Reading the Detectives discussion

Nominations, please, for our July 2021 group read!

Please nominate mystery/detective books written in/set in the GA period, or slightly earlier or later. As usual, just one nomination per group member and only one book by any individual writer can be nominated per month.

Looking forward to more great nominations.

After my last nomination, I shall go back to the GA proper and nominate a book that has been mentioned in earlier discussions.

Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay

For Miss Cordell, principal of Persephone College, there are two great evils to be feared: unladylike behaviour among her students, and bad publicity for the college. So her prim and cosy world is turned upside down when a secret society of undergraduates meets by the river on a gloomy January afternoon, only to find the drowned body of the college bursar floating in her canoe.

The police assume that a student prank got out of hand, but the resourceful Persephone girls suspect foul play, and take the investigation into their own hands. Soon they uncover the tangled secrets that led to the bursar’s death – and the clues that point to a fellow student.

This classic mystery novel, with its evocative setting in an Oxford women’s college, is now republished for the first time since the 1930s. Includes an introduction by Stephen Booth, award-winning crime writer.

I nominate A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen. Funny series set in the 1930s in London.

It's 1930s London, and Lady Georgiana -- thirty-fourth in line to the throne -- has a lot on her plate, but little in her cupboards, in this national bestseller...

Baked beans and boiled eggs. That's what my houseguest, the Bavarian princess, will have to eat if I don't get help posthaste. The Queen of England has requested I entertain said princess, placing her in the playboy prince's path, in hopes he might finally marry.

But queens never consider money, of which I have little. And which is why I moonlight as a maid-in-disguise. My plans:
1) Clean house in manner of palace.
2) Blackmail brother, Binky, into sending a few quid.
3) Unteach Princess Hanni English from gangster movies -- lest she address the queen as "old broad."
4) Keep eye on princess at parties, where she drinks like a fish.

Then there's the matter of the body in the bookshop and Hanni's unwitting involvement with the communist party. It's enough to drive a girl mad...

I am going to nominate something that might be just outside the criteria as far as writing/setting goes (published in 1981, and presumably set around then).

. Thus Was Adonis Murdered, by Sarah Caudwell.

Reduced to near penury by the iniquitous demands of the Inland Revenue, young barrister Julia Larwood spends the last of her savings on an Art Lovers holiday to Venice.

But poor, romantic Julia - how could she possibly have guessed that the ravishing fellow Art Lover for whom she conceived a fatal passion was himself an employee of the Inland Revenue? Or that her hard-won night of passion with him would end in murder- with her inscribed copy of the current Finance Act subsequently discovered just a few feet away from the corpse...

The first Professor Tamar book is only .99p on Kindle at the moment, so even if it's not the winner, it's worth buying it just for the joy of reading it.

As the books should be written or/and set in the GA period, it´s hardly eligible.

If it's a traditional mystery, it could be considered. Judy, as she runs the nominations, will have the casting vote.

I would like to nominate
Bleeding Hooks by Harriet Rutland

They grabbed their fishing bags, and made a dive for their rods which were standing, ready for use, outside the front door.'Well, tight lines!' they called over their shoulders.'Bleeding hooks!' grinned the Major.Gladys ‘Ruby’ Mumsby was more interested in fishermen than fish. When her corpse is discovered near a Welsh sporting lodge that is hosting a group of fly fishing enthusiasts, it seems one of them has taken an interest in her too - of the murderous kind. For impaled in the palm of her hand is a salmon fishing fly, so deep that the barb is completely covered. Her face is blue. It is thought at first she died of natural causes, but the detective Mr. Winkley, of Scotland Yard, almost immediately suspects otherwise. And what happened to the would-be magician’s monkey that disappeared so soon after Mrs. Mumsby’s death?Bleeding Hooks was the second of Harriet Rutland’s sparkling mystery novels to feature the detective Mr Winkley. First published in 1940, this new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.‘Once again a top-ranking yarn, in a story where the author introduces murder into a fishing paradise in Wales. Lots of rod and line marginalia add to incisive characterization and well hidden crime for a superior story.’ Kirkus Reviews'Murder method interesting, characters well drawn and likeable, sleuth unobtrusively slick and finish dramatic.'

Oh, I enjoyed the first Harriet Rutland we read, Jill. I would like to read the next in the series too.

Thanks for nominating Thus Was Adonis Murdered, Rosina. I've just had a "look inside" at Amazon, and, although, as you say, it was published in 1981, it definitely has a Golden Age feel to it, and has been compared to writers like Edmund Crispin. As Susan says, we can sometimes include traditional mysteries even if they don't quite fit the "rules".

It also looks to me from the way it is written as if it may actually be set at an earlier time, with lawyers based at Lincoln's Inn meeting at a nearby "coffee house", etc. So I think it will be fine to include in our poll.

Susan, Michaela and Jill, thanks for all your nominations - we already have an embarrassment of riches and I for one will be spoilt for choice!

I would like to read another Harriet Rutland book and would love to try the Her Royal Spyness series as I've really enjoyed the other series by Rhys Bowen. I also enjoyed Death on the Cherwell and would like to reread it.

