Appointment With Agatha discussion

Remember:

A really fun element of reading a Christie mystery - or any Golden Age mystery, for that matter - is the chance to figure out whodunit from the clues provided without being spoiled. In order to make sure that the discussion format doesn't inadvertently spoil the reading experience, each book will have two threads - a spoiler free thread for the reading experience, and then a spoiler thread for discussion after the reader has finished the book.

No spoilers on this thread, please!

Annie Haynes was born in 1865, the daughter of an ironmonger. By the first decade of the twentieth century she lived in London and moved in literary and early feminist circles. Her first crime novel, The Bungalow Mystery, appeared in 1923, and another nine mysteries were published before her untimely death in 1929.

Wow! She's a very early detective novelist - and the fact she's a woman makes her all the more remarkable.
I'm so glad that something completely unknown to me has been chosen for the first side read, because sometimes I feel that I've read all there is to be read by GAD writers! To be honest, I get so much pleasure out of so many of them that I will happily re-read without a second thought ;-) Still, it is always fabulous to discover a new author and new works. Off to get my Kindle copy.... !

Got it! €1.55. Bargain :-))

I got an ebook for $1.99 Canadian.

Pip - I agree! She’s unknown to me as well and highly recommended, plus with her history I’m looking forward to reading one of her books. Christine, thank you for sharing the bio.

I got the ebook (and a few others of hers) when her name came up in the discussions earlier so I’m excited and ready !!

Brenda wrote: "Pip - I agree! She’s unknown to me as well and highly recommended, plus with her history I’m looking forward to reading one of her books. Christine, thank you for sharing the bio.

I got the ebook..."

I confess that I also bought The Bungalow Mystery. They are only .99 in the US kindle store.

I’m not going to say how many I bought (12) but I’m pretty sure they were all .99 (US kindle). Still less than one regular priced book, was my rationale.

And since so many of you lovely ladies raved about her, I had to snap them up.

On Spanish Amazon, I’ve found two versions of some of her collected novels (they don’t include our August read) for 49 euro cents. Should I...? Shouldn’t I....? 😁

That’s a rhetorical question, right? 😂😂

Ummmmmmm... Yyyyyyyeeeeeee.... yep! 😙

I’m going to have to set up an independent discussion group, once I’ve found some advertising sponsors, just to try and recoup part of my massive investment. Damn you, Annie Haynes!!!! 😁

Pip, you have me in tears 😂🤣

I often seem to have that effect on people. Lovely to meet you, Brenda! Looking forward to some interesting discussions and much idle chit-chat with you in this group 😊

Thank you Pip, you as well!

Pip wrote: "Got it! €1.55. Bargain :-))"

Jealous. No ebook available here. No library book either. Found a copy to purchase $13

Well that’s mildly irritating. Searched amazon by title and they said none existed so I bought one from different vendor. After seeing the post about 99 cents, searched by author on amazon and there it was. #$&*@

I may have picked up a few of her titles...just in case the first one proves to be addictive, you know.

BrokenTune wrote: "I may have picked up a few of her titles...just in case the first one proves to be addictive, you know."

I did the same and in doing so found I had read one of her books before.

I've just gulped down Chapter 1. How gloriously gothic!

I never got any notification of this. Do I take it we're doing the group read of The Secret of Greylands? I'll have to try and get a copy.

Teresa wrote: "I never got any notification of this. Do I take it we're doing the group read of The Secret of Greylands? I'll have to try and get a copy."

Yes - I added it as a currently reading at the top of the group. What sort of a notification do you usually receive, in case there's a tool that I don't know about! thanks!

I usually just get a notification that 'the group is now reading such and such'. I don't know how it's done but in future I'll keep a better eye on the group activity.
Thanks for that.

Teresa wrote: "I usually just get a notification that 'the group is now reading such and such'. I don't know how it's done but in future I'll keep a better eye on the group activity.
Thanks for that."

I figured out part of the problem, I think - I had added the book to the "to read" shelf and dated it properly, but I didn't remember that I need to go back and put it on the currently reading shelf!

Thanks Christine. I'm not very techie minded so it could also be something I missed. I downloaded the book so as soon as I'm finished my current one I'll be off.

Christine PNW wrote : What sort of a notification do you usually receive, in case there's a tool that I don't know about! thanks!

On your groups page if you hit the link for “edit membership” at the bottom there is a paragraph that says -if you’d like to get notifications of upcoming reads..,
I like the feature myself. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up! Lol

Thanks Brenda. All hints and tips gratefully received :)

I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she? I have some slight suspicions about what is going on in the novel and I wonder if these will come true.

