Book Reviews – Page 107 – Carol's Notebook

A Murderous Ride by Helena Marchmont

March 14, 2019March 13, 2019 by Carol2 Comments

"A Murderous Ride" is the second in the Bunburry series. I guess it could stand alone, but I'd suggest reading #1 first. It's short anyway, just over 100 pages, so it's not a huge commitment, and that way you'll be introduced to the town and Alfie and have more background going in to this one. Alfie has discovered that in addition to the cottage, he has inherited a 1950s Jaguar. While it does help him remember a moment in his childhood spent with his aunt, he has given up driving for reasons of his own. Between the car and the urging and "helping" of his friend Oscar, we know he'll get back behind the wheel again. But, we have to have a murder, and unluckily for Alfie, his car turns out to be the murder weapon, which makes him the prime suspect. He does get some help as he tries to figure out who the killer actually is. Bunburry is a charming town...

Murder at the Mousetrap by Helena Marchmont

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

Yes, I picked up Murder at the Mousetrap because of the Agatha Christie and Oscar Wilde references, and that it was on the shorter side. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the cottage in Bunburry he has inherited from an aunt he barely remembers. We get to meet all the townsfolk along with Alfie, and they are a nicely varied lot. He also gets recruited by the AA, Agatha's Amateurs, who put on The Mousetrap every year. The problem this year is their director is dead, and the death maybe was an accident, since this is a mystery, it's clearly murder. Alfie and two elderly neighbors, Liz and Marge, start investigating, asking questions, visiting people. The dead man was not very nice though, so we've got lots of people with motives, even if the reasons don't seem quite strong enough to lead to murder. It's a fun read. I enjoyed the...

Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

Murder by Matchlight features Scotland Yard's imperturbable Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald, who is tasked with finding the killer of the man on the bridge. His only evidence: a set of bicycle tracks that come to an abrupt end. His suspects: a colorful cast that includes the shy, soft-spoken witness, a respected London physician, a screenwriter, an unemployed laborer, and a vaudevillian specializing in illusions. This is the first of Lorac's MacDonald mysteries I've read. MacDonald is a good character, smart, kind, a gentleman. He's got several cops who work for him who have their own characteristics. But they are all honest and good at their jobs. The job is not easy. The dead man lived in a boarding house along with several "theater" people. The suspects are definitely more interesting than the detective. What makes Murder by Matchlight stand out is the war time London setting. The blackout restrictions and Nazi bombings are integral to the plot. It's neat to see how...

Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

March 8, 2019March 11, 2019 by Carol4 Comments

Swing, Brother, Swing is fairly typical for Marsh. We have a dysfunctional family, headed by Lord Pastern and Baggott, whose newest obsession is playing the timpani for a swing band. Pastern's step-daughter, Fee, is not quite but almost engaged to Carlos, who plays the accordion. Carlos is sleazy and overly jealous, and Fee is not quite sure what to do about the situation. She's even written to an advice columnist about it. Turns out, she doesn't have to worry. He gets killed during the band's act. Happily, Alleyn was watching the show and loses no time starting the investigation. We also have a young couple, Carlisle and Edward Manx. At the beginning of the book they are friends, but we see the relationship evolving as the night and day unfold. A young couple who should be together and deserve a happy ending often shows up in Marsh's books. The murder weapon is interesting in this one; it's not one of the...

So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan

March 5, 2019March 11, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

So Pretty a Problem is the third of the Mordecai Tremaine books. Mordeaci, our amateur sleuth, is a retired tobacconist with a fondness for romance literature. He's mild-mannered but a shrewd observer of people. Tremaine has accompanied his good friend Scotland Yard Inspector Jonathan Boyce to Cornwall for a relaxing holiday, with nothing on the agenda but lazing around and soaking up the summer sun. So, of course, Tremaine gets caught up in the murder of a local celebrity, painter Adreian Carthallo. Tremaine had met the artist and his wife, Helen, several months earlier in London and had continued his acquaintance with them in Cornwall, where their vacation home was. I really liked how So Pretty a Problem was structured. First we jump right into the mystery. Adreian is dead and his wife admits to killing him - although accidentally. Of course, her story has holes galore and the local inspector isn't buying it. Happily, Mordecai is on the spot...

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

March 1, 2019March 11, 2019 by Carol11 Comments

I should have loved The Library Book by Susan Orlean. It's both a love letter to libraries and a true crime story of the Los Angeles library fire of 1986; crime and books is often a great combination. While it didn't live up to my expectations, it was a good book. Orlean obviously loves libraries and we learn so much about them here, history, inner workings, the populations they serve and the needs they meet. We learn about the variety of librarians, their passions, their jobs, their backgrounds. She also visits OverDrive, which I didn't know is in Cleveland. I wonder if they offer tours of the facility? The true crime portion focuses on the Los Angeles library fire, which was deemed arson at the time, although Orlean speaks to at least one expert who thinks that was probably not true. As the blurb states, the fire was devastating, but I found the way the community pulled together to help save the...