WhidbeyIslander
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The House on Vesper SandsThe House on Vesper Sands, BookA Novel
by O'Donnell, ParaicBook - 2021Book, 2021
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Feb 18, 2024
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jan 30, 2024
Comment:
A quick read that is satisfying. Half of it is taken up with diary entries (a little childish despite the diarist being in college), and it's a hook that works.
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Dec 31, 2023
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Dec 30, 2023
Comment:
Another book that can be read over and over, and one that the reader will enjoy even more after seeing the wonderful 1946 movie.
Atmospherically set in an environment that is basically self-contained (as are so many of the well done golden age mysteries), murder takes place in a remote hospital in the English countryside during WWII. It's cleverly plotted and a fun whodunit with a memorable detective (wonderfully brought to life in the film version by Alistair Sim.) Brand wrote a number of good mysteries, but this is her masterpiece and can be reread every few years with almost the same enjoyment as the first time. (And watch for the clues you missed originally.)
NOTE: in the volume printed as part of The Collection of Mystery Classics there is an introduction by author Marian Babson that contains spoilers (!); so read the intro after reading the book itself.Another book that can be read over and over, and one that the reader will enjoy even more after seeing the wonderful 1946 movie.
Atmospherically set in an environment that is basically self-contained (as are so many of the well done golden age…
Forty Days Without ShadowForty Days Without Shadow, BookAn Arctic Thriller
by Truc, OlivierBook - 2014Book, 2014
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Dec 24, 2023
Comment:
Holy kjedsomhet!
I was drawn to the setting, and that part of the book satisfied. The culture and lives of the Sami people was the more interesting part of this very, very long and over-written book.
It was interesting to learn that the traditional peoples of the Sápmi region are sometimes looked down on by the Scandanavians living in the more southerly parts of Norway and Sweden and Finland. (And also that the term Lapp and Lapland are now viewed as derogatory terms.)
I thought the interactions between the two police officers (of the Reindeer Police force, something else unknown to me but of interest) made for good reading. But there was too much backstory along the way for my taste and I grew tired of the whole thing about two thirds of the way through the 460 pages. I managed to finish it and thought the murder investigation was boring compared to the history of the region in general.Holy kjedsomhet!
I was drawn to the setting, and that part of the book satisfied. The culture and lives of the Sami people was the more interesting part of this very, very long and over-written book.
It was interesting to learn that the…
The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles, Book
by Doyle, Arthur ConanBook - 2002Book, 2002
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Dec 11, 2023
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Nov 16, 2023
Comment:
While I suppose the writing (or translation, maybe) was well crafted, I couldn't get into either Harry or the investigation. Disappointed that it was set in Australia, although some of the local background was interesting. Gave up about halfway through due to a few too many side incidents that seemed to be padding.While I suppose the writing (or translation, maybe) was well crafted, I couldn't get into either Harry or the investigation. Disappointed that it was set in Australia, although some of the local background was interesting. Gave up about halfway…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Oct 24, 2023
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Oct 24, 2023
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Oct 23, 2023
Comment:
A masterpiece of the locked-room / impossible murder genre, this golden age murder mystery, written in 1944, is great fun. It is one of the two "impossible crime" books written by the author ("The Hangman's Handyman" being the other.)
It has all the elements required for a golden age mystery -- a secluded snowbound location at which all the suspects are stranded for the duration. A dashing hero who turns detective. A plucky heroine. And an assorted number of house guests, many of whom have a motive for the crime. Then it throws in a seance where a dead man appears and some clever puzzles, including footprints that begin and end in an unbroken expanse of snow, a locked room, an evil spirit called a Wendigo, a flying murderer, and the disappearance from a watched room of one of the suspects.
Atmospheric yet still retaining a fun, light, "figure-this-out-if-you-can" attitude; it all makes this a perfect book for mystery lovers and those who enjoy a touch of the supernatural in the mix.
In a poll of 17 detective story writers and reviewers, this novel was voted as the second best locked room mystery (written up to that point), behind John Dickson Carr's The Hollow Man (1935) and before Gaston Leroux's The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1907-1908).A masterpiece of the locked-room / impossible murder genre, this golden age murder mystery, written in 1944, is great fun. It is one of the two "impossible crime" books written by the author ("The Hangman's Handyman" being the other.)
