Doreen by Barbara Noble is a poignant piece, written in clear simple prose, about belonging, the responsibilities of love, and growing up. Written shortly after the end of the Second World War in the 1940s, the book tells the story of Doreen, a London child of 9, who is sent to live with a family in the country during the bomb raids in London.
Doreen is taken from the cold, working world of her mother where she was sure of her role in life to a privileged country house where she has her own room, learns to laugh, and is invited to sit at the table with those out of her class. But since the war will not last forever—and Doreen will return home to her original world and social class—the adults begin to disagree about what is the proper way to treat her: Is her experience spoiling her for her future or is it better to experience this freedom for once even if it most likely won’t last? Will loving other adults lessen her love for her mother? By taking steps to prevent losing Doreen to the bombs, is her mother, Mrs. Rawlings, losing Doreen to the childless Osbornes?
Everyone wants to do what’s right by Doreen. As Mrs. Osborne remarks at one point--"I only want to make her happy, what’s wrong with that?" The painful realization the adults come to face is that harm can come through the best of intentions. And while they begin to understand that lesson, Doreen takes her first step out of the protection of childhood when she realizes that "growing up was finding out that show more grown-ups suffered." show less
Doreen is taken from the cold, working world of her mother where she was sure of her role in life to a privileged country house where she has her own room, learns to laugh, and is invited to sit at the table with those out of her class. But since the war will not last forever—and Doreen will return home to her original world and social class—the adults begin to disagree about what is the proper way to treat her: Is her experience spoiling her for her future or is it better to experience this freedom for once even if it most likely won’t last? Will loving other adults lessen her love for her mother? By taking steps to prevent losing Doreen to the bombs, is her mother, Mrs. Rawlings, losing Doreen to the childless Osbornes?
Everyone wants to do what’s right by Doreen. As Mrs. Osborne remarks at one point--"I only want to make her happy, what’s wrong with that?" The painful realization the adults come to face is that harm can come through the best of intentions. And while they begin to understand that lesson, Doreen takes her first step out of the protection of childhood when she realizes that "growing up was finding out that show more grown-ups suffered." show less
Mr. White’s Confession is a mystery—a 1930s detective is trying to overcome corruption and petty competition to solve a string of murders of a dime-a-dance girls—but it attempts to expand beyond the genre by exploring variations in writing style, perception, and motivation. However, it doesn’t quite do any of those themes justice and, in throwing aside mystery's conventions and tools, it falls short of a satisfying mystery.
In theory, the author has a good concept, and he writes very well. The book was good, and perhaps if the author had been a bit more certain in focus, it could have been excellent.
In theory, the author has a good concept, and he writes very well. The book was good, and perhaps if the author had been a bit more certain in focus, it could have been excellent.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is another case in the Rex Stout’s fantastic mystery series featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Breaking one of his cardinal rules of not accepting a case when he doesn’t have a paying client, Wolfe takes on the case of a murdered mistress found dead in her flat because Orrie Cather, one of Wolfe’s action men, is under suspicion (and under arrest). There are plenty of suspicious characters in the picture, from the mystery lover who paid her bills to her condemning, “respectable” sister. Yet, when signs begin to point in one direction, an opportunity for a paying client arises, making the mystery a harder knot to untangle if Wolfe wants to receive his fee.
One reason I really like Rex Stout’s books is the characters. Nero Wolfe is a larger-than-life misogynistic genius who can only function on a schedule or risk getting indigestion from getting upset at meals. Archie Goodwin is the wise-cracking optimist who retains his good humor in all situations. In Death of a Doxy, the minor characters also get a chance to shine: Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Inspector Cramer are all in good form.
If you’ve read Rex Stout, you’ll like Death of a Doxy; if you’re thinking about reading one, this is as good a place to start as any.
One reason I really like Rex Stout’s books is the characters. Nero Wolfe is a larger-than-life misogynistic genius who can only function on a schedule or risk getting indigestion from getting upset at meals. Archie Goodwin is the wise-cracking optimist who retains his good humor in all situations. In Death of a Doxy, the minor characters also get a chance to shine: Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Inspector Cramer are all in good form.
If you’ve read Rex Stout, you’ll like Death of a Doxy; if you’re thinking about reading one, this is as good a place to start as any.
This is the third book in Norwegian author Karin Fossum’s Inspector Sejer series. It is the second translated into English and the second I’ve read.
