Reading in Reykjavík

If you’re sensitive to SPOILERS , don’t read beyond the plot summary. I noticed this book because of the cover, which is reminiscent of an old-fashioned children's book (until you look closer and notice the skull-and-crossbones snowflakes). Genre: Murder mystery Year of publication: 1994 (this edition 2009) Type of mystery: Historical cosy. No. in series: 1 Series detective: Daisy Dalrymple Type of investigator: Amateur (and police) Setting & time: England, 1920s The Honourable Miss Daisy Dalrymple arrives at Wentwater Court just after the beginning of the new year to write and photograph a story for Town & Country magazine. She already knows a couple of young people there, but in addition she meets Lord Wentwater, his children and his lovely young second wife, who seems to be very troubled and afraid of their houseguest, Lord Astwick. When Astwick is found drowned in the skating pond, everyone assumes it was an accident, but when the police arrive on ...

Originally published in June 2004, on my original 52 Books blog. I went to explore the new location of my favourite second-hand bookshop (which I approve of, although some of the mystery is gone - along with the mustiness) and came home with this book. It’s the second in a series, with all the books titled Face Down “something” . Author: Kathy Lynn Emerson Year published: 1998 Genre: Mystery Sub-genre(s): Historical Where got: Second-hand book store The story: Susanna, Lady Appleton, is sent to Madderly Castle, ostensibly to help Lady Madderly finish a book on herbology, but in reality to provide an excuse for her husband, Robert, to come there to investigate the murder of a man who was apparently involved in a conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth I. Shortly after arriving, the body count starts to mount and Susanna’s young protége, Catherine, falls in love with of one of the prime suspects. Solving the crimes takes the combined efforts of Susanna, Catherine, Robert and a...

Originally published in June 2004, on my original 52 Books blog. Author: Lilian Jackson Braun Year published: 1995 Genre: Mystery Sub-genre(s): Whodunit Where got: Public library Of the Cat Who books I’ve read, this is probably the most mysterious mystery - although in the end it turned out I had guessed correctly the identity of one of the criminals, I did get another one wrong and was uncertain about the other right until the denouement. Unlike the previous books I have read in the series, this one definitely hints at Koko the cat being psychic rather than merely very intelligent, which is fine by me but may detract from the enjoyment by some readers who don’t like cats. Rating: Another great mystery from Lilian Jackson Braun. 4 stars and 5 purrs.

Originally published in June 2004, on my original 52 Books blog. Author: Lilian Jackson Braun Year published: 1987 Genre: Mystery Sub-genre(s): Whodunit Where got: Public library This is the fifth Cat Who book, and just as enjoyable as the other ones I’ve read in the series. These delightful mysteries are short enough to make a nice diversion for a couple of hours, and they never fail to entertain. The story: Chicago journalist Jim Qwilleran has decided to write a novel and has accepted the offer of a country cabin somewhere “up north” for the summer. The owner is Aunt Fanny, an old friend of his mother’s. Once he arrives with his cats, mysterious events start happening, a neighbour is murdered, Qwilleran may have witnessed another murder, and the locals aren’t about to let an outsider dig any deeper than necessary. Just when the mystery is solved, Qwilleran has to make a choice between going back to Chicago and accepting a job as an investigative journalist (something ...

Genre : Police procedural Year of publication : 1969 Series and no. : Chronicles of Calleshire, # 4 Setting & time : Calleshire (fictional place), England, contemporary/timeless A naughty boy on an outing at a stately home makes a gruesome discovery: someone has murdered the estate archivist and stuffed him into a suit of armour. The Calleshire police, in the persons of Detective Chief Inspector Sloan and his assistant, Crosby the speed demon (who I think is still a constable in this book). It is soon revealed that the man had recently made a discovery that could be a threat to the cosy existence of the family who own the place, but is that really why he was murdered? I have written before of the timeless quality of Aird’s Calleshire books, which seem to exist in a kind of mid-to-late 20th century time vacuum. The last Calleshire book I read, Little Knell (which I didn’t review) was an exception of sorts, mainly because of its theme, which was hard drugs, but this, one of ...

