Archive for mystery

The Hoarder cover

Review: The Hoarder

By Jan
 on January 4, 2020

The Hoarder

The Hoarder coverAuthor: Jess Kidd;
Genre: Mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Aoife McMahon;
Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks (2018);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Another fun listen from Jess Kidd, this one narrated by Aoife McMahon. The story is contemporary, but uses flashbacks, and includes dysfunctional people, much like the author’s 2017 novel, Himself. The writing is lyrical, with absolutely wonderful descriptions and sharp, clever dialog.

I turn to him, breathing like Darth Vader through my mask, and shrug. I hope my shrug communicates a profound respect for his discarded possessions (twenty refuse sacks of empty sardine tins) combined with the regretful need for practical living.

He narrows his gimlet eyes. ‘You’re a little shit, aren’t you?’

The protagonist, Maud, has some mysteries in her past and now she finds herself immersed in a current one. Chapters alternate between time periods, and I was a little confused by character names, but it wasn’t a story that I had to concentrate on to enjoy.

Most Americans love Irish accents, and McMahon’s narration is wonderful; she differentiates between characters very well. I did listen to most of the book at 1.25 speed because it was a little slow for me.

Themes include hoarding (obviously), family secrets, caretakers, friendship, greed, and morality.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Modern Mystery Tagged with ,
The Death of Mrs Westaway cover

Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

By Jan
 on August 31, 2019

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs Westaway coverAuthor: Ruth Ware;
Genre: Gothic mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Imogen Church;
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (2018);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A British gothic mystery set in modern time about a young woman who tries to infiltrate an old Cornish family to get part of an inheritance. The setting was a spooky old estate that seemed like one of the characters. The mystery itself was complex but effective, and the suspense was well-done. A few plots twists at the end were fun and the conclusion was satisfactory.

There was a lot of repetition in the narrative, however, which was a little annoying; if I found it that way in the audiobook, I’m glad I didn’t read the print version.

Hal (Harriet) is the protagonist and the family and a nasty housekeeper are the rest of the cast. We’re supposed to be on Hal’s side throughout the book, but I didn’t really like her; she’s made some stupid choices and is living in a desperate situation, thus the decision to defraud an estate.

I enjoyed the story and the suspense. Imogen Church narrates the audiobook and used some good accents and inflections, but her pace was much too slow and drawn out for me; I listened at 1.25 speed.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Modern Mystery Tagged with ,
Lady Audley's Secret cover

Review: Lady Audley’s Secret

By Jan
 on August 16, 2019

Lady Audley’s Secret

Lady Audley's Secret coverAuthor: Mary Elizabeth Braddon;
Genre: Novel, Mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Olivia Poulet;
Publisher: Audible Studios (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A lovely and compelling Victorian sensational novel, published in 1862. This isn’t a light read, as it contains a lot of mid-19th-century angst as the aristocratic protagonist agonizes over the disappearance of his best friend and what he should do about it. But this is no soap opera, and themes include deceit, murder, betrayal, familial and fraternal love, the marriage market, the advantages of beauty, and class struggle.

The plot is classic and almost perfect, although the purple prose of the era might turn off some modern readers. However, you might be surprised by the strength of some of the women in the book; Braddon obviously wanted to encourage her female readers to better themselves, but with a moral caveat (wink).

The book contains some wonderful bits of Victorian humor, too, which British readers may relate to more, but which I enjoyed immensely. In that respect, it reminded me of Jane Austen, who didn’t take her stories too seriously and tamped down the drama with some fun Regency self-aggrandizement.

Robert Audley makes a good character because his personality grows throughout the book. I didn’t think much of him at the beginning; he’s lazy and devil-may-care, thanks to his wealth and station. But this changes as he investigates the mystery; he realizes how, on the one hand, people can be very cruel and evil, and on the other hand, how much his friends and family mean to him.

Bandwagon Warning: Although modern readers might jump to conclusions about romantic or sexual issues between the protagonist and his bff, don’t fall for this. Relationships between (at least) aristocrats of the same sex at the time of this novel were more intense and sentimental, and it doesn’t mean the characters were gay.

DO NOT give up on this book because you think you know the solution to the mystery. The author adds some twists at the end that will satisfy you.

The audiobook was narrated by Olivia Poulet, who read it at such a quick pace that some of the wit escaped notice. If you often find yourself speeding up your audiobooks, you won’t have that problem here. Her accents were excellent, and the character voices were distinctive.

Highly recommended to readers of historical novels and mysteries, and gothic thrillers.

You might also enjoy: “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield, “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins, “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with , ,
The Zen Man cover

Review: The Zen Man

By Jan
 on June 8, 2014

The Zen Man (A Humorous Colorado Mystery, #2) by Colleen Collins

The Zen Man coverThis book is a contemporary mystery about an ex-attorney who is now a private investigator in Denver. His past as a drugged up party guy comes back to haunt him when his ex-wife is murdered at his place. He’s been framed for the murder and must find the real killer before his own trial. His girlfriend helps him, along with some hilarious employees.

The writing is clever and fast-paced, with plenty of humor. The language sounds genuine, including the cursing (heads up), and many references to drugs and alcohol; which went with the story but were not so enjoyable. There are lots of questionable actions by the ‘good’ guys, too, including breaking and entering, illegal possession of a handgun, theft, and more. If these were the good guys, I’d hate to meet the bad ones. The book certainly does nothing to improve the reputation of criminal defense attorneys.

I was a little irritated at some of the condescending attitudes voiced by the male protagonist, including those against law enforcement and administrative types, but I assume that sounds like a typical lawyer. This main character was definitely flawed. He was also a deadhead, and the silly Jerry Garcia quotes on the chapter pages didn’t help.

The mystery itself was decent, although I could have guessed at the solution early. The investigative work was interesting, other than the aforementioned questionable tactics.

Altogether, a quick read and enjoyable story with some annoyances.

©2014 We Need More Shelves, Jan McClintock
In categories Book Review, Modern Fiction Tagged with

The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers

By Jan
 on July 26, 2012

The Ship Inn, Gatehouse of Fleet, formerly known as the Anworth, where Dorothy L. Sayers wrote the book “Five Red Herrings”, a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery that included many local landmarks. Located in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland.

The Ship Inn photo

When I visited the area in 2007, the guide pointed out this inn with the sign. He also showed us a few of the locations from the book, including the murder scene!

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Historical Mystery Tagged with ,