September was a good and nicely varied reading month. I finished one series and started a new one. I read a fascinating book about the origins of words and customs associated with Christmas, a thriller everybody appears to be raving about, and two Dutch titles. As I said a varied month.

PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY AND OTHER STORIES by Agatha Christie (4*)

Two stories each featuring Parker Pine, Hercule Poirot, and Harley Quin as well as two stand-alone stories that aren’t mysteries. A thoroughly enjoyable collection. Having said that, I would advise dog lovers to steer clear of the story titled Next to a Dog.

 WORDS CHRISTMAS GAVE US by Grace Tierney (5*) NF

More than just a Christmas-themed lexicon, Words Christmas Gave Us is also a well-written, easy-to-read, and captivating work of non-fiction. Some words, such as gizzard and the aforementioned salmangundi, were new to me while I also found myself learning more about words and customs I considered myself familiar with. For a longer review please click on the link: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/09/words-christmas-gave-us-by-grace-tierney.html

 WE SOLVE MURDERS (We Solve Murders #1) by Richard Osman (5+*)

Take one private security officer thriving on danger (Amy Wheeler), a retired cop enjoying a very quiet life (Steve Wheeler), and a best-selling author up for just about anything (Rosie D’Antonio), throw in dead bodies, bags filled with money, and a death-threat or two, and you may well find yourself on a caper taking you from the New Forest to Dubai via South Carolina and Ireland.

Richard Osman has done it again. He’s created another madcap adventure featuring fascinating and captivating MCs and filled it with a lot of heart and some inspiring pearls of wisdom. Now I find myself desperately waiting for both the next Thursday Murder Club book and the sequel to this gem.

 DE COCK IN HET KORT (4 short stories) by A.C. Baantjer (4*)

There are only 46 pages in this bonus publication. What makes them special that they were all written by Baantjer in himself and not by Peter Römer who has taken over de De Cock series twenty titles ago. The four stories are fun and original with the fourth one being extra special since it is a meeting between De Cock and Baantjer, his creator.

 THE COMFORT OF GHOSTS (Maisie Dobbs #18) by Jacqueline Winspear (4+)

The latest and last title in the series set in the immediate aftermath of WW II sees Maisie Dobbs/Scott deal with several of the consequences of that conflict as well as some ghosts from her personal past while also focussing on the future and the way ahead for her and those she loves. Or, to quote the last sentence of the book:

“In that moment, she felt lighter, leaving the past behind, as if Fate had asked her to take one final look across the landscape of years, before turning her head towards the future and the building of a new house.”

 THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager (4*)

A severely disabled woman suspected of having murdered her family decades earlier decides to tell her story to her troubled live-in caregiver, one typed letter at a time. As her story and the plot thicken the house where it all happened, Hope’s End, crumbles. A real page-turner but also a reminder of why I’m not a huge fan of thrillers. In order to really enjoy a book, I need to understand the MC(s) and in most thrillers, as in this one, the choices they make and the way in which they behave are too far-fetched for me to become fully invested in the story.

 DE COCK EN DE MOORD OP AFSPRAAK (De Cock #95) by Peter Römer (4*).

The title of this Dutch mystery translates as: De Cock and the Murder By Appointment.

A producer of a popular television programme is murdered in his apartment and a short time later a gossip reporter is strangled in a movie theatre. The two, apparently unconnected, cases bring De Cock face to face with the world of showbiz and for a long time, he’s like a fish out of water. As always a wonderful cozy police procedural set in Amsterdam. What’s not to love?

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin

The Val & Arbie Mysteries #1

336 pages

Publisher: HQ

Publishing date: January 4, 2024

Release Date Paperback: September 26, 2024

Netgalley

 

Blurb

As the sun rises over the Cotswolds village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh, at the Old Forge a cry of anguish goes up. Lady of the house Amy Phelps has been found dead – but with all the windows and doors to her room locked, how – and by who – was she killed?

Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift finds himself in the unlikely position of investigating. The author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Good Ghost Hunting – an excuse for Arbie to indulge his love of travel funded by the owners of country houses who hear the supernatural in every creak and echo – might be more used to dealing with the long dead, but as he’s currently staying at the Old Forge to investigate a suspected spectre, Amy’s murder falls to him too.

With old friend Val, he begins to dig into the old lady’s death, and soon uncovers a sorry tale of altered wills, secret love affairs and tragic losses. But when a second victim is killed, Arbie has to find the killer fast – and to do so will mean cracking the most ingeniously plotted murder…

Review

What an utterly delightful and clever mystery we have here. Allow me to set the scene.

