Agatha has a new neighbor. And this time it isn't a handsome gentleman, it's a 67 year old woman who wants to work for Agatha's new detective agency. OhAgatha has a new neighbor. And this time it isn't a handsome gentleman, it's a 67 year old woman who wants to work for Agatha's new detective agency. Oh, did I forget to tell you she's finally opened her own agency? Well, she has. And high time, too. Thanks to "the Paris incident", in which she was treated shabbily (or so she thought) by the Gendarmerie after her purse was riffled while she was on public transit, Agatha has decided to go legit.
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This story had depth! I mean, in as much as an Agatha Raisin story can have depth. But I was pleasantly surprised at some of the ways the characters (one in particular) developed and changed throughout the story. Would love to elaborate but that would be a spoiler.
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The gist is that Agatha is trying to juggle a new business, jealousies, friendships, and her own feelings of inadequacy. Now that I think about it, the only new thing here is the business. And yet, I love her. Go figure. Recommended for fans....more
But the only things that haunted this book were continuity errors. What the hell was up with Charles having childreI love a haunted house story.
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But the only things that haunted this book were continuity errors. What the hell was up with Charles having children with his ex-wife? In the last book, it was plain that his then-wife had tricked him into thinking she was pregnant with twins when she wasn't pregnant with anything but bloat, and then ran off and got an annulment once she found out what a cheap bastard he was. Where was Beaton's editor?!
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I think we're also starting to see Agatha run through one-and-done men instead of trying to beat the old relationships to death. Which is fine with me. Except it's almost as inconceivable that James' old house keeps getting sold to one hot middle-aged man after another, as is it that Agatha seems to stumble on every single dead body in the entirety of England.
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Oh well. Wish fulfillment isn't something I'm docking points for with these books. And on the plus side, the mystery was a bit more interesting this time around.
Yes. I do intend to keep reading these. Recommended for Raisinets only....more
When the hot new curate is found dead, Mrs. Bloxby's husband is the #1 suspect. Ever the good friend, Agatha decides to clear the vicar's name. <--evenWhen the hot new curate is found dead, Mrs. Bloxby's husband is the #1 suspect. Ever the good friend, Agatha decides to clear the vicar's name. <--even though he pretty much can't stand her Still. This is for her bestie, Bloxby.
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Unfortunately, Agatha is still missing James. And Charles. Hell, she misses Roy enough to ask him down for a visit. It's frustrating to see her still spinning her wheels looking to men as her main source of comfort. But I'm guessing that's also part of the reason I love her. She's a hot mess of nowhere near the right amount of self-esteem. And then I remember that I'm still checking my weight every day as though that were some kind of sign of mental health and body acceptance. Ugh. Rock on, Aggie. We've all got problems.
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I did enjoy the mystery this time around. Especially as the body count started piling up. And I loved that the police chief (or whatever they're called across the pond) suggested she might want to go ahead and get her private detective's license.
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Also, is the mystery writer John Armitage really out of Agatha's life? I guess I'll find out soon enough. Recommended for Raisinets....more
This is notThe Thirteen Problems. That's the original collection of Marple shorts. <--buyer beware and all that jazz. But this one does have quite a feThis is notThe Thirteen Problems. That's the original collection of Marple shorts. <--buyer beware and all that jazz. But this one does have quite a few of those stories mixed in with a few different ones. I've included links to the individual shorts in case you want to check them out.
The Tape-Measure Murder Not my favorite Marple. And yet, is any Marple a bad Marple? So. This one deals with a woman whose husband is the main suspect in her murder, mainly because he isn't showing the appropriate amount of emotion.
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Strange Jest This is the story of a rich uncle who leaves his niece and nephew (who want to get married) to hunt for his fortune after he dies. To be honest it felt a bit like Manx Gold because in that one you have two cousins who want to get married but have to hunt for the treasure that their rich old relative leaves for them, as well. However, that one is more of a real treasure hunt with clues, and this one is that he didn't trust banks and they're just hunting around in the house for what the crazy old fart did with all of his money.
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Sanctuary A man dies from a gunshot wound in the parson's wife's arms, whispering the word sanctuary with his dying breath. A little dramatic, no?
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Greenshaw's Folly Raymond West, Miss Marple's lovable nephew, brings home a mystery to his Aunt Jane. While trying to entertain a friend from the city with the local sight of an oddly built local house, he stumbles into a family drama and a murder-to-be decades in the making.
