Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have found that I really like mysteries, and no one is more adept at the whodunit than Agatha Christie. To me these are the most timeless stories written. Yes, there are the older classics to consider, but none of them carry the pace and interest level for me that these do. In the case of most other classics, I read them because they are classics. I read Agatha Christie books because I want a good mystery.

To be specific about this book, I'll admit that occasionally throughout the book I suspected the correct murderer, although without all the details. Yet, each time my suspicions were discounted by some apparent fact and I looked elsewhere. To have it come back to that suspect in the end was both impossible and enjoyable. It's the twists and turns that keep me coming back. Surprise is everything.

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After my disappointing results of random selection in the fantasy category, I decided to turn back to mystery. I searched the library for a classic whodunit and found this one in my usual audio book format.

I was almost immediately disappointed by several things. First of all there was the reader. His attempt to be theatrical took some getting used to, and while he was ok, this was not my favorite performance.

Second, the author has this odd style of dropping half of the dialogue in a conversation. A character goes off on a monologue, and then starts responding to unheard comments i.e. reactions of others. It's like listening someone talk animatedly on a phone call, where you only hear their side of the conversation. Can you follow along? Yes, with effort. But why do that to your reader?

Yet all of that was justified by one much appreciated feature at the end of the book. This author understands how to wrap up a mystery. In a mystery you drop clues and add twists and turns to keep your reader guessing. At the end of all that you owe it to your reader to explain everything. I mean everything. Every clue, every false trail. This is what bothered me about the last Flavia de Luce book I read--no exhaustive explanation. Well, this book did it right. Was the setup a little cheesy? Yes. There was the stereotypical suicide note that explained everything. But as a reader this is what I want, so this book redeemed itself in the end, and I've already recommended it to others. You will have to get over some odd stylistic habits, but it's worth it in the end.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really want to like this series more than I do. I like mysteries, I like period British stories, I like Flavia's character. Yet these stories just haven't ended satisfactorily to me. And this doesn't end the series well at all. Where is Flavia headed, as she rides off into the sunset? Is Collin a future love interest? Is her future really based on a partnership with Dogger, a man old enough to be her father, if not grandfather? If nothing else, Undine is a loose end. Are they really going to coexist? I thought for a while that maybe Flavia would accept her as some sort of partner, yet in the end she obviously still thinks of her as a child. If this is really it for the series, I want all of these questions answered. Instead we embarked on another stand alone mystery, which was ok for what it was, but lackluster given the expectation to wrap up the series as a whole. Disappointing.

Of course, if he continues to write these, maybe there is a chance of a better wrap up in the future, but even in that case, this book didn't move her character forward at all. Waste of space.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm returning to the Flavia series to finish it up now that the final books are out. Flavia is a great character because she is incorrigible, but the start of this book was a little heavy handed with her precociousness, even for her. This story introduced another new, albeit temporary, setting, but the downside is that there were none of her hallmark chemistry experiments, since she didn't have her lab at her disposal. I did like the increased part played by Dogger, and look forward to his further character development, even though the series is wrapping up.

Finally, if there was anything that made this book ho-hum for me, it was the ending. I felt like it was missing the complete wrap up scene, where all of the evidence was explained and dots connected. Yes, there was an effort, but it didn't feel complete. Also, the plot didn't contribute to a bigger picture such as her mother's disappearance, or her father's death, or the fate of her home, so this also falls flat because it doesn't move the greater "Flavia" story arc forward. I'm looking forward to the wrap up, and better execution of a classic mystery, and hopefully a good wrap on Flavia's story arc.

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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Agatha Christie is a household name, I believe, yet my experience with her works is fairly limited. After reading And Then There Were None last year, I put this Murder on the Orient Express, one of her most famous stories, on my to-read list. I was not disappointed.

While there were some weaknesses, such as the fact that Poirot happened to know so many details about the Armstrong case, it kept me guessing until the end. Or at least almost to the end. Then there is the style of the classic mystery, which somehow focuses on the mystery and discovery of the cast of characters, and at the same time leaves them underdeveloped. Part of that is due to the limitation of having only one point of view so the reader doesn't get too much information too soon, but it does make the book a little hollow.

I enjoy a good mystery so I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars and recommend it as a standard in classic mysteries.

