2027 Reading Challenges #1 - Agatha Christie et al

As I work through my reading challenges for this year, I've started thinking about what my challenges might be for 2027. I think I've pretty well sorted them out, although it's only October so the books I pick are subject to change. What I'm tentatively planning is 3 12 + 4 Reading Challenges and 5 Individual Challenges. Ove the next while, I'll periodically look at these challenges. Let's start with my first 12 + 4 Reading Challenge. (That means that I'll choose 16 books, 12 main ones and 4 alternates)

The Queens of Crime - Christie, Marsh, Sayers and Allingham

My first challenge features the 4 women crime writers, nicknamed the Queens of Crime during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. They were Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and Dorothy L. Sayers. I've been working through their works since I moved out to the West Coast in the early 2000's and at some point I hope to read all of their books. I've probably had more success with Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh, but this challenge will let me focus on the books I've got on my book shelf.

Agatha Christie is best known for her Hercule Poirot (39 books) & Miss Marple series (13 books) But she also wrote other series; Tommy and Tuppence, Colonel Race, etc., plus many standalones and short stories. Thus far, I've managed to read 23 of her books and I plan to read another ten in 2027. Margery Allingham is the creator of another sleuth, Albert Campion, and wrote 21 books in the series, mainly novels, some short story collections. Thus far, I've completed 12 of the series and plan to read two more in 2027. Ngaio Marsh is a New Zealander but set most of her Inspector Roderick Alleyn books in the UK. A few, set during the war years, were set in New Zealand. She wrote 33 books in the series and I've completed 20. I plan to read 2 more in 2027. The final member of the quartet is Dorothy L. Sayers who wrote the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series. It consisted of 15 books and while I've acquired quite a few of the series, I've only completed 4 of the books. Once again I plan to read two of the books on my shelf.

As a matter of interest, each author's characters have been subject of movies and TV series and they are all worth checking out. Below are the books I currently plan to read from the 4 authors.

12 + 4 Reading Challenges - Agatha Christie and Other Golden Age Authors (Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh & Dorothy L. Sayers) (This will be all of the Agatha Christie books on my shelves and 2 of each of the others) 

1. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #6 / 1928).

"Bound for the Riviera, detective Hercule Poirot has boarded Le Train bleu, an elegant, leisurely means of travel, free of intrigue. The he meets Ruth Kettering. The lovely American heiress--bailing out of a doomed marriage--is en route to reconcile with her former lover. But by morning, the young bride's private affairs are made public when she's found murdered in her luxury compartment. The rumor of a strange man loitering in the victim's shadow is all Poirot has to go on. Until Mrs. Kettering's secret life begins to unfold . . ."

2. Hickory, Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #34 / 1955).

"A most unusual series of crimes at a student hostel intrigues Inspector Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s Hickory Dickory Dock, especially when a simple case of kleptomania paves the way to murder.

Hercule Poirot doesn’t need all his detective skills to realize something is troubling his secretary, Miss Lemon—she has made three mistakes in a simple letter. It seems an outbreak of kleptomania at the student hostel in which her sister works is distracting his usually efficient assistant.

Deciding that desperate times call for desperate measures, the great detective agrees to investigate. Unknown to Poirot, however, desperation is a motive he shares with a killer. . . ."

3. Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #37 / 1972).

""The Ravenscrofts didn't seem that kind of person. They seemed well balanced and placid..." And yet, twelve years earlier, the husband had shot the wife, and then himself--or perhaps it was the other way around, since sets of both of their fingerprints were on the gun, and the gun had fallen between them. The case haunts Ariadne Oliver, who had been a friend of the couple. The famous mystery novelist desires this real-life mystery solved, and calls upon Hercule Poirot to help her do so. Poirot is now a very old man, but his mind is as nimble and as sharp as ever and can still penetrate deep into the shadows. But as Poirot and Mrs. Oliver and Superintendent Spence reopen the long-closed case, a startling discovery awaits them. And if memory serves Poirot (and it does!), crime--like history--has a tendency to repeat itself."

4. Nemesis by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple #12 / 1971).

"In utter disbelief, Jane Marple read the letter addressed to her from the recently deceased Mr. Rafiel - an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. He had left instructions for her to investigate a crime after his death. The only problem was, he had failed to tell her who was involved or where and when the crime had been committed. It was most intriguing. Soon she is faced with a new crime - the ultimate crime - murder. It seems someone is adamant that past evils remain buried..."

5. Third Girl by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #35 / 1966).

"In this breathtaking Agatha Christie mystery, the Third Girl sharing a London flat with two others announces to Hercule Poirot that she’s a murderer and then disappears. The masterful investigator must figure out whether the missing girl is a criminal, a victim, or merely insane.

Three young women share a London flat. The first is a coolly efficient secretary. The second is an artist. The third interrupts Hercule Poirot’s breakfast confessing that she is a murderer—and then promptly disappears.

Slowly, Poirot learns of the rumors surrounding the mysterious third girl, her family, and her disappearance. Yet hard evidence is needed before the great detective can pronounce her guilty, innocent, or insane.…"

6. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie (Parker Pyne 1 - 12 / 1934).

"Agatha Christie once again demonstrates her mastery of the short form mystery with Parker Pyne Investigates—short stories of crime and detection featuring Parker Pyne, certainly one of the most unconventional private investigators ever to pursue a hot lead.

