Mystery – Page 2 – Carol's Notebook

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

March 5, 2026March 5, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

Yes, I've read Murder on the Orient Express several times. Yes, I've watched the movies, also multiple times. But somehow I always enjoy it. We all know the plot. Hercule Poirot is a last minute addition to the first class carriage on the Orient Express from Istanbul to Calais. All the other rooms are taken, unusual for winter, The following morning, the train is stuck in the snow and one of the passengers, an American named Ratchett, is found dead in his bunk, stabbed multiple times. Of course, I know the whodunnit and it's not one you can forget, but it's always fun watching Poirot collect all the clue, lies, and red herrings. His friend/ company director, Monsieur Bouc, sits in on the questioning and you have to admire how quickly he jumps to conclusions only to have them just as quickly upended by Poirot. He's a good character, light-hearted, but in the the end his position allows him to...

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie

March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

I thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. McGinty's Dead. This time around Superintendent Spence brings Poirot a case. A man has been convicted of Mrs. McGinty's murder based on Spence's investigations, but Spence is convince the man is not guilty. Poirot heads to the small town of Broadhinny to investigate. He stays in a poorly run guest house, which leads to several entertaining moments. We know how much Poirot loves comfort and good food, neither of which he gets here. Ariadne Oliver is also in town, working with a young playwright to adapt one of her books for the stage. Ariadne just makes me smile. She's the opposite of Poirot and yet they get along well. I love how Ariadne talks about her fictional detective, giving us a bit of insight into how Christie feels about Poirot. The plot was put together well, of course. The killer has to be one of the village residents, but Mrs. McGinty herself is rather uninteresting. Poirot,...

How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson

February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

It's funny how often I want to start my comments with "I don't typically read [fill-in-the blank] books." In this case, it's fictional serial killer books, but I've just read two in a row, the other being My Sister, the Serial Killer, so maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has returned from medical leave because to help investigate the murder of a teenage girl. A book, How to Get Away with Murder, has been left at the crime scene. The book is essentially a "how-to" guide for aspiring murderers written by Denver Brady, who claims to be a successful, currently active, serial killer, but it's unclear if this crime was committed by Denver or by a copycat. Chapters alternate between Sam's investigation and the handbook. The book within a book works well, especially on audio. The two narrators are fabulous. Geary brings both charm and menace to Brady's chapters, while Kennard captures Sam's intelligence, vulnerability, and determination....

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

I am not an organist at heart, but I have played the organ for churches in the past. I think Murder Will Out might be the first book I've read with a main character who is an organist, which of course grabbed my attention. Willow is a grad student/organist who comes back to Little North Island, Maine for her semi-estranged godmother, Sue's, funeral. Of course, it turns out Sue was murdered, the island and Sue's house are haunted, and no one wants Willow poking her nose into the island's secrets. Willow is not, at least at first, a great lead. She's quiet, afraid of confrontation, and easily intimidated. She does grow and become more confident both in herself and the people around her. I like her, but not as much as I wanted to. Most of the story is told from Willow's point of view, but once in a while we gets pieces from another person's outlook, which was a...

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

February 10, 2026February 10, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

The Killer Question is a clever book. The shtick is that it's all told through texts, emails, police interview transcripts, and assorted documents. The story's frame is that Dominic is trying to sell his aunt and uncle's story to a streaming service to make into a documentary. Sue and Mal operated a small pub that ran a Monday evening trivia contest. Were not surprised when a body is found in the river near the pub - after all, something made Dominic think it was a story worth pitching, but we'll have several good twists and at least one actual surprise by the end. We have a lot of characters to keep track of and we don't get to know any of them well. That's not a complaint, it's the nature of the style and important to the plot. I think this is one of those books that will either work for you or won't. I enjoyed it, but I'm not...

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

I like this series. I enjoy Ernest's narration and how often and well he breaks the fourth wall. I typically find them amusing and clever. This time around, however, the choices he makes just seem ridiculous. Ernest and his fiancée, Juliette, go to a bank trying to get a loan to open a detective agency. They've been to several banks and this one is essentially their last hope. Instead, the bank manager hires him to find his brother who has gone missing along with the code to the vault. Then a bank robber takes them all hostage and things start to spiral out of control. I like the set-up, that everyone is a thief of some kind, and there were a couple of very good twists. Some parts were downright funny and took full advantage of the characters and world the author's created. The hostages are an interesting bunch and it would be tough to keep control of. I'm fine with storyline...