February 2024 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer (1956)  3/5 stars
This had a promising start with strong writing, interesting characters and an intriguing plot certain to appeal to the bibliophile.  Unfortunately, there was little detecting by the lead character, and I found both the solution and the wrap-up to be disappointing.

The Night She Died by Dorothy Simpson  (1980)  3/5 stars

This mystery had an interesting and well-written start, but was bogged down by unconvincing speculation and tenuous connections.  

Six Feet Under by Dorothy Simpson (1982)  3/5 stars

This is a generally well-written and engaging mystery, but the solution wasn't fully satisfying or convincing.

Puppet for a Corpse by Dorothy Simpson (1982)  3/5 stars

Simpson writes well, but ultimately the solution was a disappointment.  I own more in this series, but am undecided as to whether I'll read them.

Rogue's Holiday by (Margery Allingham writing as) Maxwell March (1935)  3/5 stars

This mystery/thriller is  melodramatic, implausible, and probably written as a potboiler, but is nonetheless still highly entertaining for those readers who appreciate the less high-brow fringe of the Golden Age of Mystery.

Where There's a Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1912)  3/5 stars

In this precursor to the screwball comedy, Minnie tells what happens when her employer, the owner of a health spa, dies and leaves it all to his grandson -- provided he arrive on a certain date and make a go of the enterprise.  It's laugh-out-loud funny, well-written and, though not as fantastic as Rinehart's 1909 novel, When a Man Marries (my review here), it's still vastly entertaining.

Another One Goes Tonight by Peter Lovesey (2016)  4/5 stars
Diamond saves a life, only to become convinced that the man he has saved is a killer.  This is another strong book in a solid series, well-written, engrossing, and entertaining. Lovesey and his Diamond are among my top favorites. 

Audio Books Completed:

The Husband Hunters: American Heiresses Who Married into the British Aristocracy by Anne de Courcy (2017)  4/5 stars

Generally well-written and always interesting, this nonfiction account of social climbing in America's Gilded Age gives a basic understand of the times as well as biographies of some of society's most important persons.  

Henry V: The Warrior King of 1415 by Ian Mortimer (2009)  4/5 stars

This gives a day-by-day account of the King's life in the year 1415, building up to the great battle of Agincourt, and then winding down with the aftermath of this victory.  It's a fascinating account with a great deal of information provided, and gives a rounded picture of Henry as well as a feel for Medieval England.  I also appreciated that Dr. Mortimer kept much of his personal opinions and discussions for the chapters afterwards.  Overall, I certainly enjoyed it and would be interested to read more biographies by this historian.