mystery novels discussion

Some of my recent favorite mystery series

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:57:50 GMT

Cross-posted to my own journal.

I was raised on Agatha Christie mysteries. I fondly remember spending many a rainy day curled up in the "secret room" in the house I grew up in, reading my mother's collection of Christie's books.

I have yet to find an author who matches Her in terms of the "fair play" mystery. By this I mean a mystery novel in which the reader is provided a fair chance to solve the mystery, before the denouement, having been provided with substantial suspects, various clues, interviews, etc while being entertained by a progressing plot. Most murder mysteries today seem shallow, they drag on with copious amounts of description, they may be abundant in characters, or even interviews, but they'll suddenly spring some completely out of the blue information at the end and present you with the entirety of the plot upon this information; this is not "fair" play.

In my search for another fair play writer, I have come upon some series, which, while I won't classify them as fair play, I have enjoyed for their historical detail, their wonderful characters and setting and great plots. Here are some of the series I've been enjoying lately and highly recommend:

1. Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. (First novel entitled Maisie Dobbs)

Maisie Dobbs is probably my favorite investigator since Poirot and Marple. She is supremely unique. Born lower class, the lady who she was in service for catches her reading her books and instead of punishing her, she educates her. Maisie excels under this education and grows to become an investigator/ psychologist. After serving in the Great War as a nurse, Maisie opens a business in London and solves cases in a most refreshing way, she uses meditation, and intuitive sensitivity to those involved. Her social status as one who is caught between two classes, and her haunting past, which unravels slowly throughout the series, combine to make this series a literary treat. I've recently finished the latest in the series entitled An Incomplete Revenge, and I cannot wait for the next. Each novel always seems far too short.

2. Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series. (First novel entitled Silent in the Grave)

Set in high society Victorian England, this series is first person narrated by Lady Julia Grey, who is widowed at the beginning of the first novel, Silent in the Grave. Lady Julia gets wrapped up in the investigation of her husband's murder,due to a mixture of her own very stubborn nature, her boredom with her lot, and the allure of the dark and mysterious Nicholas Brisbane, the private investigator involved. Lady Julia is determined not to be a typical Victorian Lady. Her large family is utterly eccentric and enchanting. And the Roma are a constant mysterious element. But I think it is the intriguing and sexy Brisbane, who will bring me back for more of this series.

3. Suzanne Arruda's Jade Del Cameron series. (First novel entitled Mark of the Lion)

Jade Del Cameron is an American who served as an ambulance driver during WWI. After the war, she sets off for Africa, in order to fulfill her former love-interest's dying wish -- to find his brother. Her adventures in post WWI Africa are rich with historical detail. Arruda is a master at ending a chapter with a hook. I always read these far too fast. Jade seems to be fearless. I love the mystical elements that Arruda brings to her plots, as well as her reverence for Africa and the people and creatures who live there.

4. Kate Ross's Julian Kestrel series. (First novel entitled Cut to the Quick)

1820's London, Julian Kestrel is a dandy who, in the first novel, finds himself involved in an murder investigation of an unknown young woman, who happens to be found in his own bed. If he cannot find the true killer, he or his manservant stand to be accused. Kestrel is a charming character and a mystery himself. He is a dandy on the surface, but there is much more to him than meets the eye. Of these four listed series, these Kestrel mysteries are the closest to being fair play. I am very sad to learn that Kate Ross died of cancer, and so when I reach for the fourth of the series, it will be the last.

Review - Haunted Ground; Erin Hart

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:28:06 GMT

Haunted Ground

Erin Hart

Fiction; Mystery

We’ve probably all heard stories about mummified bodies and historical artifacts turning up in peat bogs all over Europe, as the bogs are cut for turf or drained for new construction. This story, set in modern-day Ireland, has young archaeology professor Cormac Maguire and American anatomist Nora Gavin looking into the mystery surrounding the grim find of a young woman’s head in an Irish countryside peat bog, with its mane of red hair still attached and an old, engraved ring stuffed deep into her mouth. The police get involved due to the fairly recent disappearance of a local woman, Mina Osborne, and her infant son. Mina’s husband, Hugh, considered by the locals to be an upstart interloper whose English family unlawfully seized lands in Ireland during the Cromwellian years, is the primary suspect, but so far no one has been able to bring a case against him because no bodies have ever turned up. Could this unidentified woman be Mina Osborne, or is it the remains of someone much, much older? Why is only her head present, and where is the rest of her body? Was she executed? Murdered?