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The Case of the Perfect Maid Miss Marple knows. She's like Santa Claus or something when it comes to who has been bad or good, and her friends and neighbors would do well to listen to her advice when it comes to the hiring and firing of servants. Or employees as we call them these days.
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The Case of the Caretaker Miss Marple, recovering from a bad bout of the flu, was feeling depressed. I guess that's a thing? Anyway, it took a lot out of her and she'd started to fall into a funk. So her good friend and physician, Doctor Haydock, brings her a file with a case he recently had so she can solve the whodunnit.
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The Blue Geranium When Arthur & Dolly Bantry ask Sir Henry Clithering who he would like to invite over as a dinner guest to round out their house party, he shocks them by asking for Miss Marple to be included. When he tells Dolly about the uncanny way the elderly spinster solved the mysteries of the Tuesday Night Club the year before, she starts to think maybe Miss Marple could help her solve a seemingly paranormal murder mystery.
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The Companion Miss Marple solves the case of the lady's companion who drowned off the shore of Gran Canaria island. How? She noticed a bit of weight gain for what it was.
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The Four Suspects Sir Henry Clithering, a member of the Tuesday Night Club, takes his turn and tells a story. The title refers to a running theme in Agatha Christie's mysteries, where the goal of solving a murder isn't just to punish the guilty but to free the other parties who might be suspects from the suspicion of their friends, neighbors, and loved ones.
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Motive v. Opportunity What is it with so many of Christie's characters getting taken in by spiritualists all the time!? I'm guessing that was probably a very talked-about THING back in the day. Ooooh! Did you hear about Gertrude? She's been seeing that Madame Zartan on the regular since her husband died, and I'm pretty sure that wacky bitch is bleeding her dry. I'll bet her kids won't inherit a pot to piss in by the time she's done. Or something along those lines. Point is, vulnerable people have always existed to become the prey of unscrupulous snake oil salesmen.
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The Thumbmark of St. Peter This is a good one for 2 reasons. 1) Miss Marple takes her turn and tells the Tuesday Night Club of a murder that she helped solve. 2) In an adorable twist, Ramond West teases his Aunt Jane that there is at least one thing she doesn't know. But she pops back and shocks him by telling him that she does know he proposed to Joyce (the artist in the group) that very evening.
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The Bloodstained Pavement This time when the Tuesday Night Club meets, Joyce (Raymond West's future wife) tells the story of her time painting in the small coastal village of Rathole. She witnesses a husband and wife go off on a bathing trip with a woman they ran into when they got to the hotel. Without realizing what she was doing, Joyce painted blood stains onto her painting. When the wife drowns a few weeks later, Joyce wonders if she had some sort of a premonition.
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The Herb of Death It's Mrs. Bantry's turn to tell a story to the Tuesday Night Club and she's not at all sure she can make her's sound interesting. And to be fair, she hems and haws and does a fantastic job of messing it up. It's a case of (gasp!) poisoning where everyone got sick but only one person died. Was it an accident that there was foxglove in the sage, or did something more nefarious happen?
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This would be a good one for fans of Miss Marple. Recommended....more
A collection of "Spring" mysteries from the Queen of Crime. Which basically means you get a good sampling of some of Agatha Christie's short stories. IfA collection of "Spring" mysteries from the Queen of Crime. Which basically means you get a good sampling of some of Agatha Christie's short stories. If any particular one catches your eye, I've left a link to a slightly longer review of each individual story.
The Market Basing Mystery Is a suicide sometimes just a suicide? That's what Poirot wonders when he, Hastings, & Japp get called in to look at a potential locked room murder that has the local constable scratching his head.
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The Case of the Missing Lady Ok, this one is kind of funny. Tommy and Tuppence (as the title suggests) head off to investigate a missing lady. She's the fiance of some explorer dude who's a bit of an ass (doesn't like to talk to chubby chicks). She isn't where she said she would be when he returned from abroad, and he's getting worried.
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The Herb of Death It's Mrs. Bantry's turn to tell a story to the Tuesday Night Club and she's not at all sure she can make her's sound interesting. And to be fair, she hems and haws and does a fantastic job of messing it up. It's a case of (gasp!) poisoning where everyone got sick but only one person died. Was it an accident that there was foxglove in the sage, or did something more nefarious happen?
