What a delightful series this is. One man and his dog but not a crime solving wonderdog, just a friendly companion black Labrador. We have recently beWhat a delightful series this is. One man and his dog but not a crime solving wonderdog, just a friendly companion black Labrador. We have recently been pet sitting one and can confirm everything that ex Met. Detective Chief Inspector now Private Investigator Dan says about his friend, is correct.
This story takes Dan and Oscar off to the mountains to the north at the request of his friend and still Met Inspector who is worried about his little sister who is currently camped out there with a group of Ufologists.
Dan and Oscar join the group under cover just after the body of one of the group is found.
This, like the others before it in the series, makes for very easy reading with Oscar and his relationship with his owner giving it an almost feel good factor as well as some humour. That and all the deliciously described food certainly won me over and even though there wasn't much for the armchair detective to get his teeth into, that didn't really matter....more
It was only recently that I rediscovered this excellent series and read the last couple. Then, as I was tidying notes away and clearing books from KinIt was only recently that I rediscovered this excellent series and read the last couple. Then, as I was tidying notes away and clearing books from Kindle back to our e-library, I noticed that this one on Goodreads was still showing as 'Want to read''. After following characters through a series as their lives and careers progress, it is a bit strange to turn the clock back, as it were, and see everyone a few years younger.
I enjoyed this as almost a 'reprieve' read as it was a chance to get back into a series I thought I had finished.
The descriptive narrative was as good as I remembered it and it was so easy to slip into the story. As with the others, this one had the 'locked room' feel about it, the solving of which is an Oldroyd speciality.
On the downside,if there was one, it was that there was only the slightest hint of the motive for the armchair detective before the discovery of the final lead. Also, whilst the killers hide was clever, from my memory wasn't the 'access' too small for a such a speedy retreat?
A major event about half way through the book had me wondering if I had indeed read this before. This was reinforced when Oldroyd saw a builders mark on an old cottage. I was convinced that this was the key clue but it was never mentioned again and had nothing to do with the storyline. I can only think that another detective must have gone through what Oldroyd endured and solved the case with the help of a builders initials on another old cottage in a different series.(Please feel free to message me if you know the one).
Had I read it before? I really don't know. I am careful not to miss one from a series but I can't imagine not entering my notes here. No matter, I still enjoyed reading it (again?)....more
I could remember that I had thought the two previous books were a good cozy read and also that there was a big ending to the last. Although I had no rI could remember that I had thought the two previous books were a good cozy read and also that there was a big ending to the last. Although I had no recollection what it actually was.
This book takes up the background story from there and memory gradually filled in the blanks.
I will say at this point that I didn't enjoy this one. Mainly it was because of the way the story has changed from a murder mystery to a type of romance, but there was more. I had previously enjoyed the references to church life and worship but here the detail was almost overwhelming. The monastic titles as well as the given names further complicated the clarification of the characters in the monastery and I lost track of who was who. This resulted in the main clues going right over my head.
As I write this just over 12 hours after finishing my read, I couldn't tell you who had done it or why.
May be the author was aware that these sections were getting a bit 'heavy' and that was the reason for the other part of the story or may be it is building the background for future books, but in my opinion the happenings at Champtons and in the village were totally superfluous.
If it was the former, I don't think it worked and if it was the latter, I shall never know as this is where I leave the series.
Having just read a full Bruno story, I decided to read one of the short ones. I have really enjoyed the Bruno series but after this am left with an empHaving just read a full Bruno story, I decided to read one of the short ones. I have really enjoyed the Bruno series but after this am left with an empty feeling of it being a waste of time. I cannot see tbe point of publishing something that would have better fitted into a half chapter of a full novel. It wasnt even a completed operation. This has decided me against the other short stories from the series. I will stick to the real thing....more
Here we are again back in the Perigord at St Denis for more stories of Chief of Police Bruno Courreges. It is quite a while since I read the last but Here we are again back in the Perigord at St Denis for more stories of Chief of Police Bruno Courreges. It is quite a while since I read the last but I enjoyed this return visit.
This is a book of several parts. Apart from the working life of the French village policeman, there is the hectic social scene of sports and music and certainly the dinner parties-many easily prepared after a hard days work. There is something of a cookery book detail about the preparation of some of the dishes. There is some romance and also some inimately described sex scene (although nothing to attract a downgrading of my rating as would usually be the case) and the comeback of an aging rock star (I wonder if anyone else is reminded of the same person). Then the book changes up a few gears to a politically based spy thriller pageturner. All the authors characters are easily pictured and from his notes at the end we read that some are drawn from life as certainly are some of the incidents covered in the second part of the story.
