Airs Above the Ground (1965) by Mary Stewart

🐎 My second read of Mary Stewart brought me to Austria, to the circus and dancing Lippizaner stallions. The heroine is Vanessa March, a young wife, whose salesman husband is supposed to be on business trip to Stockholm, but she saw his glimpse on a newsreel, during a big fire in a circus in Austria! And moreover, with a young blonde on his side. So, when a friend asked her to chaperone a seventeen year boy who will be on a flight to his estranged father in Austria, well... how can Vanessa resist the trip? After some awkward moments, the young wife and the teenage boy open up to each other about their real intentions. Vanessa isn't coming to join her husband on holiday, and Timothy, the teenage boy, isn't to see his father. Tim is obsessed with horses, and intends to seek a job in the Spanish Riding School.

🐎 After the confessions, so to speak, they immediately become close friends and partner-in-crime. They soon found two things. That the blonde from the newsreel is Annalisa Wagner, the daughter of the circus owner, who performs with the dancing horses; and that Lee Elliot, who'd been helping in the circus, is none other than Lewis March, Vanessa's husband, and whose real job is not salesman, but a secret service agent! He is meeting his colleague, who was found dead during the circus fire, together with Annalisa's Uncle Franzl. Naturally, Timothy and Vanessa - who would have been a veterinarian had she not married - are delighted that Lewis asked them to loiter and look around for anything suspicious. What they find in the circus stable is Old Piebald - Franzl's old horse with a swollen leg (hematoma) during the fire. Vanessa operated the leg, and thus, bind a relationship with the old white horse.

🐎 The circus was a lovely addition to this book's charm. That, and the dancing horses. 'Airs above the ground' are the beautiful, traditional dance moves that the trained Lippizaner stallions do, including the levade, where the horse rears up and holds his pose.

The best part of the book is when Vanessa brought Old Piebald to graze on a patch of grass outside the circus tents, one evening. His leg was still a bit lame. It was during the show; Tim was watching, and Vanessa and Old Piebald were alone. Then suddenly, tuning in with the music, the horse slowly danced along. The rest is one magical moment that would carved itself into my memory deeper than the story itself.

In the distance the music changed: the Lipizzaner down in the ring would be rising into the levade, the first of the airs above the ground'. And in the high Alpine meadow, with only me for audience, old Piebald settled his hind hooves, arched his crest and tail, and, lame forefoot clear of the ground, lifted into and held the same royal and beautiful levade.

The moonlight flooded the meadow, blanching all colours to its own ghostly silver. The pines were very black. As the stallion rose in the last magnificent rear of the levade, the moonlight poured over him bleaching his hide so that for perhaps five or six seconds he reared against the black background, a white horse dappled with shadows, no longer an old broken-down gypsy's piebald, but a haute école stallion, of the oldest line in Europe.

🐎 All in all, this is a suspense novel with idyllic Austrian landscape as a background, and dancing Lipizzaners as a center point; spiced with some car chases and few actions. The heroine is a married woman, so you would find no romance here, as is usual with Mary Stewart's. But I think, I prefer it like this. Timothy stole my heart from the beginning, when he comforted Vanessa during the flight, as she dreaded the forthcoming landing, he said something like, I can hold your hand during the landing if you like... or something like that. And that's a gentleman on the making, Timothy Lacy! Then later on, when Lewis March appeared on the scene - and the show begins, because the suspense started with him - it is clear that Timothy adored Vanessa's husband. The villain (someone from the circus) had hit Vanessa earlier, so that she met Lewis with bruises on her face. When Lewis confronted the villain, he 'punished' him for ever laying hand onto his wife. And here, Timothy showed his admiration, which also showed his views of men hurting women. Bravo, Tim! 

* Originally I would have rated this one four stars, but the 'airs above the ground' scene of Old Piebald - his real name is Neapolitano Petra, by the way - and the ending, definitely deserved another star!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Theft of the Iron Dogs: A Lancashire Mystery (1946) by E.C.R. Lorac

🤎 The Theft of the Iron Dogs is book no. 28 of Robert Macdonald series, and another of Lancashire Mysteries, a series of rural mystery sets in Lunesdale, where Lorac had spent her life. This is apparently Macdonald first encounter with Giles and Kate Hoggetts, who will return in Crook o' Lune, which I have read earlier this year. WW2 had just been over, and Robert Macdonald has been investigating a coupon-racketeer case of a Gordon Ginner, when he received a letter from Mr. Hoggett from Lunesdale, Lancashire. The fine writing caught his interest, and so, Macdonald stopped by at the Hoggetts' farm, on his way of his investigation. Giles Hoggett turnout out to be an ex bookseller in London, who then moved to Lunesdale to farm. He and his wife Kate were two very interesting character in this book, and between them, they provided fine observation and deduction, crucial to Macdonald's investigation.

