Published in 2001, this is a continuation of Virginia Rich's Genia Potter series. I don't always like the books when new authors take over the writing of a series, but in this case it seems to work.
Genia is called to Rhode Island to help out with her great-nephew, Jason, and his twin sister, Janie. Jason has been arrested for marijuana, and Genia's family needs her there.
While there Genia is enlisted by an old friend to help write a cookbook, along with her familiar responsibilities. Her old friend, Stanley Parker, suggests she have a dinner party featuring some of their cookbook recipes, and even suggests the guests that should be included.
The night of the dinner, Stanley doesn't arrive on time. In fact, he doesn't show up at all. Then his body is discovered, and her nephew is a suspect because he worked in Stanley's greenhouse, and has already been in trouble with the law. But there are other people who didn't get along with Stanley, and are also suspects.
The story was very interesting, and kept me reading. I enjoyed the looking at the recipes that were included, although I wasn't tempted to make any of them. They all looked like a little too much work just for two people, and I'm at the point in life where simple is better.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Lord Mayor of Death by Marian Babson
This is one of Marian Babson's stand alone mysteries, published in 1977. I've read several books by Babson, and have enjoyed them all, and this was no exception.
In this story, the London police are called on by a woman to find her missing 5 year old daughter, Kitty. During the investigation, they find out about a possible plot by an Irishman to bomb the Lord Mayor's Show, a parade to start the Lord Mayor's year in office, which had been going on for centuries. The story switches from the police search for the man who took Kitty, and the possible terrorist, to the attempts of the mother, a policewoman, and a friend of the mother's to find the little girl, and the thoughts of the Lord Mayor, who is aware that he may be the target of a terrorist.
The story kept up the pace, and drew you in. It was a little dated because of the Irish involvement and the lack of current technology, but still was an exciting read.
I don't believe I've ever been disappointed in any of the books I've read by Marian Babson. Looking forward to reading more by her.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Silver--I'm using this book as my free space for E--A Book you have to borrow.
In this story, the London police are called on by a woman to find her missing 5 year old daughter, Kitty. During the investigation, they find out about a possible plot by an Irishman to bomb the Lord Mayor's Show, a parade to start the Lord Mayor's year in office, which had been going on for centuries. The story switches from the police search for the man who took Kitty, and the possible terrorist, to the attempts of the mother, a policewoman, and a friend of the mother's to find the little girl, and the thoughts of the Lord Mayor, who is aware that he may be the target of a terrorist.
The story kept up the pace, and drew you in. It was a little dated because of the Irish involvement and the lack of current technology, but still was an exciting read.
I don't believe I've ever been disappointed in any of the books I've read by Marian Babson. Looking forward to reading more by her.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Silver--I'm using this book as my free space for E--A Book you have to borrow.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
2014 Color Coded Challenge Update
The challenge was to read books with various colors in the titles.
Here are the ones I've read:
Shades of Blue--High Midnight by Stuart Kaminsky
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
Shades of Red--Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests by Sarah M. Barton
Shades of Yellow--The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts
Shades of Green--Green for Danger by Christiana Brand
Shades of Brown--All Fudged Up by Nancy CoCo
Shades of Black--Fade to Black by Robert Goldsborough
Shades of White--Dead, White and Blue by Carolyn Hart
Any Other Color--Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson
Death by Pink Flamingo by Elisabeth Crabtree
Suggests Color--Polka Dot Murder by Frances Crane
Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall
This is my completed list for the 2014 Color Coded Challenge.
Thanks so much to Bev for starting this challenge!
Here are the ones I've read:
Shades of Blue--High Midnight by Stuart Kaminsky
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
Shades of Red--Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests by Sarah M. Barton
Shades of Yellow--The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts
Shades of Green--Green for Danger by Christiana Brand
Shades of Brown--All Fudged Up by Nancy CoCo
Shades of Black--Fade to Black by Robert Goldsborough
Shades of White--Dead, White and Blue by Carolyn Hart
Any Other Color--Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson
Death by Pink Flamingo by Elisabeth Crabtree
Suggests Color--Polka Dot Murder by Frances Crane
Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall
This is my completed list for the 2014 Color Coded Challenge.
Thanks so much to Bev for starting this challenge!
The Case of the Grinning Gorilla by Erle Stanley Gardner review
First published in 1952, this is another in the Perry Mason series of books. This one is more or less from the middle of the series, so Perry isn't quite as abrasive as he was in the early ones.
I really loved the title of this book. I've read several of the Perry Mason books and have enjoyed them, and when I saw this was on sale, I scooped it up last month--even though I've been trying to curtail my book purchases.
