Books Read:
The Longer Bodies by Gladys Mitchell (1930) 4/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book three
When two murders are committed while psychoanalyst Mrs. Bradley is in the neighborhood, she uses her particular skills to help the police find the culprit. This is another twisty, intelligent, entertaining mystery and I must say that, after three books, Mrs. Bradley has become a favorite morally gray character.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) 5/5 stars
The Lord of the Rings, book one
This was a leisurely reread, and I enjoyed it tremendously. The world, the mythology, and the poetic imagery are stunning.
The Saltmarsh Murders by Gladys Mitchell (1932) 4/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book four
In this twisty and intelligent mystery, psychoanalyst Mrs. Bradley is visiting a friend when a murder occurs. Given her interest in and understanding of the human psyche, she immediately involves herself in the investigation, with her usual success. The casual racism of that age is appalling, of course, and some of the opinions and analyses of Mrs. Bradley were unpleasant, if not amoral. Yet, despite that, I read the book in two days, completely engrossed in the plot and characters. Mrs. Bradley's gray moral character dominates the story in an uncomfortable yet irresistible way.
Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell (1934) 4/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book five
When a teacher is found dead in the middle of a school performance, the headmaster requests Mrs. Bradley's assistance to solve the crime. This was another twisty, intelligent, entertaining mystery. While Mrs. Bradley's gray side wasn't as prominent as in previous books, she's still a fascinating character. The ending was satisfying, typical of this series so far, and I enjoyed it tremendously overall (as proven by the fact that I read it in less than 24 hours).
The Devil at Saxon Wall by Gladys Mitchell (1935) 4/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book six
Bizarre, hard to explain, impossible to put down, and incredibly entertaining -- another Mrs. Bradley story that I finished in less than 24 hours. (Note: The publisher's blurb does it a disservice.)
Dead Men's Morris by Gladys Mitchell (1936) 3/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book seven
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous six for two reasons. One, it was unnecessarily convoluted, with clues that never fully made sense. Secondly, Mrs. Bradley's gray morals didn't meddle with the outcome, a feature I've come to expect. It was still a fun read, though, but not a good example of this series.
St. Peter's Finger by Gladys Mitchell (1938) 4/5 stars
Mrs. Bradley mysteries, book eight
Though it was somewhat easy to solve, this is still a gripping, entertaining, well-written mystery with a memorable plot.
Audiobooks Completed:
Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire by Eckart Frahm (2023) 3/5 stars
Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire by Eckart Frahm (2023) 3/5 stars
The story of the Assyrian empire is an interesting time in history, but this book did not do it justice. It was often dull, and not nearly as informative as I expected.
N or M? by Agatha Christie (1941) 4/5 stars
Tommy and Tuppence mysteries, book three
This is a fun and twisty WWII-era fifth column espionage mystery. I had read it before, but I still enjoyed it's clever solution.
Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie (1948) 4/5 stars
Hercule Poirot series, book 29
Very twisty and enjoyable mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Somehow, in all my years of reading Christie, I had missed this one, so it was quite a treat -- even if the story ending (not the solution) was a bit off-putting.
The Clocks by Agatha Christie (1963) 3/5 stars
Hercule Poirot series, book 39
It was a very interesting mystery until the last quarter, when all the coincidences become apparent. Two questions were left unanswered as well, plus there is very little Poirot involvement. I enjoyed it, even as a reread, but I didn't love it and certainly wouldn't recommend it to a new Christie reader.
