Murder by Plum Pudding

 Murder by Plum Pudding (2019) by Lee Strauss

Ginger & Basil Reed wind up with a houseful of guests at Christmas. First, Mr. Doyle a friend of her late father's writes to say he and his wife will be visiting England and wants to discuss some things with Ginger. So, of course, she asks them to stay for the holidays. Then her step-mother Sally and half-sister Louisa arrive unexpectedly on the doorstep--because they wanted to surprise Ginger. So, of course, she opens her home to them as well. Then, for Christmas dinner, there's Basil's mother and father (always a jolly couple--especially now that Scout's adoption has gone through. The adoption they opposed....), Dr. Gupta and his wife, and an older couple who are friends of the elder Reeds. Oh--and, quite by chance, Ginger meets the brother of Mrs. Doyle at a Christmas Eve charity luncheon and invites him as well.

The dinner is a bit tense--for reasons Ginger can only guess at--but festive enough. At least until Mr. Doyle chokes and lands face first in his second helping of plum pudding...dead. At first it looks like he might have choked on one of the items hidden in the pudding; a dreadful accident, but an accident all the same. But Dr. Gupta's examination (in his capacity as police surgeon) reveals that it's more complicated than that. There was no obstruction to the breathing passages. So, what killed the man. And more importantly...who killed him?

A fun novella mystery that's perfect for Christmas (or Christmas in April, as it happens). A bit rushed since it's a shorter work and there aren't a lot of red herrings to muddy the waters, but it's always delightful to visit with Ginger, Basil, and the other regulars. I do wish we could give annoying relatives a rest, though. That theme is getting a bit tired. ★★★

First line: The journal remained tucked away in the bottom drawer of Mrs. Ginger Reed's bedside table along with a photo of her late husband, Daniel Lord Gold.

Last line: "Let's go to the Ritz!"
****************

Deaths = one poisoned

Dead Man's Mirror

 Dead Man's Mirror (Murder in the Mews; 1937) by Agatha Christie

Short collection of three novellas--one of many variations of US editions of the original collection, Murder in the Mews. We see various themes which Christie liked to use in her stories--from the clues that Poirot finds important that Riddle, Japp, and other officials tend to brush off or overlook--to the beautiful woman as victim (in the vein of Evil Under the Sun or Death on the Nile). Christie is still the master of misdirection and it's easy to look where she wants you to look rather than at the genuine clues. ★★★★

"Dead Man's Mirror": Poirot is summoned by Gervase Chevenix-Gore to come and help him with a delicate family matter. But there is no time for the men to meet because just after Poirot arrives at Hamborough Close, his host's body is discovered in the body. On the face of it, it is suicide--doors and window locked, the gun just below the man's hand, and a note with the word "Sorry." Poirot, however, believes the room tells a different story and works to prove that murder has occurred. As he tells Major Riddle, the Chief Constable, everything depends on the mirror....

"Murder in the Mews": A second locked room mystery in this collection. Mrs. Allen, a young widow, is found shot to death in her locked sitting/bedroom in the flat she shares with a friend. The gun is in her hand--but again, suicide is impossible. The gun is in her right hand--she was shot in the left temple. Though the gun is in her hand, it wasn't gripped firmly enough to produce fingerprints. And then there's the cigarettes and the enamel from a man's cufflink. Japp sees murder and thinks he's got his man. But Poirot sees other clues that point in a different direction...

"Triangle at Rhodes": While vacationing at Rhodes during the slow season, Poirot becomes involved in 
a murder resulting from a love triangle that seems to focus on Valentine Chantray--a beautiful young woman who attracts young men like bees to flowers. When Valentine is poisoned in an apparent murder gone wrong, Poirot reveals that everyone has been looking a the wrong triangle...

1st line (first story): The flat was a modern one.

Last line (last story): "She chose--to remain..."
****************

Deaths = 7 (four natural; two shot; one poisoned)

Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly

 Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly (2013) by Agatha Christie
(Originally written in 1954)

Mrs. Ariadne Oliver has been asked to devise a Murder Hunt for a village fete being held on the grounds of Sir George and Lady Stubbs. But as she works to put together an interesting little puzzle for the villagers, she gets the sense that something is not right and she calls upon her friend Hercule Poirot to come and check out the situation. He, too, finds discrepancies in the behavior of those staying/living at the Stubbs home. But neither of them thought that the Girl Guide who had volunteered to play the murder victim in the fete game would wind up fulfilling the part of a real corpse. Then Lady Stubbs disappears. But Poirot and the local police inspector have no success in tracking down the corpse or finding the missing woman. It isn't until another death occurs and Mrs. Oliver makes a chance remark that Poirot finally begins to see a pattern that leads him to the solution.