We get a wonderful infusion of old Irish castle lore when Cormac and Nora are invited to stay in the Osborne’s family estate, a decaying old castle and manor house stuffed with as many secrets as it is neglected old furniture. A full cast of characters are fleshed out beautifully here, as well, from Hugh Osborne’s stiff, cold sister-in-law and her disturbed teenage son, to Devaney, the detective who is no longer supposed to be pursuing this case but can’t seem to help himself, to Cormac and Nora themselves, who feel a strong connection to one another but are hindered by the significant barriers both have put up in their lives. Nora has a particular interest in the bog woman and the possibility that she is the missing Mina Osborne, because she herself is still mourning the brutal slaying of her own sister at the hands of a husband who, like Hugh Osborne, was never convicted. Nora wants to share Cormac’s belief in Hugh’s innocence, but her own experience with her sister’s murder colors her thinking. It doesn’t help matters that once Cormac and Nora move temporarily into the manor, a series of increasingly dangerous incidences involving vandalism, dead animals, and broken glass makes it clear that someone out there wants to put an abrupt end to any more digging, literal or figurative.

I was particularly enchanted by the rich folklore and evocative Irish setting, complete with traditional Irish music, old Gaelic legends, names and songs, and pieces of informative, relevant history about the Cromwellian years after the ouster of King Charles I, and the subsequent ravaging of Ireland as Cromwell and his men sought to destroy everything Irish, Catholic, and anything in between.

This is Erin Hart’s first novel and I thought it was wonderful! I was thoroughly engaged and enjoyed every second of it, not wanting it to end. I’ve already gone and bought her 2^nd book, Lake of Sorrows. I have a feeling she’s going to be one of those who can’t produce fast enough for me!

Review - Scratch the Surface; Susan Conant

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:12:31 GMT

Scratch the Surface

Susan Conant

Took this to the beach for some light summer reading, and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a little different from what I anticipated. What I expected was a cozy little cat-themed mystery, which are among my favorite comfort reads, and what I got was an exquisitely clever, witty study in soft satire.

Conant, after all, is fairly well-known in the "cozy" mystery sub-genre already for her Dog Lovers series featuring dog trainer Holly Winter. This is her first Cat Lovers mystery, and unlike the Winter protagonist, this series' main character, Felicity Pride, is the lead act in a parody that is humorous rather than scathing. A former teacher who has conveniently inherited a luxurious home and money from a suddenly-deceased aunt and uncle (reminiscent of the hero of undoubtedly the most popular cat-themed mystery series of all time, Jim Qwilleran of Lilian Jackson Braun's 'The Cat Who...' series), Felicity has turned to writing a series of cat-themed mysteries, and the story opens as she attends a reading and signing of her latest book. She's made up an entire persona for herself, even inventing her own pet cat for publicity (unoriginally named Morris) although in reality, she has never in her life owned a cat and has no desire to - until one turns up on her doorstop accompanying a corpse. She quickly decides that a) having a cat might be beneficial for someone who writes about them, and b) solving a cat-themed mystery in real life could potentially boost her book sales.

Felicity is definitely the gem of this story, although the very brief points of view from the cats (a second soon joins the first) are unique and fun to read. Felicity's complete ignorance about cats, her annoyance with a rival whose cat mysteries sell better than hers, and her decidedly non-heroine personality are refreshing and darkly funny. It's what I think we'd get if Kurt Vonnegut had taken on the subject of cat mysteries and writers on a whimsical day. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see the next one.

21 Multi Fandom Graphics

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:28:30 GMT

All the requests from this weekend - I wanted to share them with everyone. Thank you all again for making a success!!

[01] Jimmy Stewart
[02] Jeremy Northam
[03] Katherine Hepburn
[02] Detective Lewis
[03] Jeremy Brett
[03] Carousel
[02] Jimmy Stewart Wallpapers
[02] John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara Wallpapers
[02] Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Wallpapers (in two sizes)
[01] Thin Man Banner

Teaser:

( At ogeecons... )

Review - Devil May Care; Elizabeth Peters

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:52:05 GMT

Devil May Care

Elizabeth Peters

Had to pull out this old gem for a re-read! It’s one of my favorites in the Barbara Michaels / Elizabeth Peters collection, brimming over with all my most beloved elements: a young female protagonist, unconventional relatives, an enormous, rambling old house complete with a menagerie of ill-behaved pets, fateful secrets, flawless characters, and of course, a few resident ghosts.

Ellie has come to her irascible Aunt Kate’s home in rural Virginia to house-sit while said Aunt Kate takes a brief vacation. Ellie just has to inhabit the house, water the plants, and take care of Kate’s veritable stable of pets, including dogs, cats, and one rat named after a local politician. On her very first night in the old house alone Ellie has an unwelcome spectral visitor, and from that moment forward, nothing is quite as it seems. The library is vandalized, more ghostly figures appear, and the apparently rich and scandalous past of some of the town’s most distinguished inhabitants re-awakens to shake up the present. Ellie feels a little out of her league, and so ropes in various friends and neighbors to help her figure out what’s going on as genuine danger seems to be closing in.

