One of the first detective stories ever written, The Leavenworth Case is set in 1870s New York, where a wealthy man is found murdered inside his lockeOne of the first detective stories ever written, The Leavenworth Case is set in 1870s New York, where a wealthy man is found murdered inside his locked study. Who in his household could have killed him? Much of the interest in reading this book today comes from seeing the origins of so many of the tropes that today are taken for granted in the genre—red herrings, twists, detectives and sidekicks, gathering people together for the reveal/confession—but at the time were novel. I can see why it was a bestseller in its day.
However, even more so than the now-formulaic plot, this book is rendered dated by its overwrought prose, stagey dialogue, and melodramatic characters. Much of the plotting relies on characters, particularly female ones, behaving in ways that may have aligned with Victorian-era gender ideals but are just mystifying today.
Mostly readable today for the historical significance of the work. Consider 0.5-1 star of my rating here a by-product of that. ...more
In 1920s Cork, a fire in a cigarette factory leaves a man dead and a teenage girl accused of murder. The Reverend Mother, once the teenager's teacher,In 1920s Cork, a fire in a cigarette factory leaves a man dead and a teenage girl accused of murder. The Reverend Mother, once the teenager's teacher, draws on her connections to investigate the case.
As with previous installments in this series that I've read, The Deadly Weed is strong on social commentary and both the city of Cork and the river Lee can be counted among the book's cast of characters. It is however a quieter and slower novel than the earlier ones. This isn't a book with car chases or outrageous twists. Its tensions come from seeing a woman who is clearly tired and ageing grappling with the conflicts between duty and justice and the limits of what she can do as a nun within an unequal society. ...more
The solid third installment in the Three Dahlias series sees our actresses-turned/and-sleuths investigating a murder that everyone thought was solved The solid third installment in the Three Dahlias series sees our actresses-turned/and-sleuths investigating a murder that everyone thought was solved five years ago. If Scott Baker didn't kill aspiring novelist Victoria Denby, then who did, and can the Dahlias find out who did it thanks to a trip to the annual crime writing festival in the bucolic town of Market Foxleigh?
I really enjoyed Katy Watson's emphasis on the inter-generational friendship/found family aspect of the Dahlias' relationship, and the way she deploys some of the genre conventions, like the denouement, was well done. The pacing could have done with some finessing, though, and there wasn't really space to do justice to three lead characters, seven+ suspects, and a new location all in one book of this length. Some judicious trimming of story elements would have made a stronger book, though this is still a solidly enjoyable cosy mystery read. ...more
Five years after the end of WWII, Frenchwoman Victoria Lamartine stands trial in London, accused of having murdered an ex-lover. Lamartine denies bothFive years after the end of WWII, Frenchwoman Victoria Lamartine stands trial in London, accused of having murdered an ex-lover. Lamartine denies both the charge and that she and the dead man were ever involved. The prosecution case seems airtight, but she insists that she's innocent. Her newly appointed legal team believes her, and as the trial is underway, they search across England and France for the evidence that will save Lamartine from the gallows.
This is a good solid page-turner: part courtroom drama, part locked-room-ish murder mystery, part mild thriller. The methodical questioning and dry humour of the cross-examinations were satisfying, there's good sense of place in the part of the book set in the Loire, and I think Michael Gilbert played fair with the murder mystery part. Even if you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle until the end, past a certain point in the book it's reasonably obvious who the killer has to be and the kind of motivations that are likely in play. The thriller parts were a bit hammy, and the characterisations are shallow—they're amiable rather than captivating—but on the whole I enjoyed Death Has Deep Roots.
An atmospheric murder mystery set in Edwardian Oxford. Down-on-his-luck Jem returns to the university where he spent happy years, determined to finallAn atmospheric murder mystery set in Edwardian Oxford. Down-on-his-luck Jem returns to the university where he spent happy years, determined to finally solve the infamous murder that occurred right before his final exams and which has blighted his life ever since. He knows that the killer has to have been one of the high-flying group of friends to which he belonged, the "Seven Wonders", but which one was it?
Death in the Spires is weighted more towards the murder mystery genre than to the kind of queer romance that's defined K.J. Charles' earlier work (although there is a relationship here, and one which has some of Charles' go-to narrative tics), and is an enjoyably layered page turner. Charles uses the core mystery to explore issues of choice and morality and trauma. Not all of the characters are as well drawn as the core two, Jem and Nicky, and some parts of the denouement didn't quite convince, but this is a solid and entertaining read....more
Claudia Lin returns in this sequel to The Verifiers, now one of the co-runners of sleuthing agency Veracity and finding out more about the hi-tech corClaudia Lin returns in this sequel to The Verifiers, now one of the co-runners of sleuthing agency Veracity and finding out more about the hi-tech corporate shenanigans that have already resulted in a trail of bodies—will there be more deaths? And will Claudia's family keep throwing new complications in her path? The answer to these questions are of course yes, and yes.
