31 October 2010

Sunday salon - 31 October


I have managed this month to cut down the number of blog posts I've published. - only 45 in the 31 days compared with the 70 in the month of September.

I've actually read and reviewed 11 books this month and am well on schedule to finish most of my reading challenges for the year. I've read 107 books for the year, already more than in 2009 when I read 104, and I should make it to 125.

I highly recommend THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ by Zoe Ferraris which I finished reading this week. It's alternative title is FINDING NOUF. I read that as title #17 in the 2010 Global Reading Reading Challenge and I have 4 more to go for that challenge.

After I've done that I have to focus on getting a few more books read for the Canadian Reading Challenge, where I've only read 3 so far, although I actually have until the middle of next year to make it to 13.

Reviews published this week:
  1. 4.4, DISCOUNT NOIR, edited Patricia Abbott & Steve Weddle (30 October) - kindle
  2. 4.8, THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ, Zoe Ferraris (28 October)
  3. 4.3, THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST BRITISH CRIME 7, 2010, edit.Maxim Jakubowski (24 October) - kindle
Other posts this week
News & Headlines
TBRN (To read next)
  • now - ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS, Colin Cotterill
  • next - THE BLOOD DETECTIVE, Dan Waddell
  • next on Kindle - CITY OF VEILS, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia)
  • now on Audio - THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN, PD James
To finish the Global Reading Challenge:
* HAVANA BLACK, Leonardo Padura (Cuba)
* BEAT NOT THE BONES, Charlotte Jay (New Guinea)
* BAIT, Nick Brownlee (Kenya) - Kindle
* ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS, Colin Cotterill (Laos)

Weekly Geeks 2010 - 35: The books you waited too long to read


This weekend, Weekly Geeks host EH asks about books we have waited too long to read.
I think,in my case, this should be called the great book shuffle.

This is actually a game I play on a regular basis with my library.
I have several sources of books, and the library is one of the peaks in my TBR (to be read) mountain range.
My local library is very generous really: they allow me 20 books at a time, and each can be borrowed for a month. As the due date approaches I am able to go online and renew them if no-one else has requested them.
In reality I am never going to read 20 books in a month, considering the other book sources I am also juggling and shuffling.

The end result of all this shuffling is that often the ace in the pack gets moved out of the TBRN (to be read next) list and may even have to be returned to the library at least once unread.
That's what happened yesterday when I realised that my library copy of UNSEEN by Mari Jungstedt was 10 days overdue and had to go back if I was to be allowed to renew some of my other "holdings". AsI put it into my library bag I realised, a little uneasily, that this was the second time I had returned the book. Of course I have put it onto my request list yet again. I'll read it eventually.

30 October 2010

Review: DISCOUNT NOIR, edited by Patricia Abbott and Steve Weddle


A e-collection of flash fiction, all around the central theme of Megamart. Each story is 800 words or less and so the collection is a quick read.

It contains stories by Patricia Abbott, Sophie Littlefield, Kieran Shea, Chad Eagleton, Ed Gorman, Cormac Brown, Fleur Bradley, Alan Griffiths, Laura Benedict, Garnett Elliot, Eric Beetner, Jack Bates, Bill Crider, Loren Eaton, John DuMond, John McFetridge, Toni McGeeCausey, Jeff Vande Zande, James Reasoner, Kyle Minor, Randy Rohn, Todd Mason, Byron Quertermous, Sandra Scoppettone, Stephen D. Rogers, Steve Weddle, Evan Lewis, Daniel B. O'Shea, Sandra Seamans, Albert Tucher, Donna Moore, John Weagly, Keith Rawson, Gerald So, Dave Zeltserman, Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen, Jay Stringer, Anne Frasier, Kathleen A. Ryan, Eric Peterson, Chris Grabenstein and J.T. Ellison.

I bought my copy at  Untreed Reads Store (where you can choose your e-format) and then sent it off to Amazon for free conversion to Kindle. However Amazon now has a Kindle version available

My verdict:
Put a dozen writers in a room with a topic and you'll get a dozen entertaining stories, and this collection is no exception, except you've got over 40. Here are offerings by some well known names, including Donna Moore, alongside a debut published story by Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen.
It is a lovely anthology, very entertaining. I was fascinated by the common elements of the stories. Look particularly for the Megamart Greeters who appear in a variety of disguises. Well done to Patti Abbott and Steve Weddle for bringing all the stories together.

My rating: 4.4

29 October 2010

Review: THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ, Zoe Ferraris

Large print edition published in 2008 by W F Howes Lt.
ISBN 978-1-40741-480-5
455 pages
setting: Saudi Arabia, Jeddah
aka: FINDING NOUF (publ.2009)

From Publishers Weekly

A finely detailed literary mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia, Ferraris's debut centers on Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old girl who disappeared into the desert three days before her marriage and has been found dead, several weeks pregnant. Palestinian Nayir al-Sharqi who lives in Jeddah and works occasionally for the rich Shrawi family, is asked by them to investigate Nouf's death discreetly.
Nayir, a conservative Muslim and an outsider because of his nationality, his class and his large stature, is wary of traversing the wide gulf between Saudi men's and women's worlds, and is encouraged by his friend Othman, an adopted son of the Shrawis, to seek out the help of Katya Hijazi, Othman's fiancée.
Katya has a Ph.D. and is employed in the women's section of the state medical examiner's office. As Nayir and Katya's investigation progresses, it becomes clear that at least one of the Shrawis has something to hide. Ferraris, who has lived in Saudi Arabia, gets deep inside Nayir's and Katya's very different perspectives, giving a fascinating glimpse into the workings and assumptions of Saudi society.

Author's note:
The title of this novel is taken from an important event narrated in the Quran and the Hadith, the oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet Mohammed.  A celebrated occasion in Islam, the mi'raj is the second half of the miraculous night-time journey during which Mohammed ascends on his winged horse al-Buraq to the heavens and there in Paradise is presented before Allah.