You Can Write a Mystery by Gillian Roberts

You Can Write a Mystery by Gillian Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I struggle with nonfiction. It is sad but true. This is a great book that covers not only the basics of writing a mystery, but the basics of writing any fiction book. And it handles that huge task in around 120 pages! What more could you ask for? It was well written, concise, and the tips were perfect for the budding author. And yet it took me somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 weeks for me to finish it! Something about nonfiction just doesn't hold my attention, even when it is a topic I'm interested in, it is well done, and gets straight to the point. I find my mind wandering after half a page, or even after a paragraph or two. It was ridiculous. I've encountered this before with other books and had suspicions that the books were boring or the content was off, but this is empirical evidence that it is all me. This was a great book and I recommend it highly. I also need to get some medication or something...

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

By now there isn't much I can say about Flavia that I haven't already said. I guess I can add that she has a superhuman ability to operate in all kinds of weather. If I was walking, riding, or sleuthing in the rain and snow like she does, I'd definitely at least complain about it, if not hesitate to go on or even completely give up. Then again, I plan on retiring to Arizona some day.

Of course, the situation with her father has implications for the rest of the series, but Bradley kept that as a subplot the whole time, and I'm not sure what to think. Part of me feels like it is the replacement conflict now that the Harriet and Buckshaw questions seem to be resolved. Or rather than the new conflict, this could be a resolution to her father's financial problems, thereby letting the series either wrap up or move on to new territory.

I am now in the unfortunate situation of waiting for the next book to come out in September. I hate that, but I have no one to blame but myself. As for this book, I give it a solid 3 stars. I enjoyed it, but nothing in this series is wowing me at this point.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The change of setting in this installment in the Flavia series was hard for me. I'll give it credit for the variety it brings and the chance for the character to grow, but it had some issues. First, while I get that Flavia is supposed to be a child prodigy, she still is human and she doesn't remotely act her age. Second, an Academy of all girls at that age seems like there would have been more conflict. A tickling attack? An obsession with smoking? OK, I guess that one might have been a real thing, I don't know, but it still seems like we didn't see the underside of any establishment like that. Cliques, negative peer pressure, those that naturally fight Flavia's control of situations. Other than that it was OK. A nice 3 star read, but not one I would spend time on if it weren't for my commitment to the series.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one had a slower pace than previous books in this series, as all the action was around the funeral. Also, it lacked the ingeniousness of her normal sleuthing activities, although we still got the usual heavy helping of precociousness. The bright spot was the deepening of the bigger plot. I wonder if this was really all planned out in the beginning, or if around book three or four Bradley realized he was on to something and started building up to a cloak-and-dagger type plot? While I do like the "new" plot, it is lacking some of the whit and charm of the old plots, and we will have to see how the next school setting installment turns out before I decide if I feel like the series was ruined, or given new wings.

On a final positive note, the exclamation "Yaroo!" has officially entered my vocabulary during this reading, so points to you, Mr. Bradley.

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flavia marathon continues! Now I'm on an extended road trip with my family, and since I am in the drivers seat most of the time, I'm get to choose the book and so we are making some good progress on Flavia.

This book continues the subplots started in the last book regarding the death of Harriet and the financial woes of the family, all in the context of the post war rebuilding era. The best thing about this book isn't the sleuthing, but rather the emotional growth of our relationship with the de Luce family, which we needed if this was to be a series. We needed to understand their complex interactions better, ironically so we could be mystified by them at the same time. We needed to know that the sisters really do love each other, to be properly confounded when they mistreat each other for obtuse reasons. We need to see Colonel de Luce's love for his youngest daughter, and for his beloved wife, so he doesn't fade into the background of this story like an uncaring stamp-collecting stump. Bradley steps up to the plate and does all of this and more in this book, earning it an extra star. I'm looking forward to the next book more for the overarching emotional tension than I am to hear another whodunit, although, that is a necessary part of a mystery.

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A while back (2015) I decided to attempt getting through the Flavia de Luce books again. They are not bad by any means, but my wife enjoys them more than I do and my attention wanders a bit in between installments. Well, I got through 2 books, and sure enough, my attention wandered. The good thing for me is that I put first five or so books on my phone, and there I was running a week or two ago and my audio book ended. As I ran along I navigated to my book folder and selected the first thing that I hadn't listened to yet, and so progress on my Flavia goal has recommenced.

