English Mysteries Club discussion

Hi - I'm just wondering what members are currently reading which falls into the group domain?

I'm reading Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse mystery "The Wench is Dead". I'm loving it as I can recall seeing the TV drama version of it. But I'm partial to Inspector Morse since I used to live near the city of Oxford and have two rescue cats named Morse and Lewis! :-)

What are English mysteries are YOU reading at the moment?

started An Unsuitable Job for a Woman P.D. James.
Comments from other readers?

Currently I am reading the William Monk series by Anne Perry. I have read her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series and absolutely fell in love with them, so I thought I would try the William Monk series out. I am on book 4 and so far have found them to be just as interesting as her other series.

Seems like every time I check on here my 'books to read' and 'authors to read' lists just keep getting longer! :-)

I am reading The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne. A classic by someone not normally associated with mysteries.

I am reading And Justice There is None by Deborah Crombie- one of the books in her James/Kincaid series.

i am reading Ngaio Marsh's 'The Nursing Home Murder'

Still reading A Daughter's a Daughter. Have loaned it out a couple times because friends are fascinated but now it is here to stay and be finished.

Keep the entries coming - I'm always looking for recommendations for new reading! :-)

I'm just starting "The Vanishing Man" by R. Austin Freeman. I love the old ones! Am anxiously awaiting the cd I just bought off ebay with all of Ngaio Marsh's mysteries for my Kindle.

I'm familiar with Ngaio Marsh but not R. Austin Freeman and, I confess, haven't read either. More for the list! :-)

I'm really enjoying "The Vanishing Man". It's one of Freeman's books with medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke.

I like the sound of that. Keep us posted on what you think once you've finished it, ok? :-)

A little verbose at times, but all in all I enjoyed the book. I'm going to start the first Ngaio Marsh book now. "A Man Lay Dead". Can't wait!

I just started "First Drop" by Zoe Sharp. The author is visiting the local library on Saturday.

I'm currently reading 4:50 From Paddington and recently finished The Secret Adversary, both by Agatha Christie. They work as great palate cleansers in between some of the heavier stuff I am reading.

I really enjoyed 4:50 From Paddington. I just started "A Man Lay Dead" by Ngaio Marsh.

Just started Death of a Chimney Sweep. One of my reading goals for this year is to catch up on my unread M C Beaton.

Currently re-reading P.D. James' An Unsuitable Job For A Woman. Was looking about for something to read that's not packed up and remembered (insert lightbulb here)! I've all of the Cordelia Grey and also the Dalgleish novels on that undusted bookshelf! Hooray!!!!

I have just started 'Necessary as Blood.' It is the thirteenth of Deborah Crombie's James/Kincaid mysteries. And yes, I have read the other 12.

Goodness! I feel like such a slacked and like I have dozens of authors to catch up on based on all of these responses! :-)

SarahElektra wrote: "Goodness! I feel like such a slacked and like I have dozens of authors to catch up on based on all of these responses! :-)"

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Nope - you're definitely not the only one, Denae! And I seriously need to proofread better! I'm sure you knew that I meant I felt like a 'slacker' rather than a 'slacked'. Oh well...I blame too little caffeine! :-)

I am so far behind I may never catch up - but I will get so much pleasure trying! I have become entangled with a "cozy" group, and between that group and this one, Mount TBR may actually be snow-capped before long.

Just pulled put an old VSH The Mirror Cracked with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple and also starring Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis. Could not resist watching it.

Has anyone seen it?

Oh yes, I remember that all star version. I wonder if Netflix has it. Would be a good trip down memory lane.

I remember seeing that movie in the theater!

Yes I saw where Netflix has it. Angela Landsbury was a wonderful Miss Marple.

Finished The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne and Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer. Both from the classic British mystery genre, both by authors not normally associated with mysteries, and both terrific. I especially enjoyed the humorous touches in the Georgette Heyer sort of a dash of P. G. Wodehouse.

