The Carter of "La Providence" (1931) by Georges Simenon #ParisinJuly2026 #20BOS26

 

🚤 This would be my starting point of reading the wide-read French detective stories of Georges Simenon. Maybe I should have started from the first book, but somehow this title sounds more interesting. First, I didn't know exactly what a Carter is - is he the driver of a horse cart? Then "La Providence" should be the name of the cart, but somehow I couldn't imagine a horse cart had a name, let alone an elegant one such as "La Providence". So, curiosity drove me to read - or in this case listen to - the (audio) book. I wasn't far wrong, the Carter is indeed a man who managed a horse-drawn-cart, and the lived at the stable, caring for the horses. But the cart isn't conveying passenger, but to tow a canal boat or barge! 

🚤 Since I have read - and enjoyed - The Narrowboat Summer (by Anne Youngson) last month, I was very excited to read a murder mystery set around the canal. A woman with stylish clothes, heavy make-up and jewelry was found strangled to death in a stable near the lock keeper's cottage near Dizy. Quite an incongruous sight it made, as how and why did the woman had come to the (usually) quiet place, at which she was so out of place? That was Inspector Maigret's first thought. He began to ask questions, to the lock keeper, the bargemen; until one Colonel Sir Walter Lampson, the owner of Southern Cross yacht admitted that the dead woman was his wife, Mary Lampson. She's been missing from the yacht for several days. Maigret also investigated a barge who arrived at the Lock the night Mary Lampson dead: La Providence. 🚤 La Providence was owned by the Cannelles, and they had a Carter called Jean, who's handling the horses that tow the barge along the towpath. He's a silent man with mysterious background, almost never opened his mouth, but worked nicely with the horses, and slept with them in the stable. Considering that he was made the title of the book, I started to wonder whether he was the murderer, or the space-goat. Maigret had been focusing his investigation on the yacht, when one of Sir Walter Lampson's crew was also found strangled to death. Some clues began to "emerge" here and there, and it's up to Maigret to put all the piece of puzzles into the correct places. 🚤 After reading my fair share of the Golden Age Detective mysteries, this book felt very different in structure. GAD are usually focusing on the plot - how the murder had been done - and the stages of investigation, and thus, emphasizing on the logical mind. The Carter of "La Providence", on the other hand, seems to be more atmospheric. It seems that Sir Walter Lampson's nonchalant reaction to his wife's death, for instance, or Willy's and Sir Water's mistress' manners during interviews are more important than the finding of the clues. I wouldn't reveal anything, but the ending is also heavy with emotion. Maigret seemed to be performing his duty more as a decent human being than a police officer. Add that with the amusing technicality of canal boats operating business, made this book an unusual read, entertaining and amusing.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Paris in July 2026 hosted by Emma @ Words and Peace

20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

One Fine Day (1947) by Mollie Panter-Downes #20BOS26

 

🧡 One Fine Day reminded me of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. Besides the fact that the whole story covers only one single day, it was also written in the semi-stream-of-consciousness style, of which Woolf was famous for. And both are incidentally set in the post World War - one the first, and the other the second. It was 1946, just several months after the war. Stephen Marshal has returned, unscathed, from the war; and now he and his wife Linda were expecting to be back to their normal life again. But of course, things could never be back to the time before the war, it would become a new normal. And that is the main theme of this book: adapting to the significant changes upon the middle-class' lives, and their struggles for it.