This psychological novel focuses on three misfits and the circumstances that cause them to cross paths. Errki Johrma is a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental hospital who suffers from severe hallucinations. Kannick Snellingen is an obese young man who lives at the local reform school for boys. Morgan is a bank robber who has the misfortune of grabbing Errki as a hostage in order to enable his escape from his most recent robbery.
There is, of course, a mystery and a murder also. Shortly after Errki’s escape, Halldis Horn, a woman who lives alone on her remote farm, is found brutally slain on her own front porch. Kannick is the first to come across the body and report its discovery, and Errki is spotted in the woods in the vicinity of the property.
Inspector Sejer is probably the most reasonable detective I’ve encountered in my reading of mysteries. He is loathe to jump to conclusions and does not make assumptions based on stereotypes. And he is kind and dedicated—I think his younger coworker, Detective Skarre sums up his character best when he explains that Sejer, a widower for eleven years, believed that when he said “till death do us part”, he meant his death. Karin Fossum is thoughtful not only in her creation of Inspector Sejer but also in all the other characters in the book. All three “misfits” show more are depicted with a gentle touch and with understanding. This book is as much a fight for understanding between the armed and hostage as it is a mystery, as Errki and Morgan try to find shelter on the run. show less
This psychological novel focuses on three misfits and the circumstances that cause them to cross paths. Errki Johrma is a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental hospital who suffers from severe hallucinations. Kannick Snellingen is an obese young man who lives at the local reform school for boys. Morgan is a bank robber who has the misfortune of grabbing Errki as a hostage in order to enable his escape from his most recent robbery.
There is, of course, a mystery and a murder also. Shortly after Errki’s escape, Halldis Horn, a woman who lives alone on her remote farm, is found brutally slain on her own front porch. Kannick is the first to come across the body and report its discovery, and Errki is spotted in the woods in the vicinity of the property.
Inspector Sejer is probably the most reasonable detective I’ve encountered in my reading of mysteries. He is loathe to jump to conclusions and does not make assumptions based on stereotypes. And he is kind and dedicated—I think his younger coworker, Detective Skarre sums up his character best when he explains that Sejer, a widower for eleven years, believed that when he said “till death do us part”, he meant his death. Karin Fossum is thoughtful not only in her creation of Inspector Sejer but also in all the other characters in the book. All three “misfits” show more are depicted with a gentle touch and with understanding. This book is as much a fight for understanding between the armed and hostage as it is a mystery, as Errki and Morgan try to find shelter on the run. show less
A Long Shadow is the eighth in the Ian Rutledge series by mother/son writing duo Charles Todd. It is the first that I have read.
Ian Rutledge is a police inspector from Scotland Yard who has recently returned from fighting in the trenches in France during World War I. While he struggles to recover from the memories and guilt haunting him, he resumes his duty of solving crimes and tries to heal a country that is just as shattered and broken as he is.
In this book, he investigates a case in a remote village of a man (the local sheriff) found barely alive, shot in the back with an arrow in the nearby woods thought to be haunted by ancient Saxon ghosts. Looking into the attempted assassination, Rutledge is drawn to an unsolved mystery involving the disappearance of a teenage beauty. While the cases may or may not be related, there are common factors, and in a small town, most events are related. During the investigation of the case, he confronts local prejudice and tries to maintain his sanity in spite of the constant chiding of his ever-present companion Hamish (the ghost of a fellow soldier he had to execute for refusing to fight or the manifestation of his guilt for the lives lost under his command).
The book is well-written and the descriptions evocative of a bleak yet slowly recovering country. Before reading the book, I was wary of the fact that one of the main characters is either a ghost or symptom of the detective's imagination; however, the supernatural was not show more overdone. The writing was done in a manner so that I could understand how his conscience and shell-shocked hallucinations were a reaction to his war experience, and that made his trauma and struggle to recover all the more palpable for me as a reader.
The mystery wasn't difficult to figure out, from fairly early in the book. But the story remained interesting and suspenseful not because everyone was a suspect but because there was a question of whether Rutledge would survive / maintain control long enough to solve the case. Starting in London and throughout the investigation, Rutledge's condition is made worse by a stalker who shadows and terrorizes him by leaving tokens demonstrating that Rutledge is vulnerable anywhere at any time.
The book is not gruesome--in fact, there is very little description of blood or gore. However, the book left me more emotionally drained than many violent stories do. I want to read another (and plan to do so) but not for a while. show less
Ian Rutledge is a police inspector from Scotland Yard who has recently returned from fighting in the trenches in France during World War I. While he struggles to recover from the memories and guilt haunting him, he resumes his duty of solving crimes and tries to heal a country that is just as shattered and broken as he is.