We all want an Aunt Kate, or at least I do! She’s the perfect picture of the kind of eccentricity that’s cozy rather than creepy, and her skill at witchcraft – or at least the rumor of it, which is as good as the real thing, around these parts! - is as much a part of her as her obsession with the Washington Redskins. Technically she’s away for much of the story, but her character is very much a part of it. Ted, Dr. Gold, Don, the Grants, Miss Mary and the other characters fill out their parts with gusto, adding wonderfully to the atmosphere.

Always a pleasure, Miss Peters/Michaels/Mertz!

All my book reviews: <a href=http://bloody-keri.livejournal.com/tag/book+reviews>Keri's Book Reviews</a>

26 Multi Fandom Graphics

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:59:42 GMT

[04] Animated Sherlock Holmes
[01] Big Sleep
[04] Chronicles of Narnia
[02] Lord Peter Wimsey
[01] Mamma Mia!
[05] Wuthering Heights
[02] Sleeping Bleauty
[01] Emma
[02] Bogart and Bacall Wallpapers
[01] Gigi Wallpaper
[01] Guys and Dolls Wallpaper
[02] Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Wallpapers

Teaser:

Over at ogeecons

( Variety is the spice of life... )

The Quotable Chandler

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:23:09 GMT

I thought people here might enjoy this piece from January magazine marking the 120th anniversary of Chandler's birth - it has some of his greatest quotes, which are so witty that they have me wanting to reread him as soon as possible! Does anyone have another favourite line of his?

Review - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards; Lilian Jackson Braun

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:34:43 GMT

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

Lilian Jackson Braun

I realized recently that as much as I love these books, I’ve read relatively few in the series given how many there actually are (30 to date, if you include the one collection of short stories). Usually laughed off by the masses as kitschy ‘old-lady’ books, those who read them know they’re quite the opposite and are actually some of the cleverest bits of reading around. Braun, a former journalist whose advanced age has no doubt contributed to the mistaken notion that these books are about old ladies and their cats, has a wit so sharp and a perception so keen that you almost never see her coming at you until it’s too late and it’s zoomed right past you. Her fondness for the mysterious and almost mystical Siamese cat is no different than Dean Koontz’s love affair with Golden Retrievers, and far less sappy and sentimental. Her human hero, Jim Qwilleran, remains one of the most enigmatic, fascinating literary characters I’ve ever encountered.

This is the very first book in the series, written in 1966 and not, I believe, initially intended by Braun for serial-dom. The title was simply a wordplay on the central plot in which the owner of an elegant and mouthy Siamese cat is murdered, and I wonder if Braun ever imagined that the quirky title would explode into the near-phenomenon known as “The Cat Who…” books! I especially enjoyed reading this first one and being ‘introduced’ to Qwill from the beginning, because his situation changes so drastically in the later books that I’m more familiar with. Here, we find him in his big city setting (unlike the far-flung country setting of later books), having just accepted a new job as a feature writer on the Daily Fluxion. His first assignment is writing up the local art scene, which Qwill is not entirely happy about given that he’s accustomed to the more serious crime and political beats, but his position is precarious at the moment and complaining is not an option. At least things get a bit more interesting when the paper’s deeply despised art critic – and also Qwill’s temporary landlord - as well as a local art dealer are both murdered.

As is par for the course in all the books, Qwill’s past is something of a mystery, glimpsed in bits from time to time via the vague occasional comment alluding to an ex-wife, alcoholism and lost jobs, but never fully explained. Qwill himself is a guarded person, even to the reader, so he’s like that guy at work you want to know more about but is too prickly and private to draw out very easily.

I’m really looking forward to reading this series in order. As I understand it, the first three books were written in relatively quick succession, before a long and unexplained hiatus. After this first book, which was popular enough to generate a second and third (published in 1967 and 1968), Braun didn’t return to the story until almost twenty years later, in 1986. It was at that point the series really picked up and became – and remains - one of the most popular mystery series’ of all time. I can’t wait to keep going and watch the development of Qwill and the other recurring characters.

Janet Evanovitch

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:41:49 GMT

Just read the 14th Stephanie Plum. A froth, if maybe not up to the usual Evanovitch egg cream. But required reading for any Jerseyan. Janet doesn't live there any more but she still knows the territory.
A quick and easy "beach read". Or, as we in Jersey say, "a take to the shore".

your last mystery

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:24:50 GMT

What was the last mystery novel you read? What did you think of it?

And what's next in your mystery fiction reading queue?

