google-site-verification: googlef64103236b9f4855.html Philly Reader: November 2013

Friday, November 29, 2013

Seeing is Believing by Carter Dickson: a review

"One night in midsummer, at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, Arthur Fane murdered a ninteen-year-old girl named Polly Allen." So goes the opening line of Seeing is Believing which was written by Carter Dickson which is the pen name of John Dickson Carr who is the master of the puzzle mystery.

Two people knew about the murder. Vicky Fane, his wife, who did not tell anyone, and Hubert Fane, his uncle, who began blackmailing Arthur. Vicky was also trying to hide the fact that she was now in love with Captain Frank Sharpless, just as Arthur was growing quite fond of Ann Browning.

Uncle Hubert arranged a dinner party which would include Arthur, Vicky, Frank Sharpless, Ann Browning and himself. He also invited another interesting guest, Dr. Richard Rich, who was a stage hypnotist. After dinner, Dr. Rich hypnotized one of the members of this party, and a murder occured. I will not tell you who was murdered or how they were murdered because this is one the most curious points in the book. Indeed, it was an impossible crime.

Meanwhile, Sir Henry Merrivale is also in Cheltenham, staying with a friend. HM is dictating his rather racy and scandalous autobiography to the ghost writer, Philip Courtney. Philip is a good friend of Frank Sharpless and thus HM is drawn into investigating this crime. While the investigation was going on, other murder attempts were made. These attempts were also very difficult to explain. It took the incredible thinking skills of Sir Henry Merrivale to find the solution to these impossible crimes.

Unfortunately, this book seems to no longer be in print.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie: a review

Mrs. Boynton was like an obese, obscene spider sitting in the middle of a web in which the members of her family were trapped. She kept them prisoners by the force of her will. They were discouraged from meeting other people or from going out in the world on their own. She controlled their money so that they could not afford to leave her. There was her stepson Lennox who was married to Nadine. This marriage had been arranged by Mrs. Boynton. She had two other stepchildren, Raymond and Carol. Most disturbing of all was her own daughter Ginevra who seem to be escaping into a fantasy world or a complete mental breakdown.

Mrs. Boynton had brought them all on a trip to Jerusalem. Here they would encounter Sarah King, a young doctor who was attracted to Raymond when they first met. Also they would meet Dr. Gerard, a world famous psychiatrist. Dr. Gerard and Sarah were fascinated and appalled by the Boynton family, and could not resist analyzing their relationships.

Also staying at their hotel, was Lady Westholme who was force in English politics. "She was much respected and universally disliked."  Also, there was Miss Pierce, a vague middle-aged woman, and  a famous Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot.

The Boynton family, Sarah, Dr. Gerard, Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce  set off to view the sights of Petra. It was a challenging trip in the 1930's and the traveler could choose to stay in a tent or a cave. On one afternoon, the members of the Boynton family except for Mrs. Boynton and Ginevra set out on a walk to view the sites. Mrs. Boyton was much too large and old to undertake this exercise, and remained behind sitting at the entrance to her cave. She was still sitting here when the members of the group returned. When a servant was dispatched to call Mrs. Boynton to dinner, he found that she was dead.

It was very possible that Mrs. Boynton died of a heart attack, but Colonel Carbury of the police suspects that she was murdered. He calls upon Hercule Poirot to investigate, and Poirot has one day to find the murderer. Poirot interviews all the people who were there on that afternoon. He, of course, arrives at the correct and well reasoned solution of the problem.

This book was published in 1937, and is still available in print and as an ebook.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2014

I am so glad to see this challenge. I will only sign up for the Pike's Peak level which will make a small dent in my TBR pile but that will be something that is badly needed. The rules are given below. For more information, see My Reader's Block.



Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

And the rules:
*Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade.  All books counted for lower mountains may carry over towards the new peak.

*Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2014.

*You may sign up anytime from now until November 30th, 2014.

*Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2014. No ARCs (none), no library books. No rereads. [To clarify--based on a question raised last year--the intention is to reduce the stack of books that you have bought for yourself or received as presents {birthday, Christmas, "just because," etc.}. Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.]
*You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1--provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish in 2014.  I will trust you all on that.

*Books may be used to count for other challenges as well.

*Feel free to submit your list in advance (as incentive to really get those books taken care of) or to tally them as you climb.


*There will be quarterly check-ins and prize drawings!

*A blog and reviews are not necessary to participate. If you have a blog, then please post a challenge sign up and link THAT post (not your home page) into the linky below. Non-bloggers, please leave a comment declaring your challenge level--OR, if you are a member of Goodreads, I will once again put together a group for the challenge there. Feel free to sign up HERE.  And, finally, I will once again have a sidebar link for Progress Reports-->  ***Coming Soon: Reviews may  be posted at links found at Review Headquarters (click link).

Books Read for this challenge:

1. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt

2. Matter by Iain Banks

3. Burning Paradise by Robert Charles Wilson

4. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

5. The Cassandra Project by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick

6. The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

7. Adam and Eve on a Raft: Mystery Stories by Ron Goulart

8. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

9. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

10. The Gilded Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost

11. Fen Country by Edmund Crispin

12. The Human Division by John Scalzi




Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge 2014

I will join the 2014 Golden Mystery Bingo Challenge.  This is hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block. The rules are given below.

* All books must be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.).  The mystery/crime must be the primary feature of the book--ghost stories, paranormal, romance, humor, etc are all welcome as ingredients, but must not be the primary category under which these books would be labeled at the library or bookstore.

