Sunday, March 31, 2013

March Mystery Crime Reading Challenge.

Month 3 of the Crime reading challenge. Details can be found here.
I have another two books to review this month. Both books I picked up for a snip from my local charity shop and now that I have read them will be returned for resale.
Thr first one By Ruth Rendle is a Chief Inspector Wexford novel. I have never been able to get on with watching the television series so I was very pleasently suprised to find that I could not put this book down!  The crime has been long committed at the start of the book over ten years previously so all the police have is the remains  to try and not only identify the corpse and how they died but who did the deed.  The pace is fast and you soon have a mismash of likely suspects some of whom are not slow to try pulling the wool over the Inspectors eyes. A second corpse is found  within a short distance  of the first one but this one has not been  dead for quite as loig so are the two deaths related or just a coincidence?
I got to almost the end of the book before I realised whodunnit. A throughily good read and i will certainly be looking for some more Wexford Crimes to solve.
My rating 9/10 (only because I sussed it!)

The second book is another Georgette Heyer novel written and set in  the 1930'3.  I couldn't help thinking as I was reading the book how it would have made an excellent Brian Rix 'Whitehall Farce'.
You are presented with a dead body right at the start and within a very short time a group of very likely suspects all who had good reason to kill and no alibi for the night in question.
You are fast drawn into the life of the upper classes of that era and I found the book a very good insight into the life of those times. You are kept in suspense almost right to the last page. I enjoyed this one better than the Georgette Heyer I read last month so my rating is
9/10.

I did read a load more books during the month  on my Ipad but as they were not crime related they did not count.
You can join in this challenge at any time during the course of the year.

6 comments:

Maarit at Violets Corner said...

I like the Wexford novels too. Georgette Heyer is new for me, I'll see if I can find one. Love to read books, I always have a pile at the bedside table.

Warm hugs
Maarit

An Occasional Genius said...

I love books too, & always buy & return to charity shops. Just thought I'd let you know you won at Challenges 4 Everybody (fab wine tote!) if you hadn't realised xx

Sandra H said...

l love reading and now download them onto my Kindle saves storage space in the home,although l managed to take hundreds to the nursing homes and care homes which l know will get lots of pleasure reading, l like a good Mystery book too and you can't go wrong with Ruth Rendell xx

Zue said...

Both books look intriguing. Must give crime a try, I usually read poetry or non- fiction.
I mean I must try reading crime, not doing it
Xx




MaryH said...

TFS the book recommendations. I'll check out the Rendel one if our library has it. I've recently discovered Caroline Graham after watching Midsomer Murders. She writes a great book too. It helps to visualize the characters after seeing the series. I love to read.
Hugs

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

I had forgotten those wonderful Whiehall farces. My parents took me to see one year's ago and it was brilliant. On the same trip, we also went to see The Black and White Minstrels, also brilliant. Thank you for reminding me, and thanks for your visits and kind comments. Have a good week. xx Maggie #16