It's been a miserable old day today. We jumped forward an hour last night... or sprang forward. 😃 I'm all screwed up now. It's amazing how every appliance practically changes on its own. Just have to do the microwave and stove myself... Oh it's so much hard work. Yesterday Jo and I did our bi-monthly reasonably big shop. Good thing because it's been raining most of the day today. I caught up with Resident Alien this afternoon. I've seen the first 8 episodes now. Love it. Alan Tudyk is fantastic. Sara Tomko was a revelation. In fact, every other member of the cast is great. It's funny (laugh out loud moments) and serious when it needs to be. Only two more episodes left this season. I do hope there will be more. A series I do need to catch up with is Wynonna Earp. I enjoyed Season 1 so very much. I watched one or two of Season 2 and it seemed a bit silly and then I watched one of Season 3. There are 4 so far. I'll have to find Season 2 and start over.
I've finished two books this weekend. I also received two books on Friday. So I'll provide my reviews of the two completed books, the synopses of the next books in line and also of the new books. I'll get to my penultimate author in my ongoing look at favorite authors.
New Books
"A moving account of a journey through war-torn Europe.
Alone
and fending for themselves in a Poland devastated by war, Jan and his
three homeless friends cling to the silver sword as a symbol of hope. As
they travel through Europe towards Switzerland, where they believe they
will be reunited with their parents, they encounter many hardships and
dangers."
"A thrilling tale of a struggle to save Earth from Armageddon, written by one of the crucial authors of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Disaster is quickly approaching and the only ones who know of it are Allison Stephens and a group of ancient sinister aliens. Now the aliens plan to abandon Earth and seek a new home. Packed with unexpected surprises."
Just Finished
"The Murder on the Links is the 2nd Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie, originally published in 1923. This second mystery finds Hercule and the narrator, Hercule's friend Captain Hastings, heading off to an estate in France at the request of Monsieur Renauld, who feels threatened.
Upon arrival, they discover that Renauld has been discovered, murdered, with a knife in his back, lying in a hole beside a golf course (the reference to the Links). Hercule now leads us a fascinating investigation, looking at blackmail, mysterious women, family strife, South American (maybe) intrigue. From the perspective of Hastings, it's an excellent, twisty and turny mystery. Added to the mystery itself is friction between a French criminal investigator from Paris, Inspector Giraud; Poirot relying on his excellent gray cells and Giraud crawling around on all fours trying to find physical clues.
Let's add a couple of other pieces to this complex mystery; Hasting's attraction to the mysterious 'Cinderella'.. who is she? And the old Beroldy case (20 years before) and how it might relate to this case. Poirot is an excellent character; precise, fussy, intelligent, imaginative and Hastings is a perfect foil, questioning Poirot's instincts and getting mislead by attractive women. :0)
As per any Christie mystery, the suspects are many and the clues confusing but Poirot manages to wrap things up neatly and intelligently and even sensibly. Did I have it figured out? I thought so many times but basically, nope. There was humor, some romance, criming, all put together in an entertaining package for us to read and enjoy. The more I read Christie's works, the more I enjoy her stories. (4 stars)"
"The Various Haunts of Men is the first book in the Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler mystery series by Susan Hill. A couple of points to start off with -
1. It's not really a Simon Serrailler mystery. Serrailler appears throughout but the mystery really belongs to DS Freya Graffam, new to the town of Lafferton, who I felt was the main focus of the story.
2. It's more than a mystery. There are so many interweaving threads; family, disappearances, alternative medicine, relationships, all developed slowly but smoothly and making a rich story and mystery.
3. It's great. Fantastic intro to this series. I have previously read two others in the series, including the 2nd book. And while they can be read on their own, there are things that occur that need the perspective, I think, of trying to read in order.
So, with that out of the way. A woman vanished one foggy morning and this brings DS Graffam into the frame as she investigates her disappearance. Was she abducted? Was she murdered? Did she just decide to go off by herself. Freya and Detective Constable Coates conduct an on again/ off again investigation and find out some odd things about Angela but no real evidence of a crime. Angela disappeared, it would seem, on a central location in Lafferton, and there were other disappearances in that area. So the two keep this investigation in their back pockets while working on normal police matters; especially an ongoing major drug investigation.
