Indiana Jones & the Lost Treasure of Sheba

 Indiana Jones & the Lost Treasure of Sheba (1984) by Rose Estes
A Find Your Fate Adventure #2 (very similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure Books)

Dr. Roger Ballentyne, a military engineer and colleague of the famous Indiana Jones, has developed a plan for  anew diamond laser that will cut through anything in moments and he also has discovered a map that leads to the long-lost treasure of the Queen of Sheba. A treasure that is said to consist of a lot of diamonds [what a coincidence!]. The Nazis are very interested in both things and arrange for Dr. Ballantyne to be kidnapped. His son George is in the apartment at the time, but manages to grab the plans for the laser and escape--right into the arms of Indiana Jones who is on his way to see Ballantyne. They aren't able to prevent the doctor's abduction, so Indy and George set off for Ethiopia to rescue the boy's father and--maybe--find the treasure along the way.

But there's a catch...in this story, YOU are George and you will make all the decisions about how the story goes. Choose wisely and you'll solve the mysteries and rescue your dad. Choose even more wisely and you'll bag the treasure as well. But...choose unwisely and at best you'll be waiting a long time in a Nazi jail while the war rages and at worst you'll be trapped in an underground cavern surrounded by jewels but with no hope of escape.

I couldn't resist this one when I found it at our annual community book fair about four years ago. I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books when I was growing up and I loved Harrison Ford and the Indiana Jones movies. I don't remember the Find Your Fate books being in the bookstores like the CYOA books were. But maybe it's because by the mid-1980s I'd moved on to mystery novels like Agatha Christie and science fiction from Asimov, Silverberg, Clarke, etc. 

Anyway...back on subject...this was a fun adventure that, at times, caught the flavor of of the Indiana Jones franchise. Estes made a good attempt at capturing the action/adventure on the page, but the dialog wasn't quite as true. I tried very hard to hear Ford when Indy was talking, but the rhythm just didn't seem quite right. Some of the scenarios seemed more plausible (as Indy scenarios) than others, but I'm sure that it would be difficult to come up with enough variety to provide 12-15 endings that would ring true in the Indy universe. Overall, a good read. ★★★

First line:  It was ten-thirty on a windy fall evening.

Last line: As we watched the African coast disappear over the horizon, Jones and my father lifted a glass and toasted the day when we would return to the treasure of Sheba.

John Macnab

 John Macnab (1925) by John Buchan

The great lawyer/politician Sir Edward Leithen is feeling a bit under the weather, so he goes to see his friend and doctor who gives him the worst news possible. There's nothing wrong with him--at least not physically. But if that's the case, then what's a man filled with ennui and who doesn't feel like doing anything to do? His friend jokingly suggests doing something a bit dangerous and slightly illegal...something that will get the old adrenaline pumping. Of course, that would be an absurd thing for such an eminent man to do...

Then Leithen goes to his club where he finds two of his friends, the banker John Palliser-Yeates and Charles Lamancha, a nobleman and fellow politician, in the same boat. They've all lost the zest of life. None of them feel like doing any of the things they're supposed to do. And then...a fourth friend, Sir Archie Roylance--war hero and rising aspiring politician--comes along and tells them about the legend of Jim Tarras, a man who was bored in the Scottish Highlands and sent anonymous notes to local landowners warning them that he planned to poach on their land on certain days. The thrill of doing what he wasn't supposed to do and trying to evade the gamekeepers provided him with enough excitement to knock him out of his ennui.

The men are thrilled with the idea and talk Rolance into inviting him to his Scottish estate where they will play the same game with some of his neighbors. They decide to send the challenges out under the nom de plume John Macnab. The rest of the book revolves around the antics of the men as they scope out the land and the response of the local landowners to their challenge.

John Macnab strikes me as a cross between Jerome K. Jerome (of Three Men in a Boat fame) and pretty much any P. G. Wodehouse book. We have three bored gentlemen doing a fair amount of fairly ridiculous things to achieve their ends. And on the other side we have equally determined landowners hiring navvies and going to other great lengths to prevent them  It's fun to watch. And along the way Buchan gives us the most amazing character sketches and charming interplay between the various characters. The characterization is the best part of this one. 

My previous experience with Buchan is The 39 Steps. And this definitely is not that. It's far more farce than adventure...and there's even less mystery. The biggest mystery is whether the men will be caught or not and, if so, how. But it is a lot of fun and a nice, comfortable read. ★★★

First line: The great doctor stood on the hearth-rug looking down at his friend who sprawled before him in an easy-chair.

Last line: Below four signatures were engraved--Lamancha, Edward Leithen and John-Palliser-Yeates, and last, in a hand of surprising boldness, the honoured name of Benjamin Bogle.

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Deaths = two natural

*Finished on 12/22/25

A Murder Is Announced

 A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie (read by Emilia Fox)

I was looking for something I had read before to listen to while I worked and also as a palate cleanser after the last two mysteries. I thought  that the fifth Miss Marple book would be just the thing. I was right. Since I've read and reviewed this her on the block before (HERE), I'm not going to rehash the plot or focus much on my reaction to it.  I'm going to give my attention to the narration/performance of Emilia Fox and my thoughts about listening to Christie's story again. 

Fox does such an excellent job providing a variety of voices for a fairly large cast of characters. There is never any doubt about which character is speaking and for the most part I think she gets the characters right. My two quibbles are with Miss Marple and Diana "Bunch" Harmon. The first quibble is more arbitrary--I will probably always hear Joan Hickson's voice in my head when it comes to Miss Marple and Fox's version of our elderly sleuth just doesn't match it closely enough. As for Bunch, she captures her muddled logic very well, but the voice qualities are just a little too precious. But these are minor issues in a performance that is so good overall.

Possible Spoilers Ahead! If you haven't read the story (or haven't seen one of the TV productions), then proceed with caution.

I was struck again by how very awful the murders in this story are and how despicable the murderer really is. Of course, murder is always awful, but these fictional murders seem to hit me in a different way from others. Miss Marple says that the grief shown over Bunny's death was real. But I don't believe that it's really grief over having committed murder--merely grief on the murderer's own behalf that they are so very alone now. No one left who knew them. Grief over their loss, not the loss of the actual person of Bunny. Murderers are so very selfish. There is a great depth of feeling in these characters--from Hinch's loss of Murgatroyd to Edward's devotion to Phillipa. This is one of my favorite Miss Marple mysteries for good reason. ★★★★

First line: Between 7:30 and 8:30 every morning except Sundays, Johnnie Butt made the round of the village of Chipping Cleghorn on his bicycle, whistling vociferously through his teeth and alighting at each house or cottage to shove through the lette box such morning papers as had been ordered by the occupants of the the house in question from Mr. Totman, stationer, of the High Street.

