I am pretty sure that there is never a month in which my book list does not contain some mysteries (both short stories and novels), usually classic and/or cosy, but also some others. I started one last night that I'm enjoying so far. Here are the mysteries I read in June:
Offshore by Ann Cleeves
This is a collection of short stories all set on islands and featuring various detectives from the author’s various series. I am only familiar with the Vera series, which I love (new one coming out in a few months). There was a Vera story in here as well as a few Jimmy Perez stories, which are set on one also based in Shetland but with a different detective, and one that seemed to be by a different author but based on an earlier Cleeves series about George and Molly, an older couple who are really into bird watching. The Shetland series has concluded now, I think. I have been considering starting on that one from the beginning, and might do so soon. The author also has a new series, the first book of which was published a few months ago, at least on this side of the Atlantic.
Parting Breath by Catherine Aird (audiobook read by Robin Bailey)
This is one of Aird’s Sloan and Crosby series. This one is set in a college. A student is found dying one autumn evening. His final words are ‘26 minutes.’ What does this mean? Why did someone want to silence him? While on standby in case they’re needed during the sit-in being staged by some students at the college, Sloan and Crosby proceed to figure it all out.
Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh
I couldn’t decide what to read next, so picked up my e-reader and jumped into book 20 of the author’s Roderick Alleyn series, in which he is on a cargo ship that takes a few passengers from England to South Africa. He pretends to be a relative of the shipping company big shot so he can investigate a series of stranglings and to prevent the next one. Due to one tiny clue, it is thought that the murderer is on that ship.
The Missing Diamond Murder by Diane James
I came across this in the e-book section of the library website and the blurb said it was a good choice for people who love British cozy mysteries, so I gave it a try. It was a good read. It’s part of a series (this isn’t the first book and I have not read any others) and contains a backstory in addition to whatever the mystery is. In this case, the mystery involved a family diamond that went missing after the death of the family patriarch, which was also suspicious. Did he manage to make his way to the cliff edge in his wheelchair and either deliberately or accidentally fall over, or was he pushed? Fran Black goes to investigate at the urging of her friend Tom Dod, both of whom are part of a literary society. This is where the backstory picks up—he urges her to go because they have become very close when solving previous mysteries. He is in a marriage that involves his dead brother’s former fiancee or something like that and she is in the middle of a divorce—her husband is living with his new partner and they are expecting a baby. But, in 1930s England, that would not be enough for Fran to be granted a divorce. If she was ‘carrying on’ with someone herself, she would not be ‘blameless’ and the divorce would not be granted. Someone has written a letter to the court insinuating that the relationship between Fran and Tom is ‘improper’ which jeopardises her divorce. He suggests she go to the country to investigate the case, where she can be isolated and away from suspicion. She goes and the story unfolds. I would read more of these books—the mystery itself was fine, but the cultural details were what made the book for me. I quite enjoyed that aspect of the novel.
Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (Phoebe Reads a Mystery podcast)
A few months ago, I learned of this podcast. At the time, Phoebe was reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Christie’s first book, one chapter per day. I caught up just as she was finishing the book. She moved on to Hound of the Baskervilles, which I also listened to and enjoyed. Then she began The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and there she lost me. I hated the book and after trying to hang on in the hopes it would get better or end, I gave up. I was glad I did, because it seemed to go on forever. I did not unsubscribe from the podcast, but just waited to see what book would be next. It was this one, so I happily started listening again. This is Christie’s third book and it features Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings. Poirot gets and urgent letter imploring him to go to France immediately to help a man named Paul Renauld, who fears his life is in danger. Poirot and Hastings rush off, but arrive to find that Paul Renauld has been killed. Poirot investigates in spite of hostility from the French police detective assigned to the case. It’s no surprise who gets the right answer in the end. Phoebe is currently reading Anna Katherine Green's novel, The Leavenworth Case, which was apparently an inspiration for Christie.
Murder Takes a Holiday by various authors, edited by Cecily Gaylord
This is a collection of 10 classic crime stories that is new to the library e-book collection. There are a few more current authors included, but most are from the Golden Age era. Like the Christmas collections I’ve read in the same series, this is a great read. All the stories involve some sort of holiday/travel.
It's still weird for me to see things about 'the holiday season' because to me that's December. But here it means summer, when people go on holiday (instead of vacation)--at least they did before the pandemic.
Stay safe, wash your hands, cover your face in public, and happy reading!
9 comments:
Thanks, Vicki--we are all well. I know things are not so great where you are right now, and I hope things start moving in the right direction.
Light, pleasant, heartwarming reading is on the list tomorrow :-)
I don't read too many mystery books, although I enjoy watching them on TV.
All the best Jan
I've always loved a good mystery. Just something about it.
My brain loves to solve puzzles of any sort, especially human ones.
I think also as someone who would have LOVED to be a sociologist or researcher like Brene Brown, I'm curious to see if I can guess whatever is going on in a story.
Have you heard any of Brene Brown's stuff on You Tube, Netflix etc? Wow she's so much fun just really smart and really down to earth. She researches and then teaches on things she isn't comfortable with because she figures she might as well learn from it. That turns out to be both hilarious and delightful in all the best ways, especially when she talks about her husband and how awkward she feels. (She also has several books out now.)