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How Does Your Garden Grow? Did a greedy maid poison her mistress? Poirot receives a letter from an elderly woman who wants his advice. Intrigued by her phrasing, he asks Miss Lemon to send a letter back agreeing to come to her home. Before he can see her, he receives word that she has died. Poisoned!
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Swan Song A famous opera singer gets her revenge. It's one of those stories that men would do well to pay attention to, as it shows how long a woman will wait to get payback. Sleep with one eye open, sir.
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Miss Marple Tells a Story I loved the way Miss Marple narrated the story in a hilarious humblebrag kind of way. When a lawyer brings his client to Jane and asks her to listen to the story of the events leading up to him finding his wife dead in their hotel room, the client in question thinks it's a waste of time. However, just as her lawyer friend hoped, the fluffy old lady manages to see a few things that everyone else missed and ends up saving his bacon.
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Have You Got Everything You Want? Theft on the Orient Express! A lovely young woman, Mrs. Elsie Jeffries, runs into Pyne the famous train, and confides in him that she is unhappy. This sort of problem is right in Parke Pyne's wheelhouse. She is newly married to a very proper man, but she found a secret message on blotter paper in his office that read, "just before Venice would be the best time.", and now she's worried.
Ingots of Gold Once again the Tuesday Night Club meets up, and this time it's Miss Marple's own nephew, writer Raymond West, who tells a story. He hopes that the group (well, actually Miss Marple) can figure out what happened when his friend, John Newman, was kidnapped while his salvage ship was robbed of its treasure.
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The Soul of the Croupier Mr. Satterthwaite is in Monte Carlo at a casino when Mr. Quin shows up to help him reunite a pair of lovers. But is there more than one couple whose future hangs on Lady Luck?
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The Girl in the Train Do you believe in love at first sight? After too many late nights spent on the town, George Rowland gets fired and cut off by his wealthy uncle. He decides to hop on a train and take a trip to Rowland Castle in the hopes that, even though he only shares a last name, they will somehow greet him with open arms. You can clearly see why his uncle tossed him out.
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Greenshaw’s Folly Raymond West, Miss Marple's lovable nephew, brings home a mystery to his Aunt Jane. While trying to entertain a friend from the city with the local sight of an oddly built local house, he stumbles into a family drama and a murder-to-be decades in the making.
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This is a nice little smorgasbord of her shorts for anyone looking to dip their toes in the water without investing too much time. Recommended. ...more
13 short stories featuring all of Agatha's most famous detectives. I've left a link to each individual story that has a slightly longer review if any p13 short stories featuring all of Agatha's most famous detectives. I've left a link to each individual story that has a slightly longer review if any particular story catches your fancy.
The Veiled Lady A hot chick wearing a veil walks into a bar... How do you know she's hot, my rotund Belgian friend? Shut up. My mustache gives my little grey cells super-deduction skills.
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The Nemean Lion A yappy Pekinese dog (standing in for the lion) has been kidnapped, ransomed, and returned safely. So what's the problem?
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The Girdle of Hyppolita How are art thieves connected with a schoolgirl who goes missing for a few hours on a field trip? Poirot will help his old friend Inspector Japp find out.
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The Market Basing Mystery Is a suicide sometimes just a suicide? That's what Poirot wonders when he, Hastings, & Japp get called in to look at a potential locked room murder that has the local constable scratching his head.
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Tape-Measure Murder Not my favorite Marple. And yet, is any Marple a bad Marple? So. This one deals with a woman whose husband is the main suspect in her murder, mainly because he isn't showing the appropriate amount of emotion.
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The Blue Geranium When Arthur & Dolly Bantry ask Sir Henry Clithering who he would like to invite over as a dinner guest to round out their house party, he shocks them by asking for Miss Marple to be included. When he tells Dolly about the uncanny way the elderly spinster solved the mysteries of the Tuesday Night Club the year before, she starts to think maybe Miss Marple could help her solve a seemingly paranormal murder mystery.
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The Four Suspects Sir Henry Clithering, a member of the Tuesday Night Club, takes his turn and tells a story. The title refers to a running theme in Agatha Christie's mysteries, where the goal of solving a murder isn't just to punish the guilty but to free the other parties who might be suspects from the suspicion of their friends, neighbors, and loved ones.
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The Face of Helen This is a Harley Quin mystery, so it's Mr. Sattherwaite to the rescue of an extremely beautiful young woman who attracts what we would call stalkers these days. She's found a nice man she wants to marry, but Sattherwaite can't help but think that not all is right. There was another man who was interested in her, and even though he says he wishes her well, Sattherwaite can't shake the feeling that he was missing something. What is it Mr. Quin wants him to do?!
