Ok. Well, I thought I would like it a bit more, but maybe coming off of Hammett's The Thin Man & The Maltese Falcon wasn't the best thing to do. I preOk. Well, I thought I would like it a bit more, but maybe coming off of Hammett's The Thin Man & The Maltese Falcon wasn't the best thing to do. I prefer Hammett's writing. <--so far Because I'm guessing that these books get better? It just seems as though this plot was overly complex for no good reason because, in the end, the story really didn't go anywhere. Ane when it was over, I kind of went...what? that's it?
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Again, it's not so much that I think The Big Sleep is bad, as I think I just enjoy the other guy's dialogue better. It's snappier or something. Having said that, I'm not going to give up on Raymond Chandler. But I do think I'm going to take a break from hard-boiled detective stories for a while and then come back and visit Philip Marlowe at a later date.
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I had the audiobook with Elliott Gould as the narrator and he was fantastic, in case you were thinking of giving this one a listen....more
LOVE THE ENDING! This one is juicy. A rich old lady is found dead and all signs point toward Leonard Vole, a young man who has been paying her special LOVE THE ENDING! This one is juicy. A rich old lady is found dead and all signs point toward Leonard Vole, a young man who has been paying her special attention, as she had apparently changed her will and he stands to inherit a good deal of money. Did he kill her? All signs point to yes. But his attorney, Mr. Mayhew, isn't convinced that he's actually guilty. Especially once he pays a visit to Leonard's wife, Romaine. <--yes, like the lettuce
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Leonard swears she can give him an alibi for the time of the murder, but when Mayhew speaks to her, it's obvious to him that she's a bitter woman who can't wait to see her lover hanged. Even if she has to lie on the witness stand to do it.
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The ending to this one was abrupt and shocking - and I loved it! (view spoiler)[After Mr. Mayhew gets the evidence to prove Romaine has lied on the witness stand and has freed his client, it looks like all is well. BUT THEN! Romaine looks Mayhew dead in the eye and admits to lying on the stand. But NOT because she knew he was innocent. Because she knew he was guilty. And she also knew the jury wouldn't believe her if she gave him an alibi and they thought she loved him. But if they thought she hated him and was trying to get him put away for murder? Oh yeah. They'd believe that she was being vindictive and that he was innocent. (hide spoiler)] WHAT?!
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Published in Flynn's Weekly in 1925, the story was originally titled Traitor's Hands. Christie was unhappy with her ending (view spoiler)[(a murderer getting away with murder is not something you see often in her books) (hide spoiler)] so when she later turned it into a play, she changed it up (view spoiler)[so that Vole had a secret lover who appeared at the end and Romaine, in a fit of jealousy, stabs him as he's leaving the courtroom (hide spoiler)]. However, I prefer the shock of the original. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!...more
Not a bad selection of stories, but not the best if you're looking for Miss Marple shorts. Two of the stories don't have any Jane in them at all, in faNot a bad selection of stories, but not the best if you're looking for Miss Marple shorts. Two of the stories don't have any Jane in them at all, in fact. BUT. They are both really good shorts, so it's still a win. If you're looking for a good collection of Miss Marple shorts, I'd recommend The Thirteen Problems or Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories.
Sanctuary A man dies from a gunshot wound in the parson's wife's arms, whispering the word sanctuary with his dying breath. A little dramatic, no?
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Strange Jest This is a story of a rich uncle who leaves his niece and nephew (who want to get married) to hunt for his fortune after he dies. To be honest it felt a bit like Manx Gold because in that one you have two cousins who want to get married but have to hunt for the treasure that their rich old relative leaves for them, as well. However, that one is more of a real treasure hunt with clues, and this one is that he didn't trust banks and they're just hunting around in the house for what the crazy old fart did with all of his money.
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Miss Marple inserts herself into the hunt in her fluffy old lady way, and then shocks the young couple when she solves the mystery for them. How? Because this guy reminds her of another old man who liked Dad jokes back in St. Mary Mead. Village life, bitches.
Tape-Measure Murder Not my favorite Marple. And yet, is any Marple a bad Marple? So. This one deals with a woman whose husband is the main suspect in her murder, mainly because he isn't showing the appropriate amount of emotion.