So many other personalities swirl around this main story that you wonder how they can be related. Maybe they aren't. We get a look at the town of Starly, where alternate medicine practitioners set up shop. Debbie, another troubled girl, seems to have found herself by visiting a practitioner with the name of Dava. A reaction to creams he prescribes brings Simon Serrailler's sister, Cat Dearborn, into the picture. There is a whole ongoing thread with these practitioners; a psychic surgeon, Cat's best friend, suffering from cancer and her dealings with various practitioners. What is real medicine and what isn't?
It's so difficult to describe how much this story contains in a few short paragraphs. Suffice it to say, that every aspect is interesting; the relationships, the potential relationships, the development of the main characters, and the ongoing mystery and other disappearances. We also get some insight into the 'murderer', his / her thoughts, actions, life. Freya is a wonderful character, determined to investigate the disappearances, thoughtful, intelligent, somewhat lost in an 'infatuation' with the enigmatic, handsome Simon Serrailler. DC Coates is fantastic, funny, rough, a great partner. Simon is sketched but for this first story remains somewhat distant. His sister and mother are both excellent.
There is so much to enjoy about this first book. The story is cleverly presented, wandering from situation to situation, from character to character, providing a fascinating picture and making for an entertaining read. I did think I figured out who the 'bad person' was but it didn't matter as the tension built nicely at the end that it didn't matter. Wonderful introduction to this series. (4.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Tommy and Tuppence Beresford were restless for adventure, so when they were asked to take over Blunt's International Detective Agency, they leapt at the chance. After their triumphant recovery of a pink pearl, intriguing cases kept on coming their way: a stabbing on Sunningdale golf course; cryptic messages in the personal columns of newspapers; and even a box of poisoned chocolates."
"2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California. Here the millennium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty hunter. Chevette Washington is a bicycle messenger turned pickpocket who impulsively snatches a pair of innocent-looking sunglasses. But these are no ordinary shades. What you can see through these high-tech specs can make you rich--or get you killed. Now Berry and Chevette are on the run, zeroing in on the digitalized heart of DatAmerica, where pure information is the greatest high. And a mind can be a terrible thing to crash..."
My Favorite Authors - R.D. Wingfield
When Jo first came to Canada to be with me, Showcase (I think it was Showcase, might have been Bravo) was showing the D.I. Frost mysteries; A Touch of Frost. It was a great series made up of 42 episodes. When I discovered that it was based on a series of books, I had to check them out.
R.D. Wingfield
Rodney David Wingfield was born in London in 1928. He died in 2007 and is well known for creating D.I. Frost. I have to say I was surprised to discover that he only wrote six novels in the series, especially considering how long the TV series lasted. I've read all of the books and have enjoyed them all very much. Frost is a crusty, irascible scoundrel who always gets his job done, no matter how much his boss tries to get rid of him.
"I've enjoyed the Inspector Frost series very much. Frost at Christmas is actually the first in the series, it seemed appropriate to read it over the Xmas period. We find out how Frost got his medal, learn to appreciate his bumbling style, even though he is well-loved by the rank and file within the Police station. Not so well-liked by DS Mullet, his boss, but then again, Mullet isn't all that nice anyway. Frost is tasked to take over the investigation and search for a lost girl when one of his peer is taken severely ill. As well, he must show a new DC, Clive Barnard, the Chief Constable's nephew, the ropes. As well, a multitude of other cases fall into his scruffy lap. A DI who works mostly on instinct, Frost muddles his way to solutions, all the while dealing with a winter storm and his own past. Very well-written and most enjoyable to read. Check out the Frost books. It's unfortunate that so few were ever written. (4 stars)"
"Very enjoyable read. As I read through it, I started to remember the episode that was based on the book and I think was fairly faithful to the story for the TV episode. Frost was what you expect, curmudgeonly, scruffy, imperfect and probably a bit more politically incorrect than on the TV series. But at the same time, he is still very sympathetic to those he feels deserves it. Mullett is if anything even more sycophantic and self-absorbed. Almost too much goes on, but it flows well and keeps you interested. I look forward now to reading the other books. (3 stars)"
"A most entertaining, fast-paced police mystery. This is the third book in the DCI Jack Frost series that became one of the most well-loved British cop shows. From a six book series, the creators spun out a TV series that lasted for 42 episodes. In this book, the Denton Police Dept is suffering with manpower shortages due to a flu bug that is running rampant through the station. New DS Gilmore is forced to work with scruffy DCI Jack Frost and finds himself working all hours, affecting his home life as he travels around with Frost trying to solve a multitude of crimes; the Granny Ripper, the Poison Pen letter sender, a young girl's murder. As well, Frost, who is sloppy about paperwork must deal with the Superintendent Mullet, who is concerned only with his image with the higher HQ. It's a non-stop mystery, well-written and entertaining. Highly recommend. This is the second in the series that I've enjoyed. Will be taking up Book 4, Hard Frost, next. (4 stars)"
"I've now read three books in the DI Frost series and have enjoyed them all very much. Frost is a bit of an anachronism, a throwback who relies on his gut-instinct more than fancy technological investigative techniques. His boss, Mr Mullet, who is shallow and sycophantic, hates Frost, hates his scruffiness, his off-color humour, his laziness towards doing paperwork and his habit of bending the rules, will do anything to get rid of Frost. But Frost has this habit of coming out on top each and every time, seeming to stumble into the solutions to his cases. And Frost is well-loved by the rank and file in the Denton police station.
