Reading the Detectives discussion

it's time to nominate for our July group read. You are welcome to nominate books by Golden Age authors, or titles which were written later but are set during the Golden Age. Just one nomination per group member, please.

A reminder - please don't nominate the following 5 books this time round, as you will be able to vote for them in our runners-up poll next month!

The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin
Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh
Information Received by E.R. Punshon
Murder in Stained Glass by Margaret Armstrong
The Crime Coast: A Benvenuto Brown Mystery by Elizabeth Gill

Good morning, Judy. I think you need to replace Trent's Last Case with The Crime Coast: A Benvenuto Brown Mystery.

Susan wrote: "Good morning, Judy. I think you need to replace Trent's Last Case with The Crime Coast: A Benvenuto Brown Mystery."

Oops. You are right, Susan - I will do that right now. I obviously haven't woken up yet! ;)

It's early on Bank Holiday Monday, Judy; you just let your usual perfect standard slip slightly ;)

I would like to nominate a classic Poirot:

Murder on the Orient Express

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.

Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.

Susan wrote: "It's early on Bank Holiday Monday, Judy; you just let your usual perfect standard slip slightly ;)

I would like to nominate a classic Poirot:

Murder on the Orient Express [bookcove..."

Very kind of you to say so, Susan! A great nomination, with the new film coming up, which as a Kenneth Branagh fan I am looking forward to seeing.

Thanks, Judy :)

I'd like to nominate one of those free Wentworths that all us non Americans have been downloading!

I'm going to pick The Annam Jewel

Hmm as we are getting into the Summer months with this (and hopefully the weather will play ball as well lol) I would like to nominate Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh

Hilary wrote: "Hmm as we are getting into the Summer months with this (and hopefully the weather will play ball as well lol) I would like to nominate Clutch of Constables by [author:Ngaio Marsh|6814..."

OOh, good choice.

I just received one of those British Library Crime Classics, Death in the Tunnel by Miles Burton. Written in 1936. Murder on a train in a tunnel.

Trains were as dangerous as country houses in GA mysteries, weren't they? Some great choices so far.

Speaking of "Clutch of Constables" as a nomination for the July pick, I was reading the description of the book and it shares a common similarity to another Ngaio Marsh book written later on in the Inspector Alleyn series -- Singing In The Shrouds . BOTH books take place on a cruise.

Susan wrote: "Trains were as dangerous as country houses in GA mysteries, weren't they? Some great choices so far."

Writers from the GA period knew how to write great, well-written, and suspenseful train mysteries, with Murder On The Orient Express at the pinnacle, in my opinion. Are there any good train mysteries written today by modern writers?

Well, there’s The Girl on the Train, but I don’t know how good it is.

Abigail wrote: "Well, there’s The Girl on the Train, but I don’t know how good it is."

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. I heard of it but I never read it but I read the reviews on it and there are some who saw the ending from a mile away and some didn't like the fact of an unreliable narrator and her problem with alcoholism.

LovesMysteries wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Well, there’s The Girl on the Train, but I don’t know how good it is."

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. I heard of it but I never read it but I read the reviews on..."

I gave it up just a couple of chapters in. Not sure whether it was boring or I just didn't like it. But it didn't appeal to me.

Jan C wrote: "LovesMysteries wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Well, there’s The Girl on the Train, but I don’t know how good it is."

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. I heard of it but I never read it bu..."

I'm a little funny with it comes to many of these modern mysteries/cozies coming out today. The only modern mystery writer I read is Anne Perry's Thomas & Charlotte Pitt mysteries and those with William Monk. I am interested in looking into some mysteries by Charles Finch, Carolyn Hart, and Colin Dexter. There are times I dive into the Murder, She Wrote series by Donald Bain.

I have just started (re-)reading Dexter, Charles Finch has been on my shelf for a while. I have read of Hart's and one Murder, She Wrote. I think one was enough. A little cozy for me - cozier than the tv show.

One of my favorite modern writers is Louise Penny. Her series should be read in order.

I have a Charles Finch on my TBR. And have never read Dexter, though I loved the TV series.

Sandy wrote: "One of my favorite modern writers is Louise Penny. Her series should be read in order."

I've been thinking about reading her books. She is on my list of writers to read.

LovesMysteries wrote: "Sandy wrote: "One of my favorite modern writers is Louise Penny. Her series should be read in order."

I've been thinking about reading her books. She is on my list of writers to read."

Go for it! I was almost put off by the beginning of the first book, Still Life, as the village is populated by stock characters and am so glad I persisted. And the series gets better and better.

Sandy wrote: "LovesMysteries wrote: "Sandy wrote: "One of my favorite modern writers is Louise Penny. Her series should be read in order."

I've been thinking about reading her books. She is on my list of writer..."

Totally agree about needing to read in order, Sandy. I haven't and intend going back to the beginning so I can get the true progression of the characters who are just wonderful. Also agree the series gets better, and better.

I enjoyed The Girl on the Train very much. I enjoy GA and contemporary crime equally - although I am not a great fan of modern 'cozies.' Any hint of cat, quilts or coffee shops and I run a mile... I totally sympathise with the need to 'read in order' though and I am simply unable to pick up, and enjoy, a book if I have not read the previous ones.

Susan wrote: "I enjoyed The Girl on the Train very much. I enjoy GA and contemporary crime equally - although I am not a great fan of modern 'cozies.' Any hint of cat, quilts or coffee shops and I run a mile... ..."

