Til Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr

21 May 2012 00:04

This vintage crime book was first published in 1944 and it’s another ‘locked room’ mystery.

The successful thriller writer and playwright Dick Markham has just become engaged to Lesley Grant, a new inhabitant to the village, much to the disgust of many of the villagers who had expected him to marry their favourite, the local girl, Cynthia Drew, whom he’d been friendly with for some time.

The action begins at a village bazaar with the usual entertainments like a shooting-range, cricket match and fortune-teller’s tent. When Lesley shoots the fortune teller in an accident it isn’t long before rumours start to circulate that she isn’t who she claims to be and Dick doesn’t know what to believe.

The detective Dr Gideon Fell arrives to investigate the dastardly goings on in the village and things become even more perplexing before he manages to crack the case. I was kept guessing right to the end, what more can you ask for!

This book is part of the Black Dagger Crime series which is a joint effort between BBC audiobooks and the Crime Writers’ Association.

If you want to learn more about Dr Fell have a look here.

He reminds me a bit of Rex Stout, they both have a huge girth, find it difficult to get about and have more than a fondness for beer but I can’t help wondering why Dickson Carr gave him the name of Dr Fell. It’s a name which was first used in 1680 when it appears in a nursery rhyme, you can read about it here. But that article doesn’t even mention the Dickson Carr use of the name, although several other people seem to have used it.

There’s also a song by Juliet Turner which goes like this-

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The Dog Who Came In From The Cold by Alexander McCall Smith

17 May 2012 23:12

This is the second book in the Corduroy Mansions series. Of course it’s the same idea as his 44 Scotland series except most of the action takes place in London instead of Edinburgh.

This one was more enjoyable than the first one I think, or maybe it’s just that I know the various characters better now, it’s another cozy read. A few more of the Pimlico inhabitants are paired up. The whole thing is quite daft really with Freddie de la Haye, the Pimlico terrier belonging to William French being recruited by MI6 as a spy. But then when you think about it, stranger things have happened in that weird world of espionage.

William French, the main character is a man of a certain age. Jack usually asks me exactly what that means and I reply – older than me – but in this case William is actually a bit younger than me. He muses on such things as Latin phrases which are unknown to younger people nowadays and the fact that the younger generation has no idea of the use of the subjunctive. It felt like he had dropped in to my world! I imagine that there’s quite a lot of McCall Smith in William French. For me, this series isn’t as entertaining as the Scotland Street books but that’s probably because I prefer the Edinburgh setting.

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One of Ours by Willa Cather

14 May 2012 12:24

I loved this book which was first published in 1922 and I downloaded it free from girlebooks. I’ve read quite a few books by Willa Cather and I’ve liked them all but I hadn’t even heard of this one so when I looked it up to see when it was published I was gobsmacked to see that she had won the Pulitzer prize for it.

It begins in Nebraska and I thought it was going to be one of her rural, pioneer type books which would’ve suited me fine but it goes on to be so much more.

Claude Wheeler is the middle son in the Wheeler family and his parents are quite well off, the farm is successful but Mr Wheeler is an awkward character and Claude doesn’t really fit in. He’s supposedly the brightest son and he’s dutiful and does as he’s told but in truth his father would like Claude more if he was more like his brothers who don’t toe the line and therefore are given more respect for having stronger characters.

Everything which Claude does is wrong and he even ends up marrying a dreadful, cold woman who is only interested in Christianity and prohibitionism. His parents can see history repeating itself as Claude’s father-in-law has had a miserable life with his wife.

Meanwhile the news from abroad is grim as the First World War is raging in Europe and the inhabitants of Nebraska are horrified at the newspaper reports from the old country. They are keen for their president to take them into the war but they have to wait quite a long time. When it does happen, Claude joins up immediately, wanting to escape his situation.

Eventually he gets to France as Lieutenant Wheeler and army life seems to suit him. For once he fits in.

As you can imagine, this is a sad tale, given the subject matter, but it’s something that I’ve always been interested in and I think this is the first novel about that war which I’ve read which has been written by an American. I’d be happy if anyone can recommend any others to me.

I love Cather’s descriptions so here’s a flavour from France.

When the survivors of Company B are old men and are telling of their good days they will say to each other, “Oh that week we spent at Beaufort!” They will close their eyes and see a little village on a low ridge, lost in the forest, overgrown with oak and chestnut and black walnut …. buried in autumn colour, the streets drifted in autumn leaves, great branches interlacing over the roofs of houses, wells of cool water that taste of moss and tree roots.