I'm reading David Dickinson's latest Lord Francis Powerscourt mystery, "Death in A Scarlet Coat. Started it yesterday, and I'm a little more than halfway through it. I love this series. One of the things I like best about it is the subtle humor, which is not usually a part of this type of mystery.

I think for May's Book of the Month - I may just pick something at random from this list. Seems like there are so many of us reading other 'English' mysteries in addition to the BotM reads and this looks like a great list to choose from. I know there's a load of authors on here that are new to me.

Any objections?

None!

Sounds good.

You've received so many good recommendations over the last couple of months, you have an excellent crop from which to choose. I say go for it. If you are so inclined, you could probably choose the BotMs for the rest of the year and list them on the home page. Then you'd be done with it for a while. You could just relax and READ!

That sounds like a great idea :)

Just read In the Teeth of Adversity. Very quick read but a little too "arsenic and old lace" for my taste. I like her other mysteries better.

Reading A Restless Evil. I like Mitchell and Markby.

I just finished In the Last Analysis and it's one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time-- intelligent, and without the common flaw of explanations for events that either are too flimsy to ring true or too obvious. Nice book!

I finished "India Black," by Carol K. Carr. It was an amusing and entertaining read; the story of the madam of a house of ill repute who becomes involved in helping the British government retrieve some sensitive documents from the War Office which have fallen into the wrong hands. There were lots of laugh-out-loud lines, and an endless number of passages of wry wit. I did think the book could have been shortened by a hundred pages or so, by eliminating one or two of the narrow escapes made by India and French, her reluctant partner in these adventures, but all told, it is a book I would recommend.

Wow! More ideas for future BotM reads...I'm so glad to see that folks are continuing to respond to this thread. I'll keep it open as long as folks are interested in responding! :-)

I just started The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective and am enjoying it so far. I have a few other things going on, but mostly either other non-fiction, Shakespeare, and sci-fi/fantasy.

Oh I LOVED that one, Denae! It would be great to hear what you think after you've finished it.

And I like the sound of Blackout/All Clear. I totally agree about the idea of 'genre bending novels'...great what to phrase it! In a way, the most recent BotM book, Possession, is another example of that as it's not your typical murder and mayhem mystery which was definitely part of the appeal for me. And yet more books to add to my lists! :-)

Just started The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elisabeth Speller. Anyone else on the list read this one? My husband who isn't a big mysteries fan picked it up not knowing it was a mystery but thinks I'm going to love it.

SarahElektra wrote: "Oh I LOVED that one, Denae! It would be great to hear what you think after you've finished it.

And I like the sound of Blackout/All Clear. I totally agree about the idea of 'genre bending novels'..."

I didn't really care for it, actually. It had a lot of parts that felt like they were random facts thrown together, some of which were merely padding, and at some point the narrative became too disjointed and uninteresting to me.

I just finished "Death of a Cozy Writer" but G M Malliet. I think I liked it, but I'm still a bit unsure. It walks a fine line between imitating and mocking Agatha Christie.

Has anyone else read it? Any thoughts?

I've only read The Daughter of Time, but I really enjoyed it.

Two mysteries at the moment-- Divine Inspiration and A Fall from Grace: A Novel of Suspense . And I'll probably start the next Cleo Coyle on my list, or the Pulver that is that last book I need for one of my challenges, as well.

So hooked on anything by M.C Beaton. Lots of laughs are good for the soul!

I know one thing...with all the fantastic recommendations just on this single thread, I could probably come up with a BotM list for the next few years! :-)
~S~

Denae wrote: "SarahElektra wrote: "Oh I LOVED that one, Denae! It would be great to hear what you think after you've finished it.

And I like the sound of Blackout/All Clear. I totally agree about the idea of '..."

Shame about that, Denae! I must have read it in a good mood or something since I really enjoyed it. I vaguely recall reading it on my daily train commute when I still lived in the UK. Perhaps that jostle and noise and distraction of the train kept me from noticing the 'padding' and disjointed narrative. Always a possibility. So what are reading now to follow that? Have we convinced you to read the BotM for July? :-)
~S~