It's a wonderful sunny, fresh day in the Valley today. Bonnie went to the vet this morning for her jibby jab (allergies). Clyde and I wandered about and then stayed at the car. They have a new process. They provided me with a beeper so they could call me when Bonnie was ready. The first time I've ever been beeped. Then we drove over to Cappuccinos and I picked up some home made soup, two croissant sandwiches, three vanilla pastries and 4 little raspberry donut holes. Of course some of this will be saved for later. The sandwiches are always great; Jo had roast turkey and I had roast chicken. 👌
So yesterday I finished one book. I also received one in the mail. I'll update those and also provide the synopsis of the next book I'm starting. Then I'll continue with my ongoing look at my favorite authors.
New Book
1. Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy by Arthur La Bern (1966). Jo and I watched the movie last week and it made me search for the book. It arrived yesterday.
"The cards seem stacked against Dick Blamey. He meets his ex-wife for lunch - she's found murdered the same afternoon. A bar waitress befriends him, and she winds up dead. Both women are the victims of a sex maniac. And now the hunt is on for Blamey."
Just Finished
"I've previously enjoyed 3 other books by horror master, James Herbert; The Secret of Crickley Hall, The Fog and Nobody True. He offers a differing kind horror novel. The Survivor was Herbert's 3rd novel and like the others it started off with a bang and just kept going. The plot style was similar to Herbert's 2nd novel The Fog in that, while the story does follow a main character, it also branches off to visit other impacted characters.
A Boeing 747 crashes outside the village of Eton. Miraculously one person, the co-pilot, Keller, walks out of the crashed unscathed. He remembers nothing of the events and begins to try and find out. It also turns out that something 'evil' has been released in the crash and Keller may be impacted by it. A powerful psychic also is involved and communicates with the dead.
The town of Eton is greatly impacted by these dead spirits, some with very bad intentions. Throughout this tense, creepy story, people are stalked by and terrified and even killed by spirits. It's an excellent horror story, moves along quickly and has an exciting, interesting ending. I will continue to enjoy Herbert's books, always entertaining. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"When Archibald Hunter comes to Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire for his annual holiday he is looking forward to a tranquil few days by the sea, but he is disturbed by strange visions and portents of doom. Where are these terrible visions taking him? And what is the significance of the pages of cipher?"
My Favorite Authors - Caroline Graham
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| Caroline Graham |
"Charlie Leathers was not the most popular man in the charming English village of Ferne Basset, but few people seemed to hate him enough to murder him. Still, that was his fate one night, and it brings Inspector Barnaby to the scene to investigate. What Barnaby doesn't know is that before his death, Charlie witnessed what might have been the suicide--or murder--of a young woman whose troubles with the law have landed her in the home of a local retired minister and his none-too-pleased wife. Now a man is dead, a girl is missing, and a town is in chaos as long-kept secrets begin to unravel, with deadly repercussions." (3 stars)
"Caroline Graham is noted for the Midsomer Murders mystery series. The Envy of the Stranger is one of here standalone books. The story follows Roz Gilmour an English radio presenter, happily married with two children. It also follows Fenn, a scary individual, who is basically a stalker. He feels that to get his big break in life, he just needs a push from someone well-connected. From the pictures of stars and starlet that he has posted on his wall, he picks Roz. When he is rejected, he begins a campaign of stalking and threatening phone calls and letters. Roz' life is turned upside down as the pressure mounts. It is the interaction between the two and between Roz and her family and co-workers and also between Fenn and other people, as he slides into her life that makes this an interesting story. You'll read this and suddenly find that you've come to the end and think, wow, now that was interesting. (4 stars)"
"I've previously read another of the Midsomer Mystery books, but this is the first in the series, introducing Inspector Barnaby and, in this case, Sgt Troy. Barnaby seems a bit crustier and angry in this story than I picture him from the TV series. But having said that, the mystery was most enjoyable, many twists and turns, with a suitable ending. Excellent. I still wouldn't want to live anywhere in the area covered by the Causton Police department, no matter how lovely it looks. :0) (4 stars)"
"Caroline Graham is best known as the creator of the Midsomer Murders / Inspector Barnaby books. She also has written 3 standalone books, of which Murder At Madingley Grange was one.
Simon Hannaford and sister, Laurie are asked by their aunt to look after Madingley Grange during her annual month long vacation cruise. Simon, always looking to make money, has the great idea of using the estate to host a murder mystery weekend and persuades Laurie to help him organize and run it. An eclectic group of people show up for the weekend. He as well hires a brother and 'sister', Gaunt and Bennett, as butler and maid. They also have an interesting back story.
Adding spice to the story, a dead body is discovered the next morning and all are suspects. So there you go, the basic story. I like the way the story is laid out; 4 chapters, Simon Says Do This, The Set-up, Fun and Games and Murder. Each person plays a role and each chapter deals with each person's actions and story.
It's hard not to get involved in each character's story. They are quirky and interesting. There is romance, jealousy, suspense, everything you like. The story moves along nicely, then there is a twist to the left, then another twist to the right, then another little jig and a satisfying ending. I thought I had an idea of what was going on, but then there was a nice surprise and a final satisfying ending.
The setting is lovely and I found myself very engaged with both the story and characters. It's a an excellent story and will keep me reading Graham's other books. It's unfortunate that she has a relatively small catalogue as she is an excellent story-teller. (4 stars)"
"I enjoyed this as much as I enjoy the Midsomer Murder TV series. Graham's writing style reminds me somewhat of PD James. The story was thoughtful and intelligent. It's more about the characters than the mystery; Inspector Barnaby and Sgt Troy don't come into until about one-third of the way through. In the meantime, we learn about the main characters, their lives and ultimately, the crime. The characters belong to a commune and are quirky and interesting. Throw into their midst, the abrasive, rich father of one, plus the drugged up mother as well and you get a more interesting mix, until there is a murder. At this point, Barnaby arrives and the story progresses nicely until a very satisfying ending. I recommend most heartily. (4 stars)"
I have three more of the Inspector Barnaby mysteries on my shelves. I only need a copy of the 2nd now so I can finish the series in order. The complete list of Caroline Graham's books can be found at this link. Check it out.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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