Books of this series regularly leave you with a 'feel good' sense. Parts of this book do too (ask Balsac) but other parts leave a slightly sour taste which has nothing to do with the regions wine....more
I have read all but one of this series so far and enjoyed them. This is unusual as I am not particularly attracted to that period of our history in liI have read all but one of this series so far and enjoyed them. This is unusual as I am not particularly attracted to that period of our history in literature.
Its a while since I read the last and I had forgotten why I had been drawn to them -until I started reading again. A very brief resume written into this story soon reminded me of the Welsh lad's , almost cheeky chappie, style of narrative.
However, not long into the novel, I wondered if I really did want to read on as it seemed to take a darker turn. This is undoubtedly what the skilful author had intended as various twists in the story quickly brought it back and it became a real page turner.. Twist follows twist and the reader is finally left wondering what was the truth.
The last book I commented on had a review of the main characters at the end- which I said should have been at the beginning. Here the compact biography of some of the historical characters at the end, somehow rounded off the story.
It is not my style to precis a book as there are many such already out there and some are better than mine could ever be. However, if you enjoy a well written story, set around the turn of the century which catches the 'feel' of the period with atmosphere, some great charactorisations, excitement and more twists than Harm's Pekingese tail, give this one a go. I am looking for the next already....more
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous books of the series.
It might be just me but I thought that this series was about the old magician Max I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous books of the series.
It might be just me but I thought that this series was about the old magician Max Mephisto and that was what set it apart from the other police and private investigator books. Here he is almost relegated to a supporting role as the focus switches to the new detective agency run by a freelance reporter and, as unlikely as it sounds, the wife of the local Superintendent of Police.
The author usually writes a good tale but this one seemed to have deteriorated into a bedroom romp where the question seemed to be who knew who had slept with whom over the years.
I did like the full biographies of the series' main charactors although would have thought it would have been better placed at the beginning rather than , strangely, the end.
Sorry, not up to the usual high standard for me.
By the way, does anyone know the significance of the title?...more
It was my wife who found this series and it was her frequent chuckles over it that brought it to my attention.
I too enjoyed the gentle humour, mostly It was my wife who found this series and it was her frequent chuckles over it that brought it to my attention.
I too enjoyed the gentle humour, mostly centred on Oscar the black Labrador owned by the other central character here Dan Armstrong retired Chief Inspector from London.
The book starts a while after his retirement, his divorce ,his move to Tuscany where he has become a Private Detective and takes place at the Publishers event for his first book.
Then its back to Italy where he and his new lady friend make up a foursome with his friend, Virgilio, a detective Inspector in the Florence police, and his wife for a long weekend break.
As the title suggests there is a murder and the two men get involved helping the Italian police with the case. There is plenty of Italian food and wine in the story and the Tuscan scenery and architecture gets a good mention too. Oscar's behavior is amusingly described and will ring bells with all dog owners. The death toll mounts and the investigation struggles.
I thought the plot was a bit weak and the ending lacked any suspense or excitment. However, this easy Italian flavoured cozy read was alright and I will probably follow my wife to the next of the series....more
As coincidence has it , it is two years ago today that I finished reading the previous book in this series. I knew then that I would have to wait thisAs coincidence has it , it is two years ago today that I finished reading the previous book in this series. I knew then that I would have to wait this long for the next.
A sign of a good writer perhaps because as soon as I started to read, I remembered the main characters.
The plot this time is definitely darker than before and the violence, that has always been a feature, has also been turned up a notch or two. Usually this would have been enough to mark a book down for me but somehow the author keeps it on the right side of acceptable - albeit only just. In his acknowledgements Craven makes early mention of his agent and their work to get the light and dark into balance. I think that they got it just right to produce a book that I found an exciting page turner with twist after twist as the story unraveled.
May be what made the book so difficult to put down was the constant switching between the dark side and the humour of the banter between Poe and Tilly, her unguarded honesty and his acerbic observations.
I see that the next is due in 2025 so not as long to wait this time. Not that I will need any encouragement to read it but something at the end of the authors notes is intiguing....more
I think that this is the fourth of this series that I have read. I have enjoyed the olden days feel of the earlier stories that are certainly in the 'I think that this is the fourth of this series that I have read. I have enjoyed the olden days feel of the earlier stories that are certainly in the 'cozy' genre.
This one is a well constructed story and, as I prefer, a small cast of characters that were clearly defined. The murderer had to be one of them.
The Detective Superintendant is called upon to look into a death from over a year ago that had originally been attributed to natural causes.
Was it clever misdirection or just my suspicious mind that had me looking at the wrong party? I don't know but I have to confess that the clues were there.
If you like a book that doesn't take much thinking about then you will enjoy this one - as I have enjoyed previous books in the series.
However, I felt that it was dragging and that I needed a bit more just as there was a dramatic turn of events.