🤎 Giles Hoggett owned a cottage, and one day when he passed by, he noticed that the wood pile in front of the cottage had been disturbed. Suspicious, he checked inside, and found that some items were missing: his old coat, a set of iron dogs (or andirons for fireplace), a reel of salmon line, a big sack, and an old curtain. For a theft, it was strange, because none of the more precious items were taken. Macdonald first treated this case as an amusement - sort of a holiday, since he loved rural village and farming. However, he soon realized that this strange case might, somehow, have been related to his Gordon Ginner case. It was Macdonald himself who had found Ginner's corpse, tucked into a cave down the Lune River, when he (Macdonald) was swimming with Giles Hoggett. From then on, this became a serious case, where Inspector Reeves from Scotland Yard joined forces with him.

🤎 Everyone suspected a potter named Ruben Gold as the perpetrator, both the theft and murder. But Kate Hoggett offered the best analysis of them all, which Macdonald took an appreciative agreement. Who, then, was the culprit? Was it a painter who lived there? At least Macdonald found that he knew Gordon Ginner, but did it make him the murderer? Or was it an outsider, as Giles Hoggett suspected?

🤎 As a murder mystery, it's not a sophisticated one. It is the farming aspect that provides the central attraction here. The whole atmosphere is relaxed, full of camaraderie, and satiated. I think, from several I have read so far, this is the one where Macdonald laughed most - Reeves and Hoggetts's wrestling, or Reeves's cooking, are rare scenes in any murder mystery! What I loved most is when Macdonald listened attentively and appreciatively to the Hoggetts' analysis, and also one or two other farmers. He (Macdonald) was far from condescending; on the contrary, he really enjoyed those conversations. It's just another proof that Macdonald should belong to these people, instead of his peers in London. In a whole, this was a delightful mystery; from theft to murder, while on the interval, we were entertained with countryside air and view, complete with the smell of flowers, hay, and cattle.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Goodnight Mister Tom (1981) by Michelle Magorian

💙 When England was on the brink of Second World War, many children from London were evacuated to the countryside. Tom Oakley, a widower in his sixties, who lived in a farming little village called Little Weirwold, found himself the receiver end of a little spindly and terrified evacuee called William, or Willie. His mother wanted little eight year old Willie to be placed in a house of church person or lives near a church. Tom's was the latter.

💙 Tom soon found sore and bruises all over William's body. That, and the way William flinched, terrified, when Tom took a poker to rake the fire (thinking that Tom would brand him), showed Tom how William had been abused at home, by his over religious and mentally unstable mother. William thought himself full of sin, terrified of doing anything boys used to do, and that made him bullied at school, and was called a sissy. His condition moved Tom deeply; and he, a recluse and cantankerous man ever since his wife and son died, treated William with kindness and affection. The first night of William's sleeping at his own attic bedroom, was undoubtedly the turning point of his brighter future. His "Goodnight, Mister Tom" that night before sleep, was a token of gratefulness and affection - two things William had never felt before.

💙 Soon the two, together with Sammy, Tom's dog, were inseparable. He soon went to school and befriended some children: George, the twins Carrie and Ginnie. But his best friend was another evacuee, a cheerful Jewish boy called Zach. William learned to read and write, but they found out soon that he had a special talent of painting and acting. As William gradually emerged from the timid sickly boy he had been when he first arrived, so was Tom, emerged from his "cocoon". But things were not always bright and happy for William; he would experience dark moments, coloured with violence and death. I have prayed during the second part of the book that Tom would adopt William; that he didn't have to return to his abusive mother.

💙 On the whole, it was a delightful novel, though in some part it became too dark for children, I believe. But other than that, the daily lives of the children, and Tom's affection to William, are all warm and satisfying. It was satisfying indeed when William became happy after all the abuses he had been treated. Above all, this book reminds us that we might never be immune to sorrow or loss, but as long as there's love in us, time would heal our wounds, and make us even stronger.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: OCTOBER Reviews #AgathaChristieSS25

Motive vs. Opportunity

Mr. Petherick, the solicitor, was the next in line to tell his story (or problem, as they called it) for the meeting. The others are afraid that his would be full of legal aspects, but Mr. Petherick confirmed that it's not - it's a simple case. In the end, it proved to be a simple case as promised, with a childish twist.