The mi'raj is both a physical journey and a spiritual climax - a moment of revelation for Mohammed. In this book Nayir's journey to learning the truth behind Nouf's death is, for him, a physical and spiritual discovery too. With this in mind, I have given Nayir's story the title of The Night of the Mi'raj.

My comments

It is not often that crime fiction readers get the chance to get right inside the skin of another society, but this is what I feel Zoe Ferraris does for us in THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ.
My guess is that I already have some understanding from practical experience of how Islamic society works, but the novel showed me much greater depth.
The characters of Nayir and Katya are so well drawn. Nayir is a Palestinian often mistaken for a Bedouin. He has been employed by the family in the past as a desert guide, and this time to find out the truth about Nouf's disappearance. So he is not a policeman, not even a detective. Katya on the other hand is well qualified in forensic medicine but is a woman, trying to be "modern" in an Islamic world. The picture of each of them trying to bide by convention, Nayir because he wants to, Katya because she must, is carefully drawn.

I've included the author's note about the novel's title because in this case I think I actually concur with its renaming to FINDING NOUF. The title THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ really has little meaning for the non-Islamic reader unless you are prepared to do some research, although it would obviously be charged with significance for the Islamic one. So I think the Islamic reader would explore the meaning of that title in a way that I never would.
On the other side of the coin though I have noted what the publisher says about this being a literary novel and coupled that with what the author says about Nayir's journey. I think I understand that Ferraris didn't see herself as primarily writing crime fiction. The investigation into the death of Nouf is really just a back drop to Nayir and Katya showing what it is like to be Islamic in the modern world.  From that point of view alone the novel, whatever its title, is fascinating.

My rating 4.8

I read this for the 2010 Global Reading Reading Challenge.
As I commented in a post a couple of days ago, I actually first began reading the next in the series, CITY OF VEILS, and then decided that I was missing far too much back story. So I certainly advise reading these novels in order. I'll be going on to my reading of  CITY OF VEILS shortly.

28 October 2010

Forgotten Books: DEATH BEYOND THE NILE, Jessica Mann

This week's contribution to Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books appears in my records in March 1991.  It was published in 1988, and is #5 in Jessica Mann's Tamara Hoyland series.

"A mix of the type of murder mystery and brilliant characterisation which makes Ms Mann one of today’s foremost crime writers.” Harriet Waugh, The Spectator

Tamara Hoyland, is still employed by the Government as an undercover agent. When a scientist goes slightly off the rails and books herself on a cultural tour of Egypt, Tamara, with her academic background, seems the ideal person to become part of her lecture team and keep an eye on her.
She finds herself part of a small touring party whose paying members have paid serious money to be on the trip. They form a curious mixture. Among them are a television presenter, a failed poet, a brother and sister who run an arts centre and a businessman as well as the suspected scientist.
The highlight of their tour is a visit to an excavation on an island in Lake Nasser where an archaeologist is working, whose TV series has made him a household name. The site is remote and primitive and while the visitors are there all the helpers, bar one, have been given leave.
By the time the party reaches the site some tensions have built up between its members. By the time they leave there have been two murders. Are the deaths related? Is there more than one killer present? Is it possible that there has been a Christie-like conspiracy?

Jessica Mann's (1937 - ) most recent book GODREVY LIGHT was published in 2009.
She has published 24 titles since 1971.
She is also the author of a non-fiction book, Deadlier Than the Male: An Investigation into Feminine Crime Writing (1981), about female crime writers from Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers to Ngaio Marsh.

Tamara Hoyland
Funeral Sites (1981)
No Man's Island (1983)
Grave Goods (1985)
A Kind Of Healthy Grave (1986)
Death Beyond The Nile (1988)
Faith Hope and Homicide (1991)

27 October 2010

You know you're hooked when...

I've had my Kindle2 for 14 months now, have read over 30 books on it, and am well and truly hooked.
It's got to the stage where friends seeing me read a made-from-paper book feel compelled now to give me a gentle ribbing about "old" technology.

But in the last couple of days I've been aware of a couple of brain twists that show me the depth of my ensnarement in my Kindle.
Twice now I've looked for the little white toggle button that lets me look up a word meaning in the dictionary/thesaurus.
The problem is that what I have had in my hand is not my Kindle but the "old" technology, made-from-paper book that I'm currently reading.

Of course the other twist is, when you read about an interesting book, and you think "I wonder if Amazon has it", and before you know it your fingers have done the walking, and you are already on the brink of purchase.

Sad, eh?

26 October 2010

Unusual book sculptures

Moby Dick ice sculpture



Library Christmas Tree

Christmas tree made of books in University Library in Aalborg. [link]

25 October 2010

Bafflement leads to a change of reading plans

A week or so back I began reading CITY OF VEILS by Zoe Ferraris (set in Saudi Arabia) on my Kindle.
I found it difficult to get into and even started again.
Most of you will know that I very rarely DNF a book, and so I looked for reasons why I was having a problem.

I came to the conclusion that the main reason was that I felt I was missing too much back story about the main investigator, and in particular his relationship with one of the other characters in an incident that had occurred some months before.

I knew that CITY OF VEILS was Zoe Ferraris' second book, so I thought the cure was probably to try to locate a copy of her first. It is not available on Kindle, but I eventually tracked it down at my library.

That was after I discovered it had been published under 2 titles.
The Night of the Mir'aj (2008)
     aka Finding Nouf
The bonus: Macavity Awards First Novel nominee (2009) : The Night of the Mir'aj

And finally, why am I reading THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ (aka FINDING NOUF) ?
- as part of the 2010 Global Reading Reading Challenge - where I have 5 books (out of 21)  to go.

