Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Neesy said:

Kurben said:

Felt like i need some first class locked room mystery so i'm reading The Judas Window by Carter Dickson. Real name John Dickson Carr. He is probably the best constructor of locked room mysteries ever. He does not have the flawless prosestyle of Sayers (though who has? he writes good enough). And he isn't as psychologically convincing as Christie when it comes to motive and method but his mysteries are absolutely topshelf. At least the first two decades... He still wrote good historical mysteries in the 50,s but his ordinary mysteries were not as good anymore.

Hey Kurben I went looking for this book at my local library online but it seems there was something wrong with the system and it didn't come up. I did find this one, though:

Swedish Art of Aging Well : Life Advice from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You.

Author:

Magnusson, Margareta

Have you ever heard of it?

Never. And that goes for both the book and the author. 
As for The Judas Window it was written in the 30,s so you never know if the library has it or not though its considered a classic.

I couldn’t get The Judas Window at the library kurben, but i did place a hold on Behind the Crimson Blind by him — have you read that one? 

Yes i have...... Sadly its not very good. When Dickson wrote his Sir Henry Merrivale mysteries the character was reasonably serious but as time passed he became more and more a parody and the solutions more unbelievable. Behind The Crimson Blind is one of the last Sir Henry mysteries, written in the early 50,s and far from the best. Both as Carr and Dickson he was in good form up til about 1945, then the quality started to decline. It was as if he lost interest or maybe he had just emptied his store of solutions to locked room (his books almost always included a locked room of some kind). His interest started to shift to historical mysteries and starting in 1950 he wrote a string of very good mysteries of that kind. The Bride Of Newgate, Fire, Burn!, The Devil In Velvet, Captain Cutthroat and Fear Is The Same is probably the best of them. These historical mysteries is his best work from the 50,s and 60,s. Just as his best locked room mysteries are from the 30,s and 40,s. 
But if you like i can give you a list of some of his best locked room mysteries.

Kurben

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Neesy said:

Kurben said:

Felt like i need some first class locked room mystery so i'm reading The Judas Window by Carter Dickson. Real name John Dickson Carr. He is probably the best constructor of locked room mysteries ever. He does not have the flawless prosestyle of Sayers (though who has? he writes good enough). And he isn't as psychologically convincing as Christie when it comes to motive and method but his mysteries are absolutely topshelf. At least the first two decades... He still wrote good historical mysteries in the 50,s but his ordinary mysteries were not as good anymore.

Hey Kurben I went looking for this book at my local library online but it seems there was something wrong with the system and it didn't come up. I did find this one, though:

Swedish Art of Aging Well : Life Advice from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You.

Author:

Magnusson, Margareta

Have you ever heard of it?

Never. And that goes for both the book and the author. 
As for The Judas Window it was written in the 30,s so you never know if the library has it or not though its considered a classic.

I couldn’t get The Judas Window at the library kurben, but i did place a hold on Behind the Crimson Blind by him — have you read that one? 

Yes i have...... Sadly its not very good. When Dickson wrote his Sir Henry Merrivale mysteries the character was reasonably serious but as time passed he became more and more a parody and the solutions more unbelievable. Behind The Crimson Blind is one of the last Sir Henry mysteries, written in the early 50,s and far from the best. Both as Carr and Dickson he was in good form up til about 1945, then the quality started to decline. It was as if he lost interest or maybe he had just emptied his store of solutions to locked room (his books almost always included a locked room of some kind). His interest started to shift to historical mysteries and starting in 1950 he wrote a string of very good mysteries of that kind. The Bride Of Newgate, Fire, Burn!, The Devil In Velvet, Captain Cutthroat and Fear Is The Same is probably the best of them. These historical mysteries is his best work from the 50,s and 60,s. Just as his best locked room mysteries are from the 30,s and 40,s. 
But if you like i can give you a list of some of his best locked room mysteries.

Yes please with the list. I really love locked room. I love an author challenging me to figure it out. Thanks kurben!

GNTLGNT

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Neesy said:

Kurben said:

Felt like i need some first class locked room mystery so i'm reading The Judas Window by Carter Dickson. Real name John Dickson Carr. He is probably the best constructor of locked room mysteries ever. He does not have the flawless prosestyle of Sayers (though who has? he writes good enough). And he isn't as psychologically convincing as Christie when it comes to motive and method but his mysteries are absolutely topshelf. At least the first two decades... He still wrote good historical mysteries in the 50,s but his ordinary mysteries were not as good anymore.

Hey Kurben I went looking for this book at my local library online but it seems there was something wrong with the system and it didn't come up. I did find this one, though:

Swedish Art of Aging Well : Life Advice from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You.

