Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 909949 times)

JoanK · « **Reply #8440 on:** April 20, 2017, 02:59:35 PM »

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Pull up a comfortable chair and join us here to talk about mysteries and their authors.
We love hearing what YOU enjoy and recommend!

Links:
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Fantastic Fiction
Stop You're Killing Me

Discussion Leader: JoanK

Some of farjeon's books are 99 cents on kindle, so I bought one to try.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8441 on:** April 20, 2017, 04:04:22 PM »

Like father, like son. Like his father, J. Jefferson was also a prodigious writer of crime and mysteries. He may even have surpassed his father in the number of books he wrote. According to Wikipedia, Dorothy Sayers admired his work. Some of his books have been reissued within the last four years. It might be fun to compare writing style between father and son.

JoanK · « **Reply #8442 on:** April 21, 2017, 05:46:48 PM »

Here he is: J. Jefferson Farjeon

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/j.-jefferson-farjeon/

I started a book by his father. I like the leisurely, wry tone, but it looks like it will take a while for the plot to develop.

Life was much slower back then! A young friend was complaining to me about how slow the sport of baseball is, and I hear they are looking for ways to speed it up. Listening to games always reminds me of my childhood: lazy summer afternoons, drinking lemonade and listening to "the game" on the radio.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8443 on:** April 22, 2017, 05:25:46 AM »

Well, JoanK, I don't remember all those commercials that they've added to the televised game. They make the game seem slower if not actually making them slower. I can imagine some game official (and this goes for football too) telling the teams to slow things down so that the advertisers can get all their commercials aired. I used to watch baseball, but it got too slow. Maybe it is us that speeded up rather than the game slowing down.

I agree with your assessment of the plot being slow. Samuel Boyd...[/] is beginning to make me think, "get on with it, for heaven's sake". The conversation always seems to "beat around the bush", lots of allusions to things, but nothing direct, crucial bits of information not being said. It must be a Victorian thing. Very immodest or impolite to be direct, especially in matters of the heart. It's a wonder that more things were not misunderstood if they spoke the way they wrote.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8444 on:** April 25, 2017, 08:24:03 AM »

I just finished reading a book (The Bookman's Tale by Charles Lovett) which is about an Antiquarian bookseller who is trying to track down a Victorian watercolor artist who painted a portrait of a woman who looks like his dead wife. He wants to know who the artist is and how his wife (for whom he is still grieving) came to be painted 100 years before she lived. Wrapped up in all of this is another mystery, which becomes the prime focus, in which a supposed original copy of a book in which Shakespeare wrote notes in the margins having used it as a basis for A Winter's Tale. Both are intertwined. There is also a general overview of restoration of books and bookbinding.

The scenes are mostly in North Carolina and England (Kingham, where the author lives part of the year). Charlie Lovett is himself an avid book collector and a member of Grolier's Club which is mentioned n the book. I had never heard of the club before, only knowing Grolier as a publisher of encyclopedias. Their Book of Knowledge set was a favorite of mine when I was young, as was the accompanying set, Lands and Peoples. The Grolier's Club: http://www.grolierclub.org/

Frybabe · « **Reply #8445 on:** April 29, 2017, 10:14:28 AM »

I've finished Samuel Boyd... What a long book. The outcome was fairly predictable but the paths to getting there were twisty. I thought the book more melodramatic than Vendetta: A Story of One Forgotten by Marie Corelli. Corelli was often cited for being melodramatic. It might have been there, but I saw no mention of it regarding Farjeon's works.

Now I am just starting The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It's the second of his Library of Forgotten Books series (Shadow of the Wind was the first). Once again the setting is Barcelona. It begins with a young, aspiring writer who works for a newspaper. I haven't finished the first chapter yet, but I am already sucked in.

JoanK · « **Reply #8446 on:** May 04, 2017, 02:34:20 PM »

the Bookman's Tale sounds lovely. I'll see if I can get it cheap.

