Mystery Scene Community
General Discussion => What I'm Reading => Topic started by: Admin on April 25, 2020, 02:58:19 pm
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I just finished Who Rides a Tiger by Doris Miles Disney. Her Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miles_Disney (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miles_Disney)
This was definitely a "Wow!" book. The structure is that of a young woman discovering and reading the diary of her recently deceased aunt and unraveling the mystery of her life.
(Kate and I both loved it and that doesn't always happen.)
He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount
- Chinese Proverb
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I just finished Who Rides a Tiger by Doris Miles Disney. Her Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miles_Disney (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miles_Disney)
This was definitely a "Wow!" book. The structure is that of a young woman discovering and reading the diary of her recently deceased aunt and unraveling the mystery of her life.
(Kate and I both loved it and that doesn't always happen.)
I have read some of her books but that title doesn't sound familiar. Maybe my library will have it. (I miss my library.)
He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount
- Chinese Proverb
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I'm surprised her books haven't been reissued.
Just thought of two other authors I want to reread one of these days - Evelyn Anthony and Charlotte Armstrong.
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Just adding a strong seconding to Brian's praise for Doris Miles Disney's WHO RIDES A TIGER. If you can find this book, by all means grab it. I haven't been this thoroughly bamboozled by a writer since I was reading Agatha Christie for the first time.
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Just adding a strong seconding to Brian's praise for Doris Miles Disney's WHO RIDES A TIGER. If you can find this book, by all means grab it. I haven't been this thoroughly bamboozled by a writer since I was reading Agatha Christie for the first time.
I just picked up two used (of course!) copies of vintage Doris Miles Disney books, and this was one of them! Now I just have to buckle down and READ! I have a series case of coronavirus brain. That's my only explanation why it's taking me so long to finish reading books these days.
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I just started WHO RIDES A TIGER? after setting the mood by reading SHADOW OF A MAN. That one is more psychological suspense than a whodunnit - it was still REALLY good!
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I just started WHO RIDES A TIGER? after setting the mood by reading SHADOW OF A MAN. That one is more psychological suspense than a whodunnit - it was still REALLY good!
I'll add my thumbs up to Brian and Kate's recommendation of WHO RIDES A TIGER? It really kept me guessing. Even though I had been forewarned by their recommendations that something special was coming, my initial guess was way off the mark. I love it when an author fools me!
One interesting note (interesting to me, in any case) was in the cover of the paperback version I read. You can see it here:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=20073052233&searchurl=an%3Ddoris%2Bmiles%2Bdisney%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3Dwho%2Brides%2Ba%2Btiger&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image7
I don't pay a lot of attention to book covers while I am reading a books, so it wasn't until I finished it that I noticed the background of the cover was familiar. In fact, it was exactly the same wallpaper we had in our living room when we lived in England some years back. It's a William Morris print, only ours was in brown tones while the cover has some blue in the pattern. It was going on my keeper shelf anyway, but now I have two reasons for keeping it!
Looking up her bio, I learned that Doris Miles Disney wrote 47 novels. I'm sure I haven't read all those, so the hunt is on!
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I treated myself to some vintage books (and some newer ones) from ABE.com, including a bunch of Doris Miles Disney books. Unfortunately, the first one I read was kind of disappointing. It's called HERE LIES... and it features a skeleton found in a family plot. It's been there nearly 50 years and when the skull is dug up, a bullet falls out. It sounded really promising but it was slow-moving, with most of the story involving research into old documents and newspaper clippings. It was interesting, but not a favorite.
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I treated myself to some vintage books (and some newer ones) from ABE.com, including a bunch of Doris Miles Disney books. Unfortunately, the first one I read was kind of disappointing. It's called HERE LIES... and it features a skeleton found in a family plot. It's been there nearly 50 years and when the skull is dug up, a bullet falls out. It sounded really promising but it was slow-moving, with most of the story involving research into old documents and newspaper clippings. It was interesting, but not a favorite.
I don't think I read this one, and I don't have the Tiger book (I checked, since you all liked it so much), but I do have a couple old books by Doris Miles Disney. Maybe I'll read one of those next.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Dorothy Eden. One of my favorite books years ago was An Afternoon Walk by Dorothy Eden. I don't know whatever happened to her.
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I had no idea Dorothy Eden was from New Zealand! Got this from Wikipedia: "Dorothy Enid Eden (3 April 1912 – 4 March 1982) was a novelist and short story writer. She was born in a farming community near Ashburton on the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand, where she attended school and worked as a legal secretary before moving to England in 1954. She died of cancer in London."
I liked her books a lot, too. I remember WAITING FOR WILLA, which came out in a Readers Digest Condensed Book. I also remember WHISTLE FOR THE CROWS and THE VINES OF YARRABEE. Looking at this list, I also remember THE VOICE OF THE DOLLS. https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/dorothy-eden/
I'm pretty sure I read AN AFTERNOON WALK, too. If it came out in a Condensed Book or a Book Club Edition, I probably did.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1654599.Afternoon_Walk
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Tough choice. I don't know what to read next, a book by Emma Lathen, Doris Miles Disney or maybe a new book. I don't want to read anything real scary or depressing.
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I know what you mean. I can't read anything depressing right now. I've read a couple gothics but I'm not ready for anything that will make me run and check that the doors are locked.
I recommend the book I'm currently reading, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? by Donald E. Westlake. It "stars" John Dortmunder, a crook you would call hapless if he didn't accidentally strike it rich while in search of revenge while trying to reclaim an all but worthless ring. The loss of the ring was humiliating, and Dortmunder is determined to humiliate the billionaire who conned him out of the ring at all costs.
The plot is clever and the dialogue is funny. I wish there was a movie based on this book!
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I'm going back and forth between new releases and oldies. Today I felt like reading something old, so I dug out Doris Miles Disney's THE DAY MISS BESSIE LEWIS DISAPPEARED. The title is kind of misleading - Miss Bessie Lewis does feature prominently but she's not the protagonist. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but the biggest twist to this mystery is...well, you'll have to read it to find out. The characters are interesting and the plot has some unexpected twists. Not a shocker like some of her books, but not your average mystery either. On the whole, Doris Miles Disney books always seem to be worth the read.
This would be a fun movie made-for-TV. Back in the day, I could have seen Peter Falk (aka Columbo), James Garner (aka Rockford) or even Walter Matthau as the protagonist of this book. (I just Googled it on the off-chance it had been made into a TV show or movie and I just missed it, but no luck.) I think I have a couple more Doris Miles Disney books in my waiting-to-be-read pile. I had ordered some used copies at ABE.com, but they didn't all ship. Oh well - I still have a lot of books to choose from. (My definition of happiness!)
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I started an Emma Lathen book but I'm kind of wanting to read another Christmas mystery. I don't like to stop once I start a book, but I'll see if I have any other Christmas mysteries before I make up my mind.