I've been trying to make my TBR pile smaller, and my goal was not to buy more books than I read from the pile. So far this year I believe I've read 24 or 25 books from my TBR pile, but I've purchased....more than that in January alone.
But in my defense--they were cheap or free, or they were books in a series I love, or by an author I love, or sounded really good and were recommended by someone on the Cozy mystery group on Goodreads. Actually, I blame Goodreads.com for introducing me to more books, authors and series that I really, really want to read! And so I get them, and then when I read them, I want to read more.
Back to the book, The Case of the Grinning Gorilla. Perry stops by an auction, and to help out he bids on a box of personal items of Helen Cadmus. To his surprise, his $5 bid wins the box. It turns out that Helen Cadmus was the secretary to Benjamin Addicks, an eccentric millionaire, and had committed suicide by jumping overboard from his yacht. The box contains her diaries, and this stirs up interest in several different quarters.
Perry decides that he should find out what is in the diaries to make them so important, and discovers that the woman who wrote the diaries didn't seem the suicidal type. He also finds out things about Addicks, including his personal zoo of gorillas and chimps, and his goal to hypnotize the animals.
Before long, Perry is involved in another interesting case that goes from theft to murder to being picked up by the police to confronting a grinning gorilla. There is lots of excitement, and it keeps you interested and reading, even if the premise is a little strange.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--N--Book with animal in Title
I really loved the title of this book. I've read several of the Perry Mason books and have enjoyed them, and when I saw this was on sale, I scooped it up last month--even though I've been trying to curtail my book purchases.
I've been trying to make my TBR pile smaller, and my goal was not to buy more books than I read from the pile. So far this year I believe I've read 24 or 25 books from my TBR pile, but I've purchased....more than that in January alone.
But in my defense--they were cheap or free, or they were books in a series I love, or by an author I love, or sounded really good and were recommended by someone on the Cozy mystery group on Goodreads. Actually, I blame Goodreads.com for introducing me to more books, authors and series that I really, really want to read! And so I get them, and then when I read them, I want to read more.
Back to the book, The Case of the Grinning Gorilla. Perry stops by an auction, and to help out he bids on a box of personal items of Helen Cadmus. To his surprise, his $5 bid wins the box. It turns out that Helen Cadmus was the secretary to Benjamin Addicks, an eccentric millionaire, and had committed suicide by jumping overboard from his yacht. The box contains her diaries, and this stirs up interest in several different quarters.
Perry decides that he should find out what is in the diaries to make them so important, and discovers that the woman who wrote the diaries didn't seem the suicidal type. He also finds out things about Addicks, including his personal zoo of gorillas and chimps, and his goal to hypnotize the animals.
Before long, Perry is involved in another interesting case that goes from theft to murder to being picked up by the police to confronting a grinning gorilla. There is lots of excitement, and it keeps you interested and reading, even if the premise is a little strange.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--N--Book with animal in Title
The Adventures of Ellery Queen by Ellery Queen review
First published in 1934, this collection of short stories features Ellery Queen. While the stories are short, they all have interesting mysteries that Ellery manages to solve handily.
I enjoyed this collection of stories more than the Roman Hat Mystery. Ellery seemed less annoying and arrogant in these, and even had a sense of humor of sorts. He also seemed younger and more like a regular young man, interested in women and willing to have a little fun.
He still managed to solve the crimes he came across, and I found the stories interesting to read. The stories are a bit dated, but given that they were written 80 years ago, that is to be expected.
I've got a couple more Ellery Queen stories on my kindle, so I will probably read them. I find the plots interesting, and I'm hoping Ellery develops into a less annoying main character, like he has in these stories.
Part of the Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--E--Short Story Collection.
I enjoyed this collection of stories more than the Roman Hat Mystery. Ellery seemed less annoying and arrogant in these, and even had a sense of humor of sorts. He also seemed younger and more like a regular young man, interested in women and willing to have a little fun.
He still managed to solve the crimes he came across, and I found the stories interesting to read. The stories are a bit dated, but given that they were written 80 years ago, that is to be expected.
I've got a couple more Ellery Queen stories on my kindle, so I will probably read them. I find the plots interesting, and I'm hoping Ellery develops into a less annoying main character, like he has in these stories.
Part of the Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--E--Short Story Collection.
The Shape of Fear by Hugh Pentecost review
First published in 1963, this is the second in the series featuring Pierre Chambrun and the Beaumont Hotel in New York.
