Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, et al.

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, et al.

by Carol2 Comments
We all know I'm a huge Christie fan, so of course, this collection of twelve new Marple mysteries has been on my wishlist since I heard about it. I appreciate the variety. Each of the stories is written by a different contemporary female crime writer doing her take on the iconic Miss Jane Marple. Miss Marple is a force to be reckoned with, and these writers captured her intelligence, her wit, and her tenacity. Granted some of the stories are more successful than others, but that's to be expected. Overall, it's fun. The stories: Evil in Small Places - Lucy FoleyThe Second Murder in the Vicarage - Val McDermid: This one might have been my favorite. A second murder occurs at the vicarage in St. Mary Mead. Luckily, Jane Marple lives right next door. Miss Marple Takes Manhattan - Alyssa Cole: Miss Marple visits Manhattan with her nephew. A play base on his work is being performed - off-Broadway. I liked seeing...
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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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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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Murder by the Book edited by Cynthia Manson

Murder by the Book edited by Cynthia Manson

by Carol6 Comments
Like a lot of anthologies, Murder by the Book is a mixed batch. All the stories have some literary connection, whether it be books, or a character or is a writer or whatever, and most have a crime that needs solved. Several authors I've read before and was not surprised that their stories were good like Dorothy L. Sayers (even though I don't think I'll ever be a Wimsey fan), Edward D. Hoch, Margaret Maron, Bill Pronzini, and Lawrence Block. I really enjoyed the "Jane Austen Murder" mostly because the main character was a hoot. I will be on the lookout for more by Knowlden. In "A Women's Voice," Hansen did a great job of letting us get to know the characters, even though it's a short story, and surprising me with the whodunnit. I didn't care for "In the Bluebell Wood" or "Body Language." Overall, though, I enjoyed the collection. I think I need to pick up a Halloween...
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Resorting to Murder edited by Martin Edwards

Resorting to Murder edited by Martin Edwards

by Carol2 Comments
So, who else is dreaming of vacations right about now? This collection of British mystery short stories centers around vacations/holidays. Our detectives are supposed to be enjoying themselves, but are of course drawn into solving whatever crime has occurred, most often a murder. Like any anthology, some stand out above others. A few of my favorites: "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" by Arthur Conan Doyle is one I've read before. A woman is found dead and two of her brothers are completely insane. I always enjoy Holmes and this one is not an exception. "The Hazel Ice" by H.C. Bailey - Reggie Fortune is Bailey's series detective. This time, he's in Switzerland and ends up investigating the death of a fellow tourist. This was really enjoyable. I should search out more of the Fortune stories. "Holiday Task" by Leo Bruce - Sergeant Beef is on vacation in Normandy when "the most detected man in the French prison service" is killed in...
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The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes published by Dover Publications

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes published by Dover Publications

by Carol4 Comments
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 16 classic detective stories from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. The detectives are not so much rivals of Holmes as contemporaries. The collection is centered around when the stories were written, but they come from a variety of regions. I've read a few of the authors before and a couple of the stories, but several were to me. There were even a couple of female detectives, unusual for the era. As with most anthologies, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. The book starts off with "The Great Ruby Robbery" by Grant Allen which was clever and funny, a good combination and a good way to open. "Cinderella's Slipper" by Hugh C. Weir and his Miss Madelyn Mack also stood out for me. I met Max Carrados in "The Coin of Dionysius" by Ernest Braman. He's a blind detective, which is unique. Another, this one from America,...
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