Work for Idle Hands: Books in June

Monday June 30, 2014

Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin
I failed to read the "final" Rebus novel - partly intentionally, as it was widely advertised and I was concerned about what might make it "final" in the light of the Remorseful Day. (Why popular detectives have to have dramatic ends and cannot simply retire. I do not know - well I do know - their authors have had enough of them).
Anyway - Rankin is up for more - and so are we.
This was a good and interesting plot - nicely weaving in an appearance from Malcolm Fox (the "Complaints").
I have to say I am no nearer understanding the character of Rebus - even after all this time.

The Drop by Michael Connelly [Read by Len Cariou]
The Drop of the title is a reference to Harry's final retirement date in police vernacular. The cold-case plot (as there are really 2 plots) is particularly interesting as it results from a blind hit in re-examining some old DNA evidence using the latest technology - this leads to an impossible and possibly contaminated result pointing at a suspect who is far too young to have committed the crime. In addition - due to his reputation for high integrity - Harry is pulled into a political nightmare of a case checking out a suspected suicide (or is it?).

Inspector Ghote's First Case by H R F Keating [Read by Sam Dastor]
I started to listen to this on iPlayer but failed to keep up, so I borrowed the book from the library. It is utterly charming but I am slightly concerned that it is not very politically correct. I was driven to look into the author whom I only know of through this series, thinking he must be a relic of the British in India - but not a bit of it. He is the right kind of age (maybe) but in the same vein as Alexander McCall-Smith, Keating did not visit India until ten years after he started writing about it. I have no idea how it would seem to someone of Indian ethnicity, but it does seem to me it is written with affection and intelligence and hopefully is not seen as patronising or offensive.
This is one of the last Inspector Ghote books (published in 2008) but revisits his early career.

Into theValley of Death by H R Keating writing as Evelyn Hervey [Read by Sheila Mitchell]
So I indiscriminately grabbed any talking books I could find to while away the journey to Woolfest. For me, this type of Victorian lady detective written by contemporary authors does not really hold much appeal (I say "this type" but clearly some types do appeal ...). Anyway it lived up to my every expectation and fortunately did not require too much attention while driving.
I note that Keating wrote it under a pseudonym - to enhance the "type" I think.

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh [Read by James Saxon]
This Inspector Alleyn was delightfully dated with wonderful and improbably drawn, and rather arch characters.
In keeping with all that, the appropriate person "dunnit", and they all lived happily ever after. (Except the murderer of course).
It all centres around a prima donna, a bottle of scent and some paraquat (geddit?).

Busmans Honeymoon
Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey with Sarah Badel as Harriet Vane.
So - they tied the knot, and appear to make a comfortable couple. This recording features other great British stars with Peter Jones as Bunter, and Rosemary Leach (unmistakable) as "Miss Twitterton" - where the name says it all. Equally unmistakable is Peter Vaughan as the police inspector - who can forget the sinister Harry Grout in Porridge?

Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair
Another delightful piece from 1959, starring Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury.
One wonders at these criminal masterminds who feel bound to telephone all the players involved in their mysterious plotting, leaving their (false) names as a tantalising lead for the police and amateur detectives alike.
Can't remember who dunnit but charming nonetheless. [As I have said before, I love the depicted relationship between Paul and his wife - and I love the fact that she seems to have a proper job of her own - even if it is suitably ladylike.]

Posted by Christina at 7:12 PM. Category: Books of the Month