Unfortunately that wasn't enough for me to want to continue further with the series which seemed to have lost much of the earlier verbal sparing of quotations and the pro/anti golf rhetoric between Messrs Lambert and Hook from earlier stories....more
I have previously mentioned how these stories have featured the team rather than just Skelgill himselfAnother excellent story in this Lakeland series.
I have previously mentioned how these stories have featured the team rather than just Skelgill himself. That we have come to know almost as much about DS Jones and DS Leyton as we do about their boss is what adds depth to the stories and makes them so enjoyable. This is proved here, as it is the two detective sergeants who lead the investigation of a suspected hit and run.
Skelgill is by no means left out of the story as he is using one of his rare holidays to try out an adaptation of a gruelling 24 hour fell race to include catching fish along the route. Who else but Skelgill would come up with such an unlikely biathlon.
How could he and a group of elderly walkers that he befriends become involved?
Once again we are spoilt with the descriptions of the sights and sounds of the Lake District's fauna and flora . This time included is a route guide across the peaks and tarns too.
I didn't miss the passing reference to previous colleague D I Smart and I appreciated the way the story includes regular summaries, in various guises, to ensure that as the reader we are kept abreast of the information received. Even so, although I had some of the jigsaw completed, as usual the final piece eluded me and so I particularly liked the final unexpected twists.
Perhaps I would have appreciated a little more detail about the mechanics of the final piece of theatre, that is the murder attempt and not the Blencathra bivvy later!...more
Mindful of my problem of keeping track of the characters in my previous read by this author, this time I prepared my own character map from the list aMindful of my problem of keeping track of the characters in my previous read by this author, this time I prepared my own character map from the list at the start.
With the help of my map, I was able to follow and fully appreciate the intracacies of the book. Once again the author finds a different way of telling the story. The reader is told how the village got its name and of the aftermath and then left to ponder the identity of the narrator and exactly how he fits into the picture.
I was starting to get confused in the story and trying to see what course it would take when, the young scruffy detective, Kosuke Kindaichi arrived to bring a bit of 'normality' back to my thinking.
This is a cleverly written murder mystery camouflaged in the tramatic past events of the eponymous village. However, it is so much more too. A Japanese Sherlock Holmes meets Indiana Jones with a dash of 'King Solomons Mine' stirred together with a slice of 'Boys Own' Treasure Hunting and a drop of romance.
This is my second by this author and I continue to feel the strange differences in the way a Japanese writer tells a murder story compared with their This is my second by this author and I continue to feel the strange differences in the way a Japanese writer tells a murder story compared with their European counterparts. These are differences that I don't think can be attributed to translation alone.
Here in the opening chapter the author apologises for the horrors that are to follow and explains that he is relating a story that his detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, has descibed to him.
The story is set a few years after WW2 and the destruction of the bombing raids is still evident. It starts with an account of a particularly ruthless jewellery shop robbery but the story is really about the lives of three inter related families and a dark secret. The head of the families was Hidesuke Tsubaki, a former viscount, a flautist and composer. It would have been interesting to hear his last composition - so central to the story and watch it being played.
My problem with foreign names raised its head here again and even with a full cast of characters at the beginning and having it repeated after the first death, I still had difficulty in fixing a good few of the names.
I think that the motive was well telegraphed but with my abovementioned problem I missed the culprit.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book particularly for its differences to our normal reads.
I wonder if any other reader spotted the final clue which even the brilliant Kindaichi had missed until it was shown to him.
I am now looking for a third translation of this author but having learned my lesson here will make more effort with the names next time....more
When I began writing my notes on the previous book in this series, I thought that I had been at fault for not continuing this delightful series. SinceWhen I began writing my notes on the previous book in this series, I thought that I had been at fault for not continuing this delightful series. Since then I have discovered that I had read all the books that were available at that time. After finishing this book, I see that I have reached that point again. Lets hope my tracking system finds further books sooner this time.
This story takes us out of Harrogate and follows Andy and Steph onto the Leeds Liverpool canal near Saltaire where they have hired a narrowboat for a holiday afloat. When Steph wakes early on their first morning and discovers a dead body on a boat floating passed, their holiiday goes on hold. The D.I from Bradford who comes to take charge is their old colleague Javid Iqbal who, because of staff shortages is glad of their help and , bringing the old team together again, also coopts DCI Jim Oldroyd onto the investigation.
There were enough clues this time for even me to spot what was behind the death, although I did get the last bit wrong.