This is how I compare GA cozies to modern cozies. GA cozies are like a filling meal of steak and potatoes whereas the latter are less filling and taste more like cotton candy. They're airy, fluffy, sweet but doesn't satisfy the appetite as much. It's almost as if writers of the GA period took their craft more seriously and did everything they could to master it, whereas, with modern cozies, I feel as if the craft of perfecting the mystery plot isn't a priority. When I hear of a modern cozy with cats, quilts, coffee shops, etc, like you Susan, I run away from them because they aren't written as seriously as the GA ones. Sure GA mysteries had their fun, whimsical moments but as a whole I can take them seriously and I feel as if I consumed a four-course meal. It's as if the GA mysteries are written by the pros. Modern cozies are written by newbies who want to insert cute, soft things in them.

Hmm, I haven't read many cosies as yet, but I'm quite attracted by the idea of the coffee shop settings etc, I'll admit - they appeal to me a lot more than books with a lot of grim forensic science scenes.

I do intend to try some of the most acclaimed cosy writers and see which ones appeal to me, as soon as I get through some of the other books which I have piled up. Please can anyone with suggestions of authors to try add them to this thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I think that cosy mystery covers a wide range of books. Some are the oversweet and sickly ones, but some are probably excellent books.
It might just be that the ones I have looked at seem to fall this way but I think that cosies written by American authors are the sweet cat and coffee shop ones whereas I have read and enjoyed many by British authors.

I have read quite a lot of self published/indie authors - which I have enjoyed. I know some people don't like reading unless they are big/mainstream authors. I will try most things and I do like to occasionally read a more realistic crime novel, but don't like too much unnecessary violence and cruelty to animals is a big turnoff for me.


I would suggest the first Clara Benson The Murder at Sissingham Hall: Volume 1 but I don't think that one is the best of the first few that I have read. And not sure if it actually fits in as a GA mystery???

Hilary wrote: "Hmm as we are getting into the Summer months with this (and hopefully the weather will play ball as well lol) I would like to nominate Clutch of Constables by [author:Ngaio Marsh|6814..."

I've read that one- but long ago should should be fun to revisit if it's chosen.

Any more nominations? I'll put the poll up at the weekend.

Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "I would suggest the first Clara Benson The Murder at Sissingham Hall: Volume 1 but I don't think that one is the best of the first few that I have read. And not sure if it actually fits in as a GA mystery??? "

Jay-me, sorry, just realised I failed to reply to your Clara Benson suggestion! It would be fine to nominate as it is set in the Golden Age period. I actually really liked it. :) Do you want to nominate it?

On the subject of Murder on the Orient Express, one of the nominations for our forthcoming poll, I've just seen these photos of the new film - now that's what I call a moustache!!

http://ew.com/movies/murder-on-the-or...

Judy wrote: "Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "I would suggest the first Clara Benson The Murder at Sissingham Hall: Volume 1 but I don't think that one is the best of the first few that I have read. And not sure if it ac..."

Jay-me and Judy, I'll nominate
The Murder at Sissingham Hall, as it is already on my kindle, and only $1.29 in the US.

Sandy wrote: "Judy wrote: "Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "I would suggest the first Clara Benson The Murder at Sissingham Hall: Volume 1 but I don't think that one is the best of the first few that I have read. And not ..."

I recently started reading this one. Enjoying it so far, and I haven't even gotten to a murder yet.

Sandy wrote: "Judy wrote: "Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "I would suggest the first Clara Benson The Murder at Sissingham Hall: Volume 1 but I don't think that one is the best of the first few that I have read. And not ..."

Thanks Sandy and Jay-me, that's great.

I've read the first 4 books in the series now and am really enjoying them so far.

The poll is now up!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Very close in early voting - The Annam Jewel has just edged ahead of Murder on the Orient Express and Clutch of Constables. But there is a long way to go yet!

Great choices, as ever.

I cast my vote! Let's see.

The Annam Jewel is still in the lead and has gone further ahead, but there is another week to cast your vote!

It's worth voting even if you don't think your choice will win, as we are still looking for one more book to go into the runners-up poll next month.

With just a couple of days of voting left, Patricia Wentworth is still in the lead, but Ngaio Marsh is starting to have a late surge, just two votes behind :)

I like Ngaio Marsh, but I need to read them in order. Otherwise I would have been really tempted...

Now a dead heat! Is someone going to break the tie? The suspense is building...

Always a temptation to change my vote from a candidate that hasn't a chance.

The Annam Jewel is now leading!

We always have good choices - if the second Ngaio Marsh wasn't already in our second chance vote I would have re-nominated it...

We have a winner! It's The Annam Jewel: A Golden Age Mystery by Patricia Wentworth, which won by just one vote in the end.



The runner-up was Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh, which will go into the second-chance poll next month - that means there will be two titles by Marsh in the poll, so we could see some tactical voting, I'm guessing!

Full results:

The Annam Jewel: A Golden Age Mystery 8 votes, 34.8%
Clutch of Constables (Roderick Alleyn, #25) 7 votes, 30.4%
Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) 4 votes, 17.4%
The Murder at Sissingham Hall (Angela Marchmont Mystery #1) 3 votes, 13.0%
Death in the Tunnel 1 vote, 4.3%

Interesting vote this month, Judy!

Judy wrote: " that means there will be two titles by Marsh in the poll, so we could see some tactical voting, I'm guessing!."

How about a quick poll to choose which of the Marsh titles to include? I would hate to see the Marsh vote split and so we lose out on reading either of her offerings -- since she's been a runner-up so often, obviously there's a strong interest in reading her.

That's sound good, Everyman.

Sounds good to me too. Which ever one loses out could be put in the next month's poll.

Thanks for the suggestion re the Marsh books, Everyman, Marcus and Jill - I'll have a think about this, together with the other mods, and we'll get back to you shortly.