Review - The Man in the Brown Suit; Agatha Christie

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:14:05 GMT

The Man in the Brown Suit

Agatha Christie

Fiction; Mystery

I remember reading somewhere that this was one of Dame Agatha’s favorites of her own works. As I read it I couldn’t help but picture her, as a young woman, as the main character. I bet she did that, too, as she was writing it! It seemed so obviously a little fantasy of hers – being young, fresh, and adventurous, embarking on a journey with no permanent destination in mind and wandering knee-deep into all kinds of international intrigue.

That’s what happens to the fictional protagonist, Anne Beddingfeld, after her professor/archaeologist father, whom she’s always taken care of, passes away and leaves her free and unencumbered for the first time in her life. She immediately finds herself embroiled in a mystery when she happens to see a strange man in a brown suit at the train station and connects him to a local murder. Off she heads into the wilds of South Africa and more harrowing experiences involving stolen diamonds, murdered millionaire heirs, and an inordinate number of shady characters trying to do away with her, and she gets to meet and collude with some delightfully entertaining characters along the way. Here is Christie’s introduction, too, of the inscrutable Colonel Race, whom we meet again later in Death on the Nile.

This is a fun and fairly light-hearted romp, imbued with the hilariously wry humor that didn’t always make it into the more somber series novels featuring Poirot and Marple. Easily now one of my favorite Christie ‘stand-alones’ and such fun to read.

amateur vs professional detectives

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:22:20 GMT

When you look at crime fiction written prior to the Second World War, the detectives are overwhelmingly amateurs, or if they make a living as detectives they are still not professional police officers. Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, Baroness Orczy’s Old Man in the Corner, Arthur Morrison’s Martin Hewitt, R. Austin Freeman’s Dr Thorndyke, Lord Peter Wimsey, Albert Campion, Edmund Crispin’s Gervase Fen, Hercule Poirot - the list goes on. And not just in Britain - in the US there was Jacques Futrelle’s thinking Machine, there was Hammett’s Continental Op, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Philo Vance, etc. The police may be depicted as incompetent fools, but even when they’re sympathetically portrayed they’re still incapable of solving crimes without the help of an outsider.

In modern crime fiction the detective heroes are mostly police officers, or they’re coroners or medical examiners or something similar - they’re part of the official system of criminal justice.

Why do you think this change came about?

x-posted to vintage_crime

100 Mystery Graphics

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:15:13 GMT

100 Mystery graphics. Featuring: anthony howell, emma thompson, humphrey bogart, inspector lynley, jeremy brett, kenneth branagh, lauren bacall, edward norton, paul giamatti, rufus sewell, eddie cahill, gary sinise, melina kanakaredes, carmine giovinazzo, anna belknap, sharon small, nathaniel parker, edward burke, david suchet and many others!

[08] New Amsterdam
[15] The Big Sleep (1946)
[14] CSI: NY
[06] Dead Again (1991)
[17] Foyle's War: Fifty Ships
[01] Foyle's War wallpaper
[10] The Illusionist (2006)
[13] Inspector Lynley
[05] Hercule Poirot
[12] Sherlock Holmes: The Solitary Cyclist (1984)

Teaser:

( The ultimate mystery is one's own self... )

The rest can be found over at ogeecons

agatha_stills

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:08:55 GMT

They asked for it...

She was known as "The Queen of Crime" and her books have captured the imaginations of generations of readers. Today, Agatha Christie remains the most popular novelist in history, with over two billion copies of her books sold.

And now, she has entered the world of icontests. agatha_stills is a new Agatha Christie icontest, specially designed for those who love mysteries! Challenges will range from series such as Poirot and Miss Marple, to Academy Award winning films like Murder on the Orient Express, text icon challenges with famous catch phrases and quotes, minor character themes (Inspectors Japp and Slack, Captain Hastings or Ms. Lemon), book covers, the life and times of the author and even Agatha Christie herself!

First challenge will be posted shortly!

Thu, 29 May 2008 20:37:21 GMT

murderssoeasy: new Peter Wimsey community.

I am not sure whether the pimping of new comms is acceptable here, but nothing in the userinfo specifically bars it, so...

Review - Touch Not the Cat; Mary Stewart

Thu, 29 May 2008 14:00:03 GMT

Touch Not the Cat

Mary Stewart

Fiction; Suspense

Although Mary Stewart is best known for her Arthurian series (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment, aka The Merlin Trilogy), she was also a prolific producer of extremely popular suspense and historical novels throughout the 1970’s. Out of print for years and therefore treasured by those lucky enough to have original copies, most were suddenly re-issued as mass market paperbacks in the late 90’s by an imprint of Harper Collins. Imagine my delight! Stewart has a particular talent for structuring a modern story in an historical framework, usually set in her native England or Scotland, and the curiously English knack for creating realistic, likable characters that neither over- or underwhelm the reader.

