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Thanks for the plug, Les! Yes, Jardine comes across as a bit of an innocent wandering into danger right and left.
Commented Aug 29, 2016 on "A Silent Witness" at Classic Mysteries
"A Silent Witness"
"The history upon which I am now embarking abounds in incidents so amazing that, as I look back on them, a something approaching to scepticism contends with my vivid recollections and makes me feel almost apologetic in laying them before the reader. Some of them indeed are so out of character ...
Synchronicity! I just reviewed this one over on the Block (https://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-silent-witness-review.html). I also enjoyed it very much. It's the first Thorndyke book I've read in over 20 years and I'd forgotten how much I like Freeman's writing.
Commented Aug 29, 2016 on "A Silent Witness" at Classic Mysteries
"A Silent Witness"
"The history upon which I am now embarking abounds in incidents so amazing that, as I look back on them, a something approaching to scepticism contends with my vivid recollections and makes me feel almost apologetic in laying them before the reader. Some of them indeed are so out of character ...
I love this one! it was my very first Leo Bruce novel.
Commented Apr 1, 2016 on Looking Back (Again): "Case for Three Detectives" at Classic Mysteries
Looking Back (Again): "Case for Three Detectives"
As I have said before, of all the Leo Bruce mysteries that I have read, I think the one I have enjoyed the most is "Case For Three Detectives ," the 1936 novel that introduced Bruce's first detective, the phlegmatic, stolid - and thoroughly reliable - Sergeant Beef. It is a marvelous satire of t...
That is a good point, Les. Maybe I was feeling a bit grumpy that day. :-)
Commented Feb 28, 2016 on "Four Lost Ladies" at Classic Mysteries
"Four Lost Ladies"
"Oscar, this isn't funny. I tell you, somewhere behind the disappearance of these women there's an evil intelligence at work, a human spider who preys on a certain type of lonely, susceptible woman with a little money. Not content with the cash, he takes their lives, too." Miss Hildegarde With...
This wasn't one of my favorite Palmers when I read it back in 2013. I thought it a bit uneven and that the puzzle wasn't as strong as in some of his other offerings. The best part for me was Miss Withers' interaction with "Jeeps," the niece of one of the lost ladies.I really liked how Jeeps manages to keep working things so she can stay in the investigation.
Commented Feb 28, 2016 on "Four Lost Ladies" at Classic Mysteries
"Four Lost Ladies"
"Oscar, this isn't funny. I tell you, somewhere behind the disappearance of these women there's an evil intelligence at work, a human spider who preys on a certain type of lonely, susceptible woman with a little money. Not content with the cash, he takes their lives, too." Miss Hildegarde With...
This was the very first Christie that I ever read. That's one of the reasons it's one of my favorites. Of course, it helps that it's such a good one.
Commented Feb 2, 2016 on "Murder on the Orient Express" at Classic Mysteries
"Murder on the Orient Express"
So you're the director of the company that runs one of the most famous trains in the world - and you find yourself stuck with a murdered passenger in the midst of a snowstorm which has left the train and its passengers and crew stranded - meaning that the murderer must be someone still on board...
Les, I found this one for The Cask: http://salmongutter.blogspot.com/2010/09/paperback-356-cask-freeman-willis.html
If you read it in e-book form without a cover, you could absolutely use it (carriage/wagon). :-)
Commented Jan 13, 2016 on "The Cask" at Classic Mysteries
"The Cask"
The cask, which had been shipped from the French city of Rouen to London, was not part of the shipment of wines which the young man from the shipping line had come to inspect. It wasn't immediately clear what the cargo was supposed to be - certainly not the wine that was expected at the port th...
I really enjoyed this when I read it back in the mists of time (like 30 years ago--at least). I've got a few more Crofts on my TBR pile...but I haven't gotten to to them since I started blogging.
Thanks for reminding me of this one, Les.
By the way...are you going to join me for some Vintage Scavenger Hunting this year?
Commented Jan 12, 2016 on "The Cask" at Classic Mysteries
"The Cask"
The cask, which had been shipped from the French city of Rouen to London, was not part of the shipment of wines which the young man from the shipping line had come to inspect. It wasn't immediately clear what the cargo was supposed to be - certainly not the wine that was expected at the port th...
Congratulations on filling the card, Les! And you've closed with a dandy. I absolutely loved this collection when I read it a few years ago. Glad to see you featuring it.