I guess I find the human condition to be as much of a mystery. I'm ever watching shows about such things while I do chores to increase whatever intuition or understanding that I can. It helps with so many of the harder things in life - especially those areas that one might want to 'make peace with'.
Speaking of Netflix and books, they've put out a show about Anne of Green Gables (3 seasons), and she turns out to be quite the activist in this rendition of the show with a lot of 'current societal themes', and with plenty of conscience. It's as though the writers knew those of us who grew up with the books would be looking at life with some of her desire for 'scope for the imagination' and checking the world for other adult 'kindred spirits'. There was an air of mystery about it for me because I found myself thinking, 'did the books really take it to this level'? If anything it teaches that much more of standing to one's values/morals and on behalf of others who need our support.
I've taken to eating something akin to a 'boat load' of carrots lately and 'eye vitamins', hoping to improve my vision so I can finally really read again as I used to. I grew up a voracious reader, my nose always in a book and I really miss it. Then I could hopefully find some decent glasses and could delve back-in again. Thankfully the reading apps can make up for some of it but I just have to figure out how to make them stop hurting. (Blue light cancellation is helpful on the screens etc but the words on the books themselves are now too small for me.)
Do you ever read more clinical or self-improvement books on these subjects too? I find it all so fascinating. There's so many 'mysteries to uncover' and 'worlds to discover' just right here in our own minds. So much beauty as well in the vulnerability, which is also a mystery since it's so often usually so well-hidden. Often people are afraid of what is rolling around in there but I love all of it because it paints the portrait of our humanity. xx
I've loved mysteries since I was a kid and this has stuck with me :-)
Humans and their cultures are fascinating--it's partly why I've been an anthropologist before I knew such a word existed and that has stuck with me, too.
I have heard of Brene Brown, but have never watched/read any of her work. I've also never read Anne of Green Gables. And I don;t read clinical or self-improvement books, either. Anthropology and basic Buddhist philosophy is as close as I get to that sort of thing. I find such things very useful.
Lately I have been quite drawn to older literature, so have been reading a lot of classics of various kinds. :-)
Yes I do understand how these things can start and stay with us from childhood. I was reading everything in the sciences of psychology and sociology etc that my mom had from her College days and all her self improvement books and watching all of the shows that talked about it. It helped me a lot to get through very hard times including losing her during those years. Later when I went myself I did some anthropology to try and discover and more deeply understand Values Formation, which I also took classes in. It's important to find things that help us either way. I studied Buddhism for a while but the multiple lifetime situation sort of confused me and I had to just appreciate it for the wisdom/philosophy after that.
Years ago when Amazon first came-out with a reading app I noticed they had a lot of old classics in there to read for free. It was super interesting stuff. Everything from classics we've all read or heard of, to really obscure things like a Father's guidebook for young men on how to conduct one's self and things like that. (Clearly some were from the 1800's.) I don't know if it's all still there or not but I was glad to see more there than what we normally consider possible. They had books that might have been popularized way back then but that we today wouldn't have ever probably heard of. One easy example was that there was 2 books about Polyanna (like from the old Disney film). I'd always been curious about 'the rest' of that story as a kid but I could read the rest of it this way. I should look again and see if it's all still there. I had added it to my library at the time so that much is still there but now I'm curious what they've maybe added since then.
It's always fun to see that others may have similar ideas or insights. I know when Brene said it was outside of her comfort zone to even speak about these things as an introvert, that I would appreciate her perspective.
I should have said secular Buddhism. Once we get beyond the basics to the religious and cultural overlays, I find it interesting in an anthropological sort of way, but it doesn;t speak to me personally. However, the foundations of the 4 Noble Truths
1) All humans suffer
2) A good deal of this suffering is due to us grasping and clinging to certain ideas and outcomes.
3) There is a way to relieve this suffering
4) That way is the Eightfold Path (translated in various ways, but basically right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right understanding, right concentration, right mindfulness, effort)
All that gives me plenty to work with :-)
Project Gutenberg is a great site for classics--that's my go-to site, since I don;t use Amazon. They have e-books that are in the public domain freely available to download in several formats. Also for audiobooks, there is LibriVox. They also have a youtube channel.
Sorry I missed the reply, I've been busy with preparing a eulogy for tomorrow for a family member along with some other deeply involved paperwork sort of things.
That was a good bunny trail for us. I know that I have taken-on the idea that much of what causes us mental difficulty is 'wishing things could be any other way' or something like that. That was something I wrestled with some as a kid but learned fast that it didn't help to wish my Mum back, so all we have is 'this moment' sort of thing. I then learned to find the silver-linings in that. I like those 8 paths and I can see them reflected in some of the decisions you have made to get even to the life you have now. "Right Anything" is better than 'here', but until I can find that path, the silver-linings 'are all that's left me' (to quote an old Simon and Garfunkel song).
That's great, back then I'd never heard of PG as an e-book service. I have now but barely so I should look into it. I wonder if either of them have a reading app too now?
It's always nice to chat with you!
I'm so sorry to learn of your loss, Joy.
TY I appreciate that. It's the times we live in. We've lost 5 people now since the holidays and none of them could have 'the usual services' etc because of COVID etc. Speaking of mysteries, there's a mystery someone needs to figure out (it wont be here tho, not enough people tested to figure anything out).
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