I have one question in general, though. What is up with these blushing heroines in golden age mysteries? It´s the second book in a row in which I get confronted with one of these constantly red-faced women and I just want to tell them to cut it out. Seriously, do they have to blush to become more alluring for the alpha male hero, who ultimately has to save the damsel-in-distress? I don´t get it.

Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she? I have some slight suspicions about ..."

The blushing thing is irritating, isn't it? I wonder how pale these people were? I guess was a respectable code for arousal before Romance Writers Of America came up with their taxonomy of euphemisms. If blushing signals arousal, how is embarrassment signalled? It seems to imply that they travel together.

Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she? I have some slight suspicions about ..."

I think the blushing thing may act as a beacon. How else would the alpha male hero be able to find the damsel-in-distress?

BrokenTune wrote : I think the blushing thing may act as a beacon. How else would the alpha male hero be able to find the damsel-in-distress?

I love it! You’ve really made it sound so romantic !

I haven’t been able to start yet, but I’m following the comments in the meantime.

Brenda wrote: " I haven’t been able to start yet, but I’m following the comments in the meantime.
"

I haven't either - I have two books to finish before I can get underway.

BrokenTune wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she? I have some slight..."

I like the beacon theory, BT :). In this book, though, the MC suffers from such a severe case of blushing that aliens from another galaxy could easily spot her. So she has to be very, very careful ;).

Mike wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she? I have some slight..."

That´s probably it, Mike. In this book it is quite ridiculous, though.

Ok, after way too many hours at work, I am finally going in!
Let's see what the blushing is all about!

Lillelara wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in the shed, is she?..."

Oooh, I'm intrigued!

BrokenTune wrote: "Ok, after way too many hours at work, I am finally going in!
Let's see what the blushing is all about!"

I'm jealous...

Christine PNW wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "Ok, after way too many hours at work, I am finally going in!
Let's see what the blushing is all about!"

I'm jealous..."

I may also just have ordered some Thai food. ;)

BrokenTune wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "I´m about 35% into the book and so far I´m liking it, especially the atmosphere. The main character, though ... she isn´t the sharpest tool in..."

LoL, I hope you won´t be disappointed. And enjoy your Thai food :)

BrokenTune wrote: "I may also just have ordered some Thai food. ;)
"

Now I'm even more jealous.

Lillelara wrote: "I have one question in general, though. What is up with these blushing heroines in golden age mysteries? It´s the second book in a row in which I get confronted with one of these constantly red-faced women and I just want to tell them to cut it out. Seriously, do they have to blush to become more alluring for the alpha male hero, who ultimately has to save the damsel-in-distress? I don´t get it.

Wait, I think I would have just assumed that the heroine is really self conscious if she's blushing all the time (haven't started yet since I have so many other reads on the go).

I started it. I put the book I'm reading aside for a bit, it's quite heavy going anyway (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it) so looking forward to this.

I'm about half-way through and I am really liking this: It's so deliciously Gothic!
I have a hunch about the secret but I don't even mind if I am right, it's just a lot of fun to follow the story.

Right, I'm about to finish the book and I am really impressed: This book has ALL the drama! XD

I already look forward to reading more by Haynes.

I started last night! I didn’t get far... no blushing beacons yet, but looking forward !

At any rate, the thread has been great!!

Brenda wrote: "I started last night! I didn’t get far... no blushing beacons yet, but looking forward !

At any rate, the thread has been great!!"

LoL. I hope you like it. I found it very entertaining.

BrokenTune wrote: "Right, I'm about to finish the book and I am really impressed: This book has ALL the drama! XD

I already look forward to reading more by Haynes."

This thread has made me so excited to read the book.

I´m done. Well, this was something else. I had so many issues with this book, but this was such a campy, trashy fun read, I actually liked it.

Lillelara wrote: "I´m done. Well, this was something else. I had so many issues with this book, but this was such campy, trashy fun read, I actually liked it."

Now you see what I mean! :D

I'm up to chapter four and really enjoying it. Definitely keeping me interested. I too think I might know the secret. Can't wait to see if I'm right.

I’m through chapter 8, about 35%. It’s very intriguing. Sometimes I think I know what’s going on and sometimes I just don’t. I agree that it is quite gothic and dramatic. The book certainly sets the stage for mystery and I feel like I’m in a continual state of being a little on edge while reading.