Last line: "How else would they know what's going on around here?"

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Deaths = 9 (one shot; one poisoned; five natural; one hit by car; one strangled)

The Ghost & Mrs. McClure

 The Ghost & Mrs. Mcclure (2004) by Alice Kimberly (Cleo Coyle)

More than fifty years ago, a tough private eye by the name of Jack Shepard was murdered while trying to track down the killers of his pal Freddie. He walked into a bookshop in Quindicott, Rhode Island and was never seen again. And in the present day, Penelope Thornton-McClure and her Aunt Sadie, current owners of the bookshop, are set to host Timothy Brennan for an author's talk and book-signing. Brennan writes a series of private eye thrillers based on Jack Shepard and his real life cases. During the talk, he drops the bombshell that Shepard was last seen in the bookstore where he now stands and that he plans to abandon his fictional tales to write the real crime story about Shepard. He plans to investigate the murder fifty years later and unmask the killers. But before he can finish his talk, he himself drops dead. Penelope has hopes that the older man has died of natural causes (a heart attack, maybe?) but it's soon discovered that someone who knew Brennan well enough to know about his allergies doctored his water bottle with peanut oil. A big enough dose to send him into anaphylactic shock.

But who could have wanted him dead? Well...as it happens, just about anybody who knew him. He was an insufferable man who treated his daughter and son-in-law like slaves. Insulted his friends and publicist and wasn't above being rude to his hostesses. And...if Jack Shepard were still in his physical body, he would have gladly strangled the man who was getting rich off of his old case files--especially since Brennan claimed that Shepard wasn't nearly as bright as the fictional detective he had created. 

What's that, how do I know that Shepard wouldn't mind killing Brennan himself. Well...he said so. You see, Shepard is hanging out in ghostly form among the books in the shop. And he has these lovely conversations with Penelope McClure. She's the only one that can hear him. She swears she doesn't believe in ghosts, but when he keeps talking in her head what's a girl to do? He comes in pretty handy when it initially looks like the "Staties" (State Troopers) are fitting the struggling bookshop owner for the picture of a murderer. So, Jack starts teaching Penelope how a real P.I. goes about detecting. After a few false starts, Jack and Penelope finally spot the villain and manage to serve them up to local Officer Eddie Franzetti so the Troopers won't get the glory.

A few years ago, I read The Ghost & the Dead Deb, the second book in the series, and I wasn't all that impressed (see link for the review). I'm pleased to say that the debut novel of the series is a much stronger offering. I enjoyed the initial set-up and watching Penelope adjust to the fact that ghosts do exist and she's the only one who can hear and see this one. The interactions between her and Jack are fun, though I am still weirded out by the attraction between the two (see previous review for more on that). I also enjoyed the peek at the mystery behind Jack's death. As I mentioned in the other review, I really think I'd like to see a book that focuses on when Jack was really alive (reading about his cases). It would also be interesting to see a proper investigation of his murder. There's a hint at the end of this one that he and Penelope are going to look into that, but it hadn't happened in book two. Maybe it comes later in the series.

The plot here is, I think, more intricate than that of book two. There are some good red herrings and clues to follow up. A solid beginning to the series. ★★★

First lines (Prologue): Cranberry. What kind of cornball name was that for a street?

First line (1st Chapter): "We killed him!"

Last line: Then he faded temporarily away, back into the old fieldstone wall that had become his tomb.
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Deaths = 6 (one poisoned; one suicide; two hit by car; two shot)

Death on the Nile

 Death on the Nile (1937) by Agatha Christie (narrated by David Suchet)

I was looking for a comfortable book to listen to while I was doing mundane tasks. Something that I had already read and it wouldn't matter if I missed a line here or there. Usually, I choose Sayers and Lord Peter Wimsey--but this time I decided to take a little trip to Egypt with another of my favorite sleuths and revisited Death on the Nile. If you'd like to take a look at a more thorough analysis of the story, please see the link at the title. Here, I'll be talking about the audio version. 

David Suchet is my pick for Poirot--especially in his earlier appearances as the sleuth, before his personal views started encroaching so heavily. (That's a discussion for another time. I won't pull out my Murder on the Orient Express soapbox right now...) His is the voice I hear in my head when I read the hard copies of the Poirot stories. So, listening to him step into Poirot's voice in this audio novel was music to my ears. And, for the most part, he does an excellent job with the various characters. My two main quibbles--Miss Van Schuyler and Colonel Race. After seeing the star-studded 1978 filmed version, Bette Davis will forever by Miss (Mrs.) Van Schuyler and hers is the voice I expect. Suchet's selection of voice for the rich, spoiled woman is meant to be irritating, I do get that, but it just sets my teeth on edge and is near-unbearable. And, as far as Colonel Race goes, not only is the voice not at all like David Niven's, Suchet has--for reasons known only to himself, given Race a periodic weird lisp. But on the whole, a lovely listening experience.

First Line: Linnet Ridgeway! "That's Her!" said Mr. Burnaby, the landlord of the Three Crowns.

Last Line: For, as Mr. Ferguson was saying at that minute in Luxor, it is not the past that matters but the future.

********

Deaths = 5 (four shot; one stabbed)

Clouds of Witness

 Clouds of Witness (1926) by Dorothy L. Sayers (narrated by Mark Meadows)

It looks like I'm plunging into another reread (re-listen) of Lord Peter Wimsey books. If you would like a more complete review of the story itself, please see my previous review (HERE). As I mentioned in my latest review of Whose Body?, I've read these stories so often that I don't often have much that is new to say about the mysteries themselves, but I do love listening to them when I want a nice comfortable story that I'm familiar with. I had forgotten that I'd listened to Meadows narrate this one and thought I might have something original to say about the audio version. But, alas. I listened to his version just a couple years ago. Here's what I said last time:

My main reaction to this visit to Riddlesdale Lodge is focused on the audio version itself. Hoopla promised me Ian Carmichael. It said so right there on the website. But when the audio started, I got Mark Meadows. He's a fine narrator in every way but two. He is not by any stretch of the imagination Lord Peter Wimsey. I've been spoiled by Ian Carmichael and Edward Petherbridge and I'm afraid that his take on Lord Peter just doesn't sit well. And he has turned Bunter into the most dreadfully supercilious-sounding manservant I've ever heard. Bunter is, indeed, Peter's valet and a superior one at that--but he has also been his comrade in arms in the Great War and there is an underlying friendship and affection that stays just on the correct side of the man and master relationship. There is little of that to be found in Meadows' rendition. The only real hint of it we get is when Peter is nearly potted in the bog and even then Bunter sounds more annoyed that Peter has gotten himself mired than alarmed.

