Death of a Fool by Ngaio Marsh

Death of a Fool by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol8 Comments
Death of a Fool takes place around the winter solstice. In South Mardian, a sword dance/fertility ritual/mummer play is performed every year, but this time, the fool (the father) is actually beheaded. I don't know anything about English folk dances, but the dance featured in Death of a Fool is interesting. Granted, it's a fictional dance, but the author tells us that she did use elements from a variety of traditional dances. Reading about the rehearsals, the performance, the costume and the history was fun. The dance is performed by the elderly blacksmiths, his five sons and a couple of other village men. They are also the most obvious suspects, especially the sons as they were the ones with the sword during the dance. Of course, the other performers have motives too. There are so many reasons to kill the old man: anger revenge, money, and just to get him out of the way. Alleyn is called in to investigate. In a small...
Read More
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
I'm not sure if I've ever read Poirot Investigates before. I think I prefer the full-length novels to the short stories, although this is a good collection. Since these are all short stories, they are quick mysteries. We don't get to know many characters well and in a few the Poirot jumps to the (correct) conclusion with a bit too little information. And almost making fun of Hastings for not being able to keep up.  I didn't really love any of them, but I didn't hate any either. Really, unless you're already a Poirot fan, I would probably skip this one. While Holmes is perfect in short stories, they are not the best way to meet Poirot....
Read More
So You Want to Write a Book

So You Want to Write a Book

by CarolNo Comments
I've never written a book, not even a bad one in high school. I have thought about it though. I ran across this advice and the other day. Writing a book is an exciting endeavor, but writing the book is a task in and of itself. If you have made the commitment and put pen to paper, you are half way to achieving your dream of becoming an author. Many books are submitted for publication on a daily basis, but only a few are given a deal. Then, even with aggressive marketing, even fewer become best-sellers and household staples. mrbestseller.com, for example, has narrowed down the process while seeking to help the novice writer and experienced author achieve their literary dreams. Here are three steps involved in publishing a book. The Title The title of a book is just as important as the content. The average reader who peruses the aisles of their favorite bookstore or search results of the favorite online search engine often uses...
Read More
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

by Carol6 Comments
So, I've discovered that, depending on what's going on in the office and what I'm doing, I can listen to audiobooks at work. When I'm folding newsletter, for example, or copying and pasting graphs. But, they can't be overly complicated or at all potentially offensive, which means vintage mysteries, like Agatha Christies work well. They tend to not have any curse words, most of the violence happens off-stage and is not graphic, there's enough of a plot to keep you interested, but they're not so absorbing that you can't just turn them off to answer the phone. In The Murder on the Links, Poirot receives a letter calling him to the aid of a millionaire in France, frightened for his life because of a 'secret' he possesses. Poirot, with Hastings, immediately leave England, only to find on arrival that Monsieur Renauld has already been killed and his body found on the golf course next door. The plot is pretty convoluted. As...
Read More
Readers’ Workouts – 9/11

Readers’ Workouts – 9/11

by Carol6 Comments
I have been really inconsistent this summer with both blogging and exercising. I didn't make it to the gym this week. I think I need to start planning my time better. I seem to not get anything done even though in theory I have more time, since I get off work an hour earlier than I used to. This Week's Activities: None Current Audiobook: I'm still listening to 84K by Claire North. It's a little too long. I need to finish it so I can move on to something else. Dinners Tuesday - I don't remember Wednesday - hot dog and macaroni salad at church Thursday -  Five spice pork and noodles, which was kinda yucky Friday - Primanti's at the baseball game Saturday - Wendy's burger and fries because I burned my Spanish rice Sunday - Spaghetti and sauce Monday - Chicken enchiladas Looking ahead: Dinner ideas: Chili Stuffed baked potatoes Fried rice Maybe I'll try to make it to the gym tonight. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog...
Read More
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

by Carol6 Comments
Death on the Nile is a classic Poirot mystery.  Poirot is on vacation in Egypt, taking a cruise on the Nile - and of course a murder occurs. Happily, Colonel Race is on board too and the two of them take up the investigation. We've got a lot of people on board the cruise, including a young couple on their honeymoon who are being stalked by the husband's ex-girlfriend, a young society man and his mother, a romance author and her daughter, an elderly kleptomaniac and her travel companions, a couple questionable men, a maid, a doctor - so many that it can get a little confusing on audio. The narrator did a good job with all the voices, but it's still a lot. The characters are all interesting and have their own personalities and motives. And Poirot likes them all, or almost all of them. He gives several people passes on their less serious crimes. It's the "hush, hush" house....
Read More