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

The Hollow and The Pursuit of Love: Mini Reviews

The Hollow (1946) by Agatha Christie

🔫 I'm sure I've read Agatha Christie's The Hollow, though I don't understand why I couldn't remember it being that good. It's a Poirot's story, though his involvement wasn't much. He even appeared midway through the story. Poirot happens to be a neighbor of the Angkatells' country house, where John Christow and his wife, Gerda were staying for the summer. Also staying are Edward and David Angkatell, Henrietta Savernake, and Midge Hardcastle.

🔫 John Christow was shot dead near the pool, only minutes before Poirot was about to arrive for dinner. Poirot felt that the scene was staged for his eyes. And this proved to be a crucial point in the investigation of this, apparently, crime passionell. Three women loved Doctor John Christow differently. His wife Gerda worshipped the ground he walks on, Henrietta provided intellectual mind he could discuss his works with, while Veronica Cray is an actress and his old flame. Who, of the three, was the murderer?

🔫 I loved a psychological mystery like this one. A crime within the closed circle of relatives, where we, the readers, could investigate the case by following the thoughts and gestures of each suspect, while Poirot was in the background, guiding us to the right path. Excellent! My new favorite, too!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Pursuit of Love (1945) by Nancy Mitford

❤ Having read two satisfying Mitford's before (Pigeon Pie and Wigs on the Green), I was looking forward to read The Pursuit of Love, which, some synopsis daubed as Mitford's funniest. I was disappointed. It's not remotely as funny as I've expected, though I think it's unexpectedly more poignant than the two, especially in the end.

❤ The story is told from the POV of Fanny Logan, who had been brought up alongside her cousin, Linda Radlett, whose pursuit of love made the center of the story. Living between the two wars in England, the Radletts from Alconleigh is an eccentric and rough-on-the-edges family. Linda and Fanny had been forming their ideals of love from childhood. And it is quite interesting to follow the realization in life of these, especially Linda's, views and ideals of love and marriage. It's a wickedly satirized misguided love adventures, with the main attraction of eccentric characters. The jokes were mainly dry, and it's not something I'll cherish for a comfort reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Comet in Moominland (1946) by Tove Jansson #MoominWeek #WITMonth #20booksofsummer24

"You must go on a long journey before you can really find out how wonderful home is."

☄ That is the essence of this book, the second one - in term of publication date - to the Moomin series created by the inimitable Tove Jansson, and translated from Swedish by Elizabeth Portch. Moomintroll feels the urge to take on a journey far away from home, to see the world, to take on challenges, to do good things for others. But when he has had all these, the one thing he was longing most were... home and family. Isn't that what we all experience?

☄ This book picked up where we left in the first book: The Moomins and the Great Flood. The Moomins family had decided to stay on the valley where the house Moominpappa had built up ended during the flood. Now the family are settling in Moominvalley, with the addition of Sniff (the little creature they encountered in first book) who is living with them now. Sniff finds a beautiful cave while he and Moomintroll are following a path in the forest, and Moomintroll goes pearl-fishing in the sea. The next day they find the pearls, which they have hidden inside the cave, now are arranged in the shape of a star with a tail. The Muskrat, a philosopher who's also living with the Moomins, tells them they are shaped like a comet. So Moomintroll and Sniff are taking a journey to the Faraway Lonely Mountains, where the Professors at the Observatory will tell them more about it.

☄ Long story short, after a long and challenging journey, the Professors tell them exactly when a huge comet would hit the earth, in a few days. Now Moomintroll and Sniff need to go back home ASAP to.... well, they don't know exactly what to do, but Moominmamma would surely know what to do then. If only they could arrive just in time. Can they do that? Will the comet destroy their beloved Moominvalley?

☄ Along the adventure, some new characters were added to spice up the story up. We were introduced first to Snufkin, a nomad who loves playing music with his harmonica, and defies rules and authority. Then there's the Hermulen, who is an avid stamp collector, and ignorant of anything elese. One particular character gives Moomintroll a distraction from his mission - a beautiful Snork Maiden whom Moomintrol had saved from poisonous bush. This made me reflect on Moomintroll's actual age. He seemed to be of earlier age of five or seven years old back in the first book (where Moominmamma told him to wear dry sock after he wetted his feet in the swamp) but here he's having a crush - albeit a childish one - on Snork Maiden. Maybe the Moomins are ageless?