Author:

Magnusson, Margareta

Have you ever heard of it?

Never. And that goes for both the book and the author. 
As for The Judas Window it was written in the 30,s so you never know if the library has it or not though its considered a classic.

I couldn’t get The Judas Window at the library kurben, but i did place a hold on Behind the Crimson Blind by him — have you read that one? 

Yes i have...... Sadly its not very good. When Dickson wrote his Sir Henry Merrivale mysteries the character was reasonably serious but as time passed he became more and more a parody and the solutions more unbelievable. Behind The Crimson Blind is one of the last Sir Henry mysteries, written in the early 50,s and far from the best. Both as Carr and Dickson he was in good form up til about 1945, then the quality started to decline. It was as if he lost interest or maybe he had just emptied his store of solutions to locked room (his books almost always included a locked room of some kind). His interest started to shift to historical mysteries and starting in 1950 he wrote a string of very good mysteries of that kind. The Bride Of Newgate, Fire, Burn!, The Devil In Velvet, Captain Cutthroat and Fear Is The Same is probably the best of them. These historical mysteries is his best work from the 50,s and 60,s. Just as his best locked room mysteries are from the 30,s and 40,s. 
But if you like i can give you a list of some of his best locked room mysteries.

Yes please with the list. I really love locked room. I love an author challenging me to figure it out. Thanks kurben!

Here is a list. Just my preferences. You will get 5 Carter Dickson featuring Sir Henri Merrivale and 5 John Dickson Carr featuring Dr, Gideon Fell. The same author really.
Carter Dickson:
The Judas Window (1938)
The Red Widow Murders (1935)
She Died A Lady (1943)
The Reader Is Warned (1939)
The Ten Teacups aka The Peacock Feather Murders (1937)
John Dickson Carr:
The Hollow Man  aka The Three Coffins (1935) Counted by many specialists as the best locked room mystery ever.
The Crooked Hinge (1938)
The Black Spectaclles  aka The Problem of The Green Capsule (1939)
He Who Whispers (1946)
Til Death Do Us Part (1944)
Also as a bonus i must very warmly recommend The Burning Court (1937) it doesn't have neither Fell nor Merrivale but it is one of his best books. Also a locked room in there.

Lou_Sytsma

Finished Michael Robotham's - When You Are Mine. Robotham is a great writer. His books are slick, engrossing, and a pleasure to read. This one falls short of his previous books because of the protagonist, who is selectively stupid, and the ending comes together too neatly.

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Neesy said:

Kurben said:

Felt like i need some first class locked room mystery so i'm reading The Judas Window by Carter Dickson. Real name John Dickson Carr. He is probably the best constructor of locked room mysteries ever. He does not have the flawless prosestyle of Sayers (though who has? he writes good enough). And he isn't as psychologically convincing as Christie when it comes to motive and method but his mysteries are absolutely topshelf. At least the first two decades... He still wrote good historical mysteries in the 50,s but his ordinary mysteries were not as good anymore.

Hey Kurben I went looking for this book at my local library online but it seems there was something wrong with the system and it didn't come up. I did find this one, though:

Swedish Art of Aging Well : Life Advice from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You.

Author:

Magnusson, Margareta

Have you ever heard of it?

Never. And that goes for both the book and the author. 
As for The Judas Window it was written in the 30,s so you never know if the library has it or not though its considered a classic.

I couldn’t get The Judas Window at the library kurben, but i did place a hold on Behind the Crimson Blind by him — have you read that one? 

Yes i have...... Sadly its not very good. When Dickson wrote his Sir Henry Merrivale mysteries the character was reasonably serious but as time passed he became more and more a parody and the solutions more unbelievable. Behind The Crimson Blind is one of the last Sir Henry mysteries, written in the early 50,s and far from the best. Both as Carr and Dickson he was in good form up til about 1945, then the quality started to decline. It was as if he lost interest or maybe he had just emptied his store of solutions to locked room (his books almost always included a locked room of some kind). His interest started to shift to historical mysteries and starting in 1950 he wrote a string of very good mysteries of that kind. The Bride Of Newgate, Fire, Burn!, The Devil In Velvet, Captain Cutthroat and Fear Is The Same is probably the best of them. These historical mysteries is his best work from the 50,s and 60,s. Just as his best locked room mysteries are from the 30,s and 40,s. 
But if you like i can give you a list of some of his best locked room mysteries.

Yes please with the list. I really love locked room. I love an author challenging me to figure it out. Thanks kurben!

