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Recommend other Authors/Books

3rdGirl 19 Oct 09 at 10:40 a.m. GMT

I though we could use a posting to recommend any mystery books and authors aside from the amazing Ms Christie that we come across. Sometimes we mention them in other posts, but here we can discuss them a bit more in depth.

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go_leafs_nation 10 Jan 12 at 9:14 p.m. GMT

Folks, I'm afraid I haven't really given you any updates in a while. Well, so much has happened at my blog! I've read everything from Margaret Millar's Fire Will Freeze to John Dickson Carr's The Nine Wrong Answers. I've even reviewed a few movies, such as the new Sherlock Holmes (not that great) and The Adventures of Tintin (brilliant!). Currently I'm rereading and working on a review of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None which will be followed by a special series of articles.

All this and more can be found at the link below:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

cameronjhw 08 Jan 12 at 5:22 p.m. GMT

Hi everybody, I have decided to jump from the British mysteries to one of America's popular mystery writers as well as detective. It's Ellery Queen's There Was an Old Woman and I managed to finish it all last week. Now I have to admit that I don't know too much of the writing style or elements that are used in these mysteries. But I enjoyed it a good deal. It has humor, mystery, romance, and a touch of madness and queerness. Also it is one of the nursery rhyme mysteries which Christie herself is no stranger to in her work. It tells of the eccentric Potts family which is controlled by the elderly and down-right tyrannical old matriarch Cornelia Potts who made a huge fortune in the shoe making business (the old woman who lived in a shoe). She lives in a grim mansion on Riverside Drive in New York with her second mild-mannered and henpecked husband, and her six unhappy adult children (three of whom are crazy and the others who are normal). A series of strange and grim events strike this bizarre household among them a duel between two of the brothers where one of them is killed by a shot in the heart, a second murder, a shocking and surprising confession, an attempt on the life of Ellery Queen, and a denouement that occurs during a wedding ceremony which points to an unlikely individual. I enjoyed this book because of the nursery rhyme motif, the eccentric members of the Potts family, and the conclusion which points from one suspect to another and finally to the real killer. It is not bad and while there are those who have different views on Ellery Queen I'm not sure I will read another of his but I am glad I gave this one a chance. If you come across this one I would suggest you read this one if you have nothing to do. 

Number3 06 Jan 12 at 8 p.m. GMT

Go leafs and cam you will appreciate this.  I was in a local book shop going through the "nostalgia" books and found a 1976 version of Carr's "Below Suspicion" lurid 70's cover and all.

On the sale shelves there was a Marsh omnibus which I am waiting on until some of my book piles shrink.

cameronjhw 16 Dec 11 at 1:02 a.m. GMT

Ahoy and hello again, I have just now finished another Ngaio Marsh mystery which has a classic format in the mystery field-murder on a ocean voyage. The novel is called Singing in the Shrouds and it involves Roderick Alleyn on the trail of a homidcal maniac who strangles young women and their bodies are discovered with flowers on them and broken jewelry torn from their necklaces. Also the killer sings when he or she has just eliminated another of its victims. Alleyn believes that the killer is aboard a cargo ship called Cape Farewell heading to South Africa. He suspects that it must be one of the 9 passengers who is the singing killer among the passengers there are a stamp collector, a schoolteacher, a moody spinster, a young girl whose engagement is broken off, and a TV star among others. Alleyn must work quickly before the killer strikes again and the ship reaches its final destination. I enjoyed this novel because of the format and the exotic settings in Las Palmas and Cape Town. This book combines elements of a classsic whodunit with a Hitchcockian touch of a manical killer at large. I was surprised by the identity of the murderer and the motive. I had suspicions against at least a number of different characters. There are some interesting references to Shakespeare and some real-life criminals. Also there is a hint of homosexuality on one of the minor characters. Wit, humor, suspense, romance, and tragedy blend in this late 1960's Marsh novel and I would suggest you try this one....but not on a pleasure cruise

go_leafs_nation 13 Dec 11 at 10:27 a.m. GMT

Not very many updates to report this time, as I've slowed my pace somewhat due to exams (which finish tomorrow). I read the new Sherlock Holmes novel, The House of Silk, and enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Dr. Watson is a complete fool at times, overlooking obvious villains that stand out by a mile. The secret of the titular House of Silk was also disappointing.

