Picture Prompt Book Bingo

 Mayri at Book Forager is offering the Picture Prompt Book Bingo again this year. I enjoyed it so much few years that I've just got to sign up again. This is a pretty open challenge--just read books that connect in some way with the pictures on the bingo card. An plant being potted? There could be an plant or tree on the cover. Or the book could be about a gardener. As long as you're happy with the connection, Mayri says go for it!

1. Teacup

2. Weighing Scales

3. Moth

4. Hand Holding Playing Cards

5. Hot Air Balloon

6. Acorns

7. Human Eye

8. Cooking Pot over a Campfire

9. Griffin

10. Key

11. Hand Holding Threaded Needle

12. Octopus

13. Plant Being Repotted

14. Skull & Crossbones

15. Decorative Water Fountain

16. Pinch-Clip Purse

TBR 26 in '26

 Gilion at Rose City Reader is sponsoring her yearly TBR-conquering challenge--this year TBR 26 in '26--that fits right in with my Mount TBR Challenge, so...here I am signing up for another challenge (Surprise!). For full details check out her blog a the link above. Basically--just read 24 books from your owned TBR stacks. Here we go...

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Reprint of the Year: Through a Glass, Darkly

  For several years, Kate at Cross Examining Crime has been rounding up the vintage mystery bloggers and having us perpetuate her brilliant brainstorm (one of many that she has had). In the wake of various publishing houses recognizing the virtues of Golden Age (and more recent) vintage crime novels through reprint editions of both well-known and more obscure titles, Kate thought those of us who love those vintage mysteries would like the chance to feature the year's reprints and make a pitch for our favorites to be voted Reprint of the Year. We loved the idea so much that we keep coming back for more.

This week's choice for the 2025 ROY Awards Ceremony is Through a Glass, Darkly by Helen McCloy. This classic from 1950 has been reprinted by Penguin Modern Classics (the cover which our voter is pondering to the right). My copy is a nice vintage Dell Mapback edition (pictured below). 

The story opens with Faustina Crayle being dismissed from her post as an art instructor at an elite girls' school. The headmistress, Mrs. Lightfoot refuses to give a reason beyond the fact that Miss Crayle "does not quite blend with the essential spirit of Brereton." She does, however, give the art instructor six months' pay after only five weeks of work. Evidence indeed that she wishes her gone and spare no expense. 

Faustina confides in her only friend at the school, Gisela von Hohenems, who suggests she consult a lawyer.  When Faustina demurs, Gisela tells her boyfriend, Dr. Basil Willing--famous psychologist and medical assistant to the district attorney, about it. He insists on meeting Faustina and convinces her to allow him to represent her with Mrs. Lightfoot.  His interview with the headmistress is very surprising.  It seems that Faustina has become the center of rumors about a doppelganger. Several maids and a few of the girls have claimed to see Miss Crayle in two places at once.  A few parents have pulled their girls out of the school because of the unhealthy atmosphere. The practical Mrs. Lightfoot could find no plausible explanation for the incidents and rather than investigate or allow the rumors to create even more havoc with her school's reputation she decided to ask Miss Crayle to leave.
 
As Willing investigates, he discovers that this isn't the first time Faustina has been dismissed from a school because of doppelganger rumors.  He will have to sift the supernatural from everyday villainy as he follows a trail littered with superstition and jewels; doubles and demimondaines.  There is a tale that says She who sees her own double is about to die...and despite Willing's efforts and his instructions to stay put in a hotel while he investigates, Faustina insists on making a trip to her beach cottage.  A trip from which she never returns.  Did she truly see her double? Or is there a more solid human agent behind her death?   Willing brings us the answer...but the ending is a bit unsettling nonetheless.

McCloy's powers to create atmosphere are at their strongest in this book.  Even though we're quite sure that there's some human deviltry behind Faustina Crayle's plight, Mccloy still manages to make the idea of a doppelganger seem almost possible.  And the ending leaves us just a little unsure that Dr. Willing has completely explained everything.  Yes, it all hangs together.  And, yes, I do believe that X really did orchestrate the whole thing and for the reasons given...but what if Dr. Willing is wrong?  There's a nice shivery feeling to that thought.  