Oddly, I don't see Thus Was Adonis Murdered available on kindle in the US. My library has print copies.

Sandy wrote: "Oddly, I don't see Thus Was Adonis Murdered available on kindle in the US. My library has print copies."

Interesting, I can see it, but I´m not from the US, and it´s also more expensive here.

I'd like to nominate The Wall by Mary Roberts Rinehart. It looks to be available on Kindle Unlimited:

An unwelcome visitor arrives at a seaside home to find that death awaits her there

The house called Sunset has been Marcia’s summer home for her entire life. Both of her parents died there, and she and her brother spent their youth exploring its rambling hallways and seaside grounds. They love the old house, but Marcia’s sister-in-law has never taken to it. Juliette loathes the sea, and soon comes to loathe her husband, as well. After they divorce, Juliette pays a final visit to Sunset, demanding alimony. She is there for a few tense days before she disappears. It takes them a week to find her body.

The peace at Sunset has been shattered, and Marcia must work quickly to keep her beloved childhood home from being forever spoiled. Somewhere in the creaky old mansion, a murderer lurks. Will Marcia be accused of the crime? Or will she be the next victim?

Another great nomination, Tara - I would like to read more by Rinehart. Doesn't look to be on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, but there is a Kindle edition here for just over £2.

Nominations so far:

Susan: Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay

Michaela: A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen

Rosina: Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell

Jill: Bleeding Hooks by Harriet Rutland

Tara: The Wall by Mary Roberts Rinehart

As we already have 5 nominations, the poll will go up in the next day or two. Any more to add?

Could I nominate The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It is the right time period (first published1929) but is it too different from the classic British mysteries of the era.

I think it's fine to nominate The Maltese Falcon, Carol - we've had Raymond Chandler and Rex Stout nominations before. Thank you for nominating.

Judy wrote: "I think it's fine to nominate The Maltese Falcon, Carol - we've had Raymond Chandler and Rex Stout nominations before. Thank you for nominating."

Cool! :)

Judy wrote: "Thanks for nominating Thus Was Adonis Murdered, Rosina. I've just had a "look inside" at Amazon, and, although, as you say, it was published in 1981, it definitely has a Golden Age fe..."

Thus Was Adonis murdered has a contemporary setting (ie 1980s), but the elegant and witty writing style has an older feel to it. Some people might find it a bit mannered, but I think that the book is hilarious (and very well-plotted). I'm planning to read The Sirens Sang of Murder shortly, having reread Thus Was Adonis Murdered a few weeks ago.

Margaret wrote: "Judy wrote: "Thanks for nominating Thus Was Adonis Murdered, Rosina. I've just had a "look inside" at Amazon, and, although, as you say, it was published in 1981, it definitely has a ..."

They are contemporary - the age of Cantrip's uncle is right given that he was a young officer in the Second World War. But I agree that their tone is much earlier, and they are well worth reading, Golden Age or not!

Wow, we have a great range of choices, I look forward to all of them - they are all going on my TBR list, no matter which is chosen. If I can get them through Scribd or my library, I read them - you lovely people have added MANY titles to my TBR pile over the last couple years...;)

The poll is now open - there are 6 great nominations to choose from.

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Judy wrote: "Another great nomination, Tara - I would like to read more by Rinehart. Doesn't look to be on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, but there is a Kindle edition here for just over £2."

Oh darn--I thought I saw it on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, but perhaps it shows differently when viewing the UK site in the States. At least its a reasonable price anyway.

Looking good for Death on the Cherwell, which has taken an early lead, but there is still plenty of time to vote:

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Tara wrote: "Oh darn--I thought I saw it on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, but perhaps it shows differently when viewing the UK site in the States. At least its a reasonable price anyway...."

No worries Tara! Looks as if lots of Rinehart titles are cheap in the UK so I will aim to read more by her soon.

The vote is closer than it was earlier - quite exciting!

Seems like some changed their votes. ;)

And the winner is... Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay, which will be our July group read.

Full results:


Death on the Cherwell 14 votes, 45.2%
Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1) 9 votes, 29.0%
The Maltese Falcon 5 votes, 16.1%
Bleeding Hooks 2 votes, 6.5%
The Wall 1 vote, 3.2%
A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #2) 0 votes, 0.0%

As well as our winning book, runner-up Thus Was Adonis Murdered got a lot of votes and I'd like to suggest it for a buddy read. Would others be interested?

I'm thinking of scheduling it for August/September if that suits everyone. I will also post in the buddy reads thread.

Judy wrote: "As well as our winning book, runner-up Thus Was Adonis Murdered got a lot of votes and I'd like to suggest it for a buddy read. Would others be interested?

I'm thinking of schedulin..."

I'm in. It has been on my TBR for years.

It's on my to-be-reread list, so I'm definitely in!

Thanks Sandy and Rosina! We're now discussing when to schedule this in the buddy reads thread:

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

Thus Was Adonis Murdered will now be a buddy read starting in mid-November, following discussion in the buddy reads thread. Looking forward to it.