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The Case of the Caretaker Miss Marple, recovered from a bad bout of the flu, was feeling depressed. I guess that's a thing? Anyway, it took a lot out of her and she'd started to fall into a funk. So her good friend and physician, Doctor Haydock, brings her a file with a case he recently had so she can solve the whodunnit.
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The Case of the Perfect Maid Miss Marple knows. She's like Santa Clause or something when it comes to who has been bad or good, and her friends and neighbors would do well to listen to her advice when it comes to the hiring and firing of servants. Or employees as we call them these days.
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A sweet but flighty domestic named Gladys is fired after being suspected of stealing jewelry from the two sisters that employed her. While they didn't outright accuse her, the taint of scandal is enough to ruin her chances of future employment. Luckily for Gladys, her cousin is Miss Marple's maid. And she pleads her silly cousin's case to her beloved little old lady.
Miss Marple Tells a Story I loved the way Miss Marple narrated the story in a hilarious humblebrag kind of way. When a lawyer brings his client to Jane and asks her to listen to the story of the events leading up to him finding his wife dead in their hotel room, the client in question thinks it's a waste of time. However, just as her lawyer friend hoped, the fluffy old lady manages to see a few things that everyone else missed and ends up saving his bacon.
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The Dressmaker's Doll This is maybe the creepiest story Agatha Christie ever wrote. Of course any story written about a haunted doll is going to scare the shit out of me. That's my thing. Dolls. Ugh. Brrr!
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In a Glass Darkly Once again, Christie has her heroine getting strangled by the man who claims to love her. What was wrong with you, Agatha?! A young man has a vision of a beautiful woman being strangled in the room next to his while at a house party. Can he save her from her fate?
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Greenshaw's Folly Raymond West, Miss Marple's lovable nephew, brings home a mystery to his Aunt Jane. While trying to entertain a friend from the city with the local sight of an oddly built local house, he stumbles into a family drama and a murder-to-be decades in the making.
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If for some reason you are looking for Marple shorts that are not part of the Tuesday Night Club, then this would be great. Otherwise, I'd suggest trying to find either of the books linked at the top of the review. ...more
I'm keeping it short. I swear! My biggest achievement? I conquered The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2022! I read The Fellowship of the Ring in 2021 and I'm keeping it short. I swear! My biggest achievement? I conquered The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2022! I read The Fellowship of the Ring in 2021 and honestly didn't think I'd ever muster up the energy to finish. But I got The Two Towers AND The Return of the King in under the wire and I'm honestly thrilled down to my toes to be able to check those two off.
My other big goal was to read all of Agatha Christie's mysteries this year. Alas, it didn't happen. I'm still missing Curtain <--because I thought it would be fitting to read it last. But every time I turn around I'm finding ONE MORE damn short story that I haven't read. So, I'm still a few shorts shy of being able to read the last Poirot story. However, I still feel a real sense of accomplishment because I now have 235 books clocked on my Agatha Christie Shelf, and goddammit, that's not too shabby.
My favorites of the year were easily Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club books about a group of funny septuagenarians in a retirement village who get up to all kinds of shenanigans.
I had a lot of fun this year with all of you who live here on Goodreads with me, and I want to thank you for sharing your thoughts and recommendations. I wish you all a safe, crazy, wonderful New Year! ...more
How important are white teeth? In the grand scheme of life, not very. However, if you're a Belgian detective, you may just be able to solve a murder baHow important are white teeth? In the grand scheme of life, not very. However, if you're a Belgian detective, you may just be able to solve a murder based on the color of someone's chompers.
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The gist of this one is that Poirot gets interested in the eating habits of a nameless man he and his friend see at a restaurant. After discovering that he eats the same meal each week and talking about habits, Poirot is concerned to discover upon returning to the restaurant that the man did not come back the next week. When he investigates the man's disappearance he finds out that he died from a fall down his steps. ON THE SAME DAY HIS TWIN BROTHER DIED LEAVING HIM A SMALL FORTUNE.
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Something about this doesn't seem right and Poirot is going to find out exactly what it is.