When old Mr. Cardew is found murdered in his room at the hotel, Chambrun, with his staff assisting, determines to bring the killer to justice. There are plenty of suspects, including a famous race car driver who has been suspected of murder before, his ex-lover, her husband, and several others.
There are diplomats and spies, the police, former Nazis, and assorted other interesting characters. The plot kept me guessing as to who had done it, and why. The end was very satisfying. In a few words, a very enjoyable read, with everything I want in a book.
I really liked this book, it was fast paced and exciting. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Silver--R--Author with a Pseudonym.
It is also one of the books in my Mt. TBR reading challenge--bought December, 2013.
When old Mr. Cardew is found murdered in his room at the hotel, Chambrun, with his staff assisting, determines to bring the killer to justice. There are plenty of suspects, including a famous race car driver who has been suspected of murder before, his ex-lover, her husband, and several others.
There are diplomats and spies, the police, former Nazis, and assorted other interesting characters. The plot kept me guessing as to who had done it, and why. The end was very satisfying. In a few words, a very enjoyable read, with everything I want in a book.
I really liked this book, it was fast paced and exciting. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Silver--R--Author with a Pseudonym.
It is also one of the books in my Mt. TBR reading challenge--bought December, 2013.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Fer-de-lance by Rex Stout review
This is the first of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. It was first published in 1934, and was the basis for a film called "Meet Nero Wolfe" starring Edward Arnold as Wolfe, and Lionel Stander as Archie Goodwin.
I was delighted when I found this Nero Wolfe book I hadn't read before. Unfortunately, I put it in my pile of books to be read as I was already reading a couple of other books, I got caught up in other things, and I forgot I had it. While doing some sorting recently, I rediscovered it, and started reading it immediately!
The story begins with Fred Durkin asking Wolfe to talk with a friend, Marie Maffie. She is concerned that her brother, Carlo, a metalworker, has disappeared. Wolfe takes the case, and sends Archie to get more information.
Investigating at Carlo's boarding house, Archie finds Anna Fiore, who had overheard a phone call Carlo had received just before he disappeared. Wolfe talks to her and discovers that Carlo had clipped an article about the heart attack death of Peter Oliver Barstow from the paper, but won't tell Wolfe anything else.
Soon after, Carlo is found murdered in the country, and Wolfe suspects that the reason Carlo has clipped the article is that he knew something about the death--and that made the death murder. Wolfe sets up a strategy to get Barstow's body exhumed and autopsied, and sets himself up for a big payday when he determines who the murderer is.
An interesting read, with many of the characters that feature in future books introduced here. While reading it, though, I noticed that previous cases Wolfe and Archie had solved were mentioned, so it felt that I was reading one of the mysteries in the middle of the series, instead of the first one.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--L--Book Made into Movie
It is also part of my Mt. TBR reading challenge--bought in Sept. 2011.
I was delighted when I found this Nero Wolfe book I hadn't read before. Unfortunately, I put it in my pile of books to be read as I was already reading a couple of other books, I got caught up in other things, and I forgot I had it. While doing some sorting recently, I rediscovered it, and started reading it immediately!
The story begins with Fred Durkin asking Wolfe to talk with a friend, Marie Maffie. She is concerned that her brother, Carlo, a metalworker, has disappeared. Wolfe takes the case, and sends Archie to get more information.
Investigating at Carlo's boarding house, Archie finds Anna Fiore, who had overheard a phone call Carlo had received just before he disappeared. Wolfe talks to her and discovers that Carlo had clipped an article about the heart attack death of Peter Oliver Barstow from the paper, but won't tell Wolfe anything else.
Soon after, Carlo is found murdered in the country, and Wolfe suspects that the reason Carlo has clipped the article is that he knew something about the death--and that made the death murder. Wolfe sets up a strategy to get Barstow's body exhumed and autopsied, and sets himself up for a big payday when he determines who the murderer is.
An interesting read, with many of the characters that feature in future books introduced here. While reading it, though, I noticed that previous cases Wolfe and Archie had solved were mentioned, so it felt that I was reading one of the mysteries in the middle of the series, instead of the first one.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--L--Book Made into Movie
It is also part of my Mt. TBR reading challenge--bought in Sept. 2011.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Dead, White and Blue by Carolyn Hart review
This was published in 2013, and is part of the Death on Demand series. I really enjoy this series with Max and Annie Darling.
A woman disappears after a Fourth of July fireworks display, and no one except her stepdaughter seems to notice. Shell, the younger, second wife of Wesley Hurst, was a trouble maker. She made her husband, Wesley Hurst miserable, and had caused the break-up of his first marriage. Shell has a married lover she is threatening. She is also causing problems with her stepchildren. And then she and her new green Porsche disappear.
