Appointment With Agatha discussion

It has been so long since I had to think about organizing our side reads that I forgot to think about May!

Our Agatha Christie for May is The Mystery of the Blue Train. Since we've already used "Murder by Transport" as a theme once this year, we're going to focus on another element of this one to select our side read - this is the first of many murder investigations that occur while Papa Poirot is attempting to enjoy a vacation.

So, let's nominate books which involve vacationing sleuths who become embroiled in muuuuuurder.

As always, pre-1970 mysteries only.

We're on a quick time frame, so nominations close Friday at noon, PST 5:00 p.m. Thursday (see message 33).

Nominations as of Tuesday morning:

1. Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery by Carol Carnac (nominated by Mike)
2. Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries (collection edited by Martin Edwards) - nominated by Jazzy.
3. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
4. The Crime at the Noah’s Ark by Molly Thynne (nominated by Tara)
5. Maigret's Holiday by Georges Simenon (nominated by me)
6. Suicide Excepted by Cyril Hare (adopted by BrokenTune)
7. The Case of the Drowning Duck by Erle Stanley Gardner (nominated by Lillelara)
8. Come Away, Death by Gladys Mitchell (nominated by Themis-Athena)

Christine PNW wrote: "It has been so long since I had to think about organizing our side reads that I forgot to think about May!

Our Agatha Christie for May is The Mystery of the Blue Train. Since we've ..."

I have two nominations:

'Suicide Excepted' by Cyril Hare
Suicide Excepted

'Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery' by Carol Carnac
Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery

Ooh!

How about
Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries

If this isn't valid because we recently read this author as a side read, please dismiss. :)

I nominate The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers.

Jazzy wrote: "Ooh!

How about
Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries

"


Ooh, this looks like fun!

I'll nominate The Crime at the Noah’s Ark by Molly Thynne.

Tara wrote: "I'll nominate The Crime at the Noah’s Ark by Molly Thynne."

This looks fun. If it doesn't get picked for the side read, I'm going to make it one of my Christmas Crime picks for this year. Thanks for the recommendation. I didn't know about Molly Thyme's books.

Great nominations! I can´t think of anything else atm. :)

Mike wrote: "I have two nominations:

'Suicide Excepted' by Cyril Hare

'Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery' by Carol Carnac
"

Only one nomination per person, Mike! Can you pick one of the two? (Or maybe another member wants to adopt one of your nominations?)

I usually don't offer a nomination, but this month I think I will. We've not read any of the Maigret books, so I'm going to throw this one out.

Maigret's Holiday by Georges Simenon

I was hoping someone would nominate a Maigret. I'm a big fan of the books.

I love Simenon, but that's one of the few books I don't own.

Wait, my mistake I found it in my digital files!

I want to read them all. I have only read the Sayers from the list.

Christine PNW wrote: "Mike wrote: "I have two nominations:

'Suicide Excepted' by Cyril Hare

'Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery' by Carol Carnac
"

Only one nomination per person, Mike! Can you pick one of the two? (Or m..."

I'll stick with 'Crossed Skis' by Carol Carnac as we've already read a Cyril Hare book and this is probably not his best.

Mike wrote: "I'll stick with 'Crossed Skis' by Carol Carnac..."

I'll pick up the Cyril Hare one (Suicide Excepted) as my nomination.

BrokenTune wrote: "Mike wrote: "I'll stick with 'Crossed Skis' by Carol Carnac..."

I'll pick up the Cyril Hare one (Suicide Excepted) as my nomination."

Sweet. My plan worked.

Bwaaahahaha

I've read almost all of the current choices, but would reread most of them; except for the two Christmas / winter entries (Carnac's Crossed Skis and Molly Thynne's Crime at the 'Noah's Ark') -- not because I didn't like them, on the contrary actually, but I'm longing for it to be spring once and for all, and after having spent all of December and part of November and January reading nothing but Christmas and winter mysteries, I don't think I'll be ready to return to a winter book setting again so soon.

There are two Mrs. Bradley books by Gladys Mitchell that I'm interested in and in which Mrs. Bradley seems to be solving a mystery while on vacation / while staying with someone at their invitation: Watson's Choice and Come Away, Death. Since we're only allowed one nomination, I'm going to ask BrokenTune (who, IIRC, has read both of them) which of the two she would recommend ... and that one then shall be my nomination.

(We'll have to get a Solomon's cap for BT for this round, I think. :D)

Christine PNW wrote: "BrokenTune wrote: "Mike wrote: "I'll stick with 'Crossed Skis' by Carol Carnac..."