In this book, he investigates a case in a remote village of a man (the local sheriff) found barely alive, shot in the back with an arrow in the nearby woods thought to be haunted by ancient Saxon ghosts. Looking into the attempted assassination, Rutledge is drawn to an unsolved mystery involving the disappearance of a teenage beauty. While the cases may or may not be related, there are common factors, and in a small town, most events are related. During the investigation of the case, he confronts local prejudice and tries to maintain his sanity in spite of the constant chiding of his ever-present companion Hamish (the ghost of a fellow soldier he had to execute for refusing to fight or the manifestation of his guilt for the lives lost under his command).
The book is well-written and the descriptions evocative of a bleak yet slowly recovering country. Before reading the book, I was wary of the fact that one of the main characters is either a ghost or symptom of the detective's imagination; however, the supernatural was not show more overdone. The writing was done in a manner so that I could understand how his conscience and shell-shocked hallucinations were a reaction to his war experience, and that made his trauma and struggle to recover all the more palpable for me as a reader.
The mystery wasn't difficult to figure out, from fairly early in the book. But the story remained interesting and suspenseful not because everyone was a suspect but because there was a question of whether Rutledge would survive / maintain control long enough to solve the case. Starting in London and throughout the investigation, Rutledge's condition is made worse by a stalker who shadows and terrorizes him by leaving tokens demonstrating that Rutledge is vulnerable anywhere at any time.
The book is not gruesome--in fact, there is very little description of blood or gore. However, the book left me more emotionally drained than many violent stories do. I want to read another (and plan to do so) but not for a while. show less
This is the first in the Philip Dryden series by British author Jim Kelly. Philip Dryden is a journalist who started out as a big-shot reporter in London but now works for a weekly rag in the Cambridgeshire Fens. His life changed one night when he was run off the road by a reckless driver while driving home with his wife. He was saved but he never forgave himself for leaving the side of his wife. She survived as well but is housed in a long-term care facility where the staff can take care of her needs and monitor her condition, looking for any signs that she is breaking out of her locked-in syndrome. Dryden visits her every night and still refuses to drive a car again; instead, he is chauffered by a taxi driver, Humphrey "Humph" Holt, who acts as a sidekick, aiding when necessary and discussing ideas.
In this story, the mystery starts when the police recover a body from a submerged car frozen in a lake. Later, another body is discovered by a repair crew beside a gargoyle on the roof of a church. The facts get further complicated when Dryden, in his investigation for his story, begins to think that these new murders are connected with a decades-old assault and robbery. Dryden attempts to stay ahead of the police in the investigation because any information he has over them can be used as a bargaining tool to get access to the confidential file on the investigation of the unsolved accident that sent his wife into a coma.
I was impressed with Jim Kelly's first book and show more certainly would have given it more stars if not for his treatment of the ending. His writing style is naturally pleasing and carries an easy rhythm. The main characters are roundly complex and have the signs that they will remain interesting through a following series of books. He gives a well-conceived and believable reason for his non-detective protaganist to become involved and remain entangled in a case that proves very dangerous. However, in the last few chapters, Jim Kelly loses the balance between action and straight dialogue explanation. The last chapter, which attempts to tie up several important loose ends, is a mere footnote. The concept of the ending--the solution to the mystery--is fine, but the author doesn't execute it well in his writing, which is surprising since the rest of the book would seem to contradict any difficulties or awkwardness in writing style. My issue was with only a very small portion of the book, but I don't like to close a book dissatisfied. However, the problems with the writing in the ending aren't enough to turn me off from reading the next one in the series, and I look forward to the treat of reading more from Jim Kelly again. show less
In this story, the mystery starts when the police recover a body from a submerged car frozen in a lake. Later, another body is discovered by a repair crew beside a gargoyle on the roof of a church. The facts get further complicated when Dryden, in his investigation for his story, begins to think that these new murders are connected with a decades-old assault and robbery. Dryden attempts to stay ahead of the police in the investigation because any information he has over them can be used as a bargaining tool to get access to the confidential file on the investigation of the unsolved accident that sent his wife into a coma.