🧡 The Marshals came from middle class families, who were used to have servants to take care of the household. When they were hungry, there's food on the table ready. The garden were always neat and fresh when they looked at it. The floor and furniture were always immaculately clean and shining, and so were the laundry, and dozens of other convenience they used to take for granted. They never thought about the cook, the gardener, or the maids. The war changed all that; nowadays servants are difficult to get, and so they must work on almost everything by themselves. Classes was beginning to dissolve; the cleaning woman who comes in the morning doesn't even call Laura 'Madam' any longer. On that fateful day, after Stephen left for work, and Victoria, their only child, to the gymnastic class, Laura is left alone in the house to clean the breakfast and several other chores awaiting for her.
🧡 And it is during these chores, that Laura is contemplating their circumstances. She is a dreamy and imaginary kind of woman, who's often lost to her thoughts and observations. So, while tidying the house, for instance, she would contemplate about the wisdom of maintaining this big house, which others, including the cleaning woman, thought foolish and extravagant. But despite of the house' perpetual demands, she and Stephen love it. By the way, I love Panter-Downes' personification of the inanimate objects like the house, as having emotion like human beings. While queuing for bread and cakes - they still have food rationing, with the coupons to do shopping with - Laura would contemplates about how tiresome and never-ending household works are - is it worth it? However, it is when she must look for their dog Stuffy, who are missing somewhere, and meet a gypsy man, that Laura would have her 'revelation', and answer to all her questions. 🧡 I love this book. The middle classes' struggle is quite relevant to what my family (especially my mother) had had to face. My mother, born in 1941, was brought up in a big house with several servants, probably three or four. She often tells me about her childhood; how my grandmother forbade Mama to even enter the kitchen; and how everything was always provided for 'the little miss' by the servants. Even when my mother needed a drink, she just asked a servant to procure it for her. It's just how it was at that time. Naturally, when Mama married and moved to our tiny house, she's incapable to do all the houseworks by herself. She had learn how to cook, but that's all. A maid was being lent from Grandmother's house for a few hours to help Mama cleaning. And that keeps happening even until now. Although little by little, Mama and me take over most of the household chores, we still need a cleaning lady to do the hardest chores. Therefore, I can relate very much with Stephen and Laura's struggles. It's not vanity, but it's just how they hade been brought up.

🧡 Needless to say, this has been a memorable read for me. It's not overly fantastic, but it feels like a warm and cozy old blanket to curling up under.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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20 Books of Summer 2026

hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

 

They Do It with Mirrors (1952) by Agatha Christie: A Re-read

 

🔫 This is the fifth Miss Marple mystery novel from the series that I have re-read for my Agatha Christie Perpetual Challenge. The main idea is to perpetually reading Agatha Christie's sixty eight novels. If I can read about three or four novels per year (my current "speed"), I would be rereading each title in every seventeen years - how about that, eh? Anyway, what I don't quite like from Miss Marple mysteries, is that she is usually too "fluffy" and insignificant, despite the fact that she is the main character - the amateur sleuth. This book, though, I happily announce, is an exception. 

🔫 The story begins when Miss Marple was visiting her school friend Ruth, who asked her to check on their mutual friend, Carrie Louise Serrocold, who lives in a mansion house called Stonygates, with her third husband Lewis, her widowed daughter Mildred, and her companion/housekeeper Juliette. Part of the house had been turned into an institution for juvenile delinquent boys. The institution was originally founded by Carrie Louise's second husband - deceased - and is now managed by the current husband Lewis. Ruth had been feeling something was "wrong" when she visited Carrie Louise, and Miss Marple is about to find out the truth behind it. At first things seem normal, but there has been a bit awkward incident with one of the institution boys, a seemingly "not right in the head" young man who believes he's the son of some famous men (when he's actually an illegitimate one). His name is Edgar Lawson. 🔫 Among the visiting guests are Carrie-Louise step granddaughter, her American husband, Carrie Louise' step son (from her second husband), and two nephews (or step sons? I lost counting of whos' who). Then one night, two things happened at the same time. Edgar Lawson took it into his head that Lewis Serrocold is his real father. They quarreled in heated debate in the library; Edward making ruckus by shooting a revolver (but not at Lewis Serrocold, fortunately). All the while, the others were in the living room, listening with apprehension to almost everything happening inside. Everyone, excepting Christian, Carrie Louise's step son. How they were surprised then, to find out later that Christian had been shot when the ruckus in the library was happening. Why Christian, though? Is it because he had found out that someone has been poisoning Carrie Louise? In the end, it is up to Miss Marple to find out what had really occurred. It has something to do with the theatrical system, the murderer is like a conjurer, who do it with mirrors... 🔫 Like I said before, I liked it that Miss Marple is more actively involved in this case. This time, she acted as Carrie Louise's protector because she loves her friend. Her deceiving 'fluffiness' makes her a confidant to some of the suspects, they could pour out their heart honestly to her - an outsider. The plot itself is not one of Christie's bests - I guessed the murderer right away. Whether it's because I have read Christie for so long to suspect little discrepancies, or because the "hole" is too obvious to be missed, I don't really know. While I love murder in close-knitted family house, the premise is rather quirky. Top it off with rather lose plot, this one is not among my favorites.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

