Considered one of the great female mystery writers who wrote in the beginning half of the 20^th century, Ngaio Marsh successfully creates both an entertaining and mind-boggling mystery with Grave Mistake. She develops even the minor characters of the story so that by the end, it feels like you inhabited the village of Upper Quintern or the stately rooms of Greengages.

 ‘Bring me,’ sang the ladies of Upper Quintern, ‘my Bow of Burning Gold.’

 ‘Bring me,’ itemized The Hon. Mrs. Foster, sailing up into a thready descant, “my Arrows of Desire.’

 ‘Bring me,’ stipulated the Vicar’s wife, adjusting her pince-nez and improvising into seconds, ‘my Chariot of Fire.’

 Mrs. Jobbin sang with the rest. She had a high soprano and a sense of humour and it crossed her mind to wonder what Mrs. Foster would do with Arrows of Desire or how nice Miss Preston of Keys House would manage a Spear, or how the Vicar’s wife would make out in a Chariot of Fire. Or for a matter of that how she herself, hard-working creature that she was, could ever be said to rest or stay her hand much less build Jerusalem here in Upper Quintern or anywhere else in England’s green and pleasant land.

 Mainly told from Miss Preston’s point of view, this mystery unfolds slowly. It begins with the natural death of a surly Scottish gardener which leads to the appearance of Bruce Gardener as if by Providence. He is a gardener with good references and both enthusiasm and brogue in abundance. As the story unfolds, you become familiar with the hardworking Mrs. Jobbin, the hypochondriacal Sybil Foster, the covetous Mr. Markos, and the perspicuous Miss Preston among others. When Sybil’s holiday from all her worries turns out to be a permanent stay in a coffin, Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn and his trusty Inspector Fox make a sojourn to Upper Quintern to investigate her untimely death.

As I read this book, I found myself trying to figure out “whodunit.” It is a mystery not much in a hurry to reveal its secrets but when, in the end it does, it is sure to leave you surprised. I really enjoyed my recent re-reading of Grave Mistake. You can find it on my “Staff Picks” shelf.

Enjoy!

Lady Angkatell smiled and went out. As she passed the open bathroom door and saw the kettle and gas ring, an idea came to her.

 People were fond of tea, she knew — and Midge wouldn’t be called for hours. She would make Midge some tea. She put the kettle on and then went on down the passage.

 She paused at her husband’s door and turned the handle, but Sir Henry Angkatell, that able administrator, knew his Lucy. He was extremely fond of her, but he liked his morning sleep undisturbed. The door was locked.

 Lady Angkatell went on into her own room. She would have liked to have consulted Henry but later would do. She stood by her open window, looking out for a moment or two, then she yawned. She got into bed, laid her head on the pillow and in two minutes was sleeping like a child.

 In the bathroom the kettle came to the boil and went on boiling…

 I haven’t met many Lucy Angkatells in my life, but listening to Agatha Christie’s The Hollow reminded me how confusing it must be to talk with someone of “disconcertingly rapid thought processes.” Lucy is just one of the several characters at the estate known as “The Hollow” whose lives are thrown into disarray by the unexpected death of a guest. Curiously enough, Hercule Poirot is staying in a nearby cottage on holiday and has been asked to lunch by Lucy. At first, he is annoyed at finding that his hostess had arranged a body for him to find. What impertinence!

I read this mystery several years ago, but it did not really stand out to me as one of Christie’s better novels. When I happened to see that the Library purchased the audiobook, I decided to give The Hollow a second read – or perhaps, listen. The difference was immediately apparent as the thoughts and emotions came to life through Hugh Fraser, the actor who portrays Arthur Hastings in the television series of Poirot.

I have often been surprised both pleasantly and not so by how a reader of an audiobook can color the listening of a book. A bad reader can make a good book seem bland, colorless, and even lifeless. A good or great reader can turn a slow moving book into a “page turner.” I was immersed in The Hollow, from the first CD and I would highly recommend it to make those commuting hours go swiftly. You will find it under my name in the “Staff Picks” display.

Enjoy!

The James L. Hamner Public Library is now seeking proposals for a new integrated library system. Vendors are encouraged to apply directly to the Library; questions are due no later than October 15 and proposals are due by October 29. Please email Dora Rowe or call 804-561-4559 for more information, or click to view the PDF. We look forward to hearing from you!

For my first blog post as circulation librarian, I had difficulty in deciding what book to choose. My dilemma was solved when I found Great Mysteries of History by Kenneth Platnick while weeding the 000’s. Now, I am a sucker for such things as unsolved mysteries and I love to watch  “Cold Case Files” when I have time. So this book suited me nicely and I was soon confirmed in my choice as I was happily lost amongst its pages.

I was familiar with several of the stories that Mr. Platnick details in this book (like Jack the Ripper, the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, and the survival of Anastasia Romanov) but there were others, like the murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey and the Unknown Fate of Louis XVII, with which I was less familiar. The manner he uses to relate these and other tales gives the known facts and assumed resolutions to the cases. On the whole, he does not appear to take sides, but allows the reader to make his or her own conclusions.

To take one story, the death of Amy Robsart, I will say my first hearing of it was while I was visiting Kenilworth Castle while spending Christmas in England with my sister and her family. Kenilworth was a favorite haunt of both Queen Elizabeth and one of her favorite advisors (and some say her lover), Robert Dudley. It has been said that the Queen might have considered him as a fitting husband but for the regrettable fact of his being married to Amy Robsart. Robsart was rarely seen at court and while at an estate rented by her husband, she fell (or was pushed) down a flight of stairs to her death. Rumors instantly convicted her husband and quiet rumors swirled about the Queen’s involvement, but they came to naught. The Queen was more circumspect when it came to her dealings with Dudley, but nothing was proved. The mystery, whether accident or murder, persists to this day.

The book itself was published in the early seventies, so some of the stories, like whether Anastasia Romanov survived, have now been proven or disproven, but this does not detract from my enjoyment of the book. I found the text easy to read and the stories fascinating. As for his selection of the particular stories he chose to chronicle, I offer this, his explanation:

Everyone, of course, has his own selection of “favorites” among these unsolved mysteries. Not all of them are represented here. This collection is necessarily limited by the twin criteria of mysteriousness and greatness implicit in the title.

The very nature of mystery accounts for the fact that no attempt has been made to offer solutions. At best, it would be risky scholarship; a worst, presumptuous. The cases remain unsolved.

To qualify as “great,” however, the mysteries must not only be unsolved. They must, it seems, involve persons celebrated in the course of history or events of some real meaning for history.

Other mysteries he has included concern the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island, the search for the Loch Ness Monster and the Yeti, and the mystery of Stonehenge to name a few. I have enjoyed this escape into historical mysteries which range from the gruesome to the inexplicable and invite others who have the same interest to try this book. It can be found on the “Staff Picks” display under my name.

Enjoy!