Keep It Quiet by Richard Hull (1935) 4/5 stars
In this Golden Age crime story, a club member is found dead in the library, possibly accidently poisoned by the cook. The club secretary is appalled by what such an occurrence will do to the club's reputation, so persuades the dead man's physician (also a member) to make heart failure the cause on the death certificate. This simple cover-up creates a dangerous situation almost worse than a scandal.Hull writes well, and this book is laugh-out-loud funny at times. However, as was the case with his debut novel (The Murder of My Aunt; my review here), he can't maintain an equal level of cleverness and sparkle, and there are parts that drag a bit. Despite that, it's blackly humorous plot makes for a fun read.
A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Stories, edited by Martin Edwards (2020) 5/5 stars
This is a collection of short stories by a dozen crime writers of the Golden Age. They are all well-written, though some are more compelling than others. The variety of personalities and styles that are represented is worth five stars, even if not all the stories are of that quality by themselves.
Audio Books Completed:
Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie (1934) 4/5 stars
This is an entertaining set of short stories about Mr. Parker Pyne, who advertises his services as a consultant for creating happiness. He helps with love, loneliness boredom, and more -- and he even thwarts and solves crimes. The first stories take place in London, the Mr. Pyne goes on vacation and he finds himself working while on holiday. While most are not mysteries as such, they showcase Christie's talent for writing realistic people, motives, and emotions. Despite the outdated relationship advice, I enjoyed them immensely.
An English Murder by Cyril Hare (1951) 4/5 stars
This is a country house Christmas mystery, where the suspects are snowed in with phone lines down and bodies piling up. It's also great fun, well written, and intelligent. I will note that the extremely British solution may be puzzling to those not familiar with a particular bit of how the country works (I can't explain more without spoiling it), but I still think it will be enjoyable for those fans of Golden Age mysteries.
The Life of Crime: Unravelling the mysteries of fiction’s favourite genre by Martin Edwards (2022) 4/5 stars
In this nonfiction study of crime novels and their authors, Edwards explores and explains major subgenres, gives brief biographies of some of the writers (well-known as well as lesser-known), and includes some from non-English speaking countries. It is quite interesting, but lacks the sparkle and enthusiasm of Edwards' work that focuses only on Golden Age British and American authors (The Golden Age of Murder; my review here). Regardless of that, I would recommend it wholeheartedly to fans of crime and mystery novels.
This is a collection of previously published short stories with one novella occurring during winter. Miss Marple, Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, Mr. Quinn, and Parker Pyne are all included, giving a well-rounded example of Christie's talent and varying styles, and displays her excellent insight into character. With the possible exception of "Christmas Adventure", there will be nothing new for long-time Christie fans, but it's still an enjoyable seasonal read.
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| Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee co-authors of the Ellery Queen novels |
The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen (1929) 3/5 stars
This is the first of the Ellery Queen series, and despite a highly complicated and unbelievable crime, is still a fun, engaging, and generally well-written book.
The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen (1930) 4/5 stars
The plot gets a bit convoluted, but it is still an engrossing story with a satisfying solution.
Harm's Way by Catherine Aird (1984) 4/5 stars
This is an enjoyable mystery written with Aird's usual intelligence and sly humor. The plot is nicely devised, with a unique way to dispose of a body, and the solution is satisfying.
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