This oddly-named (and the name is part of the mystery) novel is told almost exclusively by Bryony Ashley, a young woman mourning the sudden death of her father and returning to the crumbling family estate to untangle the complicated legal mess with her cousins. Bryony also has a secret she’s kept for years, which is that she somehow communicates telepathically with a presence she thinks of only as ‘Lover’. This telepathy is an Ashley trait that pops up every so often in the line and is shared only by other Ashleys, which can only mean that her mysterious mental companion is someone she knows from the family, but who? One of her cousins, the mischievous twins? Or someone else entirely? As this mystery Bryony has lived with all of her life seems to be coming to light, the strange and unexpected death of her father leaves Ashley with a riddle to solve as she tries to understand a final, ominous warning he leaves her from his deathbed. It begins trivially, with small but valuable items missing from the old house, and a glimpse of a cloaked man lurking in the overgrown maze and around the family chapel.

The atmosphere is enchanting, a perfect blending of the encroaching modern world upon a life and time that has faded into memory – a time of rambling, pre-war estates in the green English hills, with histories that go even further back to an era of crests and swords and family honor. It bears Stewart’s singular, indelible stamp of originality and subtle suspense, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t wait to get to the other re-releases.

Death on Demand series

Wed, 14 May 2008 21:05:56 GMT

Every once in a while I feel an urge to do a little write-up celebration of a favorite book, series or author, and right now I feel compelled to pay homage to ‘cozy’ mystery author Carolyn G. Hart and in particular, her ‘Death on Demand’ series. It’s one of my very favorites and I love to go back and re-read them over and over again.

For those who don’t know what a ‘cozy’ is, the term defines a sub-category of the mystery genre and refers to mysteries in which the sleuth is not a professional – i.e., not a police / homicide detective, investigator, etc. Mystery queen Agatha Christie made the ‘cozy’ mystery most popular with her Miss Marple series.

There are currently 18 books in the DoD series,

which began in 1987 with the series title opener, Death on Demand. The title is also the name of a mystery bookstore that South Carolina native Annie Laurance inherits from a beloved, deceased uncle. Annie spent many a youthful day in her uncle’s store, and even through her grief is thrilled to find that it’s hers now. Anyone who knows me even a little is nodding his or her head knowingly right now, because it’s obvious from just that description why I love the series so much. Run a little mystery bookstore? Why, WHO WOULD WANT TO DO SUCH A THING??? (ROFLLLLLLL) That would absolutely be a dream come true.

There is even a resident bookstore cat, named – what else? – Agatha.

Speaking of that venerable grande dame of mystery, Hart has been a recipient of Malice Domestic’s Agatha award as well as the coveted Anthony and Macavity awards. She’s actually been compared to Christie for her tight plots and structure. Like Christie, she writes another series featuring a different sleuth, the Henrie O series, as well as a number of stand-alones, but the Death on Demand series is by far the most popular.

One of the great pleasures of the DoD series in particular is the many references to mystery novel trivia, spanning a vast array of authors and classic stories. Truly a delight for any mystery buff.

So here are the titles, in chronological order, and very brief plot descriptions of each.

DEATH ON DEMAND series
Carolyn G. Hart

Death on Demand, 1987
Annie Laurance inherits her uncle’s mystery bookstore and is immediately plunged into a mystery of her own. Shortly after a regular meeting of local mystery authors one of the writers, the unpleasant Elliot Morgan, is killed – presumably by one of the other writers, after he’d threatened to expose certain secrets. Annie is a suspect at first, but enlists her old friend and flame Max Darling to find the real culprit.

Design for Murder, 1988
Annie is asked to stage a Mystery Night for the Historical Preservation Society, but soon finds herself in the midst of a real-life murder when the grand, genteel Corinne Webster is found dead at the event.

Something Wicked, 1988
A local summer production of Arsenic and Old Lace turns ugly when an aging Hollywood star arrives, seduces half the women in town, then winds up dead. When the local prosecutor tries to dump the blame on Max, Annie goes on a mission to prove her man’s innocence.

Honeymoon With Murder, 1989
Annie and Max have tied the knot, but their honeymoon is rudely interrupted by the murder of the ever-sleazy Jesse Penrick and the subsequent plea for help and disappearance of one of Annie’s friends.

A Little Class on Murder, 1989
When newlywed Annie is invited to teach a class on mystery novels at the local college, she finds that university politics can quickly lead to murder. Journalism Dept. Chair R.T. Burke is investigating the alleged embezzlement activities of another professor when he winds up dead and the newspaper office is bombed, killing another person as well. Annie and Max investigate.

