Reading the Detectives discussion

Hi Jill, great to see you here! You've probably spotted that we have a Rex Stout read coming up in January (the first book in the series, Fer-de-Lance), so it will be great to have your input on that! I haven't read any S.S. Van Dine but keep meaning to.

I haven't read any Van Dine yet but I have started (years ago) his biography, Alias S.S. Van Dine by John Loughery. He had been an artist, as was his brother, and worked on The Smart Set with H. L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan. He was kind of slumming when he started writing the stories. Big surprise! They were successful while he failed in other endeavors.

Jan C wrote: "I haven't read any Van Dine yet but I have started (years ago) his biography, Alias S.S. Van Dine by John Loughery. He had been an artist, as was his brother, and work..."

VanDine put together a few compilation books of great mystery stories which I have but the titles escape me at the moment. I will check for them because they are worth reading.. Philo Vance was almost a pseudo Lord Peter Wimsey but much more irritating and although Lord Peter has lived on as a favorite of many, including me, the Vance books just didn't seem to hold up.......but I have several of them since I was absorbed in the beginning but my excitement paled before long. Films were made of Philo Vance, starring the wonderful William Powell. The one I remember best is The Canary Murder Case which had to be redubbed for sound as it was made originally as a silent film and I have it on DVD. It's pretty static but it has William Powell going for it as well as the amazingly beautiful Louise Brooks. It was her last American film before fleeing to Germany to make some classic film, such as Pandora' Box.

Welcome to the group, Jill :) Glad you joined us!

Thank you Susan.....I am very excited to talk to other mystery lovers and exchange book recommendations and good discussion.

I have the DVD of The Kennel Murder Case. I downloaded the omnibus on my Kindle a while back but must have gotten distracted. I know I started it but don't think I got very far.

Warren William was in some of the movies. I think they were about the time Powell moved from Warner Bros to MGM.

Right you are, Jan C................Warren William did play Vance after Powell left.

I have the DVD of the Kennel Murder Case and it really isn't too bad. Powell does not play Vance as an irritating twit......just a sophisticate with spats, gloves, and a walking stick.

Hi! I'm a long-time Agatha Christie fan and am looking forward to reading Miss Marple this year. I'm also looking forward to reading new-to-me authors.

Hi Bonita - our Miss Marple challenge will begin in the New Year. I'm looking forward to discovering some new authors too - welcome to the group :)

Hi Bonita, great that you have joined us! I'm looking forward to our Miss Marple challenge too and also to discovering more new authors together in 2017.

Hello and Happy New Year! I am a fan of the "Old time Mysteries". My favorite author is of course Dame Christie. I have read all of The Miss Marple books and am looking forward to rereading and discussing them as part of the Challenge. Among others, I also like Nero Wolfe and if I may be permitted another non-British entity- Ellery Queen.
Thank you for letting me join this most interesting group.

J wrote: "Thank you for letting me join this most interesting group. "

Thank you for joining! And be sure to contribute your thoughts!

Welcome, J, so glad you found us and that you are looking forward to the Miss Marple challenge!

We also have a Nero Wolfe group read this month. I haven't read any Ellery Queen, but must put that right in 2017!

Welcome to the group, J.

Welcome to the group, Red, we are happy you found us :)

Welcome, Red, great that you found us and are looking forward to joining in with Miss Marple!

Hello everyone, finally a group which sings the song of my people. :D Shame I didn't find it last year as I did actually read all the Wimsey books as part of my own personal challenge. The works of Christie is my goal this year so It will be lovely to read them along with others.

I've messaged my Dad (John) who is a goldmine of knowledge when it comes to this genre, who will want to join in the fun too :)

Learnin Curve wrote: "Hello everyone, finally a group which sings the song of my people. :D Shame I didn't find it last year as I did actually read all the Wimsey books as part of my own personal challenge. The works of..."

I have recently found this group also and am so glad. Last night I started the group read, Fer-de-Lance, a new detective and writer for me. I am finishing up my Christie Canon personal challenge saving Poirot for last and I wish I had been here for Lord Peter. Better late than never!

Welcome, Learnin Curve, glad you found us! Sorry you missed our Wimsey challenge but glad you will be here for Christie.

Some great new members! Welcome to all!!

Welcome Lynne and Learnin Curve. We are always happy to have new members :)

Lynne wrote: "I have recently found this group also and am so glad. Last night I started the group read, Fer-de-Lance, a new detective and writer for me. I am finishing up my Christie Canon personal challenge saving Poirot for last and I wish I had been here for Lord Peter. Better late than never!"

Great to have you in the group, Lynne. What books were you reading for your Christie Canon personal challenge - does that mean all of them?! Do put up a thread about it in our individual challenges section if you'd like to!

I've read very little Christie so far, I must admit, but suspect the Miss Marple challenge is going to get me hooked!

Hi Imke, welcome to the group. Hope you enjoy the book choices!

Hi, just joined, as mentioned by Learnin Curve above. My favourites (and I have hard copies of all they wrote) are Simenon's Maigret, Michael Innes, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh, and Edmund Crispin. And there are many others just below - Sayers, Christie, Patricia Wentworth. So much to read!

