A Catered Book Club Murder (Spoilerific)

 A Catered Book Club Murder (2021) by Isis Crawford (Barbara Block)

Synopsis (from the book flap): Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons run a catering business in their upstate New York town and they're delighted for the chance to provide tasty desserts for the local mystery lovers' book club. But when fiction spills into a reality and the sisters find themselves investigating a suspicious death, it's up to them to figure out whodunit...

If anything can be said about the endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it's that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That's why everyone fears the worst after she doesn't pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can't imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.

When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo's background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they'll have to determine who was connected to Margo's shady dealings--and who sent her to an early grave...

So...I cannot discuss this without spoiling things left, right, and center. You have been warned!

Here we have a "cozy" mystery--amateur sleuths, small town setting, catering with baked goods, and recipes at the end of the book. And the solution is about as cozy as a rabid pit bull whose owner has trained it for dog fights. No, seriously. The solution to this cozy little mystery is a contract killer. What?? I mean, yes, I pointed my finger at the correct suspects (contract killer has a girlfriend...now there's a cozy little novelty)--mainly because contract killer guy kept appearing here and there when the sisters were investigating and the girlfriend kept insisting on how she "tried to warn Margo." I didn't have any real clues to go on. And how we were supposed to figure out that the suspect was a hired gun is beyond me--unless we were just supposed to assume that if a woman had a secret identity all lined up with fake passport and a stash of cash then, of course, somebody would want to hire a killer to do her in.

Another thing that niggles at me--the title centers this on a catered book club murder. The book club really doesn't come into it all. Sure, that's what this group of people have in common--they're all part of the book club. But do we actually see them in the book club? Does the murder happen at a book club meeting?  Do books get more than a passing mention? No, no, and no. For all that the book club figures in, this could have just been focused on any group of friends or neighbors. 

Oh and incidentally, once the culprits are apprehended and the dust settles, life just goes back to normal. All of the book club members were really ticked off at Bernie and Libby during the investigation (because the sisters kept discovering their little secrets and saying that each of the members had motive for murder). But all is apparently forgiven--we change the day the book club meets (to avoid bad vibes??) and change up our pastry order and that's it. We're all friends again. 

Last thing--not important to the mystery, but the recipes at the end of the book? They have no connection to the story whatsoever. I was really hoping for the recipe for the chocolate croissants.

The best part of the plot? Bernie and Libby are the daughters of a former cop, so they immediately turn info over to the police instead of keeping it to themselves. It doesn't keep them from running into trouble with the killers at the end and barely escaping being murdered--but at least it isn't because they haven't kept the authorities up to date on their discoveries. Overall, this wasn't my cup of tea--it didn't help that the book opened by dissing one of my favorite mystery authors of all time, Dorothy L. Sayers. ★★

First line: Lydia Baskerville cleared her throat, "I dreamt about you last night, Margot," she said, her voice loud against the air conditioner.

Last line: It was time to go.
*******************

Deaths = one drowned; one shot

Spellbound

 Spellbound (apa The House of Dr. Edwardes; 1927) by Francis Beeding (John Leslie Palmer & Hilary St. George Saunders)

This is the novel that the Hitchcock movie featuring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck was adapted from. It revolves around a "House of Rest" (for which, read a mental asylum) which serves as a haven for the imbalanced rich and a place where Dr. Edwardes, who owns the castle on the on mountain, can study interesting cases without worrying about money. The house, a literal fortress, sits in a circle or rock surrounded on three sides by the sheer slope of a desolate mountain in Switzerland. When night comes, it is a great crouching black hulk which the townspeople claim is the home of the Devil himself.

Constance Sedwick is a recently qualified doctor. Dr. Edwardes is an old friend of her father's and Edwardes offers her the position of his assistant. But before she arrives, Dr. Edwardes was sent away by his own doctor for a much needed rest and she finds a young Dr. Murchison, a doctor brought in from England, in charge of the asylum. At first all seems well, but Murchison has some odd quirks--reading books about the Devil and flinching when the shadow of a cross falls on him. There is also the funeral of one of the attendants at the hospital--murdered by the newest inmate. And a tale told by the villagers of blood which appears on the white stone in the black wood whenever the Devil is about. 

Things get worse...the inmates, who were fairly docile and benign in their own delusions begin to act in strange, more menacing ways. They talk about a wedding to come and begin patrolling around Constance's room at night..."to protect her." But she believes there is danger coming. Can she escape it--and take the innocent with her?

A very interesting read. I haven't actually seen the Hitchcock film (one of several of his films that I have yet to see), so I didn't have any preconceptions going in. Quite suspenseful, though I was a little disappointed that Constance didn't catch on to what was going on a little sooner. The characters are great--particularly the patients at the asylum. Beeding does a great job making each one distinct so it's easy to keep track of who is who. 

This is very much a "how will the heroine get out of this?" and "will the villain get away with it?" kind of story rather than a whodunnit. It's pretty obvious (to the reader, if not to Constance) pretty quick what's going on here...it's just a matter of how will everything be resolved. Now I want to go watch the movie. ★★★★

1st Line (Prologue): Dearest Helen, How delightful to get your letter, which we found waiting for us at Thonon.

John is an angel, but I shouldn't care to take a honeymoon with anybody; so don't be rash, and if ever you feel in the consenting mood, which so often happens, pull yourself together and think it over. Fortunately, John and I agree about all the most important things. What I mean is that we both like to sleep with the window open. (p. 7)

1st Line (1st Chapter): Constance Sedgwick, M.D., aged twenty-six, was staring at herself critically in the long mirror.

Fortunately for Doctor Edwardes, lunacy is not confined to the poorer classes; and he had treated in his time more than one poor gentleman who, if ha had not been sitting so comfortably in Chateau Landry, might have been sitting rather less at his ease, though possibly quite as much at home, in the House of Lords. (p. 13)

Last Line: I must stop now or I shall be losing the post. We are moving on next week to Bordighera and Alaisso. My best love to you all, Always your affectionate Susan"
******************

Deaths =6 (two fell from height; two stabbed; one natural; one in war)

A Case of Life & Limb

 A Case of Life & Limb (2025) by Sally Smith

It's the Christmas season in the Temple and even the King's Counsellors are feeling festive with the dusting of snow. It's time for a break in court appearances, family gatherings, and presents in pretty packages. But the gaily-wrapped that shows up on Sir William Waring's doorstep doesn't exactly contain glad tidings of great joy. A desiccated severed hand is wrapped up in the tissue paper within...with a card that says: Can I give you a hand?

After Sir Gabriel Ward's success at tracking down a murder just a few months ago, Waring turns to him again to discreetly investigate the origins of the grisly package. Gabriel would much rather spend his time preparing for a particularly difficult libel case brought by the beautiful and beloved music hall star Topsy Tillotson against the notorious tabloid newspaper, the Nation's Voice. The newspaper had published a story that Topsy, known as "the unconquerable," had been truly conquered by the Honorable Frederick Sewell. She swears she doesn't know the man, has never even met him, and that the story is a filthy lie. And she wants Gabriel to represent her in the case against the tabloid. He has quite a job ahead of him to prove their case. And now he has to divide his time on a hunt for the practical joker with a morbid sense of humor.

But when more packages arrive and the shock of receiving one kills one of Gabriel's oldest friends withing the Inner Temple, he knows he must devote more time to the investigation. It becomes quite evident that someone has a deep-set grudge against the members of the Temple and doesn't mind if a few people die while they exact their revenge. Gabriel teams up with his new-found friend Constable Wright of the City of London Police to bring the culprit to justice...all while finding a way to salvage the reputation of his client in the libel case.