A nicely done, atmospheric piece that also happens to be an excellent detective novel.  Often thought to be McCloy's masterpiece, Through a Glass, Darkly is certainly the best I've read by McCloy so far. She builds the tension around Faustina in a way that the reader is willing to believe that there just might be a supernatural answer to everything that has happened to her. But she also designs the plot in a way that the acute reader can spot the human agency involved. A fantastic read that is well-deserving of your ROY vote!

First lines: Mrs. Lightfoot was standing by the bay window. "Sit down, Miss Crayle. I'm afraid I have bad news."

Last line: "God knows what's up there anyway!"

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Deaths = 4 (two natural; one hit head; one scared to death)

The Red Tassel

 The Red Tassel (1950) by David Dodge

Al Colby, an American private eye who lives in South America, is hired by the beautiful, 20-something Pancha Porter to investigate her late father's Bolivian mine. The lead mine had been putting out a hefty profit for years, but recently profits have dropped by nearly half and she wants to know why. Colby is always ready to work for good money--especially when the good money is being paid out by a lady as lovely as Pancha. But he warns her that the trip is going the be hard on someone who isn't used to the Bolivian heights. The mine is far up in the mountains where the air is so thin it's difficult to breathe. 

Saturnino, assistant to Simon Braillard who manages the mine for the Porter family, meets them with the mine's station wagon.The trip is made even worse by the fact that someone has directed the exhaust fumes to the back of the car where Colby is sitting. Since Colby was an unexpected addition to the party, he can only assume that the near-deadly experience was intended for Pancha. 

Upon arrival at the mine, they learn that the pack-llamas and necessary mining equipment and chemicals are being stolen on a regular basis--which eats into the profits and, of course, delays production which deducts even more. Rumor has it that Yatiri, the local witch doctor, cursed Pancha's father and that is the source of all the trouble. But Colby suspects a deeper plot. He's sure that Brailliard and his near-silent wife Lili know more than they've said. But when Brailliard is found with a knife in his back and a red borla (a woven ear tassel used to mark ownership of llamas) in his hand, Colby is forced to reconsider his suspicions. He needs to find out what's behind the Yatiri rumor before he and Pancha become the next victims.

So...I'm either not in the right frame of mind for this mildly-boiled private eye adventure or this is definitely a man's story. I say the latter judging from the reviews on Goodreads. Nearly all the men who bothered to write reviews gave The Red Tassel four solid stars (plus one short five-star review). But I...well, I felt like I was wading through thick molasses trying to make my way through the plot. The one saving grace is that Dodge actually plants a really nice clue that would allow anyone not absolutely mired in molasses to spot what's going on. (I was too busy trying to get the goo off...). Oh, and Colby is a good example of the type of private eye I enjoy--not nearly as hard-boiled. 

I was aiming to include this in my selections for the Reprint of the Year Awards (hosted by Kate at Cross Examining Crime), but I can't in good conscience beg for votes for a book I don't fell that strongly about. A weak ★★★

First line: Pancha Porter was a surprise package in more ways than one.

Last line: I told her about her redeeming features for a while, but then the moon came up over the cordillera, and the night was too beautiful to waste on talk.
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Deaths = 4 (two natural; one stabbed; one hit on head)

Dropped Dead

 Dropped Dead (1984) by Jonathan Ross (John Rossiter)

Detective Superintendent George Rogers is called away from his golf game to view the body of a soman sprawled awkwardly beneath a huge tree on remote hillside. The body seems to have fallen from the tree, but when Rogers climbs up the tree in search of clues he finds evidence that the body fell from an even greater height. Perhaps from a plane? There are two flying clubs in the neighborhood and Rogers' investigation leads him to the Plattsburgh Aero Club. The description of the woman seems to fit Kirstin Mahir. Kirstin supposedly flew to France with one of the members--apparently she didn't make it that far. Did the pilot push her out of the plane? Is the answer that simple?

Of course not. The further Rogers digs, the more he learns about Kirsten's extracurricular activities. Her interests were in the pilots and not in their planes. There are ex-lovers who may have wanted Kirsten dead,; there's her husband who may have had enough of her philandering; and there are spouses and loved ones who may have resent her involvement with their men. It all comes down to who had sufficient motive and could pilot a plane at night.

The mystery is a good one and I enjoyed following Rogers through his interviews with suspects as well as his interactions with his right-hand man, the elegant Inspector Lingard. There are a few really good character studies-Kirsten's husband, Lisa Fromme--the lone female pilot in the club, and Wing-Commander Corbersley who runs the club, as well as a few others. But several of the club members receive short shrift in the character development department. It would have made for a much more satisfying read overall and would have made the suspect pool seem a little bit bigger. 