Here are my plans:

Africa
  • BAIT, Nick Brownlee (Kenya) - Kindle
Asia
  • ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS, Colin Cotterill (Laos)
Australasia
  • BEAT NOT THE BONES, Charlotte Jay (New Guinea)
North America (incl Central America)
  • HAVANA BLACK, Leonardo Padura (Cuba)
Wildcard  novel
  • THE NIGHT OF THE MI'RAJ, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia)

24 October 2010

Sunday Salon - 24 October - a quick post


I seem to be a bit short of time today but have a few things to broadcast.

I've just finished editing the October edition of the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival. It is a great one, with 40 items from 22 contributors.
Check it out here.
If you occasionally review Agatha Christie titles, then you could become a contributor too.

Posts this week:
Headlines & News
Most Recent Reviews:
TBRN (To Be Read Next)
  • now - A COTSWOLD MYSTERY, Rebecca Tope
  • next - THE BLOOD DETECTIVE, Dan wa
  • next on Kindle - CITY OF VEILS, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia)
  • now on Audio - THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN, PD James
To finish the Global Reading Challenge:
* CITY OF VEILS, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia) Kindle
* HAVANA BLACK, Leonardo Padura (Cuba)
* BEAT NOT THE BONES, Charlotte Jay (New Guinea)
* BAIT, Nick Brownlee (Kenya) - Kindle
* ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS, Colin Cotterill (Laos) 

Review: THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST BRITISH CRIME 2010, edited by Maxim Jakubowski

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 839 KB
  • Print Length: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Robinson (April 29, 2010)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Product Description

The must-have annual anthology for every crime fiction fan - the year's top new British short stories selected by leading crime critic Maxim Jakubowski.This great annual covers the full range of mystery fiction, from noir and hardboiled crime to ingenious puzzles and amateur sleuthing. Packed with top names like Colin Dexter, Christopher Fowler, Alexander McCall Smith, Robert Barnard, Peter James, Natasha Cooper, Sophie Hannah, and many more.


This looks like a who's who of  British crime fiction - a real treat. I have read full books by most of these authors, and for the most part enjoyed re-acquaintance through these tasters.


I've included a full list of the 38 stories at the bottom of the page.
From my point of view the ones I enjoyed most were
  • finding out why Morse didn't get his degree: MR E. MORSE, BA OXON (FAILED),Colin Dexter
  • an Australian one: THE BLOOD PEARL, Barry Maitland
  • THE RAT IN THE ATTIC BY Brian McGilloway was quite clever
  • A BLOW ON THE HEAD by Peter Lovesey was up to expectations, as was
  • WALKING THE DOG by Peter Robinson
  • ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, Alexander McCall Smith
  • 12 BOLINBROKE AVENUE, Peter James
  • FUNERAL WEATHER, Kate Ellis
I didn't much enjoy ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT ALREADY by Tony Black although it did have an unexpected ending which redeemed it a little. I struggled with HOGMANAY HOMICIDE by Edward Marston both in terms of length (it made me impatient for it to finish) and because I don't think it would have had any context for me if I hadn't read Martin Edwards' DANCING FOR THE HANGMAN earlier this year.

Overall, there was the usual problem you have with a collection of short stories: some are excellent, while others just didn't seem worthy of the space.  It is quite a long book.

My rating: 4.3
List of stories
MR E. MORSE, BA OXON (FAILED),Colin Dexter
GHOSTS,John Harvey
THE BLOOD PEARL, Barry Maitland
THE COMMON ENEMY, Natasha Cooper
BLOODSPORT, Tom Cain
THE RAT IN THE ATTIC, Brian McGilloway
ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT ALREADY, Tony Black
HOGMANAY HOMICIDE, Edward Marston
FRUITS, Steve Mosby
A PLACE FOR VIOLENCE, Kevin Wignall
FOUR HUNDRED RABBITS,Simon Levack
HISTORY!,Toby Litt
THE MASQUERADE,Sarah Rayne
TAKE DEATH EASY, Peter Turnbull
THE PARSON AND THE HIGHWAYMAN, Judith Cutler
SPECIAL DELIVERY, Adrian Magson
A BLOW ON THE HEAD, Peter Lovesey
CHICAGO, Jon Courtenay Grimwood
THE HOUSE THAT GOT SHOT, Barbara Nadel
THE OCTOPUS NEST, Sophie Hannah
WALKING THE DOG, Peter Robinson
THE VELOCITY OF BLAME, Christopher Fowler
SOMEONE TAKE THESE DREAMS AWAY, Marc Werner
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, Alexander McCall Smith
12 BOLINBROKE AVENUE, Peter James
APPETITE FOR MURDER, Simon R. Green
THE OTHER HALF, Mick Herron
SWORD LILIES, Sally Spedding
LOVE HURTS, Bill Kirton
FUNERAL WEATHER, Kate Ellis
A YEAR TO REMEMBER, Robert Barnard
TIME OF THE GREEN,Ken Bruen
VIVISECTION, Bernie Crosthwaite
STAR’S JAR, Kate Horsley
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A VICTIMLESS CRIME, Paul Johnston
AND HERE’S THE NEXT CLUE . . ., Amy Myers
FRECKLES, Allan Guthrie
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Val McDermid

23 October 2010

Published friends

A post by Dorte at DJsKrimiblog today announced
An e-book anthology, Discount Noir, is not only in the shops, but also on the streets! More than forty dark or funny (or dark and funny) flash fiction stories which began as a flash fiction challenge hosted by Patti (she of Friday's Forgotten books notoriety on MiP).