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

12 May 2012 00:12

The Song of Achilles has been nominated for the Orange prize. I very rarely read books which have been nominated for prizes, I remember being unimpressed by Anita Brookner’s Hotel du Lac which won the Booker prize years ago and that sort of put me off. I also don’t like doing things at the same time as everyone else, I’d rather plough my own furrow. However, when Anbolyn of Gudrun’s Tights mentioned that she had really enjoyed The Song of Achilles I thought I would give it a go, you can read her enthusiastic review here.

Patroclus is the son of a King but he’s a disappointment to his father and after a disastrous encounter with Clysonymus, the young son of a nobleman, Patroclus was exiled and sent to live at the court of King Peleus where he meets Achilles and the two become inseparable. It’s all gods and heroes and the Trojan wars but it isn’t very bloody and gory, if you’re worried about that sort of thing.

I was keen on Classical Studies when I was at school but after one year of Greek and Roman mythology I opted to do Latin for three years. In those dim distant days it was only boys who were going to be church ministers who took Greek so they could read the bible in the original. Yes, it was long before any women had even thought of the possibility of going into the church. Greek would have killed me.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in Greek mythology then I recommend you read The Song of Achilles, it’s well written and entertaining and as Anbolyn said, it does make you want to look further into the subject. I had completely forgotten that the Trojan Wars were supposed to have lasted 10 years or so. Of course apart from fighting, this is basically a love story between Achilles and Patroculus, very delicately written.

Going off at a bit of a tangent – I was watching the Olympic flame being lit in Greece on the news yesterday, and when that sudden gust of wind blew out the flame – I wondered – who is the Greek god of winds? Of course it was Aeolus – as in Aeolean harp. What a bad omen, it doesn’t bode well for the games.

That poor woman!

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Book Beginnings on Fridays

11 May 2012 11:10

William French, wine merchant, Master of Wine (failed), somewhere in his early fifties (hardly noticeably, particularly in the right light), loyal subscriber to Rural Living (although he lived quite happily in central London), long time supporter of several good causes (he was a kind man at heart, with a strong sense of fairness) widower, dog-owner, and much else besides; the same William French looked about his flat in Corduroy Mansions, as anybody might survey his or her flat in a moment of self-assessment, of stocktaking.

That’s the first paragraph of The Dog Who Came In From The Cold by Alexander McCall Smith, it’s the second book in his Corduroy Mansions series. I have to say that although it’s not a riveting paragraph it does capture the character perfectly and hints at the humour usually found in McCall Smith’s books.

Going from the title of the book, this one is going to be mainly about the dog, Freddie de la Hay, who is a London version of Percy the dog who inhabits the 44 Scotland Street series. These books couldn’t be called high literature by any measure, but they are comfort reads which is sometimes just what hits the spot.

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August Folly by Angela Thirkell

8 May 2012 23:17

For some reason I was under the impression that August Folly was the first in Thirkell’s Barsetshire series, but it isn’t. I should have read High Rising first but I don’t have that one yet. This one was first published in 1936.

It’s set in the fictional Barsetshire village of Worsted, it’s sixty miles west of London and to get there you have to change trains at the village of Winter Overcotes.

As you would expect from a Thirkell book this is a light hearted romance and it mainly concerns the planning and rehearsals for a village play, an annual event. The book is full of characters who say things like: ‘Oh golly, that’s good, I’m frightfully, terribly, ghastly pleased.’

An enjoyable read but definitely not one of Thirkells best. I don’t think she really hit her stride until the outbreak of World War II. The whole thing gave her so much to write about with the big upheaval in society, especially all the red tape and rationing and the influx of foreigners and evacuees.

It’s still worth reading though and I hope to work my way through them all eventually. You can see a list of all of her books here if you’re interested.

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Poison in the Pen by Patricia Wentworth

8 May 2012 09:38

This is another gift from Peggy Ann who is a keen vintage crime fan, much like myself. I’m sure I read some books by Patricia Wentworth way back in the year dot but I’m fairly certain that they weren’t Miss Silver mysteries. This book was originally published in 1955.

Miss Silver is Wentworth’s equivalent to Miss Marple, a spinster who manages to knit as she solves crimes. The twist is that Miss Silver is valued by Detective Inspector Frank Abbott of Scotland Yard and in fact it is he who sends her to the small English village of Tilling Green where someone is sending poison pen letters to the inhabitants, leading to tragedy in at least one case.

Miss Silver is a retired governess and she finds it easy to pose as a lady on holiday in the village and quickly immerses herself in the social scene. She’s soon able to hear all the local gossip and realises that there has been a murder and that there is a vicious and demented killer at work.