Overall, a solid police procedural (as one would expect from a former policeman like Rossiter) and an interesting plot. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Were there to exist entities called Guardian Angels, then the one detailed for attendance on the dead woman had been unforgivably neglectful.

Last line: Late as it was, he couldn't believe that the door would remain closed against the urgent knocking of a goat-legged and horned George Rogers, private citizen, plausibly intent only on his need for a midnight cup of Lapsang Souchong tea and a discussion on the flight characteristics of a Tiger Moth biplane.
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Deaths = 3 (one asphyxiated; two plane crash)

Mystery for Halloween

 Mystery for Halloween (1991) by Cynthia Mason, ed

Well...the blurb says that these "modern masters of the chilling word whip up a witch's brew of mystery fiction" (emphasis mine) which would lead me to believe that this is full of mysteries. It's not--nearly half of them have no mystery to be solved even though there may be some element of the mysterious. But for the most part the stories that are true mysteries are very good. I count among those: "Kiss the Vampire Goodbye," "Fun & Games at the House of Whacks," "The Theft of the Halloween Pumpkin," and "Tony Libra and the Killer's Calendar." The last is probably the most classic of mysteries--although I don't think the average mystery reader would be able to correctly interpret the vital clue. And the vampire story does the best job of mixing mystery with the supernatural element. I enjoyed most of the other, more supernatural stories--but could have done without "The Sitter" and the "The Night Watchman." They didn't do it for me in either the ghostly or mystery category. ★★★

"The Haunted Portrait" by Lawrence Treat: A mild mannered museum creator is worried about a famous portrait that's supposed to reveal the name of the killer of the portrait's subject. But a painting can't do that...can it? (two stabbed)

"Clancy's Bride" by Terry Bacon: Clancy snags himself a beautiful bride--who most unexpectedly takes to farm life, particularly the slaughtering of animals. When animals start disappearing from the neighboring farms, the local poacher is blamed. But is he responsible? (two beheaded)

"Kiss the Vampire Goodbye" by Alan Ryan: Mike Kendall, LA private eye, and Danny Lavendar, his huge, albino Eskimo partner, investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy bank owner at the behest of his beautiful daughter. Mary Cantrell believes her father was killed by a vampire--and there were puncture wounds on his neck to prove it. But does Kendall believe it? (one stabbed; one burned by sun's rays)

"The Dog" by Pauline C. Smith: Aunt Bessie's husband swears that she'll never be rid of him--not even if he dies. He believes in reincarnation--even if she doesn't. And, just like Arnold, he'll be back... (one natural)

"House by the Road" by Janet O'Daniel: Jane thinks she's found the perfect little house where she can do her writing in peace. Until strange things start happening and the woman she hired to do odd jobs and gardening tells her that there's a spell on the house and that evil spirits want the place for their own...

"The Ghost of Monday" by Andrew Klavan: A man thinks he's committed the perfect crime when he does away with his blackmailing mistress. But then the ghost shows up in his bathroom... (one hit with axe)

"Sitter" by Theodore H. Hoffman: A neurotic teenager who has watched one too many slasher films scares herself silly while babysitting a couple of kids. Is she as neurotic as we think?

"Ghost in the House" by George Sumner Albee: Deborah is upset and Henry can't believe her reason. She's sure that their house is haunted--a man, apparently a realtor, appeared in the living room with a young couple and walked right through her. When they reappear and Henry tries to confront the man, the same happens. But since when do ghosts try to sell houses? (two car accident)

"Behold, Kra K'l!" by Richard F. McGonegal: George convinces his fellow student to help him raise a demon to prove the existence of God. The two young men get more than they bargained for when George's ultra-conservative Czech landlady breaks into their session. 

"Fun & Games at the Whacks Museum" by Elliott Capone: The kids of Bellerive love Berrigan's wax museum; the townspeople hate it. And when the mayor and city council pass an ordinance against taking money without giving a tangible product, it looks like Berrigan will be out of business. And then the mayor is run down by an out of control car...  (one hit by car)

"The Theft of the Halloween Pumpkin" by Edward D. Hoch: Nick Velvet is hired by a reclusive rich publisher's ex-mistress to steal the Halloween pumpkin off the man's front porch. To add a little spice...the last man to invade the publisher's privacy was shot and killed. But Nick always finds a way to deliver the goods. (two shot)

"The Night Watchman" by David Braly: Young Thomas Perkins is obsessed with the night watchman who walks the streets after dark. No one seems to know where he came from or when he was hired or by whom. He's just always been there. Perkins finally decides to find out where he goes after his rounds are done. But does he really want to know?

