Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our Nov 25 group read Post After Post-Mortem by E.C.R. Lorac Book 11 in the Robert Macdonald series was first published in 1936.

The Surrays, a husband and wife and their five offspring, are a prolific writer family, having published scores of novels, reviews and treatises. Ruth, the middle sister, has, however, recently given her elder brother, Richard, some cause for concern. Richard, a psychiatrist, has seen that Ruth appears to be experiencing stress, and he recommends to their mother that she attempt to persuade Ruth to go on holiday with her. However, before this can take place, Ruth is discovered dead in her bedroom at her parents' house, complete with sleeping pills, a farewell letter, and a new will, all of which are strong indicators that she committed suicide. Following the inquest, which produces the anticipated result, Richard returns to his own house where he discovers a letter from Ruth that was written the evening of her passing but wasn't sent right away. In the letter, Ruth appears to be quite content and is making plans for the forthcoming week. Although he does not want to worry his family further, especially his mother, Richard feels compelled to share the contents of the letter with an acquaintance, Inspector Macdonald of the Yard. Macdonald agrees that there is cause to examine Ruth's death further.

Ruth, a clever intellectual with much to say in her novels about the human condition but emotionally unsophisticated and even repressed in her private life, was somewhat of a paradox. Macdonald is soon persuaded that her death was murder and has a number of suspects to consider. On the surface, it would appear that the members of this happy family had no cause to murder a cherished sibling, but Macdonald suspects that more than one of them is concealing something. In addition to the family, three people whom Ruth had invited to a modest home party were involved in her literary profession in some manner, and these too are reluctant to give Macdonald information. Is this reticence designed merely to shield the family from further misery, or does someone have a more sinister reason?

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

Just opening up our new group read, by one of the writers who is most popular with our members! Thank you for setting up the threads, Susan.

I've read this before but don't remember it very well - I'm about halfway through this time around, and enjoying it, although there are a *lot* of characters to keep track of!

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Morning all. I just remembered we needed to open the threads but you beat me to it - thank you Judy.

I hadn't read this one before. I am currently reading and am on the last few chapters. I was just thinking that if Lorac wrote this now, she would make more of them being authors. There are so many books now about writers - at book festivals, on writing retreats, etc. Yet there is very little in this about the family career in letters really.

Yes, I agree there could be more about them being authors - there's quite a lot at the start but a bit less as the book goes on.

Judy wrote: "Yes, I agree there could be more about them being authors - there's quite a lot at the start but a bit less as the book goes on."

Yes, they are authors - but authors of what? As far as I understand it, only Ruth writes fiction. Her brothers publish their research in medicine and psychology, as every researcher does, and their father is also a scholar. I think Lorac exaggerates a bit the creativity and intellectuality of the family - with a narrative purpose. (should we not take this discussion to the spoiler thread?)

Saba, that's an interesting point about their varying types of book, I hadn't really thought about it because of the emphasis on them being authors.I don't think we've touched on spoilers as yet but do post there if you want to move into spoiler territory! I'm not going over to the spoiler thread as yet since I haven't finished, but will hopefully finish soon and will then head over there.

I'm about of the third of the way in so, maybe, most of the author talk is finished. I agree with Sabagrey that only Ruth sounds like "real" author who makes her living in that way. Enjoying it so far.

I must admit to having read this book quickly. I could not put it down.The excessively educated and accomplished authors in the Surray family had me considering a few possible scenarios. I think this is my first Detective Inspector Macdonald book and that put me at a disadvantage because I didn’t know Macdonald’s expertise in detecting. Also, the reader of this book today deals with the cultural nature of that period and the author’s opinion. I highlighted many more lines in this book than I usually do in detective fiction.
I won’t be posting any spoilers. This book is too good to give the conclusion away.
I am grateful to this group for introducing me to Detective Inspector Macdonald and his friends.

Good to hear you enjoyed it so much, Susan_MG. Quite a lot of Lorac's Macdonald series have been reprinted (though sadly out of order!) by British Library and others, so you have some treats in store.

We do have a separate spoiler thread if you can be tempted :
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I have finished this now. I felt Ruth was a literary fiction author as well as someone publishing various articles and reviews for highbrow literary journals.

I will be joining you on this one but I still have another book to finish first so will be a bit late to the party.

oh dear ... GR just muddled up my comment on the subject of fiction - literature - humanities vs. science (including a potshot at Freud) etc. I take it as a sign that I went way out of our harmless discussion of a mystery ;-), so it's best it was not posted.

Much as I love Lorac, I’m not feeling a reread right now - I just read it in 2023 - so posted my review from then. I’ll lurk in the spoilers!

P.S. anyone interested in the audiobook will find it on Internet Archive.

Just starting the audio version...

Started my reread yesterday.

Hope you are both enjoying it, HJ and Ellen

Just over an hour to go on the audio book (about 90% through). I love Lorac's Inspector MacDonald. Her work is very good and her plotting is generally exceptional.

I shall finish it this evening and then head over to the spoilers thread...

Now about a third of the way in-I'm not enjoying it as much as other Loracs I've read, but she's set up a rather smug little family which doesn't resonate with me as much as more troubled or flawed characters would. However I've liked the first views of MacDonald and the Mountaineer's club scene was amusing-how everyone seems to know everyone else in certain sets.

Frances wrote: "Now about a third of the way in-I'm not enjoying it as much as other Loracs I've read, but she's set up a rather smug little family which doesn't resonate with me as much as more troubled or flawed..."

Too much is made of the family being intellectual, in my opinion.

Started it today- so far I am really liking it!

I was getting ready to start this book. Although perhaps I should finish Death On The Oxford Road first. I am 80+% through.

It sounds interesting.

Jan C wrote: "I was getting ready to start this book. Although perhaps I should finish Death On The Oxford Road first. I am 80+% through.

It sounds interesting."

I'm interested to know where you got Death on the Oxford Road from. Are you reading a hard copy or have you found an electronic one. I am struggling to find it.

Finding some of the ECR Lorac titles is quite difficult. It seems that if they were very popular they are completely sold out and no longer to be found. If they were not popular enough they have not been reissued. It’s frustrating. Kindle has Murder On The Oxford Rd in a volume of 3 titles, there are 4 Volumes. I also found that title as a single.
Has anyone else who has read the detective inspector Macdonald series find that the stories as shown in series order seem somewhat out of sequence? Since there are books unavailable maybe things do line up but without the missing books it’s odd.
For example, I notice that in a few titles Macdonald’s associates refer to him as “Jock” which is not shown in early books. I get past the anomalies because I totally enjoy the plots devised by the author. I finished this one and carried on to 5 more.