tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063584890155659932024-03-16T14:52:00.213-04:00the crime segments...the crime fiction & mystery portion of <a href="http://www.avidreaderme.blogspot.com/"> reading avidly dot com: a casual reader's journal</a>NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.comBlogger607125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-60328430757681306592024-02-12T16:59:00.000-05:002024-02-12T16:59:08.632-05:00double feature: Poor Harriet/The Silent Cousin, by Elizabeth Fenwick 9798886010763Stark House Press, 2024217 pppaperback Released just recently, this two-books-in-one edition from Stark House features the work of a woman whose work may not be a household name among mystery readers, but deserves to be brought back into the light. Elizabeth Fenwick (1916-1996), aka E.P. Fenwick, wrote her first novel just after high school. It was NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-63890836961656347552024-02-05T09:33:00.002-05:002024-02-05T09:36:09.012-05:00PPL#1: Fear Stalks the Village, by Ethel Lina White"The moral is, padre, that human nature remains the same, everywhere, and dark places exist in every mind." 9780712355308British Library, 2024originally published 1932292 pppaperbackAhhhhh. My reading has once again returned me to the tranquil English village of the interwar years, one of my favorite settings for British crime fiction. This book features another personal favoriteNancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-83643645775364359902024-01-12T11:24:00.000-05:002024-01-12T11:24:18.504-05:00The Long Shadow, by Celia Fremlin 9780571348107Faber, 2023originally published 1975249 pppaperbackI bought this novel to read over Christmas week, but as happens a lot around here, I had to put if off for a while, just finishing it this week. Not a problem -- while the action in this story takes place during the Christmas season, The Long Shadow is a book that is good for reading any time of year. NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-25841570883739832142023-11-20T14:55:00.000-05:002023-11-20T14:55:00.981-05:00A New Stark House double feature: Too Young to Die/The Time of Terror, by Lionel White 97988860157Stark House Press, 2023270 pppaperback (read earlier)Lionel White (1905-1985) was a rather prolific author whose writing career lasted well over two decades. He got his start as a police reporter and editor of a true crime magazine before moving into the realm of fiction, where his work eventually earned him the title of "the king of the caper novel." NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-85035095697708568392023-11-08T15:52:00.000-05:002023-11-08T15:52:21.949-05:00Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare, by Elena and Michela Martignoni 9781948104241Kazabo Publishing, 2023originally published as Doppio delitto al Miramare, 2015178 pp paperbackI really enjoy reading translated fiction, no matter the genre. My last couple of reads (outside of crime) came from Argentina and Mexico, and I'm always delighted when something new in translation comes along. I'm not quite sure who specifically translated thisNancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-32875908796123642112023-11-02T14:28:00.000-04:002023-11-02T14:28:17.906-04:00and now we come to the end -- The Four False Weapons, by John Dickson Carr Berkley Books, 1957originally published 1937217 ppmass market paperback(read earlier in October)It's truly a pity that the British Library Crime Classics series (as of right now) doesn't include the final Bencolin mystery, because until they do, I'm sort of stuck with this cover, which was probably very cool in 1957 but doesn't hold a candle to the covers from the British Library.&NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-89314918977742608162023-11-02T10:46:00.004-04:002023-11-02T13:00:57.670-04:00The Lost Gallows, by John Dickson Carr 9780712353632British Library, 2020256 pppaperback(read earlier)In this installment of the Bencolin series, Carr offers up a bit of detective fun that blends British lore, a bit of Egyptian flair and an intriguing mystery from the past, all of which together make for a crafty whodunit. Bencolin and Marle are in London to see a play, and there they are staying with one of NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-9960419131487463992023-10-07T15:56:00.001-04:002023-10-07T15:56:57.311-04:00Castle Skull, by John Dickson Carr 9780712353267British Library Crime Classics, 2020originally published 1931240 pppaperback(read in September)I read this book earlier, and I'm still making my way through the bag of finished books that need posting about. I have three Bencolin books under my belt so far and I'm working on a fourth (The Lost Gallows) right now. I've been highly NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-10978170140659881102023-10-06T09:49:00.000-04:002023-10-06T09:49:45.939-04:00 A Woman Possessed/Prime Sucker, by Harry Whittington 9798886010671Stark House, 2023216 pppaperback (my copy from Stark House -- thanks!)It's Booker Prize season, which has nothing at all to do with this section of my reading journal, but I've been reading some pretty heavy hitters lately, and I've taken a few badly-needed brain breaks in between. Crime fiction from yesteryear has been the ticket, and I don't mean country house NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-76898775726946228142023-10-06T09:21:00.000-04:002023-10-06T09:21:09.765-04:00 It Walks by Night, by John Dickson CarrI read this novel some time back, but I seem to be continuously playing catch up with posts. Better late than never, I guess. I have a large tote bag filled with finished books, so before I start reading any more, the plan is to whittle down that pile. 9780712352642British Library, 2019259 pppaperback(read in September)Published in 1930, It Walks by Night is the first novel NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-67603305355246075352023-07-22T14:03:00.003-04:002023-07-22T14:30:16.446-04:00The Devil's Flute Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo 9781782278849Pushkin-Vertigo, 2023originally published 1973 as Akuma ga kitarite fue o fuku (悪魔が来りて笛を吹く)Translated by Jim Rion256 pppaperback (read earlier this month)I really love these Kindaichi novels -- over the years I've become a huge, huge fangirl. According to Wikipedia, it looks as if this book first appeared as a serialization that ran from 1951 through 1953. It was NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-31373734889224440412023-06-27T16:09:00.000-04:002023-06-27T16:09:18.131-04:00The Mill House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji 9781782278337Pushkin Vertigo, 2023originally published as Suishakan no Satsujin Shinsou Kateiban, 1988translated by Ho-Ling Wong253 pppaperbackThe Mill House Murders is apparently the second of several books by this author in what Wikipedia refers to as the "Bizarre House/Mansion Murders" series. I've previously read his The Decagon House Murders (also published by Pushkin NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-64675402368993456962023-06-08T14:08:00.000-04:002023-06-08T14:08:27.886-04:00Continuing on in catch-up mode: Death of a Stray Cat/ An Affair of the Heart, by Jean Potts 9798886010053Stark House, 2023236 pppaperback (my copy from the publisher -- thanks!) I love reading the works of women crime writers of yesteryear. Jean Potts is the author of fourteen novels in this genre, one "mainstream" novel called Someone to Remember (1943) and a huge number of short stories. Quite a few of the latter were published in Ellery NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-90528601281159732592023-06-03T14:36:00.001-04:002023-06-03T14:37:19.986-04:00Green For Danger, by Christianna Brand 9781728267661Poisoned Pen Press, in association with the British Library, 2023originally published 1944284 pppaperbackI'm still working at restoring my mental mojo, but that doesn't mean I've been idle readingwise. I'm just very, very behind and now I've got a stack of like five books sitting here waiting for me to post about. Not to worry -- I'll get there.Green for Danger is book NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-75480580157515238912023-04-08T12:00:00.000-04:002023-04-08T12:00:28.914-04:00A Helping Hand, by Celia Dale 9781954321878Valancourt Books, 2023originally published 1966paperback173 ppBefore I start chatting away about this book, I have to say that we had a death in our family that left us mentally flat at the end of January, continuing on through February and well into most of March. It's been absolutely terrible, and as I said elsewhere, it's really only now that I'm getting back to NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-17722786087301022462022-12-28T16:26:00.001-05:002022-12-28T16:26:57.033-05:00Bad Kids, by Zijin Chen 9781782277620Pushkin Vertigo, 2022translated by Michelle Deeter332 pppaperback (read earlier this month) Continuing to try to catch up on my posts here, Bad Kids by Zijin Chen is yet another book in the Pushkin Vertigo collection, available in English for the first time. There is another book by this author that has been translated from Chinese to English by NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-42871926721980699552022-12-26T15:36:00.000-05:002022-12-26T15:36:50.314-05:00coming your way in January: Awake and Die, by Robert Ames 9798860101Stark House Press, 2023178 pppaperbackI just noticed that my last