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What I'm Reading / Re: DEADLINE by John Dunning
« Last post by JRob on January 15, 2021, 04:25:37 am »I'm not sure if I've ever read this book but it does seem familiar to me for some reason.
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92
Welcome and General Discussion / Locked Room Mysteries
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 15, 2021, 12:47:44 am »https://bookriot.com/what-are-locked-room-murder-mysteries/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Riot%20Rundown%20011421&utm_term=BookRiot_TheRiotRundown_DormantSuppress
https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Murders-Supplement-Brian-Skupin/dp/1695608615/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brian+skupin%2C+locked+room&qid=1610700430&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Murders-Supplement-Brian-Skupin/dp/1695608615/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brian+skupin%2C+locked+room&qid=1610700430&sr=8-1
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What I'm Reading / DEADLINE by John Dunning
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 15, 2021, 12:41:33 am »I'm a fan of John Dunning's but I didn't realize I'd missed some of his earlier books. I was lucky enough to find some old copies, and I'm currently reading DEADLINE. Unlike the last book I read, I've been flying through this one. Here's the back cover blurb:
"When a circus tent fire calls Tribune reporter Dalton Walker into action, he's disturbed to find that no relatives have come to claim the body of a young victim. Dalton is also covering the story of a young Amish woman turned famous New York dancer. But not every story is what it seems, and soon Walker is heading down a terrifying seductive path toward the truth, and the unrelenting deadline."
I started reading this book this afternoon and I'm almost finished with it. It has really gripped me!
I was hooked by the circus fire, mainly because I remember hearing/reading about a similar fire when I was young. A few years back, I read a non-fiction book about that fire:
https://www.amazon.com/Hartford-Circus-Fire-Tragedy-Disaster/dp/1626190690
"Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors and a gripping collection of vintage photographs, author Michael Skidgell attempts to make sense of one of Hartford's worst tragedies.
Almost 7,000 fans eagerly packed into the Ringling Brothers big top on July 6, 1944. With a single careless act, an afternoon at the "Greatest Show on Earth" quickly became one of terror and tragedy as the paraffin-coated circus tent caught fire. Panicked crowds rushed for the few exits, but in minutes, the tent collapsed on those still struggling to escape below. A total of 168 lives were lost, many of them children, with many more injured and forever scarred by the events. Hartford and the surrounding communities reeled in the aftermath as investigators searched for the source of the fire and the responsible parties."
I'm not into true crime books, but I am drawn to books that depict events I heard or read about, like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Angels-Story-Fire/dp/156663217X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Chicago+city+of+angels+school+fire&qid=1610699835&s=books&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Peshtigo-Fire-1871-Captivating-Northeastern/dp/1647487269/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Wisconsin+fire+peshtigo&qid=1610699942&s=books&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Eastland-Disaster-Images-America/dp/0738534412/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1KPF2065BO392&dchild=1&keywords=eastland+disaster&qid=1610700005&s=books&sprefix=eastland+%2Cstripbooks%2C541&sr=1-2
"When a circus tent fire calls Tribune reporter Dalton Walker into action, he's disturbed to find that no relatives have come to claim the body of a young victim. Dalton is also covering the story of a young Amish woman turned famous New York dancer. But not every story is what it seems, and soon Walker is heading down a terrifying seductive path toward the truth, and the unrelenting deadline."
I started reading this book this afternoon and I'm almost finished with it. It has really gripped me!
I was hooked by the circus fire, mainly because I remember hearing/reading about a similar fire when I was young. A few years back, I read a non-fiction book about that fire:
https://www.amazon.com/Hartford-Circus-Fire-Tragedy-Disaster/dp/1626190690
"Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors and a gripping collection of vintage photographs, author Michael Skidgell attempts to make sense of one of Hartford's worst tragedies.
Almost 7,000 fans eagerly packed into the Ringling Brothers big top on July 6, 1944. With a single careless act, an afternoon at the "Greatest Show on Earth" quickly became one of terror and tragedy as the paraffin-coated circus tent caught fire. Panicked crowds rushed for the few exits, but in minutes, the tent collapsed on those still struggling to escape below. A total of 168 lives were lost, many of them children, with many more injured and forever scarred by the events. Hartford and the surrounding communities reeled in the aftermath as investigators searched for the source of the fire and the responsible parties."