This is a series that suits me down to the ground. There is no sex or gratuitous violence, all of the books are set in well known Yorkshire locations of which I am familar and all of the main series characters are well described and the reader feels empathy with each. Of course there is also good old Jim Oldroyd. I could almost imagine him as Jack Warner's PC49 George Dixon after a few promotions (for those old enough to remember the black and white BBC TV series)...more
Sometimes as a reader you slip up. I have certainly slipped up with this series. I came across this book by chance and grabbed it. Something about it -Sometimes as a reader you slip up. I have certainly slipped up with this series. I came across this book by chance and grabbed it. Something about it - the Breweries? - Yorkshire?, who knows what attracted me. As I prepared to start reading it dawned on me that this was a series of which I had read the first 7 the most recent being about 18 months ago. Why hadn't I added the next to my shelf then? As I started reading, I started remembering Detective Chief Inspector Jim Oldroyd (what a great Yorkshire name) and his family and his team with Andy and Steph now a pair and living together.
The wonderfully descriptive narrative of the series brought back pleasant memories of visiting many of the locations during my time in "Gods own County" and this one was no exception. With its barely concealed likeness to the twin breweries town of Masham, the story is well located there although the author's notes at the end explains the important differences in the breweries' histories.
Sometimes quotes at the beginning of chapters can be annoying. Here,as one who appreciates good beer, I found them informative and appropriate.
The tale had a good storyline with plenty of twists and misdirections and clearly drawn characters who were difficult to mix up. As an armchair detective, however, I would have appreciated a couple more clues as the answer was a little unpredictable. I didn't guess the answer (as usual) but had a strange feeling that I had read a similar story before with a similar hiding place but a different perpetrator. Strange.
The narrative felt a bit 'clunky' at times and perhaps it isn't a literary masterpiece but as they might say in Yorkshire; "It'll do for me, lad, thou knows" (although I can't type in a Yorkshire accent). Now quickly to grab another of the series before I forget again....more
The author likes to be different. I enjoyed The Magpie Murders before starting on this unusual series where he writes himself into the story.
This oneThe author likes to be different. I enjoyed The Magpie Murders before starting on this unusual series where he writes himself into the story.
This one is slightly different and instead of the story being told in the first person, much is in the more usual third. Instead of shadowing Hawthorne on a current investigation, the author is trying to write about and solve the clues of a past case. He himself wonders if the book will work.
I am sure that opinion will differ. In some ways I think he has succeeded but I felt that the telling of the story had lost something of its former unique quality.
However, the murder story itself with the addition of the 'locked room' element was well up to the standard of previous novels. May be a few too many red herrings were dragged across the trail but that was all part of a story where everyone had a motive.
The map at the beginning, I found helpful in imagining the various scenarios through the story in which plenty of clues were left for the armchair detective to decide their relevance.
I particularly enjoyed the final twists although for perhaps the first time in this series, my suspicions were correct.
Will the partnership survive another disagreement? The door for more books may have been left open along certain lines which perhaps could explain their 'strained' appearance in this story.We shall see....more
I came straight to this one from the previous book in the D I Boyd series as I had enjoyed it so much.
I appreciate the way that the author has plannedI came straight to this one from the previous book in the D I Boyd series as I had enjoyed it so much.
I appreciate the way that the author has planned this series. In previous books we have seen almost insignificant incidents in one built on and expanded in a future story. Here we have a conclusion to one such.
In addition, in this one, something, almost mentioned in passing early on, proves most significant. I feel that a break up in this one will have repercussions in a later novel.
This story is set a few months on from the last. Boyd has had his operation and is now on his chemotherapy treatment which is described with feeling. DS Minter has shuffled upwards and Okeke has been made up to DS.
It is she who makes the horrifying discovery at the old Pleasure Park that starts the case and is the main character in the story. Gradually the facts of what has happened are pieced together and then a huge discovery is made.
Its another book that keeps you reading late into the night as Scarrow ramps up the suspicions and the action.
I have now caught up with the author and have to wait for the publication of the next with eager anticipation....more
Having just finished my last, I was looking through my Kindle for my next. I realised that my next of this authors D I Boyd series was missing. You muHaving just finished my last, I was looking through my Kindle for my next. I realised that my next of this authors D I Boyd series was missing. You must know the feeling when something you think you might like seems unavailable, be it a rare/medium rare rib eye steak, a glass of whisky or a book, it becomes a necessity. So this one was located and became my next read. Seemed more exciting than previous books of the series even though they were hardly Noddy in Toytown stuff.
To appreciate this fully, as with so many others, the reader needs to have been through the previous books of the series.
This book was the best yet for a couple of reasons. Firstly because it brought together all of the main characters from Boyds personal and police life into the story. Secondly, the excitment starts early on and the level ramps up through the chapters to the finale.
Boyd is off work after having his operation and due to staff shortages DC Sam Okeke looks into an apparent suicide. But there is more to it than that, much more.
If you want a quite who done it, then this isn't it.
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