I'll pick up the Cyril Hare one (Suicide Excepted) as my nomination."

Sweet. My plan worked."

Yes. I am that predictable. ;)

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "I've read almost all of the current choices, but would reread most of them; except for the two Christmas / winter entries (Carnac's Crossed Skis and Molly Thynne's Crime at the 'Noah's Ark') -- not..."

LoL.

I found Watson's Choice to be highly amusing. I'd go with that as a nomination. Does an invitation to a fancy dress house party count as holiday?

To be fair, I have not read Come Away, Death, yet, so can't really comment on it but I expect that one to be more like other Mrs Bradley novels (which Watson's Choice wasn't really). It's definitely a holiday setting, tho. And I know that another friend recommended this one with great enthusiasm.

I would like to nominate one of the Perry Mason novels, The Case of the Drowning Duck by Erle Stanley Gardner.

However, I´m not sure if this book is too hard to get hold off. I don´t think it´s in print anymore and I only found a kindle edition for it. So if it´s too obscure of a choice, Christine, please don´t put it on the list.

Lillelara wrote: "I would like to nominate one of the Perry Mason novels, The Case of the Drowning Duck by Erle Stanley Gardner.

However, I´m not sure if this book is too hard to get..."

Kindle price is £4.32, not terribly unreasonable.

I got the e-copy.

Jazzy wrote: "Lillelara wrote: "I would like to nominate one of the Perry Mason novels, The Case of the Drowning Duck by Erle Stanley Gardner.

However, I´m not sure if this book ..."

It's also available as an audiobook from Audible.

Lillelara wrote: "I would like to nominate one of the Perry Mason novels, The Case of the Drowning Duck by Erle Stanley Gardner.

However, I´m not sure if this book is too hard to get..."

It's available on Amazon for free if you have Kindle Unlimited or $5.99 to purchase the ebook (US).

I've watched Perry Mason on television but never read the books - I'm intrigued!

Lillelara, I think that the Perry Mason book has sufficient availability. There are a few used copies on Abebooks, but it is also available as an ebook for a reasonable price, as Cozy Pug pointed out. So, on the list it goes!

Themis, are we going with Watson's Choice? I'm not sure that a fancy dress ball really counts as a holiday - BT, can you elaborate on that a bit? Is it a weekend holiday sort of a thing? If it doesn't fit here, I'm sure that there will be a time to nominate it again, as I think it's likely that I will be recycling the "country house party" theme at least once a year.

Christine PNW wrote: "Lillelara, I think that the Perry Mason book has sufficient availability. There are a few used copies on Abebooks, but it is also available as an ebook for a reasonable price, as Cozy Pug pointed o..."

I'll dig out my copy and confirm later tonight. :)

Sounds good, BT. Thanks!

Christine PNW wrote: "Lillelara, I think that the Perry Mason book has sufficient availability. There are a few used copies on Abebooks, but it is also available as an ebook for a reasonable price, as Cozy Pug pointed o..."

Excellent, thank you :).

Christine PNW wrote: "Sounds good, BT. Thanks!"

I checked the first chapter: The story is set at a dinner party. There are 9 guests because the dining room won't allow for more. No one mentioned people staying over night from what I have skim-read in the first chapter, and I can't remember if they do.

BrokenTune wrote: "Christine PNW wrote: "Sounds good, BT. Thanks!"

I checked the first chapter: The story is set at a dinner party. There are 9 guests because the dining room won't allow for more. No one mentioned p..."

Hmmm. I think we're going to have to leave it for later then, much as I would have liked to pick it. Alright, my nomination then is going to be Come Away, Death!

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) wrote: "Hmmm. I think we're going to have to leave it for later then, much as I would have liked to pick it. Alright, my nomination then is going to be Come Away, Death!"

I feel sure that you will have your chance!

And then there were (eight) nominations.

I know that I said that I was closing nominations at noon tomorrow, but I want to get the poll going.

So, this is the last call for nominations.

Deadline is 5:00 p.m. today, which is two hours and twenty four minutes from now.

The poll is up! Vote early, vote often (but only vote once)

Find It Here

We have selected our May side-read: Maigret's Holiday. I read this one fairly recently, but I have it on hold at my library & will be reading it again for the group read.

One nice thing about the Maigret mysteries is that they tend to be quite short - almost novellas. This one is 208 pages. Simenon packs a lot into his slender volumes!

Christine PNW wrote: "One nice thing about the Maigret mysteries is that they tend to be quite short - almost novellas. This one is 208 pages. Simenon packs a lot into his slender volumes!"

He certainly does.