Mrs. Packington felt alone, helpless and utterly forlorn. But her life changed when she stumbled upon an advertisement in the Times that read: "Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne."

Equally adept at putting together the fragments of a murder mystery or the pieces of a broken marriage, Mr. Parker Pyne is possibly the world's most unconventional private investigator. Armed with just his intuitive knowledge of human nature, he is an Englishman abroad, traveling the globe to solve and undo crime and misdemeanor."

7. Remembered Death by Agatha Christie (Col. Race #4 / 1945).

"A beautiful heiress is fatally poisoned in a West End restaurant…

Six people sit down to dinner at a table laid for seven. In front of the empty place is a sprig of rosemary – in solemn memory of Rosemary Barton who died at the same table exactly one year previously.

No one present on that fateful night would ever forget the woman’s face, contorted beyond recognition – or what they remembered about her astonishing life."

8. They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (Standalone / 1951).

"She fell head over heels for the charming young man one afternoon. And by nightfall, Victoria Jones had conspired to follow him to Baghdad.

But no daydream of love could match the real life adventure that unfolded: a stranger was stabbed in her bed, someone issued a hushed warning, and her rival for Edward's affections neatly arranged her kidnapping. From the steamy Arab marketplace to the vast and arid desert, Victoria was pursued by an unknown power that threatened not only her, but the fate of the entire world ..."

9. Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #19 / 1938).

"A repugnant American widow is killed during a trip to Petra! Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, like some monstrous swollen Buddha, sat the corpse of Mrs Boynton. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist was the only sign of the fatal injection that had killed her. With only 24 hours available to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalled a chance remark he'd overheard back in 'You see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?' Mrs Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he'd ever met!"

10. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #18 / 1937).

"The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile was shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway had been shot through the head. She was young, stylish, and beautiful. A girl who had everything...until she lost her life.

Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: "I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger." Yet in this exotic setting nothing is ever quite what it seems."

11. Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #5 / 1933).

"Way back during the Crusades, Richard I presented the Huntingforest family with the tiny Balkan principality of Averna but since then the kingdom has been forgotten, until circumstances in Europe suddenly render it extremely strategically important to the British Government. They hire unconventional detective Albert Campion to recover the long-missing proofs of ownership - the deeds, a crown, and a receipt - which are apparently hidden in the village of Pontisbright. 

On arriving in Pontisbright, Campion and his friends meet the eccentric, young, flame-haired Amanda Fitton and her family who claim to be the rightful heirs to Averna and join in the hunt. Mr. Campion and his two young friends, Eager-Wright and Farquharson, posted as the Hereditary Paladin of Averna and his entourage! Unfortunately, criminal financier Brett Savanake is also interested in finding the evidence of the oil-rich state's ownership for his own ends. 

Things get rather rough in the village as Savanake's heavies up the pressure on Campion to solve the mystery before they do. In the course of the hunt, Campion dresses in drag, takes refuge in a tree, is nearly drowned in a mill race, and his friends find themselves bound and gagged in sacks, shot at, and witnesses to a satanic ceremony led by the local doctor. The rural calm of Pontisbright is well and truly shattered."

12. More Work for the Undertaker by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #13 / 1948)

"In a masterpiece of storytelling, Margery Allingham sends her elegant and engaging detective Albert Campion into the eccentric Palinode household, where there have been two suspicious deaths.

And if poisoning were not enough, there are also anonymous letters, sudden violence and a vanishing coffin. Meanwhile, the Palinodes go about their nocturnal business and Campion dices with danger in his efforts to find the truth."

Alternates

Alt 1. Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn #11 / 1941).

"The party's over when murder makes an entrance...

With the notion of bringing together the most bitter of enemies for his own amusement, a bored, mischievous millionaire throws a house party. As a brutal snowstorm strands the unhappy guests, the party receives a most unwelcome visitor: death. Now the brilliant inspector Roderick Alleyn must step in to decipher who at the party is capable of cold-blooded murder"

Alt 2. Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn #12 / 1943).

"It was a horrible death – Maurice Questing was lured into a pool of boiling mud and left there to die.

Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, far from home on a wartime quest for German agents, knew that any number of people could have killed him: the English exiles he’d hated, the New Zealanders he’d despised or the Maoris he’d insulted. Even the spies he’d thwarted – if he wasn’t a spy himself…"

Alt 3. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey #5 / 1928).

"Ninety-year-old General Fentiman was definitely dead, but no one knew exactly when he had died—and the time of death was the determining factor in a half-million-pound inheritance. Lord Peter Wimsey would need every bit of his amazing skills to unravel the mysteries of why the General's lapel was without a red poppy on Armistice Day, how the club's telephone was fixed without a repairman, and, most puzzling of all, why the great man's knee swung freely when the rest of him was stiff with rigor mortis."

Alt 4. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey #6 / 1930).

"The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature's most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers' charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

When mystery writer Harriet Vane is accused of the murder of her lover, the evidence seems pretty damning. But Lord Peter Wimsey is not convinced and when, five hours later, no verdict has been returned, it seems the jury may not be either.

But if Harriet didn't murder Philip Boyes, who did?"

More to follow in the near future.

My First July 2024 Post

What to say today? It's Friday. Jo is asleep. Clyde is asleep on the sofa in the family room, or maybe he's just keeping an eye on me. The patio door is open and it's nice and cool so far. The Blue Jays keep losing. Canada is still alive in the Copa America footie tournament and will be playing against Venezuela today. Go Canada! 

