December 2020 Wrap Up

Books Read:

Three Times Dead; or, The Secret of the Heath; or The Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1860)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Story of a Whim by Grace Livingston Hill (1903) 3/5 stars

Hazel sends a Christmas gift to a stranger on a whim.  As the stranger's name is "Christie", Hazel assumes she is gifting a college-age girl like herself, when instead, the receiver is a young orange farmer.  Hazel's gift leads him to discover a faith that changes his life.  This Christian novel written at the turn of the 20th century is a gentle, sweet read that is light on plot but full of charm.

Behind a Mask, Or, a Woman's Power by A.M. Barnard, pseudonym of Louisa May Alcott 

(1866)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Dorial Hay (1936)  4/5 stars

In this Golden Age mystery, the host of a house party is found murdered on Christmas Day.  Hay's prose is quite good, and the plot was absorbing.  I wasn't fully convinced by the solution, but enjoyed the book as a whole.

Audio Books Completed

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King (2010)  4/5 stars

This well-written novel picks up at right as the previous volume ends, and takes Mary Russell and Holmes through an adventure that involves extreme danger to them and those they love most.  It is another wonderful, often touching, addition to the series, and is suspenseful, exciting, and completely engrossing. 

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (2017)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer (1941)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

A Scandalous Deception by Lynn Messina (2018)  4/5 stars

Picking up a few months after the end of  a Brazen Curiosity (my review here), this, the second in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series, follows Bea and the Duke of Kesgrave as they seek the killer of a dandy who fell dead at her feet.  This cozy mystery is as charming as the first, with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, appealing characters, and generally well-written prose.   The solution hinges on Bea's knowledge of bizarre facts, which wasn't fully convincing, but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Did Not Finish:
The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
This started off quite good, but then spiraled down, down, down.  Reading about pre-teen snogging and drug use is off-putting to say the least, and Jewell makes the reader feel like a pervert spying on these children.  If it had been handled better (by Nabokov for example) it could have been a compelling novel, but I felt so unclean reading it that I stopped about half way through.    

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I've had this book for some time, and looked forward to reading it when I was in the mood for neo-gothic.  Referred to a fine example of that genre, it is instead, an utter disappointment.  Unlike a classic gothic tale, this novel is distasteful and sordid, and Setterfield is not talented enough to spin a palatable and readable tale of incest, torture, masochism and insanity.  Give this one a miss.

Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer

Envious Casca

(also published as A Christmas Party) 

Georgette Heyer

1941

4/5 stars

Joseph Herriard, against the wishes of his brother Nathaniel, plans a Christmas house party at Nathaniel's home, Lexham Manor.  In addition to himself and his wife, Joseph's house party includes his niece and her playwright friend, his nephew and his unsuitable fiancé, a cousin, and Nathaniel's business partner, most of whom have cause to argue with -- or at least annoy -- Nathaniel and each other.  Nathaniel is found stabbed on Christmas Eve, inside his room with the door locked.  Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard is put on the tricky case and struggles to discover how the murder could have been committed. Meanwhile, the quarrelling continues, accusations flourish, and speculation abounds, making for a truly unpleasant holiday.

Heyer's talent for conversation, absurd situations, and well-thought out plots is apparent in this clever mystery.  The characters, though not deeply-drawn, were generally believable and the near universal unlikableness of them added realism to the story.  I suspected the correct one immediately, but not how the crime was accomplished, and enjoyed the slow revelation of both.  One point did stand out for me as not fully reconciled, but overall, Envious Casca is an entertaining yuletide read.

Behind a Mask, or, a Woman's Power by A.M. Barnard

Louisa May Alcott

Behind a Mask, or, a Woman's Power

A.M. Barnard (pseudonym of Louisa May Alcott)  

1866 

4/5 stars 

In this short novel, Jean Muir, a deceitful governess, strives to find security for her future by wining the love of a her employer's son. A consummate actress, Jean works her way into the family quickly and easily puts her plans into action. As her past follows fast on her heels, she must work rapidly if she is to succeed. 

 Alcott's writing is strong, and she is able to flesh out the characters surprisingly well in such a short time. She hits the reader with the secret immediately, but that doesn't lessen the suspense or enjoyment, and the reader will be uncertain as to the outcome all the way to the end. Jean is a truly wicked woman, and yet Alcott causes the reader to unwillingly champion her cause. I read it in two sittings, completely engrossed, and literally yelled when I read the ending. For those fond of a Victorian-era sensational novel, this is a must-read. 

The Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Three Times Dead; or, The Secret of the Heath; or The Trail of the Serpent

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

1860  

4/5 stars

This triple-named Victorian melodrama has everything that the genre should and more: murder, deceit, blackmail, love, true friendship, deep emotions, a foundling, a man jailed for a crime he didn't commit, a mute detective, a truly despicable villain, and lots and lots of drama.  