I really enjoyed spending more time with Claudia, who continues to be a low-key charming and believable lead character. Sometimes detective-esque characters are too quick to make connections in a way they would only do if they know they're in a crime novel; sometimes they're too slow, in a way that feels frustrating and like wheel-spinning. In general, Jane Pek gets Claudia's level of figuring things out Goldilocks-right: she's smart and intuitive but it's not over the top. Equally, the supporting characters are strong, and I'm really digging the building tension between Claudia and Becks.
There were a couple of points in the middle of the book where I did wonder why none of these smart characters seemed to be articulating one very big possibility about where the tech shenanigans were going—though that does happen nearer the end—and it does take it a little bit for Pek to get all the characters into place, so to speak. But once that does happen, she builds some real tension about what all of these events mean for Claudia and her family. Really looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out in the next book in the series.
Another installment of the Reverend Mother series, in which the abbess of a convent in 1920s Cork City helps to solve murders. Maybe not as strong in Another installment of the Reverend Mother series, in which the abbess of a convent in 1920s Cork City helps to solve murders. Maybe not as strong in the mystery aspect of things as previous installments in the series, but Cora Harrison's love for Cork shines through, and the city is possibly the best sketched character in these books. Not great literature, perhaps, but the perfect kind of gentle cosy mystery for a very long plane trip. ...more
A slightly subversive Golden Age murder mystery with elements of a comedy of manners that I would have found a lot more diverting if not for the fact A slightly subversive Golden Age murder mystery with elements of a comedy of manners that I would have found a lot more diverting if not for the fact that Anthony Berkeley clearly had Issues with Women. (view spoiler)[It’s the kind of book where neither the male characters nor the narrative voice thinks domestic violence is anything other than a great way of keeping your wife in line. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]...more
Another installment in Cora Harrison's cosy murder mystery series set in 1920s Cork, where the Reverend Mother Aquinas figures out whodunnit while eduAnother installment in Cora Harrison's cosy murder mystery series set in 1920s Cork, where the Reverend Mother Aquinas figures out whodunnit while educating the children of the economically struggling city. This installment deals with a murder in broad daylight in the English Market. It's obvious who pulled the trigger that kills a corrupt city politician—or is it?
For me, this series falls into the same category as the Cadfael mysteries. Are the books great literature? No. Are they a bit of escapism written with a great deal of evident affection for the time and place in which they're set? Yes. It all builds to an enjoyably predictable denouement, even if you've got to handwave one or two elements of it.
I do with Harrison had an editor who'd steer her towards better book titles, though.
(Kind of baffled by the number of GR reviewers who state this series takes place during the Troubles. The Troubles took place 1960s-1998 in Northern Ireland. The books are set in Ireland (the Free State as it was then) during the 1920s, the Irish Civil War. The conflicts are connected and take place on the same island, but they're not the same thing.)...more
In '30s England, an aristocratic family gathers for the holidays—only for their domineering, purse-string-wielding patriarch to2.75 stars rounded up.
In '30s England, an aristocratic family gathers for the holidays—only for their domineering, purse-string-wielding patriarch to be found dead in his locked study on Christmas Day. Suicide or murder, and if the latter could someone dressed as Santa Claus truly have done it? It's readable and atmospheric, for sure—you've got your slightly caddish suitors, your neurotic maiden aunts, your beautiful and resolved but impoverished youngest daughter, your English country pile with halls decked, etc. But the ratio of events/detecting to length is off (even though this is far from a very long book), there are the period-predictable levels of classism, and the ending is a bit deflating and doesn't really make much sense. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but I finished the book about half an hour ago and am already struggling to remember the names of the main characters....more
This is a promising first installment in a series of cosy mysteries set in 1920s Cork City, where the Reverend Mother Aquinas finds herself caught up This is a promising first installment in a series of cosy mysteries set in 1920s Cork City, where the Reverend Mother Aquinas finds herself caught up in figuring out whodunnit amid the ongoing Civil War. Cora Harrison would have benefited both from a better editor—there are some unwieldy run-on sentences, some missing words, and some repetition that should all have been dealt with—and from feedback from someone (view spoiler)[who could have told her that making the bad guy the one character with facial disfigurement was not a great idea (hide spoiler)]. Those reservations aside, I thought that A Shameful Murder was strong in its sense of time and place, with some reasonably engaging core characters. I'll keep an eye out for the later books in this series in the hope that Harrison works out some of these early kinks....more
As with Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, Maigret Hesitates begins with the eponymous inspector receiving a message about a murder which hasn'tAs with Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, Maigret Hesitates begins with the eponymous inspector receiving a message about a murder which hasn't yet taken place. A quick read, with some lovely glimpses of a springtime Paris on the cusp of the social changes of the '60s and an engrossing tone, but the psychology of the why/whodunnit didn't quite convince....more