An e-book that I read was Julius Katz Mysteries, a promising short story collection available for free by promising author Dave Zeltserman, who has managed to create a wonderful, loving homage to Rex Stout. I next reviewed an obscure masterpiece, Whistle up the Devil, and did research on the author, Derek Smith. I could not find any information on him online, so I got in touch with many people who knew him and applied a corrective of sorts to this.

Next I reviewed the supposed "classic" Before the Fact by Francis Iles, which was turned into the Hitchcock film Suspicion. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up in the least. It may have been original, but it's misogynistic and the main character is such an idiot it's hard to feel sorry for her when she's finally murdered.

Finally I returned to John Dickson Carr Land and reviewed The Nine Wrong Answers, one of the Master's finest later books. The plot is among his great triumphs (despite a ridiculous impossible poisoning method, but that's an extremely minor plot thread) and once it finally gets started, it is a bizarre and unforgettable phantasmagoria!

As usual, I encourage everyone to read these reviews at the link below, along with a cornucopia of reviews and articles you'll find in my "Criminal Record" tab:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

go_leafs_nation 13 Dec 11 at 10:17 a.m. GMT

I have to disagree here. Death of a Fool/Off With His Head has a good premise. The dancing sequences are good. THe final reconstruction is brilliant. But it doesn't all hold together because half of the clues are so blunt and obvious that the other half loses its purpose. The finale is a mix of minor surprises and major revelations where I just raised an eyebrow at how long it took everyone to figure that out.

cameronjhw 09 Dec 11 at 7:58 p.m. GMT

Hello everyone, I am on my Christmas reading plan and I started out with a real puzzler. It's Ngaio Marsh' novel Death of a Fool. I have just finished reading it and I am glad I read it. The story involves a small rural community called South Mardian where every year on the Winter Solstice they perform an ancient ritual dance called the Dance of the Five Sons. It's a fictional form of a morris dance. On the night of the performance one of the dancers (a local blacksmith named William Andersen) loses his head literally in a mock decapitation. Soon the whole village is under suspicion when Roderick Alleyn arrives only to discover that besides that they are all practically eccentric they all seem to have a motive. The suspects include the victim's five sons, his 18 year old granddaughter, a bomber pilot who owns a gas station, the local Rector's son, and a German fanatical expert on British folk dances among others. Alleyn must sort out the folklore from the reality in order to catch a very deadly and very possibly insane killer.  I enjoyed this book very much. The last two chapters kept me in suspense as to the murderer's identity. This book is considered to be a locked-room mystery. Marsh gives plenty of info on morris dancing. The reconstruction scene is exciting and I was astounded as to who did it because in my mind I had a number of candidates. A good read full of murder, magic, folklore, and a number of surprises in the pages. Try this book you won't be disappointed....

Number3 05 Dec 11 at 10:34 p.m. GMT

Go leafs and Cameron you will appreciate this.  The library in the school I work at was discarding biographies and I found a major gem in the piles.  It's John Dickson Carr's bio of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  

So it is on the to-read pile. Along with the Melville bios , and Shirley Jackson's that I found.

cameronjhw 03 Dec 11 at 11:18 p.m. GMT

I have just read last night a previously undiscovered radio mystery play by the master of the locked room mysteries, John Dickson Carr. The play is "Who Killed Matthew Corbin?" and it features Dr. Gideon Fell. It was broadcasted on the BBC and there were not many copies of this drama but thanks to the book called Fell and Foul Play (which I own) I manage to read it and I for one was shocked. Fell tells the story of Matt Corbin's murder which took place in his study at the back of the family country house in Hampstead. He was shot through the heart and there are only four suspects who could have committed the deed and they each have a motive. His two brothers, the dead man's cousin, and a young woman who is engaged to one of the brothers. The play is divided into three parts and I had a time trying to guess the solution but it was a shocker. Plenty of twists, red herrings, surprises, and a unexpected denouement. I am glad I read it and it is one you should read whether you are a Carr fan like me or you like mysteries. A great suspenseful read...

