July Books: Mysteries

Hard to believe there are only a few hours left of July as I type this. The month seems to have zoomed right by. Like all other months, this one was filled with books and as always, there were mysteries on the list. Here they are:
Please Do Feed the Cat by Marion Babson
I found this in the e-book section of the library website, clicked on it, and read this description:
‘Mystery writer Lorinda Lucas doesn’t like the trend toward overly gruesome crime fiction—but she’s even more upset about Roscoe, the cat who lives next door. He used to look well-fed and well cared for, but when Lorinda gets back from her most recent book tour, she’s worried by his dangerously skinny appearance.

It turns out that Roscoe’s owner has a new girlfriend who’s put the poor cat on a deprivation diet—and that’s not the only bad news in Brimful Coffers. There’s been a fatal hit-and-run and escalating tensions—and before she knows it, the mystery writer will be investigating a real-life murder case .’

This was a light read and funny at times. The author spoofs the gruesome crime fiction her character is not fond of. Lorinda has brought back to the UK a stack of such books from her US tour in the interests of research and at various times, she picks one off the pile and starts reading. She never makes it very far and her cats get used to dodging flying books when she throws them across the room. Babson is quite over-the-top when she creates these excerpts. I don’t read that kind of crime fiction myself, so I appreciated the sentiment.

The cats are a big part of the story, as you’d expect. I enjoyed that aspect of the book a lot. The setting is a village named Brimful Coffers, which has the usual quirky characters. The twist here is that the village has become home to a many mystery writers—another fun plot device. I’d red more of these books if I came across them.

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh
This is the 21st book in the Roderick Alleyn series. I’m really enjoying picking up my e-reader and moving along in the series whenever I want a dose of Golden Age mystery from one of the Queens of Crime.

This book takes place in the home of an actress who is a diva and concerned about her age. It is her 50th birthday, although she doesn’t like anyone to know how old she is. She is difficult to deal with, spoiled, and easily slighted. She has a party planned, complete with photographers for the publicity, but it turns out to be a very unhappy birthday indeed. Early in the day, she has a temper tantrum (called a ‘temperament’ throughout the book) because she feels some other theatre people have betrayed her. Later, at the party, there is another ‘temperament’ about another perceived betrayal. That’s the last temperament—and the last birthday--she has, but was it an accident or did someone have enough and help her out of this world? Roderick Alleyn arrives to find out.

The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katherine Green (Phoebe Reads a Mystery podcast)
This book (published in 1878) was said to have inspired Agatha Christie. It takes place in NY, which kept throwing me off for some reason. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not in an English village.

Mr Leavenworth is the guardian to two nieces, who live with him, but he has a favourite and it is she who is due to inherit his fortune when he dies. When he is found in his study with a hole in his head, suspicion naturally falls on said niece. Inspector Gryce investigates with the help of the family lawyer’s colleague and some other people. There are a lot of twists and turns before the solution is revealed. This book is in the public domain and can be downloaded for free at Project Gutenberg.

This reading lasted for almost all of the month, with Phoebe reading a chapter, or sometimes two chapters if they were short, each day. The book has 39 chapters.

Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh
The amusingly named Percival Period is sharing his home with someone he does not really get along with. When said person is found dead in a drainage ditch, Roderick Alleyn must find out who put him there.

The Last Seance by Agatha Christie (audiobook read by Fenella Woolgar)
This is a collection of Christie’s short stories dealing with the supernatural. The reader is excellent. She had quite a task to go between different characters of all ages, different genders, and with different dialects of English, and different nationalities, sometimes in the space of a few sentences. I really enjoyed this one.

And now, August arrives. Onward!

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