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The Bird with the Broken Wing Suicide or murder? After hearing his friend's name spelled out on a OUJA board, Mr. Satterthwaite decides to accept the invitation to a house party that he had previously thought to decline.
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The Regatta Mystery This story originally started its life with Poirot in the lead role. Poirot and the Regatta Mystery is essentially the same story but for whatever reason Christie decided to put Pyne into the driver's seat when she published the short story collection The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories in 1939. However, the essential story of a diamond theft stayed the same. Much like my reviews of each individual story.
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Problem at Pollensa Bay Parker Pyne helps a momma out. And like most of the help he gives his clients, it's not the help they asked for but the help that they actually need.
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The Unbreakable Alibi A mystery without a crime. A well-off (but not very bright) young man comes in to get a bit of help winning a betand hopefully the girl of his dreams.
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Accident An overzealous cop pokes his nose in the wrong spot.
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It's a nice selection of Christie's stuff. Recommended for fans....more
A nice hodgepodge of Christie's shorts. If you are interested in a particular story, I've left individual links that will take you to slightly longer rA nice hodgepodge of Christie's shorts. If you are interested in a particular story, I've left individual links that will take you to slightly longer reviews.
The Blood-Stained Pavement This time when the Tuesday Night Club meets, Joyce (Raymond West's future wife) tells the story of her time painting in the small coastal village of Rathole. She witnesses a husband and wife go off on a bathing trip with a woman they ran into when they got to the hotel. Without realizing what she was doing, Joyce painted blood stains onto her painting. When the wife drowns a few weeks later, Joyce wonders if she had some sort of a premonition.
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The Double Clue Double Clue!? <--That's 2 clues too many, bitches. And everyone's favorite Belgium detective is onto that shit.
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A Death on the Nile DEATH ON THE NILE! The lesser known story... This is not to be confused with Christie's more famous full-length novel of the same name.
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Harlequin's Lane This is the spookiest of all the Harley Quin stories, IMHO.
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The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman Count Foscatini has been coshed over the head! But who is Count Foscatini? And why should we care if he got his head coshed in? Poirot and Hastings get pulled into this murder mystery because they were having dinner with their friend and neighbor, Dr. Hawker when he got a desperate call from the Count telling him he had been attacked. Help! <--says Foscatini
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Jane in Search of a Job Princess swap! Sort of. A young woman (Jane) who needs some money answers an advertisement looking for someone who fits her description and can speak French. As a reader, we know this is ALWAYS a bad idea, but our heroine has yet to figure that out.
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The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim Never bet against a Belgian! Japp tells Poirot about a case he's working on that deals with a wealthy banker who walked out of his house to go into the town and mail a few letters, then disappeared off the face of the earth. He was supposed to meet up with a man he had some bad blood with, but he never showed back up at this house. Did this man have something to do with his disappearance?
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The Idol House of Astarte Miss Marple and her Tuesday Night Club friends listen to the clergyman of their group tell a story about the time he witnessed a man killed by seemingly supernatural forces. The beautiful young socialite, Diana Ashley, convinces the other guests to play dress up and go out to the supposedly sacred grove of Astarte (on the property) that had a small temple/house there. It's all fun and games till the owner of the house, Sir Richard, falls over dead with a stab wound and there's no knife to be found. How did this toga party go so wrong?!
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The Rajah's Emerald 1st appearance of James Bond! But not that James Bond. No, years before Ian Flemming gave the world an iconic super spy, Agatha Christie gave us a disgruntled young man who lucked into an adventure by picking up the wrong shorts.
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The Oracle at Delphi This is one of if not the best Parker Pyne short out there! Picking up after the short story Death on the Nile, where Pyne made the decision to travel under an alias for the rest of his vacation, so he could avoid getting drawn into cases.
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The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger I listened to this little short Tommy & Tuppence and enjoyed it quite a bit. There wasn't anything really amazing about it, but I like the spunk of this particular crime-fighting couple. What can I say? They're cute!