go_leafs_nation 30 Nov 11 at 10:16 a.m. GMT

I've written a lot on my blog since my last update. I won't give a full list of the titles I reviewed, but I encourage you all to visit and check it out. Among other things, I translated a two-part interview between French author Paul Halter and Roland Lacourbe. I took a look at a CADS supplement written by Curt Evans on The Detection Club, some unlikely (but successful) Sherlock Holmes tributes/pastiches. I read my first P. D. James novel (and was underwhelmed), accepted the 2012 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, and took a good look at John Rhode's The Corpse in the Car. My most recent review was of Darwin and Hildegarde Teilhet's The Broken Face Murders. Finally, I've been doing some research on an author of an obscure, unheralded classic, and I hope to post my findings within the next few days.

You'll find all this and more at:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

go_leafs_nation 14 Nov 11 at 8:48 p.m. GMT

I've got another set of updates about books reviewed and articles written over at my blog. They are:

Murder in the Maze by J. J. Connington

The Religious Body by Catherine Aird

Through a Glass, Darkly by Helen McCloy

Death on the High C's by Robert Barnard

La Nuit du loup (The Night of the Wolf) by Paul Halter (which has been translated into English)

A Rant Against the Word "Cozy"

The last article would be particularly in the interests of those on this site. In it, I examine Agatha Christie in particular, and how the term "cozy" has been scornfully and unfairly applied to her work. It has spread to other authors and is frankly getting ridiculous, perpetuating myths about mystery novels that are completely false. Here is the link:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/2011/11/rant-against-word-cozy.html

You can visit my blog and see everything I've written by following this link:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

NightRayDuck 05 Nov 11 at 11:52 p.m. GMT

Thanks for the info, go_leafs. I think, the next time my sister wants me to ship 10 Christie novels to her, I'll recommend the Mutilated Mink instead. :-)

Tommy_A_Jones 05 Nov 11 at 2:19 p.m. GMT

This reply contains spoiler information. Show reply

I will definitely look for it go_leafs, It sounds Great and I am a Bundle Brent Fan so I will enjoy it I think, I have just finished Cutting by James Hayman, It is his first Novel he has had a Career in Publishing liike David Roberts who I also like, James Hayman Books are set in Maine and Very Pacy, there is no reason why AC fans should like this apart from the fact That I liked it, no scratch that I LOVED it and I love ACs Books.  

go_leafs_nation 05 Nov 11 at 12:14 p.m. GMT

This is why my next read, The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson, was such a tremendous breath of fresh air. Anderson genuinely loves Christie’s work, and his novel reads like a tribute to her stuff more than a parody or satire. He sets it in the 1930s, but a lot of really curious touches makes it clear that it’s the fictional universe of the 1930s mystery, not the historically accurate era. He gets the Christie touch down to a tee: we have the Bright Young Things Christie was so fond of, a complex plot, and a finale absolutely typical of Christie. The best part is that the Scotland Yard specialist brought in (a parody of detectives like John Appleby) gets everything completely wrong, but the plodding local policeman, Chief Inspector Wilkins, solves the case. Everything is explained satisfactorily, and overall it’s a pure delight. The comedy really works and it’s written with love and admiration for Dame Agatha’s stuff. It’s like  The Secret of Chimneys if it was a more focused story—those who love the Bundle Brent books will definitely love this one (and there are two more in the series!). You can read my review of this book at this link: http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/2011/11/case-without-amateur.html

go_leafs_nation 05 Nov 11 at 12:14 p.m. GMT

Now that I’ve updated you all on my blog articles, I have a warning to deliver as well as an unreserved recommendation, both of particular interest to Agatha Christie fans. These two books, Gilbert Adair’s The Act of Roger Murgatroyd and James Anderson’s The Affair of the Mutilated Mink, are marketed as Christie satires/parodies/tributes. However, if you value your sanity, stay away from Adair’s book.

