I'll update the two books I've just completed and the two I'm about to start and then move on to Part 9 of my look at the mystery genre. In my last entry I covered Peter Lovesey (Sgt Cribb and Peter Diamond) and J.J. Marric (Commander Gideon). I'll highlight 3 more English cop series in this entry.
Just Finished
"Over the past few years, I've been exploring Agatha Christie's mysteries and enjoying them once again. I've enjoyed getting back into the old reliables, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. But I've also enjoyed discovering the Tuppence and Tommy Beresford books and I've also tried Colonel Race. I've just completed one of her short story collections (I have read others before), The Witness for the Prosecution: And Other Stories, which has two Poirot short stories, but the rest are standalones. I purchased it mainly for The Witness for the Prosecution as I've enjoyed the original movie based on the story very much. The most recent adaptation wasn't quite so enjoyable.
Short stories can definitely be hit or miss. I think it takes a special ability to crowd as much information as possible into a short story and make it cohesive and interesting. Saki and PG Wodehouse are excellent short story writers, as is Canadian Alice Munro, to name a few. Agatha Christie is also an excellent short story writer. This might put her in somewhat unique company as she is also a great novelist.
This collection consists of 12 stories. Some of the early ones were decidedly edgier than I'm used to from Christie; I include Witness for the Prosecution, Accident (especially, very creepy) and The Fourth Man. There were a couple that left me somewhat confused; especially SOS. For the most part, every story entertained me and often surprised me, even when I thought I'd figured out the basics. The two Poirot's, The Second Gong and Poirot and the Regatta Mystery were each gems in their own right, quick mystery and solutions.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable read with each short story having something unique to offer. I look forward to continuing my exploration of Christie's world of mystery. My wife is enjoying a collection of Miss Marple stories, ie, Marple is listening to stories or telling them and solving them, but not necessarily participating in the actual mystery. Sounds neat, eh? (4 stars)"
"My wife and I got Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel as a gift about 5 years ago. It's sat on the shelf for a long time, as you can see, and I've had quite some trepidation about starting it. I can't say why. It might just have been the size, but in the end that's a pretty poor reason as I've read longer books than it. Suffice it to say, this year it was one of my challenge reads, selected for me by a book club friend of mine.
It's a historical novel, set during the time of Henry VIII in the early 1500's as he fights with the Pope to get his first marriage to Katherine of Aragon annulled so he can marry Anne Boleyn. The story focuses on the rise of Thomas Cromwell from the son of a blacksmith to Henry's chief adviser. We get to see palace intrigue, the life and family of Cromwell, those who people the court of Henry VIII and their dealings and personalities.
That's the story on its simplest level but it is indeed an intricate, complex, fascinating story. As with most large tomes, it took me awhile to get going with the story. I usually have a few books on the go and I can be easily distracted. But as I got deeper into the story, I found myself drawn to the characters, the richness of their personalities, the complexities of the court life and just the portrayal of England at the time.
Cromwell is made very human, as is Henry VIII and the rest of the large cast of thousands, from Cromwell's extended family, to the lords and dukes and ladies who you find at the King's court and in their dealings with Cromwell. The religious aspect is also well - described, the dealings between England and Rome as they try to get the first marriage annulled. Cromwell is everywhere, dealing with Henry, with Anne Boleyn, with Katherine, the lords and archbishops, etc. His rise in power is a fascinating story. His love and care of his family and of those people he seems to pick up off the street and add to his family was especially fascinating.
In the end, I enjoyed the whole story immensely and was pleasantly surprised at how much I did enjoy it. Now I have to dust off the 2nd book, Bringing up the Bodies.. I may wait awhile to catch my breath though. (5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"A murderer has struck home—and Kat Colorado is taking it personally. Her cousin Johnny has been found stabbed to death in he parking lot of the Homestead Cafe. And now Kat's on the prowl—trailing a killer through a dangerous world of shady real estate shenanigans and teenage hookers. And she's about to uncover a closetful of sordid family secrets almost certain to get an overly inquisitive Kat skinned"
"There was murder in the quaint North Sea village of Rackmoor. The body of a mysterious woman in a mummer's costume lay sprawled on a backwater street. Half her face had been painted black, the other half white, and the blood on her satin blouse had already turned a deep, dark red.
Who was she? Who had killed her? Inspector Richard Jury of Scotland Yard drank a pint with the local Yorkshire lads in a cozy pub to get some startling answers. And he would have to join the landed gentry in a deadly ride to the hounds if he wanted to track down a very foxy killer."
Bill's Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - English Cops Part 9
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| Ngaio Marsh |
"I do love the Roderick Alleyn mysteries. I've read the first 8 so far, with Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh being the 8th one, plus a couple of others further down the line. They do seem to get better and better. The mysteries are always interesting. In this story, an unpopular woman is murdered in a most interesting way. Was she the target or another? Alleyn and his team, the steady, constant Inspector Fox and his friend, news reporter Nigel Bathgate, accompany Alleyn to Pen Cuckoo at the behest of the local authorities as they are busy trying to sort out a series of robberies. I love the investigation, the interviews with the various characters. I also like how Marsh develops the story, leading up the murder before even bringing Alleyn into the picture, about half way through the story. There is nice humour, there are lovely touches (I'm thinking of late in the story when Alleyn writes a letter to his beloved, Troy. The whole story is a joy to read and hard to put down. Excellent series and excellent story. (4 stars)"
"I enjoy the Chief Inspector Alleyn mysteries very much. The series, by Ngaio Marsh is right there with other classic mystery series; like those by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Elizabeth Daly, amongst others. I've read 7 or 8 of the Alleyn books and they get better with each new story. A Wreath for Rivera, also written under the title (Swing Brother Swing) is the 15th Alleyn story. I'm reading it out of sequence as I've followed them in order for the most part, but it doesn't take away any of the enjoyment by reading this one now.