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The Incredible Theft The theft of secret bomber plans at a house party means everything needs to be kept hush-hush. One of Lord Mayfield's guests is widely suspected to be a spy. Unfortunately, it looks like they have quite a tidy alibi for the time the papers went missing.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's lawyers insisted that Maurice Leblanc not reference his character in the Arsene Lupin books. So Leblanc obligingly changed theSir Arthur Conan Doyle's lawyers insisted that Maurice Leblanc not reference his character in the Arsene Lupin books. So Leblanc obligingly changed the name. And I don't know why it makes me laugh so hard, but just the fact he changed it over to Herlock Sholmes had me chortling. I know! I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to chortle, either. But there you go, life is full of surprises.
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Somewhat shockingly, while Herlock Sholmes is lampooned as being the worst friend a faithful dog such as Watson Wilson could have, he still comes across the toughest opponent that Lupin has faced. Basically, they come to a draw each time they meet.
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The adventures in this one are breezy, fun, and interconnected. And while Arsène Lupin isn't exactly a household name, his stories are worth checking out. Recommended....more
Oh, Agatha. I have mixed feelings about this book. Maybe that's how I'm supposed to feel, though?
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The shock of those first few pages! (view spoileOh, Agatha. I have mixed feelings about this book. Maybe that's how I'm supposed to feel, though?
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The shock of those first few pages! (view spoiler)[The book opens abruptly with the announcement that Charles Fraith ran off and got married to some French beauty half his age. WHAT?!
And Agatha is still pining over James Lacey. <--that's fair. as he did leave her to join a monastery in France at the end of the last book. So, of course, Agatha takes a trip to parts unknown in order to not have to deal with living across from his cottage.
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While abroad, she makes friends with a family on holiday AND sees a couple on their honeymoon that strikes her as...odd. She later learns (from the woman she made friends with) that the man killed his young bride for money. Back at home, she sees another couple that reminds her of the ill-fated couple from her trip. So when the bride-to-be is found floating in the river in her wedding dress after a major flood, Agatha takes up the case.
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She also meets her new handsome neighbor, who happens to be a famous mystery writer. Ooooh. Ok, Aggie. Cool, cool, cool. But (and here's the part where I have mixed feelings) she starts fantasizing again about this man as something that he hasn't shown himself to be yet, AND dreaming of their relationship being the thing that makes James regret leaving her. She also completely disregards all the good advice from her friend, Mrs. Bloxby, the vicar's wife. And perhaps that's what I have such a hard time with?
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Because of course she's going to secretly pine for James, and of course she's going to fantasize about her hot new neighbor, and of course she wants James to rue the day he left her. We all do that sort of thing, right? It's more that she angrily dismisses Mrs. Bloxby as someone who couldn't possibly understand, and then proceeds to plunge headlong into one embarrassing encounter after another.
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There's a really good chance that I keep reading these to see if Agatha ever decides to grow up. But for whatever reason, I am going to keep reading them. Recommended for Raisinets. <--we are calling ourselves this now, btw...more
This one might be my favorite yet, as the culmination of the will-they-won't-they relationship between Agatha & JGood riddance to James Lacey.
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This one might be my favorite yet, as the culmination of the will-they-won't-they relationship between Agatha & James finally gets resolved. If you've been reading along so far, you know that he unromantically proposed marriage to her in the last book and she said yes. Well, be careful what you wish for, Agatha. Because marriage to a cold fish isn't all it's cracked up to be for a woman who has been used to her independence. Especially when your spouse decides that you need to change everything about yourself. Clothes too tarty, makeup too heavy, heels too high, smoking too disgusting, and god forbid she wants to take a job!
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Not for nothing, but this one takes some WEIRD turns. <--even for an Agatha Raisin book! Very early in the story, James(view spoiler)[ gets diagnosed with a brain tumor, doesn't tell Agatha, and then (hide spoiler)]proceeds to cheat on her with the new chick in town. After being confronted by Agatha and lying about it, the reader sees him stumble around injured and then leave the country on a friend's yacht. Meanwhile, Agatha and Charles are left to discover the body of his ex-lover.
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Agatha refuses to consider that James might have done it, and she and Charles set out to clear both Agatha and James' names in the murder. It's a wild story that ends with the two of them in a monastery in France. That's all I'll say about that.
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As someone who has been frustrated by the storyline for quite some time now, this is the book I had been waiting for. Recommended for Raisinets....more
I have to say that I thought the author was trying to put James forward as some kind of romantic hero Ok, Beaton. I see what you're doing now.
