Books Read:
So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan (1950) 3/5 stars
Retired tobacconist and amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine is awakened from a nap on the Cornish coast by a woman's announcement that she has accidently shot her husband. Neither Tremaine nor the local police Inspector believe her story, and suspect that she is covering for someone. The plot never gripped me, nor was I convinced by the rather elaborate solution. I quite enjoyed the two previous Mordecai Tremaine mysteries, but found this one to be only average.
The Mingham Air by Elizabeth Fair (1960) 5/5 stars (my review here)
Audio Books Completed:
An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina (2018) 2/5 stars (my review here)
Pirate King by Laurie R. King (2011) 4/5 stars
Mary Russell takes on a job with a movie company as a favor for Scotland Yard and finds herself involved with pirates looking to recapture the glory of the past. With some laugh out loud moments, this well-written and engaging novel is a more lighthearted read than is usual with King, but it was welcome after the gravity of the two previous volumes of the series. (Some reviewers complained about the lack of mystery, but I'd like to point out that King does not refer to these books as "mysteries", rather as "novels of suspense".)
Did Not Finish:
The Perfect Mother by Caroline Miller
This domestic thriller has excellent reviews on Goodreads, but I found it slow, unbelievable, and boring. I read a third of the book, but as Miller had yet to cause me to care about the main character or her plight, nor had she built a feeling of suspense or dread, I put it aside.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
This is not the fault of the book -- not at all. I read the first couple of chapters and it's the kind of laugh-out-loud funny that requires immediate sharing. I was really enjoying it, and then I went to sleep. And dreamed. A bad dream. About this book. *sigh* Bryan, however, read it, loved it, and recommends it, so I'll definitely try it again later.
The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberly
Another instance of "it's not you, it's me". It's witty and laugh out loud funny, but it was not what I was in the mood for at the time. It comes highly recommended by Bryan, though.
