The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham

The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham

by CarolNo Comments
"The main thing to remember in autobiography, I have always thought, is not to let any damned modesty creep in to spoil the story. This adventure is mine, Albert Campion's, and I am fairly certain that I was pretty nearly brilliant in it in spite of the fact that I so nearly got myself and old Lugg killed that I hear a harp quintet whenever I consider it. It begins with me eating in bed." The Case of the Late Pig is narrated by Albert Campion himself, which takes away a bit of the charm of the characters for me. Part of the fun is how he lets others see him as silly and perhaps not too bright, but with him telling the story we don't get that full effect. Also, even though he's telling us what he did and what he thought, he leaves his conclusions until the end. He has to, it's a mystery novel, but would you really...
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Murder on the QE2 by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

Murder on the QE2 by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

by Carol1 Comment
Murder She Wrote was a tv staple when I was younger, so in the midst of all this staying at home, I thought I'd grab Murder on the QE2 off my shelf. I'm honestly not sure where I picked it up or who gave it to me, but it was enjoyable. There's a bit of nostalgia while reading it, they talk about floppy disks and VHS tapes and the internet is still pretty new. Jessica is on an all-expense-paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, and mind you it's a crossing, not a cruise, no matter what it seems like. She's a guest lecturer, speaking about mystery writings, and she also writes an original play that will be performed on board. Surprise, surprise, someone's murdered. The dead woman is one of the other lecturers, an aging actress trying to revive her career. And of course, she's connected with multiple people on board, each of...
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Mailbox Monday – 3/23

Mailbox Monday – 3/23

by Carol3 Comments
Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. Tell us about your new arrivals by adding your Mailbox Monday post to the linky at mailboxmonday.wordpress.com. I receive this for review and am looking forward to reading it. My post should be up April 19. ...
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A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes

A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes

by Carol1 Comment
A Rage in Harlem is full of crime, violence, memorable characters, and a dark sense of humor. The descriptions are vivid and Himes brings to life a Harlem that is both realistic and unbelievable, in that way that places are so different from my own experiences. The main character is novel is about an undertaker's assistant, Jackson, a naive church-going man, not too bright, who is in love with a faithless, light-skinned young lady, who borrows (without permission) cash from his boss in order to take advantage of a get-rich-quick scheme. Of course, the scheme blows up in his face and his girlfriend Immabelle, takes off, worried the cops will catch them, at least that's the reason Jackson attributes to her disappearance. You have to give it to Imabelle, she is probably tougher and more cunning than the rest of them put together. The rest of the book follows Jackson's adventures trying to get back his money and his...
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The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

by Carol1 Comment
I picked up The Dark Vineyard not long after finishing the first in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. The town of Saint-Denis and the people are just so wonderful, and I'm glad this second in the series was just as good as the first. This time around, Bruno is investigating an arson at a GMO-research facility, a fire that destroyed crops and burned a shed to the ground. At the same time, an American is in town thinking about developing a large wine tourism center in the district. While it would bring jobs, Bruno is worried that it would also change his town. But the Mayor seems to be behind the scheme. Then the two bodies are found, and it becomes (maybe) a case of murder. And who wants to invest in a town where arsons and murders occur? The mystery itself was well-done. We follow Bruno as he talks to people and finds the clues that eventually lead to the...
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Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert

Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert

by Carol2 Comments
Reviews for Death in the Family both drew me to the book and made me wary. "A Christie-inspired mystery." "This is an Agathe Christieesque murder mystery." "If you loved Agatha Christie you are going to have a new author to fill that void." I love Christie and that era of mystery in general, but rarely do modern novels actually pull off that feel. While Death in the Family has some of those classic elements, a rich family, an isolated manor, but I feel like "Christie-esque" has come to mean that it's a good puzzle type mystery, but the comparison isn't really fair to Christie or Wegert. I really enjoyed it. It's a good mystery, tense, atmospheric, but our sleuth especially would not fit in a Christie novel; which is neither good or bad. Detective Shana Merchant has relocated to upstate New York after being kidnapped by a serial killer. She is still dealing with her PTSD and flashbacks but has been...
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