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I have to say that I thought the author was trying to put James forward as some kind of romantic hero this entire time, and it was kind of pissing me off. But. At the end of this, I get what she's trying to say. He's an asshole. He's narcissistic, cold, and only wants Agatha because she's so full of life that she makes his life more interesting. There's no effort made to woo her, wow her, or make her feel special. He's that guy who shows up on your doorstep at 9 pm because he's got nothing better to do on a Tuesday night. And all of her friends can see it. Which is what makes the ending of this book tolerable.
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As for the mystery? Well, this time around Agatha has taken a vacation to the town of Fryfam, maybe finds fairies in her backyard, runs across a few dead bodies, and solves the case with the help of Charles Fraith. Speaking of... I'm really starting to enjoy Charles! I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first because he's your classic wastrel. But he's at least an honest booty call who genuinely likes Agatha and doesn't want to change her into something she's not.
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I'm pretty excited for the next book, to be honest. I think it's going to be a complete trainwreck and I can't wait to see how everything resolves itself! Recommended for fans....more
I thought I knew what had happened very early in the story, and by the 50% mark, I was sure I knew whoThe writing wasn't bad but the plot wasn't good.
I thought I knew what had happened very early in the story, and by the 50% mark, I was sure I knew whodunnit. The answer was just glaringly obvious and the only thing left was to sort out the details. And that's a loooooong time to wait around on scraps.
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There are 4 POVs in the story. The 3 siblings and then the voice of their now-deceased mother. The backstory is that the whole family was basically shattered when their father up and left for no discernable reason, never to be heard from again. The children don't have good relationships with each other as adults and were apparently not even close when they were younger. Michael left their small town to become a successful tech entrepreneur, and both of his sisters are jealous of him. Beth stayed, got a job at the factory, has a grown daughter she's not close with, and took care of her mother until her dying breath. Meanwhile, Nicole became a drug addict and wrecked her life. She and Beth have a strained relationship due to the whole crazy addict shenanigans.
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Ok. While going through their mom's things, they find an old VHS tape and pop it in. Their mother was one of those who always had that giant camcorder on her shoulder, recording everything. But on this evening, she forgot to press stop and ended up recording her husband frantically telling her they had to get rid of the body of their neighbor's little girl, who had gone missing earlier that day from the town fair-thing. Aaaaand away we go!
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Except not really. Because once you get to know the characters just a little bit, the motivations just click (or in this case, clunk) into place. (view spoiler)[ You can see very early on from the children's memories that they had two loving parents. Laura, their mother, also tells about how she was married to the love of her life, and her memories of him are consistent with a loving husband and father. Of course, the mistrust over getting rid of the little girl's body eats at her because he keeps saying that she's better off not knowing why they had to do it. In her memories, he doesn't seem to take any pleasure in getting her to help him, it's just something that he needed her help with. Ok. So I'm betting a lot of you (like me) have already guessed what was going on just from that little bit. Because what would cause a normally good person to hide a child's murder, lie to their best friends, and cause untold grief that will cascade down over the years? My immediate thought was that (view spoiler)[a parent would do almost anything to protect their children, and one of his must have somehow been involved in the girl's death. Now it's just down to which one. Then Michael tells his sisters that the reason he never came back was because he and his father were at odds with each other and their mother told him to stay away. That's why he was just sending her money, instead of helping Beth take care of her. Yeah. Ok. Why does a mother tell her kid to never come back? Because they've done something so horrible you can't look at them anymore. So yeah, it's Michael. And not for nothing, but in the audiobook Michael just sounds like an unlikeable snarky narcissist. (hide spoiler)] The author tried to toss out a red herring, but it didn't even remotely make any real sense. Did Beth's high school boyfriend kill his little sister? (view spoiler)[No. Because if so, Beth's father wouldn't have frantically tried to hide the fact. It's not his kid! (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)]
We eventually find out that the little girl was not the only person to go missing around that time. And piece by slow piece, the story of what happened is revealed.
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The bottom line is that the mystery wasn't a mystery. So what you're left with is a story about a bunch of sad, fucked up people spinning their wheels and whining about their shitty lives. Recommended for fans of family drama....more
The Lord Peter Wimsey series almost feels like Dorothy Sayers channeled Agatha Christie and stole one of P.G. Wodehouse's characters. <--that's a compThe Lord Peter Wimsey series almost feels like Dorothy Sayers channeled Agatha Christie and stole one of P.G. Wodehouse's characters. <--that's a compliment. I'm not trying to say Sayers plagiarized anything, for the love of god!
