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
Sunday, December 16, 2018
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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