The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

by Carol4 Comments
The Tiger in the Smoke is an intelligent crime novel set just a few years after World War II. It's a tough time in London. Many people are quite poor and many ex-servicemen are having a difficult time. London is also being plagued by a pea-soup fog, which lends a darkness and opaqueness to many scenes in the story. The story starts with Meg, who is soon to be married, has been receiving photos showing, in theory, her husband, who was presumed killed in the war, walking around modern-day London. She calls on Campion to help her. At first, the mystery seems to be who is planning on blackmailing her, but soon it becomes more of a thriller than a mystery. We know who the bad guy is: Havoc, an escaped convict, a psychopath. The man sending Meg the photos had been one of his lackeys. Now, it becomes a race for the detectives to catch him before there are...
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Dewey’s Reverse Readathon

Dewey’s Reverse Readathon

by Carol2 Comments
The Reverse Summer Readathon starts now! I love the 8pm – 8pm eastern set-up. I won’t be able to read the whole time because I will fall asleep, but there's nothing else on the calendar. I’m prepared: I’ve got my snacks, I’ve got my books, I’ve got food for meals and plenty of coffee and pop. Updates will be here at the blog, instagram (@carolsnotebook), or twitter (@carolsnotebook) or none of the above if I forget to post. I’m in the middle of Who Killed Patrick? by Syl Waters on my Kindle and The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu on audio, so I’m starting with those. Opening Survey: What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Eastern OhioWhich book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Maybe Without a Brew by Ellie AlexanderWhich snack are you most looking forward to? Jalapeno poppersTell us a little something about yourself! I love mysteries, which sometimes makes my husband nervous.If you participated in...
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Classics Club Spin #24

Classics Club Spin #24

by Carol22 Comments
The Classics Club is holding its 24th Spin. The idea is to list 20 of the books on your Classics Club list before August 9 when the wheel will turn and reveal the winning number. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by September 30. I'm glad we're doing another one. I need a kick to get reading classics again. My Book Spin List – The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar WildeHigh Rising by Angela ThirkellTreasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonThe Blue Castle by Lucy Maud MontgomeryThe Odyssey by HomerMiddlemarch by George EliotIn Cold Blood by Truman CapoteOrient Express by Graham GreeneAnatomy of a Murder by Robert TraverThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le CarréGulliver’s Travels by Jonathan SwiftMoll Flanders by Daniel DefoeFaust by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheWalden by Henry David ThoreauThe 13 Clocks by James ThurberThe Enchanted April by Elizabeth von ArnimThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth GrahameDeath Comes for...
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Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien

Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien

by Carol2 Comments
I have to admit that one of the reasons I like the Noodle Shop mystery series is that it's set in Cleveland. One of these days, maybe next summer, I'm going to get up there for a Night Market or maybe take a food tour. We've done a lot of the touristy things, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the museums, the zoo, but haven't made it to the Asiatown neighborhood yet. Lana is the manager of her family's restaurant in Asia Village, a shopping complex. Lana's a great main character, fun, smart and a bit sassy. Yes, she does almost always manage to put herself in danger - she is a cozy mystery sleuth after all. This time around, there's been another murder at Asia Village. The dead woman, Mildred, was not well-liked, cheated at Mah Jong, and was sue-happy. When she's killed at the hair salon, the obvious suspect is her most recent enemy, June. And honestly...
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