What about books, you ask? It's the start of the 2nd half of 2024 so let's take a quick look at my first half, if you don't mind.

Some First Half Stats

Books Completed - 69 (includes 2 I didn't finish)

Pages Read (rounded down) - 16,900

Pages per Book - 245

Ratings - (includes half ratings, e.g. 4.5)

5 - star - 4

4 - star - 39

3 - star - 22

2 - star - 2

No Rating (for the ones I didn't finish) - 2

Gender of Author

Female - 32

Male - 34

Other - 3

My Annual Challenges

1. 12 + 4 (books of Ursula K. Le Guin) - completed 9 of 16. 2 X 5-star reads so far, Very Far Away from Anywhere Else and Searoad

2. 12 + 0 (Sci Fi, less than 200 pages) - completed 3 of 12

3. Series - completed 22 thus far (books, not series). 1 X 5 - star read. To Walk in the Ways of Lions by H. Leighton Dickson

4. Non - Series - completed 17

5. Tomes (over 500 pages) - completed 4. 1 X 5 - star read. The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

6. Monthly Author Focus - Jan / Agatha Christie (3 books), Feb / Adam Hall (1 book), Mar / Simon Brett (3 books), Apr / P.D. James (2 books), May / J.J. Marric (3 books), Jun / Ngaio Marsh 91 book)

Now let's move on to my current reading update. 😁

Completed (since last update)

1. Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn #6)

"Over the years, since early 2000's, I've enjoyed 15+ of the Inspector Alleyn mysteries by New Zealand author, Ngaio Marsh. Surfeit of Lampreys is the sixth book in this entertaining series. My wife and I also enjoyed the TV series starring Patrick Malahide as Inspector Alleyn, an excellent choice if I do say so myself. (And I do)

The sixth book starts briefly in New Zealand, with a New Zealander, Roberta (or Robin as she is called) Grey, who during her childhood spends much time with an English family, the Lampreys, on their estate in New Zealand. The Lampreys, Lord and Lady Charles, have six children and it become apparent, live on the edge of bankruptcy, sometimes being assisted by Charles' older brother Gabriel, the Marquis of Wutherwood and Rune. At the outset, the family are forced to return to England.

After this prelude, we once again see Roberta, now on a boat, heading to live with an aunt in London, due to the death of her parents. She will be spending some time with her old friends, the Lampreys, before moving in with her aunt.

Lord Charles is once again in financial difficulties. He seems to have bought into a business but his partner has lost all of their money and committed suicide. When Roberta arrives, the family awaits the imminent visit of brother Gabriel, who Charles hopes to persuade to assist once again. He is beset by creditors, one, a Mr. Grumble, who is currently attending the family.

So that's your preamble. Within a day, there will be a murder that will bring in Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn and his capable assistant, Detective Inspector Fox, aka Brer Fox or Foxkins. They have an excellent relationship. The rest of the story is basically the investigation, as Alleyn and Fox interview the family and staff. There is dissembling, false trails, in fact, the family while endearing aren't all that likable... It's difficult to describe. Likable isn't the term, I think, they are just very protective of each other. The twin boys have some sort of agreement where they both blame themselves when there is trouble, just to sow confusion. That sort of thing. 

It's a fascinating investigation, that actually builds quite a bit of tension by the end. Roberta is a key player as she is the outsider, friend of the family, who is somewhat in love with the oldest boy, Henry, but at the same time, not quite a part of the family. (Does that make sense?) So her observations are important to the fabric of the story. Alleyn and Fox  are, as always, excellent, just a great relationship. Alleyn's friend, reporter Nigel Bathgate, who appears in most of the stories, also makes an appearance, at the request of the family.

There are some neat touches. I won't ruin them, but the family isn't quite as tricky as the think they are. I thought I had the killer in my mind, my own twist to the story, but was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. It's been awhile since I delved into an Alleyn mystery. This one was excellent. I've got about 10 to go. (4.0 stars)".

2. Global by Eoin Colfer (2023).

"Global by Eoin Colfer is a beautifully drawn and told middle-grade graphic novel that highlights the dangers of climate change. It tells the story of Sami & his grandfather, both surviving on the edge of the Indian Ocean as fishermen and also of Yuki and her dog Lockjaw, who live in the Canadian Arctic. Both see the changes and suffer from the changes that climate change is having on their lives and environment.

Sami and grandfather are finding that the constant storms that hit their coastline are affecting the fishing stocks that they and their fellow fishermen need to survive. The water continues to rise, forcing them to constantly relocate, trying to find higher ground. As well, they must cope with more and more refugees, also suffering. 

Yuki and Locky live in an indigenous village in the far North. Their friends are all moving away as the permafrost melts as the glacial icefields warm up, causing more and more methane to leak into the atmosphere. The polar bears are losing their icefields in the Arctic Ocean and being forced further south where they mate with grizzly bears who are migrating north in search of new homes and food. The resulting bears are called grolars and are not equipped to survive in this new environment. The village elders kill the bears that come into the town and Yuki wants to prove they aren't a danger. She heads out to get photos of a grolar to prove her point. And she gets lost. Danger ensues.

The story tracks between the two young people and is so very fascinating and also very scary. Both of the youngsters are lovely and caringly developed. They are brave and fighting for themselves and their land. The effect of climate change is made smoothly and succinctly but powerfully. At the end of the story is a short exposition explaining climate change, how it occurs and its impact. We're not leaving our children much these days. It shouldn't be up to them to sort  it out. It might be too late. Excellent adventure story, just on its own but also a powerful one. (4.0 stars)"

3. Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker by Robert Mankoff (2004).

