Reading the Detectives discussion

Just opening up a new general chat thread, as the old one had become rather long.

All members are welcome to The White Swan (called after the pub in a Lord Peter Wimsey book!) for a friendly chat.

The old thread is in the archive section if you want to look anything up.

Thanks, Judy - good idea.

We now have no less than 4 new buddy reads open! Please do pop by and join in.

Here are links to the general threads for each book:

A Red Herring Without Mustard (the third Flavia de Luce book)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Beckoning Lady (next in our series of Albert Campion reads)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Private Patient (the very last Adam Dalgliesh book - 14th in the series!)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Death Comes to Cambers by E.R. Punshon
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Punshon now has his own section in the group, as we have several more of his books coming up as buddy reads.

Just to add I'm hoping to do a bit more sorting out of the group folders - I think favourite authors and the one about authors around the world could be amalgamated, for starters!

Judy wrote: "We now have no less than 4 new buddy reads open! Please do pop by and join in.

Here are links to the general threads for each book:

A Red Herring Without Mustard (the third Flavia ..."

Do the Punshons need to be read in order? I own a bunch on kindle, but am hesitant to join in since we're well into the collection at this point.

Tara wrote: "Judy wrote: "We now have no less than 4 new buddy reads open! Please do pop by and join in.

Here are links to the general threads for each book:

A Red Herring Without Mustard (the ..."

Tara, regarding reading in order, Bobby Owen slowly moves up the career ladder, but that is the only reason I see for reading in sequence. The plots do not interlink.

Sandy wrote: "Tara wrote: "Judy wrote: "We now have no less than 4 new buddy reads open! Please do pop by and join in.

Here are links to the general threads for each book:

[book:A Red Herring Without Mustard|8..."

Thanks Sandy!

I agree that there doesn't seem to be any need to read the Punshons in order! Hope you can be tempted, Tara. :)

Just to mention there is an interesting post that Judy drew my attention to in the Agatha Christie thread:

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

Unfortunately, the link does not seem to be working for me, Judy. Do you want to try it and perhaps let Samantha know if it is the same for you and the page comes up as unknown?

An evening with David Suchet on Zoom for a charity event, which may well interest our members and is for a good cause. Click above if you want to read more. The post is from Samantha:

I thought you might be interested in an event in aid of the charity I work for - Tuberous Sclerosis Association - as we are fortunate to have Sir David Suchet 'in conversation' via Zoom on 18 Feb 2021. He will, of course, talk about his time as Poirot! If you'd like to attend tickets are available here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-con...

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex is a rare genetic condition and the TSA works with those with TSC and their families in the UK. We'd love your support to make this a great event, thank you!

Hi Susan, thank you for copying details of the event over here. The link worked for me on the original post - I think possibly there was a Goodreads blip and it went wrong when you copied it above! If you would like to edit your post, the link should be as below - probably best to click on it and then cut and paste it in:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-con...

Thanks again. :)

Thanks, Judy. In that case, should anyone be interested (and an evening with David Suchet sounds excellent, as well as being in a good cause) please go to the original post on the Agatha Christie thread.

Tara wrote: "Judy wrote: "We now have no less than 4 new buddy reads open! Please do pop by and join in.

Here are links to the general threads for each book:

A Red Herring Without Mustard (the ..."

I read number one and then 4 and 5 and it was fine. In fact, they improve a bit, so you can definitely join this one without missing very much.

The "After the Golden Age" and "A World of Vintage Crime" folders have now been deleted and the small number of author threads in them included in the "Favourite Authors" folder, hopefully making it easier to find any author threads!

When I came to add a book to my currently reading shelf, I found that there were two entries on Goodreads for the author, one with with a Goodreads Author label with all her details and one with no details and no picture. Most of her books are in the correct place, but the one I'm reading was attached to the 'unofficial' page along with several books which are in both.

Is this something I can correct myself or do I have to refer it on somewhere? Any advice would be appreciated.