I was impressed with Jim Kelly's first book and show more certainly would have given it more stars if not for his treatment of the ending. His writing style is naturally pleasing and carries an easy rhythm. The main characters are roundly complex and have the signs that they will remain interesting through a following series of books. He gives a well-conceived and believable reason for his non-detective protaganist to become involved and remain entangled in a case that proves very dangerous. However, in the last few chapters, Jim Kelly loses the balance between action and straight dialogue explanation. The last chapter, which attempts to tie up several important loose ends, is a mere footnote. The concept of the ending--the solution to the mystery--is fine, but the author doesn't execute it well in his writing, which is surprising since the rest of the book would seem to contradict any difficulties or awkwardness in writing style. My issue was with only a very small portion of the book, but I don't like to close a book dissatisfied. However, the problems with the writing in the ending aren't enough to turn me off from reading the next one in the series, and I look forward to the treat of reading more from Jim Kelly again. show less
First, a rare stamp is stolen in broad daylight after the thief notifies the police and press ahead of time in a bold taunt. The Bloodhounds, the local reading group for mystery fans in Bath, are interested in the opportunity to discuss a real mystery, but after one of their members ends up dead, murdered, in a different member's locked houseboat (the Mrs. Hudson), they all begin to suspect one-another. Only one Bloodhound, Milo, is above suspicion as he has a solid alibi--being with the police at the time of the murder. However, Milo, the fan of classic mysteries and locked room puzzles, had the only key to his houseboat in his possession at the police station, and the houseboat was found locked with no sign of forced entry. Peter Diamond, the Detective Superintendent in charge of investigating the murder, has his own locked-room puzzle to solve.
Peter Lovesey builds his characters well. His plotting is creative and fair to a reader who likes a mystery that gives enough clues. The writing is clear, and the dialogue is sharp. None of these assets are the best point of the book however. My favorite aspect is the clever references to other mystery authors and mystery genres which any crime book lover will find amusing. Whether it's Bloodhounds debating the benefits of the noir crime versus the puzzle-based whodunits or it's John Dickson Carr's rules of a proper locked-room mystery, a well-read reader will appreciate the nods to favorite authors.
Peter Lovesey builds his characters well. His plotting is creative and fair to a reader who likes a mystery that gives enough clues. The writing is clear, and the dialogue is sharp. None of these assets are the best point of the book however. My favorite aspect is the clever references to other mystery authors and mystery genres which any crime book lover will find amusing. Whether it's Bloodhounds debating the benefits of the noir crime versus the puzzle-based whodunits or it's John Dickson Carr's rules of a proper locked-room mystery, a well-read reader will appreciate the nods to favorite authors.
Fun mystery! Gladys Mitchell was a contemporary of Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. The detective in the books is an outspoken psychoanalyst, Mrs. Bradley (the same one on whom the PBS Mystery! series with Diana Rigg was based).
In this story, a young tightrope walker from the circus is killed by a slasher on the first night the circus is in town. The attentions of the police are focused on the members of the circus until that end proves unlikely due to several subsequent similar murders of young women after the circus leaves town.
Mrs. Bradley doesn't appear until around the second half of the book, and instead, the story is narrated by a young boy who, along with his younger brother, is captivated by the exciting events. Armed with their horse pistol and sword, they are eager to investigate any suspicious movement. Because of their curiosity and their propensity for sneaking around at night, they end up gathering a lot of useful information, and when Mrs. Bradley arrives, they find an ally with whom they can pool that information.
I thought the book was excellent. Because the story is narrated from the perspective of a young boy, the narrator is not always reliable in attaching importance to events and doesn't have the same open avenues of investigation. Nevertheless, the writer is fair and gives the reader enough information to figure out the mystery, as long as the reader can translate the boy's interpretation and doesn't let the contagious enthusiasm distract from show more the facts.
If you already know Gladys Mitchell, you will like this book. If you haven't read anything by her but like Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers, give this one a shot--you will probably enjoy it! show less
In this story, a young tightrope walker from the circus is killed by a slasher on the first night the circus is in town. The attentions of the police are focused on the members of the circus until that end proves unlikely due to several subsequent similar murders of young women after the circus leaves town.
Mrs. Bradley doesn't appear until around the second half of the book, and instead, the story is narrated by a young boy who, along with his younger brother, is captivated by the exciting events. Armed with their horse pistol and sword, they are eager to investigate any suspicious movement. Because of their curiosity and their propensity for sneaking around at night, they end up gathering a lot of useful information, and when Mrs. Bradley arrives, they find an ally with whom they can pool that information.
I thought the book was excellent. Because the story is narrated from the perspective of a young boy, the narrator is not always reliable in attaching importance to events and doesn't have the same open avenues of investigation. Nevertheless, the writer is fair and gives the reader enough information to figure out the mystery, as long as the reader can translate the boy's interpretation and doesn't let the contagious enthusiasm distract from show more the facts.