There are some details of Alleyn's private life with Agatha Troy that seem to have progressed but they don't play major parts in the story. We have here the story of the family of the Marquis of Pastern and Baggott, a strange and eccentric individual, heading to watch him play in a jazz band; one of his whims. There is a murder that takes place; one which Alleyn actually witnesses as he and Troy are also at the club.
The murder investigation, lead by Alleyn and his resolute and steady team; his right-hand man, Detective Inspector Fox and the others, is a methodical process and enjoyable to follow. Alleyn is the main character but Ngaio Marsh also provides a voice to Carlisle 'Lisle' Wayne, Lord Pastern's niece, who I liked very much.
It's a quirky story; the dialogue between Alleyn and Fox is excellent. They are obviously well-used to each other and have an excellent rapport. Lord Pastern is definitely eccentric and his family also have unique characteristics. The mystery is interesting, but at times, not as important as the development of the story, the investigation and the interactions between the characters. The ending was ultimately satisfying and I liked how it was resolved. As always, I enjoy this series very much and look forward to my next one. (3.5 stars)"
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| Val McDermid |
"YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME...
This was the summer he discovered what he wanted—at a gruesome museum of criminology far off the beaten track of more timid tourists. Visions of torture inspired his fantasies like a muse. It would prove so terribly fulfilling.
BUT THE NEXT TIME WOULD BE BETTER...
The bodies of four men have been discovered in the town of Bradfield. Enlisted to investigate is criminal psychologist Tony Hill. Even for a seasoned professional, the series of mutilation sex murders is unlike anything he's encountered before. But profiling the psychopath is not beyond him. Hill's own past has made him the perfect man to comprehend the killer's motives. It's also made him the perfect victim.
AND PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
A game has begun for the hunter and the hunted. But as Hill confronts his own hidden demons, he must also come face-to-face with an evil so profound he may not have the courage—or the power—to stop it..." (5 stars)
"Across the country, dozens of teenage girls have vanished. Authorities are convinced they're runaways with just the bad luck of the draw to connect them. It's the job of criminal profilers Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan to look for a pattern. They've spent years exploring the psyches of madmen. But sane men kill, too. And when they hide in plain sight, they can be difficult to find...
He's handsome and talented, rich and famous--a notorious charmer with the power to seduce...and the will to destroy. No one can believe what he's capable of. No one can imagine what he's already done. And no one can fathom what he's about to do next. Until one of Hill's students is murdered--the first move in a sick and violent game for three players. Now, of all the killers Hill and Jordan have hunted, none has been so ruthless, so terrifyingly clever, and so brilliantly elusive as the killer who's hunting them..." (5 stars)
The remaining books in this series are - (* for those I have)
- The Last Temptation (2002) *
- The Torment of Others (2004)
- Beneath the Bleeding (2007) *
- Fever of the Bone (2009) *
- The Retribution (2011)
- Cross and Burn (2013)
- Splinter the Silence (2015)
- Insidious Intent (2017)
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| Kay Mitchell |
"The gossips of a tranquil village on the outskirts of Malminster have a field day spreading the news that Helen Goddard's husband has been seduced by the local femme fatale, Marion Walsh.
Then Marion's charwoman is poisoned by milk obviously intended for her employer, and suspicion naturally falls on Helen Goddard until Marion herself is brutally murdered and Chief Inspector Morrissey discovers that a lot of people wanted her dead." (3 stars)
"If you enjoy an excellent police procedural, Roots Of Evil, the 3rd Chief Inspector Morrissey mystery, by Kay Mitchell is a good place to start... Well, you should start with the first book, but the series is what I was talking about. It reminds of other such excellent series, JJ Marric's Chief Inspector Gideon books or Michael Gilbert's Inspector Petrella series.
As you might have guessed, CI Morrissey is an English police inspector; he works out of Malminster police district. Like the other series I mentioned above, while Morrissey is the focus of action, the story also features many of the other detectives in the department. There are a number of cases being worked on. Things have been slow but with an apparent accidental death of a local member of the town's planning commission. There are other goings on as well that starts making life interesting for Morrissey and his team; a racist attack on a row of houses owned by Asians, a vicious attack on another Asian boy. Besides this, one of his investigators has to be put in hospital and Morrissey is dealing with family issues.
How this is all tied together by Morrissey and Barret and Smythe, etc makes for an interesting, page turning story. There are murders, spousal abuse, political intrigue, etc. It's all matter-of-fact and almost thrown at you in a staccato, quick pace. I really enjoyed this, Morrissey's grumpiness but way of putting things together, the manner in which the investigations are conducted and the other characters on his team and the victims and suspects. I'll continue to search for books in this series. It's very enjoyable (4.5 stars)"
The remaining books in this series are -
- In Stony Places (1991)
- A Portion of Foxes (1995)
- A Rage of Innocents (1997)
So there you go, some reading material for you to start off your week, your month... or just start. :0) Enjoy your week!
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