A Reading Update and My Continuing Look at my Favorite Authors

 I finished another book today, my 10th of August. It was a new author for me, the first book in a series of 3 so far. Loved it. I'll provide my review of that shortly. I'll also provide the synopsis of the next book I'm taking on, another new series for me. (Convenient since one of my 2020 Reading challenges was to start new series.) I'll also continue with my look at my Favorite authors. 

Just Finished

1. Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann (Ellie Cooper #1).

"Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann is the first of 3 books featuring Ellie Cooper, a young American, an Iraqi War vet and now a woman struggling with post traumatic stress issues and pain from a war bombing, now living in China. I have to say this story grabbed me right from the get-go, drew me in and held my interest until the very end. Excellent first book.

The story starts in China. Ellie lives there, now separated from her cheating husband, Trey, struggling with her issues and surviving on her medical benefits and working part time at a bar. She is in a semi-relationship with a Chinese artist Lao Zhang, spending time with him and also sharing a flat with another Chinese computer geek, Chuckie. The story moves from events in China to her time in Iraq as an Army medic and the development of a relationship with Trey (Military Intelligence) and traumatic events she sees and in some ways participates in. 

Back in China, Ellie finds herself involved in 'something'. It all revolves around an Uighur man who is staying with Lao Zhang. American security personnel are interested and also Chinese security officials follow and interrogate Ellie. The whole story is fascinating and action packed, some quite disturbing. Ellie is something of an anti-hero; suffering constant pain, finding it difficult to trust anyone and having her own dark secrets. The story moves around China as Ellie both tries to evade her 'enemies' and tries to communicate with Lao Zhang. Very interesting concept as they move also through an internet game world, using avatars to communicate.

Ellie is definitely an interesting, multi-dimensional character, a person unsure of what she must do and often just reacting to situations. Her friends are all interesting and the story and situations all just grab your attention. I don't want to ruin the story but suffice it to say that you will find it difficult to put down and will find some satisfaction with an excellent ending. (5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Hag's Nook by John Dickson Carr (Gideon Fell #1).

"In his detecting debut, larger than life lexicographer Dr. Gideon Fell is entertaining young American college graduate Tad Rampole at Yew Cottage, Fell's charming home in the English countryside. Within sight of his study window is the ruin of Chatterham Prison, perched high on a precipice known as Hag's Nook. The prison's land belongs to the Starberth family—whose eldest sons must each spend an hour in the prison's eerie "Governor's Room" to inherit the family fortune.

Rampole is especially interested in the family, having met the young and beautiful Dorothy Starberth on the train from London. He readily agrees when Fell and the local reverend, Thomas Saunders, ask him to accompany them as they watch and wait for badly frightened Martin Starberth to complete 'his hour' in the prison. Martin has every reason to be afraid; more than one Starberth heir has met an untimely end. Will his turn come tonight?"

My Favorite Authors - Barbara Cleverly

Barbara Cleverly

Barbara Cleverly is an English author, born in Yorkshire in 1940. She has written two series, one featuring Scotland Yard Inspector Joe Sandilands and another featuring architect, Laetitia Talbot. So far I've just tried the first series and enjoyed very much. As I recall, the first book was ok and the stories just improved with each new one. I've read five books in the Sandilands series so far. In the fifth, Sandilands has returned from a working trip to India and is now again working at Scotland Yard. So let's take a look at this series. 

1. The Last Kashmiri Rose (2001).

"In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case.

Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice knowing the next victim is already marked to die." (3 stars)

2. Ragtime in Simla (2002).

"World War I hero and Scotland Yard detective Joe Sandilands is traveling to Simla, summer capital of the British Raj, when he is thrust abruptly—and bloodily—into his second case of serial murder: His traveling companion, a Russian opera singer, is shot dead at his side in the Governor of Bengal's touring car at a crossroads known as Devil's Elbow. Like Cleverly's award-winning and enthusiastically reviewed The Last Kashmiri Rose, which debuted Sandilands, Ragtime in Simla effectively combines exotic settings with high suspense in a deftly plotted tale of 1920s India. At Simla, in the pine-scented Himalayan hills, the English colonials have re-created a bit of home with half-timbered houses, glittering dinner tables, amateur theatricals, and gymkhanas. But when Joe's murder investigation turns up an identical unsolved killing a year earlier, he begins to uncover behind the close-knit community's sparkling façade a sinister trail of blackmail, vice, and deadly secrets." (3 stars)

3. The Damascened Blade (2003).

"This is the third Joe Sandilands mystery I've read and it's my favorite so far. The setting is fantastic; what is now Pakistan, on the frontier border with the Khyber Pass. The characters are well-crafted; I enjoy Sandilands and I particularly liked Lily, the spirited American girl. The mystery was interesting and the story as well; well-written and well-paced. Barbara Cleverly clearly has found her stride and I'm now looking forward to getting the next book in the series. Well-done! ( 4 stars)"

4. The Palace Tiger (2004).

"This is the 4th book in the Joe Sandilands mystery series, so far set in India during the time of the Raj. Sandilands is a Scotland Yard commander who, in the first book, was seconded to the British police in India to teach law enforcement techniques to the Indian police and to learn from them as well. In the 4 books he has also worked for Sir George Jardine, the governor of Bengal, travelling around India solving various mysteries and acting as Sir George's eyes and ears in outlying areas. 