An Afternoon Walk (1971) by Dorothy Eden #Reading1971 #20BOS26

🟢 Judging only by this book's title and the particular cover I used for the post, you would think this as a charming slice-of-life novel set in the English countryside with picturesque view, and perhaps a little bit of romance. Well, just wait until you come upon the Kindle version's cover, published in 2013, which I included below. Then, you would realize that this is actually a psychological mystery-suspense with Gothic vibes. It begins with the alluded afternoon walk. Ella Simpson, an ordinary housewife, is taking the walk with her five-year-old daughter Kitty, when they found a derelict old Victorian house with an overgrown garden. They were curious about it and while starting to imagine who had lived there - an Edith definitely, as they saw the name scratched on the window pane - and what had happened to the family, an owl screeched from an upstairs window, and startled and spooked them. When they left the house, Ella felt the uneasiness of being followed.  

🟢 Ella's husband, a salesman called Max, is coming home that day. When she told him about the old house and Edith, he only laughed it out as Ella's silliness and imagination. But his tease didn't end there. During the weeks following the incident, Max repeatedly pointed out Ella's increasing dreamy and forgetfulness, which, he believed, is normal considering the miscarriage that Ella had just had. Then mysterious things started to happen, menacing phone calls, mysterious men following her, and even a few panic-induced prank which added stress to the overwrought Ella. Is it true that she's forgetting everything? That she's imagining things? Is Max's upcoming promotion as export manager the rooted cause of it all - that his jealous colleague is behind all these, like he's always reasoning?

🟢 Fortunately, Ella's new neighbour, Booth, is sympathetic enough to listen to Ella's rumbling stories. He even accompanied her to another walk to the ruined house. Booth is a theater critic, and widower, who lives there with his sister. It is clear from the beginning that he's fallen in love with Ella, and indeed, he is a more suitable husband for Ella than her self-centered and ambitious Max, who was secretly relieved of Ella's miscarriage, as otherwise another baby would interfere with his work. Meanwhile, the newspapers and TV is full about the, first disappearing, then kidnapping, then murder of a woman, which crime was supposedly happened inside the old ruined house. 

🟢 Throughout perhaps two third of the book Eden made us keep wondering whether Ella was really the imaginative kind of woman, or was it all Max's plot to... what? Does he mean to harm his wife? Or is he covering something he ought not to do? Does it have something to do with the woman's kidnapping? However, near the end, I think it would be clearer and clearer what was happening. On the whole, this is an interesting psychological mystery-suspense. Not very mysterious, and not overly suspenseful, but quite entertaining for a comfortable reading. More importantly, it provides a insightful glimpse of that bygone era of early 1970s - which was why I read it in the first place. I am satisfied with how the story ends, and though I'm not overly fond with Ella's dreamy nature (miscarriage or not), Booth's character is what I loved most.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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20 Books of Summer 2026

hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

Murder at the Spring Ball (2021) by Benedict Brown #20BOS26

🥂 Beginning a new series is always an exciting reading experience. It is doubly so when the debut proved to be a success, just like this one. Murder at the Spring Ball is Benedict Brown's first book of Lord Edgington cozy mystery series, set in the 1925 England. It's charm is thanks to the combination of the Golden Age Detective vibes - complete with red herrings, incompetent police officer, Poirot-ish style of rather dramatic denouement - and an unlikely sleuth of a former detective and his fourteen years old grandson. There's a little jazz, a little dancing, a little Downton Abbey-ish atmosphere, and a good murder mystery. What else would one need to enjoy one self thoroughly?

🥂 Elderly but still formidably Lord Edgington had been shutting himself from the world after the death of his wife. But now he was suddenly 'awaken', and intended to shake himself out of the heavy 'slumber' with a kick: a grand ball at Cranley Hall, to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday. He surprised everyone, though, by appointing Christopher, his teenage grandson and not altogether special, to be the party organizer. The ball gives us plenty of fun, from the planning, right up to the ball itself, where the first murder is about to be committed. Christopher, of course, made several blunders - imagine a fourteen-year-old organizing a grand ball! His ordering of too much flower for decoration is pretty hilarious; and his worrying whether it was his abundant flowers that have poisoned someone, is rather cute.  

🥂 The first victim is Lord Edgington's annoying daughter, who was poisoned to death via the champagne she'd been drinking through the evening. And now Lord Edgington, together with Christopher as his assistant, is conducting a murder investigation - to the chagrin of the Police Inspector - who was his former rival - who was tasked for it. The murderer must be someone who were at the ball: the family, the servants, and Christopher's nemesis: Marmaduke Adelaide, whom Christopher likes to call Marmalade, and who often bullies him at school. Lord Edgington suspects that whoever the murderer is, was trying to kill him, and/or the entire family at the party. But who would want that? And what's the motive? 

🥂 I love Christopher from the start, he loves nature and reading Dickens, with healthy appetite - a nerdy introverted like me. I also like the way Lord Edgington educates him (to be a future Chief Inspector like himself?) He encourages Christopher to build his own deduction; never mocking or scolding him too hard when the teenager makes mistake (which is quite often), and always ready to praise when he makes a good job. The way Lord Edgington helps Christopher arranging flowers (the abundant flowers he mistakenly ordered) in the vases until far to the night - a gentle way to let his grandson made mistake and be responsible to the outcome, while learning from it). But what I love most is the duo's dynamic. When Lord Edgington was succumb to his grief after not one, but two of his offsprings murdered (yes, there was a second murder), it was Christopher who made the effort to 'awaken' his grandfather.

🥂 In short, this is such a delightful murder mystery and a beginning of a series, which I would definitely continue on. You can feel a bit of the 1920s vibes, if not from the narrative, at least from the ball. Christopher has been inadvertently introducing jazz to the family reminded me so much of how Rose first brought jazz to Downton Abbey!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for: 20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

Bramton Wick (1952) by Elizabeth Fair

 

💙 I still find it quite hard to believe that Bramton Wick was Elizabeth Fair's debut novel. It doesn't feel amateurish the way she had interwoven so many characters into one coherent story. Bramton Wick is an English rural country side, the setting of this cheerful slice-of-life story in the aftermath of WWII, where ration coupons were still in use, and fuel is a luxury. Fair opened this by introducing her characters, bringing us from one cottage to the mansion; from one family to other residents. As usual, there is a healthy mix of eccentricity and pompousness to spice up the plot. First there's the pompous Lady Masters with her son Toby, who was tyrannized by his mother; then the Coles who've been living in Lady Masters' house before moving to a humbler place - Mrs. Cole lives with her daughters: war widow Gillian and the dreamy Laura.

💙 Next, there's the Misses Cleeves, whose poverty doesn't diminish their dignified place in Bramton. But, when they are quite dull (excepting Pussy-the-gossip-monger), there are the other spinsters who're more interesting: Miss Selbourne and Miss Garret, who had first met when they drove ambulances during the war, and now live together as dogs breeder. Besides those spinsters, we also have two middle-aged bachelors living in Bramton Wick to balance the equation (and to create one or two love-is-in-the-air situation). A young man called Jocelyn (Isn't Jocelyn a girl's name? It is where I live) was added to the mix, being a nephew of a Major Worthy and his wife. 

