Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910456 times)

Babi · « **Reply #3520 on:** March 30, 2012, 08:49:48 AM »

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Pull up a comfortable chair and join us here to talk about mysteries and their authors.
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Discussion Leader: JoanK

I have felt that in an entirely different area, ROSEMARY. We have had a couple of small restaurants open up that served really great food. Unfortunately, they wound up closing for lack of enough patronage. I wished I could have gone more often; it might have helped them stay in business.
Our library doesn't hold lectures, ..much too small a town, I guess. There is a local mystery
club, but a f-to-f club won't work for me. I couldn't begin to follow the discussion trying to read
everybody's lips!

Steph · « **Reply #3521 on:** March 31, 2012, 06:03:51 AM »

Our library is run by the county and that means no money for any publicity, etc. When a county commissioner proudly announces that he has not read a book since high school graduation, you cant expect anything good to happen to the libraries. Sigh.

Babi · « **Reply #3522 on:** March 31, 2012, 09:27:11 AM »

Too bad the commissioner did not make that statement before he was elected. He might not have been.

maryz · « **Reply #3523 on:** March 31, 2012, 09:27:59 AM »

Oh, dear, Steph - it sounds like you live in OUR county.

JeanneP · « **Reply #3524 on:** March 31, 2012, 02:39:11 PM »

Rosemary.

Make sure that your visitor takes her medication before she stays in your home. I have friends with cats. Home spotless but I can be in the house for about 10 minutes and have to leave. So embarrasing at time.
Picked a friends cat up from the Vet last week. (He doesn't drive anymore). We live just 10 min. away but took hours of nose spraying. Pill before feeling good again. Had to leave car windows down until it aired out after getting home. Had this one problem since a child.

Steph · « **Reply #3525 on:** April 01, 2012, 06:17:21 AM »

How sad.. I am glad I have never been allergic. I have had dogs and cats most of my life.. No cats just now, but know I will have another , sooner or later.
Abandoned another mystery last night. These are mostly the ones I picked up at our book sale. They are total unknowns to me. This one is Grave Misgivings by Kate Gallison.. Mother Lavinia..not interesting at all.
But I did just finish up The girls of Riadh months ago and just finished it on CD in the car.. I gather it was a huge scandal in Saudi Arabia, but it is amazing to me.. If you see it, try it.. I loved the CD;s

pedln · « **Reply #3526 on:** April 02, 2012, 12:45:36 PM »

I just looked up Girls of Riyahd on wiki and Amazon, Steph. Sounds interesting. And banned in Saudi Arabia. Whenever I hear of young women in Saudi Arabia I'm reminded of the book

? by a young Saudi royal. Personal narritive. One event described -- a group of teen-aged girls went out and met boys, just hung out. One father punished his daughter by drowning her in the family swimming pool.

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day Kindle reading Dangerous Talent by Aaron and Charlotte Elkins, a book that made no demands on me. It is the first in their Alix London series, and like other Elkins' novels, focuses on the art crime scene. Hope to finish the remaining 20% today. It's been a long time since I've done that, and it felt good.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3527 on:** April 02, 2012, 04:04:13 PM »

Finished Susan Wittig Albert's Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree. It was o.k. Set in the 1930s giving it an interesting framework, different from her China Bayles series and just as much attention to detail. There are a host of characters, maybe too many for the beginning of a new series. I had to keep checking to see how this person now being discussed fit in. Maybe because of so many characters i didn't think Albert did as good a job of making me like the characters as she did in the CB series. Their personalities were not as clear to me. That may come w/ future books. The best thing about the book was the flavor of the time. She uses the "party-line telephone", small-town experience, very well, something that under 60s readers wouldn't have experienced. The fact that not everyone had a car is a part of the story. The fear of the bank closing, etc. all put to good use by Albert.

Now i have a questeion for those of you who have lived in the South. She called the trees "cucumber trees" but gave the Latin name as "magnolia (something)". Is the cucumber and the magnolia tree the same plant?