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The aforementioned "unpleasantness" starts when an elderly gentleman at Lord Peter's club is found dead in his favorite chair - surely of natural causes! But things get sticky when it is discovered that it is necessary to determine when exactly he died, as that means the difference between who inherits his sister's fortune.
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I could try to explain it, but I'd just botch the job.
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Peter tries to juggle the responsibility of being a good friend against the responsibility of finding out the truth, and ends up in what looks to be quite a pickle. Of course, this is a cozy mystery not some dark pulp fiction novel, so you know he'll sort it all out eventually.
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Also, and I say this because I thought the first book was a tad dry, every book in the this series seems to be better than the last.
Recommended for fans of the old cozy mysteries....more
What if you believed a fortune teller who predicted you would be murdered?
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In 1965 that's what happened to Frances Adams. Now, she didn't completWhat if you believed a fortune teller who predicted you would be murdered?
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In 1965 that's what happened to Frances Adams. Now, she didn't completely believe the woman at first, but after living through some spoilery events that took place in the next year of her life, she eventually became the townfolk's worst nightmare. How? She started spending her considerable fortune ferreting out everyone's darkest secrets in an attempt to find the person who might murder her. That's not going to go over well, is it?
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Fast-forward. When Annie Adams receives a letter telling her to report to her aunt's lawyer about her inheritance, she's understandably confused. Her mother has always been the one who would inherit. Right? No. Her aunt has reinterpreted what the fortune teller told her all those years ago and has now decided to make her inheritance a race to find her killer. But her aunt is still alive.
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Except she's not. When Annie arrives with the rest of the family at her aunt's house, they discover her body. Was it murder?
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Of course it was! Why else would we be here? And it seems as though her aunt has pitted her and her cousin by marriage against each other in a race to find her killer. Winner takes the inheritance!
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Ok, while you do have to suspend disbelief with this one, once it gets going, it's not as wacky as I thought it would be at first glance. The whole fortune teller thing is pretty well explained and the batty aunt turns out to be not as insane as she looks from a distance.
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No guarantees, but if you're into cozy mysteries, this might just scratch your itch. I know I'd certainly read another book from this author. Full disclosure, I was sick and listened to this in one day, bless audiobooks. Recommended....more
Cozy. This has a different kind of gimmick than the last four books, and I appreciated that he used a new format to keep things from getting stale. I haCozy. This has a different kind of gimmick than the last four books, and I appreciated that he used a new format to keep things from getting stale. I have to say that I liked this one better than the last book, as I felt a lot of what the fictionalized Anthony did when he was accused of murder was incredibly silly. This time around the only thing I felt was silly was that Anthony didn't just Google who the murderer was and save himself some frustration.
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See, in Close to Death Anthony is on a deadline to turn in a new H & H book, so he contacts Daniel and asks him to retell one of the murders he had previously solved before the two of them met. But in true Hawthorne fashion, even though he solved the case years ago, he will only give him access to the case files in bits and pieces. This is where Google would come in handy, imho. But you just have to roll with it, I guess.
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The case is about a group of people who live in a neighborhood with something called a close (apparently a thing in England), and are all suspects in the death of their annoying new neighbor. The mystery is eventually solved but justice is served in an unconventional way that leaves the reader in suspense until the very end. I was able to figure out who did it and why earlier than I expected, so the ending twist of what happened to the killer was really all I was waiting for by the end of the book.
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As cozy mysteries go, these are pretty good. There's just something oddly satisfying about the author inserting a fictional version of himself into the stories. Recommended....more
Agatha has run away to Wyckhadden because her hair is a hot mess.
At the end of the last book, we find out that the murderess hairdresser had put a de Agatha has run away to Wyckhadden because her hair is a hot mess.
At the end of the last book, we find out that the murderess hairdresser had put a depilatory creme on Agatha's head while she gave her evil monologue. Now poor Aggie has bald patches. No way can she stand for James to see her like this, so she takes off on a "vacation" to a place where she knows no one. And commences to let her hair regrow.
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But when she catches wind of a local witch who is supposedly able to cure all manners of ailments, she finds herself buying a bottle of hair tonic and a small bottle of love potion. Just in case...
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Alright, in this one Agatha ends up making friends with some oldsters at the hotel, getting her lovely fur coat ripped to shreds by an activist, getting engaged, taking in yet another stray cat, making enemies with some oldsters at the hotel, solving a murder, and sleeping with good old Charles Fraith. Again.
