly because of warm fuzzies and I really did enjoy it...
5 stars
*RHC - a new book in a series for YA or middle-school
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Cinemaps:An Atlas of 35 Great Movies by Andrew DeGraff/A.D. Jameson - DeGraff is a mapmaker, but not of the real world. He makes maps of the movies. Based on the sets, plots, and his imagination, he painstakingly draws the map and illustrates the character's movements. His maps are accompanied by a short text by Jameson. I got the book for the maps but liked the text better. I felt the book probably doesn't do justice to the maps, the medium he works in didn't seem to work well when photographed. Also, I couldn't follow the lines for each character and had trouble seeing where they started and ended. The text seemed to be more about the philosophy of the movie's maker rather than the maps. The book is coffee-table sized, it may have worked better as dining table sized. Still, I will probably read his book of literature maps, Plotted: A Literary Atlas.
3 stars
3 stars
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The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer - 1348, brothers John and William are traveling home and get the bubonic plague. John prays for more time to do a good deed and a voice tells him he can have 6 days. All at once, going home to his wife and children and exposing them to the plague. Or, one at a time, every 99 years. He and his brother opt for the 99 years and the next morning finds them in 1447. Their clothes are wrong, their money is wrong, and even their thinking is wrong. What's still the same is war and oppression of the poor. One day isn't enough to acclimate before they wake 99 years later. And so it goes. Each time is described in detail but John doesn't have enough time to do a good deed before the day is over. An interesting premise that didn't fulfill it's potential for me. And I don't think anyone would have actually been able to understand John and William after a few centuries. Written by a historian.
3 stars
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Winterhouse by Ben Guterson - Elizabeth lives with her hateful uncle and aunt. When they go on a Christmas vacation without her it seems like the last straw. She's sent to a hotel called Winterhouse and she expects the worst. Instead, she finds new friends and people who appreciate her intelligence. And then she finds a mysterious book and becomes obsessed with discovering the secrets of Winterhouse. This is a middle-school book and it really reminded me of a book I read as a child that influenced my love of mysteries. *Magic is portrayed as real and there is evil magic as well as a rather macabre scene. Partly because of warm fuzzies and I really did enjoy it...
5 stars
*RHC - a new book in a series for YA or middle-school
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Cinemaps:An Atlas of 35 Great Movies by Andrew DeGraff/A.D. Jameson - DeGraff is a mapmaker, but not of the real world. He makes maps of the movies. Based on the sets, plots, and his imagination, he painstakingly draws the map and illustrates the character's movements. His maps are accompanied by a short text by Jameson. I got the book for the maps but liked the text better. I felt the book probably doesn't do justice to the maps, the medium he works in didn't seem to work well when photographed. Also, I couldn't follow the lines for each character and had trouble seeing where they started and ended. The text seemed to be more about the philosophy of the movie's maker rather than the maps. The book is coffee-table sized, it may have worked better as dining table sized. Still, I will probably read his book of literature maps, Plotted: A Literary Atlas.
3 stars
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Dec 23 -29, 2018
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - a young wife is shocked to discover that her newly purchased home was somewhere she briefly lived as a very young child. She is even more shocked to suddenly remember a murder there. But Miss Marple is there to help Gwenda and her husband discover the truth. This is billed as the last Miss Marple but was written during WWII and published much later.
3.5 stars
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Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot is asked by Ariadne Oliver to go back 20 years and discover the truth of a murder/suicide. It seems impossible for him to accomplish but of course he does.
3 stars
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The Day of the Dead by Nikki French - the 8th and final book in the Frieda Klein series. Frieda is in hiding to protect the lives of her loved ones. Psychopath Dean Reeve is still on the loose and still obsessed with her. Now she's determined to finally bring things to a close. But now she has another young girl hiding with her who also needs her protection. Frankly, I would have been glad to get rid of Dean a few books ago. It seems the author had trouble coming up with a new villain and had to resort to rehashing.
3 stars
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The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin - when the victim of kidnapping and torture escapes, she identifies the home of attorney Alex Mason as the place she was kept. This story intertwines with Robin Lockwood, new associate of Regina Barrister who is hired to represent Mason. Robin is worried about the mental status of Regina and how it will affect the trial. I figured out what was really going on pretty quickly.
2 stars
3.5 stars
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Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot is asked by Ariadne Oliver to go back 20 years and discover the truth of a murder/suicide. It seems impossible for him to accomplish but of course he does.
3 stars
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The Day of the Dead by Nikki French - the 8th and final book in the Frieda Klein series. Frieda is in hiding to protect the lives of her loved ones. Psychopath Dean Reeve is still on the loose and still obsessed with her. Now she's determined to finally bring things to a close. But now she has another young girl hiding with her who also needs her protection. Frankly, I would have been glad to get rid of Dean a few books ago. It seems the author had trouble coming up with a new villain and had to resort to rehashing.
3 stars
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The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin - when the victim of kidnapping and torture escapes, she identifies the home of attorney Alex Mason as the place she was kept. This story intertwines with Robin Lockwood, new associate of Regina Barrister who is hired to represent Mason. Robin is worried about the mental status of Regina and how it will affect the trial. I figured out what was really going on pretty quickly.
2 stars
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Dec 16 - 22, 2018
Field of Bones by J.A. Jance - in the 18th book of the series Sheriff Joanna Brady has just won her third election and just delivered her third child a few weeks early. She's settled down determined to take all of her maternity leave when her team uncovers what look like a serial killer. This book is a little different, with Joanna more in the background providing assistance to her team in the form of getting specialists and interviewing relatives. There are also multiple POVs and a couple of in depth back stories. Not one of my favorites but okay.
3 stars
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Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie - the last book AG wrote and it should have remained unwritten. Featuring Tommy and Tuppence (my least favorite characters and even more irritating in old age than they were in their youth), this is a confusing tale of maybe spies, hidden clues, and half remembered stories in a badly constructed timeline. I'm still not sure what the story was about. I only finished it so I could check it off my list.
1 star
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Robin by Dave Itzkoff - a very thorough biography of Robin Williams. The author was obviously a fan and presents a fairly sympathetic viewpoint. (Which is fine with me, I don't care for vitriolic bios.) The chapter leading up to Robin's last days was heart wrenching.
3 stars
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A Deadly Wind:The 1962 Columbus Day Storm by John Dodge - a rather dry telling of the storm and the conditions leading up to it. I only found this interesting because I was in it when I was 11. We didn't realize how bad it was until it was over. This book had a little too much meteorological info for me and a little too much back story for some of the people. The oddest story was a boy who was mauled by a lion who escaped during the storm.
2 stars
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Curtain by Agatha Christie - Poirot and Hastings return to Styles, the setting of their first mystery together. Things have changed a lot over the years. Poirot is in a wheelchair due to arthritis and Hastings is a widower with a grown daughter who is also one of the guests at Styles. Poirot wants Hastings to be his eyes and ears. He believes there is a very clever murderer among the guests who is about to strike again. Poor Hastings, still not quite clever enough. This is the last Poirot novel, Christie wrote it during WWII but it was not published until 1975.
3.5 stars
3 stars
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Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie - the last book AG wrote and it should have remained unwritten. Featuring Tommy and Tuppence (my least favorite characters and even more irritating in old age than they were in their youth), this is a confusing tale of maybe spies, hidden clues, and half remembered stories in a badly constructed timeline. I'm still not sure what the story was about. I only finished it so I could check it off my list.
1 star
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Robin by Dave Itzkoff - a very thorough biography of Robin Williams. The author was obviously a fan and presents a fairly sympathetic viewpoint. (Which is fine with me, I don't care for vitriolic bios.) The chapter leading up to Robin's last days was heart wrenching.
3 stars
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A Deadly Wind:The 1962 Columbus Day Storm by John Dodge - a rather dry telling of the storm and the conditions leading up to it. I only found this interesting because I was in it when I was 11. We didn't realize how bad it was until it was over. This book had a little too much meteorological info for me and a little too much back story for some of the people. The oddest story was a boy who was mauled by a lion who escaped during the storm.
2 stars
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Curtain by Agatha Christie - Poirot and Hastings return to Styles, the setting of their first mystery together. Things have changed a lot over the years. Poirot is in a wheelchair due to arthritis and Hastings is a widower with a grown daughter who is also one of the guests at Styles. Poirot wants Hastings to be his eyes and ears. He believes there is a very clever murderer among the guests who is about to strike again. Poor Hastings, still not quite clever enough. This is the last Poirot novel, Christie wrote it during WWII but it was not published until 1975.
3.5 stars
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Dec 9 - 15, 2018
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor - in 1986 a group of young boys discover a body in the woods. They were led there by a series of chalk drawings, drawings they had been using for a secret code. Thirty years later this same group, now middle-aged men, each receive a letter with the same chalk man. Soon, one of them is found dead. Every character in this book was unlikable and I found the narrator downright creepy even as he tries to find the murderer from so long ago.
3.5 stars
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Go to My Grave by Catriona McPherson - eight family members arrive at Donna Weaver's new bed and breakfast, The Breakers. Much to their surprise they realize they've been here before. When a 16th birthday party went horribly wrong. Now a secret they swore to keep may be revealed. Very atmospheric. There are flashbacks to the night of the party and you learn that this dysfunctional family was as much a mess then as now.
3.5 stars
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Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny - Armand Gamache is on suspension as a result of actions in the last book so when he receives a letter asking to come to a stranger's house he thinks why not. Upon arriving, he's joined by Myra, a friend from his village, and a young stranger. There, the three are informed they have been named executors of a stranger's will. This begins a search for truth among many lies and leads to murder. A side story is the search for the drugs that were lost in the previous book. This was a little disjointed for me. Lots of backtracking a few hours or days from the present. Also, my book omitted about 40 pages and repeated the same amount. I'm tired of Gamache always being in trouble with the politics of the Surete. I hope her next book is a straight forward mystery.
3.5 stars
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Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd - Kellen Adams has a gunshot wound on her head, a year missing from her memories, and that's not really her name. She's taken a job as assistant manager of an upscale resort on the Washington coast to get away from things. As soon as the owners of the resort go on vacation, a body is found. The body of the former asst manager. It seems the resort may be the center of antiquities smuggling. Lots of plot holes and ludicrous happenings in this book and I don't think the author is very familiar with the Wa. coast. I'm also pretty sure if you've been in a coma for a year you don't jump out of bed, escape from the hospital, and join the first armed services you see. The mystery part was okay.
2 stars
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The Christmas Train by David Baldacci - shmaltzy, cliched, and banal. But it's a Christmas story at Christmas time so I finished it. A man with anger management issues has to take the train across country and meets passengers and train employees all the while whining about the one true love he lost.
1 star
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A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie - unlikeable businessman Rex Fortescue dies after drinking tea at his office. He's been poisoned but it turns out the poison was in something he had at breakfast. And in one pocket there is a handful of rye. Just when it seems the much younger wife must have done it she is murdered. And one more death brings Miss Marple to the household to avenge the death of her former housemaid. A clever book with a clever murderer.
3 stars
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Nemesis by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is asked to meet with the lawyers of very wealthy Mr. Rafiel who has recently died. There she receives a letter asking her to take on a task where she is given no clues as to what she is exactly to do. If she can figure out the task she will receive $20,000 pounds. When Miss Marple agrees she is sent on a garden tour with several strangers. She's sure she will find something to her advantage. There's quite a bit of repetition here. However, it's always amazing how much information Miss Marple can winkle out of someone just by twittering and acting vague.
3 stars
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Into the Night by Sarah Bailey - Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is living and working in Melbourne after the events of the previous book. She doesn't seem to fit in with her colleagues and really doesn't like her partner. But when they're assigned the high profile case of the murder of a much loved celebrity they begin to pull together. There are a couple of mysteries threaded together and one was quite easy to figure out. But the main ending was quite a surprise and exciting too. Gemma is still unlikeable but there is a ray of hope at the end.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
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Go to My Grave by Catriona McPherson - eight family members arrive at Donna Weaver's new bed and breakfast, The Breakers. Much to their surprise they realize they've been here before. When a 16th birthday party went horribly wrong. Now a secret they swore to keep may be revealed. Very atmospheric. There are flashbacks to the night of the party and you learn that this dysfunctional family was as much a mess then as now.
3.5 stars
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Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny - Armand Gamache is on suspension as a result of actions in the last book so when he receives a letter asking to come to a stranger's house he thinks why not. Upon arriving, he's joined by Myra, a friend from his village, and a young stranger. There, the three are informed they have been named executors of a stranger's will. This begins a search for truth among many lies and leads to murder. A side story is the search for the drugs that were lost in the previous book. This was a little disjointed for me. Lots of backtracking a few hours or days from the present. Also, my book omitted about 40 pages and repeated the same amount. I'm tired of Gamache always being in trouble with the politics of the Surete. I hope her next book is a straight forward mystery.
3.5 stars
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Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd - Kellen Adams has a gunshot wound on her head, a year missing from her memories, and that's not really her name. She's taken a job as assistant manager of an upscale resort on the Washington coast to get away from things. As soon as the owners of the resort go on vacation, a body is found. The body of the former asst manager. It seems the resort may be the center of antiquities smuggling. Lots of plot holes and ludicrous happenings in this book and I don't think the author is very familiar with the Wa. coast. I'm also pretty sure if you've been in a coma for a year you don't jump out of bed, escape from the hospital, and join the first armed services you see. The mystery part was okay.
2 stars
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The Christmas Train by David Baldacci - shmaltzy, cliched, and banal. But it's a Christmas story at Christmas time so I finished it. A man with anger management issues has to take the train across country and meets passengers and train employees all the while whining about the one true love he lost.
1 star
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A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie - unlikeable businessman Rex Fortescue dies after drinking tea at his office. He's been poisoned but it turns out the poison was in something he had at breakfast. And in one pocket there is a handful of rye. Just when it seems the much younger wife must have done it she is murdered. And one more death brings Miss Marple to the household to avenge the death of her former housemaid. A clever book with a clever murderer.