This was a terrific follow-up to Gabriel's debut in A Case of Mice & Murder. Often the second book in a series is weaker than the debut, but not so in this case. Gabriel has gained confidence in his sleuthing skills (which spills over into his conduct of the libel case--out-performing the histrionic Sir Edward Hopkins and winning over the jury with flair and emotion). His relationship with Constable Wright has also progressed and the two make an even better sleuthing team than before. I enjoyed watching them investigate the mysteries--both together and separately--and particularly enjoyed Wright's dishing out a bit of extra justice when Sewell receives what seems to be a mere hand-slap. 

This is a particularly satisfying mystery--even if I did see one part of the ending coming. But I have to say that I found the development of Gabriel's character even more satisfying. Smith is gradually widening his experience--the man has had a set pattern to his life and few social interactions or commitments beyond those necessitated by his profession. Constable Wright is becoming a good friend and the way a certain cat by the name of Delphinium insinuates herself into his routine is delightful. I am eager to see where the next Case takes him. ★★★★ and 1/2

First line: No hint of the horror to come was discernible in the pure snow.

"Nothing is horrible beyond description," said Gabriel, his inner lawyer--ever alert to inaccuracy of vocabulary--challenged this observation. "Words are all we have. Everything is describable, however terrible. Look at Medea; look at the Book of Revelation; look, for that matter, at Dracula." (Gabriel Ward; p. 10)

Last lines: Really, he thought to himself disagreeably, sometimes I do wonder about Sir Gabriel Ward KC. Now he has taken to walking about the Tempe with that objectionable cat at his heels. A lawyer of his seniority and distinction. One of our King's Counsell! In public! I shall have to speak to him.
*******************

Deaths = 4 (two natural; one hit on head; one strangled)

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

 The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966) by Lilian Jackson Braun

Synopsis (from the book blurb): When leathery crime reporter Jim Qwilleran gets stuck on an art beat, he expects tea and cakes with the ladies' auxiliary. Instead he ends up in the middle of a bitter knock-down brawl between some of the "nicer" people in town! Heated words turn to bloody deeds when an art dealer gets his throat cut...an artist "falls" from a rafter onto a concrete floor...and art critic suffers the ultimate criticism--a KNIFE in the ribs! Everybody's stumped--everybody, that is but a Siamese cat with some very odd reading habits!

This is the first book in Braun's popular "Cat Who..." series. Once upon a time I read one of these books (The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern, the second book)--I got it through the Mystery Guild book club--and thought it a decent read. I also read The Cat Who Saw Red since starting my blog. I could have sworn that I had read this one as well--but if I did, I never logged it on my running list of books read. But--whether I read more than just two or not--I never really bothered to go on with the series. It's an interesting concept. Our hero is Jim Qwilleran, a news reporter for the Daily Fluxion, who as the series progresses winds up with two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. Qwilleran used to be a crime reporter--quite a good one--until a rough divorce resulting in depression and a problem with alcohol caused him to lose his job. 

Here in the the series debut he has taken a job with the Daily Fluxion and in an effort to his way back to respectability. He is offered the art scene beat--not as an art critic (the paper already has one of those--more on him later), but as a feature journalist to write up human interest stories on the artists and gallery owners themselves. The managing editor is hoping to balance human interest against the scathing (but fairly popular) critical reviews by George Bonifield Mountclemens. A good review by Mountclemens could mean fame for an artist while a bad review could cost a sculptor a hefty commission (and does!).

Qwilleran's first assignment is to interview Cal Halapay, a wealthy local who does oil paintings featuring kids with curly hair and rosy cheeks in his spare time. Mountclemens has frequently torn Halapay apart in his review column. But the Fluxion would like to do a nice little human interest story on him to build up a little good will (and maybe some financial support)...But interviewing Halapay isn't as easy as it sounds. It's like trying to interview a hyperactive spaniel who's got his eye on several squirrels at once. While Qwill is trying to find a good angle to the story, he gets distracted by a little death spree in the art world. 

First, Earl Lambreth, owner of a local art gallery is killed. Then, the sculptor known as Nino (as in 9-oh) falls to his death during an art Happening (yes, we have "Happenings" instead of Events). Mountclemens is the third to die and Qwill isn't just interested because of his involvement in the paper or because of the savage reviews that may have caused someone to seek revenge...but the art critic had become Qwill's landlord--offering the new reporter an apartment in his large Victorian house. And Mountclemens' Siamese Cat Kao K'o-Kung (nicknamed Koko by Qwill) is taking a great interest in the matter. With the help of Koko, Qwill will eventually get to the bottom of the murders.

Slight Spoiler Ahead!

I'm glad that I needed on of the other books in the 3-in-1 Detective Book Club edition for another challenge and that it spurred me to go ahead and read the other two (including this Braun book). It was good to go back to the beginning of the series and see how Qwill, who has never interacted with cats much before, gets acquainted with the highly intelligent Koko. Full disclosure, this isn't an intricately plotted mystery with clues and red-herrings everywhere. The villain of the piece kind of pops up out of nowhere. I don't mean that the character never appeared till then--just that once introduced, I promptly forgot about them and didn't really notice them if they appeared elsewhere along the way. If there were clues that should have told me that they did it, I completely missed them. (But I don't honestly think they were there.) None of that mattered, though. I enjoyed riding along with Qwill as he stumbled into one situation after another and then followed Koko to the solution. ★★★  and 1/2

One side-note: Jim Qwilleran's mustache has more personality than some human characters I've come across in books. It dances and bounces in indignation and supposedly says things that Qwill is thinking, but dare not say aloud. Like "who-the-hell-wants-a-nice-clean-beat?" 

Kate over at Cross Examining Crime has also just recently reviewed this one (and also notes the active mustache). Check out her thoughts on Qwill's first mystery at the link.

First line: JIm Qwilleran, whose name had confounded typesetters and proofreaders for two decades, arrived fifteen minutes early for his appointment with the managing editor of the Daily Fluxion.

Last line: Then he twisted his lithe body into a tortured shape, turned up his nose, crossed his eyes, and scratched his ear with one hind leg and an expression of catly rapture.
********************

Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one fell from height)

Murder by Plum Pudding

 Murder by Plum Pudding (2019) by Lee Strauss

Ginger & Basil Reed wind up with a houseful of guests at Christmas. First, Mr. Doyle a friend of her late father's writes to say he and his wife will be visiting England and wants to discuss some things with Ginger. So, of course, she asks them to stay for the holidays. Then her step-mother Sally and half-sister Louisa arrive unexpectedly on the doorstep--because they wanted to surprise Ginger. So, of course, she opens her home to them as well. Then, for Christmas dinner, there's Basil's mother and father (always a jolly couple--especially now that Scout's adoption has gone through. The adoption they opposed....), Dr. Gupta and his wife, and an older couple who are friends of the elder Reeds. Oh--and, quite by chance, Ginger meets the brother of Mrs. Doyle at a Christmas Eve charity luncheon and invites him as well.

The dinner is a bit tense--for reasons Ginger can only guess at--but festive enough. At least until Mr. Doyle chokes and lands face first in his second helping of plum pudding...dead. At first it looks like he might have choked on one of the items hidden in the pudding; a dreadful accident, but an accident all the same. But Dr. Gupta's examination (in his capacity as police surgeon) reveals that it's more complicated than that. There was no obstruction to the breathing passages. So, what killed the man. And more importantly...who killed him?

