Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I am a long-time fan of Agatha Christie, especially of her stories featuring the elderly spinster Jane Marple.  With her sharp eye and keen intellect, she could ferret out connections on what would seem to be the flimsiest of clues. Her great gift is seeing patterns of behavior that she applies to people no matter their station in life: the eldest son of a duke might well make a decision similar to one made by the butcher’s boy in the same situation.

Her other advantage is that no one takes an elderly woman seriously.  They’re apt to accidentally reveal more than they intend to the fluffy old dear who is more than capable of using that information to solve whatever crime is afoot.

When a collection of new Miss Marple stories by contemporary authors was announced. I was excited but wary. I am quite fond of Miss Marple and I had some qualms about how she would be treated. On the other hand, I liked the idea of a collection of short stories: at times I really like having something to read that tells an entire story in just a few pages so that I have a handy stopping point.  Short stories are an art form:  not everyone can manage to introduce characters and tell a story in a short space.

As it turned out, most of my fears were groundless.  I felt every author respected the source material and turned out some entertaining tales.  Admittedly, some were more successful than others for me; I sometimes had trouble picturing the elderly detective in the more unusual locales, but all were well plotted.  Many used Miss Marple’s nephew, Raymond West, as an excuse to get her out of St. Mary Mead, and a few used other reoccurring characters.

I was familiar with some of the authors already (Ruth Ware, Elly Griffiths, Lucy Foley, Val McDermid, Alyssa Cole) but others were new to me.  A couple I have noted as authors to look for in the future.

If I had to pick a favorite story, it would probably be “The Second Murder at the Vicarage” by Val McDermid which uses the setting and characters from the first Miss Marple novel The Murder at the Vicarage.  McDermid had me from the first sentence, which is a re-working of an Oscar Wilde line. 

In short, I found this to be a very enjoyable collection which has prompted me to re-read some of the original novels.  

Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler

 

We do not have a Nevermore report for today, so we're digging into the archives for some old posts you may not have seen.  This one is from 2013, with an update following the review.

Reviewed by Jeanne

Having stepped on a few toes too man, the Peculiar Crimes Unit has been disbanded and its members scattered hither and yon—at least until a headless corpse is discovered in a politically sensitive area at a politically sensitive time.  They have less than a week to solve the case, and they have to do so without any real authority, no access to official channels and an office without a working toilet but with a rather large pentagram.

This was the first time I’d tried a book in this series and I harbor the very strong suspicion that if I had deliberately set out to pick the worst possible place to start, it would be this book.  There are too many characters I’m supposed to know about already and I had trouble keeping them all straight.  There were a number of scenes which I knew were probably Very Significant but I didn’t know why.  On the other hand, I did keep reading because I enjoyed the writing and the fascinating bits of London history that were constantly being dropped.  I don’t recall ever hearing about the Saint Pancras Old Church before, but it plays a major role in the story; if I ever get back to London, I want to pay a visit.

By the end I was admiring the way that Bryant and May both reached a conclusion through very different routes:  one from the realm of superstitions and strange forces and the other from very solid, non-mystical means, and no way to saying which one was right.  In fact they were both a bit right and both a bit wrong:  that’s quite a balancing act.

If you like your mysteries to be very British, with large dollops of history, folklore, clever observations and humor, this might just be the book for you but you probably should start with one of the earlier books.  Personally, I’m intrigued enough to try another in the series.

2024 Update

I did indeed try more books in this series, and found them most enjoyable.  I really love all the London history packed into the stories as well as mythology and folklore.  I have told people that this could double as a guidebook in some instances; in fact, Fowler wrote a book entitled Bryant and May:  Peculiar London which is described as “a magical mystery tour of London” which May describes as being both personal and unreliable, and which I would describe as a lot of fun.  Fowler's sense of humor delights me, and his use of two elderly detectives guiding the investigations of a distinctly off-beat department charms me every time.

I am slowly reading the rest of the series.  Christopher Fowler passed away in 2023, so I am trying to make the series last.  I will be sad to read the final chapter.

Another fantasy series set in London that packs a lot of information and folklore into its stories is Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London.  I would strongly suggest reading this one in order because there is a lot of world-building involved in addition to character growth and change.

New Fiction In April!