It contains stories not only by Dorte Hummelshøj Jakobsen, but by Patti Abbott, Charles Ardai, Jack Bates, Eric Beetner,Fleur Bradley, Cormac Brown, Bill Crider, JohnDumond, Daniel Maddox, Chad Eagleton, Loren Eaton, Garnett Elliott, J.T. Ellison, Anne Fraiser, Ed Gorman, Chris Grabenstein, Allan Griffiths, Evan Lewis, Sophie Littlefield, John McFetridge, Toni McGee Causey, Kyle Minor, Donna Moore, Daniel B. O'Shea, Eric Peterson, Bryon Quertermous, Keith Rawson, James Reasoner, Stepeh D. Rogers, Randy Rohn, Kathleeen A. Ryan, Sandra Scoppettone, Sandra Seamans, Kieran Shea, Gerald So, Jay Stringer,  Albert Tucher, Jeff Vande Zande, John Weagly, Steve Weddle,  and Dave Zeltserman.


I bought my copy at  Untreed Reads Store and then sent it off to Amazon for free conversion to Kindle.




An announcement earlier this week came from Brian Kavanagh that A CANTERBURY CRIME, the latest in his Belinda Lawrence Murder Mystery series, is available both at BeWrite Books and Amazon.

The ancient walled city of Canterbury has held many secrets over the centuries but none more mysterious than the death of Professor de Gray.

Called in to evaluate the contents of his Tudor Manor House, Belinda and Hazel are confronted with a number of suspects who would benefit from the book the Professor was about to publish; a book he promised would re-write the history of St Thomas Becket who was murdered in the Cathedral in 1170.

The unfriendly secretary Miss Mowbray, the live wire student Tommy, the volatile amateur historian Peter, the respected publisher Sir Justin, and Quentin the upstart publisher prepared to obtain the book at any price. Add to them the local Doctor and Funeral Director and the cast of suspects is complete.

Confirming the Professor was murdered proves to be a challenge and gradually as they get to know those associated with the Manor House Belinda and Hazel discover another murder and an intricate web of secrets that leads them to life-threatening danger and finally to the killer.

This fourth mystery provides Belinda and Hazel with another exciting adventure; Hazel being larger than life yet again and Belinda shocked by an event that will change her life. 

Neither book is going to break the bank, so do support my friends!

21 October 2010

Forgotten Books: CRIME FOR THE CONNOISSEUR, Gerald Sparrow

This week's contribution to Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books appears in my records in April 1981, and really remains almost a mystery.

This cover image (to the right) appears on at least a couple of sites, but I haven't been able to find a blurb. Frustratingly those who list it in their second hand stock don't tell us what it is about.

It seems that Gerald Sparrow (1903-   ) [though surely now deceased] published at least 46 books between 1954 and 1975, some of them with at least 2 different editions.

CRIME FOR THE CONNOISSEUR was one of his last books, published in 1974.
I think it is likely that his books were mostly "true crime" rather than fiction. CRIME FOR THE CONNOISSUER appears to have consisted of case studies, was 199 pages, and had 8 illustrated plates.

Other "facts"
  • Justice Gerald Sparrow, a 20th century British barrister who served as a judge in Bangkok in the International Court for two decades
  • A British Judge, however, favours polygamy for totally different reasons. Polygamy, to him, is a solution for the problem of the numerical inequality in the sexes.
    Mr. Justice Gerald Sparrow. who recently returned to England after 23 years in Siam, and who is now. 60, [1955?] declared: "Unless we come to it, thousands of women who now have to lead unwomanly lives will remain unhappy."
    "At present we have about a million women in Britain who cannot have husbands. It is a tragedy. Many of these women suffer terribly from frustration."
    But Mr. Sparrow himself has decided to settle for only one wife, a pretty Siamese whom he married secretly. source
  • He appears to have been a regular contributor to Argosy Magazine beginning in 1961. For example in 1973 he contributed a story titled The Scourge of the West Country.
  • In 1974 during a visit to South Africa Sparrow became involved in a protest against the sporting isolation of South African teams through the Club of Ten.
So, who remembers Judge Gerald Sparrow?

20 October 2010

Read on my Kindle

So far this year I have read 106 books, with approximately 1 in 4 read on my Kindle, which I must confess goes almost everywhere with me. Sadly there are only 3 Australian books on the list. Hopefully the balance will eventually get better.
Here they are (I've included my ratings)
They are all linked to the reviews I've written.

Belinda    Bauer    BLACKLANDS     5
Chester D.    Campbell    THE MARATHON MURDERS     4.1
Agatha    Christie    THE LABOURS OF HERCULES     4.3
William    Dietrich    DARK WINTER     4.2
Barbara    Fister    ON EDGE     4.5
Leighton    Gage    THE BLOOD OF THE WICKED     4.9
Tess    Gerritsen    THE SURGEON     4.7
Heather    Graham    GHOST SHADOW     4.2
Kerry    Greenwood    FORBIDDEN FRUIT    4.3
Kerry    Greenwood    DEAD MAN'S CHEST     4.3
Noel    Hynd    MIDNIGHT IN MADRID    3.8
Brian    Kavanagh    BLOODY HAM     4.2
Stephen    King    UR    4.3
Henning    Mankell    THE MAN FROM BEIJING    5
Peter    May    FREEZE FRAME     4.6
Peter    May VIRTUALLY DEAD    4.2
Peter    May    THE RUNNER    4.6
Alexander    McCall Smith    THE DOUBLE COMFORT SAFARI CLUB     4.3
Rick    Mofina    THE PANIC ZONE    4.8
Jacob    Ritari    TAROKO GORGE    4
Luis Miguel    Rocha    THE LAST POPE    4.3
Santiago    Roncagliolo    RED APRIL     4.6
Maria    Schneider    EXECUTIVE RETENTION     4.2
Jon    Talton    DEADLINE MAN    4.4
Joseph    Teller    OVERKILL     4.4

19 October 2010

Is this a Gun I see before me?