On baseball, I always have my kindle in hand, mute the TV, and read during commercials. Sometimes, I read during the game, too, with the sound low, and look up when I hear the crack of a bat or crowd noise. my cable TV has a classical music station, and sometimes, I flip over to that during commercials. Only problem: it's difficult to judge when to turn back.

I'm the world's expert at avoiding commercials! It's my favorite indoor sport.

JoanK · « **Reply #8447 on:** May 04, 2017, 02:45:03 PM »

Promising, but disappointing find: "Who Killed willie Lincoln?" (I've returned it to the library and FF doesn't have it: I've forgotten the author. But I don't recommend it anyway. Interesting premise: Willie is Lincoln's young son who died while he was president, shattering both his parents. this book imagines that he was murdered: narrated by a young advisor of Lincoln's who "solves the crime." based on research into Lincoln's household, it gives a picture thereof. Mrs. L's seamstress is a character: I have her biography in my TBR pile.

Unfortunately, the writing is boring. I could barely get through the book.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8448 on:** May 04, 2017, 02:51:45 PM »

Amendment to my previous post. The Zafon series is Cemetery of Forgotten Books (not Library of...).

I am now about a third of the way through The Angel's Game. I've gotten past "the good deed that has not gone unpunished" and feeling some sympathy for the main character/narrator. However, the Gothic spookiness has kicked in, and with it, I perceive the beginnings of a shift in fortunes as well as a shift in personality. I am enjoying this as much as I did Shadow of the Wind.

The connections between the two books are the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere, the bookseller. BTW, I discovered that Lucia Graves, Robert Graves daughter, is the English translator.

Hi Joan. You were posting as I was typing. It's a shame about the Lincoln book. It is not something I would be interested in even if it were good, though. I hope you find another more to your liking very soon.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8449 on:** May 06, 2017, 06:34:49 AM »

I finished The Angel's Game last late last night. All I can say is that if you like Gothic Horror or super creepy stories, this is a good one. The ending was a little surprising and interesting. Shadow of the Wind was only mildly creepy in comparison to this one. Although The Angel's Game is the second in the series, it is set previous to Shadow of the Wind. I don't recall that anything carries over to Wind except for the secret library and Daniel Sempere and his bookstore, which leaves me wondering about David Martin (the narrator of Angel's) and his "boss" Andreas Corelli. I don't think they were a feature in Shadow.

ANNIE · « **Reply #8450 on:** May 06, 2017, 09:47:46 AM »

Frybabe, What was the name of the book about the lady who started the little traveling library? You recommended it in the library?

Frybabe · « **Reply #8451 on:** May 06, 2017, 12:05:40 PM »

It's Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. The Haunted Bookshop is a sequel; I haven't read that yet. Parnassus was Morley's first novel. Haunted follows pretty much follows up on the guy who sold the traveling book shop in Parnassus. Morley was another Pennsylvanian "what done good".

Oh, yes, and you can find both for free on Project Gutenberg.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8452 on:** May 11, 2017, 04:58:43 PM »

I just picked up Carlos Ruiz Zafon's last book of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, called The Prisoner of Heaven. As before, the story is independent but some of the characters, the Sempere Bookstore and the Library of Forgotten Books are recurring.

Although this book is the last of a series, I plan on reading other of Zafon's works. He is on my personal list of memorable writers and a non-SciFi favorite.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8453 on:** May 14, 2017, 12:36:51 PM »

Yesterday I did a marathon read to finish Prisoner of Heaven. At reading the first few pages, I said to myself, "What the heck is this?" It doesn't have the Gothic flavor of the other two. What it does do is tie the loose threads of the other two books, especially The Angel's Game, together and produces a plausible explanation for David Martin's behavior, for the death of Daniel Sempere's mother, and stirs a seed of revenge in Daniel's mind. Although the hype says the books are free standing and can be read in any order, it is for those aforementioned reasons I recommend reading it last. Warning, the books do jump around in time a bit.

Overall, the three books cover the span of time from 1938 to 1960, at least three generations of Sempere's, and a few of their customers and acquaintances. The time period covers WWII, the end of the Spanish Civil War and, of course, Franco's suppressive and abusive regime. Except for Prisoner of Heaven, which does include some of the abuses of power, the books focus on the lives of people just trying to get by in hard times.

