E.C.R. Lorac – Carol's Notebook

Fell Murder by E. C. R. Lorac

September 26, 2019October 4, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

In Fell Murder, Lorac does a great job setting the scene. Before the murder even happens, we know the family and their quarrels, the neighboring farmers and the landscape well. For some, the prolonged introduction may make the book seem to start off slow, but I like getting to know the eventual suspects and seeing how they interacted with the victim when he was alive. Garth was a respected, rather than loved, elderly and wealthy landowner. Even though he was tough and mean, he was a hard-worker and dealt with people fairly for the most part. Nevertheless, there are plenty of suspects among the family and neighbors. MacDonald, our series detective, is called in from Scotland Yard because the local man is too busy and not used to dealing with murders, and it's for the best. The local man is a townie and treats the farmers as if they're stupid. MacDonald is gentler and realizes their slowness in speech and action...

Murder in the Mill-Race by E. C. R. Lorac

July 31, 2019August 1, 2019 by Carol3 Comments

Murder in the Mill-Race, also published as Speak Justly of the Dead, takes place in a small, somewhat isolated town North Devon. Dr. Ferens has taken over the practice of the mostly retired town doctor and he and his wife are happy to move away from the grit and grime of the city. Of course, villages come with their own sets of difficulties, and in this particular village, one of those is Sister Monica who runs the children's home. Mrs. Ferens has an instant dislike to her and while the townsfolk all praise her, you know something's not quite right. It's no surprise when she ends up dead in the stream just beyond the mill. We meet the people in town as Dr. Ferens does and we are allowed to settle into the setting nicely before the murder occurs. Even then the local guy does a bit of investigating before MacDonald is called in. The villagers are not keen on answering...

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...