I'm not into true crime books, but I am drawn to books that depict events I heard or read about, like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Angels-Story-Fire/dp/156663217X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Chicago+city+of+angels+school+fire&qid=1610699835&s=books&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Peshtigo-Fire-1871-Captivating-Northeastern/dp/1647487269/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Wisconsin+fire+peshtigo&qid=1610699942&s=books&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Eastland-Disaster-Images-America/dp/0738534412/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1KPF2065BO392&dchild=1&keywords=eastland+disaster&qid=1610700005&s=books&sprefix=eastland+%2Cstripbooks%2C541&sr=1-2
94
What I'm Reading / Re: BATS IN THE BELFRY, A London Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 15, 2021, 12:30:03 am »I've found that when reading books that are set in the past, it is best to accept the fact that there are going to be lots of things that would offend how one thinks these days. You have to make the decision to either read it and move on or not read it at all. Simply because you know you are going to be upset with what was commonplace when the book was originally published and there is really nothing you can do to change that.
I know when I read Thomas Mullen's DARKTOWN I was constantly battling the urge to throw the book against the wall for all the racism that it was describing. This even as I knew that the author was simply telling a story set in a time when said racism was part and parcel of daily life. In the end, the captivating story won out and I ended up loving the book despite the aggravation.
That is a good point. I absolutely loved Nancy Drew books when I was young. When I read them now the subtle and not-so-subtle racism annoys me, but it went right over my head when I first read the books.
I wasn't surprised to find racist remarks in this book, but I was disappointed that this type of remark was repeated so often. You mentioned the captivating story of DARKTOWN winning you over in spite of everything. I have read some vintage books where I was able to overlook annoying things because the story was so good. Unfortunately - for me, anyway - that wasn't the case in this book. That is not to say others might disagree. Apparently this book was very popular in its day. Maybe others will be mermerized by the puzzles and twists, as I was not.
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What I'm Reading / Re: BATS IN THE BELFRY, A London Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac
« Last post by JRob on January 14, 2021, 04:00:28 am »I've found that when reading books that are set in the past, it is best to accept the fact that there are going to be lots of things that would offend how one thinks these days. You have to make the decision to either read it and move on or not read it at all. Simply because you know you are going to be upset with what was commonplace when the book was originally published and there is really nothing you can do to change that.
I know when I read Thomas Mullen's DARKTOWN I was constantly battling the urge to throw the book against the wall for all the racism that it was describing. This even as I knew that the author was simply telling a story set in a time when said racism was part and parcel of daily life. In the end, the captivating story won out and I ended up loving the book despite the aggravation.
I know when I read Thomas Mullen's DARKTOWN I was constantly battling the urge to throw the book against the wall for all the racism that it was describing. This even as I knew that the author was simply telling a story set in a time when said racism was part and parcel of daily life. In the end, the captivating story won out and I ended up loving the book despite the aggravation.
96
What I'm Reading / BATS IN THE BELFRY, A London Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 14, 2021, 01:54:16 am »E.C.R. Lorac was a pseudonym used by Edith Caroline Rivett. She also wrote as Carol Carnac.
I had high hopes for this book. It's a British Library Crime Classic, originally published in 1937. I like a lot of books written in mystery's "Golden Age," but I must admit this one was not a favorite. It took me forever to read, and it was only 231 pages long. It should have been intriguing, but it felt as if the author was trying too hard. Many characters vied for attention, with little to distinguish them but their beards or, in the case of the lead detective, his country of origin - Scotland.
I like a good twist, but this book had so many contrived puzzles and twists, almost every page contained a wordy explanation that didn't really clarify anything. Quoting one character, "The whole thing is so demented that its ingenuity staggers me!" I found it tedious rather than ingenious.
I was also put off by the number of racist and anti-Semitic comments. I realize this is not uncommon in books of this period, but examples like this annoyed me: "Our researches revealed the appalling fact that he is a Jew." There follows a discussion about whether to reveal this information to the woman who is planning to marry him, or leave her to find out after the fact since she is considered equally appalling. The speaker goes on to stress that "there is no room for prejudice" in his job.
