Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[CRussel]

Mine doesn't have anywhere near that many of them. But I found the first four in an omnibus edition for £4.99, which is within my minimal justification price range of $4.99 or less per book. And, actually, inside my "impulse buy" max of $1.99/book.

Fortunately, my library has many of the later ones without lengthy holds. But I'll be hoping for a big sale to fill in the blanks.

As for format? I'm agnostic -- I'll make it work on one device or another.

[Luffy]

My 5 Star reread of As the Crow Flies, by Jeffrey Archer:-

Spoiler:

Reading this book again was very mellowing. It gave me a glimpse into how a board of directors behaves. But it's so much more than that.

The characters each always said the right things at the right time, by that meaning of course the baddies too.

Jeffrey Archer was at his zenith, and it shows. He has the tendency, in his other books, to underrepresent women, but not here. A very satisfactory read, and one that I wouldn't mind repeating for a third time.

First read review (02 October 2014):-

Spoiler:

Jeffrey Archer has proven himself many times. As The Crow Flies proves that he hit the ground running and was already a very good storyteller while young. He knows that even if he repeats himself, as long as there are enough new twists to the plot of any of his book, he'll be forgiven, and his works, enjoyed.

I was thoroughly entertained reading this book which has a few lulls, but which forced me to have stakes in the story at a time when I felt temporarily indifferent. After all why should I care if a millionaire (even self made) is risking his benefits and at worst, would be a bit poorer. No skin off MY nose! Well the author had other thoughts. He made me care.

I no longer think Kane And Abel is this writer's best book. That praise went to Be Careful What You Wish For...now...I'm no longer sure. This book, which I've just read, is one of the strongest 5 star books I've ever rated. The plot points, fleshed out through the way characters behave, present themselves and motivate themselves, generate inexhaustible supply of surprises. Everything is perfectly clear in the book. As The Crow Flies defies any gross accusation that can be thrown at it. It deserved to be read. It's pure entertainment, of the type that can only be offered by books and their makers.

[cc_in_oh]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Mine doesn't have anywhere near that many of them. But I found the first four in an omnibus edition for £4.99, which is within my minimal justification price range of $4.99 or less per book. And, actually, inside my "impulse buy" max of $1.99/book.

Fortunately, my library has many of the later ones without lengthy holds. But I'll be hoping for a big sale to fill in the blanks.

As for format? I'm agnostic -- I'll make it work on one device or another.

Many are only audiobook, which seems odd to me. I generally don't like audiobooks, though I am listening to Wodehouse on my walks.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Mine doesn't have anywhere near that many of them. But I found the first four in an omnibus edition for £4.99, which is within my minimal justification price range of $4.99 or less per book. And, actually, inside my "impulse buy" max of $1.99/book.

Fortunately, my library has many of the later ones without lengthy holds. But I'll be hoping for a big sale to fill in the blanks.

As for format? I'm agnostic -- I'll make it work on one device or another.

I am on hold for this omnibus at my library. I was able to get his standalone novel The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By to see how I like his flavor.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I am on hold for this omnibus at my library. I was able to get his standalone novel The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By to see how I like his flavor.

I strongly prefer his romans durs (which would include The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By, of course) to the Maigret books. However, as you’d expect from someone whose output was so colossal, the quality is all over the place; for me, the books range from top-ten for the year to awful.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

I strongly prefer his romans durs (which would include The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By, of course) to the Maigret books. However, as you’d expect from someone whose output was so colossal, the quality is all over the place; for me, the books range from top-ten for the year to awful.

Even some of my favorite vintage crime writers (Hunter, Marsh) had ups and downs, so that is to be expected.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A stinker. Hercule Poirot against criminal masterminds out to destabilise and take over the world. A secret base, as master of disguise, and Poirot mis-reading situations and people and getting things wrong.

An article in today’s Guardian lists The Big Four first in a list of the top ten underrated Christie novels.

https://theguardian.com/books/2020/o...hristie-novels.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

An article in today’s Guardian lists The Big Four first in a list of the top ten underrated Christie novels.

https://theguardian.com/books/2020/o...hristie-novels.

" it is much maligned for its melodrama and implausibility" I can certainly agree with that.

And I feel it does great harm to the character of Hercule Poirot too. Even if it does have "one of the best portrayals of the relationship between Poirot and Hastings"

I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

" it is much maligned for its melodrama and implausibility" I can certainly agree with that.

And I feel it does great harm to the character of Hercule Poirot too. Even if it does have "one of the best portrayals of the relationship between Poirot and Hastings"

I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Oh, I certainly take your word for it; I’m not trying for a rebuttal here. I posted the link for giggles, remembering that both you and Dr Nefario loathed the book.

The dreadful books that make these lists are legion, but lists are fun anyway.

[gmw]

The Big Four is one of the few Christie books I have not bothered to get as an e-book. Once was most definitely enough. (I did actually read our it a second time, not that many years ago, in the hope that I'd made a mistake. I hadn't.)

[Uncle Robin]

I just grinned at this droll line from Stuart Palmer's "The Mystery of the Black Museum" in Otto Penzler's anthology The Big Book of Female Detectives

Was she wearing a hat that looked like it had been made by somebody who had heard of hats but never actually seen one?

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by issybird

An article in today’s Guardian lists The Big Four first in a list of the top ten underrated Christie novels.

https://theguardian.com/books/2020/o...hristie-novels.

I came across the Guardian article, and it was a can't win penning by Sophie Hannah, and her laziness was given a tonic by recommending hipster like titles such as Pale Horse, and The Big Four, which I read only once in my life. The author - not Christie but Hannah - has written 4 Poirot books and the reviews that followed the first one didn't urge me to invest even in the one with the most positive reviews (The Mystery of Three Quarters).

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Next, a library book, A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters.

Eh. While I enjoyed the author's word skill, I found the plot slow and too cozy for me. I suppose I need danger, intrigue and suspense in my murder mysteries. The ending was interesting and a little comical. Rated C [3 stars].

Next another freebie I picked up over the years, Resurgent (Star Brigade #1) by C.C. Ekeke.

[ReadingManiac]

Reading Incubation by Adrienne Lecter. I think I got it as a freebie as it's book 1 of 12. So far very exciting!

[astrangerhere]

Reading the hardcover collected edition of The Low, Low Woods. Written by Carmen Maria Machado, drawn by DANI and colored by Tamra Bonvillain, this was originally published as a six-issue comic book series. From Goodreads:

When your memories are stolen, what would you give to remember? Follow El and Vee as they search for answers to the questions everyone else forgot.

Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, is plagued by a mysterious illness that eats away at the memories of those affected by it. El and Octavia are two best friends who find themselves the newest victims of this disease after waking up in a movie theater with no memory of the past few hours.

As El and Vee dive deeper into the mystery behind their lost memories, they realize the stories of their town hold more dark truth than they could've imagined. It's up to El and Vee to keep their town from falling apart...to keep the world safe from Shudder-to-Think's monsters.