The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham

The White Cottage Mystery
Margery Allingham
1927
5/5 stars

Eric Crowther is found dead in his neighbors' cottage and Chief Inspector W.T. Challenor is called to investigate.  Everyone in the cottage, plus two of Crowther's employees, had reason to kill him.  Challenor finds himself involved in a case with too many suspects and no reasonable solution.

This short novel is well-written, tightly plotted, and thoroughly engaging; I finished it in one sitting.  The solution is perfectly plausible, as are the characters and their stories.  While I am crazy about her Campion adventures, I do wish Allingham had written a few more like this fantastic mystery.

Phantastes by George MacDonald

Phantastes: a Faerie Romance
George MacDonald
1858
Annotated edition edited by John Pennington and Roderick McGill in 2017.
5/5 stars

Published in 1858, Phantastes is a coming of age story, that tells of Anodos' journey through Fairy Land.  MacDonald's prose is beautiful and lush and his poetry, while a product of it's time, is often enchanting.  The story itself is engaging and at times enthralling.  It is a delightful read for those who enjoy both allegory and Victorian literature.

I have read this before, and was excited to find an annotated version.  The editors John Pennington and Roderick McGillis define some of the more obscure words, interpret foreign phrases, place the novel in it's historical and literary place, point out influences, and give insights to the allegory.  They also include a detailed introduction and appendices including illustrations, influences, contemporary reviews, and scholarly articles, in addition to a lengthy bibliography.  This adds greatly to the enjoyment of the novel, and I'm delighted to have read it.

Read as part of the Classics Club.  My explanation is here. 

Letters to Malcolm by C. S. Lewis

Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
C. S. Lewis
1964
5/5/stars

This slim volume is precisely as advertised: essays written in letter form, mainly about prayer.  Petitionary prayers, adoration, and penitence are discussed, as well as other church topics such as Communion, resurrection, the purpose of church services, and Purgatory.
As a Christian apologist, Lewis faces tough issues and gives his opinion unhesitatingly.  Due to his incredible intelligence, some of his arguments are well above my grasp.  However, he often succinctly expresses in words the thoughts that weren't concretely formed in my mind, helping me to pin down my belief on an issue.

I have to say that I didn't care for the format; simple essays would have been better than faked letters with insincere personal details.  That's only a small point, though, as the worth of the book far surpasses any minor irritations.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
2006
3/5 stars

In this first of a five part series, Percy Jackson discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, begins life at a camp for Half-Blood children, and, with new friends Grover (a Satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena), goes on a quest to prevent war between the Gods.

 Riordan writes engagingly, and, though for children, the book is still mature enough for adults. The action comes fast and thick, and is a bit over-the-top at times. While the characters aren't fully developed, they aren't cardboard and static. This was a reread for me, and though I wasn't as enthralled as I was with the first reading, I did enjoy it and will most likely continue to reread the entire series.

 (A note on the audio book: the narrator is inferior and makes the book less enjoyable than it should be.)

The Lone Wolf by Louis Joseph Vance

The Lone Wolf
Louis Joseph Vance
1914
3/5 stars

Michael Lanyard is an international jewel thief, nicknamed "the Lone Wolf" by the authorities.  Having come to Paris after a particularly successful heist in England, Lanyard is approached by four criminals calling themselves "the Pack", and insisting that Lanyard join them.  He rejects their demands, creating enemies of them.  In the meantime, he falls in love with a young American woman, Lucy, who works for one of the criminals as his nurse.  He vows to go straight for her sake, starting a series of events that lead to him being framed for murder, nearly murdered himself, at risk in a car chase, and finally in a near deadly biplane adventure, as he and Lucy try to escape to France to start a new life.

This book is subtitled "a melodrama", and there is good reason for that.  It is dramatic and exciting, and thoroughly over the top.  The characters are not fully developed, and the prose could certainly be better, but the plot is completely engaging, with some excellent twists.  The Lone Wolf is a fun read for those who can appreciate it as a product of la Belle Époque and the Edwardian era.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers 
Liane Moriarty
2018
5/5 stars

Tranquillum House, a remote, elite health retreat, offers a ten-day session that is advertised as an experience that will change your life.  Nine guests arrive to participate: a young married couple, a family of three, and four individuals.  During this ten days, the unexpected happens in many ways, and the lives of these nine do certainly change.

Moriarty is an exceptionally talented writer.  She juggled the voices of the nine guests, plus three staff members, skillfully enough that all twelve were recognizable as separate persons.  The plot was generally riveting, and the prose engaging.    I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Murder of a Lady by Anthony Wynne

Murder of a Lady: a Scottish Mystery 
Anthony Wynne
1931
4/5 stars

Dr. Eustace Hailey, amateur detective, is on hand in the Scottish Highlands when Mary Gregor is found murdered in a locked room, with only the scale of a fish as a clue.  As more impossible murders happen, all accompanied by a scale, Dr. Hailey assists the police to find a solution.

This is a well-written, well-plotted mystery, with fleshed out characters and an atmospheric location.  While the solution isn't fully convincing, it's ingenuity is cunning.  Murder of a Lady is the twelfth of the Dr. Hailey novels, but my first; it took a few chapters to fully understand his personality, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment of the story.  Wynne (pseudonym of Dr. Robert McNair Wilson) was obviously talented in this genre, and I look forward to reading more of this Golden Age author.

January 2019 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
A Winter Away by Elizabeth Fair  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Continental Crimes edited by Martin Edwards  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Love Among the Ruins by Angela Thirkell  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot (with Steve Raby)  4/5 stars
Talbot uses St. Francis to encourage the reader to simplify and to become more spiritual in everyday matters.  Subjects include humility, compassion, service, peace, and prayer.  Talbot writes in a way that is accessible for everyone, and as a result, the book is not a deep one; it is, however, certainly inspiring.

Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Old Bank House by Angela Thirkell  4/5 stars
The eighteenth of the Barsetshire series features the residents of Edgewood, where Sam Adams, Labour MP, buys the Old Bank House.  As is with all of Thirkell's novels, this novel is witty, snarky, and thoroughly enjoyable.  It is my favorite of the series, so far.  (Note: this series must be read in order.)


Audio Books Completed:
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King  5/5 stars
Russell and Holmes are requested to help an old friend, and become embroiled in deadly. family politics.  My favorite in the this series so far.  It was well-written, completely engaging, and (with one exception) plausible.

The Adventures of Sherlock  Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The House Sitter by Peter Lovesey  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Strip Jack by Ian Rankin  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Sourcery  by Terry Pratchett  3/5 stars
Sourcery has returned to the Discworld, and is taking over both wizardry, and the world.  Rincewind, much against his will, finds himself the designated hero to restore balance to magic.  Pratchett's novels are always delightful, but this one lacked a little of the usual sparkle, as well as bogging down a bit in the middle.  Despite that, it's a fun read and has some great moments.

Did Not Finish:
I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark
Clark has often been recommended to me as a good suspense author, so I finally gave her novels a try, and chose this one as it had above average reviews.  While I was quite interested in the plot, I simply could not continue after over an hour of the audio book.  The writing was atrocious -- juvenile and repetitive, with unrealistic conversations and thoughts. I don't know if this novel is a fair representation of Clark's work, but I will never try another to find out.