It’s absolutely years since I read an Agatha Christie but I think that this book was every bit as good, if not better than a Christie. I didn’t guess who the culprit was, which is always a plus. Miss Silver managed to finish knitting a blue twinset and start a red cardigan whilst she solved the case – not bad going! I’ll be reading more of Wentworth’s books in the future.

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Book Beginning on Friday

4 May 2012 00:06

I decided to participate in Book Beginning on Friday which is being hosted by Rose City Reader, join in here, if you feel like it.

My book beginning is from Poison in the Pen by Patricia Wentworth and was first published in 1955.

Miss Silver looked across the tea-tray a good deal in the manner of the affectionate aunt who entertains a deserving nephew, but the young man who leaned forward to take the cup of tea which she had just poured out for him was not really related to her in any way. He was in fact Detective Inspector Frank Abbot of Scotland Yard, enjoying a Sunday afternoon off duty and very much at his ease.

Well it’s not exactly what you would call an exciting beginning but it’s a vintage crime book and what with that and the book title, it tells me that I’m going to be involved in a cosy mystery, most likely including anonymous letters and murder.

Don’t ask me why vintage crime books and murder equal cosy comfort reading – they just do and hopefully I’ll be inhabiting a village in 1950s Britain whilst I’m reading this one.

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Blotto,Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess by Simon Brett

2 May 2012 23:39

This was a random choice from the library and the dedication is to Louise who enjoys a good laugh, so I thought I’d give it a go. It was published in 2011 and is in the vintage crime style.

This book takes daftness to the extreme but it’s entertaining if you just want to read a light bit of fun. Ingredients-wise it’s a Christmas pudding of a book. Simon Brett has nicked bits of just about every vintage crime writer that you can think of.

Blotto and Twinks are a brother and sister amateur sleuthing team of the upper class toff variety. Blotto is the male and his character is along the lines of Captain Hastings from Agatha Christie with a smattering of Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion mixed in. His sister Twinks is the one with the brains and she sounds at times like Sherlock Holmes although she also has a bit of Harriet Vane from Dorothy Sayers in her with her allusions to classical literature, although thankfully she steers clear of ancient Greek. This is another book where the action moves to Scotland and at that stage it all gets a wee bit John Buchan-ish.

When I tell you that Blotto manages to deal with as many as 20 armed men with only his cricket bat as a weapon you’ll realise that this book should be read only if you are happy to take it with your tongue stuck firmly in your cheek. There are plenty bits of humorous social comment too.

I ended up enjoying it, but then I do have a cricket bat which lives in a corner of my bedroom within easy reach of my side of the bed. It has been there for 24 years and so far I haven’t had to use it – but if I ever do hear an intruder coming up the stairs during the night I’m ready to lean over the banisters and give them a good old whack with it!

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The Case of the Constant Suicides by John Dickson Carr

1 May 2012 23:37

I was thrilled when my blogpal Peggy Ann sent me this book all the way from the US, it was very naughty of her though and we have resolved not to be so mad in the future, the postal services of the US and UK have become so wildly expensive recently. Books and printed paper are supposed to be a cheaper rate too!

I hadn’t read anything by John Dickson Carr before, he was an American so I was more than a wee bit surprised to discover that this book is set mainly in Scotland. It begins at Euston station in London however, where Alan Campbell, a young professor of history, is catching the sleeper train to Glasgow, something I’ve done often myself. There has been a mix up with the booking and he ends up having to share with a young woman, Kathryn Campbell, and it transpires that they are both travelling to Castle Shira in the Western Highlands, having been invited there by yet another Campbell. Alan and Kathryn had met before, but only through a newspaper’s letters page where they had an acrimonious correspondence.

Angus Campbell, to whom they’re both distantly related, had fallen to his death a few weeks before and there is some doubt as to whether it was suicide or murder. It’s a ‘locked room’ mystery and I really enjoyed it. Dickson Carr wrote it with a good balance of mystery, romance and humour, so I’ll definitely be looking out for more of his books. He also managed to capture ‘Scotland’ which is a surprise really, apparently he was married to an English woman but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she had been Scottish, I’ve often seen that mistake, with Josephine Tey being described as English, she is probably ‘birling’ in her grave!

Anyway, he obviously knew Scotland well and managed to write in dialect which is something which isn’t easy to do. This book was first published in 1941. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of his books. Thanks again Peggy.

If you want to have a look at the part of Scotland the book is set in – have a look here, Argyle and Bute.

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