March 2020 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
The Duke's Daughter by Angela Thirkell  (1951)  4/5 stars  (my review here)


Audio Books Completed:
When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh (1970)  3/5 stars
While in Rome on an Interpol mission, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is part of a sight-seeing tour which ends in murder.  As it ties in with his case, he rather reluctantly becomes part of the investigation -- and finds a solution quite different from that of the Roman police.

Though with well-written prose, the plot is not fully believable, the solution not fully satisfying, and the characters are somewhat stereotypical.  When in Rome is also dated by the 1960's slang, and, on the whole, does not feel as convincing as those Marsh wrote during the 1930s-50s.

Head of a Traveler by Nicholas Blake (1949)  3/5 stars
A headless corpse is discovered and, as  friends of Nigel are suspected, he becomes involved in the mystery.  The writing is good and the lead up to the end was interesting, but it was obvious who was the murderer from very early on and the solution not fully believable.  One should also note that this novel contains a dated and disturbing view of a rape.

Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett (1994)  4/5 stars
This, the 17th in the Discworld series, follows Rincewind's misadventures in the Aurient as he becomes unwillingly involved in revolution.  The Wizards of Unseen University make an appearance, while Cohen the Barbarian and his Horde feature prominently.  Interesting Times is funny, intelligent, and thoroughly entertaining, while still managing to be thought-provoking.

Death of an Expert Witness by P.D. James (1977)  5/5 stars
A forensic scientist is found murdered in his lab, and Dalgliesh is called in to investigate.  This is an excellent mystery with many well-drawn suspects with believable motives, a clever crime, and a satisfying conclusion.  It is compelling, intelligent, and, as always with James, excellently written.

A New Lease of Death by Ruth Rendell  (1967)  4/5 stars
When the Reverend Archery's son wants to marry the daughter of a convicted killer, Archery decides to delve into the past in hopes of finding that Inspector Wexford had got the wrong man.  This is a clever mystery, well-written and intelligent.  Both the main plot and the subplots draw the reader in fully, and the characters are believable and often appealing.  While not perfect, it is completely entertaining and worth reading.

The Duke's Daughter by Angela Thirkell

The Duke's Daughter
Angela Thirkell
1951
4/5 stars

This delightful continuation of the Barsetshire series follows eight youngish people, still finding their places after the War. It picks up right where County Chronicle leaves off, and needs to be read in order to understand the characters and relationships.

Thirkell's prose is witty, sometimes snarky, intelligent, and always entertaining. In the midst of the stories of the county are glimpses of post-World War II struggles, bringing poignant history to life.

I fell in love with these gentle novels from the first volume, and have yet to be disappointed as the inhabitants age, mature, and develop with the changes brought about by contemporary events.

February 2020 Wrap -Up

Books Read:
Murder at the Manor: Country House Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards (2015)  4/5 stars
As with all the Poison Pen Press/British Library Crime Classics short story collections edited by Edwards, this contains a five star assortment of authors, some well known and some now obscure.  The stories themselves vary in quality, with a few duds and a few gems sprinkled among average works.  Despite that, they are all worth reading for the exposure to the authors, the variety of styles, and the various takes on the country house mystery.

The Black Rustle by Constance and Gwenyth Little (1942)
4/5 stars
In this delightful screwball comedy/mystery, Marina visits a friend's family for the weekend and becomes entangled in not one, but two murders.  The Little sisters are aces at snappy dialogue and ridiculous situations that wrap nicely around a well-plotted, engrossing mystery.  While not their best, the Black Rustle is well-written and a great deal of fun.

Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis (1958)  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Iorich by Steven Brust (2010)  4/5 stars
Vlad, still on the run from the main Dragaeran criminal organization, discovers that his friend has been arrested and, to save her life, he risks his own by a return to Adrilankha.   Iorich is clever, well-written, and thoroughly entertaining, as are all of the Vlad Taltos novels.  Brust's ability to build a realistic world is impressive, and he has created a plot that is complex, but still comprehensible and credible.

Audio Books Completed:
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (2017) 3/5 stars  (my review here)

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (1994)  4/5 stars
A new form of music known as "Music with Rocks In" appears on the Discworld, affecting everyone who hears it.  Archchancellor Ridcully is convinced it's alive and dangerous, while the other wizards begin to wear leather and grease up their hair.  Meanwhile, Death has disappeared, leaving his granddaughter Susan to carry on the family business.  Laugh-out-loud funny and full of tributes to classic rock-n-roll, Soul Music is entertaining and engrossing.  It lacks the poignancy of many of the Discworld novels, unfortunately, but is still the well-written, intelligent, and fun that one expects from Pratchett.

Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters (1980)  4/5 stars
When a man is murdered by a potion of Cadfael's own, he becomes interested in the death.  The man's young stepson, Edwin, is accused of the crime, but Cadfael is not convinced of his guilt -- and as Edwin's mother is Cadfael's childhood sweetheart, he has extra incentive to find the real killer.  Throughout this series, Peters writes with believable detail and creates intelligent, engrossing mysteries.  Cadfael is a delightful character and Monk's Hood is enjoyable all through.

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie (1964)  4/5 stars
While on vacation, Miss Marple becomes convinced that a man's "natural" death is anything but.  While she muses on that problem, another murder occurs, and she must race against time to stop a third.  This is a satisfying and enjoyable mystery, with excellent twists and turns, and yet with all the pieces obvious, once the reader knows the solution.  Christie is a master at false clues and deceptive happenings, and A Caribbean Mystery full of both. It is a light and easy read, but compelling and certainly worth while.

Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn  (1999)  3/5 stars
Daisy's brother-in-law asks for her help in uncovering the source of the poison pen letters in his village.  When she stumbles over a murder victim, her fiancé, Scotland Yard Inspector Fletcher, hurries down to the country to help. This cozy mystery, like the rest of the series, is mainly fluff and atmosphere, but still entertaining and peopled with endearing characters.

Did Not Finish:
The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
This book is supposed to be full of fascinating stories relating to the elements and their discoverers, and suitable for the layperson.  I made it two and a half hours (five chapters), but found that when it wasn't over my head, it simply wasn't interesting. I am truly disappointed, as I had high hopes for this book.

A Spider in the Cup by Barbara Cleverly
I listened to over three hours of the audiobook, and it was so rooted in international politics that I just couldn't stay interested.