Top Five Wednesday: Seaside

This week's Top Five Wednesday challenge is to list five books set by the ocean. Though I think it was intended as a summery topic, mine aren't exactly that. Here are the five from my shelves.  

Rebecca (1938), Frenchman's Creek (1941), and Jamaica Inn (1936) by Daphne du Maurier

Since I have these three in one volume, I'm going to cheat a bit and make them one book  These three all take place on the Cornish coast.  Frenchman's Creek and Jamaica Inn are both historical novels, with the first being a romance and the second a novel of suspense.  Rebecca is a favorite suspense, and one of the best gothic novels I've read.

Seaview House by Elizabeth Fair (1955)

This is a charming, well-written, and highly enjoyable novel centering around two sisters who run a hotel in a English seaside village.  Fair excelled at slice-of-life, character driven novels and it's a shame that she only published six.

The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer (7th Century BC)

These epics are obvious choices, with the sea figuring prominently in both.  I love this gorgeous boxed set.

The Water of the Wonderous Isles by William Morris (1897)

I've not read this fantasy, but it centers around a young woman who travels to mysterious and fantastical islands.  I've read and enjoyed another of Morris' fantasies, The Well at the World's End (1896), and have long planned to try this one.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)

Woolf's excellent novel takes place on the Isle of Skye, and is a wonderful example of her flowing style.  

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Word of the Week: Heyday

 "Word of the Week" is a meme hosted by the Plain-Spoken Pen on Mondays in which we share a word that we find entertaining, enlightening, edifying, or just plain fun to say! 

I used the word "heyday" in my last blogpost, and it made me wonder where it came from and just how it developed.

Looking it up,  I discovered that in English, "heyday" was originally used to describe high spirits, or as a lively greeting, usually in joy or surprise, and dates back to the late 16th century. Some sources state that it's probably came from the German phrase "hei da", meaning "hey there".  

Shakespeare had Hamlet use it to mean "high spirits" when (Act 3, Scene 4) he told his mother that at her mature age, one decides with cool reason, not with the excitement of passion:

You cannot call it love, for at your age
The hey-day in the blood is tame, it’s humble,
And waits upon the judgment.

Here it is in use as a negatively excited greeting in Austen's Northanger Abbey (completed 1803, published 1817):

Scarcely had they worked themselves into the quiet possession of a place, however, when her attention was claimed by John Thorpe, who stood behind her. "Heyday, Miss Morland!" said he. "What is the meaning of this? I thought you and I were to dance together."

How it moved from "hi there" to it's current usage was harder to pin down, and while I didn't get a consensus, it was suggested in a few places that "high day" (as in a really great day) became blended with the greeting, and eventually took it over so that "heyday" carried the former meaning, and the latter use/meaning fell out of fashion.

Regardless, it is certainly a fun word!

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Fortune's Children by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II

Cornelius ("the Commodore") Vanderbilt

Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt
Arthur T. Vanderbilt II 
1989 
4/5 stars

This is a nonfiction account of the rise and decline of the famous Vanderbilt family.  In 1887, Cornelius Vanderbilt had made himself the richest man in the world.  Within fifty years of his death, however, his fortune no longer remained.  The author, a descendant of Cornelius, follows the Vanderbilt family from Cornelius' humble start, through the family's heyday, and finishes by showing how the Vanderbilts lived by the time of publication.  

This is a generally well-written and completely engaging family biography, full of anecdotes, information on corresponding historical events, and even brief biographies of some of the society people who influenced the Vanderbilts.  The biographies of some of the family members are not as detailed as I would have liked, but overall, it was enlightening, interesting, and a fascinating read for those who are interested in America's Gilded Age.

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Two by Moray Dalton

Moray Dalton (1881-1963) is the penname of Katherine Renoir (née Dalton), a British author who published two well-received novels, Olive in Italy (1909) and The Sword of Love (1920), before turning to crime fiction in 1924.  Other than the introduction (by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans) in these recently rereleased novels, I've been unable to find out any more about Dalton, nor can I find her photograph.  I must agree with Evans that it is a shame Dalton's fiction was lost to the public for long.