This follow-up to The Three Dahlias finds our trio of actresses—Rosalind, Caro, and Posy, all past or present portrayers of the Golden Age detective DThis follow-up to The Three Dahlias finds our trio of actresses—Rosalind, Caro, and Posy, all past or present portrayers of the Golden Age detective Dahlia Lively—on the trail of another murderer. Katy Watson has succeeded in delivering another cosy murder mystery romp, one which affectionately plays with the tropes of the genre. I bet this would be fun to watch as a movie or TV series itself. (Anna Chancellor for Caro?) This doesn't quite stick the landing as effectively as the first book did, but I still enjoyed it a lot—great escapist reading during a crappy work week—and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
Set in fifteenth-century Tallinn, this murder mystery sees the town apothecary Melchior Wakenstede turn sleuth as he tries to solve the brutal murder Set in fifteenth-century Tallinn, this murder mystery sees the town apothecary Melchior Wakenstede turn sleuth as he tries to solve the brutal murder of a visiting Teutonic Knight. Indrek Hargla writes with clear knowledge of Tallinn's history and legends and an affection for the city, and this in many ways this is quite a readable yarn. But as a novel, Apothecary Melchior is marred by a shockingly sloppy translation into English, a whydunnit that didn't really convince me, and one truly bizarre interlude that made me deeply dubious about Hargla's attitude towards women. (view spoiler)[We're told that the Wakenstede men suffer from some kind of "curse" that manifests itself as... some kind of depressive migraine, judging by the symptoms? A curse which is why they're insistent on always making a good choice of wife, because it seems the one thing that provides respite is oral sex, as we find out in a very explicit scene which is tonally completely inconsistent with the rest of the book. (hide spoiler)]
I wouldn't point blank refuse to ever read another book in this series, but I'm not going to rush to seek out another one, either. ...more
This was such fun! The Three Dahlias really scratched an itch I had for a solidly entertaining murder mystery that was knowing about the tropes of theThis was such fun! The Three Dahlias really scratched an itch I had for a solidly entertaining murder mystery that was knowing about the tropes of the genre without being too arch, and isn't one of those tedious cookie-cutter thrillers that are so in vogue right now.
Katy Watson introduces us to three actresses, each known for bringing to life the fictional sleuth Dahlia Lively—one an ageing National Treasure, one a mid-career TV star a bit typecast as Dahlia, and one the former child star looking for a new Dahlia movie to be her big comeback after rehab. Brought together at a fan convention at a stately home, there's soon murder afoot and the Three Dahlias have to work together to solve it. While the novel is a little slow to get going, once Watson finds the right gear this is delightful fun to read, and I'm definitely going to be checking out the sequel once it's published....more
An ageing, disabled mobster who may be connected to a series of jewellery heists is killed in his apartment building—a building that no one was seen eAn ageing, disabled mobster who may be connected to a series of jewellery heists is killed in his apartment building—a building that no one was seen entering or leaving. Whodunnit? This is a bit of classic detective fiction, and Georges Simenon knows exactly what his readership is looking for. Brisk and light, for me Maigret Bides His Time was enlivened by the fact that for a time I lived in the Parisian neighbourhood in which it's set. ...more
A middling Christie. There's a good hook—on a train journey, recently retired policeman Luke Fitzwilliam meets an elderly lady who is convinced there'A middling Christie. There's a good hook—on a train journey, recently retired policeman Luke Fitzwilliam meets an elderly lady who is convinced there's a serial killer at work in her village. When Luke learns that the woman was killed shortly after, and that one of her predictions appears to have come true, he decides to investigate the goings on personally. Equally enjoyable is the portrait Christie sketches of bucolic Wychwood, which is of course populated by characters both grotesque and comic. But these assets aren't good enough to make up for the predictable plot (admittedly perhaps fresher in the 1930s than it is almost a century later), the limp romance subplot, and how annoying Luke is. ...more
It's a Cadfael book, so you know what to expect from the get-go: the good end happily and the bad unhappily, and our detective monk is an amiable compIt's a Cadfael book, so you know what to expect from the get-go: the good end happily and the bad unhappily, and our detective monk is an amiable companion in the process of figuring out whodunnit. ...more
There's a scene in the movie Glass Onion in which one of the characters declares that something is so dumb, it's brilliant. Benoît Blanc responds, witThere's a scene in the movie Glass Onion in which one of the characters declares that something is so dumb, it's brilliant. Benoît Blanc responds, with an appalled look on his face, "No! It's just dumb!"
That verdict also applies to The Twyford Code, which rewarded me for pushing through hundreds of pages of implausible happenings with an ending which made me want to throw the book at the wall. ...more
Some authors are able to write historical fiction in which characters' thoughts and actions are period-typical without the narrative voice reproducingSome authors are able to write historical fiction in which characters' thoughts and actions are period-typical without the narrative voice reproducing and/or endorsing sexist or misogynist logics itself.
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