A client of Mr. Petherick - he named him Simon Clode - was a wealthy man, who's lost by death, first, his only son, and afterwards, the only granddaughter whom he loved dearly. His orphaned nephews and niece were now lived with him. He left in his will, his estate equally to the three. Still on his grief over his late granddaughter, he met a spiritualist called Mrs. Eurydice Spragg, under whose influence he soon found himself. Mr. Petherick was greatly alarmed when, on his dying bed, Simon Clode made a new will, leaving most of his wealth to the spiritualist.
Mr. Petherick did the business, and after the will was signed, he put the document in his overcoat. However, when he opened it after Mr. Clode's death, the will was just a blank sheet. How could it be? Who had replaced the real will with a blank paper? Mrs. Spragg had opportunity, but certainly not a motive; one of the nephews had motive, but not opportunity. At the end, the solution was really a very simple and childish, that it gave Mrs. Marple a good chuckle when it's her turn to offer explanation. What an entertaining little read, and it gives further proof of how fun it would have been to be acquainted with the cheeky Dame Agatha Christie!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Accident

An ex CID Inspector Evans who now lived in an English village told his friend, a Captain Haydock, that he was certain that a Mrs. Merrowdene, was none other than Mrs. Anthony, who had been charged, and acquitted, of poisoning her husband with arsenic, nine years ago. He's theorizing that once a murderer, one will most certainly commit another - in short, there's always a pattern. He found the pattern, and when he met Professor Merrowdene carrying a new life insurance policy, Evans was 100% sure that the woman was ready for action once more. He visited their home, and lo and behold, Mrs. Merrowdene even performed the act before his eyes - what a clever and cheeky woman she was! Now it's up to him to prevent another murder. Would he be succeeded in doing that? Well, I must say that I didn't see that twist coming! That was a genius one from Agatha Christie! The last few sentences implied a good many things that will leave you aghast at the end - it altered the way you se the case, and made it seems like a simple, but complicated one. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Artists in Crime (1938) by Ngaio Marsh

🎨 Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn was on his annual leave holiday when he first met Agatha Troy. The encounter happened right after Alleyn, on board a cruise from Fiji, "exercised" his visual observation on the scenery of the wharf and the shore. Agatha Troy, a painter, was finishing her paint on the same scenery on deck, and Roderick commented upon it, which he regretted instantly. The brief introduction left a significant effect upon both persons, and would affect their next involvement in a murder case.

🎨 Agatha Troy lives in Tatler’s End House, very near the resident of Alleyn's mother, Lady Alleyn. She (Troy) housed several student-artists, who work at her studio. A model was engaged to pose every day, while the students perfecting their paintings or sculpting. One of the students got a commission to illustrate a crime novel's cover, where the victim was stabbed with a knife that's hidden under a drape. The students discussed about the feasibility of it, experimenting with real knife and drape, to suggest the pose for the nude model, Sonia Gluck. One morning, when she preparing herself for the pose, she was knifed through from under the dais/bench she's supposed to pose on. A clever murderer has put the knife in the right position. But which one of them done it? 🎨 Alleyn handled the case since he was staying at her mother's house, which was near the crime scene. He was reluctant, because it was clearly to us, readers, that Alleyn had been smitten by Miss Troy! The romance aspect added a little spark for this mystery, where the mystery itself was rather far from satisfaction. Speaking about motive vs opportunity, the motive is not clear, because apparently Sonia Gluck was a 'pain-in-the-ass' as a model; she's a spoilt girl, fidgeted too much, and seemed to be deliberately ruin everyone's work. Nobody liked her, and it gave them all, including Troy - whose 'masterpiece-painting-to-be' was ruined by Gluck, a motive. About the opportunity, though, I saw instantly who had the best opportunity of all. It's right there, clear as day, and I wondered how nobody even suggested it. Not even Alleyn, not at first, at least. I wonder, have I read too many detective novels to be able to be unsuspecting enough to enjoy one?

🎨 Anyway, all evidence pointed to one student who'd left the studio for London, where he would finish his big sculpting commission - a gig which many believed would give him a breakthrough to his career. But his whereabout was unknown to anyone, and even after some police broadcasts, he never showed up. I knew instantly that this man would be the second victim. And it was right enough. On this second murder, too, I have instantly suspected the murderer due to their ambiguous story. It's not really fun when you can guess the whodunnit of a crime novel that easily. Luckily, the artistic aspect of this novel made up for it a little; I loved reading about the student's daily routine, as well as following Alleyn's train of thoughts while tracing for clues from the student's art works and their scattered tools - left behind suddenly after the tragedy. The character of Lady Alleyn - to whom Alleyn was fond of, and in whose presence he became a son, instead of detective - added a charm to this novel, although I don't really like how Alleyn (and his journalist friend Bathgate) told her many aspects of the investigation. Though I guess, that must be normal in real life? Anyway, Lady Alleyn's concern about her son's love affair (or the lack of it) is really sweet.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025 #AgathaChristieSS25: OCTOBER

This month we will read one Miss Marple's story, and the other a non detective one.

