English Mysteries Club discussion

Post your reviews here!

Not an English mystery but a fun read nonetheless. Finished this back in February & finally got around to writing a short review. A hilarious look at the life of a 100 year old Swedish man - and yes there are crimes & murder!

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Icewineanne wrote: "Not an English mystery but a fun read nonetheless...The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson "

Icewineanne, I can't wait to read this!!! Thank you for mentioning it! It sounds like it will be fantastic and give me the warm/fuzzy feeling. ;-)

Please share links to your mystery reviews with us here. Thanks!

I was of two minds about this story? Anyone else familiar with it?

Murder at the Mill by M. B. Shaw

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

My most recent mystery books:

Lord Peter #3 - Unnatural Death
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Nero Wolfe #43 - The Father Hunt
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Leslie, would you like to host a thread for Dorothy L. Sayers? Or anyone else?

Just finished The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey'

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I loved all the Josephine Teys I read. Came to know about her in this group. Bought her Collected Stories on Kindle and enjoyed all of them.

We should have a thread about Josephine Tey! Um I know she's Scottish ... what do others think?

And would you like to host it Sonali, if we do? (You can do as much or as little as you like there, just keep an eye on it!)

Thank you but I have never hosted, so don't know what to do. Besides, I don't want to re-read the books right now, and I would have to, isn't it, if I am to do the hosting properly?... I am reading several books and want to finish some of them...

That's fine Sonali - I wouldn't want anyone to do something they aren't happy with :)

For anyone thinking about it, it would be up to you how to organise an author thread, and a loose general chat focussing on the author would be fine, as would a host-led introduction to their work, and anything in between!

That's what's so great about re-launching a group - we can all decide together the way it develops :)

But back to the focus of this thread, and let's have some more links to reviews! Here's one of mine, for a murder mystery I gave 5 stars to:

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jean's review

That was a fun book Jean! I read it last year - my first by Horowitz. I don't know what took me so long to get to it as I had heard rave reviews from several people whose tastes in books I trust.

Leslie wrote: "That was a fun book Jean! I read it last year - my first by Horowitz. I don't know what took me so long to get to it as I had heard rave reviews from several people whose tastes in books I trust."

Ah, but you see you missed mine, Leslie (joke!) Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the way he subverted the genre. And did you realise he created "Foyles War" too? And was responsible for adapting "Midsomer Murders" for TV? A talented chap :)

I hadn't realized his connection to TV mysteries - interesting!

Bionic Jean wrote: "But back to the focus of this thread, and let's have some more links to reviews! Here's one of mine, for a murder mystery I gave 5 stars to:

Magpie Murders by [author:Anthony Horow..."

Fully agreed! In the thread regarding which detective you would like to meet in person, I really would have liked to have met the fictional detective from the story-within-a-story. I came away truly annoyed that his series doesn't exist as I wanted to read the whole thing!

On a related note, Alexander McCall Smith said that he received so much inquiry about The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen (Mma Ramotswe's "Bible" of detection) that he said he was tempted to write such a book himself just to satisfy the clamor of demand!

John wrote: "I came away truly annoyed that his series doesn't exist as I wanted to read the whole thing!..."

I love this! :D

Rita wrote: "Another book by Anthony Horowitz that I really liked was The Word Is Murder. Anthony Horowitz plays a character in his own book."

Here is Rita's review of that one LINK HERE

John,

You will know that Clovis Andersen does appear in one of the more recent books, and I think we learn that his book sold about two copies!

Isn't that a bit mean of the author, to say it of another? ;)

I just finished Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris
It is a historical fiction murder mystery, set in 1814 London, England. It is book 15 in the series and I recommend that you read in order.
My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rita wrote: "Thomas wrote: "I just finished Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris
It is a historical fiction murder mystery, set in 1814 London, England. It is book 15 in the s..."

Thanks

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐

This kept me guessing right until the end, yet I didn't consider it to be one of her best.

Jean's review

I’m terrible at identifying whodunnit, and usually don’t remember the villain when re-reading. Maybe that’s a good thing!