Deadly Valentine, 1990
Annie and Max move into their new home, and to Annie’s dismay, one of their new neighbors is Sydney, the local sexpot, who seduces every man in sight – and she has her sights on Max. When Sydney turns up dead at her own Valentine’s Day party, there is a seemingly endless list of suspects, from spurned lovers to angry wives.

The Christie Caper, 1991
A fabulous celebration of Hart’s idol, Agatha Christie. Annie is co-hosting The Christie Caper, a week-long mystery conference for writers, readers and other enthusiasts. When one aspiring writer is murdered, Annie goes on a hunt for the killer. One of my favorites in this series.

Southern Ghost, 1992
Another one of my favorites! Annie and Max get involved with an old South Carolina family that has seen more than its fair share of tragedy – suicides, murder, alcoholism and scandal among them. The supernatural, cat lore and southern gothic flavor make this a one of the best in the series.

Mint Julep Murder, 1995
At the annual Dixie Book Festival held on Hilton Head island, Annie has agreed to act as liaison for the five authors being presented with festival Medallions. Each has reason to be upset when the publisher of Mint Julep Press announces his plans to write a tell-all about Southern writers, so when the publisher mysteriously dies at his own party after imbibing poisoned bourbon, there are plenty of suspects.

Yankee Doodle Dead, 1998
When retired Brigadier General Charlton "Bud" Hatch arrives in Broward's Rock, he wastes no time antagonizing his new neighbors with his brash, arrogant attitude – which only results in his being murdered, naturally, at the annual Independence Day festival. Annie and Max are on the case.

White Elephant Dead, 1999
Annie is shocked when Kathryn Girard, one of the island's Women's Club members, is murdered and Annie’s good friend Henny Brawley is injured and then accused of the crime. Turns out that Kathryn’s activities on behalf of the Women’s Club weren’t quite on the up-and-up. It’s up to Annie to prove her friend’s innocence.

Sugarplum Dead, 2000
Handsome, smooth-talking psychic Emory Swanson has come to Broward’s Rock to establish the Evermore Foundation, where those with the dough to part with can allegedly get in touch with their dearly departed. One of Swanson’s devotees is retired Hollywood queen Marguerite Dumaney, whose old age and wealth have her relatives hovering like vultures. When her sister is murdered instead, Annie gets involved via a surprise connection – her long-lost father, who is the dead woman’s ex-husband.

April Fool Dead, 2002
When Annie plans a book signing at her bookstore for a local author, someone intent on causing chaos puts out fake copies of publicity flyers that set off a crazy series of events. Old, unsolved crimes are on everyone’s mind, and a local high school teacher is inexplicably murdered. Old secrets as well as new ones abound as Annie tries to wend her way through the details.

Engaged to Die, 2003
Everyone in the Low Country island of Broward's Rock, S.C., has been looking forward to the gala opening of a new art collection at the Neville Gallery, owned by heiress Virginia Neville, who takes the opportunity to also announce her engagement to much-younger artist Jake O'Neill. The party ends rather quickly when Jake is murdered. When a friend of Annie’s becomes a suspect and Max is officially asked to investigate, husband and wife find themselves at opposite ends of the mystery.

Murder Walks the Plank, 2004
Annie is excited about the benefit cruise she's planned that will offer food, fun and prizes as well as relief from the sultry heat of August, but is crushed when the evening's festivities are cut short by what appears to be an accidental death. When another party guest is found dead and a few dark secrets surface about some prominent citizens, Annie is sure foul play is afoot.

Death of the Party, 2005
Annie and Max are invited to a remote island mansion to investigate the death of media magnate Jeremiah Addison, which has been ruled an accident but which his antagonistic sister-in-law, Britt, scorns. She’s the one, after all, who found the trip wire strung across the top of the stairs he tumbled down! In a story reminiscent of Christie’s masterpiece And Then There Were None, a dark reunion of sorts is put together at the isolated private island home, with the intent of unmasking the killer.

Dead Days of Summer, 2006
When Max takes on a new case and fails to come home one night, Annie panics and calls in every friend and police favor she’s built up over the years. Their search leads to the body of an attractive woman near Max's abandoned car, and in the trunk is the murder weapon. Immediately assumed to be a cheating husband who killed his mistress, Max is arrested when he surfaces soon after, but Annie knows her man too well and pours her heart and soul into clearing him, even though it means putting herself directly in the path of a vicious killer.

Death Walked In, March 25, 2008
Annie and husband Max are restoring an old antebellum house when Max receives a call for help from a clearly frightened woman. Still stung by his near-miss with being blamed for a crime he didn’t commit (Dead Days of Summer), Max refuses to get involved. When Annie goes to the woman’s home instead, she finds her dying. A pile of missing rare gold coins, greedy relatives and old secrets soon come to the forefront, and it all seems to circle back to the old house Annie and Max are restoring.