Commented Sep 28, 2015 on "The New Adventures of Ellery Queen" at Classic Mysteries
"The New Adventures of Ellery Queen"
The two cousins who, collectively, wrote under the pen name of "Ellery Queen," Frederick Dannay and Manfred Lee, were jointly responsible for some of the best American mystery fiction written in that period between the two world wars (and thereafter) known as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction...
This was my first Halliday book back in 2011. It's out of my usual comfort zone as well--but I have to say, I do enjoy Mike Shayne.
Commented Sep 7, 2015 on "Dividend on Death" at Classic Mysteries
"Dividend on Death"
From a childhood spent watching (mostly) Grade B mystery movies and early TV detective shows, I have fond memories of Mike Shayne, a private eye fond of the two-fisted, take-no-prisoners approach who was featured in a lot of those movies and TV shows. Somehow, I had never actually read one of B...
Thanks for the pointers, Les. But kindle is out. I'm a book-in-hand (not on-screen) girl. And, I know this is silly of me, but I really prefer finding the books live and in person. I might break down and buy it online eventually (I've done that here and there with books I've tried to find)--but I'm holding out for a little while longer....
Commented Aug 18, 2015 on "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" at Classic Mysteries
"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab"
The gentleman had appeared very drunk when he got into that hansom cab in the small hours of the morning. By the time the cab driver had taken him to his destination, his passenger had died. There was nothing to do but to drive to the nearest police station. And that's exactly what the driver d...
Les, this is one that I want so very much to find in one of my trips to a used bookstore. I don't care what the edition is like, I just want it.
Commented Aug 17, 2015 on "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" at Classic Mysteries
"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab"
The gentleman had appeared very drunk when he got into that hansom cab in the small hours of the morning. By the time the cab driver had taken him to his destination, his passenger had died. There was nothing to do but to drive to the nearest police station. And that's exactly what the driver d...
I read this one in the days before the blog (it's hard to believe there was such a time....). I do remember finding it to be a very literate and witty mystery. And very tongue-in-cheek. And I enjoyed the interactions between Mike Bredon and his wife, Angela. Angela is a good partner for Mike and there is a fair amount of witty conversation.
Commented Aug 10, 2015 on "The Footsteps at the Lock" at Classic Mysteries
"The Footsteps at the Lock"
It must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Two cousins - who just happen to hate each other - decide to take a small boat on a rowing trip up the Thames. One of the cousins will be richer by some fifty thousand pounds if he can survive for another couple of weeks. If he doesn't survive, ...
I know so many of Carr's fans love this one, but I have found myself unable to enjoy his historical novels--which is odd, because I am, in general, a fan of the historical mystery. I can't quite put my finger on what doesn't work for me--it's quite possible it's as simple as a preference to read about Fell, Merrivale or Bencolin when Carr is writing.
But--a great review as usual, Les!
Commented Aug 9, 2015 on "Fire, Burn!" at Classic Mysteries
"Fire, Burn!"
Among those of us who enjoy locked room and impossible crime mysteries from the Golden Age, I think there is general agreement that the mysteries of John Dickson Carr are the standard by which such books are judged. His books featuring Gideon Fell, Sir Henry Merrivale, even Bencolin and the sta...
Les, I'm so glad you enjoyed your first taste of McCloy. This is one of my favorites and definitely a good place to start your acquaintance.
Commented Jul 20, 2015 on "Panic" at Classic Mysteries
"Panic"
"You may hear Pan with impunity. But to look upon Pan face to face is death..." In ancient mythology, the Greek God Pan was, among other things, the god of woodlands and nature, a kind of goat-man, playing the pipes. But it is worth noting that he was also the god of fear. His name, Pan, comes ...
I love this one, Les. One of the first academic-oriented mysteries I read--helping to create my love for that sub-genre. Great review!
Commented Jun 2, 2015 on "Miss Pym Disposes" at Classic Mysteries
"Miss Pym Disposes"
The students and teachers at the Leys Physical Training College for Women seem, on the surface, to be a hard-working, industrious group of personalities. Certainly that's the way they are seen by Miss Lucy Pym, a self-made author of popular psychology books. Miss Pym is flattered and pleased wh...
Les, I really enjoyed this one when I read it a few years ago. I'm a Victorianist at heart, so it's definitely right up my street. Glad to see another review of it.
Commented May 22, 2015 on "The Leavenworth Case" at Classic Mysteries
"The Leavenworth Case"
Let's travel back in time today, all the way back to 1878. Mystery fiction was still fairly new at that point. Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be along for another eight years. But 1878 saw the publication of a book that really became a signpost pointing towards what the modern mystery would soon enta...