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Originally titled Poirot and the Regular Customer, some sources say it was first published in 1926 in an unnamed US magazine. But others say that it was initially published in the US Colliers the National Weekly in 1940, and in the UK in the Strand Magazine in 1941. It doesn't make a lot of sense that it would take so long between publishing it in the US and publishing it in the UK. Most of the short stories I've run across were only published a year apart between the two countries, so I tend to believe the story is most likely from the 40s.
This is the last mystery told by a member of the Tuesday Night Club, and this time around it's the ditzy but beautiful actress, Jane Helier, who offerThis is the last mystery told by a member of the Tuesday Night Club, and this time around it's the ditzy but beautiful actress, Jane Helier, who offers up a crime for the group to solve. It seems as though a local bungalow was burgled and the man in custody for the robbery has a crazy story to tell...
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He has a letter (supposedly from Jane) asking him to come to her bungalow and discuss a play he had written. When he gets there he is offered a drink and wakes up to find himself on the side of the road surrounded by the police. Of course, Jane has no idea what he's talking about, and once he sees her, he tells the police that she is not the woman who met with him. What?
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So what was the point of this whole ruse? Well, Miss Marple (once again) asks the pertinent questions. As in, what was the result of this whole debacle, and finds out that the man who owned the bungalow had a cheating wife who was meeting his lover there, and with all the publicity that affair was brought to light. Oh my. This was the one time that Miss Marple didn't give her opinion on who was responsible for the robbery, and gave her reasoning as we women should stick together. No one else could figure out the answer and then Ms. Helier tells them that she never found out either. She just wanted to see if maybe one of them could tell her what had happened. The other guests weren't too happy with her, but they all knew she was a bit of an airhead, so they just let it go. Again. What?
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We find out later that Jane Marple had a few words with Jane Helier and advised her that it was never a good idea to put yourself into the power of another woman. WHAT? Ok, so...(view spoiler)[This story hadn't actually happened yet. Jane, ever the actress, was just putting on a dress rehearsal. She wanted to expose an ex-lover's cheating wife and had planned to carry this scheme out sometime in the near future. However, Miss Marple recognized that she would be using her understudy to help her out as the "fake Jane" and warned her against giving someone else the power to expose her like that. Jane Helier realizes that maybe her plan isn't as foolproof as she thought and decides against it. (hide spoiler)] It was a good story to end the Club on and it was fun seeing both Janes in their top forms.
Originally published in 1930 in The Story-Teller magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
It's Mrs. Bantry's turn to tell a story to the Tuesday Night Club and she's not at all sure she can make her's sound interesting. And to be fair, she It's Mrs. Bantry's turn to tell a story to the Tuesday Night Club and she's not at all sure she can make her's sound interesting. And to be fair, she hems and haws and does a fantastic job of messing it up. It's a case of (gasp!) poisoning where everyone got sick but only one person died. Was it an accident that there was foxglove in the sage, or did something more nefarious happen?
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Obviously, something nefarious happened! But (once again) Miss Marple wins the prize for discovering who dunnit and why they dunnit. This is one of my least favorite stories just because it's sort of blah. And yet? --> Still a cute Marple short. Recommended for fans of Miss Marple.
Originally published in 1930 in The Story-Teller magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
Sir Henry Clithering, a member of the Tuesday Night Club, takes his turn and tells a story. The title refers to a running theme in Agatha Christie's mySir Henry Clithering, a member of the Tuesday Night Club, takes his turn and tells a story. The title refers to a running theme in Agatha Christie's mysteries, where the goal of solving a murder isn't just to punish the guilty but to free the other parties who might be suspects from the suspicion of their friends, neighbors, and loved ones.
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Alright. So this one deals with a secret German society that was operating during the war and the man (Dr. Rosen) who brought them to their knees. Rosen told Clithering that it was only a matter of time before they enacted revenge and killed him. When Rosen was found dead from a fall down his stairs, Sir Henry was left with the 4 suspects who lived in the house with the older man. He never managed to figure out which one of them did it, so who the actual culprit was had always remained a mystery. Miss Marple and Mrs. Bantry come to his rescue this time around, as both ladies specialized knowledge of certain things show Clithering a new way of looking at the situation.
