A practical joke takes a deadly turn with the death of a healthy young Foreign Office worker while he was a house guest at historic ‘Chimneys,’ an English country estate. At first his death seems to have been an accidental overdose or suicide but his friends who are also staying at Chimneys aren’t convinced. Their … Continue reading The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie (1929)
Golden Age Authors
Nemesis by Agatha Christie (1971)
Miss Jane Marple was astonished to receive a letter from the solicitors of a Mr Rafiel after his recent death. He and Miss Marple had had a brief but very memorable acquaintance some years back and she thought that perhaps he may have left her some small memento, such as a book from his library. … Continue reading Nemesis by Agatha Christie (1971)
A Bookish Catch-up
Our recent overseas trip afforded me some good opportunities for lighter reading. With very long flights from here to the U.K and back and a about six hours of train travel in between I managed to get through a few books that I took with me plus some others I picked up on our travels. … Continue reading A Bookish Catch-up
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (1949)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey was written a year after The Franchise Affair and is a mystery without a detective. I've mentioned before that Josephine Tey's books are very original, and Brat Farrar is no exception. Tey's detective, Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, doesn't even get a mention in this book, and in fact, … Continue reading Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (1949)
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (1948)
Josephine Tey has just shot to the top of the list of my favourite authors. Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard was already up there as the most humane and likeable literary detective of my reading to date, but although he does play a (very minor) role in this novel, it is an unqualified, unlikely, … Continue reading The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (1948)
journey & destination 