Meadows does do an excellent job with the rest of the characters--giving distinct voices to everyone from the Duke of Denver to Sir Impey Biggs to the Dowager Duchess. He manages the female voices better than most male narrators. And I really enjoyed listening to his French--I don't understand nearly as much as I used to (when my French classes were much fresher in memory), but his accent is beautiful.

I will say that on this second round with Meadows that his LPW doesn't seem to be quite as far off as I initially thought. But his Bunter still grates. 

  ★★★ and 1/2 (for this particular audio version)

First line: Lord Peter Wimsey stretched himself luxuriously between the sheets provided by the Hotel Meurice.

Last lines: "Mr. Parker an' all," said Inspector Sugg, adding devoutly. "Thank Gawd there weren't no witnesses."

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Deaths = 2 (one shot; one hit by car)

Murder in the Grave

 Murder in the Grave (2021) by Irina Shapiro

Jason Redmond and his new bride have just returned from their honeymoon trip to Italy. Just in time for the newly wedded lord to land in the middle of another puzzling mystery.

Sebastian Slade, a young curate who had recently come to Upper Finchley from London, is covered over in a grave that had been prepared for another body. When Arthur Weeks, tasked with digging graves and making preparations for funerals, stopped by the grave early in the morning to make sure that all was shipshape he was surprised to find it not as deep as it should be. Thinking he must have made a mistake, he grabs his shovel and prepares to dig a little deeper and is shocked to find a body under the loose earth at the bottom. That same shovel was used to bash Slade over the head and bury him in the open grave. But who would have wanted to kill the new curate?

When Redmond and Inspector Haze begin to investigate, the answer seems to be "nobody." The man hadn't been in the area long enough to make enemies and everyone speaks of how kind and nice he was. But the longer they look, the more they find that the good man of God wasn't. Good, that is. He was sent to the country parish as punishment for butting heads with his superior in London. He had a taste for gambling. And an eye for a pretty face...especially if the pretty face was a bit on the young side. Did one of his creditors get tired of waiting for payment? Or did a relative of one of the girls he seduced decide to take revenge? Meanwhile, our detectives discover that Slade's niece was kidnapped and the trail seems to lead to Upper Finchley. Is there a connection to Slade's murder? Redmond and Haze need to find out before there is another death...

This series is turning into a bit of a comfort read for me. Comfortable characters with interesting interactions. Just enough background on the recurring characters to give them depth without bogging down the mystery with personal drama, angst, or hang-ups (like so many current authors like to weigh their detectives down with). And the plot in this one is a bit stronger than the previous four (not they weren't good). We got a nice little twist on the motive and I like the way Shapiro ties up all the loose ends from the two mysteries. A very strong entry.  ★★★★ and 1/2.

First line (Prologue): The day dawned bright and humid, the sun blazing in a cloudless sky and the temperature rising with every passing hour.

First line (1st Chapter): Jason Redmond came awake in the best way possible to find his new wife leaning over him, her lips brushing against his as her nightdress offered a tantalizing glimpse of her lovely breasts.

Last line: "The Bells," Jason agreed, and followed Daniel to the tavern.
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Deaths = 9 (one hit on head; four natural; three hanged; one beaten to death)

The Rewind

 The Rewind (2022) by Allison Winn Scotch

Synopsis (from the back of the book): Two exes wake up together with wedding bands on their fingers--and no idea how they got there. They have just one New Year's Eve at the end of 1999 to figure it out in this big-hearted and nostalgic rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch.

When college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra broke up before graduation, they vowed to never speak to each other again. Ten years later, on the eve of the new millennium, they find themselves back on their snowy, picturesque New England campus together for the first time for the wedding of mutual friends. Frankie's on the rise as a music manager for the hottest bands of the late '90s, and Ezra's ready to propose to his girlfriend after the wedding. Everything is going to plan--they just have to avoid the chasm of emotions brought up when they inevitably come face to face.

But when they wake up in bed next to each other the following morning with Ezra's grandmother's diamond on Frankie's finger, they have zero memory of how they got there--or about any of the events that transpired the night before. Now Frankie and Ezra have to put aside old grievances in order to figure out what happened, what didn't happen...and to ask themselves the most troubling question of all: what if they both got it wrong the first time around?

So....I picked this out because I needed a plot that took place in a single day for a reading challenge. And the synopsis sounded pretty interesting (especially in contrast to some of the others I investigated). But honestly, this really wasn't my kind of book. I thought that there might be a more intriguing answer to what happened on the night that Frankie and Ezra couldn't remember. But it just wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped for. And honestly, I really didn't care much whether they got back together or not. Their story didn't grab me and make me in any way invested in these people. At times, they annoyed me and I found it hard to believe the ending in the way it was handled. I will say SPOILER....

that I was glad to see Mimi (Ezra's current girlfriend) exit the stage. She was pretty manipulative and got Ezra into the relationship based on a lie--that did not go down well at all. 

If you like relationship stories that go from hate to love in a fairly quick, pretty unrealistic way...then this might be right up your alley. ★★

First line (Prologue): Frankie Harriman took a long last look in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door of her decently appointed hotel room.

First line (1st Chapter): Frankie awoke to a headache that felt akin to a leech sucking the blood straight from her spinal chord.

Last line: And then, in what felt like a small miracle given how far they'd come, he pressed PLAY.

Murder, London-South Africa

 Murder, London-South Africa (1966) by John Creasey

When an important South African diamond merchant by the name of Van der Lunn goes missing just after landing in London, Superintendent Roger "Handsome" West is tapped to lead the investigation. Working with Lieutenant Jameson, a South African officer attached to the country's consulate in London, They track Van der Lunn to a seedy little hotel where he is being held incommunicado. But those who are holding him attempt to sneak him out a window and the diamond magnate is critically injured--and will be unable to answer questions for quite some time...if at all.

Meanwhile, a hotshot reporter with an uncanny nose for news has also disappeared--after calling his editor from the airport to say that he'd just seen a man he thought was Van der Lunn get off a plane. Coincidentally, Nightingale (our intrepid reporter) is on the trail of a diamond smuggling ring. Was Van der Lunn involved? Or was he a victim of the ring? West wants to find out what Nightingale knew, but he'll have to find him first. The case takes West from the East end of London all the way to South Africa as he hunts for the ringleaders who have injured the diamond merchant and smuggled millions in diamonds.But the object of the smuggling game may be a bit unexpected....