Originally published in The Story-Teller magazine in 1030. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
Miss Marple solves the case of the lady's companion who drowned off the shore of Gran Canaria island. How? She noticed a bit of weight gain for what itMiss Marple solves the case of the lady's companion who drowned off the shore of Gran Canaria island. How? She noticed a bit of weight gain for what it was.
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Miss Amy Durrant and her paid companion, Miss Mary Barton, are on vacation when Miss Durrant swims out too far and drowns. Miss Barton tried to swim out and save her, but it was too late. Dr. Lloyd, a member of the Tuesday Night Club, tells a strange tale and (eventually) the way he found out the truth of the mystery. But, naturally, Miss Marple has already figured it out before he gets to the end of his story.
Originally published in The Story-Teller magazine in 1930. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
This is a good one for 2 reasons. 1) Miss Marple takes her turn and tells the Tuesday Night Club of a murder that she helped solve. 2) In an adorable twThis is a good one for 2 reasons. 1) Miss Marple takes her turn and tells the Tuesday Night Club of a murder that she helped solve. 2) In an adorable twist, Ramond West teases his Aunt Jane that there is at least one thing she doesn't know. But she pops back and shocks him by telling him that she does know he proposed to Joyce (the artist in the group) that very evening.
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Jane's story has to do with a niece who married a not very nice man, then was suspected by the villagers of having poisoned him. However, with no conclusive evidence one way or another, there was no way to prove her innocence. A little divine intervention, a fishmonger, and one determined aunt later will see the murder is solved. The mystery stuff wasn't all that great, but it's a must-read for Marple fans.
Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
Oh. I don't know what I thought the Jack Reacher books would be like, but I wasn't expecting what I got. This was written in 1997 and it shows. A lot ofOh. I don't know what I thought the Jack Reacher books would be like, but I wasn't expecting what I got. This was written in 1997 and it shows. A lot of macho man stuff. Like, an unreasonable amount of macho man stuff. I mean, I've known a couple of guys who used to work as MPs back in the day, and they weren't ninja assassins. At alllll. But according to Reacher, if you're military police then you have to track down scary military guys with all kinds of special training, so you have to be trained yourself. I'm not so sure about that. I would think if there's some kind of badass killer loose in the military, they will send another badass military killer after them, not a cop. Even a military cop. I could be wrong!
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And yet... At one point Reacher says he knows a lot of fighting tricks because he and his brother were always the new kids at school. Wait. School yard fights? That's your ace in the hole? Maybe in the next book, he teams up with a guy who used to play D&D and was in the chess club. I'll bet that dude got his ass kicked plenty in school, too. According to Killing Floor logic they could take on some rogue Navy Seals and win!
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Alright, I'm being a tad silly. But you will need to suspend disbelief and pull on your action movie panties for this one because there was just way more than one man's fair share of overbaked machismo wafting off of Mr. Reacher. He's a lone wolf. A drifter. A mighty warrior. He's like Lou Ferrigno's Hulk just wandering around from small town to small town, righting the wrongs. Except Jack is a panty melter, so he's going to get laid a bunch while he does it.
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I know this is an introductory book but it was quite a bit longer than I thought necessary for what actually happened plot-wise. So, buckle up. It's not some fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There's a lot of meandering around while Reacher and his new friends try to uncover...a sinister counterfeit money ring in the small town of Margrave, Georgia. Still. If you step carefully around the 90s plot holes, you might just have a good time.
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This is a certain kind of book for a certain kind of reader. And in the same way that I know not everyone enjoys a good bodice ripper, not everyone will enjoy Killing Floor. It has the same level of fantasy cheese that a trashy romance novel has, but in a Reacher novel, your audience is going to be mainly dudes. I don't see anything wrong with it. I hear there are about 700 books in this series, so there must be something that keeps fans coming back for more. Recommended for fans of The Expendables....more
Oh...kay. So this was the last book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That second book tricked me into thinking this last one was going to be, I don't Oh...kay. So this was the last book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That second book tricked me into thinking this last one was going to be, I don't know, fast-paced & action-y? Not so much. It was actually quite long. In fact, I didn't think it was ever going to end. And then once it did end and that ring got dumped off into a volcano and they beat Sauron back? It kept going. I shit you not, there is an entire fake history lesson written into the back of the book.
