Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon

by Carol2 Comments
The dog and I were home one Saturday night when Amber and David went off to watch a hockey game. I hadn't been able to dig out my box of Christmas books yet, but was in the mood for a vintage seasonal mystery. Someone, somewhere said good things about Mystery in White by Farjeon (if it was you, thank you) so I picked it up. I love how many old mysteries have been re-released as e-books in the last few years. As the blurb says, a train gets stopped by a blizzard on Christmas Eve and a mismatched group of people decide to leave the safety of the train and attempt to make it to the next station on foot. Of course they get lost, but happily stumble upon a house - that is empty but has fires roaring and tea set out. "“Don’t disappoint me? Don’t tell me you cannot supply the corpse? A bread-knife on a floor, a boiling...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Corn People

by Carol1 Comment
The Corn People, illustraded by José Carlos and translated/edited by Kelly Carlos, is a mix of Aztec and Mayan mythology, and presents a lovely creation story. It's available on Amazon. It's a bilingual book, the Spanish on the top of each page, the English translation on the bottom, which I like, even though I can't pronounce the Spanish at all. In the beginning there was silence and Heart of Sky was very lonely, so he made planets to keep him company. Heart of Water was his favorite. He asked Heart of Water whatshe thought of their world and she asked that her oceans be opened, allowing land to rise. The land became mountains, valleys and hills covered with tall pines. Heart of Sky made fish, mammals, reptiles, and birds. Both Hearts were happy with so much company, but the creatures couldn't praise them. Heart of Sky, with Heart of Water, first created mud people and the wooden people, but neither would praise their makers...
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Arsène Lupin, The Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc

by Carol2 Comments
4½ stars for the story, 2 stars for the translation Arsène Lupin is simply a fabulous character. He's a thief, but suave and brilliant and a "gentleman." I just wish this translation by Nicolae Sfetcu had been better. The collection includes the first nine stories: 1)   The Arrest of Arsene Lupin 2)   Arsene Lupin in Prison 3)   The Escape of Arsene Lupin 4)   The Mysterious Traveller 5)   The Queen’s Necklace 6)   The Seven of Hearts 7)   Madame Imbert’s Safe 8)   The Black Pearl 9)   Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late Lupin gets arrested, organizes a heist from jail, and escapes from jail. He solves a couple of mysteries, in order to steal the items himself of course and even outwits Holmes. I truly enjoyed the stories. They're fun and light. This particular translation is not well done though. Aside from not being particularly smooth, the pronouns seem to get mixed up a lot - him and her almost become interchangeable, which is more than a little annoying. I could follow the story, and see...
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The Dying Alderman by Henry Wade

by CarolNo Comments
The Dying Alderman is the first mystery I've read by Henry Wade; he's not a writer I'd heard of before, but it looks like most of his are out for Kindle now, so I'll probably pick up more. The Dying Alderman is a well-plotted mystery with characters who are nuanced and believable. There are three cops working the case, Race who is new to the job, Vorley who is steeped in local gossip and prejudices, and Lott, the outsider who can be a bit heavy-handed in his questioning of suspects. Each of the men brings something to the plate. My favorite was Race, but Lott's goading of Vorley is rather amusing at times. Lott and Vorley are focussed on two different suspects and each seems reasonable. Wade does a good job with the police procedural aspect, but doesn't leave us with the impression that police are perfect, instead we know some may have their own agendas that don't necessarily fit with finding the truth. The...
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Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box

by Carol3 Comments
Death Like It Hot was a fun look at summer in the Hamptons in the 50s, in addition to being a decent mystery. I have to admit I liked Peter Sargeant, even if he was a bit chauvinistic. He was smart and funny and a good observer, an outsider who sees all the quirks and tensions. And the rich and comfortable have a lot of quirks. This is the only one of the three in the series I've read, but it stood on its own well. The mystery was okay. I think the author played fairly, that we knew most of the clues along with Peter. It felt like a standard mystery, which is fine. I like guest house mysteries, whether they be in the Hamptons or the English countryside. I did guess the killer, but only because it was the best option, not because I had it all figured out. The book was bit racier than I would have expected, more so than...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Boy Who Wanted the Willies

by Carol1 Comment
  Today's story comes from Folktales on Stage by Aaron Shepherd. The book is a very nice collection of scripts for children. Some were new to me and others familiar. There are funny stories and tales with a moral lesson. The scripts are clear and appropriate for children. If I worked with a group of kids, whether in school or storytime, I think it would be a nice addition to my shelves. Shepherd based "The Boy Who Wanted the Willies" on a tale by the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" but added a lot of changes and embellishments. There was once a boy, Hans, who was never afraid of anything, mostly because he didn't have enough sense to be afraid. One evening Hans and his sister were walking by a graveyard when the sister said the place gave her the willies. Hans asked what the willies were and his sister told him the willies are when...
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