This story finds Sandilands in Ranipur, looking into the suspicious deaths of two heirs to the throne of the prince who is also dying. As well, he is to assist if possible with tracking and killing a tiger that has been killing local people. I like the pace of the story and I've grown to like Sandilands, his detective style and his personality. The mystery is interesting and worked at methodically and this allows Barbara Cleverly to give an excellent portrayal of the region and of life in the Raj at the time. The story isn't complex but it's still an entertaining read. I will now have to find the next in the series, The Bee's Kiss, which finds Sandilands returning to London. I'm looking forward to seeing him in action in more familiar turf for him. 3.5 stars."

5. The Bee's Kiss (2005).

"The Bee's Kiss by Barbara Cleverly is the 5th book in her historical mystery series featuring Scotland Yard Inspector Joe Sandilands. The series is set after WWI. The first four books found Sandilands assigned as a special investigator in India. In this fifth novel, Joe is back in London, now back with Scotland Yard and called to investigate the murder of Dame Beatrice Jagow-Joliffe who was found murdered in her room at the Ritz hotel. Two police officers, Det Sgt Bill Armitage and a female Constable, Tilly Westthorpe, were both on site when the crime was committed, Tilly as a guest at party and Armitage on security detail, keeping an eye open for a cat burglar who had been making the rounds. Both are assigned to Sandilands team.

The investigation kind of wanders hither and thither. The team travels up to the Dame's home outside of London and finds a place with lots of friction. There is one very lovely character that we meet there, Dorcas, daughter of the Dame's brother, Orlando. There are a number of suspects, including the brother, a boyfriend of Beatrice, her lady's companion as well. It turns out that Beatrice was a leading light in the WREN's during WWI and an excellent cryptographer. She continued to be involved with this organization. 

The mystery includes the impending miner's strike, Bolshevists, maybe German spies and other possible intrigues. Sandilands is told to wrap up the investigation from the top but continues on his own, with help from his team and others in Scotland Yard. It took me awhile to get into this story, but I warmed to it. There were many good characters and the little twists and turns in the investigation added to the intrigue. Sandilands is a light-hearted character, a bit of a ladies man and intelligent. I enjoyed the ending and the overall story. Number 6 sits on my bookshelf, awaiting my attention (3.5 stars)"

So there you go. I have the next Sandilands' mystery and the 1st Laetitia Talbot mystery on my book shelves. The complete listing of Cleverly's works can be found at this link.

My next entry will be my mid-week music medley. Enjoy the rest of your night. If you're watching the RNC convention, wear ear defenders if the shouting form last night is carried forward.

A New Book and My Favorite Authors Continued

It was a good morning, weather - wise cool and wet. And when I turned on the computer I discovered that ex-Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon had been arrested and charged with wire fraud and other things. Made me very happy. Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss is my new hero. She also was the one who arrested Guylaine Maxwell. And a judge also told Trump's lawyers that they need to shut up and turn over his tax records to NY DA Cyrus Vance. Of course, he's already appealed but it's nice to see him getting things thrown at him. The man is insane and dangerous for America and the world.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was a highlight

Last night's Democratic Convention was another excellent show, so many strong women and President Barack Obama and future VP Kamala Harris. Two moments really hit me (Jo too for that matter). Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was very powerful. Almost 10 years ago she was severely injured in an assassination attempt in which six other people, including a 9-year old child, were killed. Gabby suffered severe brain damage and has been working hard on her recovery, still struggling with speech. Jo said she heard that Gabby has been working on this speech for the past 8 months and it was the most she's spoken since she was shot. So brave.

Estella

The other part that struck me was from eleven-year old Estella Juarez, a Florida girl, whose mother was an immigrant who joined the US Marines and then was deported by Trump's racist administration. After serving in Iraq. She read the letter she had written to Trump. So powerful as well. (A link to the article)

So anyway, as I said I do feel great. Today anyway. So about books. I received one book in the mail today. I'll provide the synopsis of the book. I'll also continue with my look at my favorite authors, today one of the Grand Dames of mystery.

New Books

1. Situation Tragedy by Simon Brett (Charles Paris #7). I highlighted Brett in one of my first posts on my Favorite Authors (See this link if you want to check him out)

"'Is everything all right?' the producer kept asking, and for a while everything was. The Strutters was destined to be the situation comedy hit of the year, with just the right mix of stars and schmaltz - along with none other than hard-drinking Charles Paris in the role of (irony of ironies!) the barman. But before Charles could get used to being in a megahit, things began going wrong."

