Reading the Detectives discussion

Regarding Lord Edward smuggling in Resnik, I had no idea who they were talking about! Luckily Tey explained who he was and I didn't have to go back and find out. I would have been annoyed if I had wasted my time investigating a non-character.

Regarding Erica and Grant, I think Erica has a crush on either Grant or his job. Her search for the coat seems driven more by helping Grant than Bobby and she ignores Bobby's invitation to California while inviting Grant to view the lion tamer at a Christmas show. I think it is just another flavor of her lion tamer crush. I don't plan on watching the movie version but assume there she and Bobby are a couple (Hollywood needs romance and there is no Grant).

Sandy wrote: "Regarding Erica and Grant, I think Erica has a crush on either Grant or his job. Her search for the coat seems driven more by Grant than Bobby and she ignores Bobby's invitation to California while..."

I thought it was on Grant- even their first conversation seems to suggest it though I wondered because of the references to Erica as a child.

I would have liked the title explained more, but I'm glad Tey found a way to introduce the brother. He is an excellent villain even if he isn't a murder he certainly could be if it suited him. And if I had to choose, I would go for lighting candles in Christine's memory. If it referred to an incident from childhood Tey should tell us.

Sandy wrote: "Regarding Lord Edward smuggling in Resnik, I had no idea who they were talking about! Luckily Tey explained who he was and I didn't have to go back and find out. I would have been annoyed if I had ..."

You and me both - I was bewildered by this and not sure what on earth was going on. I actually did go back, and it only seemed to be quite a brief mention earlier. I think it was a good and thought-provoking plot twist, bearing in mind real-life events in Nazi Germany at the time, but I found it hard to follow.

Sandy wrote: "Regarding Erica and Grant, I think Erica has a crush on either Grant or his job. Her search for the coat seems driven more by helping Grant than Bobby and she ignores Bobby's invitation to Californ..."

I also thought she had a crush on Grant rather than Bobby, but I wasn't sure that Grant had noticed, as he seems to be too obsessed with the case to bother about anything else much.

I've just watched the film - it's a British thriller rather than a Hollywood one but you are right about the romance angle. I liked it as a film, but it is nothing like the book.

I don't think Grant noticed her crush and only thought of her as a child. And apologies to Great Britain; I forgot Hitchcock was British.

No worries Sandy, after all, his best-known films were made in Hollywood - but this was one of the early titles he made in Britain. I agree with you about Grant thinking of Erica as a child.

Again, though, Erica is one of those 'in between' children/women. She is definitely grown up in the way that she drives, but still a child in the way she dresses and presents herself. I can see why the world invented the 'teenager' to help clarify the growing up process!

Susan wrote: "Again, though, Erica is one of those 'in between' children/women. She is definitely grown up in the way that she drives, but still a child in the way she dresses and presents herself. I can see why..."

Like Margot or Megan but far more mature and bright.

Sandy wrote: "I would have liked the title explained more, but I'm glad Tey found a way to introduce the brother. He is an excellent villain even if he isn't a murder he certainly could be if it suited him. And ..."

I agree the brother is a great character - very nasty. I think he is the novel's real villain despite the surprise late plot twists.

Sandy, I agree. Insanity always seems as something of a cop out in mysteries. I would have liked pure greed, or, as you say, a desire for power or fame - which was, after all, touched upon several times in the plot.

Susan wrote: "Sandy, I agree. Insanity always seems as something of a cop out in mysteries. I would have liked pure greed, or, as you say, a desire for power or fame - which was, after all, touched upon several ..."

But greed was in a way the main motive - even if she was insane.

There are, I suppose, only a handful of real motives, at the end of the day.

Susan wrote: "There are, I suppose, only a handful of real motives, at the end of the day."

All related to human nature- greed, love/lust are the most basic, even hate sometimes. In ACs books too- it comes down to this most times.

Yes - other motives, such as jealousy, can usually fit in those few, basic motives you have chosen.

Lady Clementina wrote: "Susan wrote: "There are, I suppose, only a handful of real motives, at the end of the day."

All related to human nature- greed, love/lust are the most basic, even hate sometimes. In ACs books too-..."

Don't forget mental illness. Paranoia and other conditions that lead people to kill basically at random.

Everyman wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "Susan wrote: "There are, I suppose, only a handful of real motives, at the end of the day."

All related to human nature- greed, love/lust are the most basic, even hate some..."
Of course- that too.

Modern crime novels use that motive more than GA ones, although, of course, it is still often a factor in many novels set in our period.

Susan wrote: "Modern crime novels use that motive more than GA ones, although, of course, it is still often a factor in many novels set in our period."

AC also explores the theme of "evil" in many of her books- I mean people being as such- which may be flows from their mental condition/illness - like Crooked House for instance, or even Towards Zero, for that matter.

Christie used many different motives and types of crime/criminals. I think that is what makes her so readable - she didn't just repeat herself endlessly.

I'm discovering that too as I read more of her books, Susan. I've only read a few by Josephine Tey so far (sadly there aren't very many to read) but so far she seems to be varied in the motives and types of criminals too.

While looking back through the book, I just came across this sentence which reminded me of our 'candles' discussion - it's something Jammy thinks while he is watching the people at the inquest:

"Clay’s brilliance habitually made her men look like penny candles."

It didn't shed any more light on the phrase, though...

Judy wrote: "While looking back through the book, I just came across this sentence which reminded me of our 'candles' discussion - it's something Jammy thinks while he is watching the people at the inquest:

"C..."

Judy, All, I just finished this novel. when the will is read, there is discussion about the meaning of "To my brother Herbert, a shilling for candles". There follows a discussion that it could be something that happened when they were children, but Grant says, "She must have know him much later." And, Herbert had set up that mission (Fiji?) then took off to Australia with the money earlier (before the book starts) and I was thinking Chris was referencing that early mission rip-off, in which no doubt candles were sold as you enter and then you take a candle and light it in front of a saint or an altar. She was, in effect, just giving him a slap in the face about his past. But I'm not sure.

Susan wrote: "There are, I suppose, only a handful of real motives, at the end of the day."

Susan, i agree. I think there is really only one crime: taking something that doesn't belong to you, be it $$$ or someone else's life, or spouse, or whatever. Therefore, there really is only one motive: someone has something and you want it, be it $$$ or a spouse, etc.

Abigail wrote: "I had forgotten Rimnik, too. And I didn’t find the perpetrator’s sudden insanity convincing, either. Unlike some, I am not entirely comfortable with Erica’s character—or at least how the male chara..."

Abigail, me neither. Early in the book, the perpetrator 'guesses' that Grant must have been born during the first week in August. Grant is stunned: he was born on August 4th. First thing that came to my mind was that she's a fake, that she researches and plans ahead. That she makes a living being a fake. A few chapters later Grant thinks about the people he suspects: Chris, Harmer, Tisdale. Then a few chapters later he adds Brother Herbert to his list. But he never thinks about the real perpetrator at all until, coincidentally, he reads an article. Odd that Tey communicates the villain clearly, and early, but Grant doesn't pick up on it. BIG PROBLEM>>>Tey could very well had Grant suspect the real villian as he went through his list in his head, but she doesn't risk it. obviously because she doesn't want readers to think about it. Fair? No, not really, but Tey is a very good writer anyway.