Greenshore Folly is a novella originally written in 1954 with the intention of donating it as a church fundraiser. But Christie decided to hold on to it and develop it further--turning it into Dead Man's Folly (published in 1954). All of the bones are there, but the full novel fleshes out characters and relationships far more than Christie was able to do in the shorter work. It was interesting to look at the story in its initial form and to see how Christie filled it in to create a full-fledge novel. Not quite as engaging as the later work, but a fine first draft. ★★★

First line: It was Miss Lemon, Poirot's efficient secretary, who took the telephone call.

Last line: "There are some things that one has to face quite alone..."
****************

Deaths = 5 (two strangled; one drowned; one natural; one in war)

Reading Baseball: The Abra Cadavers

 

Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges and sometimes literary team captain, has made the annual call for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. Spring training has begun and I'm grabbing my cleats and heading out to the field. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

Batter Up!

My Plate Appearances

Single: Don Among the Dead Men by C. E. Vulliamy

 

Double: 2 books by Lee Strauss

Murder on Eton Square

Murder by Plum Pudding

Triple: 3 books by Manda Collins

A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem

Portrait of a Nightingale

An Heiress's Guide to Deception & Desire

Homerun: 4 books by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

A Pocket Full of Rye 

Destination Unknown 

Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly

Dead Man's Mirror 

Cycle: completed previous four 

Foul: The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro (could not finish listening to the audio version--reader was getting on my last nerve; may try again if I can get hold of a hard copy]

Bunt: "The Poisoned Dow '08" by Dorothy L. Sayers

 

Stolen Base: A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (read by Linda B)

Strike Out: Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys

The Murder at the Mill

 The Murder at the Mill (2020) by Irina Shapiro

December 1866, England. It's been about six months since (Lord) Captain Jason Redmond first came to England to wrap up his grandfather's estate. Instead of heading back to America where he was born and raised, he's been settling into his new role as lord of the manor...and surgeon in support of the local police. As Christmas approaches, there are two unwelcome surprises among the festive events: another dead body and his former fiancee, Cecilia. Cecilia had immediately turned to his best friend for comfort when rumors that Redmond had been killed during the Civil War had reached her. By the time he'd been released from the Andersonville prison and made his way home, she was married and expecting her first child. And now, here she is on his doorstep.*

And the dead body? The father of his newest scullery maid is found dead...tied to the water wheel of his family's abandoned mill. Given the body's state (naked) and prominent placement, it's obvious that someone not only wanted Frank Darrow dead but they wanted him humiliated in death as well. Who hated the man that much? He wasn't a pleasant man by all accounts, but there's no evidence that he had done anything to warrant the kind of hatred that would kill in such a manner. Newly-appointed Inspector Daniel Haze soon links Darrow to a series of burglaries in the area, but even if the man had had a falling out with his fellow thieves they would hardly have gone to the trouble of stripping him naked and tying his dead body to the wheel. Haze and Redmond soon learn that there are hidden depths to the drowned man and a shocking motive for his death.

*Okay...so, I've just started this and I've got a prediction for the storyline. Cecilia will immediately set her cap for Jason again--thinking that he couldn't possibly have gotten over her. She's actually more interested in his title than him. Kate (the vicar's daughter whom Jason has feelings for) will misunderstand the situation and there will be trouble in that particular paradise. Either in this book, or the next, Cecilia will be booted out permanently and Jason and Kate will be brought closer together by the temporary set-back. I'm going to go ahead and publish this now so my followers can hold me accountable in case I'm wrong. 😊

So...I was bang on target with the whole Cecilia thing. Very predictable. And--can I just say--a very pointless sidetrack to the main story. Yes, it did bring Jason and Kate together. But, honestly, I don't think that should have happened yet. Those two have barely had any time to get to know each other--especially since Kate won't allow Jason to court her openly because of her father. And then to have the dear old vicar give his blessing (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) at the end. The man surely has to wonder how on earth Lord Redmond could possibly love his daughter when they've never (to his knowledge) had a chance to be together. 