Favorite Authors - Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

I've highlighted Dame Agatha Christie previously. Back in the day, when I was in high school I tried a couple of her stories and remember enjoying them. I also remember being frustrated by the endings; you know how it is... You are merrily reading along and think you might have it figured out and then it turns out it was the milk man who you met absolutely once in the story. (exaggeration there, but you get the gist). Anyway, when I began exploring the mystery novel again, I thought I'd try a few of her mysteries. Well, there you go, I'm hooked. Such an excellent author. So since I've begun getting into her stories again I've read 12 of her books, some Miss Marple, some Hercule Poirot and some others. 

1. The Seven Dials Mystery (1929).

"I enjoyed this Agatha Christie mystery very much. It had quite a different feel to it from the Miss Marple and Poirot mysteries. Dare I say, it was almost an adult Nancy Drew (ish) style mystery; mainly due to the fact that the protagonists were young people, rather than the more mature sleuths that Christie peopled her stories with. You find wealthy, carefree, Lady Eileen (aka Bundle) Brent and Jimmy Thesiger and their acquaintances trying to solve the murders of two of their friends. What it the Seven Dials group? Who are the mysterious members? I thought it was a pretty standard thriller/ mystery, but in the last section, there were many twists and turns and any guesses I had about the culprit and the mysterious group were turned on their heads. Excellent story. (4 stars)"

2. N of M? (1941).

"Loved it. My first Tommy and Tuppence book and I enjoyed so very much. Intrepid spies from the First World War, sort of put out to pasture at the start of the 2nd. But they manage to get an assignment with the government trying to find out who are the German Fifth columnists at a resort hotel on the coast. Interesting, well-paced story, Tommy and Tuppence are a lovely couple, the guests are all suspicious. Excellent! (4 stars)"

3. The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948).

"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 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, i.e., Marple is listening to stories or telling them and solving them, but not necessarily participating in the actual mystery. Sounds neat, eh? (4 stars)"

4. The Body in the Library (1942).

"The Body In The Library is the 2nd Jane Marple mystery by Agatha Christie, originally published in 1941. A body is discovered at the estate of the Bantry's, a couple who are friends of Miss Marple. both Mr. and Mrs. Bantry do not recognize the young lady when interrogated by the local police. Mrs. Bantry asks Jane Marple to help as she knows that Jane has a knack for solving crimes.

When the girl is identified, it turns out she was a dancer at a hotel down the road from St Mary Mead. While the police investigate, Mrs. Bantry takes Jane to the hotel to conduct their own investigations. As well Sir Henry Clithering, a retired police commissioner is asked to help out by Conway Jefferson, resident at the hotel and a friend of the victim. 

Christie writes in a clear, concise, eminently readable tale. Miss Marple plays more of a role in this story than I remember from her first appearance. She's an excellent character and I find it interesting that in the books, so far at least, that the police seem to respect her input more than they seem to do so in the TV movies. I may be wrong there.

As always there are many suspects and they are all viable. Miss Marple seems to grasp the case with very little information and moves along at a nice pace. There are nice little touches in the story. I especially liked the reference to autographs a young boy has from Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. She's the Alfred Hitchcock of novels, making appearances when you least expect it. 

Everything about the story was entertaining, the writing, the characters, the mystery itself and the solution, which just sort of happens but is still satisfying. The story stands the test of time and was an excellent cozy mystery. (4 stars)"

5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1921). This is Christie's first novel and the intro do Hercule Poirot.

"The first Agatha Christie novel, it introduces her famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. It's been many years since I've read an Agatha Christie mystery, although I've seen many Christie mysteries on TV and at the movies. It was extremely enjoyable to reintroduce myself to her stories. There was humor and an interesting story. As per normal, there many twists and turns, many suspects and an ultimately satisfying conclusion. I will definitely be reading more of her mysteries. (4 stars)"

6. The Clocks (1963).

"I am so glad that I started exploring Agatha Christie a few years ago. She is such a great writer. The Clocks is #37 in her Hercule Poirot series. I enjoyed this mystery very much.

Poirot basically plays a very small role in this particular story. The story focuses on Colin Lamb, a British spy, and son of a friend of Poirot (indications are it might be Superintendent Battle) and Detective Inspector Hardcastle, Lamb's friend and the main investigator. Poirot is invited to assist by Lamb, as he feels Poirot is bored with his life. Poirot for the most part provides questions and information but from the comfort of his apartment.

Sheila Webb works for a typing agency and she is sent (after being asked for by name) to provide typing services for Miss Pebmarsh, a blind woman. What she finds when she arrives at Miss Pebmarsh's house instead is the dead body of a man. Miss Pebmarsh arrives shortly after and Sheila runs from the home screaming, crashing into Colin Lamb, who is wandering up and down the street looking for a specific house. This brings along DI Hardcastle. 

It turns out that the body is unidentifiable and that Miss Pebmarsh didn't ask for secretarial assistance. Lamb and Hardcastle investigate. Lamb also is looking for an enemy spy and his investigation might cross into the murder investigation. Lamb continues to provide information to Poirot and also travels to the continent as part of his spy investigation. There are many interesting aspects to the investigation, especially the 4 additional clocks that sit on the mantlepiece in Miss Pebmarsh's house. 