A fun novella mystery that's perfect for Christmas (or Christmas in April, as it happens). A bit rushed since it's a shorter work and there aren't a lot of red herrings to muddy the waters, but it's always delightful to visit with Ginger, Basil, and the other regulars. I do wish we could give annoying relatives a rest, though. That theme is getting a bit tired. ★★★

First line: The journal remained tucked away in the bottom drawer of Mrs. Ginger Reed's bedside table along with a photo of her late husband, Daniel Lord Gold.

Last line: "Let's go to the Ritz!"
****************

Deaths = one poisoned

Treasure of Hemlock Mountain

 Treasure of Hemlock Mountain (1961) by Virginia Frances Voight

Charlene Fairhill is hoping to break into singing showbiz. She's just made friends with local boy turned singing idol, Dan Harris, and she hopes his connections will help her launch her own singing career. But her family has other plans...her father needs to go away for a rest, so she and her father  are headed to the lonely Maine cabin that used to belong to her uncle (and now belongs to her father). She'll be gone the whole summer. And so much can happen in a summer. 

There's a rumor that a lost cave of amethysts is on the land that used Bill Fairhill. Maybe she'll find buried treasure. There's also various boys vying for her attention--reliable Peter--her constant escort; Dan the handsome singer; and Eric the new young man she meets on Hemlock mountain. Maybe she'll find true love. And, of course, there's Dan's band and the promise of an audition with his manager. Maybe she'll find her career. Or maybe she'll find out that there's even more on offer. Charlene has a summer of mystery and adventure ahead--all leading to a lonely night spent lost on the mountain and a surprise she could never have dreamed up.

This is the type of story I might have enjoyed more when I was a teenager myself. At this point in life, I would have liked the mystery side of things to have a bit more meat to it. It's a pretty straight-forward treasure hunt with a side of coming-of-age for Charlene. An easy, fast read that was enjoyable enough, but not one that I see myself ever revisiting. ★★★

First line: Charlene Fairhill's escort to the June younger members' dance at the country club was Peter Kenn, not an exciting datec for Peter and she had grown up together like close cousins.

Last line: Suddenly she felt she couldn't wait for the next door to open.
******************

Deaths = one accident

Harriet Farewell

 Harriet Farewell (1975) by Margaret Erskine (Doris Margaret Weatherby Williams)

Inspector Septimus Finch is on loan to the Ilverstoke Division. He's not expecting much in his line (homicide); the Superintendent has assured him that "financial chicanery is our usual fare." But he's not there long before the much younger, third wife of Theodore Buckler (the patriarch of the wealthiest family in Ilverstoke) is shot and killed during a Guy Fawkes celebration on the Buckler estate. Consuelo Buckler wasn't much loved by anyone in the family except Theodore. Her stepsons and their wives all despise her and  took exception to her sly, interfering ways. Harriet Buckler, especially hated her.

Harriet has just recently been released from an institution after a mental breakdown brought on by her responsibility for her and Miles Buckler's young son. The incident brought on amnesia and she seemed to be fairly calm and reasonably well when released--other than her inability to remember anything of the car accident that resulted in "Bunny's" death. That is until Consuelo started a campaign to make her remember. And when Miles mentions that his revolver is missing just hours before Consuelo is found dead near the lake, Harriet is the obvious suspect. It doesn't help that she has disappeared--as if she's avoiding capture. 

But there is more going on in Ilverstoke than just the death of Consuelo. There is a missing French artist and a stolen ivory art piece from the Buckler collection. And not long after Harriet was sent away to the institution, Miles' and her home was burned down. Finch suspects a connection, though it will take some time to work out the pattern. Unfortunately, more deaths will occur before he puts the final piece in the puzzle. 

This was the first Erskine mystery I ever came across and was the reason I put her on my To Be Found list. I first read Harriet Farewell in the early 90s--long before blogging was a thing for me. I decided it was time to revisit the story and see how it holds up. The mystery plot itself is pretty solid. Though not a Golden Age book, it does follow GAD standards for clue dropping and puzzle points. It could use a few more credible suspects, though. Erskine tries to spread suspicion among all the Bucklers, but doesn't really accomplish that goal. We've got, at most, three good suspects--with a bit more effort we could have had six (which is the number I think she was shooting for). But it was a good bit of entertainment and made for a fast-paced read. And it was a definite pleasure getting reacquainted with Inspector Finch. ★★★  and 1/2

First line: Emma, the youngest of Theodore Buckler's three daughters-in-law, came hurrying through the woods, scuffling up the gold-brown leaves as she walked.

Last line: "I'd say it was more educational," Finch assured her solemnly.
**************

Deaths = 7 (one auto accident; one shot; two natural; two hit on head; one crushed by tree)

Tied Up in Tinsel

 Tied Up in Tinsel (1972) by Ngaio Marsh
[read by Wanda McCaddon]

Agatha Troy Alleyn, who is finishing up a portrait of her host, is spending Christmas at Hilary Bill-Tasman's country house. Bill-Tasman is from an old family, but had re-purchase the family pile with earnings from a lucky and lucrative business partnership as well as a few big win in the pools.  But it's not a typical country house Christmas. The entire staff of the manor are "oncers"--men who have murdered once, in a kind of brainstorm of passion and have been released from prison for good behavior. The authorities believe they aren't dangerous. Less likely to do it again because they know what being in prison is like now. In addition to this rather unconventional lot of servants, there is the Christmas festivities themselves. A kind of mash-up of druidic/pagan, Christian, and Santa Claus all rolled into a weird bundle. And--once all the guests arrive, there is an odd kind of tension. We have Bill-Tasman's fiancee, the lovely and totally mod Cressida Tottenham, who punctuates every sentence with "you know" and who thinks Alleyn (once he arrives) is "the mostest." We have Bill-Tasman's Uncle Flea (Colonel Fleaton Forrester) and Aunt Bed along with Uncle Flea's former batman cum valet, Moult. And we have honorary uncle & business partner, Bert Smith. None of them are too fond of the staff--especially after a series of practical jokes referencing the style of the various "oncers" is played upon them.

Uncle Flea is all set to do his usual round as a Father Christmas turned Druid when he has one of his "turns" (weak heart) and Moult steps in to take his place. But things get really tense when Moult disappears directly after handing out the gifts. A search of the house and as much of the grounds as is practical in the obligatory snow storm gives no trace of the man. Where is he? Why has he disappeared? And...is he still alive? There was a kind of armed truce between Moult and the manor house staff--and the staff were certain that Moult was behind the practical jokes meant to make things look bad for them. Would they go so far as to do away with the man? Alleyn has been out of the country on special assignment, but he arrives home just in time to be invited to join the house party (ostensibly so he won't have to be alone for the holidays, but Bill-Tasman really wants him to lend the local constabulary a hand). And when Moult's body is discovered, it turns into a real busman's holiday and Alleyn is asked by the local police to take over. 

As I said when I last reviewed the book, this is a mixed bag for me. Marsh does the country house set-up well. She's got quite a crew of eccentric characters--though. The plot is pretty good--but I don't see any way that the reader could know the motive for the killing. I just don't. I believe I went down the same garden path that Marsh led me down before. I absolutely thought that one of the "practical jokes" had been staged by the person it was perpetrated upon--and, of course, it wasn't. 