JoanK · « **Reply #8454 on:** May 25, 2017, 02:56:29 PM »

Here he is:

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/z/carlos-ruiz-zafon/

Sounds very interesting. know very little about that period in Spain, or the lives of the people.

kidsal · « **Reply #8455 on:** May 30, 2017, 05:49:51 PM »

What happened to the icon for Amazon?

PatH · « **Reply #8456 on:** May 30, 2017, 07:44:06 PM »

It's no longer an icon; it's just BOOKS. In the heading, there's a sentence Click BOOKS and your purchase....etc.etc

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8457 on:** June 05, 2017, 12:31:15 PM »

I need a bit of help re: Mystery. Could someone suggest a "cozy type" mystery that is well-written and not too "saccharine". Once upon a time, I had a list, but it has gone on to better things (lol). I don't usually read these types of mystery, but I must moderate a discussion for my f2f mystery club, next month, and all my favorite authors have gotten a bit too dark and raw, allowing for the sensibilities of our members. I have to clarify a bit here: We read from our library's collection, and must have adequate copies for our members. The newer stuff is usually something we have to put on reserve, and the older stuff has been "made redundant" and removed from their collections, or only one or two copies have been retained. I had a couple of suggestions to our "fearless leader" who okays our picks, but my Stuart Kaminsky choice was unfortunately one that only had one or two copies available. My Tami Hoag choice, I vetoed this one myself, as absolutely too dark/raw/violent. So...cozies please, if you will, and I will research whatever my library may have that meets our requirements. Thank you in advance!

Frybabe · « **Reply #8458 on:** June 05, 2017, 04:43:25 PM »

Hi, Tome. I am sorry IHer can't help much here, but I did find this site which may be helpful while you wait for others to respond. https://www.cozy-mystery.com/ Some of the authors I never thought of as cozy writers are listed. I guess the closest writers I've read that might qualify are Agatha Christie, Rita Mae Brown (Mrs. Murphy series), Lilian Jackson Braun (The Cat Who series). I haven't kept up with the Mrs. Murphy series, but I see Brown's latest just hit the market on May 30. Of the ones I've read, I liked Murder at Monticello (1994) the best.

Wow! I just checked up on Rita Mae. She was born near here, in Hanover, PA. Another Pennsylvanian done good. Like Brown's helper "Sneaky Pie", my Lucy has parked herself between me and the laptop making it difficult to type. Guess it is treat time again.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8459 on:** June 05, 2017, 05:39:57 PM »

Frybabe, thanks for the link. I shall certainly try that out. Looks like it would be fun.

evergreen · « **Reply #8460 on:** June 07, 2017, 02:39:33 PM »

On a darker side, I just finished Jo Nesbo's new mystery The Thirst. I like his mysteries; they remind me a little of the "dragon tattoo" trilogy.

FlaJean · « **Reply #8461 on:** June 07, 2017, 04:39:19 PM »

Just finished Donna Leon's latest Guido Brunetti bookEarthly Remains. This is definitely one of the best in this series. Other than that have gotten several free cozy mysteries in BookBub that were entertaining.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #8462 on:** June 08, 2017, 11:42:58 PM »

I like that site Frybabe. It gives us some good categories to check out.

Jean

ANNIE · « **Reply #8463 on:** June 09, 2017, 11:21:03 AM »

I have always liked Lillian Jackson Braun books. They are just fun stories. Whatever happened to the Daisy

? Books? And the little girl who considers herself one great detective. Sargent

? Books by author who writes the Agatha Raison mysteries? And don't forget Father Brown books! Like the TV series a bunch. I will now go look at Frybabe's link. 🤓❤️🙏

maryz · « **Reply #8464 on:** June 09, 2017, 11:25:04 AM »

Annie, M.C.Beaton writes the Agatha Raisin books and the Constable Hamish MacBeth books.

ANNIE · « **Reply #8465 on:** June 09, 2017, 11:47:50 AM »

Thank you, JoanK! I truly liked Hamish Macbeth!!