It's a nice, light, interesting mystery. The characters are all well created, especially Lamb and Hardcastle and the possible suspects are all entertaining. For some reason, I found this story particularly clear and logically formatted. It moves along smoothly step by step to the end, when Monsieur Poirot comes in to provide the links for the solution. I also enjoyed the portion where Poirot, who has taken up reading mysteries to ease his boredom, provides an analysis of various other mysteries, especially some that I've read. One of the most enjoyable I've read so far. (4.5 stars)"

7. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and a Selection of Entrées (1960).

"An entertaining collection of short stories, with all but one featuring Hercule Poirot. The final story, Greenshaw's Folly is a Miss Marple story. I recognized the basic plots of some from the TV series but the stories and results were for the most part nice and fresh. Every story was enjoyable. I liked the investigations and the solutions. It's been so nice to get into Christie's works and mysteries. I don't know why I didn't sooner. If you want a nice quick, enjoyable selection of mysteries, this is the book for you. (3 stars)"

8. Peril at End House (1932).

"Finishing off 2014 with a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries. Peril at End House was originally published in 1931 and features super sleuth Hercule Poirot. In this story, Poirot is living a retired life, spending some time on the coast with his friend Hastings who has returned from Argentina. He becomes involved in a case of attempted murder of a young woman, Miss Nick Buckley, and is frustrated trying to solve the case and keep her alive. All of the suspects seem innocent and Poirot even begins to doubt his own abilities. Has retirement made him rusty? Is he getting too old? An interesting story and an interesting case. I've enjoyed getting back into Agatha Christie's writing in 2014. (4 stars)"

9. The Secret Adversary (1922). This was the first book in the Tommy and Tuppence series.

"The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie is the first book utilizing the wonderful detective skills of Tommy and Tuppence, who eventually appeared in 4 of Christie's novels. In The Secret Adversary Tommy and Tuppence meet by chance, both looking for work and struggling to make ends meet. They decide to form up an agency, The Young Adventurers and put an ad in the newspaper. Surprisingly they get a job, trying to find a young American woman. This woman survived the sinking of the Lusitania and was supposedly carrying important documents, which if they fell into the hands of the enemy, might destroy the fabric of society of Britain. The woman is also being hunted by the mysterious, super spy, Mr. Brown. The story is a race against time, with many suspects as Tommy and Tuppence must use their wits to solve the mystery and fine the woman and the document. I've seen the TV series starring Jessica Raine and David Walliams as the intrepid duo. There are differences between the book and the series but both were enjoyable, entertaining mysteries/ adventures. Agatha Christie never disappoints. (3 stars)"

10.  The Man in the Brown Suit (1924).

"The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie is one of those without either of Christie's famous sleuths, Marple or Poirot. Instead the hero is one Anne Bedingfield. She spent her early life with her father, basically a secretary helping him with his anthropological work.

Anne, during a visit to London after the death of her father, is on hand to observe the death of a man in the subway. Was it murder, suicide, an accident? She discovers a piece of paper in his pocket, which leads her to what she thinks might be a related death at a house near London.

These events begin to involve Anne in a series of events, attempts on her life, etc and a journey to South Africa. Intrepid and seeking adventure, she searches for the mysterious Colonel, finds herself in the company of Colonel Race (Is he Secret Service?) Suzanne, wife of a British civil servant, Sir Eustace, a somewhat lazy rich Englishman on his way to deliver secret documents to the South African government, and the Man in the Brown Suit (is he a murderer or a spy or can she trust him?)

There is romance, adventure, fun and games, stolen diamonds, intrigue and a darn good mystery with, for me at least, a nicely satisfying and surprising ending. I really liked Anne Bedingfield and Suzanne, strong, spunky, independent women and I liked the story a lot. I keep discovering that Agatha Christie does not disappoint. (4 stars)"

11. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926). If I recall, this was the book that made me stop reading Agatha Christie's stories originally, but I might be wrong. Having read it for a second time, I admit it... I was wrong!

"I don't want to say too much about this story as I don't want to ruin a surprising, excellent ending. Suffice it to say that Hercule Poirot is once again, superb. He leads you on an excellent journey as he gathers facts, drops clues and ultimately satisfyingly solves a very interesting mystery. I liked the characters, the story (comfort food for the mind) and the resolution. Nice to read a story that pleasantly surprised me.. (4 stars)"

and finally.....

12. The Murder at the Vicarage (1930). This is the first Miss Marple mystery.

"A most enjoyable introduction to the Miss Marple series of mysteries. I particularly enjoyed how the story was presented, with the Vicar being the story teller. Miss Marple is almost in the shadows, as the Vicar wanders around town on his own or with the police inspector, chatting with people, hearing the ideas and thoughts. Miss Marple is a watcher, a wise lady, who observes and figures things out. The Vicar meets with her regularly, discussing ideas, clues and gaining her insight. I loved the story, loved trying to figure things out (for the most part, unsuccessfully) and I loved the main characters, the Vicar and his lovely young wife, Griselda and Miss Marple especially. The story was fun and a pleasure to read. I was even happy with the ending, more than satisfied as Miss Marple presented her findings and solution. Loved it! (5 stars)"

There you go. As you can see from that sampling, Agatha Christie's stories are wide and varied and excellent. The complete listing of her works can be found at this link.