In a previous review (Inspector West Kicks Off, book #8) I ended with: "I'm also wondering how often West is going to get hurt in this series and what his secret is for recuperation--he seems to be up and rarin' to go awfully quick for a man who had a large chunk of building fall on him..." Well, here we are in book #34, and West, now a Superintendent and in his fifties, is still at it. This book ends with him trying to save Faith Soames, niece of Nightingale's editor, from the bad guys and he winds up in hospital for (probably) the 34th time. I haven't read all 33 previous books, but if he sticks to brand then I'd say the odds are good that he was at least injured in every one of them. He's not a hardboiled hero, but he seems to take the beatings as if he were.

But that aside, is this a good mystery? That depends on what you're here for. If you're looking for old-fashioned clues, red herrings, and loads of suspects to sift through, then you may want to look elsewhere. But if you want a good police procedural with interesting lead characters and new supporting cast (the newspaper crew and the South African officials), then this may be the book for you. I knew that a certain person was part of the ring (though not the ringleader) as soon as they strolled onto the page (and, as already indicated, there aren't exactly hoards of possibilities). But finding out who the baddies are isn't exactly the point. Watching how "Handsome" and company are going to rescue Nightingale and round up the baddies is. ★★★★

First line: "Handsome in?"

Last line: "And Faith Soames said that all you seemed to talk about, when she met you here, was me."

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Deaths = one shot

The Four of Hearts

 The Four of Hearts (1938) by Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen is going stir-crazy in Hollywood. After a hugely successful investigation into a Los Angeles murder in the previous book and the West Coast fame that came with it, he was in demand. He's now under contract to Magna Studios to produce scripts. All fine and dandy--except he hasn't actually met with his supposed boss, Jacques Butcher, and he hasn't actually been given any work to do. His agent tells him not worry, it's just the way studios operate. And why complain about getting a paycheck for just sitting around or seeing the sights? But Ellery can't stand to be idle and when "Butch" finally calls him (as if he's just heard that Ellery is around), he tells the boss that he's had enough and is leaving. Which results in immediate work.

The studio is planning an epic biopic featuring their two big stars--Blythe Stuart and Jack Royle. The film will tell all and the masses will flock to the theaters to learn the "true story" of the legendary feud between the two families. A feud that revolves around the once engaged couple and their respective children, Bonnie Stuart and Ty Royle. And as a bonus--Blythe and Jack will play themselves. Just as the Ellery gets down to work gathering background for the script, the two stars through a wrench into the works. Not only have they patched up the feud--they are going to get married. At first Butch and the studio are furious--there goes the melodrama of the feud. But--they decide to cash in on the romantic ending and make the most of the situation. They arrange for Blythe & Jack to be married in front of fans at the LA airfield. Then the happy couple will fly off into the sunset for a honeymoon on a secluded island. And, though Bonnie and Ty aren't happy about it (and are still feuding themselves), Ty volunteers to fly the plane.

But after the plane has taken off, Bonnie and Ty are found--tied up and gagged. So, who is flying the plane? Are the two stars being kidnapped? A few hours later, the plane is found on a mountain plateau. The pilot is missing and Blythe and Jack have been fatally poisoned. Ellery must give up researching to hunt for clues the murders. Apart from the family feud, there seems to be no motive for the death of either of the stars...let alone both. It's soon discovered that Blythe has been receiving mysterious mailings with playing cards and if Ellery can correctly decipher the cards' hidden meanings, he'll be able to hand the murderer over to Inspector Glücke.

This is a fun, slightly madcap, slightly convoluted mystery. It's obvious that Queen (Frederic Dannay & Manfred Lee) are thoroughly ensconced in Hollywood screenwriting at this point. The book reads as though "we" had a movie deal in mind. Lots of dialog, lots of action scenes--not a whole heck of a lot of focus on the mystery. A nice little romance for Ellery, but apparently not as serious as we're led to believe because Paula Paris disappears rapidly after this book. It's obvious who the leads are--Bonnie, Ty, and Ellery, with a good dose of Paula, syndicated columnist, thrown in. We could have used a bit more "screen" time for other characters. Maybe if I'd seen more of them I would have remembered how some of them were connected and I might have spotted the killer. As it was...I didn't. The solution is good and consistent, though a bit of a violent ending for the killer. ★★★★

Other Reviews:
Cross Examining Crime
The Grandest Game in the World
The Green Capsule
In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel 
The Mystillery blog
  

First line: It is a well-known fact that any one exposed to Hollywood longer than six weeks goes suddenly and incurably mad.

Last line: And, her eyes still closed, stumbled blindly across the threshold into the world.
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Deaths = 7 (three natural; three poisoned; one fell from height)

Appointment with Death (audio novel; mini-review)

 Appointment with Death (1938; audio novel 2001) by Agatha Christie
  ~audio novel read by Hugh Fraser

I listened to the HarperAudio version of Christie's book while traveling to and from my parents' house this past week. When taking audio novels along for road trips, I prefer to listen to stories I've previously read so that it won't matter if I miss a few details while concentrating on the traffic. Since I have already reviewed Appointment with Death here on the blog, I won't go into detail about the plot or my reaction to the story. Those interested in those details may find them at the link connected to the title.

The audio novel, which is read by Hugh Fraser who played Captain Hastings on television, is superb. Fraser is excellent at capturing the voices of each character and, amazingly, was able to give distinction between Poirot's Belgian accent and Dr. Gerard's French. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio experience--listening to "Captain Hastings" recount the adventures in Petra made the miles fly by. Given how much I enjoyed Fraser's performance, I'm going to bump up the rating for this experience of the book to ★★★★ stars instead of the three previously awarded for the novel alone.

First line: "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?"

Last lines: "She didn't get what she wanted out of life. It must have been tough for her."
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Deaths = 3 (one natural; one poisoned; one shot)

Finished on 7/11/25

One Fell Sloop

 One Fell Sloop (1990) by Susan Kenney

This is the third and last of a short academic mystery series which features Roz Howard, American literature professor, and her lover, Alan Stewart, Scottish artist cum botany expert. The series varies between Maine and the UK. This outing finds Roz & Alan "messing about in boats" (a la Wind in the Willows)--taking a little sailboat cruise along the Maine coast for some together time and perhaps a sorting out of their long-distance relationship. Their holiday is interrupted when they stop on a semi-deserted island, known for its rare flora and fauna (a real draw for Alan), and find a dead body. 