JoanK · « **Reply #3528 on:** April 02, 2012, 04:06:47 PM »

I remember the "party line telephone" from my aunt and uncle. They were convinced the other "party" listened in on their calls, and it made them furious.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #3529 on:** April 02, 2012, 05:07:51 PM »

Jean, I am under 60 but in my childhood home we had no phone - my aunt and uncle, who considered themselves a cut above the rest of the family, had a party line -I think you had to click the little switch under the receiver up and down to see if the line was free or something. We did not have a car till I was about 5, then my father died when I was 8 - my mother did not know how to drive then and has never learned, so the car was sold and we were car-less until I finally bought my own. We also did not have central heating or a washing machine, although the latter was sheer obstinacy on my mother's part - my father offered to buy one, but she was convinced it wouldn't get the clothes clean. She didn't have a machine until long after I'd left home, and even now she doesn't really trust them. As for a dishwasher - heavens no!

Returning to the car and phone issues, I saw a programme a few years ago about the terrible floods that devastated the east coast of the UK in the early 1950s (?1953?) - the people living in the little coastal villages in Norfolk and Essex had no phones and no cars - the village policemen had to cycle from one house to the next to alert them of the coming dangers. Many people died.

Rosemary

maryz · « **Reply #3530 on:** April 02, 2012, 05:26:01 PM »

jean, I've lived in the south all my life, and have never heard of a "cucumber tree". Oh, well.....

This is a wikipedia link to "cucumber tree"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber_tree
and it says one version called magnolia something is native to NE North America.

JeanneP · « **Reply #3531 on:** April 02, 2012, 09:28:08 PM »

In my part of the North of England one didn't need a phone, all one had to do was tell one person anything and it was all around the area in short time.
I think that my mother was in her 60s when she learned to drive. I didn't learn until I came over to the US. Was 24 years old. Had many friends here who never learned. Still have a few. Do have good bus service though and at the price showing today for gas I do believe I am going to be busing some days. $4.23 cents gal.

Steph · « **Reply #3532 on:** April 03, 2012, 06:31:02 AM »

Ilived in the country, but my Mother drove always.. But when I was little, we did not have two cars, so even though we lived a mile from town, My Mother and I walked it every single day. She went to a little old fashioned grocery and had her cocacola in a bottle.. and then we walked home.. Funny the memories that pop up..
We did have a party line.. You could mostly tell when someone was listening by how far away the voice you were talking to would drop..

Frybabe · « **Reply #3533 on:** April 03, 2012, 08:13:47 AM »

I remember party lines. I'm glad they disappeared. But oh, when we were kids, we walked all over town - mostly to the candy store (remember penny candy?), the little general store where we got our soda and sometimes candy, and the playground. On the way to the store, we'd pick up stray returnable bottles to pay for the candy and soda. Little did our parents know just how much candy and soda we downed at the playground before heading home. On the weekends, it was the Saturday matinée. We also had a real butcher shop nearby.

Babi · « **Reply #3534 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:30:32 AM »

Oh, dear, ROSEMARY, your mother does seem to be making things hard on herself. But then,
it is all only what she is used to, so she wouldn't feel any lack there. I can remember
when the 'ice box' was literally that. The top was a space for a large block of ice,
delivered regularly by an 'ice man', and that is what cooled the space below. Every home
had an ice-pick; now it's rare to see one.
I was surprised that the villages had no alarm system, being so vulnerable. Usually
there was at least a bell to ring loudly and urgently, or perhaps a siren. Probably a
bit too damp for signal fires there on the coast.
I had never heard of a cucumber tree, either. If it is native to the NE, I suppose
these ladies were trying to introduce it to the Carolinas. I'm going to see if I can
find a picture of it.

maryz · « **Reply #3535 on:** April 03, 2012, 10:19:21 AM »

Babi, there's a picture on the link I posted, I think.

ANNIE · « **Reply #3536 on:** April 03, 2012, 10:48:34 AM »

Here's a link telling one that 'magnolia acuminata' is also called 'cucumber tree' and it is sometimes made into one word as 'cucumbertree'. This link takes you to many pictures. I was surprised to see that it is common to the NE United States and the south of Canada.
We had one growing in our front yard in southern California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_acuminata

I didn't know where to post about a spy book but it is covered in our header so I am reading John LaCarre's book, "The Mission Song" which is ok, not spectacular. And last night, on tv-on-demand, we watched "Tinker, Tailor,Soldier, Spy" by the same author. What a disappointment! Worst spy type of movie we've seen ever. Very peculiar take by the writer who wrote the script. Oh,well, not everything LaCarre writes is good.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #3537 on:** April 03, 2012, 11:47:55 AM »

AdoAnnie - was that the new one with Gary Oldman? The original TV series with Alec Guinness was absolutely wonderful - I think you can get it on DVD. And I loved the books - Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People.