(A more detailed plot synopsis would spoil some of the surprises of the book, and I honestly think the less known, the more pleasure.)

I thoroughly enjoyed Braddon's first published sensation novel. It is one of, if not the, earliest British "detective" novels, and makes use of disguise, civilian assistants, a doggedly determined sleuth, and many other features characteristic to that story type.  The plot was twisty, sometimes unpredictable, with mostly well drawn characters and a satisfying ending.  While it's literary merit doesn't deserve five stars, I certainly got five stars worth of entertainment from the Trail of the Serpent (as it's most commonly known) and highly recommend it to fellow lovers of the genre.

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

The Word is Murder

Anthony Horowitz

2017

3/5 stars

A woman plans her funeral in the morning, and is murdered that evening.  Daniel Hawthorne, ex-cop and current private investigator, is working with the police to solve the mystery.  He approaches the author, Anthony Horowitz, to write a true-crime book about the case.  Horowitz agrees, and follows Hawthorne about as he works, being a Watson to his Holmes, and trying to find the answer himself.

The premise is unique and promising, but the result was not satisfying. The mystery itself was interesting, but never compelling. There were several nicely done false leads, but equally as many quickly-obvious "secrets".  The solution was not fully convincing and the murderer's confession scene was truly ridiculous.

The prose is a generally good, and Horowitz mixes his real life with fiction quite well, but after a few chapters, the novelty wore off and the story felt pretentious and too aware of it's cleverness.  He spent a good many words on describing his writing process and his personal life -- words that would have been better spent on fleshing out characters and giving more clues pointing to the guilty party.  I wavered between two and three stars, but decided that, as I did read it to the end, it deserves three stars, but certainly no recommendation.

November 2020 Wrap-Up

Books Read:

According to the Pattern by Grace Livingston Hill (1903)  3/5 stars   (my review here)

Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc and Edgar Jepson (1909)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Expiation by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1887)  4/5 stars

This Victorian novel follows the story of a man intent on vengeance at all costs, and the pain and distress he causes those around him.  Expiation is filled with romance, revenge, adventure, mystery, heartbreak, and, of course, melodrama.  The writing is not consistently strong and some of the characters are cardboard stereotypes, but the complex plot is compelling and the pace never drags. I enjoyed it tremendously from start to finish, and recommend it to all who appreciate this genre. 

 A Golden Argosy by Fred M. White (1886)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Blackout by Constance and Gwyneth Little (1951)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King (2009) 4/5 stars

Mary Russell and her husband/partner, Holmes, become involved in an extremely personal case as they investigate a woman's disappearance and a bizarre religious cult.  This is more of a suspenseful adventure than a mystery, but it's compelling plot was engaging throughout. Russell is a delightful character, and her voice is natural and believable. Most of the action follows her alone,  but when Holmes is present, King, as usual, keeps his personality quite close to canon.  Overall, it's a great addition to this highly recommended series.  (Note: they must be read in order.)

Audio Books Completed:

A Keeper by Graham Norton (2018)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves (2015)  3/5

Two seemingly unconnected men are murdered in the peaceful neighborhood of Valley Farm; not long after, a third murder occurs that seems to be tied to the two prior. The residents of the community are DI Vera Stanhope's focus, as she sorts out their secrets, their histories, and their lies.  The Moth Catcher is well written, as have been the six previous books of this series, but Cleeves does not provide enough clues to the essential connection.  I still enjoyed it -- Vera is a fantastic character -- but less than I have the others.

A Brazen Curiosity by Lynn Messina (2019)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Lady Audley's Secret by M.E. Braddon (1862)  5/5 stars

This is an astoundingly good Victorian melodrama.  It is well-written, has an intriguing and engrossing plot, and believable, flawed characters.   The "secret" is revealed early on, but the suspense that builds as the lead character tries to prove his theory is nicely done, and the story has several good twists.  I enthusiastically recommend this book to those who enjoy the genre, but would suggest not reading any descriptions, as I think the less known about the plot, the better the enjoyment.

The Seagull by Ann Cleeves  (2017)  4/5 stars

While I felt there were not enough clues given, it was still well-written and engrossing, and fleshed out even more of Vera's past.  I definitely recommend this series.

Did Not Finish:

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

This is one of the few Heyer's Regency novels I had not read, and I was quite looking forward to it.  It's more of a coming of age story with lots of misadventures on the side.  I listened to a few hours of the audio book, but found myself anxious on the hero's account and not enjoying the experience as a result.  I'm putting it aside to try again another time. 

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

I listened to a few hours of the audio book, but a lack of authentic pre-Victorian atmosphere made me unable to finish.