"My wife works at volunteers part - time at a local thrift store run by the Ladies' Auxiliary, which raises money for local charities and health care. Anyway, a month or so ago, she brought home this book she thought I might like, Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker edited by Robert Mankoff. It covers the period 1925, the First Decade to 2006, the 8th Decade, and she got it for $5.00. It also includes a CD-ROM which contains every cartoon published during that period. (Ah, if only any of my computers still had a cd -rom slot). But the selection of cartoons is excellent and runs for 660+ pages. Loved every bit of it.

Each decade is introduced by people from those periods, the 3rd decade by Lillian Ross, the 4th by John Updike and they provide a brief synopsis of the period and the artists. There are also brief interludes featuring either issues of the time, Nudity, business culture, the Internet or specific artists, like James Thurber, Charles Addams, Bruce Eric Kaplan, etc. 

It was so much fun to read through and enjoy the talent and the humor. Did I always get it? Nah. But it didn't matter. Of course I had favorites, especially those featuring dogs. I mean, who wouldn't ! All in all it was an enjoyable journey, some smiles, some guffaws, some belly laughs and many I shared with my wife as she tried to do other things. She may have regretted buying it for me, but I sure enjoyed it. I've used a few in my Bluesky page and have quite a few more earmarked. See if you can find it. It's excellent. (4.0 stars)"

4. Ratlines by Stuart Neville (2013).

"I've read two of Northern Irish author, Stuart Neville's Jack Lennon thriller series set in Belfast. I've enjoyed them both. Ratlines is one of three standalone stories he's written. It is set in Ireland in 1963. The country is waiting to welcome a visit by President John F. Kennedy. Department of Intelligence Lieutenant Albert Ryan is called in by the Minister of Justice, Charles Haughey, to investigate who is murdering German nationals living in Ireland.

It seems that there are many ex-Nazis living in Ireland after the war, both German and other nationals, what has become an embarrassing national secret. They seem to be under the thumb of one Otto Skorzeny, an Austrian who worked for Adolf Hitler during the war. A note has been discovered on the most recent body, addressed to Skorzeny, 'We are coming for you.' Ryan is a Protestant who, during WWII, went north and joined the British army, fighting against the Nazis, in Egypt, in North Korea, etc. His parents have been harassed ever since by local IRA in his home town, something Ryan tries to rectify.

But the story follows Ryan as he works, not too willingly for Skorzeny and Haughey trying to discover who is after Skorzeny. The feeling is that it might be the Mossad, Israeli intelligence. But there is more to it than that. What you end up with is a tense, exciting, often violent thriller as Ryan tries to stay alive and play off various people against the other and survive to live another day. There is even a romantic element with the lovely Celia, who he also must keep alive.

It's a well-written, entertaining, exciting story leaving you wondering how Ryan will accomplish everything. Excellent thriller. (4.0 stars)"

5. The Caves of Night by John Christopher (1958).

"Over the past few years I've begun exploring John Christopher works, especially his Sci Fi novels, both for adults, Death of Grass and for younger people just beginning to explore the wonders of Sci Fi, the Tripod trilogy, The Lotus Caves, an adventure on the Moon. Recently I found a copy of The Caves Of Night, which I thought was another of his Sci Fi stories. Nope.

The Caves is set in Austria, shortly after WWII. An English couple, Cynthia and Henry, take an annual vacation to Austria as Henry wishes to continue exploring the Fronberg Caves. When they arrive they discover that another English couple, Heather and Peter, newlyweds, have been given their normal room. They also discover that the caves have been closed by the landowner, Herr Joachim Albrecht, as there was a recent cave collapse. As a side note, Peter, while serving in the British army during the War had been bivouacked in Joachim's home, while Joachim, himself was a prisoner of the Russian army.

Anyway, with that preamble, the Graf (that's Joachim) agrees to let Henry and Cynthia continue their spelunking. Henry does it basically on his own, searching the caves for more cave drawings, while the other three are entertained by Joachim on his estate, playing tennis, swimming, horse riding, etc. A relationship begins to develop between Joachim and Cynthia.

So, as we move along, the whole group decides to follow Henry and let him show them the caves. While there, Cynthia and Peter, irresponsibly cause a cave in. This means that the group must try to find another way out, meaning they will have to go deeper into the mountain and hopefully link up with a series of caves on the other side.

It becomes a tense affair. Henry leads the way as he has most experience underground. Cynthia and Peter continue to cause issues. Cynthia must sort out her feelings between Henry and Joachim. It's all very entangled but also very tense and at times tragic. The feeling of claustrophobia is very real, reminding me of a Nevada Barr mystery set in a national park with a cave setting. The characters are all well developed, there is time for some philosophical discussion, all the while the group must struggle underground, hoping to find a way out before both their flashlights and food run out. Excellent story even if it's not Sci Fi as I thought. (4.0 stars)"

OK, I'm throwing this New Yorker cartoon in before I get to the Currently Reading section.