Rosemary

mabel1015j · « **Reply #3538 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:13:35 PM »

Thanks for the info on the cucumbertree. I figured there had to be something about it that was cucumber-like, otherwise??? Interesting that it grows thru the Appalachians.

Steph · « **Reply #3539 on:** April 04, 2012, 06:13:45 AM »

I agree with Rosemary.. His older books are wonderful.. The TV version of Tinker.etc. was great.. I may even see if NetFlix has it somewhere.
I am reading a new to me author.. Paul Christopher.. I am in the mood for dirty deeds and old mysteries.. It suits the bill. It is my bed book.. as long as it doesnt get too gory.

Babi · « **Reply #3540 on:** April 04, 2012, 09:08:09 AM »

Nope, MARY. Looked again, to be sure. but not there. ANNIE has one for us. That is a
HUGE tree. You would need plenty of room for that one.

Oh, dear, ANNIE. We have "Tinker, Tailor, etc." on our queue. I was hoping for good
things from it. I'll pass on your warning to Val. But then, it wouldn't be the first
film we agreed wasn't worth finishing.
ROSEMARY, that's good news. I love everything Alec Guinness does. I'll see if we can
get his version of TTSS.

ANNIE · « **Reply #3541 on:** April 04, 2012, 10:48:31 AM »

About the movie with Gary Oldman, "Tinker, Tailoretc", two things were making it boring to me. The camera man must have also had some power in making the movie; strange scenes of actors across the street in background with trucks, buses and cars in the foreground. When they spoke there was often an overlay of sound such as the traffic in the scene. Lots of darkness. Too much darkness! Everything in the movie was acted in a downplayed mode. I found the actors hard to understand and I am an English TV frequent watcher.

Wasn't "The Constant Gardener" a made for TV movie? I know that I saw it and liked it lot.

I guess I should have prefaced this post with the fact that I have read many of John Lecarre's books starting with "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold". His writing is superb. One of my favorites was "The Perfect Spy". I also have many of his books in my library(read stacks).

ANNIE · « **Reply #3542 on:** April 04, 2012, 12:05:51 PM »

About The Constant Gardener, it seems that it was a movie which came out in 2005 with Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. Its about the Aids epidemic in Africa and dishonest pharmaceutical companies.

marjifay · « **Reply #3543 on:** April 04, 2012, 12:33:22 PM »

I just finished a good mystery/thriller, THE FEAR INDEX, by Robert Harris. Very
good. About a brilliant man, Dr. Alex Hoffman, a scientist and mathmatician,
who has visions of perfecting artificial intelligence. He and a friend go into
an investment business and he programs a computer to do investing and they make
billions. But odd things begin happening to him, making him think someone is
stalking him and for some unknown reason is out to ruin him. A chilling story.

Harris also wrote THE GHOST WRITER, another thriller, made into a good movie.

I've given up on LeCarre. Couldn't understand much of the British English in the films or what he is talking about in his books. The only film I've seen from his book was Constant Gardener, and the only part of it I enjoyed was the beautiful scenery of Kenya.

Marj

JeanneP · « **Reply #3544 on:** April 04, 2012, 03:45:51 PM »

Looks like Tinker,Tailor has been make into a movie 3 times. Finely found the one with Alec Guiness. It goes back a few years.

JoanK · « **Reply #3545 on:** April 04, 2012, 04:57:38 PM »

" strange scenes of actors across the street in background with trucks, buses and cars in the foreground. When they spoke there was often an overlay of sound such as the traffic in the scene. Lots of darkness. "

I often find that with movies. makes it difficult to hear what people are saying. And if it's difficult to see, as well. there's not much left!