3 stars
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Nemesis by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is asked to meet with the lawyers of very wealthy Mr. Rafiel who has recently died. There she receives a letter asking her to take on a task where she is given no clues as to what she is exactly to do. If she can figure out the task she will receive $20,000 pounds. When Miss Marple agrees she is sent on a garden tour with several strangers. She's sure she will find something to her advantage. There's quite a bit of repetition here. However, it's always amazing how much information Miss Marple can winkle out of someone just by twittering and acting vague.
3 stars
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Into the Night by Sarah Bailey - Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is living and working in Melbourne after the events of the previous book. She doesn't seem to fit in with her colleagues and really doesn't like her partner. But when they're assigned the high profile case of the murder of a much loved celebrity they begin to pull together. There are a couple of mysteries threaded together and one was quite easy to figure out. But the main ending was quite a surprise and exciting too. Gemma is still unlikeable but there is a ray of hope at the end.
3.5 stars
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Dec 2 - 8, 2019
An Act of Villainy by Ashley Weaver - in the fifth book of the series, Amory Ames and her husband Milo are approached by an old acquaintance. He's producing a play and his leading lady is getting threatening anonymous letters. She also happens to be his mistress, a fact which distresses Amory as she had always thought his marriage was a very romantic one. The Ames are asked to see if they can discover the letter writer but before they make much headway there is a murder. These books are cozies in the old tradition. Even though they take place in the '30's there is wealth and glamour. Also lots of witty repartee.
3 stars
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The Fix by David Baldacci - Amos Decker, the man who can forget nothing, witnesses a murder/suicide in front of the Hoover building. His team is put on the case and soon discover the man may have been a spy. But why did he kill the woman? And that question and others are asked over and over and over. There's a little bit of action, a small clue, and then more going over the same questions. I only kept reading because I was concerned one of the "good guys" may turn out to be a bad guy.
2 stars
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There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey - Bobby Barnes is the town of Mattingly's disreputable drunk. Everyone, including him, expect him to die in a terrible accident. And when he does, his last thought is that there will be stars when he wakes up. And there are. Bobby has woken on the day of his accident and must live that day again. He meets five other people also reliving that day but he doesn't believe it's heaven like they do. I just couldn't wrap my head around this.
2 stars
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Arthur and Sherlock:Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes by Michael Sims - this is not a biography but a detailed story of the authors and people who influenced Doyle and led to the creation of Holmes. There is some family history because Doyle was affected by his father's alcoholism and subsequent incarceration in various mental institutions. The book ends right when Doyle is becoming successful.
3 stars
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Bow Wow by Spencer Quinn - the 3rd book in the Bowser and Birdie series for children. A bull shark has been spotted in the bayou and the fishermen are in a frenzy to catch it and claim 10,000 dollars in prize money. At the same time, Snoozy, the employee of Birdie's grandmother, has gone missing and Birdie is the only one concerned. She and Bowser have lots of adventures, all of them narrated by Bowser. It's cute the way Bowser adores Birdie, she's the best at everything in his doggy eyes.
3 stars
3 stars
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The Fix by David Baldacci - Amos Decker, the man who can forget nothing, witnesses a murder/suicide in front of the Hoover building. His team is put on the case and soon discover the man may have been a spy. But why did he kill the woman? And that question and others are asked over and over and over. There's a little bit of action, a small clue, and then more going over the same questions. I only kept reading because I was concerned one of the "good guys" may turn out to be a bad guy.
2 stars
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There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey - Bobby Barnes is the town of Mattingly's disreputable drunk. Everyone, including him, expect him to die in a terrible accident. And when he does, his last thought is that there will be stars when he wakes up. And there are. Bobby has woken on the day of his accident and must live that day again. He meets five other people also reliving that day but he doesn't believe it's heaven like they do. I just couldn't wrap my head around this.
2 stars
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Arthur and Sherlock:Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes by Michael Sims - this is not a biography but a detailed story of the authors and people who influenced Doyle and led to the creation of Holmes. There is some family history because Doyle was affected by his father's alcoholism and subsequent incarceration in various mental institutions. The book ends right when Doyle is becoming successful.
3 stars
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Bow Wow by Spencer Quinn - the 3rd book in the Bowser and Birdie series for children. A bull shark has been spotted in the bayou and the fishermen are in a frenzy to catch it and claim 10,000 dollars in prize money. At the same time, Snoozy, the employee of Birdie's grandmother, has gone missing and Birdie is the only one concerned. She and Bowser have lots of adventures, all of them narrated by Bowser. It's cute the way Bowser adores Birdie, she's the best at everything in his doggy eyes.
3 stars
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Nov 25 - Dec 1, 2018
Vigilante by Kerry Wilkinson - someone is ridding the streets of the bad guys and Jessica Daniels new boss seems almost glad someone is doing the job of the police. But forensics show the killer is a man already in prison. While I enjoyed the plot the writing left something to be desired and the editing was atrocious. Enough to influence how the book flowed. And the conclusion was absurd.
2 stars
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Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer - James Holt has been asked to travel to the Panama Zone where the canal is under construction. He is wanted to do a special job for the man in charge but he doesn't know what that is. He becomes acquainted with a girl his daughter's age and is concerned about her well being. I found the book confusing and boring. I never understood exactly what Holt was expected to do anymore than he did.
1 star
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The Velveteen Daughter: A Novel by Laurel Davis Huber - a fictionalized account, very much researched, of Margery Williams Bianco and her daughter Pamela. Margery was the author of The Velveteen Rabbit, but before that Pamela was a child prodigy artist. Pablo Picasso was impressed by her and she became the darling of Europe and the USA. But it came at quite a cost to her mental health. The story is told from the viewpoint of both women. I very much liked the writing style even though it usually irritates me.
5 stars
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Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie - this starts off very promising. A somewhat jaded diplomat is approached in the airport by a young woman who says she needs his passport to get to London or she may be killed. His complying leads him into a situation where he's not sure what's going on. And neither do we. The rest of the book turns into a repetitive discourse on the woes of the world. On and on with not much else going on. IMO, Christie's spy novels are not her best and this one is just plain awful. Her editor needed to take a much firmer hand. She was 80 when she wrote this.
1 star
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The Child by Fiona Barton - when the body of an infant is found at a building site, Angela is sure it's her baby who was stolen from the maternity ward many years ago. Kate, a reporter, is interested in the story as a human interest story. And Emma and Jude are interested for their own reasons as well. Told from all four viewpoints. There is a twist near the end I should have seen coming but didn't.
3 stars
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Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie - a spy thriller written 25 years before Passenger to Frankfurt and somewhat of a precursor to that novel. Scientists around the globe are disappearing and it's unknown whether they are going knowingly or not. A despondent woman is recruited to impersonate one of the scientist's wives in the hope she can discover what's happening. At least there is a plot to this although it was rather dry.
2 stars
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The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce - Frank owns a record shop in a rundown part of town. He has the uncanny ability to look at people and know what kind of music they need, even if they don't. There's a set of quirky characters living and working on his same street and they make a strange community. And the Ilsa Brauchmann appears and throws everything into a tizzy. An exploration of music and how it makes us feel. I have a lot of listening to do now. I like books that make me look things up. If not for the occasional language, which I found jarring in an otherwise lyrical book, this would have been 5 stars.
4.5 stars
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Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell and Craig Sanborn - this memoir covers the 10 years following Bruce's first book. It includes some of his flops as well as Burn Notice and Ash vs Evil Dead. I didn't find it as witty as the previous book but there are some interesting stories about producing a movie in a foreign country.
2 stars
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Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce - in 1940 London, Emmy Lake has just been hired as a Junior at a newspaper company and her head is full of becoming a Woman War Correspondent and Doing Brave Things. But in a comedy of errors it seems she's really been hired to be a secretary to Mrs. Bird, an advice columnist for a not very popular woman's magazine. I loved everything about this book. Partly because I've always admired the British people during the Blitz. I really enjoyed the humor and the author's Use of Capitals. A second book is being written and I really hope it's about these characters.
5 stars
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Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio - a prominent author and his artistic wife are dead in an arson fire that devastated their home, full of expensive artwork, in college town Bolton, Montana. State detective Macy Greeley is called to investigate and finds that quite a few people had reason to wish the man dead. And one of them is Grace, former victim and trying to keep her life private. I found this one blah.
2 stars
2 stars
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Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer - James Holt has been asked to travel to the Panama Zone where the canal is under construction. He is wanted to do a special job for the man in charge but he doesn't know what that is. He becomes acquainted with a girl his daughter's age and is concerned about her well being. I found the book confusing and boring. I never understood exactly what Holt was expected to do anymore than he did.
1 star
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The Velveteen Daughter: A Novel by Laurel Davis Huber - a fictionalized account, very much researched, of Margery Williams Bianco and her daughter Pamela. Margery was the author of The Velveteen Rabbit, but before that Pamela was a child prodigy artist. Pablo Picasso was impressed by her and she became the darling of Europe and the USA. But it came at quite a cost to her mental health. The story is told from the viewpoint of both women. I very much liked the writing style even though it usually irritates me.
5 stars
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Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie - this starts off very promising. A somewhat jaded diplomat is approached in the airport by a young woman who says she needs his passport to get to London or she may be killed. His complying leads him into a situation where he's not sure what's going on. And neither do we. The rest of the book turns into a repetitive discourse on the woes of the world. On and on with not much else going on. IMO, Christie's spy novels are not her best and this one is just plain awful. Her editor needed to take a much firmer hand. She was 80 when she wrote this.
1 star
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The Child by Fiona Barton - when the body of an infant is found at a building site, Angela is sure it's her baby who was stolen from the maternity ward many years ago. Kate, a reporter, is interested in the story as a human interest story. And Emma and Jude are interested for their own reasons as well. Told from all four viewpoints. There is a twist near the end I should have seen coming but didn't.
3 stars
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Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie - a spy thriller written 25 years before Passenger to Frankfurt and somewhat of a precursor to that novel. Scientists around the globe are disappearing and it's unknown whether they are going knowingly or not. A despondent woman is recruited to impersonate one of the scientist's wives in the hope she can discover what's happening. At least there is a plot to this although it was rather dry.
2 stars
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The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce - Frank owns a record shop in a rundown part of town. He has the uncanny ability to look at people and know what kind of music they need, even if they don't. There's a set of quirky characters living and working on his same street and they make a strange community. And the Ilsa Brauchmann appears and throws everything into a tizzy. An exploration of music and how it makes us feel. I have a lot of listening to do now. I like books that make me look things up. If not for the occasional language, which I found jarring in an otherwise lyrical book, this would have been 5 stars.
4.5 stars
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Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell and Craig Sanborn - this memoir covers the 10 years following Bruce's first book. It includes some of his flops as well as Burn Notice and Ash vs Evil Dead. I didn't find it as witty as the previous book but there are some interesting stories about producing a movie in a foreign country.
2 stars
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Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce - in 1940 London, Emmy Lake has just been hired as a Junior at a newspaper company and her head is full of becoming a Woman War Correspondent and Doing Brave Things. But in a comedy of errors it seems she's really been hired to be a secretary to Mrs. Bird, an advice columnist for a not very popular woman's magazine. I loved everything about this book. Partly because I've always admired the British people during the Blitz. I really enjoyed the humor and the author's Use of Capitals. A second book is being written and I really hope it's about these characters.
5 stars
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Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio - a prominent author and his artistic wife are dead in an arson fire that devastated their home, full of expensive artwork, in college town Bolton, Montana. State detective Macy Greeley is called to investigate and finds that quite a few people had reason to wish the man dead. And one of them is Grace, former victim and trying to keep her life private. I found this one blah.
2 stars
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Nov 18 - 24, 2018
Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz, by invitation of the Ian Fleming estate - 007 is dead and it's time for James Bond to be promoted to the 00 ranks. His mission is to find who is responsible for his predecessors death and the secrets he had uncovered. It's been a long time since I read a Bond book and perhaps I should have read one previous to this so that I could compare. This felt flat to me.
2 stars
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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot is traveling by train with quite a mix of people. There's royalty, diplomats, servants, secretaries, and assorted other travelers. Then a murder is committed and at the same time as the train encounters a snowdrift. So the only possibility is that someone on the train is the murderer. Poirot is at his best as he uses his interview technique and his mind to find the culprit.
4 stars
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Past Tense by Lee Child - Jack Reacher decides to travel from New England to San Diego to spend the winter there. On one of his hitchhiked rides he sees the sign for the town his father was from. He decides to take a little detour and see what he can find out since his father never talked about it. When he learns no one named Reacher lived there he decides to dig a little deeper. Meanwhile, two young people from Canada have gotten into a bad situation at a remote hotel. Somehow the two intertwine. The usual Reacher-style violence.
3 stars
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Proof of Life by J.A. Jance - a J.P. Beaumont book and he's not dealing with retirement very well. So when the goddaughter of his old nemesis, Maxwell Cole, asks him to look into death in a fire, he's more than eager. But with no official standing it's going to be tricky. There's also a side story involving J.P.'s wife and a dog. The first few chapters involve a lot of reminiscing about an old case that was quite complicated, I had to read it three times to get things straight. J.P. has always been a favorite of mine, partly because he lives in Seattle. But now that he's getting up there in age he's getting a little more crotchety and does a lot of remembering when. It may be time for his books to retire as well.
3 stars
2 stars
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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot is traveling by train with quite a mix of people. There's royalty, diplomats, servants, secretaries, and assorted other travelers. Then a murder is committed and at the same time as the train encounters a snowdrift. So the only possibility is that someone on the train is the murderer. Poirot is at his best as he uses his interview technique and his mind to find the culprit.
4 stars
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Past Tense by Lee Child - Jack Reacher decides to travel from New England to San Diego to spend the winter there. On one of his hitchhiked rides he sees the sign for the town his father was from. He decides to take a little detour and see what he can find out since his father never talked about it. When he learns no one named Reacher lived there he decides to dig a little deeper. Meanwhile, two young people from Canada have gotten into a bad situation at a remote hotel. Somehow the two intertwine. The usual Reacher-style violence.