Most of the people in Shell's life are glad she's gone, and assume she has just taken off without telling anyone just to make trouble. But Shell's stepdaughter, Hayley, is worried, and asks Max Darling to discover just where Shell is.
While trying to determine where Shell and her car could be, Max discovers that one of the waiters at the club the evening that Shell disappeared has also ended up missing. Max also determines that Shell has to still be on the island, as no one has seen her leave.
I enjoy this series a lot, and the relationship between Max and Annie. I also find the other recurring characters, Emma Clyde, Henny Brawley and Max's mother, Laurel Darling Roethke, to be a wonderful addition to Max and Annie's sleuthing. However, in this story, the three of them are off on a cruise--although they manage to stay in touch and help out from a distance!
I found the mystery to be compelling, and had trouble putting the book down once I started reading it!
This is part of my Color Coded Challenge--7)--A book with white or any shade of white.
A woman disappears after a Fourth of July fireworks display, and no one except her stepdaughter seems to notice. Shell, the younger, second wife of Wesley Hurst, was a trouble maker. She made her husband, Wesley Hurst miserable, and had caused the break-up of his first marriage. Shell has a married lover she is threatening. She is also causing problems with her stepchildren. And then she and her new green Porsche disappear.
Most of the people in Shell's life are glad she's gone, and assume she has just taken off without telling anyone just to make trouble. But Shell's stepdaughter, Hayley, is worried, and asks Max Darling to discover just where Shell is.
While trying to determine where Shell and her car could be, Max discovers that one of the waiters at the club the evening that Shell disappeared has also ended up missing. Max also determines that Shell has to still be on the island, as no one has seen her leave.
I enjoy this series a lot, and the relationship between Max and Annie. I also find the other recurring characters, Emma Clyde, Henny Brawley and Max's mother, Laurel Darling Roethke, to be a wonderful addition to Max and Annie's sleuthing. However, in this story, the three of them are off on a cruise--although they manage to stay in touch and help out from a distance!
I found the mystery to be compelling, and had trouble putting the book down once I started reading it!
This is part of my Color Coded Challenge--7)--A book with white or any shade of white.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie review
First published in 1936, this is one of Christie's Hercule Poirot books. I've loved the Agatha Christie stories from the first time I read one as a teenager.
I enjoyed Cards on the Table quite a bit, especially as I thought I had already read it, but it turned out it was one I had never read. I think when I saw the title I had confused it with another of the Christie stories which featured a game of cards, The King of Clubs, a short story in The Underdog and other Stories.
In this story, Mr. Shaitana, an acquaintance of Poirot's, invites him to a dinner party. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, well-known author of detective novels, Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, and Colonel Race, who's job is hush-hush are also invited, along with Major Despard, Mrs. Lorimer, Dr. Roberts, and Miss Anne Meredith.
While the guests are playing bridge in two different rooms, someone is murdered. It turns out that Mr. Shaitana, a vain man who liked to display a Mephistophelian attitude to life, had collected four"sleuthes" for his dinner party. He also included four people he suspected to be "murderers". It appears that at least in one case, he was correct in his suspicions.
The four sleuths co-operate as they try to determine which of the four suspected murderers had done the deed. The investigation discovers the deaths that the "murderers" had been involved in, which Shaitana believed to be murders.
I was involved in the mystery throughout the book, and was couldn't seem to decide which was the real murderer. The ending was a surprise to me, and I enjoyed this book immensely.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--E--A book with a detective team.
I enjoyed Cards on the Table quite a bit, especially as I thought I had already read it, but it turned out it was one I had never read. I think when I saw the title I had confused it with another of the Christie stories which featured a game of cards, The King of Clubs, a short story in The Underdog and other Stories.
In this story, Mr. Shaitana, an acquaintance of Poirot's, invites him to a dinner party. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, well-known author of detective novels, Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, and Colonel Race, who's job is hush-hush are also invited, along with Major Despard, Mrs. Lorimer, Dr. Roberts, and Miss Anne Meredith.
While the guests are playing bridge in two different rooms, someone is murdered. It turns out that Mr. Shaitana, a vain man who liked to display a Mephistophelian attitude to life, had collected four"sleuthes" for his dinner party. He also included four people he suspected to be "murderers". It appears that at least in one case, he was correct in his suspicions.
The four sleuths co-operate as they try to determine which of the four suspected murderers had done the deed. The investigation discovers the deaths that the "murderers" had been involved in, which Shaitana believed to be murders.
