A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

A Rising Man

Abir Mukherjee

2016  

4/5 stars

In 1919, former Scotland Yard detective Captain Sam Wyndham accepts a post as Detective Inspector in Calcutta's branch of the Imperial Police Force.  Wyndham, mentally and emotionally drained from his time in the trenches combined with the loss of his wife, has a dependency on morphine and opium to help him sleep, a cynical attitude toward life in general, and is a long way from understanding how things work in British-ruled India.  His first case is to solve the murder of a senior British official -- one that sees him struggle to navigate the unwritten rules of social, political, and racial relationships.  A known Bengali revolutionary seems the most likely culprit, but he convinces Wyndham of his innocence, sending the Captain digging into corners better left alone.

This, Mukherjee's debut novel, is excellently written, with beautiful descriptions, solid prose, and well-drawn characters.  It is narrated first-person by Wyndham, and done so well that the reader becomes invested in the life and career of the morally grey protagonist. I was grabbed immediately, and found the entire experience compelling and completely enjoyable.

I can't give it a full five stars, as there were a few uneven bits here and there.  In addition, Mukherjee has a lady wearing a skirt that shows her calves, probably thinking that the flapper days had arrived by this time.  On the contrary, British ladies' fashion dictated skirts to be a modest ankle-length until quite a bit later, and even then it was not a universal style, but that of "the Bright Young Things" and their imitators. 

Despite this, I whole-heartedly recommend this historical-noir and am eager to read the next in the series.

March 2021 Wrap Up

Books Read:

Because of Stephen by Grace Livingston Hill (1904)  3/5 stars

This gentle Christian novel is more naïve and less believable than other's I have read by her.  It was still sweet, with a good message, but certainly not one of her better novels. 

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (2019)  3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Great Hotel Murder 

by Vincent Starrett (1935)  3/5 stars

In this Golden Age mystery, a man is found dead inside a Chicago hotel, and amateur detective Riley Blackwood sets out to prove it's murder and not suicide.  Starrett's writing is solid, and at times excellent.  Despite finding the book entertaining, I wasn't completely convinced by the solution or the clues leading to it.  It was still fun, though, and I would not hesitate to read another novel by Starrett.

Audio Books Completed:

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda (2020)  3/5 stars

This "thriller" started slow and never gained consistent momentum.  Liv was not a character one could connect with, the plot was both holey and messy, and by the time the big reveal arrived, it was more a relief than a surprise.  I'm giving it a generous three stars due to the fact that I was mildly curious during much of it, though I have to admit that the main reason I finished it was because I was either too lazy or too rushed to hunt up another audio book when I needed it.

The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves (2020)  4/5 stars

One snowy night, DCI Vera Stanhope comes across an abandoned car containing a toddler, and becomes involved in a murder investigation that could implicate her only relatives.  Cleeves  is a talented writer, and the relationships and situations she portrays are believable and engrossing.  While not perfect, this is a satisfying, entertaining, and absorbing mystery.

The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Carola Dunn (2002)  3/5 stars

As with all of the previous Daisy Dalrymple series, this is a casual cozy that relies more on charming characters than plot.  Unlike the others, it was more of an adventure than an actual mystery.  It's light reading, but a pleasant enough way to pass the time.

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (1924)  4/5 stars

In this delightful novel, Anne Beddingfield witnesses a fatal accident which leads her to become involved in an international mystery regarding stolen diamonds and a crime lord.  While highly improbable, this is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure with memorable characters, some great twists, and an overall entertaining plot. 

When I Was You by Amber Garza (2020) 3/5 stars

This psychological thriller was told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, and that part was quite good.  Both main characters were well written over all.  The plot, though, had holes, wasn't fully believable, and dragged on too long at times.  Finally, the twists were not surprises, partly because by the time the twist was finally revealed, the reader had been given way too much time and hints for it to come unexpected.  Bottom line: it's an okay read, and while not riveting, did keep me mostly interested.

