Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife is a clever mystery that I enjoyed but probably won't work for everyone. Six not-quite stranger, all down on their luck, are invited to play a murder mystery game at the remote Midwinter retreat over Christmas. The rules are semi-clear and the prize is "life-changing."
The book invites the reader to attempt to solve the murder puzzle, but whether you sit down with pencil and paper while reading or not, the story is enjoyable. We end up with two mysteries, the one in the puzzle and, as is to be expected, one of the guests is killed. Of course, a snowstorm has left the retreat cut off. The Midwinter Trust employees seem to have their own agenda, too.
The is a book that's definitely heavier on plot than characters. While all the characters are interesting and have a bit of personality, i never actually cared about them. Yes, I wondered who would get...
The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is set in Yorkshire in the 1930's. Nell Fagan is somewhat desperately trying to find a great story to get back in the good graces of a good London newspaper. She's on the trail of something possibly big in the small town of Blackstone Fell, looking into historic and modern disappearances as well as the local sanatorium. When she realizes the extent of her possible case, she decides to consult Rachel Savernake, our "amateur" sleuth. She is not 100% honest about what's going on however and Rachel dismisses her. Nell returns to Yorkshire to continue her investigation alone and with difficulty. Meanwhile, Rachel enlists some associates to look into the matters, too.
It's a good story with a lot going on. The disappearances are a locked room mystery, but more of a sidelight to the main plot. We've got seances, dangerous caves, and a spooky tower, and Nell was right to be suspicious of the...
Uncle Willie is rich and old, and therefore would be much more useful to his greedy relatives dead than alive, if only they could be sure who he’d left his money to. Several of his relatives joke on a regular basis about murdering him. The Redpaths have reluctantly invited him to stay over Christmas and would be quite happy if he included them in his will. They’re not the only people who want Uncle Willie’s money though, and soon others are turning up to try to inveigle themselves into his good graces. And of course, Uncle Willie is indeed murdered - after Christmas.
Murder After Christmas is an odd book. It's full of holiday cheer - Santa Claus, mince pies, snow, Christmas decorations, and food. It's funny, even if the jokes get a bit repetitive, and the characters are eccentric to say the least. The plot is twisty and turny and people act in all kinds of odd ways. The plot...
I am a sucker for a country house Christmas murder mystery. Lily and her cousins have come to Endhouse for the annual Christmas game, but this time the grand prize is Endhouse itself. But Lily is there to find out the truth about what happened to her mom years ago.
The Christmas Murder is a fun book. The riddles are given in the form of sonnets and they are rather clever. Of course, the group is snowed in and when the first person is killed, they can't reach the police by phone (the lines are down), by care (there is a tree down across the driveway), or by cellphone (they were confiscated at the beginning of the game so no one could cheat). It's a claustrophobic atmosphere where you can't trust anyone.
Yes, the premise is a bit unrealistic and the killer obvious, but it kept me entertained throughout. It would make a good seasonal read....
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....
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...
