Set sail for murder

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Another Police Procedural

     Elizabeth George writes English police procedural even though she lives in America, born in Warren, Ohio. She maintains a flat in England to help her with her research. I just finished her first novel, " A Great Deliverance" with the characters Thomas Lynley as Inspector and Barbara Havers as his partner. A great novel with a psychological study to keep the mystery intriguing. With  Agatha Christie as her model, George writes the crime novel without the suspense that is usually found in the more gritty thrillers. There is a who-dun-it aspect of the novel, but the story meanders through the personal histories of the detectives and their colleagues. Her first novel was a great success winning the Anthony and the Agatha awards for best first novel. She has continued her series successfully with seventeen more mysteries in the psychological suspense genre. This was a wonderful introduction to the series and I hope to check out some of the PBS television series based on her characters as well.
    In this story Barbara Havers is taken off the street patrol duty to give her another chance as detective. She is furious and hates being partnered with Thomas Lynley, a complicated character who is of the titled gentry. Told to learn something from Lynley, Havers stutters through the beginning days, trying hard to keep up the appearance of cooperating, but the strain is too hard on her.Their case is the decapitation of a farmer in York, whose only witness is his daughter who confesses to the crime and then is put into an asylum. Lynley is unsure of her guilt and wants to understand the town and its inhabitants and the incongruity of a daughter using a ax to kill her father. This is a study of the village life and the mysteries of the villagers. Lynley wants to know who is lying and why. The story contains a runaway mother and a runaway sister to the accused. What they discover only adds to the horror of the decapitation.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Police Procedurals

I have been keeping up with my reading, just stuck on the police procedural by English authors, the latest being Jerusalem Inn by Martha Grimes. She has the knack of writing literary mysteries, an unusual accomplishment. Her main character, Richard Jury, the single Superintendent of Scotland Yard manages to throw in Greek characters and comparisons that go over the head of most of his companions, and mine too. This was a good mystery, it included the setting of an old English home snowed in for Christmas with a houseful of guests and a body found in the snow. The story had all the makings of an Agatha Christie mystery, only this was 1982 not 1932. Most of Martha Grimes novels are named after pubs in England and this was no different, Jerusalen Inn was within skiing distance to the home where the characters gathered for questioning, a good read.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I love to knit

Just wanted to share a link to http://www.loveofknitting.com/blog/ a knitting blog that interests me. It is afffiliated with the magazine "Love of Knitting". I have been instructing people in various techniques of knitting, the latest was teaching some ladies how to knit socks on four needles. Loved that experience.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Finding a new book to read

Looking for a new book can be quite daunting, which is why the libraries have the Reader's Advisory, either in person, or a a website such as Novelist. I tried to read " A Brew to a Kill: A Coffeehouse Mystery," by Cleo Coyle but couldn't get caught up in all the fancy writing. Maybe there are just a little too many quips and jargon-filled fodder for my taste. The author seemed to think that a smart remark was needed in every sentence. It was just a little too off-putting for me. Now then, maybe if I had started at the beginning of the series I would find that it what I was expecting. I'll have to try the first one to compare. So, I was waiting for Ian Rankin's next on my list of titles in order, "Tooth and Nail." His prose was just what I expected, the language flows, there is enough of unknown words and sayings. Because he is Scottish those new phrases pique my interest. I like learning something new. I always thought that his books would be a bit too edgy for me, but because someone likened Rebus to Cynthia Harrod- Eagles' character, Bill Slider, I thought I'd take a go at his works. Rebus is the main character, another CID, a member of the Criminal Investigation Department. In this book he is called in to be an expert in a London investigation of a serial killer. Usually he is based in Edinburgh, where the author lives. His last case was a serial killer and now the expectations are high for him to help with the investigation. Four murders have already taken place, and he is here to find the clues that link the victims to the killer. There is a visit to his ex-wife and daughter while he is in London, and an fairly interesting psychologist, Lisa Frazer to add more depth and romance to the storyline. I am only halfway through, but it is proving to be a page-turner.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths has written three novels in the Ruth Galloway mystery series that I have read. I like to read a series in order, so I have read "The Crossing Places,' "the Janus Stone," and "The House at Sea's End." All take place off the coast of England in a town called Norfolk. From the description of the area it seems rather desolate, but Norfolk is actually a large town with many colleges. The University of North Norfolk where Dr. Galloway teaches is a fictitious university. From wikipedia I read that there is a large section of Norfolk that is under the protection of the Broads authority and is a National Park. Much of Elly Griffiths' story is the atmosphere of the lonely, desolate areas of Norfolk, often being part of an archeology dig. This is how Ruth enters the story, finding bones in a dig brings her expertise in forensic archeology into play. Griffiths knows her area well as it is a key character in the story. Griffiths brings in interesting characters, building each story with more of their background. There is a mixture of religion, as Ruth's parents are born again Christians, which Ruth rejects. Druid Carthbad appears in every story as a friend of Ruth's, and Catholic DCI Nelson from the police has his own story as well. One gets a taste of the cultural and social life in Norfolk. It is an interesting series with something new to learn in every book without being too academic. From Elly Griffiths' website I find there are two more novels in the series I haven't read, so I have something to look forward to. A great series for the anglophile that I am.