It winds up that the victim is the environmentally-minded owner of the island who had had a falling out with his family (who own a nearby island). It seems that one island can't be sold without the consent of all parties and Peter Onterdonck was not in favor of selling off such environmentally important property. But was the feud over the islands great enough to incite murder? Family rivalry may play a part but Roz and Alan discover motives that may be even darker than that. There's possible pirate treasure in the offing or maybe some drug-running. But can they convince the authorities that it's anything more than just an accident?

I do love me an academic-related mystery, but angst-ridden academics are not my thing. At least not right this moment. Roz spends the first three chapters talking about/around/obliquely referring to at times the flaming row she and Alan have had. She's spends oodles of time rehashing it in her brain. With me, shouting at her (in mine), just get on with the murder mystery already! I really don't care about her love-life. And I'm really not a fan of flashback fights, which is what we're getting here. You want to bring in the fight--fine. Then just start the story when they get on the boat and show us what happens in real (book) time. Stop with the flouncing back and forth between now and what happened in the last two-three days. 

And, honestly, as I kept reading, things just didn't get better. Roz spends more time worrying about what Alan has said and does that mean what she thinks it does or does he have his mind on the job (figuring out the mystery before them) than she does on the mystery. She's supposed to be our amateur detective protagonist, but she acts more like a school girl who's all worried about her crush.

The mystery is decent, but it's buried almost as deep as any pirate booty that might be lurking about. I had a really difficult job slogging through Roz and her inner dialogue to keep up with the main plot. ★★

First line: It had seemed like a good idea at the time, Roz Howard thought as she rolled over and carefully rearranged herself in the somewhat confined vee-berth of her Aunt Jessie True's old wooden sailboat.

Last line: It was a waterbed,.
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Deaths = One hit on head

The Case of the Hijacked Moon

 The Case of the Hijacked Moon (1981) by Thomas Brace Haughey

The Hijacked Moon is the fifth of Haughey's Christian-themed pastiche of the Sherlock Holmes style. Geoffrey Weston is the grandson of Mycroft Holmes and, like his great-uncle Sherlock, has set himself up as a consulting detective in Baker Street (not at 221B, however). His side-kick John Taylor is more of a true partner in detecting than John Watson was. He may be admiring of Weston's abilities, but Taylor is just as capable--performing laboratory tests, developing photos, and helping Weston look for clues at the crime scenes. The Christian themes are very strong--Weston and Taylor pray before setting out on a case and Weston challenges several of suspect's philosophies and counters with lessons from the gospel.

This outing initially finds Weston and Taylor investigating the fiery death of a Scotsman who had sent an appeal for Weston to help him find his missing inheritance--but not money and not jewels; a whole island has gone missing. Unfortunately, the letter was buried under a stack of papers (Weston's mess in his Baker Street digs rivals that of his illustrious great-uncle) and it comes to light too late to prevent Angus Murdoch's death in a house fire. When a Scotland Yard Inspector appears to spontaneously combust while escorting a neo-Nazi into the Yard, Weston suspects a connection. But things only get more complicated--not only is an island missing, but so is a cargo carrier and a NATO missile. What started as a matter of inheritance has turned into a national and, possibly, world-wide emergency. Can Weston prevent the onset of WWIII?

As a well-worn phrase puts it: Well, that escalated quickly. One minute we're wondering how an entire island can just disappear and the next we're hoping Armageddon isn't getting ready to commence. But Weston, true to his Holmesian roots, manages to save the day and it's clear we're not quite ready for the Book of Revelations just yet. This later entry in the series doesn't have the solid mystery set-up that the first book of the series (The Case of the Invisible Thief) did. It's really quite obvious who the bad guys are, it's just a matter of figuring out how they managed to get two people to go up in flames without shooting anything at them or any other visible means of ignition. So, I guess this is a howdunnit rather than a who dunnit. I gave this ★★★ back in the mists of time when I read it from the youth library at church. I'm not going to argue with my younger self.

First line: I stole a glance out the window and surveyed the activity along Baker Street.

Last line: "Ah," Weston grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."
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Deaths = (one natural; two burned to death)

Landscape of Lies

 Landscape of Lies (1989) by Peter Watson

Isobel Sadler wakes up one night with the distinct impression that someone is in her house. She's right. And he's downstairs trying to steal a painting. She manages to scare him off and is left with questions. Why on earth was the man in the motorcycle helmet trying to steal the painting hanging in the downstairs hall? After she inherited the house and its contents from her father, she had gradually had to sell all the really valuable items to support the family farm. The Chinese porcelain, Japanese lacquer, and jade carvings that her father had brought home from his previous life as a diplomat were long gone. The painting wasn't worth anything. It was ugly and not particularly well-painted. All it held was sentimental value because it had been in her family for years and years. But what if she were wrong? Somebody obviously thought it was worth stealing.

So, she takes the painting to Michael Whiting, an art dealer recommended by a friend of her father's. He verifies that as a painting, it isn't worth much. A few hundred pounds, maybe. Definitely not more. It's what she expected and he seems surprised that she didn't think it a priceless treasure. Then she tells him the rest of the story--not long before the attempted theft, she had attended an estate sale which included letters and papers relating to the only famous (or, rather, infamous) person in her family tree. Sir William "Bad Bill" Sadler who helped oversee the dissolution of the monasteries in the 15th century. She wanted to acquire them for the family history and didn't expect anyone else to be interested. But someone was. A man named Molyneaux outbid her (on behalf of a client) and then chatted her up afterward--wanting to know if she was a dealer. When she told him of her family interest, he offered to see if the client would consent to photocopies and said he'd be in touch. He appeared at her house three days before the break-in--no photocopies yet, but "just in the area for an estate sale." Molyneaux was very tall. So was the burglar. Coincidence.

Michael isn't clear on what she wants of him. But she tells him that Edward Ryan (the man who recommended him) said he liked a gamble. She wants him to research the painting to see if there is any secret to it that would warrant a theft. And if the research leads to anything lucrative, she'll share the proceeds with him fifty-fifty. He agrees...and has no idea that the research will take the two of them through the myths and religious legends of early Britain in search of hidden monastic treasures and pit them against a man who will stop at nothing to have the treasure for himself. 

