Murder by the Book edited by Martin Edwards

Murder by the Book edited by Martin Edwards

by CarolNo Comments
This collection of stories is tied together by books. There are crime novelists, collectors, and so forth, or sometimes it’s a case of some important information hiding within the pages of a book. It's a good batch, some familiar authors, some not so familiar, at least to me. We have traditional detective stories and others told through the eyes of the bad guy. I enjoyed the whole thing. There wasn't a real stand out to me, but there also weren't any that I disliked. And here's the list, in case you're interested. A Lesson in Crime - George Douglas Howard Cole and Margaret ColeTrent and the Ministering Angel - E. C. BentleyA Slice of Bad Luck - Nicholas BlakeThe Strange Case of the Megatherium Thefts - S. C. RobertsMalice Domestic - Philip MacDonaldA Savage Game - A. A. MilneThe Clue in the Book - Julian SymonsThe Manuscript - Gladys MitchellA Man and His Mother-in-Law - Roy VickersGrey's Ghost - Michael InnesDear Mr....
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Till Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr

Till Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr

by Carol1 Comment
John Dickson Carr is considered a master of the locked room mystery and Till Death Do Us Part is a good example of that. This is the first Gideon Fell book I think I've read, but it worked fine as a standalone. Dick Markham with his fiancee, Lesley Grant, arrive late to the village fair. Events lead to Lesley accidentally shooting the fortune teller, renowned criminologist Sir Harvey Gilman. Later Markham hears from Gilman the story of Lesley's life as a serial poisoner. Soon Superintendent Hadley and Dr. Gideon Fell become involved when a murder occurs in the village. It's an enjoyable mystery. The characters are the usual odd lot that lives in fictional small towns, with assorted secrets and jealousies. There is plenty of misdirection, lots of red herrings, and several people who aren't who we think. I did not guess who the killer was or how they managed to pull it off. It's a quick read, but I think...
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Murder at the Mansions by Sara Rosett

Murder at the Mansions by Sara Rosett

by Carol5 Comments
It appears that there has been a murder in Olive's building and it seems highly likely that someone on her floor is dead. The trouble is that there is no body and no one seems to be missing. Olive's friend, Minerva, is not one to imagine things though. She's practical and intelligent and she saw a foot sticking out of the end of a wrapped rug, so Olive takes the case and together they are determined to get to the truth. Murder at the Mansions is a fun little mystery. Olive is smart and clever as always. I liked that it was set in her building which has a nice variety of people and their pets living in it. We get to meet some new characters, but Jasper is still around and I like their relationship. He helps her out, but she is definitely the one solving the case and the romance doesn't take over the book. I really like this series....
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Golden Age Locked Room Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler

Golden Age Locked Room Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler

by Carol1 Comment
I love collections like this. These stories are all "locked room" mysteries, where a murder is committed in circumstances under which it was seemingly impossible either for someone to commit the crime or to evade detection. The list is a who's who of Amerian mystery authors from the era. Anthony Boucher — ElsewhereFrederic Brown — Whistler’s MurderJohn Dickson Carr — The Third BulletJoseph Cummings — Fingerprint GhostMignon G. Eberhart — The Calico DogErle Stanley Gardner — The Exact OppositeMacKinlay Kantor — The Light at Three O’ClockC. Daly King — The Episode of the Nail and the RequiemStuart Palmer — The Riddle of the Yellow CanaryEllery Queen — The House of HauntsClayton Rawson — From Another WorldCraig Rice — His Heart Could BreakManly Wade Wellman — Murder Among MagiciansCornell Woolrich — Murder at the Automat Some I enjoyed more than others. Surprisingly, Carr's The Third Bullet was my least favorite - too long, and rather boring compared to the others. My favorites might...
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On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes by Stephen Browning

On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes by Stephen Browning

by Carol2 Comments
I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan which is why On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes caught my eye. The author sets out a series of walks around London, incorporating locations that feature in stories from the canon and incidents in Conan Doyle's life. There are even tidbits about family, friends, and literary contemporaries to Doyle along with the mention of real life individuals and their stories that likely influenced his writing of Sherlock Holmes. It made me want to go to London and follow the walks and suggested side excursions. It also made me want to go back and read some of the stories again and maybe watch some of the adaptations I haven't seen. The appendices were fun too, giving a chronological timeline of the Conan Doyle stories, notable actors to have played Holmes over the years, and an alphabetical Holmes miscellany. My one complaint is that I wish there were more and better photos. I'd love full...
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What the Cat Knew by P.D. Workman

What the Cat Knew by P.D. Workman

by CarolNo Comments
What the Cat Knew is a paranormal cozy mystery that totally hooked me. Reg is tough, smart, and can run a good con, but is caring and loyal underneath it. She's setting up as a medium "for entertainment purposes only" in Black Sands, Florida. She has a couple of problems. First, turns out she actually is a medium and can contact the dead. Second, the man she contacts isn't actually dead. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. We've got our eccentric characters, this time witches and probably other magical creatures. Our amateur sleuth has a legitimate reason for investigating, apparently she's the only one who knows the man is still alive, but since he's in a coma she can still make contact. We've got a touch of romance, maybe, but I'm hoping that fades away. And there's Reg's cat, who I loved. The plot moves along quickly and it was a lot of fun. I'm not quite clear on what kind...
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