If you already know Gladys Mitchell, you will like this book. If you haven't read anything by her but like Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers, give this one a shot--you will probably enjoy it! show less
This is the 7th book in Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher (pronounced FRY-nee Fisher) mystery series. It is the first one that I have read.
The books are set in Australia during the 1920s. Phryne Fisher is a private investigator who gets involved in a case when the lead of the operetta she is attending collapses. Soon after, during the same show, the stand-in for the character Sir Ruthven also falls ill. When one of the Sir Ruthvens dies as a result and when a stage “accident” kills another company member, Phryne and the investigating police know that there is definitely a criminal that needs to be stopped.
The mystery is set in the playhouse of the Melbourne Gilbert and Sullivan company. The show they are putting up is Ruddigore, and Kerry Greenwood manages to work lines and events from the operetta into the plot of her book. Since all the suspects and witnesses are among the actors, dressers, and stagehands, most interactions are necessarily very dramatic and emotional. Not knowing much about that world, I can’t speak of its accurate portrayal, but it was entertaining. It was also interesting to be able to explore the relationships between the dressers and their actors, a topic which I never really thought about. The fact that she could work in clever references to Gilbert and Sullivan and Ruddigore throughout the book was just an added bonus. But overall, the best part was the character Phryne Fisher. She is an unflappable woman with a good sense of humor, but she show more is also very much a lady.
The mystery was light—not much suspense and no gore as the title might lead you to believe. But it was a good amusement, and sometimes that is exactly what I am looking for in a book. show less
The books are set in Australia during the 1920s. Phryne Fisher is a private investigator who gets involved in a case when the lead of the operetta she is attending collapses. Soon after, during the same show, the stand-in for the character Sir Ruthven also falls ill. When one of the Sir Ruthvens dies as a result and when a stage “accident” kills another company member, Phryne and the investigating police know that there is definitely a criminal that needs to be stopped.
The mystery is set in the playhouse of the Melbourne Gilbert and Sullivan company. The show they are putting up is Ruddigore, and Kerry Greenwood manages to work lines and events from the operetta into the plot of her book. Since all the suspects and witnesses are among the actors, dressers, and stagehands, most interactions are necessarily very dramatic and emotional. Not knowing much about that world, I can’t speak of its accurate portrayal, but it was entertaining. It was also interesting to be able to explore the relationships between the dressers and their actors, a topic which I never really thought about. The fact that she could work in clever references to Gilbert and Sullivan and Ruddigore throughout the book was just an added bonus. But overall, the best part was the character Phryne Fisher. She is an unflappable woman with a good sense of humor, but she show more is also very much a lady.
The mystery was light—not much suspense and no gore as the title might lead you to believe. But it was a good amusement, and sometimes that is exactly what I am looking for in a book. show less
In this book, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are faced with an odd case—a newly widowed socialite wants to find a baby’s mother. The child was left on her doorstep with a note which said that the boy should live in his father’s house. The young widow admits that it is quite possible her late husband was the father and she is prepared to take care of the child—but only if she can be sure that it is his. While she doesn’t want to have her generosity taken advantage of by an impostor, she thinks that if Wolfe can identify the mother and figure out her movements during the crucial time-frame, then she can at least be more confident that the note is legitimate.
While Wolfe doesn’t usually get involved in family matters, he accepts this case. Quickly, the case heats up with murders, and it gets so hot that Wolfe has to take refuge outside his brownstone.
This is one of my favorite Wolfe books so far. Archie and Wolfe are in top form, and Saul gets more involvement than in most cases. As with all the Wolfe books, the mystery isn’t complex and isn’t really the focus of the book. The mystery is a vehicle that carries the characters and their interactions through the course of the book—and this was a good ride.
While Wolfe doesn’t usually get involved in family matters, he accepts this case. Quickly, the case heats up with murders, and it gets so hot that Wolfe has to take refuge outside his brownstone.
This is one of my favorite Wolfe books so far. Archie and Wolfe are in top form, and Saul gets more involvement than in most cases. As with all the Wolfe books, the mystery isn’t complex and isn’t really the focus of the book. The mystery is a vehicle that carries the characters and their interactions through the course of the book—and this was a good ride.
This is the second book in the Van Veeteren series by Swedish mystery writer Hakan Nesser. It is the first that I have read.