Have joined the Miss Marple challenge. Just got to finish an Ellery Queen before starting!

Judy wrote: "Lynne wrote: "I have recently found this group also and am so glad. Last night I started the group read, Fer-de-Lance, a new detective and writer for me. I am finishing up my Christie Canon persona..."

Yes--I have read all the Christies except Poirot, which I am working on now. I am tackling Hercule by date, interleaving short stories and novels. I am up to 1926, getting ready to start Roger Ackroyd. By the time I am finished, it will have taken about 3 years, though of course I have been reading tons of other stuff too.

Hi John and welcome!

John wrote: "Hi, just joined, as mentioned by Learnin Curve above. My favourites (and I have hard copies of all they wrote) are Simenon's Maigret, Michael Innes, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh, and Edmund Crisp..."

Glad to see another older man here. Sometimes I've felt lonely!

Well, Everyman, it's 11.45pm here in England, so I suppose it's time for me to crawl to bed while I still have the energy!

Everyman wrote: "John wrote: "Hi, just joined, as mentioned by Learnin Curve above. My favourites (and I have hard copies of all they wrote) are Simenon's Maigret, Michael Innes, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh, and..."

Older man?! You?! E-Man, we are only as old as we feel. (Which is probably why everyone says I act like a teenager!)

He will always be the big man in huge glasses to me. :D

John wrote: "Well, Everyman, it's 11.45pm here in England, so I suppose it's time for me to crawl to bed while I still have the energy!"

Egad. I would have been asleep nearly two hours by then. But then, we get up at 5:30.

Lynne wrote: "Older man?! You?! E-Man, we are only as old as we feel."

Is that a dinosaur I see out my window?

Imke wrote: "Hello! I love detective stories. My favourites are Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. I haven't read Miss Marple so far, except The murder at the vicarage for this challenge, and I liked it a lot...."

Welcome Imke, glad you joined us! I love Sherlock Holmes too but haven't read much Christie yet - it's great you are joining us on the Miss Marple challenge. I really liked the first book too.

John wrote: "Hi, just joined, as mentioned by Learnin Curve above. My favourites (and I have hard copies of all they wrote) are Simenon's Maigret, Michael Innes, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh, and Edmund Crisp..."


Welcome, John, great that you have joined! That's a great selection of favourite writers and quite a book collection, since some of those authors wrote a *lot*. Great that you are joining in on the Miss Marple challenge.

Lynne wrote: "Yes--I have read all the Christies except Poirot, which I am working on now. I am tackling Hercule by date, interleaving short stories and novels... "

Wow, that's a real labour of love, Lynne. It sounds as if you went about it in a great way, by reading a lot of other books in between - sometimes in the past I have overdosed on a writer by reading loads straight after each other!

Great to see the New Year bringing us so many new readers!

Hi Great to find this group. I am a fan of Miss Marple books so this is just right for me. I shall enjoy a year of re reading the books.

Hi Mary - welcome to the group. Glad that you like Miss Marple, as we have a year full of discussing her :)

Susan wrote: "Hi Mary - welcome to the group. Glad that you like Miss Marple, as we have a year full of discussing her :)"Thanks susan, am looking forward to it x

Welcome, Mary, great that you have found us! Discussing Miss Marple all through 2017 should be a lot of fun.

Good to hear, Mary. We currently have a poll open to vote on our next read (we have two books each month to choose from, or not as you wish). One is chosen from nominations by members and voted for and the other is from our yearly challenge - which, as you already know, is Miss Marple in 2017.

Hello all, Classic crime was my first reading love, I grew up reading Christie, Sayers, Allingham and Marsh. More recently I've been picking up the British Library series, and I'm hoping to find some new favourite authors here. I'm also really looking forward to joining in with the Miss Marple reads, I have the first two on your list.

Hi, Pamela, you name the classic four authors. All great. Agree re BL series: it's been very useful to give us forgotten authors - John Bude in particular, maybe.

Do you know Michael Innes, Edmund Crispin, Patricia Wentworth, Georges Simenon too? Almost hope you don't, 'cos that would mean so much fun to come!

Hi my name is Charlotte and I live in Warrington uk. I love reading miss marple. My favourite authors is James Patterson, PD James, also love the Hamish Macbeth seriesm but love reading new authors has well. I found the group today (15/1/17) on goodreads and love how you do the set over the 12 months. I have read some of miss Marple but looking forward to reading them again.

Hello fellow new people *waves cheerfully* feel free to add me as a friend :D

John wrote: "Hi, Pamela, you name the classic four authors....
Do you know Michael Innes, Edmund..."

Hi John, Simenon yes, I think I read some Wentworth but a long time ago, no Innes or Crispin yet. I do have Fer De Lance on Kindle so will try to join in for that too. Lot of fun to come!

Welcome to the group, Pamela and Charlotte, great that you have both joined!

Hi Pamela and Charlotte - welcome to the group :)

Thanks ladies looking forward to reading some of the books xx

Thanks everyone for the welcome