3 stars
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Proof of Life by J.A. Jance - a J.P. Beaumont book and he's not dealing with retirement very well. So when the goddaughter of his old nemesis, Maxwell Cole, asks him to look into death in a fire, he's more than eager. But with no official standing it's going to be tricky. There's also a side story involving J.P.'s wife and a dog. The first few chapters involve a lot of reminiscing about an old case that was quite complicated, I had to read it three times to get things straight. J.P. has always been a favorite of mine, partly because he lives in Seattle. But now that he's getting up there in age he's getting a little more crotchety and does a lot of remembering when. It may be time for his books to retire as well.
3 stars
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Nov 11 - 17, 2018
The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie - what starts with the unexplained death of a priest leads to some spooky goings on at an old pub turned residence named The Pale Horse. There, three women live who claim they can influence others to believe they will die. And there are some innocent deaths that may not be so innocent. The story is narrated mostly by Mark Easterbrook, an author and friend of Ariadne Oliver. He begins digging and finds what he believes to be true evil. Christie has some fun using Mrs. Oliver to talk about writing.
3.5 stars
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At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is having a little holiday, courtesy of her nephew and his wife, at Bertram's Hotel. A well established, old fashioned hotel that seems to have the ability to not change with the times and provides the kind of English service the elderly and Americans love. But Miss Marple overhears some things that lead her to wonder if everything is so wonderful as it seems. And when Canon Pennyfather disappears she has some important information for the police.
3 stars
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Third Girl by Agatha Christie - a young woman comes to Poirot, dazed and distraught, claiming she may have murdered someone. She then leaves, saying he is too old to help her. Feeling slightly offended, Poirot enlists his friend Ariadne Oliver to help him find the young woman. A rather convoluted plot. I found the descriptions of the 60's young people rather amusing. Mrs. Oliver is at her finest though.
3 stars
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Endless Night by Agatha Christie - Michael Rogers falls in love with a plot of land with a derelict house on it and also a curse. Without any money, he is sure his dreams will never come true. But then on that very plot of land he meets a young woman and falls in love. And she happens to be a very wealthy American. They marry, build their dream house, and live happily ever after. But this is Christie, so of course they don't. Narrated by Michael, this is an ever darkening novel. Somehow I've never read this. One of Christie's favorites.
4.5 stars
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4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie - Mrs Mcgillicuddy witnesses a murder as her train slowly passes another. She can get no one to believe her until she arrives at her friend Miss Marple's house. Miss Marple does some actual physical sleuthing and then recruits some help to investigate a large house and its occupants.
4 stars
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The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager - fifteen years ago Emma Davis, the youngest girl in a cabin of four, wakes to find that her cabin mates have disappeared. In spite of a massive search, they are not found and Camp Nightingale has closed down. Now a successful artist, Emma is asked by the owner of the camp to come back as an instructor as she reopens the camp. Emma has reasons of her own to want to return. Boy, did this have twists and turns. The story from fifteen years ago is gradually revealed and things in the present get scarier and scarier. The twists keep going until the very end. Some language, I suppose it's the way girls talk to each other now.
5 stars
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By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie - Tommy and Tuppence are visiting an old aunt at a rest home when one of the other residents asks Tuppence if it was her child hidden in the chimney. Soon, Tuppence is drawn into the mystery of a missing elderly woman, a mysterious house, and a crime ring. Lots of repetition in this. And all the talk about being old made me feel old too.
2 stars
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Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly - Asheford Maryland is a dying community with only one asset, the Barton Mansion. Katherine Hamilton is asked by her friend to come up with some ideas to resuscitate the town and it looks like the mansion is the best bet. But the body on the front steps isn't going to help. This book needed some serious editing. Lots of repetition, word for word only pages apart. And the main character was almost as unlikable as the murder victim, imo.
1 stars
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A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple has been sent to the Caribbean by her nephew and feels a little out of her element at first. And when she suspects an elderly man's death is not natural causes, she's not sure who to turn to. And she is very much worried that there is more murder to come.
3 stars
3.5 stars
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At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is having a little holiday, courtesy of her nephew and his wife, at Bertram's Hotel. A well established, old fashioned hotel that seems to have the ability to not change with the times and provides the kind of English service the elderly and Americans love. But Miss Marple overhears some things that lead her to wonder if everything is so wonderful as it seems. And when Canon Pennyfather disappears she has some important information for the police.
3 stars
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Third Girl by Agatha Christie - a young woman comes to Poirot, dazed and distraught, claiming she may have murdered someone. She then leaves, saying he is too old to help her. Feeling slightly offended, Poirot enlists his friend Ariadne Oliver to help him find the young woman. A rather convoluted plot. I found the descriptions of the 60's young people rather amusing. Mrs. Oliver is at her finest though.
3 stars
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Endless Night by Agatha Christie - Michael Rogers falls in love with a plot of land with a derelict house on it and also a curse. Without any money, he is sure his dreams will never come true. But then on that very plot of land he meets a young woman and falls in love. And she happens to be a very wealthy American. They marry, build their dream house, and live happily ever after. But this is Christie, so of course they don't. Narrated by Michael, this is an ever darkening novel. Somehow I've never read this. One of Christie's favorites.
4.5 stars
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4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie - Mrs Mcgillicuddy witnesses a murder as her train slowly passes another. She can get no one to believe her until she arrives at her friend Miss Marple's house. Miss Marple does some actual physical sleuthing and then recruits some help to investigate a large house and its occupants.
4 stars
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The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager - fifteen years ago Emma Davis, the youngest girl in a cabin of four, wakes to find that her cabin mates have disappeared. In spite of a massive search, they are not found and Camp Nightingale has closed down. Now a successful artist, Emma is asked by the owner of the camp to come back as an instructor as she reopens the camp. Emma has reasons of her own to want to return. Boy, did this have twists and turns. The story from fifteen years ago is gradually revealed and things in the present get scarier and scarier. The twists keep going until the very end. Some language, I suppose it's the way girls talk to each other now.
5 stars
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By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie - Tommy and Tuppence are visiting an old aunt at a rest home when one of the other residents asks Tuppence if it was her child hidden in the chimney. Soon, Tuppence is drawn into the mystery of a missing elderly woman, a mysterious house, and a crime ring. Lots of repetition in this. And all the talk about being old made me feel old too.
2 stars
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Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly - Asheford Maryland is a dying community with only one asset, the Barton Mansion. Katherine Hamilton is asked by her friend to come up with some ideas to resuscitate the town and it looks like the mansion is the best bet. But the body on the front steps isn't going to help. This book needed some serious editing. Lots of repetition, word for word only pages apart. And the main character was almost as unlikable as the murder victim, imo.
1 stars
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A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple has been sent to the Caribbean by her nephew and feels a little out of her element at first. And when she suspects an elderly man's death is not natural causes, she's not sure who to turn to. And she is very much worried that there is more murder to come.
3 stars
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Nov 4 - 10, 2018
All by Agatha Christie
Dead Man's Folly - Hercule Poirot is called to a rich man's estate by his old friend Ariadne Oliver. She's there to arrange a murder game and feels she's being manipulated and that there is something wrong. It turns out she's right when the person playing the murder victim is actually murdered. Poirot is very frustrated that he couldn't prevent the murder and has no idea who the perpetrator is. And the rich man's wife has gone missing. I remembered this from past reading or watching the tv series so that took a little away from my enjoyment.
3 stars
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Ordeal by Innocence - several members of a family are at home when the mother is murdered. They would all be suspects if not for the fact that the black sheep of the family if arrested, found guilty, and then dies in prison. But then a man appears who can prove the alibi of the accused. And everyone is a suspect again. A little repetitious as everyone goes over the facts again to each other and the police. And the theories about adoption and mother love were very much of the 1950's.
4 stars
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Cat Among the Pigeons - intrigue in the Middle East and missing jewels converge on a very respected girl's school in England. Murder and kidnapping ensue and it's not until Hercule Poirot appears in the latter portion of the book that all is made clear. Not one of the best although I liked the founder of the school quite a bit.
3 stars
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The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding - six short stories featuring Poirot and Miss Marple. The best was the title.
3 stars
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Double Sin - eight short stories, most of which I've read in other collections. A couple of supernatural ones in this group, including The Dressmaker's Doll which I found pretty creepy.
3 stars
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The Clocks - a stenographer is sent to a client's house where she finds the body of a man behind the sofa. The homeowner, who is blind, denies having sent for her and has no knowledge of the man. Told partly from the viewpoint of Colin Lamb, a spy hunter and friend of Hercule Poirot. Poirot is almost incidental to the story but of course he solves everything from his armchair.
4 stars
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The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side - St Mary Mead is agog with the news that a famous actress and her husband have bought Gossington Hall. When a gala is held, everyone and anyone attends. And there a nondescript woman dies from poison in her drink. Who was really the intended victim? Miss Marple, who has been feeling out of sorts and a little left behind, comes to the rescue with her little insights into human character. I find it almost as disconcerting to be with Christie in the 60's as Miss Marple does.
4 stars
Dead Man's Folly - Hercule Poirot is called to a rich man's estate by his old friend Ariadne Oliver. She's there to arrange a murder game and feels she's being manipulated and that there is something wrong. It turns out she's right when the person playing the murder victim is actually murdered. Poirot is very frustrated that he couldn't prevent the murder and has no idea who the perpetrator is. And the rich man's wife has gone missing. I remembered this from past reading or watching the tv series so that took a little away from my enjoyment.
3 stars
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Ordeal by Innocence - several members of a family are at home when the mother is murdered. They would all be suspects if not for the fact that the black sheep of the family if arrested, found guilty, and then dies in prison. But then a man appears who can prove the alibi of the accused. And everyone is a suspect again. A little repetitious as everyone goes over the facts again to each other and the police. And the theories about adoption and mother love were very much of the 1950's.
4 stars
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Cat Among the Pigeons - intrigue in the Middle East and missing jewels converge on a very respected girl's school in England. Murder and kidnapping ensue and it's not until Hercule Poirot appears in the latter portion of the book that all is made clear. Not one of the best although I liked the founder of the school quite a bit.
3 stars
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The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding - six short stories featuring Poirot and Miss Marple. The best was the title.
3 stars
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Double Sin - eight short stories, most of which I've read in other collections. A couple of supernatural ones in this group, including The Dressmaker's Doll which I found pretty creepy.
3 stars
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The Clocks - a stenographer is sent to a client's house where she finds the body of a man behind the sofa. The homeowner, who is blind, denies having sent for her and has no knowledge of the man. Told partly from the viewpoint of Colin Lamb, a spy hunter and friend of Hercule Poirot. Poirot is almost incidental to the story but of course he solves everything from his armchair.
4 stars
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The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side - St Mary Mead is agog with the news that a famous actress and her husband have bought Gossington Hall. When a gala is held, everyone and anyone attends. And there a nondescript woman dies from poison in her drink. Who was really the intended victim? Miss Marple, who has been feeling out of sorts and a little left behind, comes to the rescue with her little insights into human character. I find it almost as disconcerting to be with Christie in the 60's as Miss Marple does.
4 stars
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Oct 28 - Nov 3, 2018
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - several guests arrive at a remote mountain cabin, all of them with different reasons for coming. What starts as a romantic snowfall becomes a trap when an ice storm cuts off all communication and no way to get out. It soon becomes evident there is a murderer among them. Told in present tense by all the characters, you're soon waiting for the next victim and trying to figure out the perpetrator. The tension builds right until the end. And there's one more surprise.
4 stars
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They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie - several diverse people converge on Baghdad right before a secret international conference. The good guys are anxiously awaiting a man with proof of a nefarious organization stirring up trouble between nations. And the bad guys are just as anxious to stop him. And we don't know who's who. Into all this stumbles Victoria Jones, a rather naive young woman wanting some adventure. It takes a long time to introduce everyone and I almost lost interest before the middle of the book. Christie actually lived in Baghdad for a time and really makes the city come alive.
3 stars
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Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear - Cat Kinsella became a police officer partly because of her disillusionment with her father at a young age. A body is dumped near her father's pub that reminds her of a young woman who disappeared years ago. And she's positive her father had something to do with it. This is a debut novel that really had me guessing and wondering. Cat's memories as an 8 year old color her entire life but she's finding they might not be accurate. I didn't like her but have to know how she's going to keep her secrets so I'll be reading the second book in the series. Quite a bit of language.
4 stars
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Crooked House by Agatha Christie - all the family living in the household of patriarch Aristide Leionides loved him and yet his death has been found to be murder. The family would love the murderer to be the new, young wife. But maybe everyone has a secret reason to want him dead. One of the most shocking culprits and one of Christie's favorites.
4 stars
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They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is asked to visit an old friend whose home is now being used as a rehabilitation center for juvenile delinquents run by her husband. Something doesn't seem quite right and this is proved when a disturbed young man threatens the director. Shots are fired but someone else is found dead. There are lots of suspects and Miss Marple has some acute observations to share with the police.
3 stars
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The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth - 12 year old Sami and his grandfather have recently arrived in Boston after a harrowing refugee journey from Afghanistan. Sami finds America loud and brash and he would prefer to not be noticed. But when his Baba's rebab (a traditional Afghan instrument) is stolen he has to find a way to get it back. Even when he has no money and must raise $700 in a month. I really enjoyed learning about Afghan culture and how that was woven into the story. And Sami's widening group of friends are great.
4 stars
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Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie - a string of thefts at a youth hostel interest Poirot at first only because they affect the efficiency of his secretary, Miss Lemon. She is worried about her sister who is the manager there. I found this story to be a little too twisted with too many characters. And the way the foreign students are described is a little jarring from this century's perspective.
3 stars
4 stars
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They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie - several diverse people converge on Baghdad right before a secret international conference. The good guys are anxiously awaiting a man with proof of a nefarious organization stirring up trouble between nations. And the bad guys are just as anxious to stop him. And we don't know who's who. Into all this stumbles Victoria Jones, a rather naive young woman wanting some adventure. It takes a long time to introduce everyone and I almost lost interest before the middle of the book. Christie actually lived in Baghdad for a time and really makes the city come alive.