"Tony Libra & the Killer's Calendar" by Richard Ciciarelli: Tony Libra is hosting a Halloween costume party when his colleague, English Professor Jameson, arrives and asks for a private word. Jameson suspects that a faculty member has been running a drug ring but he doesn't have evidence--yet. He plans on getting it, but tells Tony that if anything should happen to him then Tony should "check up on the calendar." When Jameson is found murdered, Libra must figure out what that statement meant.(one stabbed)

"In the Morgue" by Dashiell Hammett: Walter Dowe's wife is missing and he learns that she went to the theater while he was busy writing away in his room. Oh...and the theater burned down that very night. He takes a friend along as he visits hospitals and, finally, the morgue in search of  her. A very different twist ending. (one fire)

"The Black Cat" by Lee Somerville: Our narrator's Cousin Rush comes into town just in time for the Heritage Festival. Cousin Rush is the black sheep of the family and is only interested in the funds that have been raised during the festivities. He might have gotten away with a robbery if he hadn't kicked that black cat... (two shot)

"This Is Death" by Donald E. Westlake: When a man who has attempted suicide in the past finally succeeds, his ghost wishes that he hadn't. (one hanged)

1st Line (first story): Sometimes I watch a guide bring his group into Gallery 18, in the East Wing of the museum.

...the more I listened, the more I realized that Mary Cantrell's spunkiness was definitely riding in the back seat today. She was scared, badly scared. And when a spunky girl gets scared, I get interested. ("Kiss the Vampire Goodbye")

I was looking at the second vampire I've ever seen. That's a lot of vampires when you didn't even believe in them thirty-six hours before. ("Kiss the Vampire Goodbye")

It's hard not to believe in ghosts when you are one. ("This Is Death")

Last line (last story): This is death.

13 Moon Reading Challenge 2026

The 13 Moons Reading Challenge by ReadnBuried is comprised of thirteen categories with multiple prompts for each category. Thirteen books (one from each category) will complete the challenge at its most basic level--Penumbral Lunar Eclipse--which is what I will be going for. I may do more, but will consider my challenge commitment complete with 13. If you're feeling ambitious you can try for all 104! Click on the link for full details about all the levels.

Wolf Moon
Book featuring an Asylum:
"Vanilla" in the title:
Book with less than 90 pages:
Read while eating a sandwich:
Read a book in your favorite place:
By an author who is funny:
Do NOT read this book while sitting on floor:
Book about a Teacher:

Snow Moon
A mirror on the cover:
Word "Chocolate" on the cover:
Start book in Winter:
Book with a Playlist:
Book with three Ss in title:
Read book while seated next to someone:
Read while eating a treat:
Read a book when you have nothing else to read:

Worm Moon
Book about a Mental Disorder:
"Strawberry" in title:
Book about Cheese:
Book with movie adaptation:
Book features snakes:
Read a book on a blanket:
Start book after 5 pm:
Snail on the cover: 

Pink Moon
Book about Mental Health
"Mango" in the title:
A friend recommendation:
Choose a book blindfolded:
Title is same as name of a song:
Whale on the cover:
Book you think will make you blush:
Book about breast cancer:

Flower Moon
Book features a castle:
"Cookies" in the title:
Mask on the cover:
Book features your favorite flower:
More than 5 colors on cover:
Book features the northern lights:
Set in the South:
Number 6 in title:

Strawberry Moon
Book has Gothic setting:
"Cheesecake" in the title:
Book with a series adaptation:
Eyebrows on cover:
"Ember" in the title:
Read book on a desk:
Book features sushi:
Polka dots on cover:

Buck Moon
Book with a Ghost character
"Caramel" in title:
A Book Club read:
Read book using phone's flashlight:
Start a book right after lunch:
Book features a blue collar job:
Book you wish would be turned into a movie:
Book about self-defense:

Sturgeon Moon
Book in which a character dies:
"Butter" in the title:
Book from somebody's anti-TBR: Last Ditch by Ngaio Marsh (from Noah at Noah's Archives)
Book features royalty:
Fangs on the cover:
An AI recommendation:
Set in one of the counties in the UK:
Read a Fable:

Harvest Moon
A horror book:
"Rainbow" in the title"
Framed painting on cover:
Book with only 7 chapters:
Book about a fandom:
Roll a die and read book corresponding to the number:
Read first book you see on the shelf:
Book with character with tattoos:

Hunter's Moon
Start book after midnight:
"Road" in the title":
Glitter on the cover:
About a band that is no longer active:
Listen to a free audiobook:
Book with different endings: [choose your own adventure]
Written by Indie Author and then taken by publisher:
Star-Crossed Lovers trope:

Beaver Moon
Set in Victorian era:
"Cake" in title:
Book features a circus:
Book similar to your favorite book:
Book with British & American characters:
Book about ancient technology:
Rocking chair on cover:
Religious symbol on cover:

Cold Moon
A psychological thriller:
"Marshmallow" in title:
Book features a game:
Ferris wheel on cover:
Book with a fantasy creature:
Book features an egg:
Book with an empty chapter:
Milkshake on cover:

Blue Moon
Knife on the cover:
"Raspberry" in title:
Book in your Reading Challenge TBR:
Book features inheritance: The Plumley Inheritance by Christopher Bush
Set in a School of any kind:
Carousel on the cover:
Book you think will surprise you:
Book with a subject new to you:

Journey Through Time Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2026

 

Going hand-in-hand with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge at The Intrepid Reader & Baker, we have the Journey Through Time Historical Fiction Reading Challenge at Alma's Book Journey on Instagram. I'm going to try to do all twelve, but for my personal challenge tracker my commitment will be for six.

Biblical/Ancient Era: 

Romance:

A Child's Tale:

At Sea:

Latin America:

WWI or WW2

American Revolution:

Historical Fantasy

Libraries/Books/Teachers:

Set in the 1800s:

Mystery/Suspense:

Set in your Fav Decade:

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2026

 

Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader & Baker will be hosting the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge again this year. I've still got a couple of historical series to work on and plan to join in for another round.. If historical fiction is your thing (or you'd like to see if it is), take a peek at the details at the link above.

I'm going to sign up for the Victorian Reader level (5 books). I may wind up venturing further, but if I reach my initial goal then I will claim the challenge complete.

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Victorian Reader

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

 

The Cloak & Dagger Challenge is back at Carol's Notebook. Those who have participated before will recognize the rules and format--check out the link for full details and to sign up. Since my primary reading genre is mysteries, I will be joining in again at the Sherlock Holmes level of 56+ books in the mystery and crime fields.

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52 Book Club 2026 Challenge

 

I'm back for another round of Liz's reading challenge at The 52 Book Club. Hers is a low-key challenge, so there is no pressure to fulfill all 52 categories I'm setting a personal goal of 26. I may read more that fit the categories, but at 26 I can claim my challenge goal fulfilled. Several times in the past I've managed to pull off all 52--so who knows, maybe I'll get there again. I'll list some tentative selections below and update as needed.

1. Set in an ancient civilization: Aristotle, Detective by Margaret Doody

2. Kangare word on the cover: The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene (Clue/Cue)

3. Written without quotation marks: Sinai Tapestry by Edward Whittemore OR Ghost by Paul Aster [library]

4. Has a dust jacket:

5. Featuring a conspiracy:

6. Title starts with letter O:

7. Title starts with letter P: Pencil Points to Murder by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz

8. A three-syllable word in the title:

9. Featuring a natural disaster:

10. Spans a decade or more:

11. Requires suspension of disbelief:

12. A genre-defining read:

13. Bookface:

14. Includes a character list:

15. A subtitle with commas:

16. Deus Ex Machina:

17. Author's bio mentions their dog: The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

18.Provokes strong emotion:

19. A nosy neighbor character:

20. Day of the week in title: Thursday's Folly by Judson Philips OR Death over Sunday by James Francis Bonnell

21. Written in the 1800s:

22. Spotted in a TV series or movie: The Saint in New York by Leslie Charteris [in Inglorious Basterds, 2009]

23.Grumpy/Sunshine trope:

24. Uneven number of chapters:

25. Includes a red herring:

26. Title in serif font:

27. Two or more authors, one pseudonym: Murder by Prescription by Jonathan Stagge (Hugh Wheeler & Richard Webb)

28. From a series at least eight books long:

29. Set in the Arctic or Antarctic: Death in a Cold Climate by Robert Barnard

30. Author related to another author: A Dying Fall by Hildegarde Dolson

31. Author related to author in prompt 30: Squire of Death by Richard Lockridge (married)

32. Publisher starting with letter B: A Death for a Double by E. X. Giroux (Ballantine)

33. Standalone fantasy novel: The Ship of Ishtar by A. A. Merritt

34. Inspired by top-grossing movie the year you were born: Murder on the Line by John Creasey (train robbery; Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid)

35. Character with secret identity

36. Award-wining book from last year:

37. Started on the 26th of the month:

38. Domestic fiction:

39. A book that cost you nothing:

40. Author's first and last name start with same letter:

41. A guide to...: A Botanist's Guide to Parties & Poisons by Kate Khavari (library)

42. Includes a handwritten interior font: The Far Away Man by William Marshall (signed by author) OR The Prowler by Frances Rickett (signed by author)

43. Goodreads recommendation for you: The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro

44. Literary Device--Personification: 

45. Biographical Fiction: Murder on the Yellow Brick Road by Stuart Kaminsky

46. Non-fiction about character in prompt 45: Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Louis B. Mayer, etc.

47. A diacritical mark on cover: A Murder of Quality by John le Carré

48. Related to the word "Nemesis": Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

49. From the 800s of the Dewey Decimal System:

50. Set in a castle: Murder of a Lady by Anthony Wynne

51. Includes a map.

52. Published in 2026: When the Wolves Are Silent by C. S. Harris

Old Students Never Die

 Old Students Never Die (1962) by Ivan T. Ross (Robert Rossner)

Ben Gordon is a high school teacher who has just come to the end of one of "those" years. A year where there didn't seem to be a single student who wanted to learn or who showed a spark of interest in what Gordon had to teach. Nearly every year there would be some and there would be certain students who were just plain favorites. Not teacher's pets--but students who seemed to make a connection. Jackie Meadows was one of those students. He was brilliant in schoolwork, but he and Gordon connected. But, as with most students, Gordon had lost touch with him.

But this year fellow teacher Jay Gibbs asks Gordon if he remembered Meadows and did he know that he had turned out to be a very successful comedian on the night club circuit. Yes, he did...and, no, he didn't. Gordon had planned to set out early for a summer vacation road trip--to anywhere but where the school was, but Gibbs tells him that tonight is Meadows' last night at the local club and Gordon should catch the show. So, he does, enjoys the show, and meets up with Meadows after. He's surprised to find himself accepting his former student's invitation to spend the first part of summer vacation at the comedian's country place. Especially when he hears that it will be full of television types because Jackie is in the middle of negotiations for his own TV show.

What starts as a pleasant holiday in the country turns deadly when a local girl returns home and winds up murdered on the property of Jackie and his wife. The sheriff isn't too happy about the involvement of so many outsiders and takes it personally that a local girl was murdered after attending a party full of these people. He casts a suspicious eye on Jackie and Ben and all of Jackie's friends. Ben Gordon isn't above a little sleuthing of his own and it looks like he's found the killer for the Sheriff...or has he?

Of my most recent academic mystery reads, this one has been the best--though still not the strongest I've ever read. I like Ben Gordon and I enjoyed seeing this world through his eyes. His amateur sleuthing is good, though he does make some wrong turns. What I didn't enjoy was the fact that he only got to the correct solution after a disastrous incorrect one. I'm not sure that I like that particular twist that Ross gave to the plot. It just seems a bit bleak to me and I do like to see justice served at the end of a mystery. The other drawback is that Jackie, the "successful" comedian, just isn't funny. His jokes are either a bit cruel or just don't have a punch line worth waiting for. I would think it difficult to successfully portray a comedian on the page and Ross just doesn't quite bring it off. I did enjoy this enough that I look forward to reading the other Ross novel sitting on the TBR piles (Requiem for a Schoolgirl), I hope that the ending is a little more satisfying. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: They come into our lives as children--thirteen or fourteen years old, clumsy, boisterous, half-formed.

Last lines: The highway was empty. I pressed the accelerator all the way down.
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Deaths = 5 (two natural; two hit on head; one shot)

[Finished on 11/29/25]

December Reading by the Numbers Reviews

 

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December Virtual Mount TBR Reviews

 

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December Mount TBR Reviews

 

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