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Alright. The best way I can describe the last TWO HOURS of the audiobook version of this is to say that it reminded me of those books in the Bible where so-n-so begat so-n-so. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, so two fucking hours of made-up names of kings and their made-up kingdoms and a snippet of something these people did. I HONESTLY COULD NOT HAVE CARED ANY LESS. By the end of it, I really felt like I could have used a Sam to drag my ass across the finish line.
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But I didn't have a brave little Hobbit who loved me, so I just had to put my head down and plow through this shit. PS - all of you who told me there was some awesome love story between Aragorn and Arwen? Fuck you guys. That was awful and I can't believe I was looking forward to reading that. What is wrong with you people?! Legolas and Gimli had a better love story with a much happier ending. And the thing is, I really thought I'd like Sam & Frodo more, but they were both just too weepy for my taste. As far as buddies went, I was team Gimli & Legolas all the way.
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A big part of my frustration with this last book is that there were just so. many. unnecessary. conversations. That time Aragorn had a 30 minute discussion about herbs with the healers who didn't know what that herb was that he needed to heal all the people with the black shadow sickness. The scene went on and on and on as he talked to one old lady nay, me lord! I didn't know whatthefuckever herb was good for healing! and then he talks to the top healer dude who says we only use whatthefuckever to occasionally to make sick rooms smell better, sire. and then he has to shake his head sadly and then and get people to run around looking for it and then they find some of it but it's a few weeks old and it turns out that 3 week old whatthefuckever is still good enough to heal the folks... And then he makes a joke about how silly all the healers were later. <--Ahahahahaha! Yes. It was hilarious that you wasted all that time talking about an insignificant herb! Move it along, sir.
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Good stuff? 1) The friendships. There was a lot more hugging and kissing and crying than I thought there would be in a tale about a bunch of dudes. It was sweet. And it was nice to see such deep feelings expressed between men (and elves and dwarves and Ents and horses). 2) Eowyn. She was cool and badass and all the things. If the whole book had been about her, I think I would have liked it a lot more. 3) Really it was just Eowyn. Sorry.
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I wanted to love this, and I went into book 3 with the best of intentions. I swear. I didn't read it just to dump on the world's most beloved fantasy novel. I still respect the hell out of the entire trilogy even though I really can't say that I liked it or enjoyed it much. And I definitely don't regret finally finishing this and ticking it off of my bucket list. Well worth it to know the story that spawned a thousand more stories. Recommended for people who like this stuff....more
What is it with so many of Christie's characters getting taken in by spiritualists all the time!? I'm guessing that was probably a very talked-about THWhat is it with so many of Christie's characters getting taken in by spiritualists all the time!? I'm guessing that was probably a very talked-about THING back in the day. Ooooh! Did you hear about Gertrude? She's been seeing that Madame Zartan on the regular since her husband died, and I'm pretty sure that wacky bitch is bleeding her dry. I'll bet her kids won't inherit a pot to piss in by the time she's done. Or something along those lines. Point is, vulnerable people have always existed to become the prey of unscrupulous snake oil salesmen.
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Miss Marple and her Tuesday Night Club sit around a discuss the will of Simon Clode, a wealthy old bird who lost his beloved granddaughter and was then fully taken for a ride by a Mr. & Mrs. Spragg, a self-proclaimed medium and her husband. Eventually, he even wrote a will that cut out his nieces and nephews in favor of this charlatan. Mr. Petherick, Clode's solicitor, is the one telling the tale, btw. He tried and failed to convince his client not to leave everything to the Spraggs, but in the end, he had no choice but to stand by as Clode wrote out his new will and to watch as the witnesses signed it. From there, he took the will to his office and locked it up for safekeeping. Imagine his surprise when upon Clode's death, he opens up the document to find it...blank. GASP!
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I liked this one, even though the resolution was a bit silly.
Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems....more
This time when the Tuesday Night Club meets, Joyce (Raymond West's future wife) tells the story of her time painting in the small coastal village of RThis time when the Tuesday Night Club meets, Joyce (Raymond West's future wife) tells the story of her time painting in the small coastal village of Rathole. She witnesses a husband and wife go off on a bathing trip with a woman they ran into when they got to the hotel. Without realizing what she was doing, Joyce painted blood stains onto her painting. When the wife drowns a few weeks later, Joyce wonders if she had some sort of a premonition.
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Everyone else is stumped, but Miss Marple asks the right questions and notices the right clues. Because of course she does! Once again the fluffy old lady from he village solves the murder and impresses everyone in the room. Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie.
Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems....more
Once again the Tuesday Night Club meets up, and this time it's Miss Marple's own nephew, writer Raymond West, who tells a story. He hopes that the groOnce again the Tuesday Night Club meets up, and this time it's Miss Marple's own nephew, writer Raymond West, who tells a story. He hopes that the group (well, actually Miss Marple) can figure out what happened when his friend, John Newman, was kidnapped while his salvage ship was robbed of its treasure.
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There's a nefarious-sounding innkeeper that Raymond is sure got away with literal highway robbery, but Miss Marple knows better. And thanks to some prior knowledge of the case by Sir Henry, the Scotland Yard inspector in the group, Miss Marple's theory is proved to be true. Because of course it is!
Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems ....more
The Origin of The Marple! Yes, this is the first Miss Marple story, and I don't really think you can call yourself a superfan if you haven't read this The Origin of The Marple! Yes, this is the first Miss Marple story, and I don't really think you can call yourself a superfan if you haven't read this one. #loser
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Miss Marple's nephew, writer Raymond West is throwing a dinner party for an eclectic group of people, including the woman he will eventually marry, Joyce. Because there is a Scotland yard inspector and a lawyer among them, Joyce suggests they form a club that meets every Tuesday night. As you do. Each member will tell the story of a murder that they have personal knowledge of, and the rest of them to have to try to figure out who the culprit was.
Sir Henry Clithering starts the group off with the mystery of three people who all ate the same dinner, all fell ill from food poisoning. Mr. Jones and his wife's companion, Miss Clark, are both fine in a day or so, but Mrs. Jones actually dies. However, gossip being gossip and Mr. Jones profiting from his wife's death, the body of Mrs. Jones is soon exhumed. AND SHE WAS FOUND TO BE THE VICTIM OF ARSENIC POISONING!
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So, whodunnit? Everyone at the party gives their theory, but it is , of course, Miss Marple who shocks the shit out of everyone by coughing delicately and solving the crime. Highly recommended!
Originally published in 1927 in The Royal Magazine. Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems...more
I am just really digging these. I can't pinpoint why, but I get excited every time I see a new volume pop up on Hoopla. It's just this good blend of dyI am just really digging these. I can't pinpoint why, but I get excited every time I see a new volume pop up on Hoopla. It's just this good blend of dystopian-fantasy-adventure. And nobody seems to give a shit, but I hope Peck keeps writing this story because I'm all in for it.
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The group of main characters is still wandering around finding new ways to almost die. In today's adventure, they find shelter and supplies in a farmhouse run by some nice folks. So. Obviously, there will be some nefarious shit happening there! Do not go down to the basement. Repeat! Do NOT go down into the basement! Meanwhile, the evil bro-wizard dude is still doing evil stuff while getting shown up by his nemesis evil bitchy-witch lady.
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I'm not saying this one will change your life but it's a good read. Recommended....more
Not one tower, but TWO towers. You are definitely getting your money's worth here, my friend.
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Also, less singing here than in the 1st book. But stNot one tower, but TWO towers. You are definitely getting your money's worth here, my friend.
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Also, less singing here than in the 1st book. But still plenty of singing. <--don't you worry your crusty Hobbit feet about it if that was your jam last time around.
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Ok, so this one surprised me. I thought it was going to be an absolute chore to get through. Boring walks, long-ass songs, and nothing much in the way of forward plot movement. <--is what I thought this whole book would be like. But NO! Once this thing got going it really got going. There were all kinds of battles and shit! People popping up from the dead! Big fuckin' trees walking all around!