Here is the seventh book I read for the Bibliophilic Books Challenge , which puts me just past the halfway point of the Bibliomaniac level. This book fits into the challenge in several ways: The main sleuth is a journalist, and her writing course is featured and the classes described several times; the other teachers are writing or have written books (one is a world-famous author) - two even have motives for murder related to their books; and the students are writing assignments that are part of what drives a section of the story. Genre: Mystery Year of publication: 2003 No. in series: 1 Series detective: McLeod Dulane Type of mystery: Murder, cosy Type of investigator: A, journalist and lecturer in non-fiction writing at Princeton University Setting & time: Princeton University campus, New Jersey, USA Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist McLeod Dulane is thrilled to be given a chance to teach journalistic writing at Princeton University, but her enthusiasm wanes so...

Genre: Mystery, cosy Year of publication: 1994 No. in series: 1 Series detective: Dr. Deirdre “Didi” Quinn Nightingale, veterinarian Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateur Setting & time: Rural New York state, contemporary A good friend of Didi’s is found dead, apparently mauled to death by wild dogs. His mistress claims he was murdered, but disappears before Didi can persuade her to reveal why she thinks so. By examining the crime scene photos and coroner’s report through the perspective of a vet, Didi realises that he must have been murdered, but has a hard time convincing the police that she is right, so she ends up investigating the case on her own. This is a pretty solid cosy murder mystery with a nicely thought out plot with some unexpected twists and red herrings. The writing is plain and straightforward and gets the story across without going into flourishes of language, and the main characters are interesting. A promising start to a series – I will de...

Book 5 in my first 52 books challenge. Originally published in several parts on February 22-22, 2004. Entry 1: Author: Alexander McCall Smith Published: 1998 Where got: public library Genre: Detective novel Reason for choosing: I first read about this book in a book review in one of the daily newspapers in Iceland. The title caught my attention and I decided that such an unusual and humorous name was very promising as to the contents of the book. So far I have not been disappointed (after reading chapter one). Entry 2: I'm quite enjoying the book so far. Here are some links with information about the author and some of his other works: About the series Publisher's website, dedicated to the series Entry 3: "I love all the people whom God made, but I especially know how to love the people who live in this place. They are my people, my brothers and sisters. It is my duty to help them to solve the mysteries in their lives. That is what I am called to do." There is som...

At first I hesitated to include Caroline Graham in this challenge, as I have seen at least a dozen episodes of the television series based on the characters from the Barnaby books. However, I think I am justified in including her, since books and television are different mediums and I have not seen the episodes based on either of the books I read for the review (although I did watch Death of a Hollow Man after I read the book). The first book in the series, The Killings at Badger’s Drift , made it onto the British Crime Writer’s Association list of The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time , despite having won neither the Gold or Silver Dagger, but it must have come close because the books that did get these awards that year are also on the list. Clearly it was a very good year for the Daggers. About the series: Series detective: Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Causton, a fictional town in southern England, and the surrounding area; cont...

I have read 7 of MacLeod’s books so far, but I am only going to do full reviews the first book from each of her 2 series. I will also list the others with short reviews. I may do full reviews of some of them later on. The Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series: This series deals with the adventures of Sarah Kelling (later Bittersohn) and Max Bittersohn. She is a member of one of Boston’s old blood families and starts out as a housewife and later becomes the owner of a boarding house, and Max is a private investigator who specialises in art and jewellery. The series starts out with Sarah as the main sleuth and Max as the helper, but in the 4 books I read (in order of publication) the focus shifted gradually towards having Max as the main sleuth and Sarah as the helper. This is perhaps natural, as Max is a kind of private detective, and as a matter of fact art and/or jewellery feature in all 4 murder cases. The books are full of funny and eccentric characters, many of whom belong to Bos...

