This book is the latest
Time Out For Women book club book that we are reading. I have devoured it in two nights--and have 5-6 new recipes that I can't wait to try the delectable delights that are mentioned (recipes included) in this books. It's not a "thriller" but more of a "cozy" mystery...with a 50s-aged suburbian woman who gets in the middle of a murder and with some ingenuity and spunk, she helps solve the crime (to the police dept's chagrin). Her cooking helps soothe some nerves and one particular recipe/dish plays an unsuspecting and tiny, yet crucial role in how the crime is solved. Her books are not vulgar or blood-ridden and as Maddie was attracted by the title, I told her, after reading it, that she is free to dig in. I am also eager for her next book to come out, which has a chapter written at the end of this book and it looks to be just as good. Some great recipes will be added to my collection tonight! :)
I found this in an article on Meridian's Online magazine (
http://www.ldsmag.com/) listing "classic" mystery novels that have withstood the test of time. Great article! I have read many, many Agatha Christie novels (loved them all; very tricky, pay attention to minute details) and most of the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, which I also really liked; they are slow-moving, as is life is Botswana, Africa (setting) but I liked their pace. I've only read the ones in purple so I have a nice list to add to my TO READ section of
http://www.goodreads.com/ (another great website to keep track of books read, get reviews by friends and others).
Twenty Great Mystery Novels in Random Order
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, A. Conan Doyle
The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins
Death in Holy Orders, P.D. James
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
The Complete Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
Clouds of Witnesses, Dorothy L. Sayers
One Corpse Too Many, Ellis Peters
The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco
Rumpole of the Bailey, John Mortimer
The Firm, John Grisham
The Third Man, Graham Greene
A Thief of Time, Tony Hillerman
Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters
Judgment in Stone, Ruth Rendell
Time and Again, Jack Finney
The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John le Carre
Dancers in Mourning, Margery Allingham
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
and from Family Fun Magazine which we love! You can read about any fun idea involving kids online at their online magazine.
This one was "sit on a soccer chair in the big red chair and read"
The super cozy place, "Read in mom's tub"
And lastly, but not in the least, "Read in a home-made fort"