3 stars
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Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear - Cat Kinsella became a police officer partly because of her disillusionment with her father at a young age. A body is dumped near her father's pub that reminds her of a young woman who disappeared years ago. And she's positive her father had something to do with it. This is a debut novel that really had me guessing and wondering. Cat's memories as an 8 year old color her entire life but she's finding they might not be accurate. I didn't like her but have to know how she's going to keep her secrets so I'll be reading the second book in the series. Quite a bit of language.
4 stars
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Crooked House by Agatha Christie - all the family living in the household of patriarch Aristide Leionides loved him and yet his death has been found to be murder. The family would love the murderer to be the new, young wife. But maybe everyone has a secret reason to want him dead. One of the most shocking culprits and one of Christie's favorites.
4 stars
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They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie - Miss Marple is asked to visit an old friend whose home is now being used as a rehabilitation center for juvenile delinquents run by her husband. Something doesn't seem quite right and this is proved when a disturbed young man threatens the director. Shots are fired but someone else is found dead. There are lots of suspects and Miss Marple has some acute observations to share with the police.
3 stars
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The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth - 12 year old Sami and his grandfather have recently arrived in Boston after a harrowing refugee journey from Afghanistan. Sami finds America loud and brash and he would prefer to not be noticed. But when his Baba's rebab (a traditional Afghan instrument) is stolen he has to find a way to get it back. Even when he has no money and must raise $700 in a month. I really enjoyed learning about Afghan culture and how that was woven into the story. And Sami's widening group of friends are great.
4 stars
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Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie - a string of thefts at a youth hostel interest Poirot at first only because they affect the efficiency of his secretary, Miss Lemon. She is worried about her sister who is the manager there. I found this story to be a little too twisted with too many characters. And the way the foreign students are described is a little jarring from this century's perspective.
3 stars
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Oct 21 - 27, 2018
Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories. The first is the best and longest of the group and is what the play Mousetrap is based on. Several people are trapped in a boarding house during a snowstorm and one of them is a murderer. Another good one is Tape-Measure Murder featuring Miss Marple.
4 stars
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Transcription by Kate Atkinson - Juliet is almost against her will recruited into MI5 at the beginning of WWII. Her purpose is to transcribe the recordings of a group of fifth columnists in an apartment. Unknown to them, they are being run by an agent of MI5. Soon, Juliet is also playing the part of a spy infiltrating a group of women. Ten years later Juliet works at the BBC but is still doing some work for the government. The whole time Juliet has never been sure of the loyalties of the many people she works with and neither are we. I loved the way this was written but didn't always know what was going on and am still slightly unsure.
4 stars
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Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - the murderer of Mrs McGinty has been found, tried, and convicted but Superintendent Spence has some doubts. He goes to his friend Hercule Poirot and asks him to investigate. Poirot is running into dead ends until a chance remark leads him to someone with a hidden past that they are desperate to conceal.
4 stars
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The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories, all featuring Hercule Poirot. At least one of them was expanded into a full length book. I listened to half of these on audio book and enjoyed the narration by Hugh Fraser and David Suchet. But couldn't stay awake.
3 stars
4 stars
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Transcription by Kate Atkinson - Juliet is almost against her will recruited into MI5 at the beginning of WWII. Her purpose is to transcribe the recordings of a group of fifth columnists in an apartment. Unknown to them, they are being run by an agent of MI5. Soon, Juliet is also playing the part of a spy infiltrating a group of women. Ten years later Juliet works at the BBC but is still doing some work for the government. The whole time Juliet has never been sure of the loyalties of the many people she works with and neither are we. I loved the way this was written but didn't always know what was going on and am still slightly unsure.
4 stars
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Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - the murderer of Mrs McGinty has been found, tried, and convicted but Superintendent Spence has some doubts. He goes to his friend Hercule Poirot and asks him to investigate. Poirot is running into dead ends until a chance remark leads him to someone with a hidden past that they are desperate to conceal.
4 stars
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The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories, all featuring Hercule Poirot. At least one of them was expanded into a full length book. I listened to half of these on audio book and enjoyed the narration by Hugh Fraser and David Suchet. But couldn't stay awake.
3 stars
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Oct 14 - 20, 2018
All books by Agatha Christie except as indicated.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - shortly after Hercule Poirot visits his dentist the man is found dead. There's lots of waffling on whether it was suicide or murder, with Poirot on the murder side. It looks like he may be right when two more people die. The government gets involved and it seems things will be hushed up for national security reasons. But Poirot is always interested in the human angle and keeps digging. I found this one confusing and convoluted.
2 stars
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Five Little Pigs - 16 years ago a woman was convicted of killing her famous artist husband. Now, the just turned 21 daughter comes to Poirot with a letter from her mother stating her innocence. Poirot must try to reconstruct an old crime and he does so by visiting the 5 other people in the house at the time. He gets 5 different interpretations so there is quite a bit of repetition in the story. It's still satisfying to see Poirot ferret out the truth.
3 stars
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Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran - after the death of Christie's daughter, 73 notebooks were discovered. They contained plots, characters, and setting for many of her books along with reminders to herself, Christmas lists, and books she had read. The author, who discovered the books, goes into great detail about them. Almost too much. I did skip portions as there are spoilers (there are warnings) for books I haven't read. Too dry for me.
2.5 stars
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Towards Zero - several people are gathered at the beach house of an elderly widow. Including the current and ex-wife of a tennis player. When the widow is murdered all the signs point to the tennis player. But Superintendent Battle is suspicious at the wealth of clues. And it looks like a natural death may not be so natural after all. I was totally surprised by the identity of the culprit and really liked how the book led up to the murder. I don't think I've read this before.
4 stars
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Death Comes as the End - a very different Christie book, a historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. A widowed daughter returns to her childhood home and everything is still the same. Her brothers are under the thumb of her father, a ka-priest of some wealth. Her sister-in-laws are still squabbling and a household member is still stirring up trouble. Then her father returns from his travels with a beautiful concubine and the trouble really starts. The body count is really high in this, which does eventually cut down on the number of suspects.
3.5 stars
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The Moving Finger - a man recovering from an accident and his sister move to the quiet village of Lymstock and almost immediately receive an anonymous letter accusing them of vile behavior and not being really related. It seems there has been an outbreak of these letters and eventually one of them causes a suicide. This is classified as a Miss Marple but she's doesn't appear until very late and in almost a cameo role. Most of the detecting is done by the narrator. This is also a rather odd love story.
4 stars
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The Labors of Hercules - a collection of short stories in which Poirot decides to take just twelve more cases before he retires. And he wants each of them to resemble a feat of Hercules.
3 stars
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Sparkling Cyanide - one year ago a beautiful wife and sister commits suicide during a dinner at a fancy restaurant. Now her husband wants to have a dinner in her honor at the same place with the same people with one exception, an empty chair for a mysterious guest. Of course someone ends up dead. Again, everyone is a suspect and everyone has a good reason. However, no one could have done it. This is an adaptation of a short story that featured Hercule Poirot. But here the police are aided by Colonel Race.
4 stars
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The Hollow - Hercule Poirot arrives at the home of the Angkatells to find a scene that he believes is fake - a man lies bleeding into the pool with a woman standing over him holding a gun while family members look on in horror. But it is not an act, the man was shot, apparently by his wife. All this happens after we've been introduced to all the characters and learned the reason his wife may have wanted to kill him. I didn't like any of the people in this book, I believe I'm in the minority.
3 stars
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The Listerdale Mystery - a collection of short stories.
Witness for the Prosecution - a collection of short stories. On the list I'm using to keep track of all my Christies, these two collections had stories listed that were not in the edition I was reading. But between the two of them all the stories were represented. Witness for the Prosecution was my favorite.
3 stars
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A Murder is Announced - a notice is placed in the local paper of Clipping Cleghorn (one of my favorite village names) saying a murder will occur at a certain house at 6:30. Naturally, several people show up, expecting to play a game of Murder. Instead, a young man bursts in, shots are fired, and the young man is dead on the floor. Why, Who, and How? Miss Marple happens to be in town visiting the vicar's wife so she is able to assist the police.
4 stars
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - shortly after Hercule Poirot visits his dentist the man is found dead. There's lots of waffling on whether it was suicide or murder, with Poirot on the murder side. It looks like he may be right when two more people die. The government gets involved and it seems things will be hushed up for national security reasons. But Poirot is always interested in the human angle and keeps digging. I found this one confusing and convoluted.
2 stars
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Five Little Pigs - 16 years ago a woman was convicted of killing her famous artist husband. Now, the just turned 21 daughter comes to Poirot with a letter from her mother stating her innocence. Poirot must try to reconstruct an old crime and he does so by visiting the 5 other people in the house at the time. He gets 5 different interpretations so there is quite a bit of repetition in the story. It's still satisfying to see Poirot ferret out the truth.
3 stars
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Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran - after the death of Christie's daughter, 73 notebooks were discovered. They contained plots, characters, and setting for many of her books along with reminders to herself, Christmas lists, and books she had read. The author, who discovered the books, goes into great detail about them. Almost too much. I did skip portions as there are spoilers (there are warnings) for books I haven't read. Too dry for me.
2.5 stars
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Towards Zero - several people are gathered at the beach house of an elderly widow. Including the current and ex-wife of a tennis player. When the widow is murdered all the signs point to the tennis player. But Superintendent Battle is suspicious at the wealth of clues. And it looks like a natural death may not be so natural after all. I was totally surprised by the identity of the culprit and really liked how the book led up to the murder. I don't think I've read this before.
4 stars
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Death Comes as the End - a very different Christie book, a historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. A widowed daughter returns to her childhood home and everything is still the same. Her brothers are under the thumb of her father, a ka-priest of some wealth. Her sister-in-laws are still squabbling and a household member is still stirring up trouble. Then her father returns from his travels with a beautiful concubine and the trouble really starts. The body count is really high in this, which does eventually cut down on the number of suspects.
3.5 stars
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The Moving Finger - a man recovering from an accident and his sister move to the quiet village of Lymstock and almost immediately receive an anonymous letter accusing them of vile behavior and not being really related. It seems there has been an outbreak of these letters and eventually one of them causes a suicide. This is classified as a Miss Marple but she's doesn't appear until very late and in almost a cameo role. Most of the detecting is done by the narrator. This is also a rather odd love story.
4 stars
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The Labors of Hercules - a collection of short stories in which Poirot decides to take just twelve more cases before he retires. And he wants each of them to resemble a feat of Hercules.
3 stars
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Sparkling Cyanide - one year ago a beautiful wife and sister commits suicide during a dinner at a fancy restaurant. Now her husband wants to have a dinner in her honor at the same place with the same people with one exception, an empty chair for a mysterious guest. Of course someone ends up dead. Again, everyone is a suspect and everyone has a good reason. However, no one could have done it. This is an adaptation of a short story that featured Hercule Poirot. But here the police are aided by Colonel Race.
4 stars
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The Hollow - Hercule Poirot arrives at the home of the Angkatells to find a scene that he believes is fake - a man lies bleeding into the pool with a woman standing over him holding a gun while family members look on in horror. But it is not an act, the man was shot, apparently by his wife. All this happens after we've been introduced to all the characters and learned the reason his wife may have wanted to kill him. I didn't like any of the people in this book, I believe I'm in the minority.
3 stars
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The Listerdale Mystery - a collection of short stories.
Witness for the Prosecution - a collection of short stories. On the list I'm using to keep track of all my Christies, these two collections had stories listed that were not in the edition I was reading. But between the two of them all the stories were represented. Witness for the Prosecution was my favorite.
3 stars
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A Murder is Announced - a notice is placed in the local paper of Clipping Cleghorn (one of my favorite village names) saying a murder will occur at a certain house at 6:30. Naturally, several people show up, expecting to play a game of Murder. Instead, a young man bursts in, shots are fired, and the young man is dead on the floor. Why, Who, and How? Miss Marple happens to be in town visiting the vicar's wife so she is able to assist the police.
4 stars
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Oct 6 - 12, 2018
All titles by Agatha Christie unless otherwise indicated.
Murder is Easy - a recently retired policeman has arrived in England. He meets an elderly woman on a train who confides to him that she's on her way to Scotland Yard to tell them about a series of what she believes are murders in her village. He thinks she's probably gaga but when he learns of her death later that day and the death of the doctor in her village he decides to investigate for himself. Christie cleverly leads you to suspect everyone at some point. She also has some clever remarks about the class system in England. This is called a Superintendent Battle book but he only appears in the last 10 pages or so.
4 stars
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After the Funeral - at the funeral of a wealthy man, his odd sister remarks that of course he was murdered. When everyone is aghast at her statement, she quickly retracts it. But when she is savagely murdered the next day, people begin to wonder. Poirot is called in by the family solicitor. Once again, everyone is a suspect. A very clever solution.
4 stars
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Sad Cypress - a woman is accused of poisoning a woman she is jealous of and the evidence is so compelling even she wonders if she did it. She certainly wanted to. Poirot to the rescue. I think the solution to this one is a little far fetched , I even remembered it from my previous reading.
3 stars
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I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - Jasper Dent presents himself as a normal teenage boy. But he's very worried about himself and those around him. His father is the world's most notorious serial killer and Jasper has been brought up to be just like dad. When there is a murder in his small town, Jasper immediately suspects a serial killer. He decides his special insight will help him find the killer. A gory, brutal book, the first in a trilogy I won't continue. Read this as a break from Agatha, big mistake.
1 star
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Taken at the Flood - the Cloade family has always depended on the wealth and generosity of Gordon Cloade. So when the elderly man marries a young widow there is consternation. And when he is killed during one of the bomb raids in London their worst fears come true. The new wife inherits the money and she and her brother take over the family home. But it's a stranger's murder that draws Hercule Poirot into the mystery.
3 stars
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Evil Under the Sun - a femme fatale, her current toy, his jealous wife, and her seemingly indifferent husband are at an exclusive beach resort off the coast of England. So is Hercule Poirot, who can't seem to have a quiet vacation. Because the woman is found murdered, with everyone having an airtight alibi. This is one with a lovely twist at the end.