Review - The Bone Garden; Tess Gerritsen

Tue, 13 May 2008 20:10:23 GMT

The Bone Garden

Tess Gerritsen

Fiction; Mystery (historical)

This excellent stand-alone historical mystery is my first read of Gerritsen’s, and I was not disappointed. In the present, recent divorcee Julia Hamill has bought an old house and to her dismay, discovered an unmarked grave on the property. The fractured bones of an unknown young woman take us into the past, to the early 1800’s, when the rapidly growing field of medical study was just beginning to flourish in the U.S., particularly on the east coast.

A penniless Irish peasant with nothing but the clothes on her back and her dead sister’s newborn baby is relentlessly pursued by shadow figures through the back streets of Boston, and a vicious, Jack-the-Ripper type serial slasher is terrorizing the city. Medical student Norris Marshall is reluctantly drawn into a mystery that he soon realizes is far more sinister than he ever imagined, and for he and Rose to save themselves they must stay one step ahead of those who will do literally anything to keep a deadly secret.

What makes this story so rich and unique is the vivid historical depiction of that early time in modern medicine, from primitive infection control and grave-robbing to provide cadavers for medical students to study, to poet Oliver Wendell Holmes’ own significant role in the medical field at that time (he’s featured in the story as a fellow student and friend to Norris). I felt fully as if I were seeing 19^th-century Boston through the eyes of Rose and Norris. It is definitely reminiscent of the “From Hell” Ripper story, which I’m sure served as at least partial inspiration, with the setting moved to the U.S. and featuring American historical figures. That doesn’t make it any less a terrific story! Unfortunately and for reasons I cannot fathom, the two literary reviews on Amazon – one from Publishers Weekly, the other from Booklist - were not favorable. I’m going to have to part company with both of them, though, and say that I thought it was excellent and recommend it to any fan of the mystery/suspense genre, particularly historical suspense.

All She Was Worth by Miyuki Miyake

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:48:31 GMT

Miyuki Miyake’s All She Was Worth is a mystery novel, but it’s also a good deal more than that. It’s a fascinating account of a search for identity and an exploration of the meaning of identity. It’s an intriguing glimpse into Japanese society, particularly in relation to the way in which individual identity is merged into family identity. It’s an account of a world gone mad with easy credit and the lives that are destroyed by the lure of effortless money. It examines the changing roles of women in Japanese society. And while there is indeed a mystery to be unravelled, the book I even more concerned with unravelling the secrets of the personalities of the characters – in particular the two women whose lives are so strangely linked, but also the personality of the detective.

Inspector Shunsuke Honma is a middle-aged Tokyo police detective raising a young son his own after his wife’s death. While on sick leave after sustaining an injury he is contacted by one of his late wife’s relatives whose fiancee has disappeared. His investigations soon lead him to some startling conclusions – this woman is not the person she claimed to be, she is someone else entirely, but who is she really? To untangle this puzzle Inspector Honma finds himself in effect searching for two women, both of whose pasts contain more than their fair share of secrets, and whose lives are linked in complex and unexpected ways. Being a Japanese mystery it doesn’t follow the traditional pattern of a western detective story, but it’s an enthralling and highly entertaining read. Miyuki Miyabe is a very successful Japanese novelist. This was the first of her books to be translated into English, but I believe that several others are now available as well. She’s certainly an author I expect to be reading more of.

x-posted to talkbooks and elswhere

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:29:05 GMT

I was interested to see that a few days ago The Times carried a list of the 50 Greatest Crime Writers, as chosen by Marcel Berlins, and wondered what people here would think of the list.

I thought Arthur Conan Doyle would be number one and was a little surprised to see it was Patricia Highsmith instead, though that's not to say anything against her as I haven't read any of her books as yet. I realise that I've often either read loads of books by a crime writer or nothing at all by them!

Review - The Woods; Harlan Coben

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:46:04 GMT

The Woods
Harlan Coben
Fiction; Mystery

This is the first book of Coben's that I've read, but it won't be the last because I really enjoyed it. I understand he's written many books, some of them part of a series, others as stand-alones. This is a stand-alone, and although I've read mixed reviews, I thought it was good. Paul "Cope" Copeland is a fairly recent widow trying to care for his young daughter alone when his past comes back to haunt him: twenty years or so before, his sister had been murdered at a summer camp they were both attending - she as a regular camper, he as a counselor. At least, the assumption is that she was murdered, along with three others. Two teenage couples had gone into the woods one night and never returned. One couple was found butchered, and the other - Paul's sister and her boyfriend - were never found but presumed dead after their torn, bloody clothes were found and another counselor at the camp went on to murder several other campers at different locations over the years.