Take care!

A Reading Update and My Favorite Author Continued

I finished one book the last day of July. I'll update that and the book that replaced it. I'll also get back to my look at my favorite authors. My explanation of my new theme can be found here if you've forgotten or are new to my BLog.

Just Finished

My July focus author/ genre was Graham Greene. My second Greene book of the month was the last book of July.

1. England Made Me by Graham Greene.

"England Made Me was the 5th novel by Graham Greene, originally published in 1935. Anthony Farrant comes back from lying and cheating his way through the Far East and Middle East, returning to meet his twin sister, Kate, who works for a Swedish businessman, Eric Krogh.

Anthony has grifted through his life, living from hand to mouth. His sister wants him to settle in Sweden, promising him a job with Krogh. Krogh is a crook himself, wheeling and dealing in stocks as he tries to advance his empire in the US. Anthony takes a job as a sort of body guard, but doesn't really want it.

He meets an English girl on holiday with her parents and is torn between staying with his sister and going back to England to be closer to Lou.. Also in the mix is an English reporter, an expat living in Sweden, trying to make a living getting stories about Krogh.

It's an interesting wandering type story, moving from one character to another. As Anthony begins to discover more and more the type of person Krogh is, he has to decide on a course of action. This will lead to the climatic ending. Greene isn't necessarily an easy author to read but his stories are always unique and different. I've been enjoying my exploration of his works (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

My August theme is SciFi / Fantasy.

1. Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky.

"The novel that spawned the video-game: It's post-apocalypse Moscow. After the nuclear holocaust, a new fear is born, underground

The year is 2033, the world has been reduced to rubble, and humanity is nearly extinct, half-destroyed cities having become uninhabitable through radiation. Beyond their boundaries, they say, lie endless burned-out deserts and the remains of splintered forests. Man has handed over stewardship of the earth to new life-forms—mutated by radiation, they are better adapted to the new world. A few score thousand human survivors live on in the Moscow Metro—the biggest air-raid shelter ever built. Stations have become mini-statelets, their people uniting around ideas, religions, water-filters—or the simple need to repulse an enemy incursion. It is a world without a tomorrow, and feelings have given way to instinct—the most important of which is survival, at any price.

VDNKh, the northernmost inhabited station on its line, remains secure—but now a new and terrible threat has appeared. Artyom, a young man living in VDNKh, is given the task of penetrating to the heart of the Metro, to the legendary Polis, to alert everyone to the awful danger and to get help. In his hands he holds the future of his native station, the Metro, and perhaps the whole of humanity."

My Favorite Authors - M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton (born Marion Chesney) lived from 1936 - 2019. She romance and mysteries under a number of pseudonyms. I'm mainly concerned with her two cozy mystery series, one featuring Scottish police officer Hamish MacBeth and the other featuring local sleuth Agatha Raisin. Before she died, she wrote 34 books in the MacBeth series and 31 Agatha Raisins. Thus far I've enjoyed 3 of the Hamish MacBeth books and 5 of the Agatha Raisin.

1. Death of a Gossip (MacBeth #1).

"A quick, entertaining intro to Constable Hamish MacBeth. A group of people come to his small town to be members of a fishing class. One of them, Lady Jane, is troublesome, causing problems with all of the others, seems to have bits of info/ gossip on each. She is found murdered. Constable MacBeth is pushed aside by the outside police who think he is a hick and just in the way. Casually, MacBeth does his own investigation and well, you can find out how it all ends. Likable and pragmatic, I liked the good Constable and enjoyed the story. I have other Hamish MacBeth mysteries on my shelf, looking forward to reading more. (3 stars)"

2. Death of a Cad (MacBeth #2).

"Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton is the second book in her Hamish Macbeth mystery series. I've read more of Beaton's Agatha Raisin books, but actually I think I might prefer the Macbeth series (don't get me wrong, both are entertaining reads.)

In Death of a Cad, the Halburton-Smythes invite a group of 'friends' to their estate in Scotland to celebrate the engagement of their daughter, Priscilla, to playwright Henry Withering. At the party, boorish cad, Captain Bartlett insults most of the people there and the next morning is found dead of an apparent hunting accident.

This brings in Hamish Macbeth, the local constable, and a man who is in love with Priscilla (but not deemed acceptable to Priscilla's snobbish parents) to try and solve what he thinks is a murder. Detectives are brought in from the bigger next town and they disagree with Macbeth and indicate that it was just an accident. Even though he's been shoved aside, Macbeth continues to investigate.

