September 2023 Wrap-Up

I'm a wee bit late, aren't I? 

The Devil and Her Son by (Margery Allingham writing as) Maxwell March  (1935)  4/5 stars
The plot is hard to describe, and it's really better to go in knowing as little as possible about the book, to be able to enjoy the surprises more fully.  It's easy to sum up in this way, though: melodramatic, gothic, improbable, and yet, extremely enjoyable   

Dead Men Don't Ski by Patricia Moyes  (1959)  4/5 stars
In this book, the first in a series following Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Tibbit, Tibbit is requested to investigate a potential drug smuggling ring while on a skiing holiday.  It is well-written and entertaining, with an excellent number of clues and red herrings.  Despite having read it before, I enjoyed it immensely and found Moyes' plotting to nicely executed. 

The Sunken Sailor  by Patricia Moyes  (1961)  4/5 stars
In this very enjoyable and well written novel, vacationing Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Tibbit feels that the apparently explained death of a sailor seems to be less certainly an accident and more definitely murder.  

House of Storm by Mignon Eberhart (1949) 4/5 stars
Early on, this suspense novel seems light, silly, and painfully obvious.  As it progresses though, Eberhart infuses it with such Gothic vibes that even the location is menacing.  

Postmark Murder by Mignon Eberhart (1956)  4/5 stars
A large amount of bequeathed money, an orphaned Polish child, and a murdered stranger combine with a likable heroine in this light novel of mystery and suspense.  Eberhart had a knack for creating a sinister atmosphere in the most normal of environs, and did so nicely in this entertaining story.  

Call After Midnight by Mignon Eberhart (1964)  4/5 stars
In this mystery-suspense novel, Jenny, thinking she is still in love with her ex-husband, is quick to go to his aid when his new wife is shot.  When the wife is shot again -- fatally this time -- Jenny is among the short list of suspects.  This is an atmospheric, enjoyable read that, though short, had some good moments.

Audiobooks Completed:

The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice by Michael Krondl (2007)  4/5 stars
In this nonfiction, Krondl gives the history of the spice trade through the three most important spice trading cities of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam.  It's easy to read and, though light, still informative and enjoyable.

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior: The Intersecting Lives of Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped by Paul Strathern (2009)  2/5 stars

The author's premise is that these three men spent a small amount of time together, and that time changed their perspectives and, from there, the course of history.  Unfortunately, the book is full of supposition and speculation -- especially about Da Vinci -- with these repeated words and phrases summing up the gist of the information given:  might; might could have; possibly; probably; must have; in all likelihood; it would seem; it would appear to suggest; it would have been out of character; if we assume; we can surmise.  Though I finished it in hopes that he would eventually prove his point, I came away very frustrated as he was unable to do so without postulating.

Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life by Theresa Levitt (2023)  5/5 stars

Levitt tells the history of the development of organic chemistry in 18th and 19th century France through biographies and anecdotes, with a strong grounding in historical context.  The book is accessible to those (like me) with little or no chemistry background, the prose is well-written, and is a delightfully interesting and engaging read.