4 stars
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N or M - the years have gone by, it's WWII, and Tommy and Tuppence are bemoaning the fact that the war effort doesn't seem to want them despite their past success. Then Tommy is sent to a boarding house in a small seaside town that unaccountably may be the headquarters of the head of the Fifth Column, the dreaded German spies and sympathizers that may bring England down from within. Naturally Tuppence finds a way to include herself and there are a lot of possibilities to choose from. It wouldn't be Christie if there wasn't a good twist. More of a spy novel than a mystery.
3 stars
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Don't Make Me Pull Over! An Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Richard Ratay - the author, youngest of four children recounts his family's road trips during the 70's. He also gives us the history of roads, autos, motels, drive-thrus, and roadside attractions. All in an easy-to-read breezy way. I'm a little too old to get the nostalgia of the 70's but still found this enjoyable.
3 stars
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The Body in the Library - Colonel and Mrs Bantry (my favorite couple in the Miss Marple series) wake to find the body of a complete stranger in their library. Since the body is a young, blond woman, tongues begin to wag almost immediately. Mrs. Bantry begs Miss Marple to help her solve the mystery. Miss Marple is more likeable in this book and the police are practically begging her for her insight. Lots of twists and turns before the culprit is found.
4 stars
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The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles - 9 yo Samuel lives in a sprawling house with only the housekeeper and a part time gardener. His father is dead and his mother left in the middle of the night to sail to America in order to get funds for their business. Samuel's only communication with his mother are the postcards she sporadically sends from all over America. Gradually, Samuel begins to think the housekeeper has done away with his mother. Because he's only 9, his understanding of some things isn't quite right. A rather slow moving book with a big twist at the end. And then a very unsatisfying ending.
3 stars
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Hercule Poirot's Christmas - a tyrannical old man is found murdered in a locked room. He has called his four sons and one grandaughter home for Christmas - not for a warm family time but so he can berate and bedevil them. Poirot happens to be spending Christmas with the Chief Constable of the area, who is more than happy to have his assistance. I did remember whodunnit this time but still enjoyed it very much.
4 stars
Murder is Easy - a recently retired policeman has arrived in England. He meets an elderly woman on a train who confides to him that she's on her way to Scotland Yard to tell them about a series of what she believes are murders in her village. He thinks she's probably gaga but when he learns of her death later that day and the death of the doctor in her village he decides to investigate for himself. Christie cleverly leads you to suspect everyone at some point. She also has some clever remarks about the class system in England. This is called a Superintendent Battle book but he only appears in the last 10 pages or so.
4 stars
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After the Funeral - at the funeral of a wealthy man, his odd sister remarks that of course he was murdered. When everyone is aghast at her statement, she quickly retracts it. But when she is savagely murdered the next day, people begin to wonder. Poirot is called in by the family solicitor. Once again, everyone is a suspect. A very clever solution.
4 stars
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Sad Cypress - a woman is accused of poisoning a woman she is jealous of and the evidence is so compelling even she wonders if she did it. She certainly wanted to. Poirot to the rescue. I think the solution to this one is a little far fetched , I even remembered it from my previous reading.
3 stars
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I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - Jasper Dent presents himself as a normal teenage boy. But he's very worried about himself and those around him. His father is the world's most notorious serial killer and Jasper has been brought up to be just like dad. When there is a murder in his small town, Jasper immediately suspects a serial killer. He decides his special insight will help him find the killer. A gory, brutal book, the first in a trilogy I won't continue. Read this as a break from Agatha, big mistake.
1 star
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Taken at the Flood - the Cloade family has always depended on the wealth and generosity of Gordon Cloade. So when the elderly man marries a young widow there is consternation. And when he is killed during one of the bomb raids in London their worst fears come true. The new wife inherits the money and she and her brother take over the family home. But it's a stranger's murder that draws Hercule Poirot into the mystery.
3 stars
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Evil Under the Sun - a femme fatale, her current toy, his jealous wife, and her seemingly indifferent husband are at an exclusive beach resort off the coast of England. So is Hercule Poirot, who can't seem to have a quiet vacation. Because the woman is found murdered, with everyone having an airtight alibi. This is one with a lovely twist at the end.
4 stars
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N or M - the years have gone by, it's WWII, and Tommy and Tuppence are bemoaning the fact that the war effort doesn't seem to want them despite their past success. Then Tommy is sent to a boarding house in a small seaside town that unaccountably may be the headquarters of the head of the Fifth Column, the dreaded German spies and sympathizers that may bring England down from within. Naturally Tuppence finds a way to include herself and there are a lot of possibilities to choose from. It wouldn't be Christie if there wasn't a good twist. More of a spy novel than a mystery.
3 stars
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Don't Make Me Pull Over! An Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Richard Ratay - the author, youngest of four children recounts his family's road trips during the 70's. He also gives us the history of roads, autos, motels, drive-thrus, and roadside attractions. All in an easy-to-read breezy way. I'm a little too old to get the nostalgia of the 70's but still found this enjoyable.
3 stars
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The Body in the Library - Colonel and Mrs Bantry (my favorite couple in the Miss Marple series) wake to find the body of a complete stranger in their library. Since the body is a young, blond woman, tongues begin to wag almost immediately. Mrs. Bantry begs Miss Marple to help her solve the mystery. Miss Marple is more likeable in this book and the police are practically begging her for her insight. Lots of twists and turns before the culprit is found.
4 stars
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The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles - 9 yo Samuel lives in a sprawling house with only the housekeeper and a part time gardener. His father is dead and his mother left in the middle of the night to sail to America in order to get funds for their business. Samuel's only communication with his mother are the postcards she sporadically sends from all over America. Gradually, Samuel begins to think the housekeeper has done away with his mother. Because he's only 9, his understanding of some things isn't quite right. A rather slow moving book with a big twist at the end. And then a very unsatisfying ending.
3 stars
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Hercule Poirot's Christmas - a tyrannical old man is found murdered in a locked room. He has called his four sons and one grandaughter home for Christmas - not for a warm family time but so he can berate and bedevil them. Poirot happens to be spending Christmas with the Chief Constable of the area, who is more than happy to have his assistance. I did remember whodunnit this time but still enjoyed it very much.
4 stars
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Sept 30 - Oct 6, 2018
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay - an odd and also oddly compelling book that I'm still not sure what to think about it. Wen and her two dads are on vacation at a remote cabin when four strangers appear and force themselves into the cabin. The end of the world is coming and only Wen and her parents can stop it. I probably would not have read this if I had realized it was in the horror genre. But once I started reading I could not quit. Lots of blood and other horrors. Strong hearts and stomachs are needed for this one. I can't recommend this to most readers and yet ...
4 stars
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The Mystery of the Blue Train - stolen jewels, the scandal of divorce, and murder on an exclusive train traveling through France. This is a Hercules Poirot story but he's in the background at first. I didn't like the way this one started and for some reason I couldn't keep all the characters straight.
2 stars
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Scorpion Strike by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Graves and his sometimes girlfriend, Gail, are on vacation at an exclusive resort. It's on a private island 100 miles off the coast of Mexico and under no nation's jurisdiction. The peace is shattered when terrorists invade and round up all the tourists. Jonathan and Gail evade capture and then must try to survive until help arrives in the form of their friends pulling off an unauthorized rescue. Lots of bloodshed, shooting, and mayhem. So.many.acronyms. I'm done with this series now.
2 stars
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Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie - a nurse accepts a job at an archaeological dig as a companion/nurse to the very anxious wife of the director. She has been getting anonymous letters and seeing things and her nerves are getting on everyone else's. When she is found dead in her room, a room that it seems no on could have entered, it is fortunate for everyone that Hercule Poirot is in the area. The story is told from the viewpoint of the nurse so it's fun seeing Poirot in another light.
4 stars
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The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of early short stories, none of them mysteries as such. Quite a bit of people daring to break out of their molds.
2 stars
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The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - another collection of short stories, some of them featuring Poirot, Miss Marple, and Parker Pyne.
3 stars
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Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - this is the first Miss Marple book and I wonder if Christie even liked her since she's described in such uncomplimentary words. I'm ambivalent about Miss Marple myself. The village blowhard is killed in the vicar's study and there are several suspects, including the vicar himself, who is narrating the story. There are false confessions, anonymous notes, and suspect phone calls. And all the while, Miss Marple is watching and coming to conclusions.
4 stars
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Lethal White by Robert Galbraith(J.K. Rowling) - a mentally unstable man bursts into Cormoran Stirke's office and claims that he saw a child killed when he was a child himself. Then he runs out, leaving Strike with an question he can't get out of his head. Soon after, Strike is hired to stop a politician's blackmailers from ruining him. And this ends up relating to the maybe murder of years ago. First, this book is way too long. A mystery should not be 656 pages. Way too many words, it's as if the author is more in love with how the story reads than the story itself. Second, way too much angst with the Cormoran/Robin relationship. Robin's husband is a jerk and we all knew that in the first book. And just when we thought we were safe, Cormoran's psychotic ex-girlfriend reappears. The mystery itself is convoluted. Not the best in the series, longer doesn't equal better.
3 stars
4 stars
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The Mystery of the Blue Train - stolen jewels, the scandal of divorce, and murder on an exclusive train traveling through France. This is a Hercules Poirot story but he's in the background at first. I didn't like the way this one started and for some reason I couldn't keep all the characters straight.
2 stars
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Scorpion Strike by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Graves and his sometimes girlfriend, Gail, are on vacation at an exclusive resort. It's on a private island 100 miles off the coast of Mexico and under no nation's jurisdiction. The peace is shattered when terrorists invade and round up all the tourists. Jonathan and Gail evade capture and then must try to survive until help arrives in the form of their friends pulling off an unauthorized rescue. Lots of bloodshed, shooting, and mayhem. So.many.acronyms. I'm done with this series now.
2 stars
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Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie - a nurse accepts a job at an archaeological dig as a companion/nurse to the very anxious wife of the director. She has been getting anonymous letters and seeing things and her nerves are getting on everyone else's. When she is found dead in her room, a room that it seems no on could have entered, it is fortunate for everyone that Hercule Poirot is in the area. The story is told from the viewpoint of the nurse so it's fun seeing Poirot in another light.
4 stars
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The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of early short stories, none of them mysteries as such. Quite a bit of people daring to break out of their molds.
2 stars
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The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - another collection of short stories, some of them featuring Poirot, Miss Marple, and Parker Pyne.
3 stars
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Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - this is the first Miss Marple book and I wonder if Christie even liked her since she's described in such uncomplimentary words. I'm ambivalent about Miss Marple myself. The village blowhard is killed in the vicar's study and there are several suspects, including the vicar himself, who is narrating the story. There are false confessions, anonymous notes, and suspect phone calls. And all the while, Miss Marple is watching and coming to conclusions.
4 stars
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Lethal White by Robert Galbraith(J.K. Rowling) - a mentally unstable man bursts into Cormoran Stirke's office and claims that he saw a child killed when he was a child himself. Then he runs out, leaving Strike with an question he can't get out of his head. Soon after, Strike is hired to stop a politician's blackmailers from ruining him. And this ends up relating to the maybe murder of years ago. First, this book is way too long. A mystery should not be 656 pages. Way too many words, it's as if the author is more in love with how the story reads than the story itself. Second, way too much angst with the Cormoran/Robin relationship. Robin's husband is a jerk and we all knew that in the first book. And just when we thought we were safe, Cormoran's psychotic ex-girlfriend reappears. The mystery itself is convoluted. Not the best in the series, longer doesn't equal better.
3 stars
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Sept 23 - 29, 2018
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot receives a letter warning him there will be a murder in a certain town on a certain date, signed ABC. He's afraid the first murder won't be the last and he's right. Another letter is received and the police are stymied. Even Poirot seems at a loss. We even get a glimpse into the murderer's mind. Or do we?
3.5 stars
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Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie - Poirot is on a plane flying from France to England when a woman is found dead. The murder weapon is most unusual and it seems no one could have used it without being seen. Everyone is a suspect, including Poirot, as the murder weapon is found in his seat pocket. I miss Hastings in this one but a good love complication makes up for it.
3 star
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Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman - Peter Decker is on a routine call about vandalized mailboxes when he discovers the body of a young man. When he discovers the young man was the son of a man accused of murdering the owners of a jewelry store 20 years ago he wonders if there is a connection. This turns into a very convoluted story involving too many people with names starting with B. There's also way too much talking about what they're eating. The ending was anti-climatic and unsatisfying.
2 stars
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Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie - no famous detectives in this one. Instead, Bobby Jones finds himself in a mystery when he and his golfing partner find a dying man at the bottom of a cliff. His dying words, "why didn't they ask Evans?" and a picture in his pocket won't leave Bobby's mind and soon he and his childhood friend, Lady Frances Derwent, are doing some sleuthing. They are not nearly as inconspicuous as they believe and soon find themselves in grave danger. They are somewhat irritating as Bright Young Things. I think I have not read this before.
4 stars
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Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath - the first in a series featuring Jack Daniels, a police lieutenant. She suffers from insomnia, her boyfriend has just left her, and the first victim of a serial killer has just been found. And unbeknownst to her, the killer now has her in his sights. Way too graphic. I won't continue this series.
1 star
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Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie - four sleuths and four possible murderers gather at Mr Shaitana's house for dinner and bridge. Before the night is over, the host is dead and no one saw who did it. Since the four sleuths are Hercules Poirot, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race, and Ariadne Oliver, there are many theories. Each have their own way of investigating and Poirot's seems the most superfluous. Of course there's a touch of romance.
4.5 stars
3.5 stars
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Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie - Poirot is on a plane flying from France to England when a woman is found dead. The murder weapon is most unusual and it seems no one could have used it without being seen. Everyone is a suspect, including Poirot, as the murder weapon is found in his seat pocket. I miss Hastings in this one but a good love complication makes up for it.