All in all it's an entertaining story, lots of interesting characters, a nicely woven mystery and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed this very much and the more I got into it, the more I wanted to see how it was resolved, ultimately very satisfactorily. I look forward to the next book in line. (4 stars)"

3. Death of an Outsider (MacBeth #3).

"Death of an Outsider is the 3rd book in M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery series set in Scotland. Constable Macbeth has been ordered to replace Sgt MacGregor of Cnothan for three months while the Sgt is taking his vacation. That means taking his dog Towzer out of his comfortable residence at Lochdubh and bus down to this dour town. Strangers aren't popular there and the place reminds me of the town the League of Gentleman. Well, maybe not quite so strange. But Hamish is very unhappy. What if the love of his life, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe returns and he's not there?

Hamish is not made too welcome when he arrives but he is a voluble, competent individual and gradually makes inroads to the community. Luckily for him, living next door to the police station is a lovely Canadian Jenny Lovelace makes his situation somewhat more bearable. Things happen fairly quickly. He is asked to investigate the attack on Mrs. Mainwaring, the wife of an Englishman who has made himself very unpopular in the community. Supposedly she was scared by three women dressed as witches. Local scoundrels send him on wild goose chases but Hamish does make his presence known and deals quite satisfactorily with them.

At some point, a skeleton is discovered on the moors. There is more to this discovery, incidents that lead up to it, but I won't ruin that portion of the story for you. Suffice it to say that it's quite an interesting story. The discovery of the skeleton means that Hamish's arch enemy, Inspector Blair is sent to Cnothan to head the investigation. Blair doesn't like MacBeth because he solved previous cases which Blair had been investigating. Blair doesn't really want to investigate and he sends Hamish hither and yon to keep him out of the way. The problem is that Hamish is a good, sound copper and we know he'll come up smelling of roses anyway.

All in all, it's an entertaining, cozy, quick read and quite enjoyable. The people are all interesting and the crime is also unique. Most enjoyable, fun mystery. I'll continue enjoying this series. (4 stars)"

4. Agatha Raisin & the Quiche of Death (Agatha #1).

"A fun, cozy, entertaining mystery. First in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha has retired from a life in London, sold her advertising business and moved to the Cotwswold, an area she had always dreamed of living in. Trying to fit in to the community, she decides to enter a baking contest and wanting to get off to a fast start, she buys a quiche in London instead of making her own. Of course, a death results, is the quiche to blame? Agatha finds herself embroiled in a mystery, still trying to fit in, wanting to throw in the towel and move back to London. A nicely paced story, with a crusty main character, Agatha Raisin, and fun supporting cast of Bill Wong, the policeman and her ex-employee, Roy, plus others, you will be entertained and will want to read more of the series. 3.5 stars.."

5. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (Agatha #2).

"A nice cozy mystery, featuring Agatha Raisin, retired advertising executive, who has settled in the Cotswolds. Agatha still lusts after her neighbour, ex military man, confirmed bachelor, James Lacey, but he continues to run away from any advances. A new veterinarian moves into town and has all the eligible women chasing after him. But there is something off about the fellow and soon he is found dead (or maybe murdered?). Agatha and James get involved in the investigation, hijinks ensue. Don't expect anything deep or thoughtful, just a fun light read. Looking forward to my next break with Agatha.. :) (3 stars)"

6. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (Agatha #3).

"When Agatha Raisin comes home to cozy Carsely and finds that a new woman has piqued the interest of her handsome bachelor neighbor, James Lacey, she’s less than thrilled. The beautiful newcomer to the Cotswolds, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way—especially when it comes to gardening—and Agatha is suddenly seeing nothing but green. If only a nice juicy murder would come along to remind James of Agatha’s genius for investigation. When a series of mysterious assaults on the town’s finest gardens is followed by a shocking murder, Agatha gets her wish. Seizing the moment, she immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up details about the victim—who, as it turns out, may just have some hidden dirt of her own…" (3 stars)

7. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (Agatha #4).

"This is the fourth Agatha Raisin mystery and it was a nice, light, fun read, as were the others. Agatha returns to her cottage in the Cotswolds after spending a joyless time back in the city working as a PR agent. Even though successful, she realizes that being in London brings out the worst in her and she is happy to return to Carsley. Immediately she is caught up in trying to help solve a murder of an obnoxious Rambler from a nearby town, Dembley. Her neighbour, James, agrees to help her and they head off to Dembley, pretending to be a married couple who want to join the Walkers of Dembley. Poor Agatha is a bundle of mixed emotions; does she love James, does he love her, all the time trying to figure out who the murderer is. A comfort, easy read, but as always very entertaining. 3 stars."

8. Agatha Raisin & the Murderous Marriage (Agatha #5).

"Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage is the 5th book in M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, cozy... ish mystery series set in the Cotswolds of England.

In episode 5, Agatha is finally about to marry the man she's fallen in love with since she retired from the advertising business and moved to her small town in the Cotswolds, her neighbour James Lacey. Unfortunately her life will take a harsh step backwards when her ex-advertising friend, Roy Silver, in a spiteful move hires a detective to find her ex-husband Jimmy Raisin. Agatha left Jimmy many years ago when she discovered him to be an alcoholic, violent husband. She has assumed that he is probably dead, but Roy's detective finds Jimmy and Roy tells him that Agatha is about to marry. Roy immediately feels bad about this, but Jimmy still turns up at the wedding to ruin Agatha's life.