Oh I do that too John! As well as sometimes remembering the villain wrongly - as I must have thought before!

John wrote: "Alexander McCall Smith said that he received so much inquiry about The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen (Mma Ramotswe's "Bible" of detection) that he said he was tempted to write such a book himself just to satisfy the clamor of demand! ."

He could write it too and I would read it!

I love everything Ann Cleeves writes. I just finished the penultimate book in her Shetland Isles series.
My review of Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I liked her new one in the new series, The Long Call.

John wrote: "I’m terrible at identifying whodunnit, and usually don’t remember the villain when re-reading. Maybe that’s a good thing!"

Bionic Jean wrote: "Oh I do that too John! As well as sometimes remembering the villain wrongly - as I must have thought before!"

lol - I do that too (both the rereading & the remembering incorrectly)!

Phrynne wrote: "John wrote: "Alexander McCall Smith said that he received so much inquiry about The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen (Mma Ramotswe's "Bible" of detection) that he said he was temp..."

Me too.

Susan wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "John wrote: "Alexander McCall Smith said that he received so much inquiry about The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen (Mma Ramotswe's "Bible" of detection) that he ..."

And me! I've reread several books recently where I've been convinced all the way through that I know whodunit, only to find that I've completely misremembered, or as you say Jean just plumped for the killer I suspected the first time round.

Here is a link to my review of John Dickson Carr's The Blind Barber to which I gave 3.5*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I would say that it is atypical of the general Gideon Fell series so I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for trying Carr's books.

Good to know, thanks, Leslie.

Here's one of my reviews. It's for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

LINK HERE

Just finished Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

My review (I hope!)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

That was quick John! Did you read it in a day? By the way, you have linked to the book page, but scrolling down we can get to your review. Or it is HERE.

I finished The Puzzle of the Silver Persian by Stuart Palmer (1934). I have been enjoying this American Golden Age series. Several of the books were made into movies with Edna May Oliver so I always see Oliver as Miss Withers!

Here is a link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rita wrote: "I finished Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters. I gave it 5 stars and a very short review. I love Elizabeth Peters and the book..."

I love her books too, especially as audiobooks! The narrator has Amelia's voice perfectly!

Set in 1930's colonial Ceylon and a little reminiscent of Hercule Poirot!
My review of Dark Clouds Over Nuala by Harriet Steel

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

re Death in Mesopotamia, Jean, just a good, solid reading time. I’m just incompetent at putting the review links, I know. Just re-reading your 2015 technical advice note in The Reading for Pleasure Book Club. Will try to do better!

It's fine John! Some people always do that, and your friends can easily find your review by scrolling down. Anyone else would have to search all through the "community reviews", that's all.

Just finished Holy Islandby L.J. Ross

My review: "https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I just finished: Mrs Mohr Goes Missing

My review:

I have finished S.S. Van Dine's 2nd Philo Vance book, The Canary Murder Case (1927). I loved the William Powell movies growing up but for some reason it wasn't until recently that I thought of trying the books they were based on. I thought that this second book was better than the first one (The Benson Murder Case).

Here is the link to my spoiler free review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Not much of a review but here is what I have for The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Leslie wrote: "I have finished S.S. Van Dine's 2nd Philo Vance book, The Canary Murder Case (1927). I loved the William Powell movies growing up but for some reason it wasn't until recently that I ..."

I read all of them, in order, a couple of years ago. Surprisingly good, I thought.

My review of Your friendly Neighbourhood Death Pedlar by Jimmy Sangster

It is a light, pleasant read, 3.5 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sangster is English and the story starts and ends in England.

I also read some other authors( C.S. Harris Susan Elia MacNeal )who set their mysteries in England. I found a thread for American authors, but that includes authors who set their mysteries in the US.
. Do you have a thread for non English authors who set their mysteries in England?

Phrynne wrote: "Rita wrote: "I finished Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters. I gave it 5 stars and a very short review. I love Elizabeth Peters..."

For American listeners: Emerson's voice always sounded exactly like King Friday XIII from the childrens' television program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!