I was involved in the mystery throughout the book, and was couldn't seem to decide which was the real murderer. The ending was a surprise to me, and I enjoyed this book immensely.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--E--A book with a detective team.
Friday, September 19, 2014
The Case of the Mythical Monkeys by Erle Stanley Gardner review.
First published in 1959, this is one of the many Perry Mason mysteries written by Gardner.
Gladys Doyle is the secretary of Mauvis Meade, a best selling novelist and former girlfriend of an underworld gangster. Meade instructs Doyle to take her place for an appointment Meade's made for an interview. Doyle is told to spend the weekend, and not come back until Sunday afternoon. On her way back, she takes a wrong turn and gets stuck. She finds a cabin and an unwelcoming occupant, who finally allows her to spend the night. In the morning Doyle discovers her host gone, and a dead body in the other bedroom--and her car is no longer stuck and is facing back towards the main road.
When she finally arrives at Meade's apartment, it is ransacked, and Mauvis Meade is nowhere to be found. Doyle immediately heads for Perry Mason, and tells him what has happened. Perry accepts her as a client, and starts to investigate.
The story was interesting and exciting, there was a little romance thrown in, and a typical Perry Mason courtroom scene. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I'm looking forward to reading other books in this series.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--N--set in US.
Gladys Doyle is the secretary of Mauvis Meade, a best selling novelist and former girlfriend of an underworld gangster. Meade instructs Doyle to take her place for an appointment Meade's made for an interview. Doyle is told to spend the weekend, and not come back until Sunday afternoon. On her way back, she takes a wrong turn and gets stuck. She finds a cabin and an unwelcoming occupant, who finally allows her to spend the night. In the morning Doyle discovers her host gone, and a dead body in the other bedroom--and her car is no longer stuck and is facing back towards the main road.
When she finally arrives at Meade's apartment, it is ransacked, and Mauvis Meade is nowhere to be found. Doyle immediately heads for Perry Mason, and tells him what has happened. Perry accepts her as a client, and starts to investigate.
The story was interesting and exciting, there was a little romance thrown in, and a typical Perry Mason courtroom scene. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I'm looking forward to reading other books in this series.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--N--set in US.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen
This was first published in 1929. It is the first of the Ellery Queen mysteries.
A shady lawyer, Monte Field, is poisoned in the Roman Theater in New York City. Inspector Richard Queen is called in, and invites his son, Ellery to assist.
There are a number of suspects, as Field is reputed to be a blackmailer. His body was found before the play ended, and a policeman was notified immediately. He shut down the exits of the theater, and sent for reinforcements.
Before the theater patrons can leave, they are thoroughly searched. It is then discovered that the victim's top hat is missing, which possibly contained incriminating documents. The theater is searched, but the top hat remains missing.
There were a couple of things that seemed odd to me. One was that the theater and the actors are intertwined with a wealthy family. One of the actors is engaged to the wealthy family's daughter, and several of the other actors are friends of both the daughter and her brother. Seemed odd that these relationships were accepted by the wealthy family.
And even though the daughter's purse is discovered with the victim, when she is asked to explain she says the victim followed her out during the intermission and propositioned her, and she must have dropped her purse. Ellery accepts that, and eliminates her as a suspect just like that.
However, after quite a bit of investigating, there are still several possible suspects. At the end, after a "Challenge to the Reader", Ellery identifies the murderer using a bit of logical deduction.
The book seemed to move a bit slowly, and Ellery seemed a little annoying to me. Inspector Queen seems to be overly impressed with Ellery, bringing him in to assist early on, without even attempting to solve the crime himself. Ellery himself seems arrogant and smug. On the upside, I'm sure it improved my vocabulary!
There were also a lot of comments that would not be allowed in this type of book today. A person is described as monkey-like, another is discovered to have blood with a "black taint" and has a "strain of negroid blood in his veins". There were a lot of these type of comments.
I had heard of Ellery Queen for years, and have even read several Ellery Queen Magazines over the years, so I thought it was time to read the original. I was a bit disappointed. I'm going to read a couple more, hoping that Ellery becomes less annoying.
This is in my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--N--Written by author with Pseudonym.
It is also part of my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge--bought December, 2013.
A shady lawyer, Monte Field, is poisoned in the Roman Theater in New York City. Inspector Richard Queen is called in, and invites his son, Ellery to assist.
There are a number of suspects, as Field is reputed to be a blackmailer. His body was found before the play ended, and a policeman was notified immediately. He shut down the exits of the theater, and sent for reinforcements.