Series detective: Claire Malloy No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1986 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateur, aided and thwarted by police Setting & time: Arkansas, USA; mid 1980's I recently found this review which I wrote ages ago, but then put aside as I wasn't certain I should publish, as it may seem a bit too much like a rant. I decided that I would publish it, as it illustrates something that really nags me, not only about the occasional mystery, but also about some romances. It concerns behaviour that is designed to really make me lose all sympathy for characters guilty of it. Story: Claire Malloy, in spite of her unflattering opinions of romance novels, agrees to host the publication party of her friend Mildred's (aka Azalea Twilight) latest offering, Professor of Passion , a torrid story about amorous goings-on at a university. A militant feminist member of the faculty invades the party and reads passages from the book that ...

Series detective: Detective Chief Inspector Tom Maybridge No. in series: 2 Year of publication: 1985 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: London, England; 1980s Story: D.C. Maybridge is asked to hold a lecture on ballistics at a seminar for mystery writers. When the man in charge of the seminar is found dead, his body mutilated after death, with a taunting note to Maybridge pinned to the headboard above his body, there are a number of possible suspects, and Maybridge and company have to unravel a tangled web of alibis and find the truth. SPOILER WARNING From here onwards there may be spoilers, hopefully not serious ones, but you never know. … .. . .. … I did warn you… Review: Not giving the readers a chance to test themselves against the detective is one of the few infractions agains the principle rules of mystery writing that I can not abide by in a straight (i.e. not supernatural or sci-fi) mystery. A deus ex machina solution is another. S...

Here is series that may or may nor have been inspired by Lilian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who… series: the Mrs. Murphy books. The similarities are several: the cosy small town setting, the close-knit community full of colourful characters, and a smart cat that helps its owner solve mysteries. But this is not to say that this is clone of the Cat who… series, not at all. To start with, the reader is actually allowed to see into the mind of the animal characters, who have conversations that are often more sensible than those of the humans around them, thus firmly anthropomorphising them for the readers. The most obvious difference is that the sleuths are female and by no means rich like Braun’s Qwill. Additionally, the cats appear to be moggies rather than purebreeds, and several other species of animals are involved in the solving and resolution of the mysteries. Series detective: Mary Minor Haristeen (“Harry”) and Mrs. Murphy, a tabby cat Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Ama...

Title: Say it With Poison Series detective: Consul Meredith Mitchell and D.I. Alan Markby No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1991 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateur and police Setting & time: The Cotsworlds, Britain, late 20th century (timeless) Story: Meredith Mitchell arrives in the Cotsworlds for the upcoming wedding of her cousin’s daughter. D.I. Alan Markby of the local police has been asked to give away the bride. Shortly after Meredith arrives, her cousin’s seemingly nice young neighbour is found murdered, and both Meredith and Alan start investigating. Review: This is a really good first novel, and a great mystery as well. The two don’t always go together, and it’s refreshing to see a book that has no noticeable symptoms of firstbookitis in neither writing or plotting. The characters are realistically drawn, the writing is good, the mystery has some interesting twists and the clues are devious enough to satisfy even the most demanding mystery lo...

Title: The Case of the Gilded Fly Series detective: Gervase Fen, professor of English at Oxford University No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1944 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Gifted amateur Setting & time: Oxford, England, during World War 2 Story: An obnoxious young actress is murdered. Several people heard a gunshot, but no-one actually saw a thing, and with supreme assurance of his success, Oxford professor Gervase Fen steps in to solve the case. Review: The writing is not bad and the plotting is not too bad, but for some reason I found myself not liking this book. Possibly it’s because I have rarely come across a less likeable sleuth (not even Poirot or Gideon Fell), or possibly it is because there is something too smug about the tone of the book for my taste. Also, I dislike books where all the characters are described in detail right at the start, but the clincher was when I was still not able to tell some of them apart without looking at said desc...