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And there was some actually before-his-time girl power here! Honestly, I'm not used to reading shit like that coming out of a female character's mouth from a book that was written at the same time James Bond was talking about the sweet tang of rape in Casino Royale. You get an extra fucking star from me for that one line, Mr. Tolkien.
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Alright. Just so you don't think I've turned over an entirely new leaf and can now somehow get excited over books that ramble, this one definitely had its moments. Moments that tested my patience. Like the part where we've just been on a whole long walking adventure with Pippin, Merry, and the Ents, and then they meet up with all the other LotR dudes. You would think all that would be necessary would be a line about how Merry & Pippin told the other dudes what they had been through. And Lo! Merry and Pippin caught everyone up on the shenanigans with the Ents. And yet...they gave a full recap.
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But this was such (for me) an easier read than the 1st book. I'm (dare I say it?) almost looking forward to The Return of the King! Recommended!...more
Ok, so this is a novelization of one of Christie's plays. Sometimes those work out, sometimes they don't. Personally, I thought this translated pretty Ok, so this is a novelization of one of Christie's plays. Sometimes those work out, sometimes they don't. Personally, I thought this translated pretty well into a decent read. Or in my case, a decent listen.
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Everything takes place in the home of the diplomat Henry Brown & his wife, Clarissa. The setup is that Henry was divorced several years ago, and his young daughter lives with him and his new wife. Clarissa is incredibly protective of her stepdaughter, who has suffered quite a bit at the hands of her mother's addiction and her mother's boyfriend. Ok. After Henry leaves to meet an important and unnamed head of government, all hell breaks loose in the house. Along with the houseguests they already had, an unwanted visitor pays Clarissa a visit and threatens her and the safety of her stepdaughter. And then promptly ends up dead. Whodunnit?
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As far as these novelizations go, I'd say this is my favorite. Not just the plot, but the characters themselves. I really loved Clarissa. That gal had smarts and spunk! And for once, Christie wrote a part for a good mother. Recommended....more
3.5 stars Quite different from the tv show (which I think is superior), but as long as you know what you're getting, this is pretty fun in its own way.3.5 stars Quite different from the tv show (which I think is superior), but as long as you know what you're getting, this is pretty fun in its own way.
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Enola's mom disappears (like the show) but in the book, it appears that she has left because she's sick and tired of being told what to do by the men in her life (Sherlock and Mycroft). Instead of taking Enola with her, she gives her clues to a small fortune that will help her start a new life if she chooses to run away, as well. In other words, Enola's mom doesn't come off quite as cool in this first story as she does in the show.
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Another difference would be that in the tv show, it's mostly Mycroft that comes off as a sexist douchebag and Sherlock is the one who is secretly helping (or at least turning a blind eye) to his little sister's hijinks. Not so in the book. Sherlock is a sexist ass. A big one.
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The Missing Marquess isn't so much a young love interest for Miss Holmes as he is a 12 year old boy with an attitude. But Enola herself is only 14 so there may still be a romance in the future.
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The gist is that Enola's mom disappears on her 14th birthday and it turns out that she's been fleecing Mycroft for money. She was supposed to have all kinds of things like gardeners, horse stables, and a governess for Enola. Not so much. And at first, it looks as though she's absconded with all the money and taken off to parts unknown. However, in Enola's birthday gift are clues. And with each solved clue, she finds a fat wad of cash. Which is a good thing because Sherlock and Mycroft, both disgusted at the way Enola has been allowed to run wild, are planning to stuff her into a corset much too small for her size and send her off to a boarding school to make a lady out of her.
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Enola plans a clever and daring escape and hits the road to make her way in the world. She trips over her first case when she discovers that a young boy wasn't exactly kidnapped but more than likely ran away from home. Of course, that isn't the end of the story as the two get thrown together and end up solving another case together. Enola isn't a savant like Sherlock, but she does manage to piece together enough clues to keep it interesting. I'm assuming that as the series goes on these characters and their stories will all grow and change, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. Definitely reading the next one....more
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