Here is a list. Just my preferences. You will get 5 Carter Dickson featuring Sir Henri Merrivale and 5 John Dickson Carr featuring Dr, Gideon Fell. The same author really.
Carter Dickson:
The Judas Window (1938)
The Red Widow Murders (1935)
She Died A Lady (1943)
The Reader Is Warned (1939)
The Ten Teacups aka The Peacock Feather Murders (1937)
John Dickson Carr:
The Hollow Man  aka The Three Coffins (1935) Counted by many specialists as the best locked room mystery ever.
The Crooked Hinge (1938)
The Black Spectaclles  aka The Problem of The Green Capsule (1939)
He Who Whispers (1946)
Til Death Do Us Part (1944)
Also as a bonus i must very warmly recommend The Burning Court (1937) it doesn't have neither Fell nor Merrivale but it is one of his best books. Also a locked room in there.

Of all those books you listed, The Crooked Hinge is the only one available!!!  I tried looking at those free sites in hopes something was there but didn’t see anything. 

Anyway, have that one on order! Thanks for your time kurben. 

GNTLGNT

FlakeNoir

Have recently finished Billy Summers. I absolutely fell for every character in this story. It was an enjoyable read from start to finish, but of course left big, fat hot teardrops. Well done Stephen, I think these characters will stay with me.

Currently reading Marsha's Deja Vu Dreams on e-Kindle. Think I'm enjoying it more on my second time round. 🙂

GNTLGNT

....Billy is one of Steve's best flawed humans.....

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

KURBEN! I am 41 pages into The Crooked Hinge and have myself so anxious! I’ve put the book down. 

Who is the real one and who is the imposter? I’m guessing one of these two ends up dead — and will it be a dead impostor or dead heir? 

Don’t answer this, just talking myself off the ledge. 

Nervous  as a cat!  Good story!

FlakeNoir

GNTLGNT said:

....Billy is one of Steve's best flawed humans.....

I read this as "flawless humans" and in the current clime, while also watching Dexter on a regular basis... I had an eyebrow moment. 🤔 Is he flawed, I  mean... really, is he? 🤭
Sigh. Living is hard.  Sorry... I mean, living with human beings is hard.
I do have a moral compass, but the media constantly pounding me with information.... and other locally gathered insights to the human condition makes my compass spin sometimes. 🥺

But yeah, Billy was beautiful. ❤

Grant87

I finished Nightmares and Dreamscapes last night. I thought it was a solid collection overall. Very few duds, but also not a lot of true standout stories. My favorites were "Crouch End", "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band", and "The Ten O'Clock People." I enjoyed almost every story here, other than "Dedication." Good collection, but he set the bar way too high with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. 

Today, I started Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. All I've heard for years is how amazing this book is, so hopefully it lives up to the hype. Anyone else here read it?

Hedda Gabler

Grant87 said:

I finished Nightmares and Dreamscapes last night. I thought it was a solid collection overall. Very few duds, but also not a lot of true standout stories. My favorites were "Crouch End", "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band", and "The Ten O'Clock People." I enjoyed almost every story here, other than "Dedication." Good collection, but he set the bar way too high with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. 

Today, I started Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. All I've heard for years is how amazing this book is, so hopefully it lives up to the hype. Anyone else here read it?

I have. It was very long ago and I am a different person now. I think I might see it different these days? I honestly don’t remember much other than I wasn’t that mesmerized by it as most. 

I don’t  always mean to be a contrarian.  I just give my honest opinion. But, my maturity at the time of reading — anyone’s maturity and experiences — gives us our lens. 

FlakeNoir

Grant87 said:

I finished Nightmares and Dreamscapes last night. I thought it was a solid collection overall. Very few duds, but also not a lot of true standout stories. My favorites were "Crouch End", "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band", and "The Ten O'Clock People." I enjoyed almost every story here, other than "Dedication." Good collection, but he set the bar way too high with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. 

Today, I started Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. All I've heard for years is how amazing this book is, so hopefully it lives up to the hype. Anyone else here read it?

I've read Boy's Life, Grant and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a tough read in places, not difficult... but pulls on the heart strings. I think you'll enjoy it, let me know when you're done.

Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

KURBEN! I am 41 pages into The Crooked Hinge and have myself so anxious! I’ve put the book down. 

Who is the real one and who is the imposter? I’m guessing one of these two ends up dead — and will it be a dead impostor or dead heir? 

Don’t answer this, just talking myself off the ledge. 

Nervous  as a cat!  Good story!