Paul, wracked with guilt over his own role that fateful night (when he should have been doing bed checks but was instead fooling around with his own girlfriend) has done his best to put it behind him. One evening while attending his daughter's school recital, however, he's approached by two police detectives and taken to a morgue to look at a body. That body blows the past open in a way no one could have anticipated, especially Paul, and he finds himself having to go back to the very beginning and relive that night all over again, because what he and everyone else thought happened may have been very, very different from the reality.

I thought the pacing was excellent, and the method of using one character to speak in the first person and others in the 3rd was very effective (this tactic seems to be becoming more and more popular). I thought the writing was exceptionally clean and smooth, and emotionally jarring in an electrifying way, yet not sentimental or sappy at all. I was impressed and will look for more books by Coben.

Review - Spider Light; Sarah Rayne

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:39:36 GMT

Spider Light
Sarah Rayne
Fiction; Suspense

This is an author I’ve just recently discovered, and I’m so glad I did. Sarah Rayne is a pseudonym, I know, so I’m not sure what the author’s real name is, although she apparently writes under other names, as well, in different genres. Rayne’s novels seem to fall into a crossover area somewhere between mystery, suspense and a touch of horror.

In Spider Light, Dr. Antonia Weston has just been released from prison after serving several years for allegedly killing a patient. Trying to put her life back together and keep a low profile, she moves to the small, quiet town of Amberwood only to find herself immersed in the bizarre and morbid history of the town. That history centers around two very different but oddly intertwined places: Twygrist, an old, abandoned watermill, and Latchkill, an asylum long since torn down but still very much a part of Amberwood and its tragic past. Despite her desire to avoid any further drama, Antonia finds herself drawn to that past, and after soon realizing that someone with dangerous and malicious intent has followed her to Amberwood, has no choice but to try and solve several old mysteries.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the one flaw is that I thought it introduced too many similar characters and elements. It could have even been separate novels – one about Twygrist, the other about Latchkill, or at least tied together more cleanly without leaning so much on coincidence.

Other than that, though, I just relished this book and read it as slowly as possible. Antonia is a good character with no fluff and nonsense, her stalker is a fascinating study we get to know rather well, and side characters such as Godfrey Toy are engaging. Rayne does a very admirable job of fleshing these characters out.

I’ve now ordered Rayne’s entire backlist (is that the word?).

The Club Dumas

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:49:55 GMT

Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s The Club Dumas is a highly enjoyable tale of rare book dealing and the occult, tied in with loads of references to The Three Musketeers as well. A book detective (specialising in tracking down obscure and esoteric books) becomes involved in satanic plots and shady conspiracy theories. Who knew that the rare book trade was so dangerous an exciting? Very original and dazzlingly entertaining.

x-posted to talkbooks

mystery genre benders

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:36:29 GMT

How do you feel about genre benders? Books that combine one or more different genres? How do you feel about novels like Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s Arabesk series, combining detective fiction with science fiction? What other genres do you think work well in combination with the mystery genre?

Review - The Book of Air and Shadows; Michael Gruber

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:37:53 GMT

The Book of Air and Shadows

Michael Gruber

Fiction; Suspense

A complex labyrinth involving a literary treasure, shadowy underworld characters and more than a bit of trickery, this story centers primarily on two characters: Jake Mishkin, a wealthy New York lawyer specializing in intellectual property, and Albert Crosetti, a poor, aspiring film-maker who works in a bookstore. The men don’t know each other, but are brought together by the discovery of the 16^th-century letters of an unknown English soldier which appear to point to the existence of a lost manuscript of William Shakespeare’s – a manuscript that would have meant old Will’s head on a block in his day. The grisly murder of an English professor and the disappearance of Albert’s co-worker take the men down a dangerous, unpredictable path, and the reader gets to tag along on what often feels like a roller coaster ride.

Crosetti is an incredibly likeable character and absolutely steals the show. To his slight embarrassment he’s still living with his mother, Mary Peg, while he saves up for film school, and feels overrun at times by his three aggressive older sisters. Mary Peg is the funny, forthright Italian mother we all secretly wish we had.

Jake Mishkin is the repulsive anti-hero. His primary interest in life is philandering, and no amount of his brother’s and sister’s analysis of why he does this has any effect. He’s disgusting and I really hated him, so much so that I read through his narratives as quickly as possible, and hoped throughout that he would be killed in some really vile way. I’m sure it was the author’s intent to make him as unlikable as possible, and he succeeded.

Good story, good pacing, and overall a nice combination mystery/thriller.