Currently Reading

1. Wycliffe and the Pea Green Boat by W.J. Burley (Inspector Wycliffe #6). Burley is my July Focus author.

"Wycliffe tackles a case which reaches back down the generations ...When Cedric Tremain is charged with murdering his father by booby-trapping his fishing boat, all the locals are agreed that he is an unlikely murderer. But the case against him is he has the motive, the opportunity and the know-how; not to mention the fact that there is some hard circumstantial evidence against him. So Cedric is arrested. But Chief Superintendent Wycliffe has a strong sense that something about the case just doesn't fit. As he quietly continues his investigations a confusing picture emerges. Twenty years ago Cedric's cousin was convicted of strangling his girlfriend and served fourteen years of a commuted death sentence. While the wheels of justice begin to grind Wycliffe searches for a link between past and present."

2. Kronk by Edmund Cooper (1970)

"HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH SEX AND SIN!

It seemed that Gabriel Crome and his elegantly hippy girl friend had the answer—a new, highly communicable disease with the property of inhibiting aggression. And oh boy! was it fun to communicate!

But Gabriel had reckoned without the finely honed irony of whatever Prankster it is who governs human affairs.

As the Raven quoth, 'KRONK."

3. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig (2019).

"Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other "shepherds" who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For as the sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America, the real danger may not be the epidemic but the fear of it. With society collapsing all around them--and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them--the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart--or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world."

OK. You asked and you shall receive, another New Yorker cartoon before I move on to New Books. What's that you say? You didn't ask? Oh well. Too bad.

New Books

(just one! 🤯)

1. Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #18  / 1955)

"Of all the books in the Alleyn series, Scales of Justice is most powerfully reminiscent of Agatha Christie, with its setting in an almost unspeakably charming little English village, and its cast of inbred aristocrats. When one of the aristos turns up dead next to the local trout-stream – with, in fact, a trout at his side – everyone is dreadfully upset, of course, but really, just a tad irritated as Murder is so awfully messy. Thank gawd that nice Inspector Alleyn – not really one of us, you know, but not terribly wide of the mark – is on hand to clear things up. Though one could wish that he didn’t feel compelled to ask quite so many questions."

Well, there you go. Clyde is lightly scratching at my chair. I think he wants to go for a walk before it gets too warm. So I leave you with one final New Yorker cartoon to lead you into your weekend.

I lied. One more. Enjoy your weekend, July and the rest of the year.

My First Post of June 2024 - A Reading Update of course.

June 2024 has started off kind of miserably. We've had rain and high winds, the spruce and pine trees have been shedding all over the yard. But today is very nice, sunny and cool. So after this, my plan is to finally get around to mowing the lawn... I could just hire a couple of sheep maybe??? No, no... I'll mow the lawn. The dogs will appreciate it. 

But first, a reading update. I've finished one very small book in June but also three others since my last update. I hope to finish one more today.

Just Finished

(I completed my May Focus Author - John Creasey but completing two more books for a total of three in May)

1. Inspector West Takes Charge by John Creasey (Inspector West #1 / 1942). Another excellent police procedural from Creasey, along with his Commander Gideon series.

"English author John Creasey was a prolific author with 7 or 8 series to his credit, written under various pseudonyms. He can be hit or miss, depending on the series, I think, but when it comes to police procedurals, he had a specific talent. Inspector West Takes Charge is the first book in the Inspector Roger West series of 43 books. Like his Superintendent Gideon series (written as JJ Marric), this story was matter-of-fact, entertaining, with enough action to keep you happy, a well-written mystery, and peopled with excellent characters. 

The main characters, Inspector West of Scotland Yard, his wonderful wife Janet and their best friend, a sometime criminologist who helps West (at least in this story), Mark Lessing, are all excellent. They each possess their own talents for deduction and gauging people and feed off each other. West's boss, Superintendent Chatworth is crusty and irascible but at the same time encourages West and even encourages him to use Lessing's abilities as he could do things that the police aren't entitled to do. The other inspector who is chiefly involved in the investigation, Inspector Lampard is also kind of crusty but with hidden depths and talents.

As to the suspects and victims, Creasey, there are a mixed bag of excellent characters and so many suspicious people that, at least in my mind, the mystery remained unsolvable until the satisfying.

Add to this, the setting, England around WWII, with gasoline and ration restrictions and still in blackout conditions and with the Home Guard patrolling, and it makes for an superbly described and crafted story.

Oh yes, the story. Just basically, suspicious deaths in the Prendagast family, leaving only one distant relative as inheriting a bunch of money and the successful cigarette business. The deaths are listed as death by misadventure, but neither West nor Lessing are willing to accept that and even West's boss isn't ready to accept it and gives West a fortnight to see if they are wrong. Many suspicious activities ensue, leading West to suspect a certain shifty lawyer, Potter, who has his fingers in many pots. 

Nastiness abounds, leaving the gang, shaken and stirred and a few more bodies. Who is the perpetrator? Well, that will take you the story to find out, although I'm sure there are many people who can figure it out fairly easily. To me, the ending was a lovely surprise and there was joy in getting to this final conclusion. Excellent introduction to Inspector West. I look forward to #2 and many more. (4.5 stars)"

2. Meet the Baron by John Creasey (The Baron #1 / 1937). I've read a couple of other books in this series, but I plan to work from the front from now on.

"I've read two other books in the Baron 'mystery / thriller' series by English author, John Creasey but I've now decided to get focused and read from the first book, Meet The Baron (appropriate title, eh? The first book in the Toff series is called Introducing the Toff, so he does sort of have a theme.