The year is 1924 and we find ourselves in Maybury-in-the-Marsh in the middle of the Cotswolds. Mr. Arbuthnot (Arbi) Lancelot Swift is a young man of independent means who has been raised by his eccentric uncle and has recently acquired a minor form of celebrity after writing and publishing a book titled A Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting. As far as Arbi is concerned, the book and its subject are mostly a joke, but he isn’t overly surprised when he’s approached by Miss Amy Phelps, a local spinster who asks him to inspect the Old Forge, her manor house. She has been plagued by mysterious noises and occurrences lately and wants to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Arbi, is less than enthusiastic about the prospect since he had other, far more relaxing plans for his days and nights.

‘Whilst it behoved one to help out one’s neighbours when called upon, of course, it was not something a chap actively encouraged.’

He is about to worm his way out of this invitation but finds his escape route blocked by Valentina Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, the vicar’s daughter who is also a lifelong acquaintance of Arbi’s. Unsurprisingly, her curiosity is piqued as soon as she hears the words ‘ghostly goings on’ and next thing Arbi knows, she’s accepted an invitation to tea at the Old Forge for both of them.

At the Old Forge, Arbi and Valentina meet the other inhabitants of the big house. There is Jane Brockhurst, Miss Phelps’ housekeeper of about 30 years, Mrs. Cora Delaney, Miss Phelps friend, Reggie Bickersworth, another houseguest, Phyllis Thomas, Miss Phelp’s niece and Murray Phelps, her nephew.

While Arbi and Valentina’s initial night-time investigation reveals nothing, a later over-night vigil at the Old Forge ends with Miss Phelps found murdered in her bed. The question of who might have killed her is overshadowed by the mystery as to how it was done since her bedroom was locked…from the inside. Unable to resist temptation, Arbi and Valentina decide to investigate what happened while trying not to get in the way of, or send away by Inspector Bernard Gorringe.

I would love to get into the ins and outs of Arbi and Valentina’s journey to the solution. It’s filled with clues, red herrings, wonderful dialogue, and delicious sniping between our two amateur investigators. But no matter how much fun it would be to share those wonders with you, it would also thoroughly spoil the story, so I’ll reign myself in and stop my summary here.

What I can say is that Murder by Candelight is delightful book. From the very start of this story, I recognised how closely it matches mysteries written during the Golden Age of Mystery by authors such as Agatha Christie. The manor house setting combined with the locked room closed circle set-up took me right back to that era of amazing whodunnits. I smiled widely when Arbie says something similar while referring to ‘that Belgian chap with spats. You know, the one in the books. With his grey cells’. Having said that, Albie and Valentina reminded me of Tommy and Tuppence more than Hercule Poirot.

I do hope that Arbi and Valentina will follow in Tommy and Tuppence’s footsteps and involve themselves in further mysteries. They are wonderful together. I loved the way they snipe at each other, how much they exasperate each other, and how it is obvious to all except the persons in question that their feelings go much deeper than they are willing to acknowledge.

Apart from being an amazing and well-plotted mystery, Murder by Candlelight is also very well written, filled with fascinating characters and sparkling dialogue, and a very smooth and hard-to-put-down story. I liked that the point of view changed between players in this story, allowing me to get a better idea of who the participants were and of their motivations, although I can’t say it also helped me figure out the solution before it was presented.

Long review short: Murder by Candlelight is a delightful traditional locked room mystery. The (main) characters are fascinating, the police inspector not as foolish as we sometimes see, and the clues and red herrings kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Golden-Age-of-Mystery-style books.

Words Christmas Gave Us by Grace Tierney

Pages: 223

Publisher: Wordfoolery Press

Release Date: September 9, 2024

 

Blurb

“Words Christmas Gave Us” unwraps the stories behind the season, via festive words from advent to yule and grinch to scurryfunge.

This book, the third in the series, explores the influence of Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Tudors, Dickens, and of course Santa Claus on worldwide traditions, merry music, decorations, feasts, and more. Discover why Jean-Paul Sartre wrote a nativity play, when Jingle Bells was sung in space, who gave us gingerbread houses, what Christmas decoration used to contain false teeth, and how a newspaper typo started Santa tracking.

Pull on your Santa hat, make a wish, and dive into the words and history of Christmas.

Ideal for word geeks, Christmas enthusiasts, and anybody who’s ever said Bah Humbug or Ho Ho Ho.

 

Review

Words Christmas Gave Us, is, as the title and the blurb suggest a book all about words about and relating to Christmas. Over the course of thirteen chapters with titles ranging from Christmas Feasting to Salmangundi a host of Christmas-related words and customs, presented in alphabetical order within each chapter, are introduced and explained.