Steph · « **Reply #3546 on:** April 05, 2012, 06:27:01 AM »

I have noticed on tv and movies, that the current trend is to overlay the music to the point of not being able to hear what is being said.. and in movies especially,, they do handheld cameras and everything becomes blurry and jolted.. That in turn makes me neasuous..(hmm, spelling) The first of the two Sherlock Holmes that are recent had that problem.. Ugh.

Babi · « **Reply #3547 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:43:05 AM »

Sound like shoestring productions, don't they? Low on funds, and cutting corners everywhere?
If the producers are using this kind of camera and sound work because they think it is 'rad', ...or
whatever the current slang is... I hope a poor public response them will disabuse them of the
notion.

maryz · « **Reply #3548 on:** April 05, 2012, 09:56:03 AM »

Re the current movies - dark, loud, mumbling, jerky, violent - John and I have come to the conclusion that we are definitely not the target audience.

MaryPage · « **Reply #3549 on:** April 05, 2012, 11:42:58 AM »

Nor am I!

salan · « **Reply #3550 on:** April 05, 2012, 06:54:38 PM »

Same here! What ever happened to good enunciation? When I was in drama classes, we were instructed to project our voices so the audience could hear us. Now it seems like lots of actors are "low" talkers, and the background music is loud and intrusive!

Sally

Steph · « **Reply #3551 on:** April 06, 2012, 06:27:43 AM »

Yes, I do think that I am not their target audience. My younger son will often say,, not a picture you would like MOM.. since he knows I hate the jerky handheld cameras..
I tend to be picky about movies.. I do want to try and see the newest Julia Roberts. She sounds perfect as the wicked stepmother queen.

Babi · « **Reply #3552 on:** April 06, 2012, 09:19:19 AM »

I can only suppose the low voices are intended to convey intimacy. A 'you are right there' sort of thing. If so, it doesn't work.

Steph · « **Reply #3553 on:** April 07, 2012, 11:20:42 AM »

I am having one of those.. cant be pleased days.
Rooting through three boxes of books to find one that I want to read. Sigh.. Picky picky picky. But I do think I have hidden away a Daniel Silva somewhere. Time to dig it out and vicariouisly beat up the world.

JoanK · « **Reply #3554 on:** April 07, 2012, 03:22:58 PM »

I have those days too -- keep picking up books and putting them down. Frustrating!

Found a series where the detective is a math teacher ("The Square Root of Death"). With some light math factoids. As an ex-math major, I enjoy it.

She teaches a class to help people overcome "math anxiety". What a wonderful idea. Math anxiety can start anywhere, including things that have nothing to do with math. (being embarrassed by putting prroblems on the board, for example). And it's socially acceptable. Having done some math tutoring, I notice that many students, when they hear "math" just blank out, and don't even try things they would automatically do in another course (like reading the book. Or taking notes in class).

nlhome · « **Reply #3555 on:** April 07, 2012, 08:26:56 PM »

I am reading Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon. I have not read this author before, and I see that she has written many in this series. I suppose I'll have to read a second one to decide if it's good.The setting is unfamiliar - Venice. This is the first in the series, written in 1992.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #3556 on:** April 08, 2012, 04:39:03 AM »

I love the Donna Leon books, and I think that the early ones are the best. The descriptions of Venetian everyday life are fascinating, and Brunetti is such a good character.

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #3557 on:** April 08, 2012, 06:33:35 AM »

For some reason I cannot get into Donna Leon, but she is enormously popular.
I just stopped on the Paul Robinson.. He is simply not doing a good job. Indiana jones, he is not.
Finished the Sookie book.. Started a new author that wrote a mystery around a FArmers Market.. Hmm.. we will see.
Happy Easter to all.

Babi · « **Reply #3558 on:** April 08, 2012, 09:04:23 AM »

STEPH, ever wonder why you picked up those books in the first place? I do understand, tho';
sometimes nothing seems to be just what you want.

ANNIE · « **Reply #3559 on:** April 08, 2012, 12:38:52 PM »

Has anyone here ever read books about a book store owner in Denver? I believe he specialized in certain genre of antique books? Can't even bring up the author on my brain pad. Would that be my "iPad"? No. Don't own one of those.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910456 times)