In March we looked for Classic Crime (Golden Age or modern) so our selection includes authors such as Ruth Rendell and Ian Fleming, as well as more obvious choices. One of our number enjoyed their book so much they are writing a standalone review about it, and you can find out a bit more below. And, of course, we also read other books we’d like to recommend. Our list is shown alphabetically by author and titles available from the library or on BorrowBox are marked with an asterisk.
Nightshade by Michael Connelly*
First of a new series about a detective called Stillwell, and set on one of the Channel Islands – a small archipelago off the coast of California. Most of the islands are nature reserves, but the largest (Santa Catalina, where this is set) is a mix of nature reserve, playground for the wealthy and a destination for ordinary tourists. Stillwell heads the local police force, having been posted there after a row with his boss in Los Angeles. The body of a young woman has been dragged from the harbour, and a rare buffalo has been killed on the nature reserve. Because Stillwell isn’t trusted, a team of cops from LA (headed by his ex-boss) is sent across to investigate the body. You can see where this is heading, because of course Stillwell ends up solving both cases. But Freyja says it’s still an interesting mystery; the setting on the island is unusual, and Connelly has assembled a good cast of characters. It earned 4 Stars.
Agatha Christie Short Stories
MadDog read a random selection of short stories on her Kindle and there are plenty available for you to try, because Christie wrote an enormous number of them over the years. MadDog’s selection included stories featuring Poirot, Miss Marple and a couple about Tommy and Tuppence as well. There was also a strange one featuring the mysterious Mr Satterthwaite and Mr Quin. Each of the stories was enjoyable, but she found the ones that featured characters she already knew were more fun to read. In fact, MadDog has decided she doesn’t really like the short story format, preferring her crime fiction to have more detail and give her more to think about. Despite this, however, she gave the stories she read 4 Stars.
Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher
Set in Australia, DS Ellen Destry is leading the investigation into the abduction of a young girl, while her boss, DI Hal Challis has been called away to his father’s deathbed. While Challis is away, the body of his missing brother-in-law is found and, much to the annoyance of the local police, Challis tries to find out what happened. And back on the Mornington Peninsula, rumours are swirling about a child abuse ring and an epidemic of petty crimes and drug dealing. Norfolk Gal found the main crime in this rather upsetting, but enjoyed the book, saying that the descriptions of the landscape are wonderful and there are lots of plot twists to keep you engaged. The characters are believable and interesting too. 4 Stars. (This was read on a Kindle.)
Dr. No by Ian Fleming*
Northumberland Gal found several James Bond novels in the Classics section at Oundle Library and borrowed this. Of course she’s seen the film many times, but had never read a Bond book before and actually found it rather underwhelming – mostly because she kept noticing that the book didn’t match the film story. Maybe it was over-familiarity with the Bond film franchise that meant she felt rather short-changed by the book, or maybe it just feels too dated now. Either way she won’t be looking for more. 3 Stars.
No 2 Whitehall Courtby Alan Judd*
Set in the early days of WW1 and MI6. Emily Grey had returned from studying in Germany in 1914, newly engaged to a German philosophy student called Hans. He had ended up serving in the German navy and is missing, presumed dead. Back in London, Emily is recruited to MI6 because of her language skills and is sent to Rosyth, Scotland, to work undercover as a secretary. The government knows there is someone on the base who is feeding information to the Germans and that a major attack is planned. This novel is actually based on a true story and Alan Judd has given it a great feel of authenticity. Cornish Eskimo said that although it was a gentle read it was thoroughly enjoyable and gave it 4 Stars.
Intelligence by Robert Newman*
A completely surprising book! Set in the early days of WW2 it follows the story of two brilliant young women philosophers who come down from Oxford University and end up doing intelligence work. One is seconded to a department analysing aerial reconnaissance photos; the other (an American) finds herself in France, stumbling upon secret information about how the Nazis plan to invade that country. These two story-strands then combine to contribute to the bigger, better known story of the German rocket project. Well written and evocative, Cornish Eskimo loved this and gave it 4+ Stars.
Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate
This is the book that Freyja enjoyed so much that she’s writing a standalone review for it. In brief, it’s a story of a murder trial in the 1930s where – unusually – the reader learns almost more about the jurors than the crime. Freyja said this was highly effective and made the book difficult to put it down. Watch out for her review, which we’ll post soon. 4 Stars.
A New Lease of Death by Ruth Rendell*
First published in 1967 this was the second book in the Inspector Wexford series and Juno listened to it on BorrowBox. It’s a cold case mystery, in the sense that Wexford is visited by a vicar who challenges him about the police investigation into a sixteen-year-old crime that had resulted in a man being hanged. Wexford remains convinced the police had got the right man, but finds himself getting involved (rather against his will) in the vicar’s sleuthing. Juno said it was a good story and she loved the interplay between all the characters. Yes, it felt a bit dated in places but was none the worse for that. 4 Stars.
A Spot of Folly by Ruth Rendell*
Found in the Large Print section at Oundle Library this is a collection of Rendell’s short stories that had been published over a 30-year period. Granny Weatherwax said the collection had the feel of the TV series ‘Tales of the Unexpected’, but maybe that’s to be expected seeing that Rendell died in 2015 and this collection didn’t appear in print until two years later. Despite the notable lack of forensics, the stories are well written and interesting, and each finishes with a very neat and clever twist. 3 Stars.
Berwick by L J Ross
DCI Ryan and his gang are back, investigating the murder of an author. But not just any old author, it’s the one who stole Ryan’s wife’s book and published it (with a few amendments) under her own name. Unfortunately, Ryan’s wife had confronted the woman at a book signing and when she is arrested later for the crime, he must clear her name. There are all sorts of twists and some unexpected links to previous cases that come out of the woodwork, so it helps if you’ve read more in the series. Norfolk Gal is a longtime fan so she enjoyed it very much, but she says the culprit is well-signposted so the ending isn’t a surprise. She’ll still be on the lookout for the next book, but wonders if the series is coming to a natural end. 4 Stars. (This was read on a Kindle.)
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Cornish Eskimo had never bothered with the Peter Wimsey novels, but thought she’d try this. It’s actually more of a Harriet Vane story, although Wimsey makes fleeting appearances before coming in at a late stage to help Harriet solve the mystery. Like much Golden Age crime fiction, the writing is wonderful and keeps the reader on their toes. This is set in a women’s college at Oxford University, where people are being targeted with poison-pen letters and property is being damaged. It sounds gentle, but the plot is rendered in such a twisty way that you just keep reading, and much of the narrative is amazingly prescient and still timely. The villain, when unmasked, is a surprise, and this has given the Eskimo an appreciation of Sayers, so she’ll be happy to read more. 4 Stars.
What’s in a Star?
Deciding why you like an author or have enjoyed a book is, of course, entirely subjective, and everyone who comes along to meetings of Oundle Crime has different tastes. So how do we try to get some consistency in our Star ratings? Well, after some discussion, we’ve agreed:
- 5 Stars: Outstanding and unforgettable. A book you can’t wait to tell others about.
- 4 Stars: A good book with an interesting, layered story that you will still remember after a month.
- 3 Stars: Not good or bad, but an average story and characters. You enjoyed reading it, but might not remember it after a month.
- 2 Stars: Poorly written, superficial and probably a bit of a yawn. Forgettable.
- 1 Star: Rubbish through and through. A book you wish you hadn’t read and don’t want to remember!
If you’d like to meet other crime fiction fans and chat about the books and authors you enjoy, why not come along to an Oundle Crime meeting? It’s relaxed and friendly, and anyone can drop in. Email join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk and we’ll send you the details.