3 star
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Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman - Peter Decker is on a routine call about vandalized mailboxes when he discovers the body of a young man. When he discovers the young man was the son of a man accused of murdering the owners of a jewelry store 20 years ago he wonders if there is a connection. This turns into a very convoluted story involving too many people with names starting with B. There's also way too much talking about what they're eating. The ending was anti-climatic and unsatisfying.
2 stars
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Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie - no famous detectives in this one. Instead, Bobby Jones finds himself in a mystery when he and his golfing partner find a dying man at the bottom of a cliff. His dying words, "why didn't they ask Evans?" and a picture in his pocket won't leave Bobby's mind and soon he and his childhood friend, Lady Frances Derwent, are doing some sleuthing. They are not nearly as inconspicuous as they believe and soon find themselves in grave danger. They are somewhat irritating as Bright Young Things. I think I have not read this before.
4 stars
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Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath - the first in a series featuring Jack Daniels, a police lieutenant. She suffers from insomnia, her boyfriend has just left her, and the first victim of a serial killer has just been found. And unbeknownst to her, the killer now has her in his sights. Way too graphic. I won't continue this series.
1 star
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Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie - four sleuths and four possible murderers gather at Mr Shaitana's house for dinner and bridge. Before the night is over, the host is dead and no one saw who did it. Since the four sleuths are Hercules Poirot, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race, and Ariadne Oliver, there are many theories. Each have their own way of investigating and Poirot's seems the most superfluous. Of course there's a touch of romance.
4.5 stars
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Sept 16 - 22, 2018
Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border by Porter Fox - the author grew up near the US/Canadian border in Maine. He decides to travel along the border from Maine to Washington. He travels by canoe, freighter, plane, and car. Along the way he weaves the history of the area and current events into an interesting story. There is a slight emphasis on the plight of present-day Native Americans, which is appalling.
4 stars
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Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie - four short Hercules Poirot mysteries. I liked Dead Man's Mirror the best.
3 stars
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Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie - Poirot receives a letter from a wealthy spinster several weeks after her death. Her death appears natural but the accident previously may not have been so accidental. It's been blamed on the dog's habit of leaving his ball on the top of the stairs but he may not be the culprit. Hastings seems to interpret dog talk very well.
4 stars
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Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories featuring Tommy and Tuppence. All the stories are connected on the premise of them running a detective agency when they're really setting a trap for a foreign agent. Along the way they take on other cases. These two are really my least favorite Christie characters. Their witty repartee irritates me no end. And their impulsiveness and naivete lead them into danger. I wonder if they were as irritating to people reading them at the time they were written.
2 stars
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Relic by Alan Dean Foster - Ruslan is the last known human survivor in the universe. Found on the planet Seraboth by the Myssari, he is now both their guest and scientific subject. They are determined to resurrect the human race. Ruslan agrees to help and in exchange they will search for Earth, the original home planet. Loved the writing, loved the story.
5 stars
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Peril at End House by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot is vacationing in Cornish when he and Hastings meet a young woman who has recently had a series of accidents that could have had serious consequences. When another incident occurs right in front of Poirot, he becomes convinced that someone is trying to kill her. However, there seems to be no motive. Poirot must really use his little grey cells to solve this one. This one totally surprised me even though I've read it before and seen the tv episode. Christie is so good at making you suspect everyone.
3 stars
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Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb - a well-liked executive walks into an important meeting wearing a suicide vest and kills himself and several other people. No one can understand it until they learn his family is being held captive and he was coerced. Eve Dallas considers him one of the victims. But no one can figure out the reason for the act until they decide it was for quick, financial gain. So that means there may be another attack. This one gave me an actual headache there was so much rehashing and re-speculation. The book could have been half the size. The language seems to get coarser with each book. (A very offensive remark about why babies suck there thumbs.) This time for one of the obligatory sex scenes Eve and Roarke have an argument so they can have hot makeup sex. The tides crash together or whatever and we're back to the rehashing. (These scenes are easily skipped, they usually run two pages, that's how rote they are.) This 47th Eve Dallas book just didn't do it for me this time. I'm even getting tired of the characters. I am very much in the minority on Goodreads.
1 stars
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Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie - it takes quite a while for the murder to happen and when it does you're secretly happy. Nowadays Mrs. Boynton would be labeled narcissistic/npd/sociopath, but she's just plain evil. She has her entire family under her thumb and has brought them to Israel and Petra perhaps just to show them how much. When she dies, everyone is under suspicion and it's up to Hercules Poirot to show the way.
3.5 stars
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Live Long and ... What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner David Fisher - not so much an autobiography as it is Shatner's philosophy of life. Don't die, always say yes, and live passionately. He reveals himself to be a lonely man who has found happiness with his dogs, horses, and 4th wife. A short book and yet somewhat repetitious, I found myself skimming a little towards the end.
2 stars
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Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories featuring Parker Pyne, a man who advertises that he can provide happiness. Mr Pyne believes he know much about people due to his previous life as a statistician. He helps unhappy wives and husbands realize they are happier with each other and provides a little excitement for people living dull lives. In the later stories he also solves some mysteries.
3 stars
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Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie - a Hercules Poirot mystery in which Poirot is absent for about two thirds of the book. A man dies at a cocktail party and there is no reason to suspect anything but poor health and advanced age. But suppose it was murder? What was the reason? Then another man dies in much the same way who was also at the party. This is definitely murder. But for what reason? Three amateur detectives bumble about until at last Poirot steps in.
4 stars
4 stars
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Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie - four short Hercules Poirot mysteries. I liked Dead Man's Mirror the best.
3 stars
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Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie - Poirot receives a letter from a wealthy spinster several weeks after her death. Her death appears natural but the accident previously may not have been so accidental. It's been blamed on the dog's habit of leaving his ball on the top of the stairs but he may not be the culprit. Hastings seems to interpret dog talk very well.
4 stars
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Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories featuring Tommy and Tuppence. All the stories are connected on the premise of them running a detective agency when they're really setting a trap for a foreign agent. Along the way they take on other cases. These two are really my least favorite Christie characters. Their witty repartee irritates me no end. And their impulsiveness and naivete lead them into danger. I wonder if they were as irritating to people reading them at the time they were written.
2 stars
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Relic by Alan Dean Foster - Ruslan is the last known human survivor in the universe. Found on the planet Seraboth by the Myssari, he is now both their guest and scientific subject. They are determined to resurrect the human race. Ruslan agrees to help and in exchange they will search for Earth, the original home planet. Loved the writing, loved the story.
5 stars
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Peril at End House by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot is vacationing in Cornish when he and Hastings meet a young woman who has recently had a series of accidents that could have had serious consequences. When another incident occurs right in front of Poirot, he becomes convinced that someone is trying to kill her. However, there seems to be no motive. Poirot must really use his little grey cells to solve this one. This one totally surprised me even though I've read it before and seen the tv episode. Christie is so good at making you suspect everyone.
3 stars
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Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb - a well-liked executive walks into an important meeting wearing a suicide vest and kills himself and several other people. No one can understand it until they learn his family is being held captive and he was coerced. Eve Dallas considers him one of the victims. But no one can figure out the reason for the act until they decide it was for quick, financial gain. So that means there may be another attack. This one gave me an actual headache there was so much rehashing and re-speculation. The book could have been half the size. The language seems to get coarser with each book. (A very offensive remark about why babies suck there thumbs.) This time for one of the obligatory sex scenes Eve and Roarke have an argument so they can have hot makeup sex. The tides crash together or whatever and we're back to the rehashing. (These scenes are easily skipped, they usually run two pages, that's how rote they are.) This 47th Eve Dallas book just didn't do it for me this time. I'm even getting tired of the characters. I am very much in the minority on Goodreads.
1 stars
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Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie - it takes quite a while for the murder to happen and when it does you're secretly happy. Nowadays Mrs. Boynton would be labeled narcissistic/npd/sociopath, but she's just plain evil. She has her entire family under her thumb and has brought them to Israel and Petra perhaps just to show them how much. When she dies, everyone is under suspicion and it's up to Hercules Poirot to show the way.
3.5 stars
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Live Long and ... What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner David Fisher - not so much an autobiography as it is Shatner's philosophy of life. Don't die, always say yes, and live passionately. He reveals himself to be a lonely man who has found happiness with his dogs, horses, and 4th wife. A short book and yet somewhat repetitious, I found myself skimming a little towards the end.
2 stars
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Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories featuring Parker Pyne, a man who advertises that he can provide happiness. Mr Pyne believes he know much about people due to his previous life as a statistician. He helps unhappy wives and husbands realize they are happier with each other and provides a little excitement for people living dull lives. In the later stories he also solves some mysteries.
3 stars
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Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie - a Hercules Poirot mystery in which Poirot is absent for about two thirds of the book. A man dies at a cocktail party and there is no reason to suspect anything but poor health and advanced age. But suppose it was murder? What was the reason? Then another man dies in much the same way who was also at the party. This is definitely murder. But for what reason? Three amateur detectives bumble about until at last Poirot steps in.
4 stars
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Sept 9 - 15, 2018
All by Agatha Christie
Poirot Investigates - the first collection of Hercules Poirot short stories. Always his little grey cells solve the mystery and Hastings is hopelessly out of the loop. I'm always amused at Hastings, he's so clueless he even puts in writing how clueless he is.
3.5 stars
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The Secret of Chimneys - Anthony Cade does a favor for a friend (and gets paid for it) that plunges him into political intrigue and murder. The manuscript he's delivering seems to be wanted by a lot of people. And the blackmail letters he tries to return send him to Chimneys, an estate where a secret political meeting is being held. I found this humorous as well as intriguing although the end was a trifle unbelievable.
3.5 stars
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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - a woman commits suicide and the doctor attending her can think of no reason. He soon learns from his friend Roger Ackroyd that she was being blackmailed and was calling off their engagement. He leaves Ackroyd reading a letter that may contain the name of the blackmailer. The next morning Ackroyd is found murdered in his locked study. Fortunately, the doctor's new neighbor is none other than Hercules Poirot come to the country for his retirement. The way Christie writes about gossip in a small village is amusing. And of course everyone is a suspect before the story is done.
4 stars
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The Big Four - Hastings has just arrived in England with the intention of surprising Poirot but finds Poirot about to leave for South America. He has been offered a large sum of money to investigate a case there. Their meeting is interrupted by a dying man clutching a piece of paper with the number 4 on it. Poirot has suspected that there is an evil group planning disruptions around the globe and he becomes vigorous in his pursuit. This one drags on a bit and at times seems like some of the chapters were short stories put into the book.
3 stars
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The Seven Dials Mystery - another book about a secret group. This time we're back at the country house of Chimneys, with the daughter of the house taking the lead. A young man is found murdered in his bed and he may have stumbled on the identity of of someone trying to steal some scientific papers. Young people behaving foolhardy with some romance thrown in.
3 stars
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The Mysterious Mr Quin - a collections of short stories featuring Harley Quin and his friend Mr Satterthwaite. Quin shows up at odd times, usually a few years after a mysterious death. He seems to have the ability to make people rethink what they thought at the time of the death and realize what really happened. Mr Satterthwaite begins to look forward to his appearances because they mean something interesting is about to happen. Mr Quin also seems to appear and disappear without anyone seeing him. These are almost as much fantasies as mysteries and I'm a little freaked about Mr Quin, especially the last story.
3 stars
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The Sittaford Mystery - a group of people in a snowbound house play a game of table turning ( rather like using a ouija board) and the answers indicate an acquaintance has died. His best friend feels uneasy and takes off in the snowstorm to walk the six miles into town. There he finds the man murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on the man's nephew. The heroine in this book is the nephew's fiancee, she is determined to find the truth. Suspicion falls on everyone in turn and the answer was a surprise to me.
3.5 stars
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The Thirteen Problems - six people at a dinner party, including Miss Marple, take turns telling mysteries they personally know about and were unsolved at the time. They are always astonished when Miss Marple gives the right answer every time, usually because of a seemingly mundane but similar incident in her village. I like these more cerebral mysteries, they're rather restful after all the toing and froing of most detective stories.
3.5 stars
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The Hound of Death - twelve short stories, most of them dealing with paranormal mysteries. The best of the bunch is Witness for the Prosecution, which became a movie. Some of them I just didn't get.
2 stars
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Lord Edgeware Dies - Lord Edgeware is killed soon after his estranged wife announces she will kill him for not granting her a divorce. She is seen at his house just hours before his body is discovered. There's just one problem, she was at a dinner party with twelve other people and could not have committed the crime. Hercule Poirot must exercise his little grey cells a great deal to solve this one. I thought this one quite clever.
4 stars
Poirot Investigates - the first collection of Hercules Poirot short stories. Always his little grey cells solve the mystery and Hastings is hopelessly out of the loop. I'm always amused at Hastings, he's so clueless he even puts in writing how clueless he is.
3.5 stars
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The Secret of Chimneys - Anthony Cade does a favor for a friend (and gets paid for it) that plunges him into political intrigue and murder. The manuscript he's delivering seems to be wanted by a lot of people. And the blackmail letters he tries to return send him to Chimneys, an estate where a secret political meeting is being held. I found this humorous as well as intriguing although the end was a trifle unbelievable.
3.5 stars
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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - a woman commits suicide and the doctor attending her can think of no reason. He soon learns from his friend Roger Ackroyd that she was being blackmailed and was calling off their engagement. He leaves Ackroyd reading a letter that may contain the name of the blackmailer. The next morning Ackroyd is found murdered in his locked study. Fortunately, the doctor's new neighbor is none other than Hercules Poirot come to the country for his retirement. The way Christie writes about gossip in a small village is amusing. And of course everyone is a suspect before the story is done.
4 stars
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The Big Four - Hastings has just arrived in England with the intention of surprising Poirot but finds Poirot about to leave for South America. He has been offered a large sum of money to investigate a case there. Their meeting is interrupted by a dying man clutching a piece of paper with the number 4 on it. Poirot has suspected that there is an evil group planning disruptions around the globe and he becomes vigorous in his pursuit. This one drags on a bit and at times seems like some of the chapters were short stories put into the book.