This isn't my favorite of the series so far. Primarily because of the motive of the murder--which I can't discuss without letting the whole cat out of the bag. But it's one of the plots that I just really don't do well with. We'll leave it at that. And then when you throw in Cecilia. Well, ick. But that's all personal. The plot itself is solid and every bit as good as the last one. The writing and the character development are also on par with previous installments. So, despite my wanting to rate this lower on purely personal grounds, I'll give it the same ★★★ that I gave to the second in the series.

First line (Prologue): The moon hung low in the nighttime sky, its fat belly skimming the tops of the elms that stood like a row of silent sentinels in the distance.

First line (1st Chapter): Inspector Daniel Haze shivered, as much from the bitter cold as from the sight that ad greeted him when he'd arrived at the mill.

Last line: "Let's go then," Jason said, steeling himself for a new investigation.

And...one final note: Shapiro writes these in serial fashion. Rather than ending each book with the end of the current investigation, the last chapter wraps things up and then gives us a taste of the next installment.
*********************

Deaths = 4 (one drowned; two cholera; one bled to death)

Murder at the Abbey

 Murder at the Abbey (2020) by Irina Shapiro

In this second book of the Redmond and Haze mystery series, a beautiful young woman is found dead in the ruins of what the locals consider to be a haunted abbey. It took a great deal of courage for the local tavern owner, out with an early morning delivery to investigate the strange white object lying on the grass. Elizabeth Barrett had gone early to the abbey to paint. But her session was cut short and she was lying on her back...

...her fair hair spread about her head like a golden halo. At first Davy thought she was asleep, but as he drew closer, he noticed her eyes were open, her gaze seemingly fixed on the lone bird wheeling above the stone arch. Her arms were outstretched, and a paintbrush was held loosely in her right hand, her elegant fingers still wrapped around the polished wood.

Constable Haze is called to the scene as is (Lord) Captain Redmond. The captain serving in the capacity of police surgeon. He soon discovers that the death is not as peaceful as it appears. Elizabeth Barrett was poisoned with cyanide. Someone who knew her well must have administered it.

But as Haze works through the investigation, it seems that everyone liked Elizabeth. Her husband adored her. Her sister talks about her in glowing terms. Her art tutor speaks of her great talent and her friends in the art world also believe she was very good. But someone wanted her dead...is it possible she had a secret. Perhaps an affair with the tutor...or a fellow artist? And if so, perhaps her husband found out? She's found to be with child--was it his? Or perhaps his brother didn't want an heir to decrease his chances of eventually scooping the pot? Or maybe there's a motive the investigation just hasn't brought to light yet?

I enjoyed the second in this series. I enjoyed watching the recurring characters settle in with each--the continuing relationship between the constable and the captain. The growing relationship between Redmond and the vicar's daughter. It was nice to get more insight into the more periphery characters. But the mystery isn't quite as mystifying as the debut in the series. Though Shapiro tries to give us plenty of suspects, there really wasn't much in the way of good, solid motives running around for the red herrings. Once we learned a certain tidbit about a certain person, it was pretty clear to me who did it and what the motive was. I think Shapiro is still finding her footing in the mystery genre and I have every hope that future installments will be have a bit more challenge in the mysteries. ★★★ 

First line (Prologue): The morning was cool and fresh, the cloudless sky promising the kind of day that made Davy happiest.

First line (1st Chapter): Daniel Haze lifted his hand in greeting when he saw the tall figure of Jason Redmond striding across the grassy expanse of the abbey grounds.

"Jason, all of us are where we are in life because of an accident of birth." (Daniel Haze; p. 69)

Last line: "I have a feeling we're about to find out," Jason replied as he followed Daniel out into the night.
********************

Deaths = 4 (two natural; two poisoned)

Murder in the Crypt

 Murder in the Crypt (2020) by Irina Shapiro

Captain Jason Redmond, has come to England to claim his inheritance--which comes with a country estate and the unaccustomed title of "Lord." He and his ward, Micah, have come from America where they both served in the Union Army during the Civil War (as surgeon and drummer boy, respectively), and where they both survived as prisoners of war in the Andersonville prison. Micah's father and brother weren't so lucky. So, Redmond promised the dying man that he'd take care of the boy until he could reunite him with his sister, Mary. Only Mary was nowhere to be found at the family's burned-out home when the war was over and they were released from prison. Redmond set an inquiry agent on the trail to find out if she is alive or dead.