I knew--or remembered--exactly where Moult's body would be found as soon as we knew he was missing. I'm still nonplussed at Marsh's attempt to use "hip" late 60s/early 70s slang. If felt forced--"like, you know?" [to quote one of the characters. Alleyn and Troy are delightful as always, but Alleyn's appearance comes much too late in the game. And we barely get to see Fox at all. A decent mystery for the Christmas season, but not one of Marsh's strongest. I've just realized that this is one of two Marsh novels nominated for the Edgar for Best Novel. I'm a bit baffled at the nomination. ★★★

First line: "When my sire," said Hilary Bill-Tasman, joining the tips of his fingers, "was flung into penury by the great slump, he commenced scrap merchant."

Last line: "I bet you anything you like," said Alleyn.
*****************

Deaths = Two (one hit on head; one natural) [for the purposes of the Medical Examiner's Challenge, it's a shame that all those people that the "oncers" knocked off weren't given names....]

Murder Enters the Picture

 Murder Enters the Picture (1942) by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz

Christopher "Kit" Storm is a moderately successful commercial artist who also does portraits and acts as an artistic consultant to the New York Police Department. He regularly assists his friend, Captain Tony Shand with sketches of the crime scenes as well as the suspects interviewed. And has gotten more intimately involved in more recent cases (see my review of Murder Draws a Line) But he and his new bride, Sheridan (Sherry), are off on their honeymoon--little suspecting that a plea from Sherry's aunt will embroil them even more deeply in murder than ever before.

Sherry's Aunt Mattie asks the couple to stop by the Plateau, home to the Mints and a place that Sherry knew well growing up. It seems that Uncle Ezra (long since deceased) has recently been seen roaming the grounds--or rather his ghost has. And Aunt Mattie wants them to check in on Sara (the seer of ghosts) and find out what's going on. What's soon to be going on is murder. Andrew Mint, the heir of the Mint's Meats business and fortune is soon found murdered--killed by the stab of an ice pick. He's quickly followed by other members of the family. The youngest of the clan goes missing for a while (but found safe, thankfully); a field is set on fire; there's a question whether some valuable etchings have been sold (and replaced with replicas); there's blackmail; and a whole slew of motives swirling about. Kit is quick with his sketches and spotting the clues he captures in them--but Chief JIm Lang doesn't know Kit like Captain Tony Shand does and is more apt to view him with an eye of suspicion. After all, isn't odd that Kit's always on the spot when another body is discovered? Kit will have to work hard to convince Lang of his innocence and even harder to put the sketched clues together to identify the culprit. Especially if he doesn't want to become the killer's final victim.

There are a lot of things to like about this series. I love the drawings that accompany the stories and the fact that if I were better at spotting all the clues then I could have had solid evidence to justify my suspicions. Yes, I did spot the killer (after an initial miscalculation)--and most of the motive--but I missed the biggest clues in the sketches that would have supported my theory.] Barber and Schabelitz also provide terrific characters with interesting personalities and good interactions. The mystery itself is solid and all the clues are provided, as well as enough red herrings to muddy things nicely. 

My biggest complaint is Sherry. Not as a character--but as a narrator. I noted my dislike of Sherry's "Had-I-But-Knowning" in the previous review and it's still in evidence here (though toned down a bit). I really think we could do without it altogether and get rid of Sherry's first-person narration and we'd have a better book. I'm not a huge fan of first-person perspective in general and Sherry's perspective just doesn't sit well. You'd think since she's a newlywed and all that we'd get a lot more of Kit in this story than we do--after all, the book's conceit is based on his sketches. But other than the last few chapters and the places where it's necessary to bring him in so we can have another sketch, we don't see a lot of him. The first couple chapters he's there in name only. It's really a bit bizarre.

Don't think that means I didn't enjoy the book. I did. Quite a lot. It's a fun book and a good mystery despite my quibbles with the narrative voice. ★★★★

First line: Ezra's ghost, come back to haunt the Plateau!

Peter Plow is handsomer than any man has a right to be; that is, in a vigorous, reckless, half-ugly sort of way. (p. 21)

Last line: But, in time, that would come too.
********************

Death = 5 (four stabbed; one poisoned)

A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem

 A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem (2020) by Manda Collins

England 1865: Lady Katherine Bascomb is a rather unconventional Victorian woman. She not only owns a newspaper, thanks to her husband's early demise, but she also (gasp!) writes columns. When a serial killer who has been dubbed the "Commandments Killer" by the press goes uncaptured by Scotland Yard after four murders, she and her newly found friend Caroline "Caro" Hardcastle decide to cowrite a column to investigate the latest murder. A column they plan to develop into practical advice for ladies about how to stay informed and protect themselves. They realize that not only has the killer been leaving cards with one of the Ten Commandments on the bodies, but it can be proved that each victim was "guilty" of breaking that particular commandment. Their investigation finds a young barmaid whom the Yard managed to miss interviewing and who may have seen the killer. The ladies write their article and the Yard immediately finds a man matching the description and arrests him....

Except Inspector Andrew Eversham, who was relieved of duty on the case because his superior was upset that mere reporters found what he couldn't, doesn't believe the right man is behind bars. And neither does Lady Bascombe, for that matter. When they meet (in the fracas that follows the new inspectors announcement to the press), he's understandable upset with her over what he regards as interference. She points out to him that it wouldn't have been necessary if he'd done his job. They part on less than friendly terms.

Lady Bascombe is invited to her friend Lord Valentine's country estate for house party--she plans on enlisting his aid to get the Yard to investigate the murders more thoroughly (knowing that the men in charge will listen to a titled man before listening to a woman's "fancies" about justice). She doesn't expect irrefutable proof that the wrong man has been jailed to appear on a country walk near the estate. But that's just what happens and Katherine is the one to find it. Another murder and another card with a commandement. And guess who the Yard sends to investigate? Inspector Eversham. Those two are sure to lock horns....unless they realize that they're on the same side and actually....the other person really isn't that annoying. In fact, they're kind of attractive....

First observation: If there really had been as many progressive/headstrong women determined to live outside the conventions in the 18th and 19th centuries as historical mystery writers have strewn about, then there would have been a social revolution much sooner with more far-reaching results. Especially, if there had also been as many men who were so willing to support these women. I mean, they would have been tripping over each other all the time. 

Now that I've gotten that out of the way....This is a fun, nicely plotted mystery. Did I spot the culprit? Yes (Qualified, yes, that is. Can't explain or that would be a spoiler.). Did I completely figure it out? No. And that's satisfying. I figured out just enough to be able to pat myself on the back and enough was left for the author to explain that I got a bit of surprise. I like Katherine and Andrew together and Caro and Lord Valentine are good supporting characters. It's hard to believe that a mystery featuring serial killings could be cozy and done with a light touch, but Collins achieves this. There are more in this series and I've already put the next one on hold at the library. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: If Sir Horace did not desist from his asinine talk about what constituted appropriate conversation for a lady, she would do one of them an injury, thought Lady Katherine Bascomb, hiding her scowl behind her fan.

Last line: Eversham was sure he was up to the challenge.
*****************

Deaths =  10 (six stabbed; four natural)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998) by Alexander McCall Smith

When Precious Ramotswe's father dies, she sells his cattle (with his life-time-given blessing) and buys two things--a house and a building in which she can set up a detective agency. She is gifted with an incredible memory (fostered by the cousin who helped bring her up when her mother died) and a deep understanding of people--two qualities that will serve her well when she begins her work. Her cases cover everything from errant husbands to wayward daughters to fraudulent insurance claims to deceitful doctors. She deals with each case with quick efficiency and a kind heart (for those who deserve it). But one case follows her through the book--the case of a missing eleven-year-old boy, feared dead, but perhaps taken by a witch doctor. If Mma Ramotswe can find the boy alive, she will consider herself a real detective.