Thing begin to fall to pieces very quickly. James Lacey in a fit of depression heads off to northern Cyprus to hide out from the fiasco and Jimmy is found dead in a ditch. The police, including Agatha's friend, Bill Wong, bring James back and both he and Agatha are immediately suspected of the murder. When they are determined to be innocent, the duo decide that they have to find the killer so their lives can return to some sort of normalcy. Agatha is forced to room with James as she had sold her house due to the impending nuptials. The new owner gives off a bad first impression, being irascible and off-putting.

As Agatha and James begin their investigation, they also re-examine their lives together as either a couple or just friends, or... what? Bill Wong is in lust with a new female police officer but she tests his friendship with Agatha. As bodies begin to crop up the tension mounts and while the police tell the duo to stop interfering, Agatha and James expand their investigation.

All in all, it's an entertaining story. Agatha is a neat character, strong at times but also nicely emotional. She must examine her feelings deeply in this story, feelings for James, feelings for her decision to retire and move to the Cotswolds. It's a nice, quick moving story and well-written with a satisfying ending. I'm glad there a still a few more books to read in this series as it's always a joy to delve into Agatha's life and those of her friends. (4 stars)"

So there you go. If you like cozy mysteries, Beaton is a past expert. Her complete catalogue can be found at this link.

Enjoy your upcoming week.

Favorite Authors - Nevada Barr

OK, it has to be said. I know it's only 3 games in but STUPID BLUE JAYS! OK, that feels better. Congratulations to Brighton Seagulls for staying up another year in the Premiership.

It's a hot day today and we're watching a Father Brown, enjoying a slight breeze. I haven't finished any more books yet but hope.

Favorite Authors - Nevada Barr

Nevada Barr

Nevada Barr is an American mystery writer. She was born in Nevada in 1952 and since 1993 has been writing one of my favorite mystery series featuring US National Park Ranger, Anna Pigeon. She has written 19 books in the series and since I discovered her in early 2000, I've read 13 so far. Barr has also written 4 standalone novels. I will highlight those novels where I've actually provided a review as I didn't begin doing so until I was on Goodreads, around 2010. So let's check out Nevada Barr.

I have not read this series in order, although I've tried to correct that more recently.

1. Deep South (#8 / 2000).

"Deep South is the 8th book in the Anna Pigeon mystery series by Nevada Barr. I have read 10 or so books in the series and I have to say this is one of the better ones.

Anna Pigeon is a Park Ranger for the US National Park Service. Each story highlights a different national park around the US. In this story, Anna decides to bite the bullet and apply for a promotion and gets the job as District Ranger on the Natchez Trace in Mississippi. With some trepidation she moves to this new job; it being a new area for her and she feeling somewhat nervous about becoming a boss and dealing with the the administrative aspect of the job and of having to lead Rangers instead of just being one.

She gets off to a somewhat rocky start as her two subordinates feel some resentment in being bossed by a woman and leave her to her own devices in the first two incidents. Anna gets involved in a ruckus at the campground where she is housed, two cars of teenagers causing problems with the campers. During this Anna discovers a young girl, drunk an abandoned. It turns out another girl is missing and she is found later, nearby and unfortunately, murdered. The body has been covered by a white hood with eye holes cut out and a noose placed around her neck. During the upcoming investigation, Anna and her two rangers and the local sheriff must keep racial implications in the back of the mind.

In its way, it's one of the more straight-forward mysteries of this series. As incident after incident crops up, Anna deals with it and continues with the investigation. She is threatened by an alligator (maybe left at her place on purpose), she deals with feelings for this new sheriff, she deals with the obstructionism of her deputy rangers and all the time she learns of her new district and continues to investigate.

It's an excellent mystery, lots of tension and sufficient action to satisfy you. Anna must deal with being somewhat of a stranger in a strange land, being a woman, white and a Northerner in this area of the US. The story works on many levels. My one minor complaint is that I find it somewhat difficult to believe that she would gain such familiarity with the areas so quickly, since she only just arrived there. But it's a minor complaint as the story is totally engrossing. And, you'll understand this when you read it. Give you doggie a hug. Excellent story! (4 stars)"

2. Endangered Species (#5 / 1997).

"The Anna Pigeon books are comfort food. I always enjoy entering Anna's life and finding out about which National Park she will be working at. In this story she is in Cumberland Island Park in Georgia as a Fire fighter, there with other Park Service employees just in case. Also in the mix are the Loggerhead turtles, coming ashore during their annual migration to lay their eggs and as well, a plane crash and possible murder. The story meanders through the mystery, Anna is lovely as ever. I also liked the bits involving Frederick, her FBI friend in Chicago, and her sister in New York who is receiving threatening letters and phone calls. All in all, I enjoyed very much and look forward to my next Anna Pigeon mystery, Blind Descent, set in Carlsbad Caverns, NM. (3 stars)"

3. Hard Truth (#13 / 2005).

"Since I discovered the Anna Pigeon series a few years back, I've tried to read one or two every year or so. Hard Truth by Nevada Barr is the 13th book in the series and the 12th I've read so far. Anna Pigeon is a US Park Ranger and each book is generally set in a different US National Park, where Anna has found herself transferred for one reason or another.