Crooked House by Agatha Christie (1949)  5/5 stars

This was a reread, and Crooked House held up to my memory of it being a top favorite of Christie's novels.  It is well-plotted, presents an extraordinary surprise, and the pieces fit together well.  I highly recommend it!

Did Not Finish:

Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott

This is a cheerful period cozy, but the characters and plot were a bit over the top, causing me to loose interest quickly.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

The premise is intriguing, but after an hour of the audiobook, uneven writing, a slow start, and an unappealing main character made me dread to return.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key
Ruth Ware
2019 
3/5 stars

This tribute to James' the Turn of the Screw begins with Rowan writing from a Scottish prison to a solicitor, begging him to help her prove that she is not guilty of the death of a child.  Rowan explains how she took a nannying position that was too-good-to-be-true, and it became a waking nightmare full of deceit, terror, and strangeness, leading to her trial for murder.  

Rowan is an well-written unreliable narrator, and much of the book is creepily atmospheric with some really good twists.  I was hooked from the first sentence, and expected a great psychological thriller, but, while it was good, it didn't deliver what it seemed to promise.  I felt that the ending came too quickly, also, and was actually a bit of a let down.  I did like it, but not enough to recommend it.

I tried but did not finish another book by Ware (the Woman in Cabin 10) and, despite all the glowing reviews, couldn't stand the drunken, whining protagonist.  I don't suppose I'll try any more of her extremely popular novels.  

February 2021 Wrap Up

Books Read:

Jutland Cottage by Angela Thirkell (1953)  5/5 stars
As is always the case with her novels, Jutland Cottage is a charming, gentle read with genuine wit and a bit of snark.  The characters are well developed and the situations believable.  I love this series (which needs to be read in order) and this one has become my new favorite by Thirkell.

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (1922)  4/5 stars

This is a well-written and thoroughly engaging Golden Age mystery.  I knew the how, though not the why, early on, but that is due less to the book than to the fact that after all these years of reading mysteries, I've run across most scenarios already.  The Red House is charming, intelligent, and well plotted.  I regret that Milne wrote only the one.

Audio Books Completed:
The Secret Place by Tana French (2014) 4/5 stars

French is a fantastic author, but this one was a bit of a struggle for me due to it centering around teenage girls and their emotions, relationships, and choices.  I felt uncomfortably like a voyeur part of the time, and yet, due to French's writing/plotting, I had to finish.

The Ivory Dagger by Patricia Wentworth  (1950) 3/5 stars

While the story was entertaining and interesting, the solution was weak and disappointing.  This is certainly not one of the better Miss Silver mysteries.

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear (2018)  3/5 stars

This police procedural mystery starts out great.  The case was interesting and the protagonist flawed but likable, making some tough decisions that kept me sympathizing with her.  I stayed intrigued through the first 80% of the novel: then someone walks into a room and, in a type of deus ex machina, the investigation takes on a completely different flavor.  It's hard to explain without spoilers, but suffice it to say that it felt like a cheap out and was extremely disappointing.  Up to that point, I was already planning on purchasing the next in the series; after that it was a struggle just to finish.

The Tooth Tattoo by Peter Lovesey (2013)  3/5 stars

I love the character of Peter Diamond and find Lovesey's plots and prose to be great.  However, this one was neither as credible or as entertaining as the previous novels in the series.

Did Not Finish:

Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd 

This Regency cozy lacked sparkle, pace, and historical accuracy.

January 2021 Wrap Up

Books Read:

So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan (1950)  3/5 stars

Retired tobacconist and amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine is awakened from a nap on the Cornish coast by a woman's announcement that she has accidently shot her husband.  Neither Tremaine nor the local police Inspector believe her story, and suspect that she is covering for someone.  The plot never gripped me, nor was I convinced by the rather elaborate solution.  I quite enjoyed the two previous Mordecai Tremaine mysteries, but found this one to be only average.