Redmond's parents are also gone--killed in a train accident. So, when word comes that Redmond's grandfather had died back in England, leaving him as the heir, he and Micah travel to set his affairs in order with plans to return to the States. But the very night that they arrive in Birch Hill, a young man's body is found stuffed in the tomb of a medieval knight within the crypt of the local church. Since there had never been a murder until these outsiders arrived, the local constable comes calling to ask Redmond to give an account of himself. Constable Daniel Haze immediately realizes his mistake and when he learns that the new lord of the manor was a surgeon in the States, he asks him to examine the body. It isn't long before Redmond is settling into the ancestral home and helping his new friend Constable Haze track down a ruthless killer--a killer who won't hesitate to kill their own kin or the strange new lord if anyone gets in their way.

The clues lead the two men to believe that the young man, Alexander MacDougal, had ties to Chadwick Manor, another home of landed gentry in the area. But they still don't know why he was killed. Did he know secrets about the family? Was it blackmail? Or is there a greater tie?

This is Shapiro's first attempt at a historical mystery and she does quite well with it. Her previous work apparently involved time travel, so she's quite comfortable writing about other time periods. She gives us some very appealing recurring characters in Redmond, Micah, and Daniel, as well as the Dodsons (butler and cook that Redmond has inherited along with the estate) and the Talbots (the Reverend and his daughter, Katherine). Shapiro also handles her maiden mystery plot quite nicely. Plenty of suspects and a whacking good motive. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and look forward to future installments. ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: The waning light of a summer afternoon enveloped the valley in a golden haze.

Last line: A new case was about to begin.
**********************

Deaths =  7 (two train accident; one stabbed; four natural; one hit by a carriage; one shot)

Reading Baseball: The Abra Cadavers

 

Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges and sometimes literary team captain, has made the annual call for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. Spring training has begun and I'm grabbing my cleats and heading out to the field. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

Batter Up!

My Plate Appearances

Single: The Devil's Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

 

Double: 2 books by Randall Garrett

Murder & Magic

Too Many Magicians

 

Triple: 3 books by Irina Shapiro

Murder in the Crypt  

Murder at the Abbey

Murder at the Mill

Homerun: 4 books by Kerry Greenwood

Blood & Circuses

The Castlemaine Murders

Death at Victoria Dock

The Green Mill Murder

Cycle: completed previous four (done)

Foul: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Bunt: "The Alien Dies at Dawn" by Randall Garrett & Robert Silverberg

 

Stolen Base: The Cloisters by Katy Hays (read by JenneB in 2022)

Strike Out: The Last Resort by Michael Kaufman

Reading Baseball: The Abra Cadavers

 Somehow I missed opening day when Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges and sometimes literary team captain, made the call for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. So, I've grabbed my cleats and am heading out to the field. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

I've got my cleats on and have already started swinging.

My Plate Appearances

Single: Death, My Darling Daughters by Jonathan Stagge

 

Double: 2 books by C. S. Harris

When Blood Lies
Who Cries for the Lost 

 

Triple: 3 books by John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson

The Emperor's Snuff Box

The Unicorn Murders

Death in Five Boxes

Homerun: 4 titles by Frances &/or Richard Lockridge

Death Has a Small Voice

Death Takes a Bow

Write Murder Down

Twice Retired

 

Cycle: completed previous four (done)

Foul: The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray (Amy Vincent)

Bunt: "Jericho & the Silent Witness" by Hugh Pentecost

 

Stolen Base: What Cannot Be Said by C. S. Harris (read by Sue C.)

Strike Out: The Rocksburg Railroad Murders by K. C. Constantine

Nine--And Death Makes Ten

 Nine--And Death Makes Ten (apa Murder in the Submarine Zone; 1940) by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr)

January 1940. The story takes place on an ocean liner, the Edwardic, which has been converted to wartime use and carries a minimum number of passengers, a huge load of munitions, and one stowaway--murder. The passengers aboard ship are those in a big enough hurry to make the crossing from New York to England that they could stand the danger of entering the submarine zone with a boatload of explosives. Those passengers include a newspaper reporter recovering from a dangerous fall while covering a fire, a member of the NYPD on his way to collect a dangerous criminal, a blonde wrapped in sable with a mysteriously bulging pocketbook, a young woman with a mysterious mission, a French captain who is only seen at mealtime, the younger son of a Lord who has a serious case of seasickness (or the worst hangover ever...we're not too sure, a doctor, and British businessman who talks like a car salesman.