*Challengers may play either the Silver Age or Golden Age Card—or both.  For the purposes of this challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Golden Age short story collections (whether published pre-1960 or not) are permissible provided all of the stories included in the collection were originally written pre-1960.  Please remember that some of our Golden Age Vintage authors wrote well after 1959--so keep an eye on the original publication date and apply them to the appropriate card.  Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive).  Again, Silver Age short story collections published later than 1989 are permissible as long as they feature stories first published during the declared Silver Age years and include no stories first published later than 1989.  Yes, I admit my dates are arbitrary and may not exactly meet standard definitions of Golden or Silver Age.

*Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Sign up any time between now and November 30, 2014.  Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge and a little bit about your commitment—if you’re going Silver or Gold…or maybe some of each. Then sign up via one of the linkys found below. And please make the url link to your Challenge post and not your home page. (Links that do not follow this rule will be removed.)  If you decide to go for broke and try to score on both cards, you only need sign up once--pick a card, any card for your link.

*One Free Space per card—you may use your Free Space to cover any spot on the board.  The Free Space book must fulfill one of the categories from the card, but it may fulfill ANY space you like—even a category you have already fulfilled.   For example…if you are having trouble finding a book to meet the “mode of transportation” category, but you really need that space to complete a BINGO then you may read a book that meets any other category on the board and use your Free Space to claim the “mode of transportation” space.

*No double-counting.  A book may not count for both the original category (say, "Woman in the Title") and as the Free Space to replace "mode of transportation."  A second "Woman in the Title" would need to be read to complete the Free Space and replace "mode of transportation."

*BINGOS may be claimed by completing all spaces in a row--horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.  You may also claim a “Four Corner” BINGO by reading a book for each of the four corners plus two more spaces—any two.  A valid BINGO must have six complete spaces.

*Any challenger who completes one BINGO will be entered in a drawing at the end of the year.  Any challenger who completes two or more BINGOs (either from the same card or BINGOs from each card) will automatically be offered a prize from the prize list.  Any challenger who covers a card by completing all categories will automatically be offered a prize from the prize list (as referred to in the "two or more BINGOs" section) PLUS a special surprise bonus.

*The categories are open for interpretation.  Many of these categories were featured in the 2013 version of the challenge and it may help to refer to the 2013 Challenge List.  If you have doubts whether a potential book will meet a category, please email me at phryne1969 AT gmail DOT com.  The “Out of Your Comfort Zone” is absolutely up to you.  For me—that will most likely mean hard-boiled or spy/thriller—but if that’s what you prefer, then you might go for a nice cozy mystery.  *Borrow = from the library, from a friend, using free electronic downloads. In my world “own” means that you have purchased the book (preferably hard copy—but that’s just me, :-)  ) or received it as a present. For more information, see My Reader's Block


Books Read for the Golden Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge:

G1 The Woman in Black by Leslie Ford. A book with a color in the title.

G2 Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh. Read one book set anywhere except the U.S. or England.

G3 The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. A book that features a crime other than murder.

G4  The Case of the Constant Suicides by John Dickson Carr. A locked room mystery.

G5 Old Hall, New Hall by Michael Innes. An academic mystery.

G6 Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh. A book set in the entertainment world.

O1 Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham. A book published under more than one title.

O2 The 9 Dark Hours by Lenore Glen Offord. A book with a number in the title.

O3 Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. A book which features food/cooks in some way.

O4 Meat for Murder by Lange Lewis. A book by an author I've never read before.

O5 Poison in Jest by John Dickson Carr. A book with a method of murder in the title.

O6 The Vanishing of Betty Varian by Carolyn Wells. A book with a woman in the title.

L1 Haunted Lady by Mary Robert Rinehart. A book with a "spooky" title.

L2 The Odor of Violets by Baynard Kendrick. A book that has been made into a movie.

L3 Bodies in a Bookshop by R. T. Campbell. A book with an amateur detective.

L4 The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth. A book with a man in the title.

L5 The Clue of the Judas Tree by Leslie Ford. A country house mystery.

L6 The After House  by Mary Roberts Rinehart. A book which involves a mode of transportation (a yacht).

D1 Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh. A book by an author that I have read before.

D2 The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner. A book with a lawyer.

D3 Mr. Bazalgette's Agent by Leonard Merrick. A book which has been read by a fellow challenger.

D4 One Man Show by Michael Innes. A book with a professional detective.

D5 Fatal Venture by Freeman Wills Crofts. A book which involves water.

D6 The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips Oppenheim. A book outside my comfort zone.

E1 Death Takes a Bow by Richard and Francis Lockridge. A book with a detective team.

E2 Spring Harrowing by Phoebe Atwood Taylor. A book with a time, day, month, etc. in the title.

E3 Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon. A book that is translated.

E4 The Old Man in the Corner  by Baroness Orczy. A short story collection.

E5 Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay. A book set in England.

E6 Murder is Served by Francis and Richard Lockridge. A book which I had to borrow.

N1 The Murderer is a Fox by Ellery Queen.  A book with an animal in the title.

N2 The Lake District Murder by John Bude. A book with a place in the title.

N3 The Tall House Mystery by A. E. Fielding. A book with a size in the title.

N4 While the Patient Slept by Mignon G. Eberhart.  A book which features a doctor or nurse.

N5 There's Trouble Brewing by Nicholas Blake. A book written by an author with a pseudonym.

N6 The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine. A book set in the United States.