Anyway, I can't say I enjoyed this first book as much as I enjoyed the first books on Creasey's Inspector West or Commander Gideon series but it was still an interesting introduction to the character of the Baron, in reality an upper class guy, who lives on the edges of bankruptcy, one John Mannering. Mannering likes to gamble and to live expensively, dating show girls, going to the races, all those things. In appearance, he seems well off, but in reality, his funds are dangerously low.

So, after attending a function hosted by Lord Fauntley, Mannering comes up with an idea. He decides to become a 'cracksman', basically a cat burglar. He starts by robbing Lord Fauntley and finds ways to disguise his appearance, to break into buildings and safes, to fence the items he steals.  He enjoys the thrill of the hunt for targets, the breaking and entering, the avoiding detection and arrest. He also has fallen deeply for Lord Fauntley's daughter, Lorna, a lovely, intelligent, beautiful lady, who has been working to become a successful artist.

As the Baron becomes more successful, the police become more and more involved. Because many of the thefts take place at parties held by the entitled rich and that Mannering has attended all of these functions, the main police inspector, Inspector Bristow, asks Mannering to help him investigate, to keep an eye during these functions; a request Mannering finds amusing but agrees to help.

That is the premise of the first story. Mannering continues to operate as the Baron, while 'helping' Bristow, who he actually admires. One of his robberies, a pearl necklace, brings some of his acquaintances under Bristow's intense gaze and this causes Mannering some difficulties, as he doesn't want someone else implicated or hurt because of his crimes. 

It's an imperfect introduction but still informative, with lots of action and intensity. Creasey knows how to flow a story to hold your attention. The characters, from Mannering, to Lorna, Bristow and the others that surround them, are all interesting and sympathetic. It's an entertaining first book and I'll continue to follow the Baron's adventures. (3.0 stars)"

3. To Walk in the Way of Lions by H. Leighton Dickson (Upper Kingdom #2 / 2012). The first book in his series was pretty good but it's really taken off with this 2nd book. So good.

"To Walk in the Way of Lions is the second book in the Upper Kingdom series by Canadian fantasy author, H. Leighton Dickson. I enjoyed the first book very much, it being a satisfying intro to this series. But in this second book, Dickson has really found her stride. Once I got back into the flow of the story and re-familiarized myself with the unique characters, I found the story fascinating, emotional and at times (especially as we get into the last chapters) breath-taking.

We find our intrepid team, led by Captain of the Queen's Guard, Kirin Wynegarde-Grey, a golden lion, in the midst of their journey to the edges of the known Kingdom, trying to find Solomon, a being that has psychically made his presence known to various members of the group. The rest of the group are Kerris Wynegarde - Grey, Kirin's brother, a grey lion; Fallon Waterford, the Scholar, a lioness; Major Ursa - Laenskaya, Kirin's #2, a snow leopard and fierce; Shera al Shiva, the Alchemist, a mysterious, sexy leopard and the Seer, Sireth, a mongrel lion (mixed breed). They are accompanied by 8 leopards, part of the Queen's Guard and various horses (these aren't vegetarians, btw)

The journey will travel from Nepal (the names are all subtly altered and half the fun is trying to figure out what the place is in our current times) across Iran, Syria and ultimately to Turkey where they will finally meet Solomon (who do you think he might be?). The journey will suffer many, many trials and tribulations and also many deaths. They will battle the climate, bears, dogs (cats natural enemies) and even other cats trying to destroy their mission. 

It's just so excellent. The internal strife, the internal relationships, even romances between the members. There will also be quite a few shocks. I found myself feeling their emotions, found myself crying at parts of the story, laughing with some of the humor. It's just such a wonderful story, exciting adventure, mystical, sexy (yes, even with the story being about cats) and touching.

I was thinking of other books that have aroused so much feeling in me and for the most part they've been written by women authors. Not to say that a man can't grab you the same way, but I just found that interesting. Anyway, #3 sits on my bookshelf and I look forward to getting at it. Check the series out. (5.0 stars)"

4. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (Catwings #1 / 1988). I've been reading Le Guin's books this year and thought it might be interesting to also check out this children's series.

"I've been working my way through Ursula K. Le Guin's Sci - Fi, her Fantasy, fiction and even poetry and essays. I discovered she'd also written some children's series so I thought it might be fun to try Catwings, the first in a 5-book series about a family of cats who have wings and can fly. Needless to day, it was short and cute.

Mrs. Jane Tabby, a single mother cat, lives with her four children by a garbage dumpster in a dangerous city slum. She doesn't know why but her four kittens, Thelma, Harriet, Roger and James all have wings. When one day she sees Harriet fly into the sky to escape an angry dog, Mrs. Jane decides that her 4 children must leave the dangerous city and fend for themselves.

So there is the cusp of this neat, little story. The 4 kittens fly into the country and have to try to survive. And they do have many tribulations. The birds are afraid of the flying cats so Mr. Owl attacks James and injures his wing. He also attacks Roger. A family of noisy raccoons argue all the time, keeping the kittens awake. They have difficulty finding food and are getting thin.

What will happen to them? Well, it's a very short story so I won't say anymore. Suffice it to say, the drawings by S.D. Schindler are lovely. The story is interesting and kids would love it, especially the ending. And then they can move onto the next book. 😃😸 (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn #10 / 1940). Marsh is my June Focus Author.