MOTIVE VS. OPPORTUNITY

(a Miss Marple story)

A rich man intends to leave his estate to his nephew and two nieces, but just before he dies he changes his will to include a medium who has convinced him his nephew is an impostor. When the rich man dies, they discover his new will is missing. Who among the many suspects could have stolen it? The only people who had a motive had no opportunity – it is left to Miss Marple to solve the case.

The story was published in the Royal Magazine in the UK in 1928 and in the US, under the revised title Where's the Catch? (which I personally would have liked better) later that year. It was included in the 1932 collection, The Thirteen Problems.

ACCIDENT

(a non detective story)

An ex-Inspector spots a woman in the local village who he is sure is a murderer, and who walks free through a country village. Would he be able to prove she is guilty of her crimes when every case looks like an accident?

The story first appeared in the collection The Listerdale Mystery, 1934, in the UK and was published in the US in the collection The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories, 1948. It has never been adapted, though I wish it would - it seems quite interesting!


Which one does appeal to you more? For me, it's the non detective one. It reminded me instantly of And Then There Were None, where every crime committed by the ten people, all seemed like accidents.

Offshore (1979) by Penelope Fitzgerald

🚢 Set in the 1960s, Offshore is Penelope Fitzgerald's third novel, which won her the Booker Prize in 1979. It tells the story of a houseboat-dwellers community, which was closely inspired by her own experience of living in an old sailing barge moored along the bank of river Thames, at Battersea Reach, London. It was difficult times for her, which was also reflected on this book's characters. If I must sum it up in two words, this book is about restlessness and uncertainty.

🚢 The story opens with a sort of community meeting, which took place at Lord Jim, a barge owned by Richard Blake, who lives there, childless, with his wife Laura. Richard was looked up to as the unofficial leader of the community, partly because of his virtue, and partly because he had been involved in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Lord Jim, a converted minesweeper was also in the best condition compared to the others. Dreadnought, owned by an elderly marine painter called Willis, was in the worst condition with its serious leaks, though Willis was reluctant to sell it, because it meant that he'd have to live on shore with his sister. 🚢 Grace was another barge, owned by Nenna James, who lives there with her two daughters Martha and Tilda. She was anxious to get her estranged husband Edward to move back with them - he loathed living in a boat and chose to live in his friend's house instead. Nenna is the most interesting character in this book, to whom I was rooted for. Interestingly enough, the boat on board which Fitzgerald had been living was also called Grace. Nenna was pestered by Martha and Tilda's school, who claimed that both children were often absent from school, and seen running wildly on the muddy foreshore. Tilda, at least, enjoyed living on Grace, although it's not a good environment for raising children. Especially when their neighbor was Maurice, an old boat owned by a male prostitute, also called Maurice, who allowed his boat to be used for storing stolen goods by his shady friend Harry. There's also Woodie, a retired businessman, who owned Rochester. After Dreadnought sank - the dramatical scene was so beautifully written! - Woodie and his wife took charge of old unfortunate Willis, and let him live contentedly with them - converting Rochester into a sort of boarding house. 🚢 Like I said above, this is a story about uncertainty and restlessness. Even the ending is inconclusive. Normally I dislike this kind of novel, but in this case, I think it fits most perfectly with the whole sense of the novel. I rather like Wikipedia's description of it: "The book explores the emotional restlessness of houseboat dwellers who live neither fully on the water nor fully on the land." I caught the sense of dejectedness of these houseboat dwellers - they were generally frowned upon by the society. And yet, when we dive into their daily lives, they are mostly affectionate people, who wouldn't hesitate to help one another in difficult times. Maurice, for instance, always provides sympathetic ears for Nenna James' worries; Willis is always fond of Tilda; and of course, Woodie and his wife taking Willis under their care, which resulting in their change of plans, is the sweetest of all. Sometimes, one just need to be loved by others, before one can stand by one self - the life in the houseboat community might be that bridge towards brighter future for all characters. At least I wish them all the best. Again, I agree with Fitzgerald for not providing conclusive ending to the story; since it is just a phase that every one of us sometimes must face during our existence. How one would go from there, is one's own choice. Just as the ending of this story, would be how each reader would choose for themselves. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