Arceneaux, Danielle Glory Daze (Glory Broussard) 

Baldacci, David Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel 

Barnes, S.A. Cold Eternity 

Bartz, Julia The Last Session 

Blake, Olivie Gifted & Talented 

Chiaverini, Jennifer The World’s Fair Quilt 

Graham, Heather The Murder Machine

Graves, Sarah Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin (Death by Chocolate)

 Hannon, Irene Sunrise Reef (Hope Harbor) 

Harris, C.S. Who Will Remember? 

Hart, Emilia The Sirens 

Henry, Emily Great Big Beautiful Life 

Hillerman, Anne Shadow of the Solstice (Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito)

Holton, India The Geographer’s Map to Romance (Love’s Academic) 

Jance, J.A. Overkill (Ali Reynolds) 

Jimenez, Abby Say You’ll Remember Me 

Landau, A.J. Cold Burn 

Martin, Charles The Keeper 

Natsukawa, Sosuke The Cat Who Saved the Library 

O’Leary, Beth Swept Away

Patterson, James 25 Alive (Women’s Murder Club) 

Patterson, James and Candice Fox 2 Sisters Murder Investigations

Penner, Sarah The Amalfi Curse 

Perrin, Kristen How to Seal Your Own Fate 

Prose, Nita The Maid’s Secret 

Sandford, John Lethal Prey 

Shelton, Paige Written in Stone 

Snelling, Lauraine Land of Dreams 

Steel, Danielle A Mind of Her Own 

Sullivan, Matthew Midnight in Soap Lake 

Sutanto, Jesse Q. Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) 

Taylor, Brad Into the Gray Zone 

Thayer, Nancy Summer Light on Nantucket 

Weiner, Jennifer The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits

Death Writes: An Inishowen Mystery by Andrea Carter

 

Death Writes:  An Inishowen Mystery by Andrea Carter

Reviewed by Jeanne

Benedicta O’Keeffe, better known as Ben, is a solicitor in Glendara, a town on the Irish Inishowen Peninsula.  When a concerned neighbor contacts her expressing concern that there are strangers living in Ben’s parents’ home.  Ben and her boyfriend, police officer Tom Molloy, travel to Dublin to see exactly what is going on. She finds her parents to be somewhat evasive about their lodger, who seems to be exerting a great deal of influence on the older couple. Ben talks her parents into coming to Inishowen for a visit, hoping they will open up if the stranger isn’t around.  As an enticement, she tells them that reclusive author Gavin Featherstone is going to make an appearance at the Glendara literary festival—the first time he’s done a public appearance in years. Unfortunately, Featherstone collapses while on stage and is pronounced dead. But is it natural causes or murder?

The Inishowen mysteries are all solid mysteries with a strong sense of place, but cozy readers might not find them as warm and fuzzy as they expect.  They’re not especially dark, just more straightforward mysteries. Relationships certainly play a role but aren’t necessarily central to the plot, but the solution is character driven.  It’s not exactly a “follow the clues” sort of mystery, but the solution makes sense. There are also a couple of neat plot twists thrown in for good measure.

While I have read others in this series, I don’t think you have to have read any others to enjoy this one. The story arc about Ben’s family relationships has extended over other books, but there’s enough information that a new reader would not be lost.  I like the series for the Irish setting from an Irish point of view.  Carter’s pacing is good; she balances the two mysteries and the personal relationships well, so that the storylines never drag.  I like Ben; she’s level-headed, professional, and competent, and her participation in the mysteries are always related to her profession, so her involvement is plausible.  

Others in the series are:

Death at Whitewater Church

Treacherous Strand

The Wall of Ice

Murder at Greysbridge

The Body Falls

Death Writes

 

Nevermore: Cure for Women, Mighty Red, How Hitler Could Have Won WWII, Obitchuary

 

Nevermore March 18, 2025

Reported by Kristin

One of our Nevermore members read The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever by Lydia Reeder, finding it to be very informative. The book discusses both early female medical practitioners and some of the unspeakable treatments given to women suffering from “hysteria”. Dr. Jacobi became one of the first women accepted into the Sorbonne medical school, and her scientific research made waves in the male dominated field. – AH - 5 stars.