When Van Veeteren is nearing the end of his vacation on the coast, he gets called in to assist in a serial murder investigation in a nearby town. By the time Van Veeteren is consulted, two have been killed, and the killer has been practically beheading his victims, earning him the title ‘The Axman’ in the press.
Van Veeteren joins the local police: Bausen, the chief who is set to retire in one month and who just wants everything closed by then, Kropke, the pompous computer-literate man, and Beate, an ambitious young woman who feels the need to prove herself. Those four, with later one of Van Veeteren’s underlings from the city, attempt to find the killer before too many others die.
The mystery was straightforward. It was okay. There was nothing outstanding about it, but it clung together cohesively. There are short sections interspersed between chapters which give outtakes from the killer’s point of view. Between those and the information gathered by the detectives, the reader should be able to figure out the mystery—but not too early in the story.
Nesser’s writing-style, however, made the reading difficult at the beginning. He writes in short sentences. Or incomplete sentences. Sentences like I am using right now. To illustrate the point. Making the flow somewhat isolating. Perhaps that was what he was going for. Then he would have show more achieved it. (I don’t think I can keep it up). His writing construction feels like rapid-fire, catching the reader off guard and making him pay attention (or put the book down). The isolation achieved by the writing construction further adds to the wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere and to the passive attitudes of the characters to give the book a well-developed sense of place.
The other good point, in addition to the formation of setting, is the characters. Most of them are not very likable, but they are very real. In a genre that is full of clichéd, contrived, or condensed characters (some of whom are in very good books—nothing against them), it is refreshing to find an author who can hit the mark.
I wouldn’t recommend this book for everybody, but if you like atmospheric novels with real, though not particularly endearing, characters and with a bit of crime to work through, you will probably like this book. I will buy the next one. show less
When Van Veeteren is nearing the end of his vacation on the coast, he gets called in to assist in a serial murder investigation in a nearby town. By the time Van Veeteren is consulted, two have been killed, and the killer has been practically beheading his victims, earning him the title ‘The Axman’ in the press.
Van Veeteren joins the local police: Bausen, the chief who is set to retire in one month and who just wants everything closed by then, Kropke, the pompous computer-literate man, and Beate, an ambitious young woman who feels the need to prove herself. Those four, with later one of Van Veeteren’s underlings from the city, attempt to find the killer before too many others die.
The mystery was straightforward. It was okay. There was nothing outstanding about it, but it clung together cohesively. There are short sections interspersed between chapters which give outtakes from the killer’s point of view. Between those and the information gathered by the detectives, the reader should be able to figure out the mystery—but not too early in the story.
Nesser’s writing-style, however, made the reading difficult at the beginning. He writes in short sentences. Or incomplete sentences. Sentences like I am using right now. To illustrate the point. Making the flow somewhat isolating. Perhaps that was what he was going for. Then he would have show more achieved it. (I don’t think I can keep it up). His writing construction feels like rapid-fire, catching the reader off guard and making him pay attention (or put the book down). The isolation achieved by the writing construction further adds to the wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere and to the passive attitudes of the characters to give the book a well-developed sense of place.
The other good point, in addition to the formation of setting, is the characters. Most of them are not very likable, but they are very real. In a genre that is full of clichéd, contrived, or condensed characters (some of whom are in very good books—nothing against them), it is refreshing to find an author who can hit the mark.
I wouldn’t recommend this book for everybody, but if you like atmospheric novels with real, though not particularly endearing, characters and with a bit of crime to work through, you will probably like this book. I will buy the next one. show less
This book is Archie Goodwin's recounting of two different cases--one in which Nero Wolfe acquires the rare black orchids, the other one in which he sends cut flowers from his black orchids to a funeral.
In the first case, Wolfe leaves his house to go to the flower show to see the newly-bred black orchids. While he is there, someone gets murdered and Cramer won't release Archie from questioning to drive Wolfe home. While waiting, Wolfe gathers some evidence, gets a client, and even works the black orchids into a deal. Once safely home, the only thing he has to do is solve the case, within the client's limiting instructions.
In the second case, Archie and Wolfe are approached by a society lady who thinks someone is out to ruin her. Two of her aquaintances have received letters in which the writer claimed knowledge of certain damaging secrets and wrote that this lady (Wolfe's potential client) had told the writer about it. She wants to know who wrote the letters and she wants proof. Throw in one murder, tag with a chimpanzee, and pig chitlins, and you have the story.
Almost any Archie and Wolfe mystery is bound to be fun. Here was no different. Archie was charming and bright, Wolfe was obstinate and correct. Just as things should be.