"Ngaio Marsh's most popular novel begins when a young New Zealander's first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford -- with a meat skewer through the eye...The Lampreys had plenty of charm -- but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar -- and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests -- like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore. The Lampreys thought if they jollied him up he would bail them out -- yet again. Instead, Uncle Gabriel met a violent end. And Chief Inspector Alleyn had to work our which of them killed him..."

2. The Paton Street Case by John Bingham (1955). I've enjoyed a couple of other of Bingham's mysteries. I've had this for a little while.

"When there is a fire at 127 Paton Street, arson is immediately suspected. At first it seems a clear-cut case--until the insurance men find a corpse in the first floor flat. Are the two crimes related? Why are the bespectacled German-Jewish couple who own the premises bristling with defensive hostility? Who had left a cigarette end on the scene of the crime? The list of solutions seems endless; but inevitably the widening ripples begin of crime begin to point the way back to the cause of it all."

3. A Circus of Hells by Poul Anderson (Lt. Flandry #2 / 189). I've started a new 12 + 0 challenge, with a list of sort of pulp Sci Fi books. We'll see how it goes.

"DEATH MOON!

Crack Lieutenant Dominic Flandry was not a man easily swayed from his duty to the Empire... not, that is, until galactic vice king Leon Ammon offered him a million credit bribe, a voluptuous woman called Djana, and a commission to explore a dark and treasure laden moon.

But within the desolate peaks and valleys of that strange world of ice and shadow, Flandry found more he had bargained for. Supposedly barren, the planet swarmed with a hideous race of strange, inhuman creatures... infernally controlled by a deranged and brilliant computer brain. Each creature, like a piece in a bizarre and lethal chess game, was programmed to kill.

And although Flandry did not know it – so was the woman he loved..."

4. Six Ostriches by Philipp Schott (Dr. Bannerman #2 / 2023). I enjoyed the first book, which is set in Manitoba.

"It’s springtime in rural Manitoba, and the snow has finally left the exotic animal farm when an ostrich finds and swallows a shiny object. (Because this is what ostriches do.) Cue veterinarian and amateur sleuth Dr. Peter Bannerman, who surgically removes the object, which looks like an ancient Viking artifact. Soon after, people around are horrified by a series of animal mutilations. This sets Peter, and his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, on the hunt for answers. Peter begins to suspect a link between the Viking artifact, the mutilations, and a shadowy group of white supremacists on the internet.

Before long Peter and Pippin are in over their heads, and the only way for them to get out alive will be to unmask the mastermind before they end up among their victims."

New Books

I'm going to cherry pick a bit here. There was a Rotary Club Book Sale this past weekend and I also visited the local Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop, while Jo was working there so I've too many new books to list them all. You can find the Auxiliary's website at this link. Check it out.

1. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang (2013). I've enjoyed other graphics by Mr. Yang. Looking forward to checking out this box set.

"In two volumes, Boxers & Saints tells two parallel stories. The first is of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy whose village is abused and plundered by Westerners claiming the role of missionaries. Little Bao, inspired by visions of the Chinese gods, joins a violent uprising against the Western interlopers. Against all odds, their grass-roots rebellion is successful.

 
But in the second volume, Yang lays out the opposite side of the conflict. A girl whose village has no place for her is taken in by Christian missionaries and finds, for the first time, a home with them. As the Boxer Rebellion gains momentum, Vibiana must decide whether to abandon her Christian friends or to commit herself fully to Christianity."

2. Redhead by John Creasey (Dept. Z #2 / 1933). I found a few other books by Creasey at the Rotary Club sale; Two for Inspector West, A Splinter of Glass, The Double Frame and Inspector West Leaves Town. I foresee a 12 + 4 challenge in 2025 featuring Creasey's work.

"Martin Storm’s visit to New York seemed like it was a success. But that was until his car was machine gunned and the police had to smuggle him out of the country…

But Martin finds no safety at home, either, and the search begins to find the man who is hunting him down.

He soon discovers that he has become involved with an American underworld boss who is planning to expand his business to Britain. Will he be able to escape the gangster’s clutches, or will he become a victim in his complex game?"

3. Monstress, Volume 4 - The Chosen by Marjorie Liu (Monstress #4 / 2019). I really like this series, very exciting. I won't wait too long to read this. In other graphic series news, I also got Sandman #10: The Wake by Neil Gaiman.

"A new war between humans and Arcanics is bubbling to the surface. A rift in the sky has revealed the devastating potential of the long-imprisoned Monstra. And Maika Halfwolf is at the center of it all.

In this fourth volume of MONSTRESS, Maika comes closer than ever before to the answers she’s long sought - but those answers carry a steep price. As her friends and allies reveal long-held secrets and shifting allegiances, Maika finds herself at the mercy of the Lord Doctor, a charismatic demagogue whose connections to Maika and Zinn run deeper than anyone could have imagined."

4. A Year of Last Things by Michael Ondaatje (2024). I also found a book of poetry by Margaret Atwood that I'd not read before at the Rotary Club sale, The Animals in that Country (1968).

"With A Year of Last Things, acclaimed novelist Michael Ondaatje returns to poetry, where he began his career over fifty years ago, and what a return it is.