Before the theater patrons can leave, they are thoroughly searched. It is then discovered that the victim's top hat is missing, which possibly contained incriminating documents. The theater is searched, but the top hat remains missing.
There were a couple of things that seemed odd to me. One was that the theater and the actors are intertwined with a wealthy family. One of the actors is engaged to the wealthy family's daughter, and several of the other actors are friends of both the daughter and her brother. Seemed odd that these relationships were accepted by the wealthy family.
And even though the daughter's purse is discovered with the victim, when she is asked to explain she says the victim followed her out during the intermission and propositioned her, and she must have dropped her purse. Ellery accepts that, and eliminates her as a suspect just like that.
However, after quite a bit of investigating, there are still several possible suspects. At the end, after a "Challenge to the Reader", Ellery identifies the murderer using a bit of logical deduction.
The book seemed to move a bit slowly, and Ellery seemed a little annoying to me. Inspector Queen seems to be overly impressed with Ellery, bringing him in to assist early on, without even attempting to solve the crime himself. Ellery himself seems arrogant and smug. On the upside, I'm sure it improved my vocabulary!
There were also a lot of comments that would not be allowed in this type of book today. A person is described as monkey-like, another is discovered to have blood with a "black taint" and has a "strain of negroid blood in his veins". There were a lot of these type of comments.
I had heard of Ellery Queen for years, and have even read several Ellery Queen Magazines over the years, so I thought it was time to read the original. I was a bit disappointed. I'm going to read a couple more, hoping that Ellery becomes less annoying.
This is in my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--N--Written by author with Pseudonym.
It is also part of my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge--bought December, 2013.
Always Leave 'Em Dying by Richard Prather review
This is one of the Shell Scott stories, first published in 1954. It's the eighth in the series, and it's not as funny as some of the later ones. I hadn't read this one before, although I've read several other Shell Scott mysteries. It is still an interesting read, but not quite as enjoyable for me as the later, slightly more looney ones I've read.
In this book, Scott is hired by a woman to find her daughter, Felicity, who has disappeared overnight. The mother doesn't impress Scott, but when checking out the daughter's room, he finds she looks like the innocent 16 year-old girl that she is. When he checks her out with friends, he finds her to be the kind of girl no one says a bad word about.
While trying to find her, he is told that she is a "Trammelite", a follower of cult leader Arthur Trammel. Scott has previously had a run-in with Trammel, and they didn't like each other, but he went out to the Trammelite church to see if anyone there, including Trammel, could shed any light on Felicity's disappearance. This results in Trammel and Scott arguing, including a few threats. Unfortunately, a reporter who is a supporter of Trammel is a witness, and the slanted against Scott article is featured in his paper.
While investigating, Scott discovers that a local Asylum is involved in illegal activities. He also ends up labeled as a violent mental case by one of the doctors, and is locked up, restrained in a staight jacket, and doped up. He manages to get out, but gets a lot of bad publicity. And then Arthur Trammel dies, and Scott is accused of his murder.
I enjoyed the mystery of this, and like the way I can follow along with Scott as he makes his discoveries, and can see some of his thought processes. There are some less than politically correct concepts in the stories, but they were written in a different time, and that is the way it was when the story was written.
I've been a Shell Scott fan since I was about 15, when I found my dad's stash of mysteries in the closet. My mom wasn't sure these were books I should be reading at that age, but my dad said they weren't that bad--after he pulled out all of the Mickey Spillane books. What was left was about 10 Shell Scott books, which I enjoyed immensely--this was in the mid-sixties and I suspect that most of the books were from the late 1950s and early sixties, and featured that weird humor that I really came to enjoy.
Over the years I've come across random Shell Scott mysteries, and bought them whenever I've found them. I believe there are over 30 Shell Scott mysteries, and I've probably read 20, so I have a few more to look forward to as I find them.
Part of the Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--D--book with Professional Detective.
In this book, Scott is hired by a woman to find her daughter, Felicity, who has disappeared overnight. The mother doesn't impress Scott, but when checking out the daughter's room, he finds she looks like the innocent 16 year-old girl that she is. When he checks her out with friends, he finds her to be the kind of girl no one says a bad word about.
While trying to find her, he is told that she is a "Trammelite", a follower of cult leader Arthur Trammel. Scott has previously had a run-in with Trammel, and they didn't like each other, but he went out to the Trammelite church to see if anyone there, including Trammel, could shed any light on Felicity's disappearance. This results in Trammel and Scott arguing, including a few threats. Unfortunately, a reporter who is a supporter of Trammel is a witness, and the slanted against Scott article is featured in his paper.