Though there are mysteries here and Mma Ramotswe does solve them, this is less a detective book than a commentary on life in Botswana. McCall Smith gives the reader a sweeping look at life in the small towns and countryside in this part of Africa. As we follow our detective on her cases, we meet everyone from the local shopkeepers to school-age children to mechanics and gangsters. We are shown at once that people are the same everywhere, even as we see the differences that come with life in Botswana. The appeal of the people and the descriptions of place compensate for the simplicity of the mysteries Mma Ramotswe solves. The best of them is the one that takes the longest to unravel--the missing boy. [SPOILER]  And I'm pleased to say that she's successful. Not necessarily the kind of mystery I prefer, but quietly satisfying in other ways. ★★★

First line: Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot Kgale Hill.

"We are the ones who first ploughed the earth when Modise (God) made it," ran an old Setswana poem. "We were the ones who made the food. We are the ones who look after the men when they are little boys, when they are young men, and when they are old and about to die. We are always there. But we are just women and nobody sees us." (p. 34)

Last line: "Of course I will," said Mma Ramotswe.
*******************

Deaths = 5 (three natural; one hit by train; one eaten by crocodile)

The Avenging Chance

 The Avenging Chance & Other Mysteries from Roger Sheringham's Casebook (2004*) by Anthony Berkeley

The collected short works of Anthony Berkeley [Cox] and this second edition contains added material--one "lost story," an article by Berkeley on why he writes detective stories, and one parody. I originally read the first edition back when it first came out and was pleased to find this copy at our annual community book fair in 2018. I remembered reading some of these--especially the title story since it has appeared in various anthologies and was the basis of Berkeley's novel, The Poisoned Chocolates Case. But I didn't remember the solutions to most of them. My favorites among the stories are "White Butterfly" and "Perfect Alibi," but all of them have their merits and only "Unsound Mind" and the parody (which didn't strike me as at all amusing) were well and truly disappointing.  ★★★★

"The Avenging Chance": A box of poisoned chocolates--sent to one man and brought home by another--kills Joan Beresford. Who was the intended victim? [one poisoned]

"Perfect Alibi": Eric Southwood, a notorious rake, very conveniently dies while visiting the home of his latest conquest. He was shot while out in the woods--but everyone with a motive also appears to have an iron-clad alibi. [one shot]

"The Mystery of Horne's Copse": Could also be called "The Case of the Reappearing Corpse." Frank Chappell keeps finding the corpse of his cousin (and the man who would be his heir). But when he brings the authorities to examine the body, it disappears. Is he going crazy? Or is someone trying to drive him there? [one stabbed]

"Unsound Mind": A man rings up the police station to announce that he's just taken prussic acid and left a note to explain everything. But when Chief Inspector Moresby gets there, he's sure it's murder. But can he prove it? [one poisoned]

"White Butterfly": Mr. Warrington says that his pretty but volatile wife has left him for another man. But the village gossips say that he has done away with her and got rid of the body. Sheringham is certain the woman has been killed, but just who did it and where her body is, is the question. [one strangled]

"The Wrong Jar": Cynthia Bracey is poisoned by arsenic in one of her medicines. But how did it get there? Did the doctor accidentally grab the wrong jar when making up the medicine? Did the nurse have it in for her patient? Was the husband tired of his wife? Did the doctor's assistant meddle with the prescription? Sheringham will find out. [one poisoned]

"Double Bluff": Several witnesses all claim to have recognized James Meadows as the man who shot  Mrs. Greyling in the middle of the busy town. Can they all be wrong? Sheringham believes so. [one shot]

"'Mr. Bearstowe Says...'": Mrs. Hutton is quite taken with Mr. Bearstowe and impresses this upon Roger Sheringham when they have a chance meeting at a party. Two years later, Mr. Hutton has gone missing while bathing and a body is found drowned. Sheringham has to wonder what exactly Mr. Bearstowe said to Mrs. Hutton and what did he (and she) do? [one drowned]

"The Bargee's Holiday": An additional short, short story, found after the first edition of this collection of stories, in which Roger Sheringham correctly deduces when and where the next major campaign of WWII will take place simply by speaking with a couple of men on leave and meeting up with their commanding officer in a bookstore. The reader is asked to figure out how Sheringham did it.

First line (1st story): When he was able to review it in perspective Roger Sheringham was inclined to think that the Poisoned Chocolate Case, as the papers called it, was perhapes the most perfectly planned murder he had ever encountered.

Last lines (last story--the parody): I wish I could remember my idea. It was such a brilliant one.

*All stories originally written/published pre-1960

Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives

 Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives: Stories from the Trailblazers of Domestic Suspense (2013) by Sarah Weinman (ed)

A collection of 14 suspenseful tales by notable domestic suspense authors such as Shirley Jackson, Vera Caspary, Charlotte Armstrong, and Dorothy B. Hughes as well as others. In general, I'm not a huge fan of domestic suspense novels, but this is an excellent collection with just a couple stories that didn't strike me as all that suspenseful. But there are also a couple that are downright creepy. ★★★★

"The Heroine" by Patricia Highsmith: Lucille Smith has just found the perfect job in the country as nurse to two children. She loves her job and working for the family.But something within her tells her that it's not quite enough. [one natural]

"A Nice Place to Stay" by Nedra Tyre: Our protagonist grew up poor--never knowing if she'd have a roof over her head. She's a nice woman...but she'd kill for a nice little place of her own. (four natural; one stabbed)

"Louisa, Please Come Home" by Shirley Jackson: Three years ago Louisa Tether ran away from home. She's doing very well for herself--found a job and nice place to stay. But each year on the anniversary of her run, her mother's voice is on the radio begging her to come home. When she decides to do so, she finds that you just can't go home again.

"Lavender Lady" by Barbara Callahan: "Lavender Lady" is the title of our heroine's most famous (and most requested at concerts) song. The story reveals the dark history behind the lyrics and the anguish our heroine feels each time her fans demand to hear it. (one hit on head)

"Sugar & Spice" by Vera Caspary: Mike Jordan tells our narrator that he knows who murdered a famous actor and gives her a jolt--it seems well-bred, middle class girls can commit murder just as calmly as she might knit a sock. (one natural; one poisoned)

"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" by Helen Nielsen: Loren is the secretary to a married boss, who winds up being wife number two. She thinks she's made it in life...but then the anonymous phone calls start. 

"Everybody Needs a Mink" by Dorothy B. Hughes: And that's just what Meg, our heroine, gets. She's always dreamed of something a little bit fancier than her own life, but has been realistic enough to know she'll never see some of the luxuries she's dreamed of....until an unnamed benefactor suddenly gifts her with a beautiful mink coat..... [Not really a mystery--except for wondering who the man was and why he did it. Not, to my mind anyway, really suspenseful.]

"The Purple Shroud" by Joyce Harrington:  George Moon cheats on his wife once too often.  Don't be fooled by that placid smile, George.[one hit on head]

"The Stranger in the Car" by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding: Carrol Charleroy, wealthy businessman, is more like a neurotic housewife when it comes to his home and daughters. When Julia, his youngest--and the only one of his kids who still lives at home, gets into a bit of a jam, he gets things even more tangled by trying to keep everything from his wife. [one shot; one poisoned]

"The Splintered Monday" by Charlotte Armstrong: Sarah Brady is staying with her nephew and his wife aft er the funeral of his sister, a domineering hypochondriac. The family always tiptoed around the very trying matriarch and now Sarah feels like she's getting the same treatment. What is being hidden from her? [one poisoned]

"Lost Generation" by Dorothy Salisbury Davis: Very chilling story of town "justice" gone really wrong. [one shot]

"The People Across the Canyon" by Margaret Millar: More of a science fiction/fantasy story than a mystery. Marion Borton is worried when the family moves into the house across the canyon. She's afraid that their quiet home in the country will be ruined by loud music or cars or a huge number of children She's even more worried when she sees what effect the family has on her daughter....