💙 At first it seems we don't have any definite plot. Just the interaction of these people and several events, like a dog show, which create the usual stir in a small village. But later on I realized that it is centered, at least, upon one family. And the issue that bind the whole story together is romance. The characters are mostly amiable, each with his or her own eccentricity; and they were nicely portrayed. The little village dynamic is plausible and felt as charmingly as one would expect in this kind of story. My only regret is the abrupt manner which Fair ended the story. I realize that this is called slice-of-life story for a reason. However, I would prefer to get a slightly more neatly tying-up of the many lose ends of every character. Or perhaps, just the one other than the main character. I mean, it's such ashamed to waste the entire characters to focus only on one of them, isn't it? But on the whole, this is just the perfect comfortable read to close a day.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax (1971) by Dorothy Gilman #Reading1971

 

👒 On her third mission from CIA, the septuagenarian Mrs. Emily Pollifax was given a task to convey eight forged passport into Bulgaria, to help members of the underground political movement to flee the country. As usual, despite of the seemingly simple task, Mrs. Pollifax embarked on another more thrilling adventure. It all started when Mr. Carstairs visited Mrs. Pollifax's apartment (it's the first time he saw her on her natural habitat, so to speak). She's embrace a new hobby (besides karate lessons), which is growing, in her balcony, night-blooming cereus - a species of flowering cactus, which, true to its name, only blooms at only a single night. But of course, she must leave her flower for a while, to embark on a new adventure to Bulgaria. But the positive side is, she's to get a new hat intricately trimmed with flower and bird, which was especially designed to hide that eight forged passports she must smuggle to the country. 

Night-blooming Cereus, source: Wikipedia

👒 Unbeknownst to her, however, Mr. Carstair had cheekily slipped something else inside her coat. He shouldn't do that, in my opinion. It's a dangerous game to play with amateur spy-courier, don't you think? Another complication, which Mr. Carstairs would never had imagined, came from Mrs. Pollifax's brief acquaintance with her fellow flight passenger: Philip Trenda. He's a young American college student who's travelling together with several friends to Bulgaria. As often happened, Mrs. Pollifax's affectionate heart usually brought her to further complications. Not that she ever failed to emerge triumphantly from every obstacles. This time, when a young girl called Debbie, a friend of Philip Trenda, brought news about Philip's being arrested by secret police, just after her arrival at Sofia, of course Mrs. Pollifax could not ignore it, could she? 👒 I don't why, but this book felt a little bit off for me. Usually I would immersed into the adventure (and usually there's aplenty of it), but this time, things get excited only when the rescue of Philip Trenda from his captivity in the Panchevsky Institute began. It was quite a mission-impossible, and only Mrs. Pollifax's genuine thinking and encouragement that made it success. The earlier part of the novel was a bit weary; the Balkan tourist agent and Mrs. Pollifax's encounters, while provided a little hilarious conversation, felt redundant. I'm sorry to say, this is rather a disappoinment, but I would still be reading the series through. Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog has reviewed the fifth book, and mentioned it as the best so far, so I have a lot of expectation on this one. But maybe I should give Mrs. Pollifax a break next year, and come back to her more fresh the year next.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Golden Collar (1968) by Elizabeth Cadell

 

💚 My first ever Elizabeth Cadell brought me to Portugal with delight. It follows David Eliot, an architect who grew up in England, but has inclination to live in Brazil. But before he got chance to secure his career in Brazil, he was offered a job in Sir Bertram's establishment. Sir Bertram is a wealthy and powerful man; the kind who always get what he has set to get, either with money, or cunning. David first got entangled in the bargain by Marly Tranter, Sir Bertram's daughter, a beautiful but overbearing girl who inherits her father's personality. In the end, with a perfect engagement and a promising career, David was stuck in a place where, he slowly realized, he might never fits in; and to get there, he had to sacrifice everything he loved, especially his freedom. Hence, the golden collar - including the chain - had been set upon David.  