I like the mystery aspect of these books, as well as the characterization. Flavia is a precocious star. I do struggle with the impossible thought processes and behaviors packed into this 11 year old character, but as long as I can put that aside, the story is enjoyable. Some of the description, and even the style of the author tends to be overly wordy and drag a bit, but I've found that I easily overcome the objection by listening to it at 1.5x speed.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, especially as it pertained to the overall series. Read it, but start with book 1, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first Agatha Christie book, but I have seen several tv shows based on her work, and so was expecting a smart, quick-paced murder mystery that left me in total surprise at the end. And that is exactly what I got.

I like murder mysteries because they are dichotomous by natural. The logic of deductive reasoning combined with the raw, emotional fear of death. The unexpected revelations are just as fascinating as the unexpected events. A tray of drinks dropping, a door slamming, a shot ringing out.

One of the things I love about these books is the classic language. At first you have to pay attention to translate words and phrases into modern American English, but if the book is well written you soon stop noticing the different terms and it all feels natural. Then you stop reading or listening of course, and you find yourself wanting to call people sir or some other proper sort of thing.

If you at all enjoy mysteries, this is a must-read.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
My rating (this time): 4 of 5 stars

This was my second time through this book as well, and again, I enjoyed it.  But as with my re-reading of its predecessor, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, I can't give it a second 5-star rating.  It just didn't quite hold my interest as well this time through, and it seemed a little slow.  I did listen to it via audio book this time, but the reader/actor who read it was absolutely one of the best voice actors I have ever heard (Jayne Entwistle), and so I'm reluctant to lay any blame at her feet.

It is still a favorite of mine, and I intend to revisit the whole series, since there are new books at the end that I haven't read yet, but it doesn't quite shine so brightly the second time through.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
My rating (this time): 4 of 5 stars

So this is my second time reading Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and while it is still a great read, I wasn't blown away this time through.  Perhaps it was because I knew what to expect from the character, so there was less to discover, but the whole book seemed slow.  It may also be because I listened to the audiobook this time, which is definitely a slower method.  In any case, it is still an enjoyable story, so I still recommend it, but I can't give it a second 5-star rating.

The standout feature to this book is still the character development of Flavia, the main character, which I wrote about at length in my previous review.  That piece of the book is pure art.  The mystery itself was also very well done, with a baffling murder, a host of suspects and an action-filled finale. If you are a fan of mystery and haven't read this one, fix it now.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Again, loved it.  As I said in my comments on The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, these books are generally ageless, yet there are a few more adult themes in this book, yet they are left as themes.  You don't find adult scenes or major plot elements.  Concepts such as marital infidelity are still approached from the eyes of 10-year old.  I recommend this book, as I enjoyed it as much as its predecessor.

Question of the day:  What is the real series-wide conflict?  Is it the potential loss of Buckshaw?  Or is it the broken family relationships?  Or Harriet's apparent death?  (Yes, I said apparent.  I held out hope for Harry Potter's parents until Book 3 or 4, so I can afford Flavia the same optimism...)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two things come to mind when thinking about this book that I love in almost all of my favorite books.  Characterization and agelessness.

Characterization is a big word, so let me use some smaller words to explain what it means to me.  It means that the character is real to me.  They have a past, present and future.  Personality traits color their dialogue and perception of the world.  Acting for their own reasons, they shape the plot in an unconscious way, and yet at no time does the reader find them acting in a way inconsistent with who they are.  It is for this reason that I love the Junie B. Jones books, and with this bias is no possible way that I can't love riding on Gladys's handlebars with Flavia de Luce as she solves mysteries.

Flavia, a precocious 10-year old, is the star of Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and its progeny.  Her actions are consistent, her voice is contagious and her humanity is key to the plot.  I can't say enough good things about Alan Bradley's ability to introduce us to such a unique character.

So the other stand-out quality in this book is its agelessness.  By that I mean that it has a potential audience of anyone who can read a 300 page book.  There isn't a demographic that I can think of that wouldn't find something enjoyable about this plot or cast.  As an adult who favors juvenile literature, I really appreciate a story that can apply to all ages.  It is an art that is lost in many of today's action-oriented thrillers, philosophical book club favorites, and overly graphic love stories.

I must give some small comment about the fantastic nature of Flavia's chemical knowledge.  I don't see this as a character flaw, as much as an oddity of the plot or book as a whole.  Being a fantasy reader, I am ok with these kinds of exceptions to reality, and the passion that Flavia has for the subject carries the day for me.

Solid 5 stars.  Go read it now.