I've finished 3 books since my last update. One was a freebie, since I'd finished my 2nd 10 books this week. I've started two new books as well. I won't post an entry on my look at the Mystery genre this entry. I'll get back to that next one.
Just Finished
"Wycliffe and the Guild of Nine is the last Wycliffe mystery published from W.J. Burley's work. He died without completing his last work. As all of the books in this series I've read so far, this last one was excellent.
Wycliffe is assigned to investigate the murder of Francine Lemarque, one of a group of artisans who make up the Guild of Nine. Francine appeared originally in The Quiet Virgin, one of Burley's earlier Wycliffe mysteries. In that story, Francine murdered her father. She has obviously served her sentence and now lives in the family home and works with her brother for Frances Bacon Archer, the creator of the Guild. Francine has inherited a large amount of money and wants to buy into the Guild and become one of the directors. She is in the process of arranging this with Archer's wife, Dutch born Lina, when she is found dead.
Returning to Mulfra (west of St Ives) with his investigation team will bring back many memories for Wycliffe. At the same time, he is considering retiring as he has just received a new supervisor and in his crusty way isn't sure he wants to work for her.
I do love the process followed in these mysteries. While Wycliffe often relies on his wits in solving the crimes he investigates, we do also get to see how his team works; from the Forensics to the Coroner, to his investigators, even down to the administrative process. I liked his DS Lucy Lane, who is his sounding board in this story, but even the smallest of his team can play a role.
As Wycliffe investigates, he must deal with further deaths in the colony and adds a sense of urgency to the investigation. Is there one murderer? Or more? Are the deaths related to Francine's investigation into the dealings of the colony or maybe into her 'love' life, such as it is or isn't or maybe even into her past life and murder of her father.
The story moves along nicely and thoughtfully. There are a few red herrings along the way but the story is enjoyable and a pleasure to read. It's unfortunate that this is the last Wycliffe mystery but I'm lucky that I haven't been reading in order so I still get to enjoy this series. (4 stars)"
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the Inspector Brunetti mystery series, set in Venice, by Donna Leon. Blood from a Stone is no exception. It contains the best features of all of the books I've read in the series, great food, a loving family, Brunetti's fantastic assistants and political intrigue.
The basic story is the murder of an African refugee by unknown assailants while he sells fake purses along with other refugees in Venice. The murder is witnessed by a group of American tourists and they provide the initial information to Brunetti. Brunetti and his capable assistant, Vianelli, begin to investigate this mysterious group and discover the dead man has a cache of diamonds. Brunetti's boss, Patta, tells him to cease his investigation and all of the files are taken by the Ministry of the Interior. However, neither Brunetti and Vianelli, along with Patta's assistant, Signora Elettra (a favorite character of mine) follow the instructions but continue the investigation surreptitiously.
Why did this man have the diamonds, what were they for, and why are the Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry involved. Brunetti and his team must tread carefully as they seem to be under threat from these mysterious government sources.
It's a fascinating story with many sub-plots. As always there is the wonderful family dynamic. In this story, daughter Chiara surprises both Guido and his wife, Paola, when she talks about the murdered African and complaining about her father's lateness for dinner, saying ' Yes but it's only a vu cumpra (Italian for the African refugees)'. Paola is shocked and this is an ongoing sub-theme in the story.
The story is complex and rich, filled with fascinating characters. I can't say enough about this excellent series. If you try it, I'm sure you'll fall in love with Venice, the wonderful food and the great characters.. Oh, yes, and the mysteries themselves. (4 stars)"
and my Freebie...
"John Creasey was a thriller writer who wrote over 200 books during his lifetime. He wrote under a number of pseudonyms; J.J. Marric, Anthony Morton, Gordon Ashe, etc. I've enjoyed his Inspector Gideon books (as Marric) very much. I have read one of his Dr. Palfrey books (as Creasey) as well. This was my first attempt at The Baron series. I've had two of the books in the series for a number of years and thought it about time to finally try one.
Last Laugh for the Baron is the 42 book in this series. As I said, Creasey was prolific. The Baron, John Mannering, is an ex-jewel thief, cat burglar, etc. In this book, he's retired from his life and runs an antique store in London. While he is away on business, a strange event occurs. His manager, John Larraby, receives a very strange phone call and sends one of his clerks to investigate. At the same time, a young lady, Belle Danizon, arrives at the shop demanding to speak to Mannering. When Mannering is caught up with via a phone call, she leaves him with a strange message.
So there you go, that's the start of this story. As it progresses, we follow a series of jewel robberies from rich families of London, with their adult children suspected of involvement, a threat to the career of Mannering's friend, Inspector Bristow and murders and threats to Mannering's wife. The central villain is a mysterious man who seems to have power over the young people.
Mannering must rekindle his skills as The Baron in fighting the stranger, a man called Yenn, and utilize all of the friendships at his disposal to try and solve what is going on and to save himself and these same friends. It's all a bit of a wild ride, reminding me of The Avengers TV show from the '60s. In fact, The Baron was also turned into a TV series (I've got to find an episode or two) starring Steve Forrest as The Baron.
Suspend disbelief, get a bowl of popcorn and just enjoy a light, entertaining, pulp action / mystery. Don't expect any grand motives or such, just entertainment. Now to find a few more of the series. (3 stars)"
Currently Reading
"At the Tango briefing Quiller got his orders. Orders that sent him on a bizarre undercover operation, a double-suicide mission in the Sahara. His assignment: find and destroy a mysterious downed aircraft before the world learns of its existence, before its cargo is disclosed, and before enemy agents destroy the plane and possibly Quiller along with it!"
"The bulk of the novel takes place at St. Anselm's, an embattled, isolated theological college on England's windswept East Anglian coast. When the body of seminarian Ronald Treeves is literally unearthed from a suffocating pile of sand, a coroner's jury turns in a verdict of accidental death. Arms manufacturer Sir Alred Treeves, Ronald's adoptive father, questions the verdict and arranges to have Dalgliesh re-investigate the boy's death.
Dalgliesh arrives at St. Anselm's at a particularly troubled moment. A longtime employee of the college has just died of an apparent heart attack, and a number of outside visitors have arrived to spend a restful rural weekend. Among the guests are a pair of visiting academics, a policeman on the verge of a breakdown, and Archdeacon Matthew Crampton, an ambitious cleric with a guilty secret and a vested interest in closing down the college. Crampton has had a history of hostile encounters, both with fellow guests and with various members of the seminary staff. On the morning after his arrival, his body is found, savagely beaten, in the sanctified precincts of St. Anselm's Church.
As Dalgliesh soon learns, a great many of the weekend visitors had motives for murdering the archdeacon. Surrounding himself with a picked crew of Scotland Yard regulars, Dalgliesh spearheads a wide-ranging investigation that illuminates the events behind Crampton's death by first exposing the buried secrets of several interconnected lives. In the end, Dalgliesh -- poet, sleuth, and solitary widower -- successfully identifies a resourceful killer and opens himself up to the possibility of romantic and spiritual renewal."
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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