So...this starts well. The set-up is good. I really liked the idea of the hidden secrets in the old painting. The whole opening rocks--I like the way Isobel and Michael interact and work together in the early stages of the investigation. But then....the middle part drags and was really quite tedious with all the miscues & running round in circles and then sudden life-threatening events. The earlier danger made the final scenes with our villain lose a bit of their punch. And speaking of final scenes: the ending was too abrupt (especially after the middle dragged on so) and it was especially annoying that the discovery of the treasures was tacked on as a flashback in the epilogue. Seriously? The whole book is aiming towards the solution of the clues in the painting and the discovery of the treasure and when it happens it's regulated to a scene that seems more of an afterthought? Oh...and one final thing. Michael shoving bloody into every exclamation and adjective got to be absobloodylutely annoying. ★★ and 1/2 

1st line: The moment Isobel awoke she knew there was someone else in the house.

Last lines: Isobel smiled. "I wouldn't bet on it."
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Deaths = two natural; one drowned

Murder British Style

 Murder British Style (1993) ~Martin H. Greenberg (ed)

A collection of short British mystery stories plus one novella by John Dickson Carr. I've read a number of the short stories before and those that I had read were all quite good (both times of reading). Of those that are new (Rendell, Keating, Aiken, Symons, Lovesey, Meade & Eustace, Morrison, and Brett), I have to say that I didn't care for most of them. As I mention below, Keating's Holmes pastiche is one of the all-time worst I've read in short form. And it gives The Veiled Detective (novel-length) by David Stuart Davies a good run for its money as all-time worst in any form. The Simon Brett is just icky. The best of the new-to-me stories are the two by Morrison and "Madame Sara" by Meade & Eustace. Overall, ★★★ and 1/2 for the collection,.

"The Four Suspects" by Agatha Christie: Sir Henry Clithering gives us a tale about Dr. Rosen who was instrumental in the downfall of a secret German organization. The doctor knew that eventually members of the group who had escaped punishment would seek him out and exact revenge, but he was satisfied that he had done the right thing and hoped to finish a research project before they got to him. He is found dead at the bottom of his staircase--possibly an accident, possibly not. The four members of his household fall under suspicion, but they all claim to have been out at the time (but no corroboration of their whereabouts). Miss Marple uses clues from the story and her own knowledge of gardens to point out the culprit. [one fell from height]

"Silver Blaze" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [one hit on head]: Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson are off to Dartmoor to investigate the disappearance of a famous race horse and the murder of the horse's trainer. Inspector Gregory & company have been on the case, but have made no headway. Holmes is in the area for a mere afternoon and soon has all the threads in his hand. The story has one one of Holmes's most famous exchanges:

          "Is there any point to which you wish to draw my attention?"
          "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
          "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
          "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

"The Adventure of the Suffering Ruler by H. R. F. Keating (Holmes pastiche): When Watson is called to Hertfordshire to tend to a mysterious patient who mistrusts his neighbors, Holmes is sure that the patient is a foreign royal in disguise. 

Holmes has rarely been so poorly dealt with by an author of pastiche (though I could name others...). The more I read of Keating's work, the less I like it. Holmes may not be perfect--everyone makes mistakes, but I certainly can't seem him jumping to the outlandish conclusions that Keating foists upon him. Yikes.

"Rats!" by Dorothy J. Cannell: A wife takes an unusual (and unusually cruel) revenge on the other woman....Miss Gilda Sweet is used to receiving gifts from guilty husbands hoping to keep her as sweet as her name. So the fur coat that arrives through the delivery service is just the ticket. Or is it? [one death--to reveal how would be a spoiler]

"The Convolvulus Clock" by Ruth Rendell: Trixie swears that all her friends are "getting on" and "going a bit funny," but Trixie is the one overly fixated on a very special clock.[one hit by bus]

"Fair & Square" by Margaret Yorke: Mrs. Ford can't stand to see her old flame's granddaughter being "managed" by the daughter of the overbearing woman who stole Michael away from her. [2 natural; one fell from height]

"The Uninvited" (apa "A Prince of Abyssinia") by Michael Gilbert: Mr. Calder lives alone on the Kentish Downs with only Rasselas, a loyal and beloved deerhound, for constant companionship. Mr. Behrens, a retired schoolmaster, comes periodically to visit. But then an uninvited visitor arrives in the neighborhood...looking for revenge. [one hit on head; one shot]

"The Black Cliffs" by Joan Aiken: Irving thinks he's found a great way to get rid of his annoying friend Charley...and no one will ever know. Or will they? [one hit on head]

"The Dream is Better" by Julian Symons*: Andrew Blood's mother always told him hed' never marry--that the dream would always be better than reality. But what if the dream is a nightmare? [one natural; one stabbed]

"Behind the Locked Door" by Peter Lovesey: When a police inspector comes to inquire about his tenant, Mr. Braid can't help but wonder just what exactly Mr. Messiter has locked up behind that door in the apartment. The door with a lock Braid can no longer open.

"The Invisible Man" by G. K. Chesterton: Father Brown explains how a man can become invisible to harass not only the woman he claimed he wanted to marry but his rival in love. [one stabbed]

"Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl: The well-known mystery that features a very clever way to get rid of the evidence.... [one hit on head]

"Madame Sara" by L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace: Madame Sara is a beautiful but evil femme fatale. This time she has her sights set on a family's fortune. [one poisoned; one natural]

"The Case of Mr. Foggatt" by Arthur Morrison: Martin Hewitt identifies the killer of Mr. Foggatt--based on the trifling little clue of a half-eaten apple. [one shot; two natural]

"The Case of the Late Mr. Rewse" by Morrison: A lawyer asks Martin Hewitt to investigate the death of his young client--a man who supposedly died of small pox just a month or two shy of inheriting a fortune. The lawyer suspects foul play and wants Hewitt to find out how it was done. [one death--to reveal how would spoil the suspense]

"In the Fog" by Richard Harding Davis: The members of the exclusive Grill Club gather on a foggy night in London and hear the story from an American diplomat about a recent night when he was lost in the fog and heard someone scream. When he follows the sound, he finds a man dead in a strange house. Scotland Yard is baffled, but will the Grill Club solve the murder? [2 stabbed; one natural]

"Big Boy, Little Boy" by Simon Brett: Larry Renshaw is tired of living under his rich wife's thumb and decides to get rid of her. When the plan goes awry, he relies on his ever-loyal "Little Boy" from boarding school days to keep him away from the gallows. Peter Mostyn is eager to help...maybe a little too eager. [one shot; one fire]

"The Story of the Lost Special" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: As Mr. Bland the Superintendent of the Central L. & W. Railway Company says in the story, "Does a train vanish into thin air in England in broad daylight? The thing is preposterous. An engine, a tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings--and all lost on a straight line of railway." And yet, it does happen [three fell from height]

The Three Coffins by John Dickson Carr: see separate review

*Symons owes a huge debt to Robert Bloch for this one.