💚 Sir Bertram sent David and Marly to Portugal to secure a deal over a property, set in a strip of beautiful and secluded beach in the Algarve region. It was to be the couple's wedding present; so in this case, David would have added interest in accomplishing his mission. The property belongs to a highly respectable widow amongst her people, whom they called Senhora Silva. To foreigners, Senhora Silva seems to be an eccentric woman, who refuses wealthy foreigners who offer her big money to buy her property, while she herself is living in a dilapidated big house. The truth is, Senhora Silva is weary over the foreigner's harassment upon her peaceful existence. She dislikes these noisy boisterous tourists who arrive in their beautiful country to buy land and build holiday villas, where they would only live in few months of the year. In the process, they would change and ruin the country. Hence, her decision to close her door, meaning, refusing of selling. But Sir Bertram and Marly interpret Senhora Silva's closing door to merely a business haggle - it's impossible for any person to close their eyes over so much money (and Sir Bertram has that much). 💚 While trying to carrying out the task, David slowly comes to his senses about his engagement with Marly, as well as his position in the Bertrams. All this thanks to some of his new acquaintances who saw it before David is certain about his position. These new friends of him are including an American wealthy businessman who doesn't look one, an eccentric and bossy elderly woman, a Portuguese lawyer of Sir Bertram, and the elusive Senhora Silva herself - whom David eventually meet, causing astonishment to everyone. But most importantly, there's Teresa, Senhora Silva's niece. Teresa is the opposite of Marly in every way, and here we can see how David and Marly are very unsuitable from the beginning - how men can be thus deeply disillusioned, I will never understand. The rest is needless to say here, but although the plot is predictable, the process and the rough beauty of this Portugal coastal village are the main attraction of this book. Not mentioning, the lovely characters of David, Teresa, the demurred Senhora Silva, and even the dear Mr. Easter (the wealthy businessman). 💚 On the whole, this book feels light, but with a bit of depth in it also. For Senhora Silva and Teresa, money and wealth does not mean anything. They created a crèche facility for local young children in one of the Quinta do Infante (Senhora Silva's house complex) buildings. And this, as well as taking care of stray cats, apparently gave Teresa immense happiness, a wholesomeness in her life, that she decided to stay in the Quinta forever. In time, David too, is attracted with the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the place, and, of course, of the girl he falls in love. There's some funny moments too, usually involving Mr. Easter, what a dear old man he is! In short, I love everything about this book, and would certainly read more of Elizabeth Cadell in the future! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Fell Murder (1944) by E.C.R. Lorac

 

🌾 The 24th instalment of Lorac's Robert Macdonald series, which combines murder mystery and the charm of farming village in the English countryside of Lunesdale. As usual with these stories, it runs a very slow pace. Robert Macdonald, the C.I.D, didn't even appear in about the first forty percent of the story. The story begins with some kind of reunion. Richard Garth has left his home, Garthmere Hall, in the moorland (fell) some nineteen years ago, over a big quarrel with his tyrannical father, now eighty years old Robert Garth. Richard met secretly with the Garths' bailiff. He just wanted to see again his beloved land, without seeing his family, in particular the father whom he hates.