While investigating, Scott discovers that a local Asylum is involved in illegal activities. He also ends up labeled as a violent mental case by one of the doctors, and is locked up, restrained in a staight jacket, and doped up. He manages to get out, but gets a lot of bad publicity. And then Arthur Trammel dies, and Scott is accused of his murder.
I enjoyed the mystery of this, and like the way I can follow along with Scott as he makes his discoveries, and can see some of his thought processes. There are some less than politically correct concepts in the stories, but they were written in a different time, and that is the way it was when the story was written.
I've been a Shell Scott fan since I was about 15, when I found my dad's stash of mysteries in the closet. My mom wasn't sure these were books I should be reading at that age, but my dad said they weren't that bad--after he pulled out all of the Mickey Spillane books. What was left was about 10 Shell Scott books, which I enjoyed immensely--this was in the mid-sixties and I suspect that most of the books were from the late 1950s and early sixties, and featured that weird humor that I really came to enjoy.
Over the years I've come across random Shell Scott mysteries, and bought them whenever I've found them. I believe there are over 30 Shell Scott mysteries, and I've probably read 20, so I have a few more to look forward to as I find them.
Part of the Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Golden--D--book with Professional Detective.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Walking Dead Man by Hugh Pentecost review
This was published in 1973. It was written by Judson Phillips under his pen name of Hugh Pentecost, and is the ninth in the Pierre Chambrun series that take place in the luxury Beaumont Hotel in New York. The story is told from the viewpoint of Mark Haskell, the public relations man for the Beaumont.
Chambrun is the manager of the Beaumont Hotel, running it for the owner, George Battle. The two of them have known each other for many years, since they both helped the French Resistance, Battle with money, and Chambrun as a leader and fighter. During that time they were responsible for several deaths.
Multi-millionaire Battle, for the last couple of decades, has spent his life on the French Riviera, sequestered in his fortified chateau from the world and the dangers of people who want to kill him. Because of his choice to finance a movie, he decides to come to New York and stay at the Hotel, because he trusts Chambrun to protect him. He is surrounded by his doctor, personal chef, butler, bodyguard and personal secretary (who formerly worked at the Hotel). He takes over Chambrun's penthouse apartment, and his first night there he is shot at while in bed.
Chambrun, the police, and the hotel security try to figure out how the shooter got into the penthouse, and how he made his escape, without anyone seeing him. They also aren't sure if it was Chambrun or Battle who was the intended victim. This seems to be settled after additional deaths.
I have enjoyed several other Pierre Chambrun novels over the years, and this one is another enjoyable read. I did solve the mystery before the reveal, but still liked reading the book. The characters in the series are interesting, and I find the descriptions of the Beaumont and its inner workings fascinating.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Silver--S--locked room mystery
This is part of my Mt. TBR reading challenge, as it was purchased in December, 2013.
Chambrun is the manager of the Beaumont Hotel, running it for the owner, George Battle. The two of them have known each other for many years, since they both helped the French Resistance, Battle with money, and Chambrun as a leader and fighter. During that time they were responsible for several deaths.
Multi-millionaire Battle, for the last couple of decades, has spent his life on the French Riviera, sequestered in his fortified chateau from the world and the dangers of people who want to kill him. Because of his choice to finance a movie, he decides to come to New York and stay at the Hotel, because he trusts Chambrun to protect him. He is surrounded by his doctor, personal chef, butler, bodyguard and personal secretary (who formerly worked at the Hotel). He takes over Chambrun's penthouse apartment, and his first night there he is shot at while in bed.
Chambrun, the police, and the hotel security try to figure out how the shooter got into the penthouse, and how he made his escape, without anyone seeing him. They also aren't sure if it was Chambrun or Battle who was the intended victim. This seems to be settled after additional deaths.
I have enjoyed several other Pierre Chambrun novels over the years, and this one is another enjoyable read. I did solve the mystery before the reveal, but still liked reading the book. The characters in the series are interesting, and I find the descriptions of the Beaumont and its inner workings fascinating.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO challenge--Silver--S--locked room mystery
This is part of my Mt. TBR reading challenge, as it was purchased in December, 2013.
Friday, September 12, 2014
The Polka Dot Murder by Frances Crane review
This was originally published in 1951. I had never read anything by the author, Frances Crane, but this features a married couple, Pat and Jean, and their involvement in solving mysteries. I was hoping it would be similar to Nick and Norah Charles in The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammet, or like Pam and Jerry North in the Frances and Richard Lockridge series.