When Mrs. Zia Bey, the woman with the bulging bag, winds up murdered, Max Matthews--the reporter and brother of the ship's captain--is sure the arrogant young woman with the secret is involved. But there are too many questions that need answers--questions that don't seem to point to Miss Valerie Chatford. Whose fingerprints are pressed in blood on the murder woman's back? And why don't those prints match anyone on board? Who had been throwing knives in the passageway late at night? Who was the man wearing the gas mask and poking his head into other passengers' compartments? Fortunately, there is one more passenger on board the Ewardic...the Old Man himself, Sir Henry Merrivale. If anyone can figure this screwy case out, it's H.M.

I enjoyed this so much more than the last ship-board mystery by Dickson/Carr (The Case of the Blind Barber). That one came across as too much slap-stick and over-the-top. And there was not nearly enough of Gideon Fell. I was beginning to think that we were going the same route here with Merrivale--he doesn't show up until almost half-way through the book, but once he does, he's very present with all his "Burn mes!" and "for the love of Esaus!" And, of course, he spots all the clues that went right over my head. I should have noticed them, but I was too busy being entertained by H.M. 

I do have a couple of complaints though...First, why do all the little romances have to start off with the guy and the gal at odds? They both think the other is insufferable until suddenly at the very end (with no scenes to indicate a change in mood) they realize they can't do without one another. Seriously? And, second, I was expecting a motive with a little more oomph to it. Especially with all the certain kind of overtones we get (can't explain...because spoilers). It just seemed to fall a little flat. Otherwise, this would have been a five-star winner--great characters, I love a mystery on a ship, nicely done clues (that I missed), and a lot of fun with Merrivale. As it is...★★★★

First line: Painted battleship-gray, the line lay by the pier at the foot of West Twentieth Street.

I have come across this sort of thing in books and films; but, by all the gods, I never imagined it could happen in real life. Do you seriously imagine that you, or any other woman outside a story, can get away with that? Do you think you can tell what you choose to tell, and keep back what doesn't suit your purpose; and then look like a matyr and say you're sure some poor goop will trust you? They ruddy well won't. I won't. (Max Matthews; p. 58)

But, if you ask me, this whole case is screwy. It sounds like Nick Carter. First the bloody thumb-mark, and now the packet of papers. If you can only dig up a hypodermic full of strange Indian poison... (John Lathrop; p. 67)

It's the infantile mind that planned this murder, and every detail of the business. That's what you're dealin' with, son; arrested development in an adult. What makes it worse is that it seems to be an adult of caution and brains as well; and that's an awful bad combination. (Sir Henry Merrivale; p. 74)

Last lines: But as the orchestra struck up at signal from Commander Matthews, they sang God Save the King. And never had those words been sung more strongly, never was more sincerity poured from the heart, than when those strains rose to the roof, and the great gray ship moved up the Channel; and, steady as a compass-needle in death and storm and peril and the darkness of great waters, the Edwardic came home.

****************

Deaths = 5 (one neck broken; one stabbed; one shot; one natural; one hit on head)

Reading Baseball: The Abra Cadavers

 

 Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges and sometimes literary team captain, is once again calling for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

I've got my cleats on and have already started swinging.

My Plate Appearances

Single: The Angry Heart by Lesley Edgley

 

Double: 2 books by Arthur W. Upfield

Wings Above the Diamantina

Bony & the Kelly Gang

 

 

Triple: 3 books by John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson

The White Priory Murders

It Walks by Night

Nine--And Death Makes Ten

Homerun: 4 titles by Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library

The Moving Finger

Towards Zero

A Murder Is Announced

 

Cycle: completed previous four (done)

Foul:  Bunk by Kevin Young (I just wasn't feeling the deep-dive, scholarly approach to hoaxes, humbug, & whatnot.)

Bunt: "Lord Peter's Last Case" by Stephen Murray (in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine January 1996 issue)

 

Stolen Base: The Fear Sign (aka Sweet Danger) by Margery Allingham [read by Robin Retzler for the Century Club 2022)

 

Strike Out: Dead, Mr. Mozart by Bernard Bastable (originally owned, but read it and decided to donate it. Maybe someone will like it better than I did.)

The Black Mountain

 The Black Mountain (1954) by Rex Stout

Nero Wolfe's oldest friend, Marko Vukcic is gunned down outside his apartment building and Wolfe immediately plunges into the case. It looks very much like a professional hit job. While Inspector Crames has his team rifling through Vukcic business contacts and love life (Vukcic, unlike Wolfe, enjoyed the ladies), Wolfe and his team are looking for Montenegran connections. He gets word through connections in Europe that "The man you seek is within sight of the mountain." For Wolfe, this means only one mountain: Lovchen--The Black Mountain--from which Montenegro gets its name.

