Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
New Zealander Gwenda Reed, who thinks she has never been to England, buys an old house on the south coast with her husband, Giles. But when she moves in, she gets this strange feeling that she’s been there before. She remembers things she shouldn't and then has a terrible vision/memory while attending a play. She thinks she’s going mad, and Miss Marple steps in to help. Gwenda and Giles are a lovely couple. They decide they need to investigate what happened in the house all those years ago, even though Miss Marple warns them that they may not like the consequences. The story moves along at a steady pace and the plot is rather clever. Miss Marple stays a bit in the background, but you can see her guidance throughout. She's as shrewd and intelligent as always. The whodunnit made sense, but the whole thing was a little sad. When I first started reading Christie's books (40 years ago?!), Poirot was my...
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A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen

A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen

by CarolNo Comments
I picked up A Field Guide to Murder because I won the second one in a Facebook group and thought, since there are only two, I'd go ahead and read the first. The setup is good. Harry is a widower recovering from a broken hip, and Emma is his caregiver. When one of Harry's neighbors dies, maybe poisoned, maybe not, Harry and Emma get caught up in figuring out who the killer is. Harry was interesting but annoyed me after a while. He spends a lot of time alternating between feeling sorry for himself and bragging about how amazing his career was before he retired. He seems to have gone everywhere, done everything, and taken an interest in every aspect of anthropology. It was a bit much. And Emma? I don't know why the women in the books I've read lately are all engaged to men they don't really want to marry but seem unable to stop the ball from rolling....
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The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

by CarolNo Comments
The Crow Trap was not what I expected. Granted, I've never watched the Vera Stanhope tv series, but I knew it existed, so I expected Vera to be more of a main character here. She doesn't show up until about halfway through the book and it takes even longer for us to see anything from her point of view. The three women at the forefront of the book are working on an environmental study of the area before a quarry is dug. Rachel is the leader, but she is preoccupied with her friend's suicide - and that she's working for her ex who stole credit for her work. The other two women, Anne and Grace, each has her own secrets. We get peeks into their lives and into what brought them here now. It's not "just a job" for any of them. It's complicated and messy and then there's another death, bringing DI Vera Stanhope on the scene. Vera is...
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Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

by Carol2 Comments
It's been a long time since the last time I read Ordeal by Innocence. It's one of Christie's standalones without any of her regular characters. Instead, we have the dysfunctional Argyle family, and Dr. Calgary who has upset their status quo. Jacko Argyle was convicted of killing his mother, despite his claiming to have an alibi, and died in prison. Now, two years later, Dr. Calgary shows up to provide Jacko's solid alibi - first the doctor had had amnesia from an accident, then gone on a research trip to Antarctica, so had been unable to testify at the trial. Now, the case is reopened, and all the "innocent" are under scrutiny again. This is not my favorite of Christie's books. Most of the Argyles are unlikable and we get to spend a lot of time learning about their odd relationships with their adoptive parents and each other. Rachel Argyle, the victim, had opened their home to children during the...
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The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

by CarolNo Comments
How could I pass this one up? We've got Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy working together to solve a murder. I've read books by all the authors and it was fun seeing the brought to life was fun. The story is told from Sayers' point of view, so we get the most insight into her life and personality, but the others all have their own strengths. It was interesting to see how these strong, intelligent, successful women still have to fight for respect, recognition and inclusion. It also gives us a look at how women in general were treated in the years following WW1, from surplus women to crime victims and witnesses. The mystery itself was put together well. We had several reasonable suspects and the women do a good job with the investigation, even if it's much more difficult in real life than it is for their fictional characters. It is...
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Death on the Night Train to Verona by Benedict Brown

Death on the Night Train to Verona by Benedict Brown

by CarolNo Comments
It's 1929 and Christopher and his grandfather, Lord Edgington, are touring the continent. They're taking the night train from Rome to Verona, but no one will be getting any sleep after the famous actress, Geraldine de la Forge, is found killed in her sleeping compartment. I love the 20s setting with its Golden Age touches. The characters, both returning and new, are given full personalities with strengths and flaws. The clues were well placed and it's a good puzzle. I tend to enjoy most of Benedict Brown's mysteries....
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