The Mingham Air by Elizabeth Fair (1960)  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Audio Books Completed:

An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina (2018)  2/5 stars  (my review here)

Pirate King by Laurie R. King (2011)  4/5 stars

Mary Russell takes on a job with a movie company as a favor for Scotland Yard and finds herself involved with pirates looking to recapture the glory of the past.  With some laugh out loud moments, this well-written and engaging novel is a more lighthearted read than is usual with King, but it was welcome after the gravity of the two previous volumes of the series.  (Some reviewers complained about the lack of mystery, but I'd like to point out that King does not refer to these books as "mysteries", rather as "novels of suspense".)

Did Not Finish:

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Miller

This domestic thriller has excellent reviews on Goodreads, but I found it slow, unbelievable, and boring.  I read a third of the book, but as Miller had yet to cause me to care about the main character or her plight, nor had she built a feeling of suspense or dread, I put it aside.

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

This is not the fault of the book -- not at all.  I read the first couple of chapters and it's the kind of laugh-out-loud funny that requires immediate sharing.  I was really enjoying it, and then I went to sleep.  And dreamed.  A bad dream.  About this book.  *sigh*  Bryan, however, read it, loved it, and recommends it, so I'll definitely try it again later.

The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberly

Another instance of "it's not you, it's me".  It's witty and laugh out loud funny, but it was not what I was in the mood for at the time.  It comes highly recommended by Bryan, though. 

The Mingham Air by Elizabeth Fair

The Mingham Air

Elizabeth Fair

1960

5/5 stars

Elegant and efficient Hester Clifford, recovering from pneumonia combined with a broken heart, has left London to spend the summer with her godmother, Cecily Hutton, in the small village of Great Mingham.  Cecily's family consists of her husband, Bennet, who enjoys ill health; Maggie, her anything BUT elegant daughter who takes great delight in working on a farm to the consternation of Cecily; and her indolent son, Derek, who can't settle to any job.  Hester sees her visit as an opportunity to change for the better the entire Hutton family, as well as their friend Thomas Seamark, the young, brooding widower of Mingham Priory.  As Cecily describes her, Hester has "restless vitality"; "change and action, clean sweeps and new enterprises, seemed to her good in themselves, because she felt the need for an outlet for her own abundant energy".  The Mingham Air follows Hester and her good intentions through the summer, and ends with some surprising outcomes.

This delightful, witty novel is filled with excellently-drawn characters, believable situations, and intelligent prose.  The Mingham Air is Fair's sixth and final novel*, and while they are all wonderful studies of life, this one surpasses the others in depth and maturity.  The gradual emotional growth of the young people and the slow changes of the parents, are both well-written and a pleasure to read.  Overall, this gentle but perceptive book is a forgotten gem, and I recommend it, as well as Fair's five others, wholeheartedly. 

*In 2021, another was discovered and published the following year.

An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina

An Infamous Betrayal

Lynn Messina 

2018  

2/5 stars

Beatrice Hyde-Clare, fresh from solving two mysteries, is approached by an acquaintance to help find a murderer.   Her investigation leads her around Regency London and it's ballrooms, and, with help from the Duke of Kesgrave, to a successful conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two of this series (A Brazen Curiosity and A Scandalous Deception), but found An Infamous Betrayal to be disappointing for a host of reasons.  

To begin with, I was well over two hours into the audio book, and the past adventures were still being rehashed, which was annoying and, frankly, felt like a filler designed to bulk it up to it's final 202 pages.

Then, Bea's ability to get in and out of her home unseen became increasingly unbelievable, as was her photographic memory for convenient bizarre facts. Next there was the farce of her romantic encounter with the Duke, which was off-putting, to say the least.  

Her growing friendships were nicely written, as were some of the characters, and there were several laugh-out-loud moments, but the plot as a whole was clunky and slow -- so different from the two previous, that it could have been a different author. I nearly quit listening several times and honestly don't feel that I would have missed much had I done so.  I will continue the series, as I already own the next book, and hopefully the sparkle and charm will have returned.