Book gun sculptures created by Robert The


Visit the site to see them from different angles and at different stages

18 October 2010

Agatha Christie Quotations

There are several sites where you can "get" Agatha Christie quotations.
I'm not quite sure where the originals come from, but here are some of them:

Brainy Quotes has 34.
 Here are a few

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her.

Any woman can fool a man if she wants to and if he's in love with her.

But surely for everything you have to love you have to pay some price.

Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.

Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.

Good Reads has 134. 
Again here are just a few to whet your appetite.


"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."

"Never do anything yourself that others can do for you."
 
"It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. " 

If you are looking still more try Quote Lucy, Famous Quotes & Authors, The Quotations Page, or a Google search.

2010 Anthony Award Winners

The Anthony Award winners (nominees are here) were announced Sunday at the Bouchercon brunch:

BEST NOVEL

THE BRUTAL TELLING - Louise Penny [Minotaur Books]

BEST FIRST NOVEL

A BAD DAY FOR SORRY - Sophie Littlefield [Minotaur Books]

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

STARVATION LAKE - Bryan Gruley [Touchstone]

BEST SHORT STORY

"On the House" - Hank Phillippi Ryan, QUARRY: Crime Stories by New England Writers [Level Best Books]

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION WORK

TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVE FICTION - P.D. James [Bodleian Library/Knopf]

17 October 2010

Sunday Salon - 17 October - spring is definitely sprung

Well that obviously doesn't apply in the northern hemisphere, but down under, here in Oz, things are getting warmer, if you ignore the horrendously wet and wild weather some places experienced in the last week.
This is the time for Spring Fairs, and soon it will be, as the shops are already set up to remind us, Christmas! At any rate the Christmas pageants will be upon us before we know it.

I couldn't resist this image from eclectic / eccentric. Looks just like my TBR, which I keep adding to, rather than reducing. I'm back to the old problem of too many good books to read and not enough eyes or time.

Yesterday we experienced one of those domestic catastrophes that arrive every few years. The TV died! So valuable reading time was spent in TV shops, parting with money, and then installing the new one, which is very nice. Just in time too. I had envisaged being unable to watch the new Hercule Poirot tonight.

This week's posts:
Completed 2010 Reading Challenges
Ongoing Challenges
TBRN
  • now - A COTSWOLD MYSTERY, Rebecca Tope
  • next on Kindle - CITY OF VEILS, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia)
  • now on Audio - THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN, PD James
To finish the Global Reading Challenge:* CITY OF VEILS, Zoe Ferraris (Saudi Arabia) Kindle
* HAVANA BLACK, Leonardo Padura (Cuba)
* BEAT NOT THE BONES, Charlotte Jay (New Guinea)
* BAIT, Nick Brownlee (Kenya) - Kindle
* ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS, Colin Cotterill (Laos)

News & Headlines

16 October 2010

Barry & Macavity & Book of the Decade Award winners

Many thanks to Janet Rudolph who blogs at Mystery Fanfare, and Lesa Holstine who blogs at Lesa's Book Critiques for the following information, confirmed by The Rap Sheet.

These awards were presented at Bouchercon by the Bay in San Francisco. 

The Macavity Awards 2010 were presented by Janet Rudolph, editor of Mystery Readers Journal, on behalf of the members of Mystery Readers International, who nominated and voted on the awards.  
Winners were:
  • Best Mystery Novel:
    Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman: Tower (Busted Flush Press)
  • Best First Mystery Novel:
    Alan Bradley: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Delacorte)
  • Best Mystery Nonfiction:
    P.D. James: TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVE FICTION (Alfred A. Knopf)
  • Best Mystery Short Story:
    Hank Phillippi Ryan: "On the House" (Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers, Level Best Books)
  • Sue Feder Historical Mystery:
    Rebecca Cantrell: A Trace of Smoke (Forge)
The Readers of Deadly Pleasures Magazine vote on the Barry Awards.  
This year's winners were:
  • Best Novel: 
    John Hart:  The Last Child (Minotaur)
  • Best First Novel:
    Alan Bradley: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Delacorte)
  • Best British Novel:
    Philip Kerr:  IF THE DEAD RISE NOT (Quercus)
  • Best Paperback Original: 
    Bryan Gruley:  Starvation Lake (Touchstone) 
  • Best Thriller: 
    Jamie Freveletti:  Running From the Devil (Morrow)
  • Best Mystery/Crime Novel of the Decade: 
    Stieg Larsson:  THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Knopf)
  • Best Short Story: 
    Brendan DuBois, "The High House Writer" (AHMM July-August 2009)
As you can see there's a lot I haven't read!
I should also mention that the Fan Guest of Honor was Maddy Van Hertbruggen who is one of the founders of  4MA, a very successful Yahoo discussion group that I belong to, and have many cyber friends as a result of.

Authors & Readers: how well do you "see" the character?

I was struck today, when I was listening to THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN by P.D. James, how intricate and detailed the description of the various characters was, right down to the frown marks between the eyebrows and the slightly thick legs.

And I wondered how many people are like me, and usually have only a vague idea of what a character looks like?

I wondered, if I was a writer, whether I would bother to draw a stick figure with major characteristics marked in, or whether I'd even go as far as getting an artist to draw a rough sketch.

15 October 2010

Blog Action Day 2010 - Water


Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action.

This year's topic is Water.
Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us who are subject to preventable disease and even death because of something that many of us take for granted.

Access to clean water is not just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue. An animal welfare issue. A sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, and it affects all of us.

After all, clean water is essential for our survival, but dangerously scarce. Nearly one billion people in the world today don't have access to clean water and 42,000 people die each week from water-borne diseases. And the issue doesn't stop there — water availability impacts a wide variety of issues from the environment to women's rights and from technology to fashion.

I've decided to do my appreciation of water a little differently to what you'll find on most blogs. It may be a bit different to what the organisers were expecting, but I hope you'll still be able to appreciate the seriousnes sof the issue, and perhaps even sign the UN petition. (see the block in the right margin)

I'm listing some crime fiction books somehow connected with water.
I've chosen 12 books from my records. The 9 below have already been reviewed on this blog.