☄ Overall, Comet in Moominland is much more entertaining and complex than its predecessor. What I love most about it is the level of trust showed from Moomintroll and his parents, particularly Moominmamma. Even when the danger was near, Moominmamma and Moominpappa refused to evacuate with hteir neighbors, because they believe Moomintroll would come home. They never considered the possibility of their son going somewhere safer without them. No, they just knew that Moomintroll was coming home. Likewise for Moomintroll, he repeated many times to his friends that Moominmamma would know what to do. He never thought his parents would have evacuated with their neighbors. No, he just had to get home, and everything would be okay. That's a huge amount of confidence and a strong bond of love. I am so lucky to have the same kind of family! We were able to get through hardship and sorrow because we did it in love and trust of each other. This is a book with a fun adventure, that will warm you heart through.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Moomin Week #MoominWeek

hosted by Mallika @ Literary Potpourri & Chris @ Calmgrove

Women in Translation Month #WITMonth
hosted by womenintranslation.org

20 Books of Summer 2024 #20booksofsummer24
hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books

Fire in the Thatch (1946) by E.C.R. Lorac

🔥 Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald has become my favorite police-detective since my first E.C.R Lorac: Murder in the Mill-Race. I like his methodical investigation and communication skill. In this case, MacDonald (or the Scotland Yard) was summoned to give his opinion on a burnt thatched cottage in a rural countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn, Devon; whether it was an accident or a foul play.

🔥 Nicholas Vaughan bought Little Thatch, a cottage belongs to Colonel St. Cyres, and planned to farm the land and renovate the cottage. Colonel St. Cyres and his daughter were pleased with their new tenant, a conscientious hardworking man, compared to his competitor, a gentleman from London called Mr. Gressingham. The later was recommended by June St. Cyres, the colonel's daughter-in-law, whom the colonel had dismissed (the proposal from the gentleman, not the daughter-in-law).

🔥 One day Little Thatched was on fire, and Vaughan was found killed inside. The local police marked the case as accident, but a navy captain who had been Vaughan's chief suspected a foul play. This is a mystery where the key to solve it lays in the personality of the victim - a field where Robert MacDonald is an expert of.

🔥 The mystery itself isn't very complicated. It lacks of suspects and surprises. June St. Cyres hasn't got an opportunity to be closely investigated by MacDonald, and I feel that she's there at all only to bring Gressingham and his London lot into the picture. However, the countryside atmosphere and the detailed description of Vaughan's farming infused a charm into this story. Vaughan has a pleasant personality; his relationship with the St. Cyreses is heartwarming. We are fortunate to enjoy these two elements long enough before the tragedy came into the picture.

🔥 All in all, it is another enjoyable murder mystery from Lorac.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Crooked Wreath aka Suddenly at His Residence (1946) by Christianna Brand

🖼️ The Crooked Wreath is book #3 of Inspector Cockrill series. It was originally published in the UK by different title: Suddenly at His Residence. I have ranted before on how publishers annoyingly change titles when publishing cross country. For this book, however, I prefer the US title: The Crooked Wreath. I happened to listen to the audiobook version with the same title. 'Suddenly at His Residence' seems to reveal too much of the book. By reading the title, I immediately guessed the victim-to-be; it must be a wealthy man. The crime is perhaps within the family, and the motive would be inheritance. And so it is what the book is about!

🖼️ Sir Richard Marsh is a wealthy man; the owner of Swanswater estate, but he's turned a bitter man. When his wife, Serafita, was still alive, he had cheated on her. After her death, Sir Richard married Bella, his mistress. But, perhaps out of guilt, he made in his house a shrine for Serafita, complete with her portrait, and a wreath. Her ballet shoes were also kept around the house (she was a ballerina). Every anniversary of her death, he made his family gather around this shrine to do a kind of memorial ceremony. And so, long after her death, Serafita is still 'resided' in her house.

🖼️ This year his grandchildren attend the memorial. There are Philip, with his wife Ellen, Claire (who is having an affair with Philip), and Peta. Those three are his grandchildren by his deceased wife. Also attend the service are Edward, his grandson by Bella; and Sir Richard's young lawyer, Stephen, who is in love with Peta. Annoyed by these young people's lack of respect, Sir Richard threatened to disinherit them.

🖼️ On that fatal night Sir Richard spent the night at the lodge, where, he spitefully stated, he would make a new will. The next morning, the family found him dead of poisoning, while the will was nowhere to be found. No one could have entered the lodge that night because the gravel path was freshly rolled by the gardener. And when his body was first found, the path was still pristine. How, then, the murder could have been done?

🖼️ Inspector Cockrill is investigating the case, however, his role in the story was passive - too passive for a detective story. The deduction was mostly done by the suspects. They alternately come up with solutions of who must have been the murderer, and how it must have been done. It means that we get to suspect each of the family member along the story, and each of them is quite plausible.

🖼️ This story reminds me of Heads You Lose; closed-circle of suspect (within the family); Cockrill's passive involvement and his good relationship with the family; and the psychological suspense in the end. This one's ending is unsettling, though. Cockrill relies too much on the suspects, I think it would've been better had the story been without detective. And the dramatic, theatrical ending is rather unreal for me. It could be good for a Hollywood movie, but rather unsuited for the tone of the whole story.

🖼️ To conclude, it is an intriguing locked-room mystery, brilliantly written, but with unsettling ending, and lack of detective role.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

This book counts for: British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Locked Room Mystery