In the first case, Wolfe leaves his house to go to the flower show to see the newly-bred black orchids. While he is there, someone gets murdered and Cramer won't release Archie from questioning to drive Wolfe home. While waiting, Wolfe gathers some evidence, gets a client, and even works the black orchids into a deal. Once safely home, the only thing he has to do is solve the case, within the client's limiting instructions.
In the second case, Archie and Wolfe are approached by a society lady who thinks someone is out to ruin her. Two of her aquaintances have received letters in which the writer claimed knowledge of certain damaging secrets and wrote that this lady (Wolfe's potential client) had told the writer about it. She wants to know who wrote the letters and she wants proof. Throw in one murder, tag with a chimpanzee, and pig chitlins, and you have the story.
Almost any Archie and Wolfe mystery is bound to be fun. Here was no different. Archie was charming and bright, Wolfe was obstinate and correct. Just as things should be.
In this installment, Nero Wolfe is hired by a concerned father to investigate his younger daughter's boyfriend. The father thinks the boyfriend is a communist but will accept any evidence that Wolfe can amass that will change his daughter's feelings towards the man. While Archie is away at the client's estate investigating, Wolfe gets information that links the boyfriend to a powerful criminal. Wolfe and Archie take their suspicions to the daughter at the estate, but before they can convince her to give them her word that she will end the relationship, the boyfriend ends up dead. Their client, his two daughters, his wife, his son, the three house guests, even Archie and Wolfe--all are suspects. This book finds Nero Wolfe out of his element, and he has to break almost every one of his rules in his attempt to avoid running afoul of this criminal master, X. His orchid room has already been shattered with gun fire as a warning, and he doesn't want Archie, any of his footmen, or himself to be next.
While the series can be read in any order, the master criminal in this book was introduced in an earlier installment (And Be A Villain) that I haven't read. Not having read the earlier book, I cannot say whether it would be better to read it first, but I can say that I didn't feel like I was missing any important background for the case at hand.
And although I love the Archie character, in this book, he was a bit too dim-witted at times, even for me. What I find best about Archie is show more that he can joke and make a game of things, but he is quick on his feet and observant. I think there was less of that here. He could still joke and come up with retorts like the best of them, but at moments, his memory and observation seemed more akin to Watson's in a Sherlock Holmes story. That's not what I look for in Archie.
That's not to say I didn't like it, but I am just comparing it to what I have come to expect after reading the others. It wasn't as good as the previous two I've read, but I still enjoyed it immensely. show less
While the series can be read in any order, the master criminal in this book was introduced in an earlier installment (And Be A Villain) that I haven't read. Not having read the earlier book, I cannot say whether it would be better to read it first, but I can say that I didn't feel like I was missing any important background for the case at hand.
And although I love the Archie character, in this book, he was a bit too dim-witted at times, even for me. What I find best about Archie is show more that he can joke and make a game of things, but he is quick on his feet and observant. I think there was less of that here. He could still joke and come up with retorts like the best of them, but at moments, his memory and observation seemed more akin to Watson's in a Sherlock Holmes story. That's not what I look for in Archie.
That's not to say I didn't like it, but I am just comparing it to what I have come to expect after reading the others. It wasn't as good as the previous two I've read, but I still enjoyed it immensely. show less
Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books are told in the distinctive voice of Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe's leg-man. Nero Wolfe is a rotund genius private investigator who doesn't leave his house unless absolutely necessary. He insists on good meals (with no discussion of work), uninterrupted time with his orchids (four hours a day), and a good night's rest. In contrast, Archie is a good sport with a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor and is game for most anything.
In this story, a young boy comes to Wolfe's home with a business proposition. The boy works a street corner, earning money by cleaning windshields of cars stopped at a traffic light. That evening, the boy had started working on a car when the woman driving the car turns to him and expressly mouths "help, call the police." The man sitting beside the woman notices the boy's expression, and the car quickly drives off. The boy remembers the license plate number and a description of the woman driver who wore gold spider earrings. The next day, before Wolfe can identify the car, the boy is intentionally run over by the same car. Because Wolfe feels an obligation to the boy, he makes a quick stab at identifying the mystery woman. The woman he locates hints at a problem she has, pays Wolfe a retainer, and promises to come back the next day to go into details. The next morning, she is found dead--run over by a car. For Wolfe, the situation is insufferable: he has a reputation to maintain and can't have people hiring him and then show more getting killed. Plus he has the money the woman paid him for a retainer that he has to feel he has earned. He is committed to investigate.
