Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our August/Sept 25 buddy read of The Corpse in Oozak's Pond (Peter Shandy #6 The sixth book in the Professor Peter Shandy series was first published in 1986.

On Groundhog Day, secrets surface alongside a waterlogged corpse.

The rural town of Balaclava greets Groundhog Day as an excuse for one last cold-weather fling. The students and faculty of the local agricultural college drink cocoa, throw snowballs, and, when the temperature allows, ice skate. Oozak's Pond is not quite frozen this year, though, and as the Groundhog Day celebrations reach their peak, the students see someone bobbing through the ice. The drowning victim is long past help, though; he's badly decomposed and dressed in an old-fashioned frock coat with a heavy rock in each pocket.

First on the scene is Peter Shandy, horticulturalist and, when the college requires it, detective. But solving this nineteenth-century murder will take more than Shandy's knack for rutabagas. Relying on his wife's expertise in local history, the professor dives into a gilded-age mystery that cloaks secrets that remain potent enough to kill.

No idea what Groundhog Day is, but if you are joining in this one, feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

No idea of Groundhog Day! Lucky you. If you haven't already, google it and introduce yourself to Pauxetawny Phil.

This is the only one of our mid-month reads I have finished. While it was good to be back at the college and present day, I got bogged down in the Buggins family tree. It may have been because I listened to the book and my mind wanders. Then I found the big reveal unlikely. The humor carried the book.

Sandy wrote: "I got bogged down in the Buggins family tree ..."

So did I! I thought there were so many characters with strange names that I got confused, and it was also hard to care who did it as we didn't really get to know the characters.

I didn't really get the humour either - I thought the first book was very funny, but now, although I still like Peter, I'm finding the series a bit boring if I'm honest. This book was definitely much better than the peculiar time-travelling previous one, though!

I had to quit this by chapter 2. The story is 80% names so far. Every paragraph a new name to learn! Incredibly lazy writing.

I just went back and counted. It's about 39 names in the first two chapters (including the cat and the horses). 🤔

Wow, I thought there were a lot of names but didn't realise it was quite that many, Indeneri!

I went back to check. I can't believe he named all the horses and cats and the neighbour's married children that have moved away. 😂 A bit much for me. I had to call it a day.

Sandy wrote: "No idea of Groundhog Day! Lucky you. If you haven't already, google it and introduce yourself to Pauxetawny Phil.

This is the only one of our mid-month reads I have finished. While it was good to ..."

I got bogged down in the extended family tree as well, and I’ve read this a few times (I’ve reread the first, Rest You Merry several times), and then think I want more of Balaclava College and read on - some are fun, but the first is best, I think. As you say, humor carries the book - the whole series, tbh…

Indeneri wrote: "I went back to check. I can't believe he named all the horses and cats and the neighbour's married children that have moved away. 😂 A bit much for me. I had to call it a day."

I think the author got carried away with the whimsical in this series-especially the names - it did become rather monotonous.