Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts

Tuesday

Parker Pyne Investigates - Book Review



I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Parker Pyne Investigates


1934


Description



A collection of short stories featuring the ‘heart specialist’, Parker Pyne.
Mrs Packington felt alone, helpless and utterly forlorn. But her life changed when she stumbled upon an advertisement in The Times which read: ‘ARE YOU HAPPY? IF NOT, CONSULT MR PARKER PYNE’.
Equally adept at putting together the pieces of a marriage or the fragments of a murder mystery, Mr Parker Pyne was possibly the world’s most unconventional private eye – and certainly its most charming.







My Thoughts



This is the 22nd book by Agatha Christie and the 1st Parker Pyne Book 


I love this book.

I know I'm a Christie fan but this is one of my favourite books of hers.

Soft hearted Parker Pyne (but with a strict eye for a business which of course must make a profit) just has to be liked.

Usually we are reading murder mysteries by Miss Christie but this time we are reading mystery adventures which are not really mysteries but 
are the best adventures for the people who turn to Parker Pyne.

He simply solves your problems that are making you unhappy - who could not like that type of person.

An easy book of short stories to enjoy and relax with.




If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.













Partners in Crime - Book Review

Disclaimer:
There is an affiliate link on this blogpost.


I am trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.

  





Partners in Crime. 


1929  
A Book of short stories.
Detectives - Tommy & Tuppence



Shelfari Description

Tommy and Tuppence take over a detective agency and assume the methods of such great fictional detectives as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot to solve case after case...








My Thoughts

This is the 11th book by Agatha Christie and the Second one  involving Tommy & Tuppence who are now married.

Although the pair's previous book  "The Secret Adversary" was a full length novel this one is a series of short stories about their new life as Private Investigators - Mr Blunt and his assistant Miss Robinson.  15 completely different short stories all set around the Detective Agency that Tommy and Tuppence have taken over.  

Something that I particularly liked was the fact that this pair were not perfect and in fact made some quite wrong assumptions at times.

Albert is back in this book as well adding an extra bit of humour to the delicious atmosphere of the Tommy & Tuppence relationship


I adored the book and sat up late at night saying

 "just one more story and then I'll go to sleep" 

but that wasn't true at all, I just kept reading on.  







 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Shelfari
Books by Agatha Christie






Disclaimer:
If buying through Amazon via the link above I get a little commission but that does not mean any extra expense to you.




Saturday

The Temporary Detective - Book Review



I need to state clearly to start with that I was not given a free copy of this book to read in return for my review.

I did not need to request this as I was able to get the ebook on Amazon for free.

That was however a few years ago (even though I only read it last month) and at the time of writing this review it is available for £1.99 but if interested keep an eye and it could well be offered free again.








AMAZON Book Description

Phones, light typing…and murder. 

Think breaking into show business is hard? Try landing a temp job without office skills. That’s the challenge facing aspiring actress Isobel Spice when she arrives in New York City, fresh out of college and deficient in PowerPoint. After being rejected by seven temp agencies for her lack of experience, Isobel sweet-talks recruiter James Cooke into letting her cover a last-minute vacancy at a bank. New to his own job, and recently sober, James takes a chance on Isobel, despite his suspicion that she’s a trouble-magnet. His misgivings are borne out by lunchtime, when she stumbles across a dead secretary in a bathroom stall. With her fingerprints on the murder weapon, Isobel sets out to prove her innocence by investigating the crime herself. While learning to juggle phone lines and auditions, she discovers an untapped talent for detective work—a qualification few other office temps, let alone actresses, can claim.



This is the first of three books (so far) in the Isobel Spice Mysteries

Author Joanne Sydney Lessner




My Opinion


A great title and a very enjoyable read

The title is definitely related to the story which I so often lament about not being the case in books these days.

Now I am not saying that this is a "whodunit" in the league of Agatha Christie but I enjoyed the easy reading style the novel was written in and the main characters were definitely believable.  The plot may not be the most intricate or serious but then I like humour in any book.

I started it in the hairdressers and finished it in the hairdressers - although not on the same day.  It was an easy book to grab and read a few chapters at a time and keep up with the story.

I would almost go as far as to say it was a Cosy Mystery but then some people may decide not to read it and that would be a pity.

As for the next two in the series I will watch for them to be free and grab them too - in fact might just get them if they come down to 99p.

I think you can tell from that last statement that I probably have too many ebooks waiting in my kindle for me to get round to reading.


Pin this for the future











The Man in the Brown Suit - Book Review



I am trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.  









The Man in the Brown Suit. 

1924.  


Shelfari Description

Searching for a bit of adventure to spice up her everyday life, Anne Beddingfield becomes an unlikely sleuth after a diamond heist, a murder, and attempts on her own life that make her the only person capable of solving the crimes.










My Thoughts


This is the 5th Christie Book and the first one without one of her well known sleuths.

By the end of the first chapter you are fully behind the character of Anne Beddingfield and probably think she can do no wrong.
She is adventurous and inquisitive, just like we would wish to be but never get the opportunity or would never have the guts so we are certainly behind her all the way.

Yes all the way to South Africa and what a journey, with twists and turns to the story, secrets that we wouldn't have imagined and of course mustn't forget the Romance or romances?

Numbers, rolls of film and secretaries are part of the mystery and then there are the murders and attempted murders.  There is a lot to find all tangled up in and around the Man in the Brown Suit.

Not one of the best Christie murder mysteries and the characters are perhaps more stereotypes than real. Some events I know I could never imagine happening to me and some are just a bit too convenient but it is a good read and there is one character in this book that Miss Christie will bring back again in at least one later book.