Stout's books are a joy to read. Archie's playful, positive tone keeps the whole narrative at a jovial ramble. Also, each book is short enough to be swallowed in one gulp. The mysteries aren't very complex, and the format is very formulaic, with the case being resolved in Wolfe's recitation in his study in front of all the suspects and the police. The joy is in the characters, and the mystery is just enough to keep the plot going. When I'm finished reading, I don't feel as if I've engaged my mind in solving a mystery like in some mystery books, but I do feel like I've just finished a light-hearted banter with a friend. show less
In this story, a young boy comes to Wolfe's home with a business proposition. The boy works a street corner, earning money by cleaning windshields of cars stopped at a traffic light. That evening, the boy had started working on a car when the woman driving the car turns to him and expressly mouths "help, call the police." The man sitting beside the woman notices the boy's expression, and the car quickly drives off. The boy remembers the license plate number and a description of the woman driver who wore gold spider earrings. The next day, before Wolfe can identify the car, the boy is intentionally run over by the same car. Because Wolfe feels an obligation to the boy, he makes a quick stab at identifying the mystery woman. The woman he locates hints at a problem she has, pays Wolfe a retainer, and promises to come back the next day to go into details. The next morning, she is found dead--run over by a car. For Wolfe, the situation is insufferable: he has a reputation to maintain and can't have people hiring him and then show more getting killed. Plus he has the money the woman paid him for a retainer that he has to feel he has earned. He is committed to investigate.
Stout's books are a joy to read. Archie's playful, positive tone keeps the whole narrative at a jovial ramble. Also, each book is short enough to be swallowed in one gulp. The mysteries aren't very complex, and the format is very formulaic, with the case being resolved in Wolfe's recitation in his study in front of all the suspects and the police. The joy is in the characters, and the mystery is just enough to keep the plot going. When I'm finished reading, I don't feel as if I've engaged my mind in solving a mystery like in some mystery books, but I do feel like I've just finished a light-hearted banter with a friend. show less
In post civil war Boston, a group of literary figures forms a club to prepare an English translation of Dante's Divine Comedy in order to introduce Dante to America. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, J. T. Fields (James Thomas Fields), and George Washington Greene work on translating the Inferno, they face more serious problems than differing interpretations of the same verse. The Harvard Corporation, headed by Dr. Manning, attempts to use its influence to block publication in a misguided attempt to protect public morality. Also, a killer has begun a string of serial murders that replicate the punishments that Dante allotted to the various circles of hell.
Knowing that there are only a handful of people aware of Dante's work, the Dante Club realizes that if a connection is made, they would be the prime (and maybe the only) suspects for the police. Also, any public connection of Dante to these murders would doom the translation project that they have devoted themselves to. Therefore, the Dante Club decides to not tell the police of the literary connection and begins its own investigation. Thus begins the story.
While the summary appears to be that of a mystery book, the focus of the story is the work and translation of Dante. The book is more of a love-letter to Dante than a thriller, and it succeeds in that respect. When I was less that half way through the book, I was already trying to find a good translation of Dante. Allen show more Mandelbaum's translation is now on the top of my "books to be purchased" list.
Matthew Pearl clearly did his research -- Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell, Fields, and Greene are all well-developed, as is the Boston setting. However, Pearl's writing style is abrupt, almost choppy and therefore makes it difficult for the reader to ever get completely immersed in the story or into the book. But even with the flow of the story handicapped, Pearl manages to make the members of the Dante Club inspiring. show less
Knowing that there are only a handful of people aware of Dante's work, the Dante Club realizes that if a connection is made, they would be the prime (and maybe the only) suspects for the police. Also, any public connection of Dante to these murders would doom the translation project that they have devoted themselves to. Therefore, the Dante Club decides to not tell the police of the literary connection and begins its own investigation. Thus begins the story.
While the summary appears to be that of a mystery book, the focus of the story is the work and translation of Dante. The book is more of a love-letter to Dante than a thriller, and it succeeds in that respect. When I was less that half way through the book, I was already trying to find a good translation of Dante. Allen show more Mandelbaum's translation is now on the top of my "books to be purchased" list.
Matthew Pearl clearly did his research -- Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell, Fields, and Greene are all well-developed, as is the Boston setting. However, Pearl's writing style is abrupt, almost choppy and therefore makes it difficult for the reader to ever get completely immersed in the story or into the book. But even with the flow of the story handicapped, Pearl manages to make the members of the Dante Club inspiring. show less