🌾 The story then moved to Garthmere Hall, where we met the rest of the household: Marion Garth - the eldest daughter who loves farming and has been running the business alongside her father; Elizabeth Meldon - the land girl who helps around with farming; Charles Garth, Marion's brother who's just returned from Malay and who loathes the hard labor of farming; and Malcolm, the youngest son who's physically weak - a weakling who loves poetry more than farming. One morning, an accident involving a gun shot almost took Robert Garth's life. The gun belongs to Marion, and it shouldn't have been loaded. Who had loaded it, and why? Then on a hunting day, when the whole neighborhood carrying and shooting guns, Robert Garth was found dead, shot on his back. 🌾 At first, the local Inspector investigated the murder. However, his abrupt and straightforward manner didn't suit the slow pace rhythm of the dale, and he got nowhere. That's how Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald from Scotland Yard at last entered the scene. He begins by gaining respect and trust from the dales people, in the way of blending himself to the farming life. The dales people usually talk about the weather, and the farming, the crops etc. before finally get to the point. This Macdonald follows by instinct. And only then that he begins collecting clues and proofs. It's quite clear from the start that this was a closed-knitted family mystery (despite the fact of the hunt day, which might include outsiders). Now, who has the chance and motive to murder old Robert Garth, who had been ruling both his family and his farm with iron rod, and thus universally despised? 🌾 Needless to say that, as was with all Lorac's books with similar theme, this one has been a satisfying read for me. The slow pace was comforting, rather than annoying, as it enabled me to taste the farming life, and to get to know each character more closely. My favorite here is Elizabeth Molden - the passion which drives her hard working is pleasant to follow. Marion is also remarkable in her own passion, but she is nevertheless member of the family, who thus, has a direct interest to the farm's prosperity. But Elizabeth is an outsider, and to work for other people with that kind of passion is something one ought to be much grateful for. The plot itself is plausible. I have guessed the murderer without trouble, from their character traits, if not from their conversation. What a pleasant murder mystery to read, but only if you have penchant for slow living or farming. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

The Nutmeg Tree (1937) by Margery Sharp

🥜 I think I have found in this book, my favorite (so far) Margery Sharp. The Nutmeg Tree (I loved the title too, though the said tree didn't have focal point to the story - it is an allegory). The story opens with a memorable scene in Julia's bathroom, she's taking a bath, singing the Marseillaise, while surrounded by "some of her possessions" - a table, a clock, and whatnot. The bailiffs were outside, taking some furniture out of the flat, indicating Julia's current hard-up-for-money situation. The cash she received from the furniture - after some rather flirty haggles - she needs it to travel to France, on her estranged daughter's invitation.

🥜 From that opening scene, we were instantly aware of Julia's type of character. The story is set in the 1930s. During WWI, Julia had married very young to a guy named Packett, it's a hasty wedding, which lasted just for a year or two. Packett died in the war, leaving Julia with their daughter Suzanne. But Julia couldn't live with the priggish and wealthy Packetts; they were opposite her Bohemian nature. So Julia left her daughter with them, and started her own life as actress and showgirl in London. The Packetts gave her some money - thinking that she can start a good life with it - but of course, it lasted only a very short time. Julia lived always in need of cash - which she always had by either a little flirtation or deceit - you know the kind. And now, suddenly she received invitation from Susan (she called herself Susan rather than Suzanne), to whom she never had any communication before, to give advice about the man she (Susan) wished to marry.

🥜 Excepting the opening scene, the story is set in a vacation villa in Southern France. Julia is now playing her yet biggest "role", a refined lady, worthy of her mother-in-law and her daughter. The whole story centered in Julia's struggle to maintain her dignity, while obstacle after obstacle threatened to expose her true character. The first obstacle came from Susan's lover Bryan; Julia soon found (in her dismay) that he is of her kind (but worse), and therefore won't be suitable for her daughter. Then, Susan's guardian, Sir William Waring, arrived, and left Julia to be on guard every second of her existence. Many comical scenes derived from the many adventures that came Julia's way, and in her struggles to appear graceful and poised. Margery Sharp did a wonderful job in portraying these, and in the process, we get to know Julia's genuine character which made people like her instantly. Well, people who cherished the good quality in her, despite of her unrefined outer manners. I, for one, loved Julia, and wished for her happy ending. 🥜 What can I say? I loved almost every aspect of this book. The comical scenes are brilliant; humorous but tender; the main characters - Julia and Sir William - are lovely and charming, despite of their flaws (Julia's in this case); and the plot is smart. The only setback for me is the inconclusive ending. You might probably know that I dislike hanging ending. I am 99% sure of the ending, but I still prefer a neat one from the writer. Although in this case, I understand Sharp's choice of the ending; it emphasized Julia's character perfectly - you would never know what she might of might not do the next second you leave her alone. Well played, Margery Sharp! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Grey Mask (1928) by Patricia Wentworth