Oh wait. Maybe this third person gets murdered. The one they call in with proof?????

cat

Grant87 said:

I finished Nightmares and Dreamscapes last night. I thought it was a solid collection overall. Very few duds, but also not a lot of true standout stories. My favorites were "Crouch End", "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band", and "The Ten O'Clock People." I enjoyed almost every story here, other than "Dedication." Good collection, but he set the bar way too high with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. 

Today, I started Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. All I've heard for years is how amazing this book is, so hopefully it lives up to the hype. Anyone else here read it?

Boy's Life was my first McCammon read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

cat

Going back and forth between Harry Potter 5 and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. 

Grant87

Thanks for the input, everyone! I'll be sure to let you know what I think about it. I have high hopes!

GNTLGNT

...as a former Boy Scout/Eagle Scout, McCammon's title always messed with me....

Hedda Gabler

The Crooked Hinge — page 86 — my guess 

The wife did it.  While cutting a throat takes strength, there are hesitation marks on his neck. Someone giving it a go and finally doing it. I don’t know how deep the deadly cut was, so maybe not strength needed, just placement of cut.  What really makes  me suspect her, after the murder, she comes out on her balcony, overlooking the scene.  The knife is heavy and found tossed, blade straight down into a hedge which from her height on balcony above hedges, would work easily.

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

KURBEN! I am 41 pages into The Crooked Hinge and have myself so anxious! I’ve put the book down. 

Who is the real one and who is the imposter? I’m guessing one of these two ends up dead — and will it be a dead impostor or dead heir? 

Don’t answer this, just talking myself off the ledge. 

Nervous  as a cat!  Good story!

Oh wait. Maybe this third person gets murdered. The one they call in with proof?????

I'm glad to see you are enjoying the book. If you like it you must try to find some more of Carr/Dickson. Between 1933 and 1946 he wrote a lot of good books. 

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

KURBEN! I am 41 pages into The Crooked Hinge and have myself so anxious! I’ve put the book down. 

Who is the real one and who is the imposter? I’m guessing one of these two ends up dead — and will it be a dead impostor or dead heir? 

Don’t answer this, just talking myself off the ledge. 

Nervous  as a cat!  Good story!

Oh wait. Maybe this third person gets murdered. The one they call in with proof?????

I'm glad to see you are enjoying the book. If you like it you must try to find some more of Carr/Dickson. Between 1933 and 1946 he wrote a lot of good books. 

I am. It looks like I will have to order any others, but, oh well. Just another book in the wall. 

His writing is easy and simple— not at all what I expected given the time in which this was written. Other authors from his time that I have read have such tortured language usage.  Pullllease, calm the hell down snooty faces and just tell me a story.  And i don’t mean dumb the language down , just sing me a smooth jazzy song. 

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Finished The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr. Another excellent locked room mystery (even if the murder takes place in a garden...). One of his inventive variations where no lock is necessary to qualify it as a locked room mystery.

KURBEN! I am 41 pages into The Crooked Hinge and have myself so anxious! I’ve put the book down. 

Who is the real one and who is the imposter? I’m guessing one of these two ends up dead — and will it be a dead impostor or dead heir? 

Don’t answer this, just talking myself off the ledge. 

Nervous  as a cat!  Good story!

Oh wait. Maybe this third person gets murdered. The one they call in with proof?????

I'm glad to see you are enjoying the book. If you like it you must try to find some more of Carr/Dickson. Between 1933 and 1946 he wrote a lot of good books. 

I am. It looks like I will have to order any others, but, oh well. Just another book in the wall. 

His writing is easy and simple— not at all what I expected given the time in which this was written. Other authors from his time that I have read have such tortured language usage.  Pullllease, calm the hell down snooty faces and just tell me a story.  And i don’t mean dumb the language down , just sing me a smooth jazzy song. 

I know what you mean. Carr was an exception in those days. In those days it really was 4 female writers that dominated the field, all of whom were british. They weren't called the 4 Queens of Crime for nothing. It was Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Marjory Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. It was first in the 50,s when others, like Michael Gilbert, would come forward. In the US, if you weren't a big fan of the more hardboiled school a la Chandler, Hammett, Cain and John MacDonald, there were principally two mystery writers that could match them on their best on a good day. It was Carr/Dickson and Ellery Queen. Queen is uneven, even very uneven, and went through many phases in his writing but his best books are up there. Two others that have written really good ones are Josephine Tey and Philip MacDonald (also british in origin). Though Carrs books settings and his detectives are british he himself was american. Carr is one of very few that received big praise from Christie herself; "Detective fiction very seldom mystify me nowadays, Mr Carrs books almost always do". High praise indeed.

GNTLGNT