There is another personal connection, Wolfe's adopted daughter, Carla Britten, was in the same political groups as Vukcic--supporting action in Montenegro. She doesn't get along well with her adopted father, but had asked him to look into Vukcic death as well. But she didn't trust him entirely and took herself off to Europe to look into matters. Now she's been killed as well. So Wolfe and Archie head to Europe to hunt down a killer in dangerous terrain. And Archie gets a bit of a shock--in these foreign lands, Wolfe becomes the man of action and his leg-man has to take a back seat. 

I've never been a very big fan of the stories that take Wolfe out of his element. When he leaves the brownstone it's a momentous occasion, but rarely an extraordinarily good one. His character isn't made to travel. So, it's no major surprise that I found this novel--which takes Wolfe's traveling to extremes--to be a major disappointment. My notes from the pre-blogging days say I read this and, apparently, enjoyed it way more than I did this time. But I've forgotten everything I enjoyed about it. 

The beginning is very good--Wolfe's close friend is shot and killed and he feels personally obligated to track down the murderer. He's going to take on a case with no hope of a fee (and he really doesn't want one since this is a personal matter). But it goes downhill from there--we get a travelogue of Wolfe and Archie going to Europe to take on Communist or Fascist or what-have-you bad guys. We get a stilted story--ostensibly because Archie isn't telling it verbatim as he normally would. You see, Wolfe speaks eight languages and Archie speaks one, so everything we get once we reach Montenegro (Yugoslavia) is translated through Wolfe to Archie. I'm not a big fan of Cold War politics/espionage/secret organization books and they need to be done well to keep me engaged. I just don't think Stout did that sort of thing well. Let's go back to the brownstone and solve some old-fashioned murders. ★

[Full confession--I did not read every word. I skimmed a great deal because I just was not enjoying myself but wanted to count the thing for challenges.]

First line: That was the one and only time Nero Wolfe has ever seen the inside of the morgue.

Last lines: He flattened out and closed his eyes. The ham.

****************

Deaths = one shot (if we're told how Carla Britten died--other than "quite violently"--I missed it in my skimming)

Literary Ball Game: Another Abra Cadaver Season

Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges and sometimes literary team captain, is once again calling for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

I've got my cleats on and have already started swinging.

My Plate Appearances

Single: Always Lock Your Bedroom Door by Roy Winsor

 

Double: 2 books by Agatha Christie

   Easy to Kill 

   And Then There Were None 

 

Triple: 3 books by Charles Finch

   An Old Betrayal

   The Laws of Murder

   Home by Nightfall

Homerun: 4 titles by George Bellairs

   The Case of the Famished Parson

   He'd Rather Be Dead

   Death Stops the Frolic

   Surfeit of Suspects

 

Cycle: completed previous four

Foul: The Black Mountain  by Rex Stout (DNF--but skimmed so I could count for other challenges)

Bunt: "Exit Before Midnight" by Q. Patrick in Bodies from the Library 2 by Tony Medawar (ed)

 

Walk: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers (book on CD)

 

Stolen Base: Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers (read by Rick Mills 2020)

 

Strike Out: The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (donated to the library)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game....The 2021 Abra Cadavers Season

 

Rick Mills, that crafty creator of reading challenges, is now calling for team members for one of the finest ball clubs around...the Abra Cadavers. If you'd like to join the team, just prove your skills by fulfilling the following plate appearances (reading requirements). You too could be an All Star! For full details, check out Rick's page: HERE

I've got my cleats on and have already started swinging.

My Plate Appearances

Single: The Devil & the Dark Water by Stuart Turton 

 

Double: 2 books by Claude Izner

Murder on the Eiffel Tower

The Disappearance at Pere-Lachaise 

 

Triple: 3 books by C. S. Harris

When Maidens Mourn

What Darkness Brings

Why Kings Confess

Homerun: 4 titles by Agatha Christie 

The Listerdale Mystery

The Boomerang Clue (Why Didn't They Ask Evans?)

Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective

Death in the Clouds

 

Cycle: completed previous four

Foul: Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange (I just couldn't get into this one. I don't know that it's really a bad book, it just wasn't right me at this time.)

Bunt: "Lincke's Greatest Case" by Georgette Heyer in Bodies from the Library by Tony Medawar (ed)

 

Walk: Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss (audio novel from the library)

 

Stolen Base: Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie (read by Anne Merton 2021)

 

Strike Out: Hallowed Murder by Ellen Hart (donated to the library)