First line (1st story): The conversation hovered round undiscovered and unpunished crimes.

Mr. Gladstone sought relaxation in the Greek poets, Sir Andrew finds his in Gaboriau. Since I have been a member of Parliament I have never seen him in the library withoug a shilling shocker in his hands. He brings them even into the sacred precincts of the House, and from the Government benches reads them concealed in his hat. ("In the Fog" by Richard Harding Davis)

Last lines (last story): "I have committed another crime, Hadley," he said. "I have guessed the truth again."

Top Bloody Secret

 Top Bloody Secret (1969) by Stanley Hyland

When the lights on Big Ben do some odd flickering on a night that Parliament closes early, the Night Custodian of the Houses of Parliament makes a very nasty discovery. Tom Rendle, a new man on the night shift, has been brutally bashed over the head and left seated on the Sergeant-at-Arm's bench in the Chamber. And the ceremonial mace is missing. It doesn't take much to decide what the weapon must have been. It's tricky enough to have to bring Scotland Yard to the seat of politics to investigate the first murder in the House of Commons since 1812. But when the investigation also reveals that a Top Bloody Secret document regarding nuclear secrets and the existence of a new aircraft has been tampered with MI5 has to get involved.

While Scotland investigates the initial murder (and those that follow in its wake), MI5 sends agents to Belgium, German, Greece, and Turkey to try and track the opposition to their source. But it is Sir Hubert Bligh who is sent on a top-secret mission to find out what happened to fellow MP Austin Lombard and to stop a nuclear disaster if he can? But with agents just barely missing out on the capture of enemy agents, explosive (sometimes quite literally) situation following explosive situation, and people on both sides dying right and left, will Bligh be in time?

What we have is a kind of Keystone Cops meets Inspector Clouseau meets a slightly parodied version of James Bond. There are absolutely hilarious interactions between characters and in the efforts of each branch of the investigation (the Yard, MI5, and Parliament) to keep the others in the dark as much as possible. Share information to speed the work? Don't be silly. It all makes for some laugh out loud moments and great commentary on Cold War era espionage in action. But does it make for a great mystery? Not really. 

While the scenes are funny in and of themselves, Hyland switches between players in fast and furious fashion and it makes it difficult to keep up with the action (with or without a scorecard). I was often left behind at the post and struggled to keep track of who was tracking whom and who exactly had the upper hand in each situation. The kaleidoscope of action shifts so often that I was convinced that anything could happen (and so often did), so when what I'm sure was supposed to be a huge surprise happened at the end it didn't surprise near as much as Hyland probably expected it to. The penultimate surprise was actually a bigger shock--but only because, in the frantic shifting about from scene to scene--I couldn't actually remember one of the major participants ever being mentioned before that particular chapter. It was like being told that Elton John was coming to pitch for the Cubs. ("What? I didn't even know that he was in the stadium, let alone that he knew how to play baseball?!)

So, yeah. Not the all-time greatest mystery. But Hyland creates characters and situations that are memorable. There is the makings of a good mystery, but I think he got a little too involved in making the hole-in-corner spy story as convoluted as possible. I'd really like to see what he does with a straight mystery story...if that is to be had in either of his two other detective novels. ★★★

First line (Prologue): The rifle fire was sporadic but getting nearer, and very quickly.

First line (1st chapter): Constable P. Wiltshire of the Metropolitan Police counted the arches of Westminster Bridge.

"They can't."
"Can't be careful! They've got to be."
"They can't send a gunboat. They say they haven't got one handy. They say they're sorry." (Tom Slaughter, agent; Malplaquet, his boss; p 75)

"Just doped." Bligh muttered it. He was wondering what would happen in London if a whole group of M.P.s were found to be doped. The idea began to appeal to him so he brought the shutters down quickly. (p. 111)

The car when it arrived, exactly an hour later, looked as though it ought to be wearing dark glasses. (p. 112)

Last line: "Lucky for some."
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Deaths = 9 (five hit on head; one beheaded; one throat cut; two shot)

The Voice of the Crab

 The Voice of the Crab (1974) by Charlotte Jay (Geraldine Halls)

Synopsis from the book flap (with a few additions--in bold--by me): A man named To'ula returned home to Kipi Island (where only seven people had wrist watches) in the southeastern division of Papua-New Guinea after having three years in prison in Port Moresby for the murder of his wife.

He'd just come back when the Voice of the Crab burned in his body. He fell, foaming  at the lips, onto the sand--and when he regained consciousness he hurried to tell the village elders that he had a message.

There were very few whites who lived in Kipi. Among them was tall, handsome Bruce Harding, the district officer, and his restless though calm-eyed wife, Alice. there was Sam Creeby, who was bitter and suspicious, who kept tinned food locked in a closet, who'd been a partner of a man named Dutch Willy (an undesirable, who had been told to keep away from Kipi). There was Arthur Knox, who'd once been a Queen's conssul, and his proper wife, Elsie, who wore stocking attached to a tight corset--and who lived by the times and mores of proper society. And there was Father Paul and Dr. Maximillian Schramm, a doctor whose skills are rusty and who has spent his life on drink ever since his daughter was raped and murdered. A murder that was never solved...

There was also Ivan West, an anthropologist, who'd been the first to write about the Kipis and their ancient Kula rituals. and who, when he returned to the island, recognized that something was very wrong, and not only because the Kipi chief was mysteriously ill, perhaps dying.

Billed as a mystery/suspense novel written in the 1970s and set in the 1950s on the fictional Papua-New Guinea island of Kipi, this reads to me as really bad social commentary disguised as a really poor mystery. Is there a mystery? Sortof. Are there murders? Sure. But they seem almost incidental. Bruce Harding, the man who's supposed to represent the law on the island (as he likes to remind folks) doesn't really investigate them. Actually, pretty much nobody investigates much of anything. A few of the white inhabitants go searching when people don't show up when/where expected. But they don't look for much in the way of evidence. The one thing they save (saying the officials on the main island will want to see it) probably isn't going to keep very well...Even when we finally find out who did what and why, there is no evidence that justice is going to be served for those who died. I like my mysteries to be given with clues and for the detective (there isn't one here) to arrange for the villain of the piece to get their just desserts. Not happening.

As far as I can tell, the purpose of this novel is to talk about the social effects of the white invasion on the islands of Papua New Guinea. And to discuss the social structure of the native inhabitants and the white settlers. Fine. I'm all for social commentary in its place--especially good social commentary (again, this isn't). If the mystery were stronger and could be linked to the social commentary, then that could work. But don't wrap it up in a flimsy mystery coating and try to pass it off as a "Harper Novel of Suspense." 