"Mortmain" by Miriam Allen Deford: The greedy Miss Hendricks decides to hurry her patient into the afterlife so she can enojy the money he's got stashed in his safe. She knows there's danger from his little pistol. But she doesn't see the danger in the other items stored with cuffs...at least not until it's too late. [one poisoned]

"A Case of Maximum Need" by Celia Fremlin: An elderly woman tries to refuse the phone the social worker insists she needs (in case anything should happen to the woman). She's tells the social work that "it's a danger" but she doesn't explain that the danger isn't to herself....

First line (1st story): The girl was so sure she would get the job, she had unabashedly come out to Westchester with her suitcase.

Last line (last story): "It's too dangerous"--for them.

A Death for a Double

 A Death for a Double (1990) by E. X. Giroux

Buford "Buffy" Sanderson, young friend of London barrister Robert Forsythe, asks the sometime amateur sleuth to look into the goings-on at the Dower House. The Dower House near the village of Safrone has been bought by Anthony Funicelli a wealthy Italian-American businessman whom Sanderson stayed with during an exchange year in the States. Apparently, Funicelli has been receiving death threats and, in the words of a movie, "the call is coming from inside the house." Once Fortsythe is established in the house, he learns from Funicelli that the threats are coming on his personal notepaper and make references that only those who live at the Dower House would know.

And who's at the Dower House, you might ask? The businessman's much younger, beautiful wife, Lucia--who is recently pregnant. Funicelli's strong-willed mother, Mama Rosa--who's on hand to make sure her daughter-in-law has a safe and healthy pregnancy. Hansel and Gretchen--Funicelli's adult children from a previous marriage. Funicelli's cousin, Fredo Clemenza--a poor relation and a near identical double for his rich cousin. There's also Tip, the houseman--brought from Mexico and indebted to his master (or is that indentured?); Mrs. Flower, the cook, and her son Jacob, who tends the gardens and nurses hate, and her other son Noah, a gentle soul with the mind and emotions of a six-year-old. 

Most of the household have reason to hate the master of the house from Hansel and Gretchen, who believe Funicelli to be responsible for their mother's death, to Fredo, who is completely dependent on his cousin, to the Flowers who believe Funicelli to be responsible for the deflowering of the daughter of the house, to Tip, who says Funicelli keeps him working for him by threatening his (Tip's) family's security in the States. But when murder rears its ugly head, it isn't Anthony who is shot and killed in his personal elevator...it's his double Fredo. Did the killer miss his mark or was Fredo the target all along. Forsythe will have to sift through the red herrings to find the answer.

Three stars seem to be the standard for the Giroux series. Each one is perfectly fine--with a decent mystery and mostly interesting characters, but just lacks a certain something that would boost the rating. For this one, I miss Forsythe's secretary, Sandy. She doesn't make an appearance until the very end and then it's she who poses the really vital questions that turn the solution slightly on its head. The other thing that nags me a bit in this outing is the final death (which a good armchair detective will catch if they read every bit of this review)--I had a bit of a difficulty with that one (as did Forsythe--it really made him angry). The surprise for me wasn't in the final twist (I thought that was the complete solution)--it was the bit just before that I didn't see coming. Forsythe seems to think that justice will be served in the end, but it's not quite as satisfying to think that Mama Rosa will be dishing it out instead of the courts. ★★★

First Line: Robert Forsythe decided he might qualify for the Guiness Book of World Records as the only person in London who had never entered any of the outlets of a world-famous chain of hamburger restaurants.

Last Line: "Because of a child named Noah, Sandy, and a little dog he called Blackie."
*****************

Deaths = 5 (one trampled by horse; one natural; two car accident; one shot)

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War

 The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War (2021) by Simon Guerrier

Another adventure for Holmes & Watson! Wait...not that Watson. Augusta Watson is young VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) member serving at a hospital near the frontlines in France in 1917. She's a very frustrated service member--after being trained in medicine, ambulance (and other) driving, mechanics, and various other skills, she's being used as skivvy for the nursing staff. Got dirty linens that need washing--let Watson do it. Got patients that need all sorts of bodily fluids cleaned up--let Watson do it. And her attitude sometimes let's her frustration show. So, she's surprised to find that when she's been called to Matron's office (again) it's not to have the riot act read.

She's to have the honor of showing the latest dignitary to visit the front around the hospital. These men generally come to see what "can be done for the boys in the trenches" and then don't seem to get anything done. But when she sees that this particular guest is the illustrious Mr. Sherlock Holmes, she's even less thrilled than usual. You see, with her last name she's had to endure every kind of joke possible--especially when she (a woman!) expressed the desire to study medicine. Nobody takes her seriously and she blames the celebrity of Holmes and his biographer. 

But she can't help but get interested when she realizes the detective is there to investigate a mystery and not just dole out empty promises about making things better. Holmes is on the trail of a young officer who was injured at the front and supposedly died at the hospital, but there is no record of him. Not as having been on the ward. Not as having been dead on arrival and sent straight to the morgue. No record at all. Watson is assigned to assist Holmes in his inquiries and the further they dig, the more they come to realize that there is a deeper plot...one that seems intent on causing unrest and higher casualities among the soldiers--on both sides of No Man's Land. It's up to Holmes and Watson to find those behind the plot and put a stop to it.

Not every entry in "The Further Adventures" series of Holmes stories is created equal. I don't seem to be able to resist these whenever I come across them--in used bookstores, at our annual community book fair, or at Barnes & Noble--and I've let myself in for some real stinkers (The Veiled Detective, I'm looking at you). But once I got over the fact that we just had to have a nurse's aid by the name of Watson, I settled down and enjoyed this one. The mystery is a good one with several well-placed clues and a lot of war-time adventure. I was just a bit worried that we were going to venture down the path blazed by Laurie King (throwing this Holmes & Watson into a relationship), but I don't think that was the plan. And by the end of the story I was hoping that Guerrier had penned another. There are some sentences here and there that refer to an adventure in which Augusta Watson gets to meet the Dr. Watson. But, alas, it seems that adventures has not yet been discovered among Watson's papers.

Overall, an enjoyable Holmes pastiche. ★★★★

First line: By the first week of December 1917, I thought myself quite inured to the horrors of war.