One by One They Disappeared  (1928)  4/5 stars

Elbert J. Pakenham holds a yearly dinner for his fellow survivors of a tragic accident.  As he is very wealthy with no heirs, he tells these men that he has left his fortune to be divided among them. Unfortunately,  by doing this Pakenham has given someone a reason to murder.  

This is the first book to feature Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard, a likable character with realistic fallibility. The plot is complex, with clever false trails and a particularly good twist, and though it does stretch credulity at times this well-written novel was thoroughly enjoyable.

The Night of Fear   (1931)  4/5 stars

During a house party, the guests play a game of hide and seek which ends in the discovery of a murder.  The most obvious suspect is arrested, but his steadfast friends are convinced of his innocence, and, at the recommendation of Inspector Collier (who has been removed from the case), they hire private detective Hermann Glide to investigate.  Glide searches for evidence in a race against time, as the court case proceeds.

Collier doesn't figure much in this book, as it focuses more on Glide's search, the characters of the house party, and the court drama.  Glide is not fleshed out well, but that doesn't detract from the story.  The plot is layered, with many surprises and a satisfying conclusion.  Overall, it's well-written, intelligent, and completely engrossing.

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Three from the Golden Age

Post After Post-Mortem by E.C.R. Lorac   (1936)  4/5 stars

In this volume of Lorac's long-running series featuring Inspector Robert Macdonald, a young woman's suicide garners suspicion after her last letter is received.  Scores of lies were told at the inquest to protect her memory, the uncovering of which leads to many clues, and red herrings.  As Macdonald investigates her life, he discovers a myriad of motives among her friends and family.

This is an intelligent, well-written and interesting mystery.  It was complex but not convoluted, twisty enough to keep me guessing, and held my attention throughout. The solution and motive were unanticipated, and not fully credible, but the book is certainly worth reading.

The Black Wings by Moray Dalton  (1927)  5/5 stars

This is a complicated story, and not easy to summarize without spoiling the plot.  It's made up of murder, blackmail, family secrets, abduction, light romance, police procedure, and courtroom drama, with a nod to the classic Jane Eyre.

This book is advertised as "A Golden Age Mystery", but that is not quite accurate.  Though there is a mystery, this is actually a crime novel of suspense and adventure, with elements that are not at all typical of a Golden Age Mystery.  It is well-written, intelligent, and, while over-the-top at times, absolutely absorbing all the way up to the stunning conclusion.

The Tragedy at Freyne by Anthony Gilbert  (1927)  4/5 stars

An artist, Sir Simon Chandos,  is found dead in his study, apparently by his own hand, but a discrepancy reveals that it was actually murder.  His friend, who has loved Chandos' wife for years, is the obvious suspect and is quickly arrested.  A confession from a different party follows, and it appears that the crime is solved, but another friend is not satisfied and proceeds to investigate on his own.

This mystery is clever, interesting, and well-written.  It is narrated in the first person by a Watson of sorts whose believable voice adds greatly to the book.  The solution was unexpected, and may not have been solvable from the information given, but overall this is a satisfying read.

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Side Note:

Interestingly enough, all three of these authors are women using pen names, and I was unable to find a photo any one of them!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishes

 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday top is "Bookish Wishes", with the instructions to list the top ten books you wish you owned.

These five are some of my newest wishes:

The Jane Austen Escape Room Book by Marjolein Bastin (2023)

This illustrated book supposedly combines the characters of Pride and Prejudice with puzzles to solve, with Bastin's gorgeous artwork.  I'm intrigued!

The World Cloud Classics edition of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925, 2022)

Mrs. Dalloway is among my top favorite novels, and the World Cloud Classics editions are so gorgeous, that this was love at first sight for me.