 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Shelfari
Books by Agatha Christie










Monday

Murder on the Links - Book Review




I am trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.

  






If you want further info on this book please click on the Title or picture of the book.



Murder on the Links. 

1923.  
A Poirot Mystery.



Shelfari Description


"For God's sake, come!" 
But by the time Hercule Poirot can respond to Monsieur Renauld's plea, the millionaire is already dead -- stabbed in the back, and lying in a freshly dug grave on the golf course adjoining his estate. There is no lack of suspects: his wife, whose dagger did the deed; his embittered son; Renauld's mistress -- and each feels deserving of the man's fortune. The police think they've found the culprit. Poirot has his doubts. And the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse complicates matters considerably.












MY THOUGHTS

This is Miss Christie's third book and the second featuring her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

I had read this novel twice before and seen the TV versions but yet this time rereading it I still did not remember properly how the murder was committed.
I had fully forgotten who the murderer was although other facts were very clear before I read them again.

Is this an indication of a good author that you can reread the book still having to work at solving the mystery?

The thing I liked least about this story was the names given to the characters as for some reason I had difficulty remembering who was who.  Perhaps this was because there were French names involved.

The plot is not deeply rooted around golf, regardless of the title, so you do not have to be a golf enthusiast to take on the challenge of trying to solve this crime and there are some good clues to get your teeth into.

I would not rate this as one of my favourites by Miss Christie especially as I am not keen on someone co-incidentally ending up living in the same small village as someone else they had known before - not quite sure if this is a spoiler or not.

The thing I liked best was the fact that the story is told by Hastings (he is such a pet) and the fact of the time setting and pace of action being so different from today.











Here is a link to a list of her novels on Shelfari
Books by Agatha Christie









The Secret Adversary - Book Review

Note:
I did not receive a free book or any payment for this book review.



I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.







If you want further info on this book please click on the Title or picture of the book.



The Secret Adversary 

by

Agatha Christie


Shelfari Description

Tommy and Tuppence, two young people short of money and restless for excitement, embark on a daring business scheme, Young Adventurers Ltd. Their advertisement says they are 'willing to do anything, go anywhere'. But their first assignment, for the sinister Mr Whittington, plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined.













My Thoughts

This is the second book Agatha Christie had published and is so remarkably different from her first which featured Poirot.  Just as you fall in love with the precise Belgian detective who has experience in this field, we also fall in love with the two inexperienced "detectives" here.

It is the way Christie writes the characters of these two sleuths that make this such an enjoyable read.  You are with them all the way as they have clever thoughts and make stupid mistakes but then isn't that what would happen if we ordinary people decided on a whim to go into this type of business?  Of course they do have help from a few other sources and then there are the notable "baddies" as befitting the time setting of this story.  

I had read this many years ago but got caught out on who was the elusive Mr Brown and I think that this is also an indication of her good writing that I was not going on what I may have remembered from the previous reading but was going by what I was reading this time.

I am looking forward to reading the next Tommy and Tuppence Adventure and I do think that the title Young  Adventurers was the correct one for the author to chose for this couple as they should never be compared to the detective she had already created; just enjoyed for the characters they are.












Below is a link to a list of her novels on Shelfari
Books by Agatha Christie

Below is a link to her books on Amazon
Amazon's Agatha Christie Books

Below is a link to her page on Amazon
Amazon's Agatha Christie Page




Note:
If buying through Amazon via the links above I do not get any commission - I am NOT an Amazon affiliate.



Tuesday

Misery Loves Company - Book Review

I was privileged to get an ebook reader copy of this book from the publishers and read it during the past week.




Synopsis:


        Don’t tell me it’s terrifying. Terrify me.

Filled with grief, Jules Belleno rarely leaves the house since her husband’s death while on duty as a police officer. Other than the reviews Jules writes on her blog, she has little contact with the outside world.

But one day when she ventures out to the local grocery store, Jules bumps into a fellow customer . . . and recognizes him as her favorite author, Patrick Reagan. Jules gushes and thoroughly embarrasses herself before Regan graciously talks with her.

And that’s the last thing she remembers—until she wakes up in a strange room with a splitting headache. She’s been kidnapped. And what she discovers will change everything she believed about her husband’s death . . . her career . . . and her faith. 





While I was reading this book I thought I couldn't relate the title of the book to the story I was reading but as at other times I know that I may have to wait until I finish the book and then I get it!

       And yes I got it!

Not having read anything by this author before, I knew I would not be expecting a certain type of writing style or plot formula and it was nice to just read and enjoy the story as it developed in the way the author had intended it to and not the way I would be expecting.

Some of the characters were a little typical but not one-dimensional and the development of the storyline in the two separate ways within the story worked quite well.

Twice I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong so definitely not a predictable storyline.  I enjoyed the book as a relaxing read but also in parts of it I found I was drawn in to consider how I would react if I had to face some of the issues presented.

Taking into consideration the fact that this was written by a woman and the main character is a woman I needed to decide if this was going to be a book that would only be categorised as a women's book.  It is not action packed but action and suspense are there and the fact that the rest of the main characters are male I have to say that I would not categorize it as such.

Within the storyline the subject of happy endings or real life, possibly unhappy endings came up but I will not give spoil it by telling you what type of ending this resulted in, just read it and see for yourself.






Misery Loves Company  by  Rene Gutteridge  www.renegutteridge.com 

Published by Tyndale  www.tyndale.com 

Released in August 2013