Las line: Nonetheless, do write and say if, for the sake of your archive, you should also care for my own account of those events.
**********************

Deaths: 8 (six shot; two stabbed)

Masterpieces of Mystery: Amateurs & Professionals

 Masterpieces of Mystery: Amateurs & Professionals (1978) selected by Ellery Queen

In the 1970s Ellery Queen put together a set of red leatherette books featuring the best of the best short stories and novellas--a large number of which appeared in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. This particular edition features amateur sleuths and professionals, ranging from hotel manager Pierre Chambrun to the dedicated cops at the 87th Precinct. Of course, in any collection it would be an extraordinarily difficult task to pick stories where absolutely everyone thought every story was the all-time best. And it's true here. My favorites are the Chambrun (even though I spotted the answer early), "The Stripper," "The Happy Days Club," "Smash & Grab," "Cause for Suspicion," and "The Botany Pattern." These are all nicely plotted with good clues that the reader can spot. The rest are decent mysteries--so no duds--but not quite as fair or interesting as those mentioned. ★★★ 3/4

"Chambrun & the Electronic Ear" by Hugh Pentecost (Judson Philips): Chambrun is disgruntled to find that the FBI is playing spy games in his hotel. He's even more upset when wire-tapping leads to murder. [one broken neck]

"The Poisoned Dow '08" by Dorothy L. Sayers: Montague Egg, wine salesman extraordinaire, must help the police discover how a man was poisoned using one of Egg's firm's bottles of wine. [one poisoned]

"The Stripper" by H. H. Holmes (Anthony Boucher/William Anthony Parker White): Jack the Stripper, a serial killer who strips before he kills, is terrorizing a southern California town. Sister Ursula's friend, Professor Flecker, thinks he may know who it is and writes a cryptic letter asking her to put him in touch with her police friend, Lieutenant Marshall. But he's killed before he can speak with Marshall. If Sister Ursula can decipher Flecker's cryptic last message, she will be able to name the murderer as well. [one stabbed--plus others not named]

"The Affair at the Bungalow" by Agatha Christie: Jane Heiler, a beautiful actress, tells this story. She presents it as having happened to "a friend," but the others are quite sure that the story is Jane's own. While on tour with a play, she was called in by the police to be identified by a young man who claimed she had written a letter and requested his presence at a certain bungalow which belonged to another actress. He had met her there and then been drugged.  A robbery had taken place at the bungalow and he is being held as a suspect. But when Jane arrives at the police station, the man says that she isn't the right woman. What really happened? Miss Marple knows...even though she says she doesn't while the group is all together.

"Wally the Watchful Eye" by Paul W. Fairman: Could also be titled "How to Solve a Murder in Two easy lessons. Wally is a clerk in the local grocery store who longs to be a private eye. He signs up for a correspondence course on detection and solves a murder disguised as suicide before completing all his lessons. [one gassed]

"The Happy Days Club" by James M. Ullman: A mutual fund company gets suspicious when the Happy Days Club in Iowa seems to be following their buy and sell movements--almost before they make them. They hire James & Bennett, couple of industrial espionage men, to find out how it's done.

"They Can Only Hang You Once" by Dashiell Hammett: Sam Spade pays a call on the uncle of his client--a lawyer who thinks his cousin is putting pressure on the old man. But before Spade can fulfill his commission there is murder in the house. [two shot]

"Wild Goose Chase" by Ross Macdonald (Kenneth Millar): An anonymous woman hires Lew Archer to attend a trial--to use his judgment about how the jury reacts to the defendant. If they appear to think him guilty, then she just might have to give evidence...evidence that could damage her. [two shot; one car accident]

"File #1: The Mayfield Case" by Joe Gores: A rookie investigator gets a little too emotionally involved with a case of a defaulted loan. [one stabbed]

"About the Perfect Crime of Mr. Digberry" by Anthony Abbot (Fulton Oursler): Mr. Digberry is a master wigmaker who seems to be the latest victim of "The Driller," criminal who is extorting money from various well-known people. But when it's noted that Digberry's escapades with The Driller coincided with the murder of one of Digberry's most famous clients, he immediately comes under suspicion. Thatcher Colt gets to the bottom of the surprising case. [one shot]

"The Devil Is a Gentleman" by Charles B. Child: Inspector Chafik J. Chafik of the Baghdad police investigates the murder of the most recent admirer of a beautiful dancer who is suspected of being a spy. [one stabbed]

"A Winter's Tale" by Frances & Richard Lockridge: A miserly old man who was thought to have died from a fractured skull is found to have froze to death. Captain Heimrich must figure out how he froze to death in an 80 degree house. [one froze to death]

"Clancy & the Shoeshine Boy" by Robert L. Pike (Robert L. Fish): Lt. Clancy investigates the murder of an eccentric old man who was rumored to have a stamp and coin collection. But was it worth killing for? Along the way he reforms the grandson of a shoeshine "boy" who just happens to give him the one clue he was missing. [one beaten to death]

"Smash & Grab" by Henry Wade (Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher: There's a rash of smash and grab robberies taking place across London and when the latest hits a jewelry store, Detective Constable John Bragg, fresh from the Downshire countryside, has his chance to make his mark at Scotland Yard.

"The Motive" by Ellery Queen (Dannay & Lee): When the son of a local farmer is hit on the head and left in a ditch, the town is upset that the sheriff's deputy assigned to the investigation can't find the killer--especially when other deaths follow. But how do you track a killer who's left no clues and seems to have no motive? [three hit on head]

"Cause for Suspicion" by George Harmon Coxe: Dr. Paul Standish refuses to believe that a woman who tried to kill herself once has finally succeeded. Everything tells him that this time it's murder. [one poisoned]

"The Stollmeyer Sonnets" by James Powell: A straight-up farce about the cold war spy era where stamps serve as stand-ins for the arms race and spies aren't above a little blackmail over spicy sonnets. Our hero--a Canadian Mountie who reminds me of Dudley Do-Right--manages to save the day despite himself.

"The Botany Pattern" by Victor Canning: The Department of Patterns looks for patterns that others don't see. Viaur is new to the department but immediately spots a connection between a series of murders. Six men have died and four more are on the list--will Viaur and Papa Grand (head of the department) be in time to save the last four? [one shot; one stabbed; one blown up and others unnamed]

"H as in Homicide" by Lawrence Treat: Two women, who have just met, head west in a car. They stop for the night in a small town--where one of the women's ex-husband just happens to live. She winds up strangled. Did he do it? And, if not, who--and why? [one strangled]

"Nightshade" by Ed McBain: It's just a regular evening at the 87th Precinct. Steve Carella and the boys look into the killing of a young actress, the bombing of a black church, the stabbing of a family....and ghosts who steal jewelry. [five stabbed; one shot]

First line (1st story): Mrs. Veach, the motherly-looking chief operator on the switchboard at the Beaumont Hotel was the first one to detect something irregular about the telephone in Room 912.

Last line (last story): "You can't win 'em all," O'Brien said.

A Pocket Full of Rye

 A Pocket Full of Rye (1953) by Agatha Christie

London businessman Rex Fortescue, a wily wheeler-dealer, has stepped on a lot of toes on his way up the financial ladder. But could any of the people he bamboozled have had access to his morning tea? 

Not long after Fortescue's glamorous secretary brings him a cup of his special blend in his very special china tea cup, he gasps out, "What did you put in the tea?!" and falls unconscious. An ambulance (or two) is called in and so is Inspector Neele of the Yard (though Fortescue hasn't died...yet). Neele begins asking questions of the office staff while waiting to hear from the hospital about the man's condition. When the call comes, it's to tell Neele that Fortescue is dead--most certainly poisoned and the doctor is nearly certain that it's taxine poisoning. Taxine is slow-acting (so the tea is not the culprit) and comes from yew leaves. And the name of Fortescue's home is Yew Lodge, named so because of the yew trees all about.