The Word Cloud Classics edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (1871, 2016)

The situation is exactly that of Mrs. Dalloway -- a favorite book, a gorgeous edition.

The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler (2013)

I have another volume edited by Penzler (The Big Book of Female Detectives) which, while I haven't completely finished,  I have thoroughly enjoyed.  As I love holiday mysteries, I'd love to have this one sometime.

One Pair of Hands: Upstairs and Downstairs, Seen Through the Eyes of an Ex-Debutante Turned Cook by Monica Dickens (1939)

One reading of the title, which says it all, and my interest was totally piqued -- it raises so many questions!

While these five have been on my list the longest:

These two are from the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint of Dean Street Press, which I wish-listed in 2018.  I don't even know what they are about, but I've loved all I have discovered via this publisher, and am eager to try new ones.

Lastly are three short story collections, edited by Martin Edwards, from the British Library Crime Classics series.  They've also been on my list since 2018, about the time I fell in love with the BLCC

  

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The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine

Willard Huntington Wright, 1888 – 1939

The Benson Murder Case
S. S. Van Dine
1926 
4/5 stars

This is the first in the series featuring amateur detective Philo Vance.  Van Dine (pseudonym for American art critic Willard Huntington Wright) was a popular and best selling author, whose Philo Vance books became movies and radio programs.

While an arrogant, foppish aesthete, Vance is nonetheless appealing for his intellect, perspicacity, and surprising amount of compassion.  While not fully fleshed out in this early novel, the reader can still see facets to his personality.

The plot was intriguing and entertaining.  There were many possible believable solutions, and only rarely did Vance seem to pull a clue from thin air.  On the whole, this is a well-written, interesting, and intelligent mystery and I look forward to reading more of the series.

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Word of the Week: Quidnunc

"Word of the Week" is a meme hosted by the Plain-Spoken Pen on Mondays in which we share a word that we find entertaining, enlightening, edifying, or just plain fun to say! 

I just finished reading The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (published in 1926), and came across a new-to-me word:

From various sources on the internet, I learned that quidnunc, from the early 18th century, is a mashup of the two Latin words "quid" and "nunc" meaning "what now", mimicking the question of a nosey listener.  What a great word!

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May 2023 Wrap-Up

Books Read: 

To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing by Simon Garfield (2013)  4/5 stars

This nonfiction book is exactly what it claims to be: a celebration of letter writing.  Garfield gives short biographies of some of the most famous letter writers in history, discusses the art and history of letter writing, and breaks the chapters up with the love letters written between a solider in World War II and his girl back home.  He covers a lot of territory and not always in depth, but it's a genuinely enjoyable experience, especially for one who still writes, receives, and cherishes letters.

Audiobooks Completed:

I continued my reread of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series this month.  I enjoyed these three even more this second time.

Garment of Shadows (2012) 4/5 stars

Dreaming Spies (2015) 4/5 stars

The Murder of Mary Russell (2016) 5/5 stars

I began the 15th of the series, Island of the Mad, but did not enjoy it nearly as much as my review showed I did previously.  I listened to about a third of it, and then decided not to finish. As I had read the most recent two of the series within the last twelve months, I decided it was time for new authors.

The Body Politic by Catherine Aird  (1990) 3/5 stars

The plot is somewhat convoluted in this well-written mystery, but the book is fully enjoyable,  Aird's sly wit is laugh-out-loud funny at times, and the performance of the audiobook narrator, Derek Perkins, adds to it immensely. 

The Great Mistake by  Mary Roberts Rinehart (1940)  5/5 stars

I'm a long-time fan or Rinehart, and to me, this is one of her best.  It has a complicated plot, but all the pieces are available, and it makes sense in the end.  The Great Mistake is well-written, slyly humorous, and nicely plotted, and her famous tongue-in-cheek "had I but known" foreshadowing is excellently done.  This thoroughly enjoyable mystery would make a good introduction to Rinehart for those who enjoy the mysteries of the 1940s.

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