Another reader enjoyed The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich. Set in the prairies of North Dakota, this is a tale of Gary, in love with Kismet, who also has another man in love with her. Erdich combines love, farming, natural resources, secrets, hallucinations, and more into another of her sweeping sagas. Our reader said that this wasn’t her favorite Erdrich book, but she just couldn’t give the beloved author anything less than 4 stars. – MH – 4 stars

Returning to non-fiction, another reader had a disappointing experience with How Hitler Could Have Won WWII: The Fatal Errors That Led to Nazi Defeat by Bevin Alexander. While it looked promising when he bought it used for only $2, our reader found that the military history was only “skin deep” and many facts were skimmed over and skipped entirely in this volume. – RR – 0 stars

Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes brought a few laughs to the table as one member explained that this was a very good book about what happens to your remains after you die. Our reader had formerly worked in a hospice, so was able to look at some of the history and traditions through her own experiences. From cremation to what the authors call FUNerals, the writing is funny in parts, while also exploring how those left behind remember their late loved ones. – KM – 5 stars

Also mentioned:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Dog by Amy Newmark

Presto!: How I Made over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette

Horizons: Exploring Creation by Luci Shaw

Lulu Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Modigliani by Alfred Werner

North River by Pete Hamill

 

New books:

How to Share An Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert

You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby

Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux

A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucille Ball by Sarah Royal

 

Reviewed by Christy

            Thanks to Nick at Nite, I’ve been a lifelong I Love Lucy fan. But, for whatever reason, it wasn’t until I came across Sarah Royal’s A.K.A. Lucy that I finally picked up a biography of Lucille Ball. (I’m sure the eye-catching cover helped, too.) A wonderful hybrid of a coffee table book and a biography, A.K.A. Lucy is a delightful, engaging read.

            In the introduction, Royal explains that this is not a typical biography. In it, Lucille’s life is not documented chronologically but instead by categories: early life, movie career, marriage, tv career, children, etc. I really liked this approach. It kept it interesting and plus, it was nice reading about Desi and Lucy “back together again” in the tv section after just reading about their divorce in the marriage section. It’s also just a stunning book to look at. Gorgeous photos and pops of color from the graphics make it a treat to flip through.

            I also enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Lucille’s real personality. She was known for being brusque in real life but according to Royal, she certainly did not like hurting anyone’s feelings and admired Desi’s ability to give negative feedback in a gentle way. A skill she just did not possess. She also didn’t think she was very funny either, for that matter. What she was was a hard worker. She never claimed any natural talent but instead attributed her success to her relentless work and rehearsals. I, however, do think she was naturally funny because this anecdote from the book made me laugh out loud:

[A friend] recounted a memory of being on set when everyone was particularly chatty after lunch and director Bruce Bilson was trying to get everyone to be quiet so they could resume rehearsal. Bilson pointed at various people in turn, saying, “I don’t care what YOU had for lunch, or what YOU had for lunch,” until his frustrated hollering hushed everyone up. “Everyone sat there, mouths shut, afraid of making another peep…but then about 15 seconds later, Lucy opened her mouth and cried out, “I had the salmon!”

            I’m sorry, Lucy, but that is funny. And since everyone around her cracked up after this, I’m not the only one who thinks so!

            This is a great read and starting point for any Lucy fan who may be intimidated by the overabundance of Lucy books to sort through. I think I’ll even purchase a copy for my coffee table.

Displeasure Island by Alice Bell

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Sometimes Claire Hendricks would really just like a moment to herself, but unfortunately that rarely happens. Since her BFF died when they were seventeen, Claire always has Sophie tagging along. Ghost Sophie, that is. They are tethered together with some invisible force, and that can get a little weird when others see her talking to . . . air. And it’s not just Sophie who Claire can see, she can see other ghosts too, including long dead pirates and the like.

Claire and her friends Basher and Alex have a chance to vacation at a new resort on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. They were to be the only guests, but unfortunately the owner was unaware of their booking and brought out a group of her own friends for a reunion. At least Basher and Alex do know about Sophie, but not so the other guests. Everyone tries to get along though.

Until the first dead body drops.

This is a classic locked room murder mystery with all players being fair suspects, but with a wicked edge of modern humor. With possible romance(s) brewing and everyone questioning who they can trust, it’s a fun romp across the desolate shorelines racing to beat incoming tides. With bands of ghost pirates looking to control a secret buried treasure, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Or a limb. Or a life.

Laugh out loud funny (as long as you don’t take your mysteries too seriously) this was an enjoyable read. The cover has a bit of a Scooby Doo vibe for me, with four figures (including one partially transparent) staring across a cove at ghostly figures approaching a crumbling castle. Definitely fluff, but I’d give it four sparkling stars.