These are the two pages:
Official https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
and Unofficial https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Ruth wrote: "When I came to add a book to my currently reading shelf, I found that there were two entries on Goodreads for the author, one with with a Goodreads Author label with all her details and one with no..."

They are possible two different authors with the same name. Not all books linked to each are the same. I have a feeling that authors form their own pages, and I am not sure that a regular GR Librarian can, or should, amend the author pages. I will refer the links to the GR Librarians group to look at, with perhaps a GR Super LIbrarian can sort it out.

Lesley wrote: "Ruth wrote: "When I came to add a book to my currently reading shelf, I found that there were two entries on Goodreads for the author, one with with a Goodreads Author label with all her details an..."

Thanks Lesley. It did look a bit complicated to tackle with the risk of messing it up altogether.

I've just noticed that our next group read, The Cornish Coast Murder, is on Kindle Unlimited in the UK in its British Library edition - I almost failed to spot this as Amazon keeps showing a different Kindle edition!

Judy wrote: "I've just noticed that our next group read, The Cornish Coast Murder, is on Kindle Unlimited in the UK in its British Library edition - I almost failed to spot this as Amazon keeps ..."

Looks like it is $1.99 in US.

I was given a Sherlock Holmes 50p in change at a local corner shop today - very exciting, as I hadn't seen one of these before! There's a picture of it here on the Royal Mint website, but mine is not "brilliant and uncirculated" although it is quite shiny.

https://www.royalmint.com/our-coins/e...

My daughter collects those 50p's, Judy. They have some really nice ones.

Thank you Susan. There seem to be some lovely ones from the Isle of Man, including some with Peter Pan characters!

I just found out about the Suchet zoom event, and though it´s past, you can still re-watch it for 5£.

Our poll for the May group read is now open - please cast your votes. There are four great titles to choose from.

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

This week's CrimeReads has an article about Christie's poisons:

https://crimereads.com/to-really-unde...

I haven't read it yet as I need to get to the library for a contactless pick up.

I've also posted this under the Christie thread.

An Instance of the Fingerpost

is a kindle deal of the day today and Rosina suggested a buddy read. Anybody else interested and when would be a good month? It's quite long, so we could pick a month when we don't have too many other reads?

Here's the blurb:
An ingenious tour de force: an utterly compelling historical mystery with a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing until the very last page.

We are in England in the 1660s. Charles II has been restored to the throne following years of civil war and Cromwell's short-lived republic. Oxford is the intellectual seat of the country, a place of great scientific, religious, and political ferment. A fellow of New College is found dead in suspicious circumstances. A young woman is accused of his murder. We hear the story of the death from four witnesses: an Italian physician intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; the son of an alleged Royalist traitor; a master cryptographer who has worked for both Cromwell and the king; and a renowned Oxford antiquarian. Each tells his own version of what happened. Only one reveals the extraordinary truth.

With rights sold for record-breaking sums around the world, An Instance of the Fingerpost is destined to become a major international publishing event. Deserving of comparison to the works of John Fowles and Umberto Eco, Iain Pears's novel is an ingenious tour de force: an utterly compelling historical mystery with a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing until the very last page.

Fingerpost is a book I own, probably as a paperback with small print. Given the length of the book, a buddy read may be the only way I'll finally read it. So all we need is an 'empty' month.

Or four not very busy months ...

But I am in for the (re-)read - having availed myself of the 99p bargain

I just posted on the other thread but yes, I'm in!

These are the buddy reads we have listed so far:

Apr/May
Tour de Force - Christianna Brand
Hide my Eyes (1958) aka Tether's End - Margery Allingham
The Bath Mysteries - E.R. Punshon

May/June
The Trouble at Wakeley Court - Clara Benson
The Mummy Case - Elizabeth Peters

Jun/Jul
I am Half-Sick of Shadows - Alan Bradley
The China Governess - Margery Allingham
The Dusky Hour - E.R. Punshon

Jul/Aug
The Sanctuary Sparrow - Ellis Peters
The Unfinished Clue - Georgette Heyer

Aug/Sep
A Penknife in my Heart - Nicholas Blake
Mystery of Mr. Jessop - E.R. Punshon

Sep/Oct
The Three Cornered Halo - Christianna Brand

Oct/Nov
The Case of the Gilded Fly - Edmund Crispin
Dictator's Way - E.R. Punshon

Nov/Dec

Dec/Jan
Comes a Stranger - E.R. Punshon

Any suggestions for a month that suits? Personally, I have a long buddy read next month (Donna Tartt) for 20th Century. After May would suit me best.

We can do it after two months, if people prefer. It is a long book.

I am up for Fingerpost -and whenever you want to do it is fine by me, Susan.

After May would suit me too.

Personally, I'd rather do it in one month as I find I lose the thread if I spin a book out too far, as was the case with Petersburg in the other group. But if others would prefer two months, that's fine, I'll just make notes and hold my comments till the right time.

We can have a usual non spoiler and spoiler thread, so that's fine. It was Rosina's suggestion, so perhaps she should choose the month? Rosina - over to you!

Any time would be good for me - retired, and with no long holidays likely at all this year!

Perhaps the end of summer would be best - as the evenings draw in. So September/October? Not a busy time for this group, in terms of buddy reads.

Sounds great. I will add it, Rosina. Us readers always travel - even if we can't actually go anywhere :)

Something to look forward to - and a reason to delay my third (fourth?) re-read!

Sandy wrote: "Fingerpost is a book I own, probably as a paperback with small print. Given the length of the book, a buddy read may be the only way I'll finally read it. So all we need is an 'empty' month."

Same here! I no longer own it, picked up the chunky, teeny-print paperback used years ago, but then lent it or sold it back, can’t remember which...but have long had it on the TBR list, this may be my only chance- but yes, an empty month, please!

Rosina wrote: "Or four not very busy months ..."

Lol, yes!

Rosina wrote: "Any time would be good for me - retired, and with no long holidays likely at all this year!

Perhaps the end of summer would be best - as the evenings draw in. So September/October? Not a busy time..."

Oh, yes, this sounds like a good time.

Susan wrote: "Sounds great. I will add it, Rosina. Us readers always travel - even if we can't actually go anywhere :)"

Beautiful sentiment, I agree - books have kept me sane and entertained the last several years, between health issues, then the pandemic. ;)

Definitely - I cannot imagine my life without reading. I haven't read Fingerpost before, but looking forward to it already :)

Me, too!

Susan wrote: "Us readers always travel - even if we can't actually go anywhere :)"

I was re-reading , which consists largely of a group of people travelling from Britanny to Liechtenstein, while evading assassins and the police, and realised that it was one of the books that remained with me, as my husband and I had our touring holidays in France. Along with Madam, Will You Talk? and Adele And Co.: A Novel. They played into my route planning "We must visit Nimes and the Chateau des Baux!" "We must cross the Pyrenees by the Col de Portalet!" Add in all the places mentioned in the Lymond Chronicles ...

Susan wrote: "Definitely - I cannot imagine my life without reading. I haven't read Fingerpost before, but looking forward to it already :)"

I read it years ago, looking forward to re-reading it and the discussion. And I agree, I can't imagine a life without a big old pile of books in it.

Sorry for late notice, but I've just noticed that a new documentary, "Agatha and Poirot: Partners in Crime" is on ITV at 9pm tonight (April 5) in the UK.

Thanks, Judy. Like you, I came across it when it had started, so it will probably be on catch-up somewhere.

Our poll for our June group read is now open - please vote if you haven't already done so. Six great books to choose from!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

I thought the Poirot doc was quite good, Susan - I'm sure it will be repeated and will also be on catch-up, as you say.

Judy wrote: "Our poll for our June group read is now open - please vote if you haven't already done so. Six great books to choose from!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2......"

Sadly only one of the options available at my library, but all great choices!