In Hard Frost, Frost is supposed to be on vacation. But he comes in to the station to steal some of Mullet's fancy cigarettes and due to various circumstances ends up deeply involved in a number of cases occurring at the same time; a kidnapping, breaking and enterings, a missing boy. Due to manning shortages he must also cope with an Acting DI who is brought in from another division, a man with a deep grudge against Frost. But through it all, Frost stumbles on, working every case, getting no sleep, offending Mullet and in the end.. well, you'll have to read to find out in the end.. Excellent story. I will have to find the remaining books in this series, it's been most enjoyable. (4 stars)"
"I do enjoy the Frost series. Each story is somewhat similar, Frost bumbles and stumbles through a variety of cases, with a short - manned police station, fighting with his boss, Superintendent Mullett, to stay out of trouble and solve his cases. In this story, prostitutes are being raped and murdered, there are missing children, an old skeleton has been found and the 'pillow case' robber is robbing houses. Frost works on each case, as Mullett has loaned half of his station to another detachment working on a drug case. The weather is awful, Frost gets no sleep, working around the clock, trying to deal with a bit of a wastrel on his staff and with friction from a female acting inspector who is trying to make a name for herself. He stumbles from one solution to another, often finding himself on the wrong track. But even with that and with his sexist remarks and curmudgeon-like personality, Frost draws you in. He cares about his people and about the victims. I like how cases are worked on, methodically at times, with bursts of inspiration. The story moves along nicely, keeps you hooked and the result is always satisfying. Only one book left in this series. I look forward to reading it, but not finishing it. (4 stars)"
"A Killing Frost by R.D. Wingfield is the sixth and final book in the Inspector Frost mystery series, set in the English town of Denton. The books inspired a long running TV series starring David Jason. While the books all have a certain sameness, it is a comfortable, welcoming sameness.
In this story, we find Frost's job once again hanging by a thread. His boss, Police Superintendent Mullett, who hates Frost and never willingly supports him, has brought in Detective Chief Inspector to do his dirty work for him and either have Frost fired or moved to a new police district. Skinner is a particularly unlikeable character who just wants to make everybody miserable, hang them out to dry for any errors and reap all the rewards for any of their successes.
While Frost must deal with this, he is also kept busy working on countless cases, with his staff reduced to a minimum as Mullett has volunteered the majority of the station to help with a drug investigation in another district. So Frost and his willing and mostly capable remainder investigate the discovery of a body, blackmailing at a local grocery chain, missing girls and other smaller cases. As always, Frost blunders as much as he succeeds. He is a capable, very likeable person, curmudgeonly and a bit of a dinosaur, but his heart is in the right place. He is especially distressed by the missing girls and works gamely to come to a solution before more bodies turn up.
As you read the Frost series, you will see similarities between all of them, but you will, nonetheless, enjoy them immensely. Frost is tireless, working on little to no sleep and pushing his team to follow his style.
The Frost series has been a favourite of mine and I'm sad that RD Wingfield is no longer with us to continue writing such an enjoyable character. (4 stars)"
It's a great, entertaining series. Check it out. Have a great, safe week. 😷
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