While that description of this book is accurate, it doesn’t do the wonders you’ll find on its pages justice. By the time I finished reading I had six pages of handwritten notes. Don’t worry, I won’t be sharing all of them here. After all, I don’t want to spoil the joy of discovering where words and customs originated for you. But if you’ve ever wondered why there are no figs in figgy pudding or mince in mince pies, if you’re curious about where the idea of a flying sleigh originally came from, or surprised to hear that there are two types of chestnut tree in Ireland and that only one of them produces edible chestnuts, this might well be the book for you. In fact, if you’re still trying to figure out what on earth the salmangundi I mentioned in the previous paragraph might be, you should pick up a copy of Words Christmas Gave Us.

Apart from a Christmas-themed Lexicon, Words Christmas Gave Us is a well-written, easy-to-read, and captivating work of non-fiction. Some words, such as gizzard and the aforementioned salmangundi (yes, I fell in love with that word), were new to me while I also found myself learning more about words and customs I considered myself familiar with.

This book can easily be read and enjoyed from cover to cover but would work just as well if you prefer to dip in and out based on what particular Christmas-related word or custom you’re curious about. I can see myself returning to these pages in the future for a reminder or to double-check something. And if there is a better Christmas present for any person in your life with an interest in words and their origins I have yet to find it. I am sure the logophile in your life would only be too happy to spend their twixtmas between the covers of this captivating book.

  

August Reads

 

August was a good reading-month with eight books from a variety of genres and in two different languages. What's more, there wasn't a bad story among these titles.

MURDER IN AN IRISH VILLAGE (Irish Village Mystery #1) by Carlene O'Connor (3.5*)

After her parents’ untimely death in a car accident, Siobhan O’Sullivan is trying to keep the family’s bistro afloat and her siblings under control when a man is found sitting in the bistro with pink scissors protruding from his chest. When her brother is accused of the murder, Siobhan decides to investigate. I liked the book well enough but didn’t love it. For starters, it could have done with an extra round of editing. It also read like a book written specifically for the American market. The Irishness of the characters and the language they use felt like a parody.

A RECIPE FOR MURDER by G.S. Revel Burroughs (5*)

A clever, well-written, and captivating mystery. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and found it difficult to put my Kindle down.

A SUNLIT WEAPON (Maisie Dobbs #17) by Jacqueline Winspear (4.5*)

Much more than ‘just’ a mystery as what starts out as a local investigation into somebody taking potshots at spitfires and shooting at least one out of the sky meets international intrigue involving Eleanor Roosevelt. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this Maisie Dobbs story.

ONE BAD APPLE by Jo Jakeman (4.5*)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is smooth, and the story captured my attention from the start. The characters in this book were recognisable as were the interactions between them. At times reading the book was a little like watching a car crash in slow motion as slowly but steadily relationships and reputations unravel. All of it kept me captivated from the opening paragraphs until the surprising and unconventional ending.

A FRONT-PAGE MURDER (Poppy Danby Investigates #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith (4*)

Previously published under the title The Jazz Files. While this is more a crime caper than a mystery and I did roll my eyes on quite a few occasions while reading A Front Page Murder, I had a hard time putting this book down. This story is pure entertainment for anybody who enjoys their mysteries with a generous helping of shenanigans. And while I think I prefer the Miss Clara Vale mysteries by this author, I’m pretty sure I’ll return to Poppy Denby’s adventures before too long.

FRIENDS OF DOROTHY by Sandi Toksvig (5+*)

I adored this book. It’s almost certainly going to be (one of) my favourite book(s) this year and goes straight to my ‘extra-special’ list. There is so much to love on these pages. Quirky and charming characters, lively dialogue, and not a boring moment, make this a memorable read. Friends of Dorothy is a delightful book! So much so that I want to live in Grimaldi Square, be part of that world, and become one of Dorothy’s friends.

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart (4*)

A story about four teenagers told by one of them, Cadence, as she tries to remember what happened two years previously. As the title of the book indicates, we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator; one who isn’t telling the (whole) truth, even to herself because her memory fails her. When the truth eventually emerges it comes as a huge shock, both to Cadence and to the reader. The writing was a bit flowery and over-descriptive to my liking at times but, given that the story is written from a teenager’s perspective and that teenagers are prone to exaggerating, I guess it fits the story.

GA JE ER OVER SCHRIJVEN? (ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE ABOUT IT?) by Herman Koch (4.5*)

A memoir/autobiography inspired by the author’s diagnosis with terminal prostate cancer but about so much more than just the disease and how he deals with it. I recognised a lot in what he wrote and not just in the passages about cancer but also in those about his parents, grief, and writing to name but a few.

Four of these titles have release dates in September and longer reviews can be found by clicking on the titles.:

A Recipe for Murder - September 9

One Bad Apple - September 19: 

A Front-Page Murder - September 24: 

Friends of Dorothy - September 26: