Category: Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo (Detective Kindaichi Mysteries, 4)

The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo is a classic mystery novel originally published in Japanese in 1951. The book has been translated into English by Yumiko Yamazaki and has since gained a reputation as one of the finest Japanese detective novels of all time. The plot of The Inugami Curse centers around a wealthy and eccentric Japanese businessman named Sahei Inugami, who dies suddenly and … Continue reading Book Review: The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo (Detective Kindaichi Mysteries, 4)

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe, 2)

Farewell, My Lovely is a classic noir detective novel written by Raymond Chandler, first published in 1940. The story follows private detective Philip Marlowe as he investigates the disappearance of a former convict named Moose Malloy, and his subsequent involvement in a series of murders and double-crosses in 1930s Los Angeles. Chandler’s writing style is known for its vivid and hardboiled prose, as well as … Continue reading Book Review: Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe, 2)

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Book Reviews

Book Review: The Betel Nut Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu (Crown Colony, 2)

The Betel Nut Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu is a murder mystery set in Singapore during the 1930s. It features a plucky and resourceful female protagonist, Su Lin, who is hired as a nanny to the daughter of a British police officer. When a murder occurs in the household, Su Lin uses wit and intelligence to help solve the crime. The novel takes place against … Continue reading Book Review: The Betel Nut Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu (Crown Colony, 2)

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Book Reviews, ReadChristie2023

#ReadChristie2023: The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie

First published in the United States as The Murder at Hazelmoor in 1931, The Sittaford Mystery is a wintery mystery has delighted readers and critics alike. A riff on Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles with a gothic house, supernatural hauntings, and a bludgeoned man. It begins with a seance on the snowy moors of England. A party of eight guests sits around … Continue reading #ReadChristie2023: The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie

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Book Reviews

Book Review: The House Without A Key by Earl Derr Biggers (Charlie Chan, 1)

In Charlie Chan’s first novel, The House Without A Key, published in 1925, readers get a window into 1920s Hawaii from its caucasian imperialist inhabitants. A romantic island remote from its neighbors slumber in the cool tradewinds painted by Earl Derr Biggers. Readers are lulled by the crashing waves and are welcomed by one of the richest men on the island Daniel Winterslip. A wealthy … Continue reading Book Review: The House Without A Key by Earl Derr Biggers (Charlie Chan, 1)

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Dead, Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery, 1)

Dead, Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia is a compelling mystery-thriller novel that follows the story of an ambitious, determined, and resilient young woman named Louise Lloyd. The story is set in Harlem in the 1920s, and it centers around a series of murders that have been taking place, with the victims being young Black women. Louise is a journalist who has always been fascinated by … Continue reading Book Review: Dead, Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery, 1)

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts (Inspector French, 17)

Maybe Freeman Wills Crofts is less perennially famous than his fellow Detection Club members Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Still, his solid methodical police detective Inspector French is a personal favorite. Crofts made his living as a railway engineer before turning to crime writing in 1929. Many aspects of his previous profession bleed through, such as using railway timetables to make or break alibis … Continue reading Book Review: Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts (Inspector French, 17)

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Book Reviews, ReadChristie2023, Short Stories

Book Review: Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries, 2) #ReadChristie2023

Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (1929) In this short story collection, readers reunite with Tommy and Tuppence Beresford soon after their marriage, and Tuppence is bored. Utterly and damnably bored of housework and hat collecting, Tommy has grown comfortable in British intelligence work- even if it’s primarily office stuff now. Tuppence laments their previous adventure of chasing German spies and getting into scrapes. They’ve … Continue reading Book Review: Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries, 2) #ReadChristie2023

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Book Reviews, ReadChristie2023

Book Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train #ReadChristie2023

The Blue Train Mystery is a classic detective novel by Agatha Christie, published in 1928. The book is one of Christie’s earlier works and features her famous detective character, Hercule Poirot, in a compelling tale of murder, theft, and intrigue aboard the luxurious Blue Train. The story begins with the introduction of Katherine Grey, a young woman who has just lost her job and is … Continue reading Book Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train #ReadChristie2023

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs, 4)

Messenger of Truth is the fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. The book was first published in 2006 and is set in 1931, during the interwar period in England. The novel opens with Maisie Dobbs, a private investigator and psychologist, being approached by a wealthy aristocrat who wants her to investigate the death of his artist son, Nicholas Bassington-Hope. Nicholas was … Continue reading Book Review: Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs, 4)

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