3 stars
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The Seven Dials Mystery - another book about a secret group. This time we're back at the country house of Chimneys, with the daughter of the house taking the lead. A young man is found murdered in his bed and he may have stumbled on the identity of of someone trying to steal some scientific papers. Young people behaving foolhardy with some romance thrown in.
3 stars
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The Mysterious Mr Quin - a collections of short stories featuring Harley Quin and his friend Mr Satterthwaite. Quin shows up at odd times, usually a few years after a mysterious death. He seems to have the ability to make people rethink what they thought at the time of the death and realize what really happened. Mr Satterthwaite begins to look forward to his appearances because they mean something interesting is about to happen. Mr Quin also seems to appear and disappear without anyone seeing him. These are almost as much fantasies as mysteries and I'm a little freaked about Mr Quin, especially the last story.
3 stars
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The Sittaford Mystery - a group of people in a snowbound house play a game of table turning ( rather like using a ouija board) and the answers indicate an acquaintance has died. His best friend feels uneasy and takes off in the snowstorm to walk the six miles into town. There he finds the man murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on the man's nephew. The heroine in this book is the nephew's fiancee, she is determined to find the truth. Suspicion falls on everyone in turn and the answer was a surprise to me.
3.5 stars
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The Thirteen Problems - six people at a dinner party, including Miss Marple, take turns telling mysteries they personally know about and were unsolved at the time. They are always astonished when Miss Marple gives the right answer every time, usually because of a seemingly mundane but similar incident in her village. I like these more cerebral mysteries, they're rather restful after all the toing and froing of most detective stories.
3.5 stars
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The Hound of Death - twelve short stories, most of them dealing with paranormal mysteries. The best of the bunch is Witness for the Prosecution, which became a movie. Some of them I just didn't get.
2 stars
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Lord Edgeware Dies - Lord Edgeware is killed soon after his estranged wife announces she will kill him for not granting her a divorce. She is seen at his house just hours before his body is discovered. There's just one problem, she was at a dinner party with twelve other people and could not have committed the crime. Hercule Poirot must exercise his little grey cells a great deal to solve this one. I thought this one quite clever.
4 stars
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Sept 2 - 8, 2018
Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet's Journey with an Exceptional Labrador by Stephen Kuusisto - the author tells the story of his first guide dog and how that dog opened up a whole new world to him. Raised to act like he didn't have a disability, he was finding it increasingly difficult to navigate. Getting a guide dog later in life gave him a confidence he had never had. An interesting look at the process of training the dog's owner as well as the dog. He also has some thoughts on the proliferation of "service" dogs now.
4 stars
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High Treason by John Gilstrap - the first lady has been kidnapped and the powers that be don't want the nation to know for fear of panic. So Johnathan Graves and his team have been called in to do what they do best, find her and neutralize the kidnappers. But of course things are not as simple as it seems and the kidnapping plot may have been instigated at the highest level. And it might be a cover up for a terrorist plot. Lots of gun talk, I skipped whole pages of descriptions, the author does love his guns. No more character development and in fact, one major character isn't even in this book. I'm going to skip the rest of the series and read the last book, the one that interested me in the series in the first place.
3 stars
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The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - a woman is found poisoned in her locked bedroom and everyone immediately suspects her new husband. Fortunately, Hercules Poirot is in town and is introduced to the case by his old acquaintance Hastings, a guest at Styles. The story is told by Hastings and even in his telling he seems oblivious to his ineptitude. Lots of red herrings and eventually everyone is under suspicion at one time or another. One advantage of getting older is the ability to reread books without remembering the outcome. I have decided to try to reread Christie's books in order and this is the first, published in 1920.
4 stars
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The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie - two childhood friends meet by chance and since neither have any job prospects decide to live a life of adventure by offering to do unusual jobs for people. They soon find themselves embroiled in a scheme to bring down the government of England. There's a missing document, a missing girl, an American millionaire, and several shadowy characters all involved. Published in 1922, this is the first Tommy and Tuppence novel by Christie, and I do find their bright young things personas a little grating. It's very much in keeping with the times, though, and is muted by the effort of trying to figure out who the elusive Mr Brown is.
4 stars
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Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot receives a letter from a man in France begging him to see him as he is in great distress and fear for his life. When Poirot arrives, the man is already dead and authorities are on the scene. They are awaiting the arrival of one of France's greatest detectives. It's amusing to see this man and Poirot spar knowing that Poirot sees the true pictures. The usual red herrings and tangled love stories.
4 stars
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The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie - after her father dies, Anne Beddelfield goes to London in search of independence and adventure. When a man falls to his death on the train line she's more interested in the doctor who seems to be searching him rather than helping. A slip of paper leads her to take a ship to South Africa and she is suddenly in a mystery with death and missing diamonds. Just a thought on reading the first four books: people either fall in love with astonishing swiftness or come to an agonizing and thick-headed conclusion that they are in love. I don't remember ever reading this book. I may have missed it in the days before Google and the internet.
4.5 stars
4 stars
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High Treason by John Gilstrap - the first lady has been kidnapped and the powers that be don't want the nation to know for fear of panic. So Johnathan Graves and his team have been called in to do what they do best, find her and neutralize the kidnappers. But of course things are not as simple as it seems and the kidnapping plot may have been instigated at the highest level. And it might be a cover up for a terrorist plot. Lots of gun talk, I skipped whole pages of descriptions, the author does love his guns. No more character development and in fact, one major character isn't even in this book. I'm going to skip the rest of the series and read the last book, the one that interested me in the series in the first place.
3 stars
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The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - a woman is found poisoned in her locked bedroom and everyone immediately suspects her new husband. Fortunately, Hercules Poirot is in town and is introduced to the case by his old acquaintance Hastings, a guest at Styles. The story is told by Hastings and even in his telling he seems oblivious to his ineptitude. Lots of red herrings and eventually everyone is under suspicion at one time or another. One advantage of getting older is the ability to reread books without remembering the outcome. I have decided to try to reread Christie's books in order and this is the first, published in 1920.
4 stars
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The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie - two childhood friends meet by chance and since neither have any job prospects decide to live a life of adventure by offering to do unusual jobs for people. They soon find themselves embroiled in a scheme to bring down the government of England. There's a missing document, a missing girl, an American millionaire, and several shadowy characters all involved. Published in 1922, this is the first Tommy and Tuppence novel by Christie, and I do find their bright young things personas a little grating. It's very much in keeping with the times, though, and is muted by the effort of trying to figure out who the elusive Mr Brown is.
4 stars
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Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot receives a letter from a man in France begging him to see him as he is in great distress and fear for his life. When Poirot arrives, the man is already dead and authorities are on the scene. They are awaiting the arrival of one of France's greatest detectives. It's amusing to see this man and Poirot spar knowing that Poirot sees the true pictures. The usual red herrings and tangled love stories.
4 stars
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The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie - after her father dies, Anne Beddelfield goes to London in search of independence and adventure. When a man falls to his death on the train line she's more interested in the doctor who seems to be searching him rather than helping. A slip of paper leads her to take a ship to South Africa and she is suddenly in a mystery with death and missing diamonds. Just a thought on reading the first four books: people either fall in love with astonishing swiftness or come to an agonizing and thick-headed conclusion that they are in love. I don't remember ever reading this book. I may have missed it in the days before Google and the internet.
4.5 stars
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Aug 26 - Sep 1, 2018
The Girl in the Woods by Gregg Olsen - a human foot is found in the woods during a school field trip and coroner Birdy Waterman and detective Kendall Stark can only wait until the rest of the body is found. Meanwhile, a man is poisoned and it looks like his wife may have done this before. Set in Port Orchard, Wa and the surrounding area, this is the only redeemable feature of the book. The author, a white male, makes his main character a female Makah Indian. Which is remarked on over and over. He also seems to have a hangup about lesbians, I had to check the copyright to see if this was written 20 years ago. Too graphic and a yucky sex scene that the characters didn't want in their heads and neither did I. This is what I get when I download a book from the library when I really want to read something. The first in a series I won't be continuing.
1 star
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Rescued by David Rosenfelt - a truck is found at a rest stop full of rescue dogs and a dead driver. Andy Carpenter, part time lawyer and founder of a dog rescue operation, is called to help deal with the dogs. He gets an odd phone call from his wife and when he arrives home she greets him with the news that her ex-boyfriend is there, he's confessed to the murder, but claims it was self-defense. Andy reluctantly takes the case, which turns out to have many layers. The 17th in the series.
3 stars
1 star
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Rescued by David Rosenfelt - a truck is found at a rest stop full of rescue dogs and a dead driver. Andy Carpenter, part time lawyer and founder of a dog rescue operation, is called to help deal with the dogs. He gets an odd phone call from his wife and when he arrives home she greets him with the news that her ex-boyfriend is there, he's confessed to the murder, but claims it was self-defense. Andy reluctantly takes the case, which turns out to have many layers. The 17th in the series.
3 stars
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Aug 19 - 25, 2018
The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - archaeologist Ruth Galloway is asked by an old colleague to come to Italy to give her opinion on some bones found at a dig. She and her friend Shona, along with their children, travel to a very small village that soon reveals seething resentments under the surface. Meanwhile, back in England, DI Harry Nelson learns a criminal he put away is out and threatening revenge. Unfortunately, most of the book is dedicated to Ruth and Harry's sometimes on/sometimes off relationship and Michelle, Harry's wife, and her quandary over who is the father of her surprise baby. This series has devolved from fun archaeological mysteries to an overwrought soap opera.
2 stars
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The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz - a woman plans her own funeral and then six hours later she is murdered in her home. Stumped, the police call in consultant Daniel Hawthorne, ex-policeman. The author writes himself into the story by being asked by Hawthorne to write a book about him solving the crime. So we get to discover the clues along with Hawthorne and Horowitz while also learning some behind the scenes facts about the author's experience writing for television. (He's the author of one of my favorite series, Foyle's War.)
3 stars
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Murder in Greenwich Village by Liz Freeland - Louise Faulk has left the small town of Altoona, Pa, to try a more independent life in 1913 New York City. When she and her roommate are plunged into the middle of a murder investigation, she decides to do some investigating of her own. She also has a secret of hew own to keep. Louise is just as prone to jumping to conclusions as the police and stumbles around keeping valuable clues from them. I found her very irritating. This is the beginning of a series I won't be continuing.
2 stars
2 stars
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The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz - a woman plans her own funeral and then six hours later she is murdered in her home. Stumped, the police call in consultant Daniel Hawthorne, ex-policeman. The author writes himself into the story by being asked by Hawthorne to write a book about him solving the crime. So we get to discover the clues along with Hawthorne and Horowitz while also learning some behind the scenes facts about the author's experience writing for television. (He's the author of one of my favorite series, Foyle's War.)
3 stars
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Murder in Greenwich Village by Liz Freeland - Louise Faulk has left the small town of Altoona, Pa, to try a more independent life in 1913 New York City. When she and her roommate are plunged into the middle of a murder investigation, she decides to do some investigating of her own. She also has a secret of hew own to keep. Louise is just as prone to jumping to conclusions as the police and stumbles around keeping valuable clues from them. I found her very irritating. This is the beginning of a series I won't be continuing.
2 stars
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Aug 12 - 18, 2018
August's Heat by A.E. Howe - Conrad Higgins, an unethical/scammer antiques dealer, is found shot in his own home. There is no end of suspects since the man conned or bullied everyone he met, including neighbors, family members, business associates, and mere acquaintances. Deputy Larry Macklin and his partner theorize and rehash evidence over and over while the bodies pile up. The 10th book of the series is not the most successful.
2 stars
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The Other Woman by Daniel Silva - Israeli spymaster Gabriel Allon and his team are bringing in an asset when he's killed right outside their safe house. The spy community immediately accuses them of the murder. But Gabriel is pretty sure the death means there is a highly placed mole in MI5. This is the 18th book in the series and it felt tired. A couple of action scenes but ones we've seen before in previous books. A disappointment.
2 stars
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I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritson - a woman is found dead, her body is mutilated but there is no clear cause of death. Detective Jane Rizzoli starts digging and after the odd death of another person, learns the deaths may be connected to a 20 year old child abuse case involving several children at a daycare. Meanwhile, medical examiner Maura Isles is dealing with the imminent death of her mother, a convicted serial killer. This is the 12th in a series but the first one I've read. I didn't care for the characters and I was expected to know too much about them from previous books. Way too detailed in autopsy methods. I won't be reading more of the series.
1 star
2 stars
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The Other Woman by Daniel Silva - Israeli spymaster Gabriel Allon and his team are bringing in an asset when he's killed right outside their safe house. The spy community immediately accuses them of the murder. But Gabriel is pretty sure the death means there is a highly placed mole in MI5. This is the 18th book in the series and it felt tired. A couple of action scenes but ones we've seen before in previous books. A disappointment.
2 stars
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I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritson - a woman is found dead, her body is mutilated but there is no clear cause of death. Detective Jane Rizzoli starts digging and after the odd death of another person, learns the deaths may be connected to a 20 year old child abuse case involving several children at a daycare. Meanwhile, medical examiner Maura Isles is dealing with the imminent death of her mother, a convicted serial killer. This is the 12th in a series but the first one I've read. I didn't care for the characters and I was expected to know too much about them from previous books. Way too detailed in autopsy methods. I won't be reading more of the series.
1 star
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Aug 5 - 11, 2018
The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey - a woman's body is found in a lake and Detective Gemma Woods is shocked to recognize Rosalind Ryan, someone she had gone to school with and been fascinated by. Gemma and her partner have a hard time finding a reason for the seemingly perfect Rosalind's murder, let alone a suspect. And Gemma has been thrown for a loop by Rose's death, it brings up unwanted memories of her high school boyfriend's death. Gemma is also having trouble at home and having an affair with her partner. The whodunnit and why is interesting, but oh my, Gemma is not likeable at all. She drifts along worrying about herself and seems to have quite an anger problem. This is written in present tense, broken by random thoughts from other characters that don't seem to have much to do with the main plot. And, if you must have unnecessary sex scenes at least don't use the same phrase to describe it every single time.