post here was in July. Ouch! On the other hand, July through September is usually spent reading the Booker Prize longlist, and truth be told, I haven't read my usual volume of books this year. According to goodreads, it's just 70 to date, but with this book, Awake and Die, we can up that to 71. In the NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-64343135072986759492022-07-28T10:50:00.000-04:002022-07-28T10:50:17.582-04:00Death on Gokumon Island, by Seishi Yokomizo 9781782277415Pushkin Vertigo, 2022originally published as Gokumon-To, originally serialized 1947-1948translated by Louise Heal Kawai310 pppaperbackCompletely overjoyed when I learned last year that this book was going to be published by Pushkin Vertigo, I hit the preorder button at lightning speed. At the same time, I bought a dvd of the 1977 film made from this novel, directed by KonNancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-64033344297306212642022-06-19T12:24:00.000-04:002022-06-19T12:24:31.297-04:00A Taste for Honey, by H.F. Heard 9781613161210Penzler Publishers, American Mystery Classics, 2019originally published 1941197 pppaperbackStill following the séptimo circulo list, up next after Night Over Fitch's Pond comes H.F. Heard's A Taste for Honey (#25), published in 1941 and reprinted in 2019 via Penzler Publishers' American Mystery Classics series. The book was made into a 1966 film NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-11572324412424597942022-06-03T13:40:00.001-04:002022-06-03T13:45:29.144-04:00Night Over Fitch's Pond, by Cora Jarrett Houghton Mifflin Company, Riverside Press, 1933292 pphardcover"There's a moment in the history of any tie between human beings that settles for good the question of who's going to be top dog." Night Over Fitch's Pond is number 24 on the Borges/Bioy list of mystery novels, and it is my introduction to author Cora Jarrett (1877-1969). As a brief aside, I did read number NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-20719213658929186132022-03-08T09:17:00.004-05:002022-03-08T09:17:42.499-05:00A Puzzle for Fools, by Patrick Quentin 9781613161258American Mystery Classics, Penzler Publishersoriginally published 1936237 pppaperback"It had been a puzzle for fools..."A Puzzle for Fools is #21 on the Borges/Bioy Séptimo Círculo list, and it's a good one. It is also the mystery series opener for the nine books featuring Peter Duluth, Broadway producer, ranging datewise from 1936 to 1954. Peter Duluth NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-23955383634400809112022-02-10T16:38:00.002-05:002022-02-10T16:40:33.071-05:00Back Country, by William Fuller 9781951473594Stark House, 2022originally published 1954197 pppaperback Newly out this month, Back Country is yet another entry in Stark House's Black Gat series, "the new face of vintage mystery." Originally published in 1954, this book is the first of six to feature Brad Dolan, described by Bill Pronzini in the introduction to this book as"Hardbitten veteran of two wars, NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-67960170380883492652022-02-01T16:47:00.002-05:002022-02-01T16:52:47.210-05:00The Embezzler, by James M. Cain Avon Book Company, 1944(Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 20)originally serialized as "Money and the Woman" 1938108 pppaperbackAsk someone which books they've read by James M. Cain, and my guess is that the answers won't likely include this book, The Embezzler. Actually, until I started reading my way through the séptimo circulo list, I didn't even know it existed, and I'm sure I'mNancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-81190925318749697722022-01-17T13:53:00.000-05:002022-01-17T13:53:23.796-05:00My Annihilation, by Fuminori Nakamura 9781641292726Soho Crime, 2021originally published as Watashi no Shometsu, 2016translated by Sam Bett257 pphardcoverMy Annihilation is yet another book I'm reluctant to label as simply crime fiction -- there are layers upon layers to unfold during the reading, and as the author himself notes in an afterword, in this novel he is exploring "questions about what it means to be human, and NancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506358489015565993.post-72077866260404213632022-01-10T16:52:00.002-05:002022-01-10T16:53:06.375-05:00Act of Darkness, by Francis King 9781948405997Valancourt Books, 2021originally published 1983305 pphardcoverI'm actually on the fence about labeling this book as crime fiction, because really, there's so much more to it. I mean, there is a crime (quite a heinous one in fact), there is a bit of an investigation and a number of possible suspects who might have been responsible. At the same time, it venturesNancyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.com0