And these 3 are mini reviews

WATER CLOCK by Jim Kelly, my rating 4.5
Memorable for its unusual setting. Philip Dryden is a reporter for The Crow, a local newspaper in Ely in the Fens. Philip carries a lot of baggage with him – a wife in a coma in a local hospital, and a father who disappeared in the last great Fen floods. Winter is approaching, there is a lot of snow, gales, canals freezing over. A car is discovered in a canal, a frozen block of ice in its boot, encasing a butchered body. Very very readable first novel.   

THE WATER'S LOVELY by Ruth Rendell, my rating 4.7
Ruth Rendell never disappoints me. Sisters Ismay and Heather Sealand live in the bottom half of a house in suburban London and their mother and aunt live in the upper floor. Nine years before their stepfather Guy was drowned in the bath upstairs and Ismay and her mother have always thought Heather was responsible, although they hid their suspicions from the police, and gave Heather, 11 at the time, an alibi. After the verdict of accidental drowning, the matter was never discussed again but Ismay has always thought of Heather as a murderer. She thinks Heather drowned Guy in order to protect her. Ismay wonders whether she should warn Heather's new friend Edmund about Heather's possessiveness.

THE DRAINING LAKE by Arnaldur Indridason, my rating 4.7
After an earth tremor, the water level in an Icelandic lake begins to drop as water drains out through fissures in the lakes bed. Eventually it drops low enough to reveal the skeleton of a murder victim, probably there for a number of years and anchored to a piece of Russian radio equipment. The search for the identity of this person is a fairly lengthy and tedious process but murders and missing perrsons are pretty rare in Iceland where everybody knows everybody. Woven into the murder investigation is the story of idealistic young Icelandic socialists, party members chosen to be educated at university in Leipzig in East Germany, and then also more about Erlendur's own family and his children who flit in and out of his life. Originally published in Icelandic in 2004, the 4th of Indridason's books to be translated into English. 

14 October 2010

Forgotten Book: SHOESTRING, Paul Ableman

This week's contribution to Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books was published in 1979 and is probably better remembered for the television series that came out of it than for the book itself.
I read SHOESTRING in mid 1981.

Paul Ableman wrote a number of other books, mainly erotic fiction, but there were only two in the Shoestring series.

From Wikipedia:

Shoestring was a BBC television show set in Bristol. It featured a private detective with his own show on Radio West, the local radio station.

The programme ran between 30 September 1979 and 21 December 1980, in two series with 21 one hour-long episodes. Star Trevor Eve decided not to return to the role after two series, as he wanted to diversify into theatre roles, so the same production team changed the format to be based in Jersey and created Bergerac, also about a detective returning to work after a bad period in his life.

Eddie Shoestring is a computer expert who suffers a nervous breakdown. (In those days, computers were large bulky machines with open reel tape drives  creating considerable noise; in one episode Shoestring visits such a computer room and finds it hard to maintain a steady grip.)

After a period of convalescence Shoestring decides to try his hand at detective work. His landlady, solicitor Erica Bayliss arranges for him to investigate a potential scandal involving an entertainer who works for the local Radio West.

After sorting the matter out, Shoestring visits Radio West to brief his client who has just chaired an unsuccessful planning meeting to come up with new programme ideas. Inspired by a sketch of herself made by Shoestring, Radio West's receptionist Sonia proposes that he is hired as the station's "private ear" to present a weekly broadcast entitled 'The Public Ear of Eddie Shoestring': members of the public are offered his services in order to investigate cases affecting them like disappearances or the unsolved deaths of loved ones.

Review: NECESSARY AS BLOOD, Deborah Crombie

published William Morrow, 2009
ISBN 978-0-06-128753-4
378 pages
borrowed from my library

#13 in the Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James series.

Publisher's Blurb
Now the hippest neighborhood in London; historic Brick Lane in the East End is known as much for its delicious curries as its vintage clothing boutiques, its fashion designers, and its avant-garde artistic community.
But as always with revitalization and influx of wealth, there comes a clash of cultures, and the dark side of change. Artist Sandra Gilles has made a name for herself and a secure place for her mixed-race family in this vibrant community. But then Sandra disappears without a trace, leaving behind her three-year-old daughter, and her shocked and grieving husband is the prime suspect. When he vanishes as well, lives are shattered, bringing Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid into an examination of the terrible and irreparable consequences of greed and temptation--and into a case that will change their own family forever.

The action in NECESSARY AS BLOOD plays out against a very rich background that includes not just the disappearance of a young mother, and then the death of her husband three months later, but also the ongoing stories in the lives of Scotland Yard detectives Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid, their families and friends, as well as those they work with.

Blended in with those stories are the changes happening in one of London's oldest communities, where old buildings are being refurbished and repurposed, new families move in, right alongside those who have little.

Very readable, but I find it hard to assess how much my enjoyment was dependent on having known some of the back story from an earlier novel (#11) WATER LIKE A STONE reviewed some time ago. See my mini- reviews below. You'll see that NECESSARY AS BLOOD is actually the 5th title that I've read in this 13 title series, so I guess in some ways that speaks for itself. I have decided that I need to track down #12.

My rating: 4.6

In the edition of NECESSARY AS BLOOD a detailed map was provided as part of the end papers. It showed quite clearly the confined locale in which the action takes place.