3 stars
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Threat Warning by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Grave, clandestine kidnap rescuer just happens to be at the scene when a terrorist opens fire during rush hour in Washington D.C. Just when he is about to apprehend the shooter he is arrested for being the shooter himself. Once that error is corrected he thinks that's the end of it. Until he learns that during the shooters escape they kidnapped the wife and son of a member of the his old special forces Unit. Now he and his team must find and rescue them, all without the help of official groups. The story alternates between Jonathan's efforts and what's happening to the kidnap victims and the group that is holding them. It takes a long time for the rescue effort. And just when everyone thinks it's over they discover that there's a much larger threat. This was the most enjoyable of the three in the series I've read but still not much character development.
3.5 stars
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Damage Control by John Gilstrap - this time the kidnap victims are a bus full of teenagers on a church mission to Mexico. Things go bad right from the start and Graves and his partner are accused of multiple homicides as is the one teen they rescue. The rest of the book is trying to get out of Mexico with the military and police, all of them controlled by a vicious drug lord, chasing them. Lots of carnage and torture. I can get these easily from the library on my kindle when it's late at night or too hot to go outside. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
3 stars
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Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner - Sharlah Nash has finally found a permanent home with former FBI profilers Pierce Quincy and his wife, Rainie Conner. Eight years ago her brother killed their father when the drunken father was in a violent rage. And she hasn't seen or heard from him since. When four bodies are found it looks like he's snapped and is on a killing spree. Is Sharlah on his list? This is the 7th and most recent book in a series that I have not read. It was fine as a standalone.
3 stars
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Nightbooks by J.A. White - Alex leaves his apartment in the middle of the night to burn his books of stories in the basement furnace. But the elevator stops on a different floor and he is strangly compelled to enter the apartment at the end of the hall. Where he finds himself the captive of a witch and forced to read stories to save himself. The witch likes scary stories, the scarier the better, and Alex has just the thing in his notebooks. Scheherazade for middle schoolers with scary stories. And I did find the stories a little disturbing.
3 stars
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Force of Nature by Jane Harper - 5 women go on a wilderness hike for a corporate retreat and only 4 of them return. The resulting search for the missing woman very much interests fraud detective Aaron Falk and his partner because the woman was secretly getting sensitive documents for a police case. Has she been found out or is there another reason for her disappearance? The Australian bush is almost a character in this book too.
3.5 stars
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The Verdun Affair by Nick Dybeck - this book just didn't fulfill it's promise. Tom is a young American living in France after WWI. He was an ambulance driver during the war and now picks up the bones of the unidentified dead for a future memorial. He meets Sarah, a war widow searching for news of her husband before he wandered away from his unit and was never heard from again. They learn of an amnesiac patient in another town and also meet Paul, an Austrian writer. But the story is told in such a wandering fashion, going back and forth between 1921 and the early 1950's, that I just didn't care about any of them. It was all rather vague and it didn't help that none of the characters are completely truthful with each other. Disappointing.
1 star
3 stars
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Threat Warning by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Grave, clandestine kidnap rescuer just happens to be at the scene when a terrorist opens fire during rush hour in Washington D.C. Just when he is about to apprehend the shooter he is arrested for being the shooter himself. Once that error is corrected he thinks that's the end of it. Until he learns that during the shooters escape they kidnapped the wife and son of a member of the his old special forces Unit. Now he and his team must find and rescue them, all without the help of official groups. The story alternates between Jonathan's efforts and what's happening to the kidnap victims and the group that is holding them. It takes a long time for the rescue effort. And just when everyone thinks it's over they discover that there's a much larger threat. This was the most enjoyable of the three in the series I've read but still not much character development.
3.5 stars
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Damage Control by John Gilstrap - this time the kidnap victims are a bus full of teenagers on a church mission to Mexico. Things go bad right from the start and Graves and his partner are accused of multiple homicides as is the one teen they rescue. The rest of the book is trying to get out of Mexico with the military and police, all of them controlled by a vicious drug lord, chasing them. Lots of carnage and torture. I can get these easily from the library on my kindle when it's late at night or too hot to go outside. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
3 stars
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Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner - Sharlah Nash has finally found a permanent home with former FBI profilers Pierce Quincy and his wife, Rainie Conner. Eight years ago her brother killed their father when the drunken father was in a violent rage. And she hasn't seen or heard from him since. When four bodies are found it looks like he's snapped and is on a killing spree. Is Sharlah on his list? This is the 7th and most recent book in a series that I have not read. It was fine as a standalone.
3 stars
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Nightbooks by J.A. White - Alex leaves his apartment in the middle of the night to burn his books of stories in the basement furnace. But the elevator stops on a different floor and he is strangly compelled to enter the apartment at the end of the hall. Where he finds himself the captive of a witch and forced to read stories to save himself. The witch likes scary stories, the scarier the better, and Alex has just the thing in his notebooks. Scheherazade for middle schoolers with scary stories. And I did find the stories a little disturbing.
3 stars
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Force of Nature by Jane Harper - 5 women go on a wilderness hike for a corporate retreat and only 4 of them return. The resulting search for the missing woman very much interests fraud detective Aaron Falk and his partner because the woman was secretly getting sensitive documents for a police case. Has she been found out or is there another reason for her disappearance? The Australian bush is almost a character in this book too.
3.5 stars
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The Verdun Affair by Nick Dybeck - this book just didn't fulfill it's promise. Tom is a young American living in France after WWI. He was an ambulance driver during the war and now picks up the bones of the unidentified dead for a future memorial. He meets Sarah, a war widow searching for news of her husband before he wandered away from his unit and was never heard from again. They learn of an amnesiac patient in another town and also meet Paul, an Austrian writer. But the story is told in such a wandering fashion, going back and forth between 1921 and the early 1950's, that I just didn't care about any of them. It was all rather vague and it didn't help that none of the characters are completely truthful with each other. Disappointing.
1 star
Sunday, August 5, 2018
July 29 - Aug 4, 2018. .
Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin - a man hiding from the Mexican drug cartel takes a job as a caretaker for a private nature preserve in the Appalachians. He's supposed to track wildlife and refurbish an old cabin. Plus, try to keep poachers out of the preserve. When he finds a bear slaughtered for its gall bladder and paws he is determined to find the poacher. He is already suffering from fugue states from past trauma and as he spends more and more time in the woods he begins having trouble distinguishing reality from dreams. And then trouble comes calling.
3.5 stars
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Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney - Amber wakes up and realizes she can't move her body and doesn't know where she is. She can hear everything people say and learns she's in a coma in the hospital. She doesn't remember what happened but knows she's afraid of her husband and doesn't trust her sister. We go back in time to the previous weeks before the accident and also read excerpts from her diary. The story was compelling as Amber tries to remember what happened. But all the characters are either sociopaths or wimps, I didn't like any of them. Lots of twists and the last page left me going what?
3.5 stars
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Ragdoll by Daniel Cole - a macabre corpse is found, stitched together from six different bodies and pointing directly to disgraced officer William Fawkes flat. No one knows how the victims are connected or even who they are. And the only reason Fawkes is allowed on the case is that his is the last name of future victims delivered to his ex-wife, an aspiring television reporter. Again, the story is good but the characters are unlikable. We have the detective consumed by his cases, the detective with a secret, the amoral news editor, and the get ahead at any cost reporter. The why of the murders seems a little far-fetched. This is the beginning of a new series. I will read the next.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
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Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney - Amber wakes up and realizes she can't move her body and doesn't know where she is. She can hear everything people say and learns she's in a coma in the hospital. She doesn't remember what happened but knows she's afraid of her husband and doesn't trust her sister. We go back in time to the previous weeks before the accident and also read excerpts from her diary. The story was compelling as Amber tries to remember what happened. But all the characters are either sociopaths or wimps, I didn't like any of them. Lots of twists and the last page left me going what?
3.5 stars
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Ragdoll by Daniel Cole - a macabre corpse is found, stitched together from six different bodies and pointing directly to disgraced officer William Fawkes flat. No one knows how the victims are connected or even who they are. And the only reason Fawkes is allowed on the case is that his is the last name of future victims delivered to his ex-wife, an aspiring television reporter. Again, the story is good but the characters are unlikable. We have the detective consumed by his cases, the detective with a secret, the amoral news editor, and the get ahead at any cost reporter. The why of the murders seems a little far-fetched. This is the beginning of a new series. I will read the next.
3.5 stars
Sunday, July 29, 2018
July 22 - 28, 2018
A Taste for Vengeance by Martin Walker - Bruno, chief of police of St. Denis, is searching for a missing English woman who is in France to attend a cooking class. Soon he knows she's traveling with a man not her husband, a somewhat mysterious man with local ties. Then she's found dead and the man is missing. This becomes a somewhat convoluted tale involving many agencies. Meanwhile, there's lots of cooking and eating and enjoying life as always in these books. One of the better in the series.
4 stars
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Hostage Zero by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Grave's business sometimes includes rescuing kidnap vicitims but this time it's personal. Armed men have broken into Resurrection House, the orphanage he supports, and kidnapped two boys while seriously injuring the janitor. What seems like a mindless kidnapping turns out to be a case of a high level government person trying to keep a secret. Lots of gun battles, described in infinite detail. Whole pages of gun descriptions. Probably a 100 pages could have been cut. Still, I started this series because I'm interested in the last book of the series. I'm going to try one more before I decide if I'm going to jump to the end. I'm curious to see if Graves will become more likeable.
3 stars
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Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang - the story of Chang and Eng, conjoined twins discovered in Siam. First fact, they weren't Siamese, but Chinese living in Siam. Basically sold by their mother, with their consent, they were taken to America to be exhibited. Intelligent and quickly learning English, they declared themselves free agents when they turned 21. Free to organize their own business, they managed to save 10,000 dollars, quite a sum in the early 1800's. They eventually settled in Mt. Airy, the real home of the fictional Mayberry RFD. They married two sisters, had many children, and owned slaves. Told in almost excruciating detail, the books also explores the rise of humbuggery and the willingness of the public to be fooled and amazed.
3 stars
4 stars
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Hostage Zero by John Gilstrap - Jonathan Grave's business sometimes includes rescuing kidnap vicitims but this time it's personal. Armed men have broken into Resurrection House, the orphanage he supports, and kidnapped two boys while seriously injuring the janitor. What seems like a mindless kidnapping turns out to be a case of a high level government person trying to keep a secret. Lots of gun battles, described in infinite detail. Whole pages of gun descriptions. Probably a 100 pages could have been cut. Still, I started this series because I'm interested in the last book of the series. I'm going to try one more before I decide if I'm going to jump to the end. I'm curious to see if Graves will become more likeable.
3 stars
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Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang - the story of Chang and Eng, conjoined twins discovered in Siam. First fact, they weren't Siamese, but Chinese living in Siam. Basically sold by their mother, with their consent, they were taken to America to be exhibited. Intelligent and quickly learning English, they declared themselves free agents when they turned 21. Free to organize their own business, they managed to save 10,000 dollars, quite a sum in the early 1800's. They eventually settled in Mt. Airy, the real home of the fictional Mayberry RFD. They married two sisters, had many children, and owned slaves. Told in almost excruciating detail, the books also explores the rise of humbuggery and the willingness of the public to be fooled and amazed.
3 stars
Sunday, July 22, 2018
July 15 - 21, 2018
The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent - Guylain Vignolles is the victim of an unfortunate name (I think you have to be French to understand), and as a result has always lived life on the edges, trying to be ignored. He has a job he hates and is actually afraid of. His only joy is reading aloud on the commuter train every morning. He gains some followers and slowly, gradually his life begins to change. And then he finds a memory stick on the train that may change his life forever. A charming little book with a few frank passages.
4.5 stars
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Tomorrow by Damian Dibben - the last thing his master said to Tomorrow was to meet him on the steps of the cathedral if they became separated. And he has been faithfully waiting - for 127 years. Tomorrow is a dog belonging to a man who has somehow become immortal and he's made his dog immortal too. They spend the centuries traveling as his master tries to find a purpose. But they're always on the lookout for a man who has become their enemy. Told from the viewpoint of the dog, this was beautifully written. His immortality seems to have made Tomorrow very wise and eloquent. I could tell from the cover that I would cry at some point and I was right. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
5 stars
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The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley - Lynn Roseworth, wife of a senator, has her life thrown into chaos when her youngest grandson disappears in the night. She's always been fearful of the woods behind her house and has forbidden her grandchildren from going in them. But what really scares her are the words her other grandson says when asked about the disappearance, he says "the lights took him". And Lynn has heard those words many times before as a young woman doing research for an astronomy professor. Since Lynn left that world, she has almost sublimated herself as the wife of an important man and as a mother and grandmother. But her determination to find her grandson makes her take unthinkable measures. What starts out as a thriller quickly becomes very sci-fi.
3.5 stars
4.5 stars
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Tomorrow by Damian Dibben - the last thing his master said to Tomorrow was to meet him on the steps of the cathedral if they became separated. And he has been faithfully waiting - for 127 years. Tomorrow is a dog belonging to a man who has somehow become immortal and he's made his dog immortal too. They spend the centuries traveling as his master tries to find a purpose. But they're always on the lookout for a man who has become their enemy. Told from the viewpoint of the dog, this was beautifully written. His immortality seems to have made Tomorrow very wise and eloquent. I could tell from the cover that I would cry at some point and I was right. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
5 stars
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The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley - Lynn Roseworth, wife of a senator, has her life thrown into chaos when her youngest grandson disappears in the night. She's always been fearful of the woods behind her house and has forbidden her grandchildren from going in them. But what really scares her are the words her other grandson says when asked about the disappearance, he says "the lights took him". And Lynn has heard those words many times before as a young woman doing research for an astronomy professor. Since Lynn left that world, she has almost sublimated herself as the wife of an important man and as a mother and grandmother. But her determination to find her grandson makes her take unthinkable measures. What starts out as a thriller quickly becomes very sci-fi.
3.5 stars
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