Anyway. I don't like to leave negative comments but since this book is coming up to 100 years old (well, in the next 15 years or so), I assume most readers will expect the plot to be dated. I'd be interested to find out what any of you think of this book - if you should decide to give it a try. My copy was published by Poisoned Pen Press in 2018.
https://poisonedpenpress.com/authors/e-c-r-lorac/
I had high hopes for this book. It's a British Library Crime Classic, originally published in 1937. I like a lot of books written in mystery's "Golden Age," but I must admit this one was not a favorite. It took me forever to read, and it was only 231 pages long. It should have been intriguing, but it felt as if the author was trying too hard. Many characters vied for attention, with little to distinguish them but their beards or, in the case of the lead detective, his country of origin - Scotland.
I like a good twist, but this book had so many contrived puzzles and twists, almost every page contained a wordy explanation that didn't really clarify anything. Quoting one character, "The whole thing is so demented that its ingenuity staggers me!" I found it tedious rather than ingenious.
I was also put off by the number of racist and anti-Semitic comments. I realize this is not uncommon in books of this period, but examples like this annoyed me: "Our researches revealed the appalling fact that he is a Jew." There follows a discussion about whether to reveal this information to the woman who is planning to marry him, or leave her to find out after the fact since she is considered equally appalling. The speaker goes on to stress that "there is no room for prejudice" in his job.
Anyway. I don't like to leave negative comments but since this book is coming up to 100 years old (well, in the next 15 years or so), I assume most readers will expect the plot to be dated. I'd be interested to find out what any of you think of this book - if you should decide to give it a try. My copy was published by Poisoned Pen Press in 2018.
https://poisonedpenpress.com/authors/e-c-r-lorac/
97
What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« Last post by JRob on January 11, 2021, 03:50:24 am »I'm still trying to finish the Donna Leon book. I've got about 50 pages to go.
98
Welcome and General Discussion / Agatha Christie Website Announces New Screen Production
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 11, 2021, 02:24:29 am »I'm very excited about this: https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2020/introducing-agatha-christies-sven-hjerson?utm_source=Agatha+Christie+Newsletter+Master+List&utm_campaign=95ccc3ddb7-Agatha_Christie_Newsletter_January_2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e436c51fda-95ccc3ddb7-27816085
"There have been countless adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels and stories over the years, but now for the first time we have an entirely new production set within the fictional universe created by the Queen of Crime. Never before has Sven Hjerson, the fictional detective of Agatha Christie’s fictional writer Ariadne Oliver, been committed to the screen; but now, for the first time, a production will bring this meta adaptation to life. Agatha Christie’s Sven Hjerson is a thrilling, playful whodunnit with a contemporary twist.
Ariadne Oliver is a mystery crime writer who appears in a number of Agatha Christie novels, and who, according to Agatha Christie, bears certain similarities to herself. Ariadne has her own master detective: Sven Hjerson who loves crudités, cold winter baths and solving murder mysteries. In this new series Sven Hjerson is played by none other than Johan Rheborg.
The TV series began shooting in Åland on December 8th. It comprises four classic whodunnit murder cases and will be broadcast as a TV series in Sweden and Germany in autumn 2021."
"There have been countless adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels and stories over the years, but now for the first time we have an entirely new production set within the fictional universe created by the Queen of Crime. Never before has Sven Hjerson, the fictional detective of Agatha Christie’s fictional writer Ariadne Oliver, been committed to the screen; but now, for the first time, a production will bring this meta adaptation to life. Agatha Christie’s Sven Hjerson is a thrilling, playful whodunnit with a contemporary twist.
Ariadne Oliver is a mystery crime writer who appears in a number of Agatha Christie novels, and who, according to Agatha Christie, bears certain similarities to herself. Ariadne has her own master detective: Sven Hjerson who loves crudités, cold winter baths and solving murder mysteries. In this new series Sven Hjerson is played by none other than Johan Rheborg.
The TV series began shooting in Åland on December 8th. It comprises four classic whodunnit murder cases and will be broadcast as a TV series in Sweden and Germany in autumn 2021."
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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 11, 2021, 02:21:01 am »I'm reading BATS IN THE BELFRY by E.C.R. Lorac. I wish I had an edition with this cool cover, but mine is much more prosaic.
100
What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« Last post by Becke Davis on January 11, 2021, 02:18:27 am »I finished MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL by Hannah Dennison today. There are several other books in this series. I'll probably read more of them, if only I can find them in stores or - I live in hope! - at the library, when it finally opens again.