Born in Sri Lanka during the Second World War, Ondaatje was sent as a child to school in London, and later moved to Canada. While he has lived here since, these poems reflect the life of a writer, traveler and watcher of the world – describing himself as a “mongrel,” someone born out of diverse cultures. Here, rediscovering the influence of every border crossed, he moves back and forth in time, from a childhood in Sri Lanka to Moliere’s chair during his last stage performance, from icons in Bulgarian churches to the California coast and loved Canadian rivers, merging memory with the present, looking back on a life of displacement and discovery, love and loss. At first sight it is a glittering collection of fragments and memories – but small, intricate pieces of a life are precisely what matter most to Ondaatje. They make an emotional history. As he writes in the opening poem: “Reading the lines he loves / he slips them into a pocket, / wishes to die with his clothes / full of torn free stanzas / and the telephone numbers / of his children in far cities”. Poetry – where language is made to work hardest and burns with a gem-like flame – is what Ondaatje has returned to in this intimate history."

5. Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker by Robert Mankoff (2004). Jo found this for me at the Thrift. I leaf through it a bit every day. I'm currently in the 1920's

"The book that Janet Maslin of The New York Times has called "indispensable" and "a transfixing study of American mores and manners that happens to incorporate boundless laughs, too" is finally available in paperback—fully updated and featuring a brand new introduction by Adam Gopnik.

Organized by decade, with commentary by some of the magazine's finest writers, this landmark collection showcases the work of the hundreds of talented artists who have contributed cartoons over the course of The New Yorker's eight-two-year history. From the early cartoons of Peter Arno, George Price and Charles Addams to the cutting-edge work of Alex Gregory, Matthew Diffee and Bruce Eric Kaplan (with stops along the way for the genius of Charles Barsotti, Roz Chast, Jack Ziegler, George Booth, and many others), the art collected here forms, as David Remnick puts it in his Foreword, "the longest-running popular comic genre in American life."

Throughout the book, brief overviews of each era's predominant themes—from the Depression and nudity to technology and the Internet, highlight various genres of cartoons and shed light on our pastimes and preoccupations. Brief profiles and mini-portfolios spotlight the work of key cartoonists, including Arno, Chast, Ziegler, and others.

The DVD-ROM included with the book is what really makes the "Complete Cartoons" complete. Compatible with most home computers and easily browsable, the disk contains a mind-boggling 70,363 cartoons, indexed in a variety of ways. Perhaps you'd like to find all the cartoons by your favorite artist. Or maybe you'd like to look up the cartoons that ran the week you were born, or all of the cartoons on a particular subject. Of course, you can always begin at the beginning, February 21, 1925, and experience the unprecedented pleasure of reading through every single cartoon ever published in The New Yorker .

Enjoy this one-of-a-kind portrait of American life over the past eight decades, as captured by the talented pens and singular outlooks of the masters of the cartoonist's art."

... and two more

6. Tombland by C.J. Sansom (Matthew Shardlake #7 / 2018). Great series. I need to read #6).

"Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos…

The king, Edward VI, is eleven years old. His uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, rules as Protector. Radical Protestants are conducting all out war on the old religion, stirring discontent among the people. The Protector's prolonged war with Scotland is proving a disastrous failure. Worst of all, the economy is in collapse, inflation rages and rebellion is stirring among the peasantry.

Since the old King's death, Matthew Shardlake has been working as a lawyer in the service of Henry's younger daughter, the Lady Elizabeth. The gruesome murder of the wife of John Boleyn, a distant Norfolk relation of Elizabeth's mother - which could have political implications for Elizabeth - brings Shardlake and his young assistant Nicholas Overton to the summer assizes at Norwich. There they are reunited with Shardlake's former assistant Jack Barak. The three find layers of mystery and danger surrounding the death of Edith Boleyn, as more murders are committed.

During their investigation, a peasant rebellion breaks out across the country. Yeoman Robert Kett establishes a vast camp outside Norwich and leads a force of thousands to overthrow the landlords. Soon the rebels have taken over the city, England's second largest.

Barak throws in his lot with the rebels; Nicholas, opposed to them, becomes a prisoner in Norwich Castle; while Shardlake has to decide where his ultimate loyalties lie. As government forces in London prepare to march north and destroy the rebels, he discovers that the murder of Edith Boleyn may have connections reaching into both the heart of the rebel camp and of the Norfolk gentry...

Tombland is both a thrilling murder mystery and a vivid and engaging portrait of a divided nation."

7. Songs in the Year of the Cat by H. Leighton Dickson (Upper Kingdom #3 / 2013). 

"SONGS IN THE YEAR OF THE CAT is the Third in the Original Series by H. Leighton Dickson and picks up where TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS leaves off. Ancestors are rising in the west and armies are moving from the North and the East. Captain Wynegarde-Grey has only just returned to the capital of the Upper Kingdom and he is immediately pulled into the conflict as cauldrons of oil are burning all along the Great Wall and the drums of war force all soldiers back into duty. But a mysterious woman is changing things, manipulating behind the scenes as Sherah al Shiva, ninjaah and sorceress, slips back into his life with companions that could divide the known world. This is a sweeping post-apocalyptic tale of genetically altered lions and tigers, wolves and dragons in a world that has evolved in the wake of the fall of human civilization. Half feline, half human, their culture blends those of Dynastic China, Ancient India and Feudal Japan where humans are legend and kingdoms have risen in their stead. Fans of Tolkien, GAME OF THRONES, PLANET OF THE APES or Japanese anime will be entertained in these intelligent and beautifully written pages in a blend of science, fantasy and zoological speculation."

I did buy a few more books. If you happen to have access to Goodreads and are interested, this link will show you the books I've read, am reading and am waiting to read. Check it out.

Now I'm off to feed the pups their lunch and then get that darned lawn mowed!