Cozy Mysteries discussion

Due to his recent death (see thread here for a copy of the news article: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1... ) our featured author for Oct will be Robert Barnard.

Robert Barnard (aka Bernard Bastable)

CHARLIE PEACE Series:

1.Death And The Chaste Apprentice '89
2.A Fatal Attachment '92
3.A Hovering of Vultures '93
4.The Bad Samaritan '95
5.No Place of Safety '97
6.The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori '99
7.Unholy Dying '01
8.Bones in the Attic '02
9.A Fall from Grace '07
10.The Killings on Jubilee Terrace '09
11.A Charitable Body '12


SUPT. PERRY TRETHOWAN Series:
Police Procedural
Main Character: Perry Trethowan, Police Superintendent, England

1.Death By Sheer Torture ‘81
2.Death and the Princess ‘82
3.The Case of the Missing Bronte ‘83 (aka The Missing Bronte)
4.Bodies ‘86
5.The Cherry Blossom Corpse ’87 (aka Death in Purple Prose)


AMADEUS MOZART Series: (written as Bernard Bastable)

1.Dead, Mr. Mozart '94
2.Too Many Notes, Mr. Mozart '95


STAND ALONES:

Death of an Old Goat '74
A Little Local Murder '76
Death on the High C's '77
Blood Brotherhood '77
Death of a Mystery Writer '78 (aka Unruly Son)
Death of a Literary Widow '79 (aka Posthumous Papers)
Death of a Perfect Mother '81 (aka Mother's Boys)
Death in a Cold Climate '81..................................CHRISTMAS
School for Murder '83 (aka Little Victims)
Corpse in a Gilded Cage '84
Out of the Blackout '85
Fête Fatale '85 (aka The Disposal of the Living)
Political Suicide '86
The Skeleton in the Grass '87
At Death's Door '88
Death of a Salesperson and Other Untimely Exits '89
A City of Strangers '90
A Scandal in Belgravia '91
To Die Like a Gentleman '93 (written as Bernard Bastable)
The Masters of the House '94
The Habit of Widowhood and other Murderous Proclivities '96
A Murder in Mayfair '00
The Mistress of Alderley '03
A Cry from the Dark ‘04
The Graveyard Position ‘05
Dying Flames '06
Last Post '08
A Stranger in the Family '10

Obviously not a popular choice. I'll try to do better next month.

Actually, I am behind in my reading. I will pick up one of his books at the book sale where I volunteer. There might be difficulties is getting some of his earlier books, but I did see quite a few at the library.

This is a new author for me. I've ordered one of his books from Amazon, so hopefully it will come soon.

ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ wrote: "Obviously not a popular choice. I'll try to do better next month."

It was a good choice for me, and I will be getting one of his books from the library. However, I am reading some big books right now (Moby Dick, The Odyssey) so I haven't had a chance to get to it yet.

I checked the library's used book sale Saturday hoping to find something by him, but no such luck. I didn't have time to stop in at the book store across the street, and might now get there this week either, but I am trying to find something by him.

Heather L wrote: "I checked the library's used book sale Saturday hoping to find something by him, but no such luck. I didn't have time to stop in at the book store across the street, and might now get there this we..."

Did you try the library?

I had read a few of his books and really liked them. I got a couple more at a library sale. He was a good writer. Not that many people were familiar with him though our library has a whole row of his books.

☯Emily Who Wonders Why GR Is Silent wrote: "Did you try the library?"

Do not have easy access to a library -- the facility where they hold their monthly used book sale is more convenient and easier to get to.

I'll admit, I don't have one of his books and have to check to see if my library does. I picked him to feature since he passed away a couple days before the start of the month. I looked him up on the Cozy Mystery Authors website and read reviews first, but haven't read his books yet.

I'll have to skip out on this one since by the time I order the book and receive it, the month is over. :)

I love Robert Barnard! I recently joined Goodreads and decided to check out these group forums, and was delighted to find one on Barnard, particularly since I was saddened to read his obituary not long ago. I've read about 35 of his books over the last few years, going in order of publication (I'm fussy that way, I'm afraid). And fearing that I was coming to the end of his output, I was delighted to discover that he'd written books under a pseudonym (Bernard Bastable), so I've read one of those. He's considered a writer of "cozies", and while there isn't necessarily much violence or a high body count (his first murder often doesn't even happen until halfway through the book), they can still be emotionally compelling, not to mention caustically funny. I think he's excellent at building characters and plotting his stories. I don't find his body of work to be formulaic. I appreciate his multicultural cast of characters. And only about twice have I found myself shaking my head at a solution, once thinking "I don't buy this" and once thinking "I feel cheated by the narrative." There's variety in his books, so whether you like detective stories or amateurs sleuths, comedy or drama, contemporary or historical, I hope you'll find something to enjoy as I have.

As i haven't found his books in ebook, I'm afraid I have to pass.

I got A Charitable Body at the library. I've just started it, but I like it so far.

This is a new author for me too, I'm really excited! My copy of Death And The Chaste Apprentice arrived today via inner library loan! Thanks Phoenix Public Library! I plan to start it over the weekend after I finish Heirs and Graces.

Just finished Death And The Chaste Apprentice thanks to interlibrary loan. Michigan has a great system and it often takes less than a week to get a book in, if my system doesn't have it. They had plenty of Barnard, but I had not to my knowledge read him before, and wanted to start at the beginning if possible. I enjoyed this book, but it seemed written a bit at the remove. I don't know how to explain it, but while it was charming and interesting, it was never really gripping. I think I feel that I will read more if I come across them, but will not pursue avidly. It was well plotted with an interesting exploration of a sub-culture, and lots of interesting characters. It reminded me somewhat of Simon Brett's Charles Paris books, but not of course in the first person. No triangles, (maybe a quadrangle??) and as mentioned above the body doesn't even die until halfway through the book. Not that one becomes attached to the victim...you just wonder why no one killed him sooner.......: )

Glad you enjoyed it, Beth, but I know what you mean about how his writing sometimes has a bit of a detached feeling. That generally works just fine for me, though a couple times it has worked less well. I enjoyed this book well enough, though it wasn't my favorite of his. A better mystery in a "backstage" setting would be "Death on the High Cs". Funnier ones (in my opinion) included "Death of an Old Goat" or "A Little Local Murder". Books with more heart, or that have less of the detachment you encountered here, would include "Death of a Perfect Mother", "Fete Fatale" or "Out of the Blackout" (all of which are stand-alones). "Chaste Apprentice" is also not his first book, it's just the first one featuring that particular detective. (Interestingly, that detective often takes more of a backseat in the stories to the main characters.) I hope these suggestions help if you are looking to explore him further.

Thanks! yes they do and I will look to put them on my too long to read list. I was a little surprised at the fact that the "main" character in the series was so off to the side. I can see the the list above that Chaste Apprentice was far from the first, I just grabbed the first on the list.

Thank you very much, Briansgirl. One of his books (The Cherry Blossom Corpse) appeared in my library. As it's set in a romance writers convention, and I like romance novels, I thought it would be funny. And it has been, I've enjoyed the novel a lot.

You're welcome Marisa. That one does sound interesting.

It's really British, a British policeman.

I enjoyed the one I read as well, The Corpse At The Haworth Tandoori. I liked it enough to read some more as my library does have several others :)