NECESSARY AS BLOOD nominated for Macavity Best Novel 2010
Deborah Crombie's website
Read the first chapter online

Mini-reviews

A FINER END, #7, my rating 4.3
Jack Montfort is an architect living in Glastonbury, England. He has struck up a friendship with Winnie Catesby, the vicar of an outlying church. Jack has become a conduit for ""automated writing"" - someone, a dead priest called Edmund, is using Jack to convey to the present a story from the past to do with the Abbey at Glastonbury.  It is not the first example of automated writing linked to the old Abbey. It happened to a 19th century historian too and he was totally discredited. But now those associated with Jack are in danger. Winnie is struck by a car and lies in hospital in a coma. Jack doesn't believe it was an accident and contacts his cousin Scotland Yard's Duncan Kincaid. Duncan and his partner Gemma James decide to spend a few days in Glastonbury and the action accelerates. I wasn't prepared for the woo-woo nature of the first part of this book but really enjoyed it after Kincaid and James make their appearance. The presentation of Glastonbury as a gateway to the next world and a portal to old religions is also interesting. This is #7 in the series.

NOW MAY YOU WEEP, #9, my rating 4.4
DI Inspector Gemma James is taking a trip to the Highlands with her friend Hazel. The purpose is a relaxing weekend at a Scottish B& B that offers cooking classes. The trip is not what Gemma thinks it is. Hazel says that it is to give Gemma a rest, but Hazel has another agenda: to meet up with Donald brodie, a lover whom she nearly married over a decade ago, and the manager of a whisky distillery. This is another book that has two stories told in parallel. There is one in italics that is placed in Carnmore, November 1898 and the present day one involving the current generation of the same family,  Hazel's family, the Urqharts. This is the 9th in Kincaid & James series and the book explores the relationships in Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid's personal life as well as unravelling the mystery revealed by the murder of Donald Brodie, finally uncovering a secret hidden for over a century.

IN A DARK HOUSE, #10, my rating 4.8
An abandoned warehouse burns next door to a women's shelter for victims of spousal abuse, an apparent case of arson. But it is the charred corpse within -- a female body burned beyond all recognition -- combined with the political sensitivity of the case, that entangles Superintendent Duncan Kincaid in its twisted skein.
At the same time, Kincaid's lover and former partner, Gemma James, is coping with twin crises of her own, one personal and the other professional. Gemma must put her private concerns aside to investigate the disappearance of a hospital administrator, a beautiful, emotionally fragile young woman who vanished without a trace. Yet neither Gemma nor Kincaid realizes how closely their cases are connected -- or how important the resolutions will be for a young child who was a victim of parental abduction.
In an old, dark, rambling house, nine-year-old Harriet worries about her feuding mum and dad, her friends, her schoolwork. Most of all, she worries about the strange woman who is her only companion in this scary, unfamiliar place. The events that led her there happened too quickly and are too complicated for a child to fully comprehend. But despite her youth and innocence, Harriet's awful fears will not be silenced: that she may never see her parents again ... and that her own life is in serious peril.
I liked the way you get an in depth view of characters other than Kincaid and James - Rose the firefighter, Kincaid's sergeant Cullen, the locum priest Winnie, Fanny the young Asian woman fighting a debilitating disease. Lots of lovely strands all meshed together in  a plausible yarn.

13 October 2010

Audio Book Challenge Update, 13 October 2010 - FINISHED

Audio Book Challenge is now hosted at Queen of Happy Endings.
.
Listening to audio versions of crime fiction and thrillers is a way of life for me  I listen to books to and from work every day and in fact almost whenever I drive the car.  Add to that the fact that I've also realised the usefulness of an audio book on my I-Pod for long flights.
I seem to be more tolerant of thrillers in audio, and it stretches the range of books I am comfortable in reading.
Sometimes, I think, a good narrator will get me to the end of a book, and enjoying it too, where I may have become frustrated when just turning pages. Comedy in crime comes in that category. 
I count all audio books in my list of book read, and I review them too.

There are four levels:

-- Curious – Listen to 3 Audio Books.

-- Fascinated – Listen to 6 Audio Books.

-- Addicted – Listen to 12 Audio Books.

-- Obsessed – Listen to 20 Audio Books.

ACRC: Short Stories, Update #10

In ACRC: Short Stories, I explained how I'm going to keep records of the reading of Agatha Christie's short stories.

As I read another collection, I'll add the stories to the list that I've created and publish a new posting headed ACRC: Short Stories, Update #x.

Short Story Collections read so far
  1. Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  2. Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  3. The Mysterious Mr Quin publ. 1930
  4. The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932
  5. The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  6. Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 (also known as Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective in the US) 
  7. The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  8. The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  9. Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  10. Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  11. While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
Collections to be read

The updates will show the short stories read, listed in the order in which they were written, and the collection(s) in which they were published.
  1. 1923, The Adventure of the Western Star - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  2. 1923, Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  3. 1923, The Adventure of the Cheap Flat - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  4. 1923, The Mystery of Hunters Lodge - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  5. 1923, The Million Dollar Bond Robbery - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  6. 1923, The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  7. 1923, The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  8. 1923, The Kidnapped Prime Minister - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  9. 1923, The Disappearance of Davenheim - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  10. 1923, The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ.1924
  11. 1923, The Case of the Missing Will - Hercule Poirot - Poirot Investigates publ. 1924
  12. 1923, The First Wish - Tommy and Tuppence, became The Clergyman's Daughter / The Red House in Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  13. The Actress (aka A Trap for the Unwary)  - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997 
  14. Christmas Adventure (aka The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding) - Hercule Poirot - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997  
  15. 1924, Publicity - Tommy and Tuppence, became A Fairy in the Flat / A Pot of Tea in Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  16. 1924, The Affair of the Pink Pearl - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  17. 1924, Finessing the King - Tommy and Tuppence - became Finessing the King / The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper in Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  18. 1924, The Case of the Missing Lady - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  19. 1924, The Case of the Sinister Stranger - Tommy and Tuppence - became The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger in Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  20. 1924, The Sunninghall Mystery - Tommy and Tuppence - became The Sunningdale Mystery in Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  21. 1924, The House of Lurking Death - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  22. 1924, The Matter of the Ambassador's Boots - Tommy and Tuppence - became The Ambassador's Boots in Partners in Crime publ. 1929 
  23. 1924, The Girl on the Train - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  24. 1924, The Affair of the Forged Notes - Tommy and Tuppence - became The Crackler inPartners in Crime publ. 1929
  25. 1924, Blindman's Buff - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  26. 1924, The Man in the Mist - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  27. 1924, The Man who was Number Sixteen - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  28. 1924,  The Red Signal - The Hound of Death publ. 1933 
  29. 1924, The Mystery of the Blue Jar - The Hound of Death publ. 1933 
  30. 1924, Philomel Cottage - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  31. 1924, Jane in Search of a Job - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  32. 1924, The Manhood of Edward Robinson -  The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  33. 1924, Mr Eastwood's Advenure - aka The mystery of the Second Cucumber - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  34. 1924, While the Light Lasts  - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  35. 1925, The Fourth Man - The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  36. 1925, The Witness for the Prosecution - The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  37. 1925, The Listerdale Mystery - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  38. 1925, Within a Wall - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  39. 1926, Magnolia Blossom - romance - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  40. 1926, The House of Dreams - romance - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  41. 1926, SOS - The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  42. 1926, The Love Detectives - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  43. 1926, Wireless - The Hound of Death publ. 1933 
  44. 1926, The Rajah's Emerald - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  45. 1926, Swan Song - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  46. 1926, The Lonely God -  - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  47. 1926, The Edge, published in While the Light Lasts and Other Stories and also in The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories in the US  - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  48. 1927, The Tuesday Night Club - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  49. 1927, The Last Seance - The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  50. 1928, The Idol House of Astarte - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  51. 1928, Ingots of Gold - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  52. 1928, The Bloodstained Pavement - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  53. 1928, Motive & Opportunity - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  54. 1928, A Fruitful Sunday -  The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  55. 1928, The Unbreakable Alibi - Tommy and Tuppence - Partners in Crime publ. 1929
  56. 1929, The Thumb Mark of St. Peter - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  57. 1929, Next to a Dog - romance - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  58. 1929, Sing a Song of Sixpence -  The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  59. 1929, Accident - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  60. 1929, The Golden Ball - aka Playing the Innocent - The Listerdale Mystery, publ.1934
  61. 1929, The Blue Geranium - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  62. 1930, The Companion - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  63. 1930, The Four Suspects - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  64. 1930, A Christmas Tragedy - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  65. 1930, The Herb of Death - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  66. 1930, The Affair of the Bungalow - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932  Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  67. 1930, The Coming of Mr. Quin - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  68. 1930, The Shadow on the Glass - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  69. 1930, At the "Bells and Motley" - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  70. 1930, The Sign in the Sky - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  71. 1930, The Soul of the Croupier - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  72. 1930, The Man from the Sea - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  73. 1930, The Voice in the Dark - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  74. 1930, The Face of Helen - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  75. 1930, The Dead Harlequin - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  76. 1930, The Bird with the Broken Wing - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  77. 1930, The World's End - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  78. 1930, Harlequin's Lane - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - The Mysterious Mr Quin
  79. 1930, Manx Gold  - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  80. 1931, Death by Drowning - Miss Marple - The Thirteen Problems publ. 1932
  81. 1932, The Second Gong - Hercule Poirot - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  82. 1932, The Case of the Discontented Soldier - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  83. 1932, The Case of the Distressed Lady - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  84. 1932, The Case of the Discontented Husband - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  85. 1932, The Case of the City Clerk  - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  86. 1932, The Case of the Rich Woman - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  87. The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest - Hercule Poirot - While the Light Lasts, publ.1997
  88. 1933, Have You Got Everything You want?  - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  89. 1933, The Gate of Baghdad - - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  90. 1933, The House at Shiraz  - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  91. 1933, The Pearl of Price - - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  92. 1933, Death on the Nile  - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934 
  93. 1933, The Oracle of Delphi - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  94. 1933, The Hound of Death - The Hound of Death publ. 1933  
  95. 1933, The Gypsy - The Hound of Death publ. 1933 
  96. 1933, The Lamp - The Hound of Death publ. 1933  
  97. 1933, The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael - The Hound of Death publ. 1933  
  98. 1933, The Call of Wings - The Hound of Death publ. 1933
  99. 1934, The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife -  - Mr Parker Pyne - Parker Pyne Investigates publ.1934
  100. 1935, Problem at Pollensa Bay - Parker Pyne - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991
  101. 1935, Miss Marple Tells a Story - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  102. 1936, The Regatta Mystery - Parker Pyne - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991 
  103. 1937, Yellow Iris - Hercule Poirot - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991 
  104. 1939, The Nemean Lion - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  105. 1939, The Lernaen Hydra  - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  106. 1940, The Arcadian Deer - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947
  107. 1940, The Erymanthian Boar - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  108. 1940, The Augean Stables - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  109. 1940, The Stymphalean Birds - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  110. 1940, The Cretan Bull - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  111. 1940, The Horses of Diomedes - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  112. 1940, The Girdle of Hyppolita - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  113. 1940, The Flock of Geryon - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  114. 1940, The Apples of the Hesperides - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947
  115. 1941, Strange Jest - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997   
  116. 1941, Tape-Measure Murder - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997 
  117. 1941, The Case of the Caretaker - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997 
  118. 1942, The Case of the Perfect Maid - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997 
  119. 1947, The Capture of  Cerberus - Hercule Poirot - The Labours of Hercules, publ. 1947 
  120. 1954, Sanctuary - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  121. 1956, Greenshaw's Folly - Miss Marple - Miss Marple: complete short stories publ. 1997
  122. 1971, The Harlequin Tea Set - Mr Satterthwaite & Harley Quin - Problem at Pollensa Bay publ. 1991

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