So...it would seem that the poison was administered at home. When it's discovered that his widow had a lover and anticipated inheriting a tidy sum upon Fortescue's death, she becomes the prime suspect. At least until she winds up poisoned as well. Then Inspector Neele and Sergeant Hay find themselves needing to dig deeper. One of the clues found upon Fortescue was a handful of rye in his pocket. The connection is made that Rex (meaning "king") was in his counting house when he became ill and that his "queen" was in the parlor having bread (scones) and honey when she died. Is this merely a case of an unbalanced mind using the old nursery rhyme to select their victims. When the maid is strangled while in the garden and found with a clothes pin "nipping her nose," it would certainly seem so. And when Miss Jane Marple arrives (the maid Gladys had previously been in Miss Marple's service), she tells Neele to look for blackbirds--for their most certainly must be blackbirds.

And there are...dead blackbirds were left on Fortescue's desk at home. Dead blackbirds were stuffed into a pie. And at one point Fortescue had swindled a man over something called the Blackbird Mine and possibly left him to die in Africa. The man's widow had sworn vengeance and vowed to train their children to seek revenge if she couldn't get it. Has vengeance come from that quarter? Miss Marple manages to get into the house and ask the questions that the police can't and she helps Neele see that there is more to a nursery rhyme than meets the eye.

Rex Fortescue isn't the only wily one connected to this story. The author was pretty wily herself. I read all the Christie mysteries that the Wabash Carnegie Library had back when I first discovered her (nearly 40 years ago!) and I'm sure this was one of them. And she fooled me again. I thought for sure I remembered which red herring I fell for when I first read it and, by golly, she wasn't going to get me with that again. And she didn't. But I fell for another one. She's that good. And that's one of the reasons why I can reread her books with such enjoyment. If it's been long enough since the last reading, then there's a good chance I'll be mystified all over again. Great fun!

The one small quibble I have is that Miss Marple shows up so very late in the book. Of course, she's tied to the maid, so that makes sense and there really isn't any other way to make her presence plausible--but if it's going to be a Miss Marple mystery, I'd like to see more of her. Even with that small disappointment, it's still a great read and a great mystery. ★★★★

First line: It was Miss Summers turn to make the tea.

Last line: And then, displacing both of these emotions, there came a surge of triumph--the triumph some specialist might feel who has successfully reconstructed an extinct animal from a fragment of jawbone and a couple of teeth.
***************************

Deaths = 5 (two poisoned; one strangled; one in war; one shot)

High Marks for Murder

 High Marks for Murder (2008) by Rebecca Kent (Kate Kingsbury)

Meredith Llewellyn is the headmistress at the Bellehaven Finishing School. A place that is known for transforming the "most incorrigible tomboy into a refined young lady." It's also a bit progressive for the beginning of the 20th Century--encouraging their refined young ladies to think for themselves and allowing exploration into other ways to find fulfillment beyond the role of wife and mother. The teachers may teach deportment and household management, but you just might find them chanting "votes for women" along with their students. You never know what you might see if you arrive unannounced. But I don't think anyone expected to see a ghost...

That's just what Meredith does see after her friend Kathleen Duncan, the home management teacher, was found bludgeoned to death with a tree limb. The local bobby doesn't want to waste precious time investigating too deeply into the demise of a woman out wandering in the garden at night alone (where no respectable lady should be...) and decides it's a death by tramp. A very convenient tramp who is long gone with no way to trace him. Meredith is upset that her friend's death is so easily dismissed and thinks about investigating on her own. But she has no idea how to go about it. Until she starts seeing Kathleen's ghost who seems to be trying to tell her something through various signs. If she can just figure out what Kathleen's motions in the garden mean, she just might have the clues to get an investigation started. 

Pure cozy mystery. No blood to speak of. No traumatic or complicated goings-on in our amateur sleuth's life. And, honestly, not a whole heaping lot of detection. So--if you're looking for a standard mystery with clues to follow and deductions to make, then this might not be your thing. If you like a gentle mystery with a hint (just a hint, mind you) of the supernatural and likeable characters, then this might well be your thing. 

I like the setting at a girls' school. I like our main characters--Meredith and her two, somewhat reluctant, Watsons, Felicity and Essie--though I'm not quite sold on Meredith as a Sherlock just yet. This was a pleasant read but the mystery wasn't too difficult. I knew exactly what Kathleen's ghost meant when she kept pointing at the garden and I'm not quite sure why Meredith was so baffled. Perhaps her grief got in the way? I have the second book in this series and hope that we will see more detecting than trying to communicate with spirits (though I already know there is a ghost involved in that one as well). ★★★

First line: Under normal circumstances Meredith Llewellyn enjoyed the Sunday services at St. Edmund's.

Last line: "Now what's your story?"
*****************

Deaths = one hit on head 

Old Bones

 Old Bones (1943) Herman Petersen

 Marian Wayne, wife of our narrator Ben Wayne, is on the hunt for local-sourced, vintage pine board for a redecoration project. She's hunted high and low in abandoned barns and farmhouses with no success. But then she remembers the grist mill on the property of the area's power family--the Wights. She finds what she's looking for there...and a bit more. While looking around she happens to look in the stand pipe, a well-like opening with water in the bottom, and sees a jumble of bones lying at the bottom. When her husband hears her story, he brings in Doc Miller, the county coroner, who in turn calls upon the D.A. Even before they try to retrieve the bones, Miller is convinced that they've an old murder to solve because someone dumped in old timbers as well in an effort to hide the remains. 

Since it is after dark and there's no lights in the mill, they decide to return in the morning to drain the stand pipe and bring up the bones. But when they get there, they find that someone has beaten them to it and the bones are gone. 

Bones, bones, who's got the bones? 

by grandeduc on Getty images

Fortunately, the person who snatched them in the night wasn't so great at the "hiding" part of hide-and-seek and the bones are rediscovered fairly quickly. The Wights, however, immediately use their influence to try and railroad the D.A. into calling the death an "unfortunate accident to John Doe." But as soon as Doc Miller gets a good look at the bones, he isn't having any. He recognizes healed bones representing injuries that he treated himself and declares that the bones belong to Nate Wight, the black sheep of the family who supposedly slunk off to New York City a few years ago. All clues seem to point directly to the Wights--no wonder they wanted things hushed up. And one of them will go to any length to keep the secrets of the past unseen. Now Doc Miller with Ben acting as his leg man must race to identify Nate's murderer before more people are hurt...or killed.

Lots of action--from a chase through the swamps to a midnight rescue from the stand pipe to blazing (literally) grand finale. Ben Wayne endures some very pulpy private eye encounters--all in the dark, so we don't know who the villain is till the end. Doc Miller spends a fair amount of time tending to Ben's injuries and you have to sympathize with Marian who is afraid that her husband won't survive the next go-round with the culprit. There is also a good amount of good old fashioned deduction on Doc Miller's part, making for a good detective story on top of the pulp action. The characters are great from the interactions between the good doctor and Ben, the good doctor and all the Wights. I especially enjoyed the two younger Wights--Peg and Lightning. They made good sleuthing sidekicks for Ben.

There are a few drawbacks--like the overall motivation of the killer. The initial murder and cover-up I get. But the follow-ups are bit tenuous--especially if the Wights and their entourage stick together as they've always done. It might have helped if there had been a bit more attention to the background of the characters (delightful as most of them are, we don't learn a lot about them). And I don't see the point of the fire at the end--not even with the murderer explaining it. But the pluses outweigh the minuses and I thoroughly enjoyed Petersen's story. I'll definitely pick up the first two in the Doc Miller series if I come across them.  ★★★★

First line: I had spent most of today in the city; a business demand had been satisfied, and I had managed to call on my tailor too.

Last line: What became of the cat?"
*****************

Deaths = 5 (one natural; one hit on head; one shot; two burned to death)