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I'm happy to report that James dances around in the background of this one, but he doesn't interrupt the plot. <--excellent! This one had more of the same charm that the original few books had because I didn't feel annoyed when it was over. I hope the next book keeps the same tone....more
Agatha gets her hair done and uncovers a blackmailer.
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Charles Fratih is her co-pilot in this mystery, as the vile James is still off being vile.Agatha gets her hair done and uncovers a blackmailer.
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Charles Fratih is her co-pilot in this mystery, as the vile James is still off being vile. Charles is such a loveable scoundrel. I mean, he's awful but at least he doesn't present himself as a paragon. And when he screws Aggie (view spoiler)[over in the end by claiming he was the mastermind behind discovering the killer, (hide spoiler)] at least she can say she got something out of it.
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The mysteries are always a bit shit and Agatha kind of annoys me. But I keep on reading these for some unknown reason. I can't in good conscience recommend these to anyone, but I'm pressing forward....more
Harder to get into than the others. I dislike Springer's use of real characters in this fictitious world. It was ok when she stuck Florence NightengalHarder to get into than the others. I dislike Springer's use of real characters in this fictitious world. It was ok when she stuck Florence Nightengale in there, but now we've got Rudyard Kipling as a client and I just...yuck. There's something weird about it for me. It's an ick, as the kids would say.
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For the first time since I started reading this series, I was bored and just wanted the book to be over. By the end, things picked up enough that I wasn't trying to find a way to skim, but it never got what I would call good. But to be honest, I thought this was just a weird addition to the Enola Holmes books.
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The skinny gist is that Rudyard Kipling insulted Enoa, and now she feels she must solve the case of his missing friend. This leads her to a club of laborers who mark themselves as vigilantes AND into the realm of the first rabies inoculations. And while that doesn't sound at all bad, it had very little of original charm from the first books. Without the mystery of her missing mother, or her trying to hide from her brothers, what we are left with is a middle-grade mystery series that takes liberties with historical figures. And that's fine. I'm not the target audience. But I had been enjoying these and this was...not it. I'll try again with the next book, but if it's as dull as this one, I think I'll probably call it a day with the Enola Holmes books....more
The funny thing about these is that Agatha is a pretty shit detective. She consistently guesses that the killer is whoever has insulted her or has theiThe funny thing about these is that Agatha is a pretty shit detective. She consistently guesses that the killer is whoever has insulted her or has their eye on James Lacey. And she's almost been killed how many times now? Girl, go back to London where it's safe.
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But for whatever reason, I can still identify with her terrible qualities and can't seem to stop reading these. Yet.
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The gist of the mystery in this one is that someone has murdered a small-town councilman. Was he murdered to stop him from voting one way or the other on allowing a spring to be used by a bottling company? Or was it just everyday village shenanigans that got his head bashed in? And since this is an Agatha Rasin book, it doesn't really matter. No, the only thing we're here for is to see if she eventually stops feeling bad about having casual sex with all these men who are into her, and finally gives Lacey the heave-ho in her headspace.
I don't know why I'm still reading these because Agatha is a complete trainwreck. Then again, maybe that's why I can't seem to stop myself from immediaI don't know why I'm still reading these because Agatha is a complete trainwreck. Then again, maybe that's why I can't seem to stop myself from immediately downloading the next book in the series each time I finish one.
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James leaves Agatha in Carsely to "get away" and Agatha promptly hops on a flight to Cyprus to track him down. There's no cunning plan in place other than to heavily douse herself in a scent called Desperation, run James to ground in a foreign country, and get butthurt when he rejects her overtures. Leave him alone and get on with your life!
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When a flirtatious woman who is a lot smarter than she's pretending to be turns up dead, Agatha and James decide to investigate. Why? Well, they and several other people they met were having a night out together when the woman was stabbed in the darkness of a club, making them all suspects. To be honest, this murder mystery wasn't all that interesting.
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Charles Fraith turns up again in this and I just don't know how to feel about him. Part of me was thrilled that Agatha got laid by someone other than James, and part of me was annoyed that James (while still treating Agatha like dirt) was getting angry and jealous over it. But Charles, while not an obnoxious stick in the mud, seems just as terrible a match as James.
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I keep thinking there must be some kind of resolution to this James thing. Agatha has to eventually stop panting after him. Right? Right?!...more
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