I've only read a couple of the short stories (in anthologies featuring several authors), but I've enjoyed them very much and your review and John's at Pretty Sinister Books both inspire me to find a collection sooner rather than later.
Commented May 22, 2015 on "Call Mr. Fortune" at Classic Mysteries
"Call Mr. Fortune"
It is hardly unusual for doctors to specialize in certain areas of medical practice. It is, perhaps, a bit less usual to hear one's specialty described as "the surgery of crime." Yet that's the way author H. C. Bailey describes the area of specialization of his creation, Reggie Fortune: “The C...
I really enjoy the Leo Bruce novels--especially the Carolus Deene books. Thanks for reminding me of this one. I read it it quite a while ago (from the library) and picked up a copy a year or so ago. It's one I'd like to reread...one of these days.
Commented May 12, 2015 on "Dead Man's Shoes" at Classic Mysteries
"Dead Man's Shoes"
Wilbury Larkin certainly was a bully. But was he a murderer - or a murderee? Larkin was traveling on board the cargo ship Saragossa from Tangier on his way back to England in order to meet with police, who thought Larkin might have murdered someone. But Larkin disappeared overboard one stormy n...
Les, another of my favorites. Of course, academic mysteries are one of my go-to mystery sub-genres. Quite possibly because I work in the university setting and can appreciate when the authors get it right (as Innes does--both here and in The Weight of the Evidence). It's also good as a harmless sort of revenge to envision certain university folk as the victim/s in question.... ;-)
Commented Apr 30, 2015 on "Death at the President's Lodging" at Classic Mysteries
"Death at the President's Lodging"
"An academic life, Dr. Johnson observed, puts one little in the way of extraordinary casualties. This was not the experience of the Fellows and scholars of St. Anthony's College when they awoke one raw November morning to find their President, Josiah Umpleby, murdered in the night. The crime wa...
This one is on its way to me, Les. I can't wait to read it. Thanks for the preview!
Commented Apr 30, 2015 on "The Sussex Downs Murder" at Classic Mysteries
"The Sussex Downs Murder"
John Rother drove away from Chalklands Farm in Sussex for a short vacation - and promptly disappeared. His car turned up - with bloodstains - but there was no sign of John Rother - unless, of course, those stains were an ominous sign. Enter Superintendent Meredith - and the sinister discovery o...
Les, this is one of my favorites! It was my very first "impossible crime" mysteries and it also has a special place in my heart because it's one of the few books that my Grandma on my mom's side ever gave me. I reread it myself not too long ago. Glad you enjoyed it.
Commented Apr 23, 2015 on "The Mystery of Hunting's End" at Classic Mysteries
"The Mystery of Hunting's End"
The private hunting lodge of the Kingery family was called "Hunting's End," and it was located out in the middle of the desolate Sand Hills of Nebraska. It was certainly no place to be stuck in the middle of a howling blizzard, with no way to get out or to communicate with the outside world. An...
This was the first Ames book I ever read--from the library about 20 years ago. I've since picked up copies of others, but I have yet to find my own copy of this one. Still looking in used bookshops...(which is the way I prefer to get my vintage fix :-) ). Glad that we have some presses bringing them out for new generations, though.
Commented Mar 29, 2015 on "Corpse Diplomatique" at Classic Mysteries
"Corpse Diplomatique"
There are a fair number of married couples who moonlight as sleuth teams in classic mystery novels. There were Nick and Nora Charles, Jeff and Haila Troy, Henry and Emily Bryce, Jake and Helene Justus, to name just a few. And then there were Dagobert and Jane Brown, who brought their own odd br...
This is one of Mitchell's that I haven't yet read (or found). I'll definitely keep my eye out...
Commented Mar 11, 2015 on Extra: Gladys Mitchell and Some Minor Greek Gods at Classic Mysteries
Extra: Gladys Mitchell and Some Minor Greek Gods
If you enjoy this week's featured book, Clyde B. Clason's Murder Gone Minoan, you might also enjoy Come Away, Death , another Golden Age classic by the irrepressible Gladys Mitchell, and featuring that oddest of sleuths, Mrs. Beatrice Bradley. It involves a good deal of discussion of ancient ri...
I'm a little on the smallish side myself, Les. Good luck finding the Kemp book. It's worth it if you can.
Commented Mar 3, 2015 on "The Big Midget Murders" at Classic Mysteries
"The Big Midget Murders"
His name was Jay Otto. He was not quite three feet tall. He was an entertainer, performing as "The Big Midget." The audiences, apparently, loved him. As for the people around him...well, here's what one woman had to say: "He looked exactly like any other peson, only tiny. And he hated everybody...
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