I'm having difficulty deciding on the the rating for this one. I keep waffling between one and one & 1/2 stars. But there's no way I'd round it up to two, so I guess I'll just stick to ★.

First line: One evening, just before sunset, a native of the Southeastern Division of Papua-New Guinea, named To'ula, was walking along the water's edge.

Last line: And Alice felt that never, never in her whole life had she been so happy.
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Deaths = 8 (two hit on head; two natural; one of fever; two stabbed; one broken neck)

Dead Babes in the Wood

 Dead Babes in the Wood (Enrollment Cancelled; 1952) by D. B. Olsen (Dolores Hitchens)

Professor A. Pennyfeather, who has five previous mysteries under his belt, finds himself involved with serial killer on the Clarendon College campus. Someone has taken it upon themselves to permanently cancel the enrollment of students perceived to be immoral. The first young woman liked to play with young men's hearts--well, any man's heart. She's got a professor or two in her field of admirers as well. The second young woman was a petty thief; taking nice things because she'd grown up poor. When each stabbed body is found, there is an enrollment card attached stamped boldly with "Enrollment Cancelled." But is there more to the pattern than just immorality? Both women were carrying limited circulation books when they were attacked. Is there a connection? And why are the women missing their shoes? Professor Pennyfeather works with Captain Beems of the police to figure it all out. When a male student (who thinks he knows who the culprit is) is also attacked, the detectives have to adjust their ideas.

 So...I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand, I love me an academic mystery. And I love finding a new academic sleuth. I've read several of Olsen's Rachel Murdock series and enjoyed them, but this is the first of the Pennyfeather books that I've managed to get my hands on. Pennyfeather is a nice, cozy amateur detective who fits right in with my academic sleuth collection. I enjoyed Pennyfeather and his interactions with Captain Breems very much. But the mystery is a bit darker and dangerous than the Murdock series tends to run. Then there is the fact that the culprit just seems too obvious. There's a bit of an effort to throw suspicion in a couple of other directions but, honestly, once a certain scene happens with the culprit I couldn't see anyone else in the role of chief suspect. But even with that I found it difficult to buy the motive ascribed. I can think of a couple of ways that immorality could have been tied to what was given as the actual motive which would have made it more believable.

SPOILER AHEAD 

Just one other small complaint: while we're given some reasoning on the whole limited circulation book thing and how it connects with the murders, we don't really get a clear explanation about the shoes. The shoes tell us why the third victim thought he knew who the culprit is--but Olsen never explains how the shoes fit in. We're never told whether the person the young man thought was the killer (spoiler that person isn't) came moseying along and saw shoes that he could add to his little fetish collection (and incidentally didn't report the murders he stumbled upon) OR if the actual killer had a reason to run off with the shoes. We wait for the other shoe to drop...and it never does.

END SPOILER

 Overall, I enjoyed meeting a new academic sleuth and hope to find more of the Pennyfeather books. This was quick read (finished last week--just couldn't find the time to review before now) and a good first experience with the series. ★★★

First line: She came into the warmth of the library, out of the windy twilight, her eyes sharp and sparkling under the smooth black brows.

Last line: "Thank you," said Mr. Pennyfeather
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Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one warfare)

Who Will Remember

 Who Will Remember (2025) by C. S. Harris (Candice Proctor)

Synopsis (from the book flap):  August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim—Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent’s boon companions—was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. His brutal murder shocks the Palace and panics the already troubled populace.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, learns of the murder from a ragged orphan who leads him to the corpse and then disappears. At first, everyone in the dead man’s orbit paints Lord Preston as a selfless saint. But as Sebastian delves deeper into his life, he quickly realizes that the man had accumulated more than his fair share of enemies, including Major Hugh Chandler, a close friend who once saved Sebastian’s life. Sebastian also discovers that the pious Lord Preston may have been much more dangerous than those he sought to redeem.

As dark clouds press down on the city and the rains fall unceasingly, two more victims are found, one strangled and one shot, with ominous tarot cards placed on their bodies. The killer is sending a gruesome message and Sebastian is running out of time to decipher it before more lives are lost and a fraught post-war London explodes.

Sebastian once again is on the trail--looking for the real culprit behind the killings so the crown (Lord Jarvis) won't just pick a suspect (any suspect--preferably nobody important) and hang him them just to make sure the populace doesn't get any more riled up than they already are. Since Sebastian's friend Hugh Chandler is a public outcast (despite being a war hero) because he ran off with Lord Preston's wife, everyone thinks he'd make a great scapegoat. It doesn't help that Preston refused to divorce her and that her dowry portion will revert to her now that Preston's dead. And, given that Hugh isn't telling Sebastian everything he knows, even Sebastian isn't sure the man didn't do it. But even the magistrate in Jarvis's pocket has to admit that Hugh doesn't really have a motive to kill the other victims...or to leave behind tarot calling cards.Of course, Sebastian does figure it all and assures that the innocent won't pay for the guilty person's crimes. 

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: This is my favorite (current) historical mystery series. It's the one series that I am on the edge of my chair waiting for the next one to come out and then read it as soon as I can get my hands on it. [And then I have to wait a whole year for the next one...] It's a bit darker and more brutal than I generally care for, but I like the characters so much that I don't mind. Sebastian's sense of justice and investigating on behalf of those who might suffer at the hands of the powers that be really appeals to me and I enjoy Hero's efforts at bringing social injustices to the public eye. Speaking of Hero--I'm not a fan of this mysterious person who seems out to get her and if (in a future book) Sebastian loses another person he cares about, I may just lose my mind. He and Hero are so good together that I will be very upset if something happens to her. [I'm still scarred by Elizabeth George and her treatment of Inspector Lynley.]

I'm also sitting here tapping my foot, waiting for Sebastian to finally find out for certain who his father is. There have been all sorts of hints and mentions of a certain person...but is it really him? Will we ever find out? I hope so.

This is a fantastic series. Great characters. Well-done research and I learn something new about the time period every time. Harris manages to teach her readers about history without info dumps and without detracting from the plot. Good mystery plots mixed with a learning experience is a win in my book. ★★★★ and 1/2

First line: The boy stood with his thin shoulders hunched against the cold, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his ragged coat.

Last line: But the French priest simply rested his forefinger beside his nose and winked.
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Deaths = 12 (one hit on head; two shot; two natural; two stabbed; one beheaded; two drowned; one strangled; one neck broken)