Title: Evidence of Things Seen Series detective: Henry Gamadge, author and expert on rare books No. in series: 5 Year of publication: 1943 Type of mystery: Murder, possibly supernatural Type of investigator: Amateur sleuth Setting & time: The Berkshires, NE-USA; 1940s Story: Mrs. Clara Gamadge is holidaying in the Berkshires. Her husband is away on government business and she is alone in a rented summer cottage with her maid. The two women feel a bit creeped out by a mysterious, ghostly figure in a sunbonnet that appears at sunset every 2-3 days, but not enough to flee the house. When the ‘ghost’ scares a horse outside the house, causing an accident in which the cottage’s owner is injured, they bring her into the house. During the night she is murdered, and the police seem to suspect Clara of having done it in a fit of madness. Her husband arrives at this point and immediately figures out whodunnit, but he needs proof, and spends the last half of the book looking for it (th...

Series detectives: Paleoanthropologist and assistant librarian Megan Clark and her sidekick, history professor Ryan Stevens, aided and abetted by the Murder by the Yard mystery reading group. Type of investigator: Amateurs Setting & time: Amarillo, Texas, USA; 21st century Title: Murder in Volume No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 2000 Type of mystery: Murder Story: Megan drags Ryan, who happens to be her best friend even though he is old enough to be her father and secretly in love with her (just had to get that in), with her to a meeting to form a mystery reading group, even though Ryan never reads mysteries. A couple of meetings later, a young female member lashes viciously out against the others, belittles everyone and storms out, only to be found after the meeting outside the store with her throat slit. Megan can't miss the opportunity to use her education and examines the body before the police get there, and so gets blood on her clothes, making her a prime sus...

It may well surprise some to discover that until last month I had not read a single book by this illustrious mystery author, whose name is often mentioned in the same sentence as those of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, but it is really not surprising when you consider that Marsh's books seem to be mostly out of print (which makes me wonder: if she is as good as Christie and Sayers, why are her books not in print? Perhaps they are between printing cycles?). It is to be hoped that they will be re-issued as the ones I read are quite entertaining and certainly better than some of the modern mysteries I have been reading lately. The author review is based on the first five books in the series. It will be interesting to see if my opinions change with further reading. I will only review the books briefly and rate them. I will discuss the things they have in common in the author review. Series detective: Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn of the Scotland Yard. In four of th...

Series: The Blackbird sisters Series detective: Nora Blackbird, aided by her sisters Libby and Emma and Michael Abruzzo whom she is sort of dating but afraid to commit to Type of investigator: Amateurs Setting & time: Philadelphia, PA, USA; modern timeless Type of mystery: Murder Title: How to Murder a Millionaire No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 2002 Story: When her parents flee the country and leave her with the family farm that has a 2 million dollar tax debt on it, recently widowed Nora Blackbird needs to find a job to pay the bills. A former debutante and society wife, all she really knows how to do is plan parties and be a hostess. This turns out to be the perfect background when she is hired as a society reporter by an old friend of the family who happens to own a newspaper. But then Nora finds him dead and it turns out he was murdered. The police ask for her help, as she knows everyone involved and knows how Philly high-society works. She becomes deeply involv...

Title: Shades of Earl Grey Series detective: Theodosia ‘Theo’ Browning No. in series: 3 Year of publication: 2003 Type of mystery: Theft, possible manslaughter Type of investigator: Amateur Setting & time: Charleston, SC, USA; modern timeless Story: When a number of valuable antiques are stolen and a young groom is tragically killed in a possibly theft-related incident, Theodosia seems to be the only one who thinks there might be a cat burglar specialising in antiques at work in Charleston. Some speculation and a little investigation reveals three possible suspects, and she and her sidekick, Drayton, plan a trap to capture the thief. SPOILER WARNING: Review: I love cozy mysteries and I had expectations of this book, but unfortunately it fell a long way from those expectations. It’s cozy all right, but the plotting is weak and the sleuthing consists mostly of conjecture and asking a friendly police officer some questions. Additionally, the sleuth commits what to me amount...