I am going to try Kathy Aaron's books about The Chocolate and Chapters store. I once worked in a bookstore that also carried a wonderful line of well loved chocolates! So onto Kathy Arron's cozy mysteries!

ANNIE · « **Reply #8466 on:** June 10, 2017, 09:48:23 AM »

So sorry, MaryZ!! I mixed you up with JoanK!!😱😱😱😱🤓

maryz · « **Reply #8467 on:** June 10, 2017, 10:07:58 AM »

mabel1015j · « **Reply #8468 on:** June 30, 2017, 07:27:31 PM »

Just read a fun Stuart Woods book, not a Stone Barrington. I guess this is another series, i hope so. It was Prince of Beverly Hills. The setting is 1941 Hollywood and the protagonist is hired away from the LAPD to be the head of a studio security force. His primary job at first is to get the English lead actor on the set, sober and on time, in the morning. He has to deal with the Mafia guns who are trying to get into the Hollywoid scene. WWII is coming and has an effect.

Woods is a good writer and a good story-teller.

Jean

FlaJean · « **Reply #8469 on:** July 01, 2017, 12:53:35 PM »

Read the latest book by Margaret Marion Take Out. This was a final book about Sigrid (police detective) of her first mystery series. It has been years since that series and I had a little problem remembering about Sigrid's circumstances. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book and think Maron put a good ending on the series. I just wish I had been able to reread a couple of the series to jog my memory.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8470 on:** July 05, 2017, 07:44:21 AM »

Dean Koontz interview about his new detective series and such. http://bookpage.com/interviews/21502-dean-koontz#.WVzNyOmQxPa There isn't any information available about the TV series, yet, except that it has been optioned. I am delighted to note that Koontz lists Thursday Next (Jasper Fforde) as his favorite fictional female investigator.

JoanK · « **Reply #8471 on:** July 05, 2017, 06:13:16 PM »

Those sound like good books. I am in book limbo, since my kindle died. friends rushed me books to read until I can get another one, but no mysteries.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #8472 on:** July 06, 2017, 12:20:05 PM »

Oh dear Joan, that is a crisis!

Fortunately for me, my library is just 3 blocks up the street, so I could probably get there to restock hard copies if I had your problem.

Jean

hats · « **Reply #8473 on:** July 17, 2017, 09:09:49 AM »

I didn't know there were so many in the series. I should have kept a list of the ones already read. I'll try to sort it out. I've started Victoria Thompson's series. The first one is "Murder On Astor Place." I'm already curious about the treasures in the Vanderbilt mansion.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #8474 on:** July 18, 2017, 11:32:18 AM »

I've enjoyed the Victoria Thompson mysteries.

I don't know how I missed them before, but I just found the Jonathan Kellerman mysteries, he has a sense of humor similar to Stuart Woods. Then last night at the library I discovered that there is a Faye Kellerman who might be his wife. i happened on a book that has a story by each of them. It flips with Jonathan beginning on one side and Faye's story starts on the other (back of) side.

Jean

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8475 on:** July 18, 2017, 12:39:44 PM »

Yes, Faye is Jonathan's wife. (they may or may not have a son who also writes - I may have him confused with another author) I will Google!
Okay, their son, Jesse Kellerman also writes mysteries, and is also a playwright!

hats · « **Reply #8476 on:** July 18, 2017, 02:53:32 PM »

I haven't read Jonathan or Faye Kellerman. Would like to try one.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8477 on:** July 18, 2017, 04:20:00 PM »

Start with his earliest ones, that way you get to know way more about him.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #8478 on:** July 18, 2017, 09:47:48 PM »

Yes Tomereader, I think the one I read was his last one. I got it on my ipad from the library just to try him out and didn't look to see if it was part of a series.

Jean

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8479 on:** July 19, 2017, 12:58:27 PM »

And Jean, if you read his Wikipedia biographical notes, you will find he writes
from "experience" in some, if not most, cases. He's an interesting man, this author!

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 909949 times)