In Hard Truth, Anna, newly married, has been transferred to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, filling the position of district ranger. This will mean a year away from her husband who stays back at Natchez, Mississippi. She has arrived at this position as the park has conducted a search for 3 lost girls, all belonging to a religious commune that resides just outside the park proper.

The story starts with Heath and her aunt Gwen Littleton who are camping in the park. Heath is an ex-mountain climber who was paralyzed in a fall and is still adjusting to her new life as a paraplegic and not going about the process too smoothly. The two discover two of the lost girls, both traumatized, both suffering injuries and dehydration. This brings Anna into the situation as well. The story now moves between the two women, Heath coping with her new limited body and trying to help one of the young girls, Beth, or as she calls her, the limpet. Anna, while working to learn the job in her new area and also to learn more about the other rangers who work there also works to discover where the other lost girl might be and who might have been involved in kidnapping them. The two girls, themselves, still traumatized, offer not too many clues as to what happened to them.

It's is at times a slow-paced story but still very interesting as Anna tries to sort things out in her mind and to find clues to what might have happened. We get a decent view of the park as well. The story gets darker and grittier as it moves along and the pace picks up rapidly as everything starts to fall together. There are many suspects that Anna must try to sort through and in the end must try to close out the case all the while trying to keep herself, the girls, Heath, and others alive from a dangerous, psychotic killer. As in most of her stories, Nevada Barr doesn't disappoint. (4 stars)"

4. Track of the Cat (#1 / 1993).

"A very good intro to the Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a US Park Ranger/ Law enforcement officer. In this story she is working at a National Park in West Texas and discovers a dead park ranger. This discovery leads Anna to try and solve what she perceives as the Rangers' murder. Nevada Barr describes the park setting extremely well and develops Anna's character nicely. I've read other Barr mysteries but it's nice to finally read the first in the series. (3 stars)"

5. Liberty Falling (#7 / 1999).

"Another comfort read from Nevada Barr. In the 7th book in this excellent series, we find our intrepid National Park ranger, Anna Pigeon, on a leave of absence, in New York, watching over her psychologist sister, Molly, who is critically ill. Anna is staying with her friend Patsy who is the chief administrator at the national park on Liberty and Ellis Islands. Even though preoccupied with her sister's health, Anna finds herself embroiled in a mysterious death on Liberty Island. The story moves along a nice pace, sometimes a bit slowly, as Anna moves between the hospital and her off-duty investigation of a young girl's death, presumed suicide. Nevada Barr knows how to string along a neat mystery and to build the tension to an exciting climax. Always entertaining to read, I enjoyed this latest installment and look forward to visiting with Anna soon to see what new National Park will find her embroiled in a mystery. (3 stars)"

6. Winter Study (#14 / 2008).

"I like Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon mystery series very much. Anna is a US Park Ranger who finds herself assigned to work in the varied National Parks in the US each book. Each book lets you have a view of new areas of the US and at the same time people the stories with interesting characters and thrilling mysteries. In Winter Study, for the first time in the series, Anna returns to a park she's worked at before. This is Isle Royale National Park, an island park located in Lake Superior near Michigan.

As you can guess from the title, the story takes place in mid-winter, as Anna joins a group of scientists who are conducting the annual study of the wolf packs that reside at Isle Royale. At the same time, a representative of Homeland Security is visiting to gauge whether the park should be open year round (it closes in the winter normally), as Canada is such a threat to US security (the last comment is a joke of course, but the park being on the border with another country is a security concern)

So you've got winter conditions, a group of people isolated on a frigid island and a mystery. Call it the 'And then there Were none scenario'. Nevada Barr ramps up the story and tension and creates an excellent story. We have the death of one of the members, people wandering off in the cold, wolves in the vicinity, extreme frigid temperatures and all add up to a tense, interesting story.

There are frustrating thriller scenarios; why do people wander off on their own and why don't the others seem to notice or to care, that sort of thing. Anna gets beaten and frozen but she's a tough lady and always manages to work through these dangerous situations.

All in all, it's an interesting story, with surprising, even if maybe far-fetched results, but even so, in true thriller style, satisfying. I like Anna Pigeon very much. She's a strong-willed, stubborn, interesting woman and I've enjoyed pretty well all of this series so far. (3 stars)"

7. Blind Descent (#6 / 1998).

"Another solid Anna Pigeon mystery, this one is set in Carlsbad Caverns. Almost a parlor mystery in its inception as Anna's friend Frieda is injured in a closed cavern with limited people about to have committed the murder attempt. There are many claustrophobic periods as Anna crawls through narrow tunnels with other cavers trying to extricate Frieda. A totally new experience for me, this caver's world, both exciting and terrifying. The mystery broadens once the group is above surface, with many suspects. Excellent mystery all round and most enjoyable read. (3 stars)"

The complete listing of Nevada Barr's books can be found at this link.

Enjoy the upcoming week.