It has all…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Oct 22, 2023
Comment:
Mostly enjoyable romp featuring a locked room murder solved by a magician that a Scotland Yard detective enlists to unravel the tangle of seemingly impossible happenings. A bit too long, and I found the motive a bit of a stretch, but a good introduction to the main character and the 1930's setting in London was a good choice.Mostly enjoyable romp featuring a locked room murder solved by a magician that a Scotland Yard detective enlists to unravel the tangle of seemingly impossible happenings. A bit too long, and I found the motive a bit of a stretch, but a good…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Oct 12, 2023
Comment:
Interesting structure where the story jumps back and forth each chapter between the present and a year before when some mysterious deaths and disappearances occur. I thought it was all a little too long, with some things repeated too often. The solution is suitably convoluted as is required in these types of mysteries and it saves the whole book from being a misfire.Interesting structure where the story jumps back and forth each chapter between the present and a year before when some mysterious deaths and disappearances occur. I thought it was all a little too long, with some things repeated too often. The…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Sep 19, 2023
Comment:
I've enjoyed other books in the series but gave up on this about a third of the way through. The first 60 pages recount testimony in the trial of an accused rapist and became boring quickly. Most of the low-life characters are unpleasant people to spend time with and I decided to not spend any more of it with them. A misfire.I've enjoyed other books in the series but gave up on this about a third of the way through. The first 60 pages recount testimony in the trial of an accused rapist and became boring quickly. Most of the low-life characters are unpleasant people to…
The CrucifixionThe Crucifixion, DVD
DVD - 2017DVD, 2017
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Sep 12, 2023
Comment:
fara sens
Best thing about this mess is the short running time; although it's still too long.
This inexperienced nepotist journalist travels to Romania to flesh out a story of a nun who died during an exorcism.
She calls back to her newspaper to give the actor playing her uncle more screen time, and luckily it's always daytime in both places, except once although it should have been dark in both places.
Luckily for her everyone she encounters in the "rural" part of the country speaks perfect English. That itself merits one star. She also luckily finds a wonderfully spacious room in the local hotel in this "rural" part of the country, where the manager speaks perfect English. She gets involved with a handsome local clergyman (who speaks, well, you know), and others in the church and local hospital who, well, you know.
I tried to find the Romanian word for "balderdash" but wasn't able to.fara sens
Best thing about this mess is the short running time; although it's still too long.
This inexperienced nepotist journalist travels to Romania to flesh out a story of a nun who died during an exorcism.
She calls back to her newspaper to…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Sep 11, 2023
Who Goes There?Who Goes There?, BookThe Novella That Formed the Basis of The Thing
by Campbell, John W.Book - 2009Book, 2009
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Sep 09, 2023
Comment:
The novella Who Goes There certainly rates 5 stars. it's compact and lean and delivers the goods.
In 2019 a Wildside Book publication reprinted a version with three extra chapters, found in the Harvard Library archives.
On the third page of the originally published story, a character is asked to explain how the expedition wound up with a life-form encased in ice. He says "There is no need for details." But the newly found version entitled Frozen Hell does exactly that -- spending three chapters going into the details of how the alien ship was discovered, how they reached it through the Antarctic storms, how they dug down and retrieved the body of the Thing. It's all a little mind-numbing and understandable why Campbell omitted most of it from Who Goes There? It seems there were a few other alterations before the shorter version saw print, but most of it appears to be the same. It continues to be a gripping account of humans meeting a thing from another world.
The Wildside Book printing includes a few chapters of 25 pages of a proposed sequel to be entitled The Things From Another World, but it doesn't appear to have been published. There is a Kindle story (of about 10 pages) by John Gregory Betancourt available with the title The Nature of the Beast: A Tale of the Things.
While the 1951 movie The Thing From Another World uses the premise of a flying saucer being discovered (in Alaska, this time), the film abandons most of the plot, including the ability of the alien to take on other life forms. This part of the story was evident in 1982's version from John Carpenter.The novella Who Goes There certainly rates 5 stars. it's compact and lean and delivers the goods.
In 2019 a Wildside Book publication reprinted a version with three extra chapters, found in the Harvard Library archives.
On the third page of the…
Wrong Place Wrong TimeWrong Place Wrong Time, BookA Novel
by McAllister, GillianBook - 2022Book, 2022
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Sep 06, 2023
Comment:
Certainly a different plot than most mysteries, and time-travel, time-loop stories also. So give the author credit there. I felt it was a little too drawn out and could have been tightened up a bit, but it is all pulled together in the end (although readers have to suspend disbelief about the whole time-distortion bit). Might have you thinking back over the various plot points after finishing that last page.Certainly a different plot than most mysteries, and time-travel, time-loop stories also. So give the author credit there. I felt it was a little too drawn out and could have been tightened up a bit, but it is all pulled together in the end (although…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2023
Comment:
As always, Penny's writing style carries you along. And if you've read all the books in the series, you'll enjoy the company of some old friends. I have read all the books, but certain references to past events eluded me and were a distraction. At 600 pages, this tale was way too long, and the three main investigators seem to rehash the same points over and over and over. I also felt there were way too many connections between characters that stretched my suspension of disbelief. (And since the life span of a duck is about 10 years, how is Rosa still quacking along?)As always, Penny's writing style carries you along. And if you've read all the books in the series, you'll enjoy the company of some old friends. I have read all the books, but certain references to past events eluded me and were a distraction. At…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Aug 04, 2023
Comment:
Mostly interesting because it is set on one of the smaller islands, Whalsey, so the atmosphere is more claustrophobic and the characters involved are all interrelated. I thought there was too much background on some of the characters that had nothing to do with the mystery and there were some threads at the end that were not cleaned up.
