I was introduced to Dame (Edith) Ngaio Marsh 19 years ago during my first Christmas in the Mystery Book Club at Manchester Library. The book was appropriately, Tied Up in Tinsel, the 27th book in Marsh’s Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn series. Her first book was in 1934 and her last, the year of her death, was in 1982. Alleyn presents as a British “gentleman detective” – schooled at Eton, … Continue reading
Short Stories by Kate Flora It’s the Holidays and Kate Flora invites you to read her four Christmas short stories. If you read nothing else on this page, I hope you will find time to read one of them as they are all feel-good crime fiction stories. Just what the doctor ordered for me, anyway, as the world does seem darker than any of my preceding 76 Christmases. Free for … Continue reading
“British” – The story takes place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain with British law enforcement officers (LEOs). It can be written by writers that live inside or outside of the UK. “Police Procedural” – It is a sub-genre of crime fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agencies as the protagonists, as contrasted with other genres that focus on non-police investigators … Continue reading
Expect spoilers in the bottom half of this post – the beginning of this post is only a repeat of the information provided about the book that was provided at the start of the month, before the meeting. Then halfway down the page we report some of the discussion from the meeting which likely includes spoilers. Your comments, corrections, additions, clarifications are welcome at the end. We read Better the Blood … Continue reading
There are no spoilers for the top part of this post – the beginning of this post is only a repeat of the information provided about the book that was provided at the start of the month, before the meeting. But….. Near the bottom of the page, there is a place for our participants to leave comments about the book, and spoilers will likely be included. Don’t scroll down to the comments area, until you … Continue reading
Bruce Robert Coffin was our guest author at our regular monthly meeting on Friday, June 30, 2023. We read the first book in his series of four police procedurals – Among the Shadows. It was generally well-liked by the group as indicated by the fact that at least 8 participants (of 12 reporting back) said something about wanting to read another in the series. Compared to the group’s feeling about … Continue reading
Can’t remember how this popped into my head while we were having lunch at Boo Bird after our meeting on Friday. Nice time chatting about books and and assorted bits with Tricia Breau, Selena Evans, Judy Lloyd, and Leslie Schoenherr! In any case I mentioned a book that might interest our group but cannot be one of our nominated books (there are zero copies in the MVLC system for the … Continue reading
There are no spoilers for the top part of this post – the beginning of this post is only a repeat of the information provided about the book that was provided at the start of the month, before the meeting. But….. Near the bottom of the page, there is a place for our participants to leave comments about the book, and spoilers will likely be included. Don’t scroll down to … Continue reading
The first book in Paul Doiron‘s excellent mystery series featuring Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch was used as a class text in a sophomore English class at Dexter Regional High School in Dexter, Maine. Then the teacher and school librarian invited Mr. Doiron to speak to the students and answer questions about the book and writing in general. I say, “Three Cheers” to the teachers who chose the book and … Continue reading
by Michael O’Connor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not assassinated on the South Portico of the White House in 1941. That is a historical fact and this is not a mystery. But, it can be read as a mystery if you go along with William Martin and willingly suspend your disbelief. What if? What if, indeed? That is Martin’s premise to a masterful tale of suspense in December ’41! He weaves … Continue reading
LET'S PLAY CLUE: Was it MBC Leader Dick Goutal, in the garden, using the poisonous plant, Black Henbane?
