On shelves – Carol's Notebook

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

June 16, 2026June 16, 2026 by Carol1 Comment

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is just fabulous. There's a reason it's a classic. The first time through, you'll be surprised by the twist. On rereads, you'll appreciate how clever Christie is and how entertaining her characters can be. Hercule Poirot has retired to the country to live in anonymity and grow vegetable marrows, which I think are a type of zucchini. It's not going terribly well. But then we have a couple of deaths in town, a suicide followed shortly by a murder, and Poirot gets to put his little grey cells to work. Our narrator is Dr. James Shepherd, the local doctor, who knew both of the dead people quite well. From him we learn about Mrs. Ferrars' suicide, which town gossip is sure was due to the guilt she felt from poisoning her husband. We also learn that she disclosed some information to Roger Ackroyd in a letter the night he was killed. Shepherd acts a little like...

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

December 20, 2021December 20, 2021 by Carol4 Comments

Wealthy, mean Simeon Lee has invited his family to spend Christmas. We've got 4 adult sons, three of whom have wives with them, and a granddaughter from Spain, an exotic young woman out of place in the traditional English setting. Simeon's goal, however, doesn't seem to be a happy family reunion. Instead, he is amusing himself by re-igniting all the old angers and rivalries. Of course, it's still a shock to them when he ends up dead, murdered in a locked room. Hercule Poirot's Christmas was another reread for me, and to be honest I'm surprised I didn't remember who the killer was. Poirot was staying with a friend in the neighborhood when the death was reported and agreed to help discover the killer. Of course, we've got plenty of motives, from hatred to money to diamonds, and everyone in the household is a suspect. I like how much even the most minor of the characters has their own personality. Each...

Murder in Moscow by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Jessica is part of a delegation of publishers and writers meeting with their Russian counterparts, first in Washington, then in Moscow. This is just after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the goal of the gatherings is supposedly to help Russian publishers deal with the change to democracy and the free market. One of the government people attached to the group is found dead in Washington, but everything proceeds according to schedule. One of the Russian publishers dies at a dinner in Moscow, later in the week. Jessica finds herself entangled in what is more of a spy story than a mystery. The story was well-written and moved quickly. There are several bits left unanswered, governments on both sides want to keep their secrets. It was not the story I was expecting though. Jessica is mostly just a pawn, one with a lot of questions but who can't get any real answers. She's in danger, but has no control over...

Murder on the QE2 by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

March 24, 2020April 2, 2020 by Carol1 Comment

Murder She Wrote was a tv staple when I was younger, so in the midst of all this staying at home, I thought I'd grab Murder on the QE2 off my shelf. I'm honestly not sure where I picked it up or who gave it to me, but it was enjoyable. There's a bit of nostalgia while reading it, they talk about floppy disks and VHS tapes and the internet is still pretty new. Jessica is on an all-expense-paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, and mind you it's a crossing, not a cruise, no matter what it seems like. She's a guest lecturer, speaking about mystery writings, and she also writes an original play that will be performed on board. Surprise, surprise, someone's murdered. The dead woman is one of the other lecturers, an aging actress trying to revive her career. And of course, she's connected with multiple people on board, each of...

A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer

December 20, 2019December 20, 2019 by Carol4 Comments

I have some books that come out every year with the Christmas decorations. Some I've read multiple times, like A Christmas Carol, and some I haven't gotten around to yet. This year I finally picked up A Rumpole Christmas from the stack and thoroughly enjoyed the stories. I'm familiar with Rumpole of the Bailey and "She Who Must Be Obeyed." I feel like I must have seen some episodes back when it was on PBS Mystery! which we used to watch almost weekly. Barrister Horace Rumpole, defender of the criminal class, loves his work. Fortunately, work finds him even during the Christmas holidays, whether it be spending Christmas at a health farm when a murder occurs, meeting former clients under interesting circumstances, or being booked into the same hotel as a judge. Rumpole character is funny, wry, and insightful, and some of his comments about terrorists and the Church could have been made now. He honestly enjoys defending his...

Christmas Picture Books

December 27, 2017 by Carol4 Comments

I read a few books with my niece and nephew over Christmas. The Snowy Day is a sweet, simple little story about enjoying the snow. The illustrations are warm and inviting and go along with the text well. It's never been one of my favorites, but is still a classic worth reading. I like that The Biggest Snowman Ever encourages teamwork. It also encourages creativity, no two snowmen are alike, they can be traditional or a princess or a martian and they're all good. The Littlest Christmas Tree makes me tear up a little in the middle, when the tree is sad and lonely and afraid it will never get to be a Christmas tree. Thankfully it has a happy ending and the tree gets to go to the perfect home. ...