Although third in the series of books, the teleplay based on it was the first to be shown. It sort of follows the plot but moves the action from Whalsey to Bressay for no obvious reason. The TV character of Tosh does not appear in the book, but is a welcome addition to the show. Some characters were omitted and the biggest difference was the identity of the killer.Mostly interesting because it is set on one of the smaller islands, Whalsey, so the atmosphere is more claustrophobic and the characters involved are all interrelated. I thought there was too much background on some of the characters that had…
The Wages of DesireThe Wages of Desire, eBookA World War II Mystery
by Kelly, StepheneBook - 2016eBook, 2016
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jul 23, 2023
Comment:
Nicely written tale with an efficient inspector unraveling a murder that leads him to start looking into other killings from 20 years prior. Lamb and his associates are good company and up until the very end, the ride was enjoyable. But the last few chapters seem rushed and abrupt and motives and actions already explained are rehashed.Nicely written tale with an efficient inspector unraveling a murder that leads him to start looking into other killings from 20 years prior. Lamb and his associates are good company and up until the very end, the ride was enjoyable. But the last few…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jul 10, 2023
Comment:
As ever, the writing is pleasant and those of us who’ve known Rutledge all these years will probably enjoy his presence again. The plot itself is a bit drawn out and not that intriguing and I felt the motive behind what was happening was a stretch.
I have two issues with this series entry – one is Hamish reasserting himself again. I found this tiresome in earlier books and was glad to see a few that didn’t feature him (or it) prominently.
Although Rutledge doesn’t spend 90% of his time driving around, I usually like to print a map of the area to follow his exploits. My second issue with this book was what I perceived to be major errors in geography. The main setting of Walmer is on the English Channel in Kent, but Rutledge is sent to Essex, which is north of Kent and the locale seems to be mis-identified. (This really came to my attention in Chapter 11 when Rutledge is sent to France via Dover and remarks that there is a delay at the Gravesend Ferry – which is not on the route from Walmer to Dover. Plus it appears the ferries at that location did not transport vehicles in 1921.) It appears the location of the Abbey is actually near Maldon in Essex -- about 95 miles from Walmer -- from following some of the discussions between characters. This seems to me very sloppy research and editing.
The ending was a bit of a trial as well, once the hard-to-believe reasons behind the crimes are explained. Not a complete wash-out, but not even in the top ten best Rutledge books.As ever, the writing is pleasant and those of us who’ve known Rutledge all these years will probably enjoy his presence again. The plot itself is a bit drawn out and not that intriguing and I felt the motive behind what was happening was a…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jul 07, 2023
Comment:
I enjoyed this at the beginning, but by the halfway mark I started to skim Jessica's backstory parts. This book will interest readers who like to watch YouTube videos showing how magic tricks are done.
But the plot is pretty outlandish and ridiculous at times and the tricks the Warlock plays are fairly unbelievable. Although Jessica magically deduces how he does them, it's still silly to think they succeeded.
Plus the ending leaves a few huh moments behind.I enjoyed this at the beginning, but by the halfway mark I started to skim Jessica's backstory parts. This book will interest readers who like to watch YouTube videos showing how magic tricks are done.
But the plot is pretty outlandish and…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jun 27, 2023
Comment:
Although her writing was interesting, I gave up on page 133 of 535, long before Vera arrives on the scene. It started out well, with a mysterious suicide, but the next 100 pages were all backstory of the women involved in a research project -- none of whom was terribly captivating. Will wait for another season of the series to spend time with Detective Stanhope.Although her writing was interesting, I gave up on page 133 of 535, long before Vera arrives on the scene. It started out well, with a mysterious suicide, but the next 100 pages were all backstory of the women involved in a research project -- none…
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jun 24, 2023
Comment:
An easy-to-read entry with a complicated plot and some unlikable characters. But still enjoyable if you like Poirot in the first place. Was nice to not have Hastings in the mix.
WhidbeyIslander's rating:
Added Jun 14, 2023
Comment:
Although the authors' writing style is still enjoyable, as in some previous outings Rutledge spends waaaay too much driving all over (a map would have been nice to have been included, although one can be printed from the Internet.) And as before there are some outlandish coincidences, especially where a number of the characters involved have previous connections to one another. The most interesting thing about this was the scene of the first death, but it doesn't play a major role in the unraveling of the plot.Although the authors' writing style is still enjoyable, as in some previous outings Rutledge spends waaaay too much driving all over (a map would have been nice to have been included, although one can be printed from the Internet.) And as before…
Comment: