Reading in Reykjavík

Year of publication: 1915 Series and no.: Richard Hannay # 1/5 Genre: Thriller Setting & time: England and Scotland, contemporary Richard Hannay, having grown up in Rhodesia and now living in London, is bored to distraction by his life in England and seriously considering going back to Africa when his neighbour seeks his help. The man, it turns out, is a spy or an associate of spies, and has important information that will be of no use until a certain date. Until then he must stay alive. This he fails to do and Hannay finds him murdered in his apartment and has to go on the run, under suspicion for the murder and chased by the police and spy gang who killed his neighbour. This is one of the early espionage thrillers in the modern mold, and as such, one can recognise many of the traits of the modern spy thriller in it. A review or discussion I read of this novel said that in modern retrospect Hannay comes across as somewhat of a cliché, so I took care to read the book ...

Originally published in August 2004, in 2 parts. Book 29 in my first 52 books challenge. Author: Christopher Wallace Year published: 1999 Pages: 231 Genre: Horror Where got: Public library Picked this book up at the library because I liked the title. The Story: Public relations man Charles Kidd is hired by sleasy Peter Dexter to promote a mysterious art exhibition. Also involved are a young IP lawyer, Claire, who works for an Edinburgh law firm, and Daniel Lowes, a man who participates in a happening organized by Dexter. The story of a Dr. Brodie, a 19th century Edinburgh doctor who has invented a device designed to store the human soul, is also told. The character’s paths all cross before the end, except Dr. Brodie who only meets two of the law firm’s representatives, who also turn up at the happening. Technique: The story is told in many voices: that of Charles Kidd telling his story, of a third person narrator telling Dr. Brodie’s story, someone at Claire’s law ...

Alternative English title: The Lumsden Baby Genre: Mystery Year of publication: 1990 No. in series: 1 Series detective: Dr. Jean Montrose Type of investigator: Amateur (G.P.) Setting & time: Story: General practitioner Dr. Jean Montrose arrives at the Lumsden house just in time to meet a distraught Mrs. Lumsden, whose baby son lies dead in his crib with his head bashed in. As trouble brews in the Montrose family and evidence and suspects pile up in the Lumsden case, it is up to Dr. Montrose to put the police straight as to the motive and the killer when they are led astray by evidence that seems to be trial proof but isn’t, and to try to keep her family together. Review: Few things in straight mysteries sicken me more than the murders of babies and young children. I think it’s because it feels like the writer is going against the rules by killing off someone who is basically an unwritten page, defenseless, totally innocent of any wrongdoing, and whose only offense is being ...

I wrote this review ages ago, but for some reason I never got round to posting it until now. Series detective: Constable Hamish Macbeth No. in series: 5 Year of publication: 1990 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Lochdubh village, Scotland, contemporary Number of murders: 2 Some themes: Family ties, money, inheritance I was familiar with M.C. Beaton in her guise as romance writer Marion Chesney long before I read this book. I enjoyed some of her light-hearted Regency romances, but knew her to be a very uneven writer after having read an Edwardian romance of hers that was such a horrible collection of bad clichés that I ended up throwing it in the trash (I wrote a review, but upon reading it over I thought it was unfit for publishing. Let's suffice to say that I do not recommend Chesney's Kitty to anyone, not even her most ardent fans). My first attempt at reading an M.C. Beaton mystery ended with me returning the book to the libra...