This mystery was set in New Mexico, and starts off with Pat and Jean's friend, rancher Jim Rand, becoming engaged to Maggie, who has a cute four-year-old daughter. Then Jim's ex-wife arrives--after their divorce she married a gangster who has been recently murdered, and she uses one of her late husband's gangster friend as her chauffeur. Not to be outdone, Maggie's former husband also shows up.
There are an assortment of artist type people to add color, and there are warnings of possible trouble brewing ahead, with an gossiping man to add more fuel to the fire. There are a lot of stereotypes, which is par for the course for this time frame. Then there is the murder, committed using Jim's gun. And Maggie's daughter is kidnapped and can't be found. Jean and Pat get involved helping the sheriff find the missing girl, and solving the murder.
I was a little disappointed in this book, probably because my expectations weren't realistic. There didn't seem to be much, if any, lighthearted bantering between Pat and Jean, and the story seemed more serious than other series that I've read. It also seemed to be dragging at the beginning, and a little hard to follow.
It may have been because of the time frame this took place, or the subject matter, or I may have just not been in the right kind of mood, but this wasn't one of my favorite books, although I will probably read another book in the series to see if I like it better. Perhaps, as this was one of the books from the middle of the series, I'll try to find one of the first books.
This is part of my 2014 Color Coded Challenge--9) A book with a word that implies color.
It is also part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge--E--book with detective team.
This mystery was set in New Mexico, and starts off with Pat and Jean's friend, rancher Jim Rand, becoming engaged to Maggie, who has a cute four-year-old daughter. Then Jim's ex-wife arrives--after their divorce she married a gangster who has been recently murdered, and she uses one of her late husband's gangster friend as her chauffeur. Not to be outdone, Maggie's former husband also shows up.
There are an assortment of artist type people to add color, and there are warnings of possible trouble brewing ahead, with an gossiping man to add more fuel to the fire. There are a lot of stereotypes, which is par for the course for this time frame. Then there is the murder, committed using Jim's gun. And Maggie's daughter is kidnapped and can't be found. Jean and Pat get involved helping the sheriff find the missing girl, and solving the murder.
I was a little disappointed in this book, probably because my expectations weren't realistic. There didn't seem to be much, if any, lighthearted bantering between Pat and Jean, and the story seemed more serious than other series that I've read. It also seemed to be dragging at the beginning, and a little hard to follow.
It may have been because of the time frame this took place, or the subject matter, or I may have just not been in the right kind of mood, but this wasn't one of my favorite books, although I will probably read another book in the series to see if I like it better. Perhaps, as this was one of the books from the middle of the series, I'll try to find one of the first books.
This is part of my 2014 Color Coded Challenge--9) A book with a word that implies color.
It is also part of my 2014 Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge--E--book with detective team.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Case of the Hesitant Hostess by Erle Stanley Gardner review
This is another of the Perry Mason mysteries by Erle Stanley Gardner. It was first published in 1953, so it is a little more polished than some of his much earlier works, and Perry is not quite so rough around the edges--although he hasn't quite smoothed out all of the rough edges yet.
In this story Perry is appointed a lawyer to penniless Albert Brogram, who is charged with armed robbery, and when nightclub hostess Inez Kaylor is found by Paul Drake, he knows his case is won. But during the court proceedings Inez disappears, which threatens Perry's case. He just has a couple of days to find Inez, or Albert will be spending time in prison.
But before the case is over, Albert is also charged with a murder. If he is found guilty of the armed robbery, he will no doubt be found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death. Perry gets a lot of help from Della Street and Paul Drake, and finds out what really happened.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit, even though it is a bit old fashioned. I actually like the later stories better than the earlier ones, as Perry seems more like a lawyer, and not so ready to break laws.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Bingo Challenge--Golden--D--already read by a fellow challenger--Major in July.
In this story Perry is appointed a lawyer to penniless Albert Brogram, who is charged with armed robbery, and when nightclub hostess Inez Kaylor is found by Paul Drake, he knows his case is won. But during the court proceedings Inez disappears, which threatens Perry's case. He just has a couple of days to find Inez, or Albert will be spending time in prison.
But before the case is over, Albert is also charged with a murder. If he is found guilty of the armed robbery, he will no doubt be found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death. Perry gets a lot of help from Della Street and Paul Drake, and finds out what really happened.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit, even though it is a bit old fashioned. I actually like the later stories better than the earlier ones, as Perry seems more like a lawyer, and not so ready to break laws.
This is part of my 2014 Vintage Bingo Challenge--Golden--D--already read by a fellow challenger--Major in July.
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