The Act of Roger Murgatroyd is one of the most mean-spirited, distasteful, hateful novels I have ever read. It acts as though it’s a hi-larious parody of Agatha Christie, but in reality, it’s written with hatred and disdain for her work and the mystery genre in general. Adair’s idea of a joke is to drop Agatha Christie’s name so that you, the reader, sees that she is a rival to his detective-story writer, Evadne Mount. Sometimes, he comes up with a genuinely amusing joke, but then he invariably beats it to the ground so that it’s no longer funny. Evadne Mount is one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read about, and her deductions to solve the mystery are frankly moronic. There is a locked-room mystery, but the explanation is not only moronic, it comes with a plot hole so huge you can drive the entire plot through it. Stay away from this book! I will post my complete review on this site very soon (and possibly add one or two more things to it)—Adair is in love with his own cleverness, and seems to hate Agatha Christie and her fellow practitioners in crime.

[to be continued]

go_leafs_nation 05 Nov 11 at 12:04 p.m. GMT

Hello from me again! I have some more updates regarding my blog, At the Scene of the Crime. I'd particularly like to single out two of the most recent entries, but that'll come in just a second. (I will have to do two separate posts for this.) For the moment, here are the various reviews/articles since my last update:

Polish Detective Stories (An analysis carried out as a guest blog for Detection by Moonlight)

The Case of the April Fools by Christopher Bush

Black Orchids by Rex Stout

Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout

The Case With Nine Solutions by J. J. Connington

The Act of Roger Murgatroyd by Gilbert Adair*

The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson*

As always, I invite you to take a look at my blog. You'll find spoiler-free reviews of all sorts of detective novels from somebody who genuinely loves to read them. At the side of the page, you'll also find a blog roll of similar sites, including a French version of my blog, Sur les lieux du crime. Here is the link: http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

(*These two books will be highlighted in my next post.)

Number3 01 Nov 11 at 9:36 p.m. GMT

I recently finished "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time" by Mark Haddon. I thought it was wonderful.  The main character suffers from ASD(Autism Spectrum Disorder). 

Currently I'm reading "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe.  So far it's rather interesting.

brendamonks 25 Oct 11 at 5:09 p.m. GMT

Robert Goddard is a superb author of crime novels. I read his 2nd book many years ago and realised what a wonderful story writer he was so read his first book. Since then I have pounced on every book he writes (one a year - usually published in Springtime) and I believe he's now written about fifteeen. The titles are great. The content is page-turning. I reccommend him to any Christie fan in particular. They are crammed full of red herrings and I have yet to guess the ending. Enjoy.

go_leafs_nation 23 Oct 11 at 4:51 p.m. GMT

Hello again from me! Here is another update of book reviews, discussions, etc.

Talking About Detective Fiction by P. D. James (Warning: not recommended at all)

John Dickson Carr: Scribe du Miracle by Roland Lacourbe

The Treason of the Ghosts by Paul Doherty

Where There's a Will by Rex Stout

Panic Party by Anthony Berkeley

Ther 43% (Alcohol) Solution: An Appreciation of Craig Rice (an appreciation of mystery author Craig Rice, written in collaboration with her official biographer!!!)

Once again, please visit the crime scene at:

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

You'll find plenty of book reviews and discussions, all written by a mystery enthusiast. Also, keep an eye peeled in the coming weeks for a translation of an interview between French author Paul Halter and French scholar Roland Lacourbe-- I got M. Lacourbe's permission to try my hand at a translation. :)

go_leafs_nation 13 Oct 11 at 4:11 p.m. GMT

Hi there, everyone. Some more updates on reviews from my mystery blog:

Paul Halter, La Malediction de Barberousse (Barbarossa's Curse)

Paul Halter, La Mort vous invite (Death Invites You)

Rules were made to be broken: an analysis of Fr. Ronald Knox's Commandments of Detective Fiction

Paul Halter, Le Crime de Dedale (The Crime of Daedalus)

As always, I invite you all to visit the blog! I know I haven't been a regular contributor here of late, but I'm still going strong, discovering various new authors to enjoy all the time. If anyone has any review request (particularly from the Golden Age era), just give me a shout out over here or at the blog (where you don't need a user account to comment).

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/