🎭 While I have read a few Patricia Wentworth before, I have yet to start her Miss Silver series. And this time, I prefer to start from the beginning, where Miss Silver was first introduced in Grey Mask. She doesn't, however, appear very often in it. Indeed, it feels like Miss Silver is just a background; like an omniscient protector of the hero and heroine, who involve much more in the actions. It all begins when Charles Moray returns to England, after being abroad for eight years, as a result of being 'jilted at the altar' by his fiancée Margaret. He visits his now abandoned home, which he inherited, only to find that a group of secret criminals have been using it as rendezvous place. The leader is a man with a grey mask. But what astonishes him most, is when he sees the woman he still loves, Margaret, comes and reporting to the grey masked man. 🎭 From his eavesdropping, Charles gets that a girl called Margot is in danger, should some certificates surface. What it is all about, he doesn't understand. What he cares most is why Margaret is involved in it. Apparently, this Margot is a spoiled girl of seventeen, who has just been orphaned after her wealthy father died - drown - at sea, intestate. Moreover, there was either birth certificate nor wedding certificate to be found - or so the lawyer told Margot; that she was literally penniless. Her cousin, to whom the estate would be legally handed down, proposed to marry her. And one the frightful thought on that, she runs away. As you can imagine, she stumbled into Margaret's (and Charles') care and protection, which made them all entangled into this plot. And it was at this point that Charles Moray acquired Miss Maud Silver's service. 🎭 As you can see, Miss Silver's portion of the story is meager. However, we (as well as Charles and co.) always feel her protecting presence. She knows almost everything, even before Charles reports things to her. Sometimes about things that Charles doesn't want to disclose to her. She was portrayed as a lady with her knitting; a woman with brain, who does all the deduction needed, but throws the dirty work, so to speak, to men. She once asked Charles to follow a suspect; and imagining that a detective asking his/her client to do the work he/she supposed to do, was quite hilarious to me. 🎭 As a debut of a series, Grey Mask is a wonderful one. It has the right amount of actions, light-heartedness, mystery, and a pleasant twist with quite surprising villain at the end. Though Charles and Margaret's love story felt rather Victorian, I was entertained enough by Margot's character; a naïve (to naïve for her own good) young girl who always give others consternation, but surprisingly could - mostly by luck - extricate herself from some dangers she had encountered. Her line was so entertaining, and lent this book the light-heartedness, which otherwise would be rather gloomy with that Victorian-ish romance - and plot. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

They Came to Baghdad (1951) by Agatha Christie: A Reread

🐫 While espionage and political stories don't usually fascinate me much, in term of crime/murder mysteries (my favorite is closed-circle mystery in countryside or manor houses), I found They Came to Baghdad as rather charming and highly enjoyable. It's because the mystery focused more upon a young woman's adventures, than the political side itself - which fell conveniently as mere background. This is a no-detective story, and the heroine is a Victoria Jones, a rather daydreaming-kind of girl who works as typist (not good enough in her job). She met a young man called Edward by chance, attracted to him on first sight, and when he bid her goodbye at the end of the day, because he would go to Baghdad (on duty) the following day, she decided to go to Baghdad herself! 

🐫 Though practically penniless, Victoria somehow procured her way to Baghdad by creating some lies (she's a born liar; and can say deceitful things effortlessly). Fortunately, she read on paper that an archeologist called Dr. Pauncefoot Jones is currently having a dig in Iraq, and since she, conveniently, shares the same surname, Victoria Jones becomes a niece who is traveling to Baghdad to join his archeological uncle. Before she found her Edward, though, strange things happened. A man is dying on her bed in her hotel room - stabbed!; the man was later identified as a top British secret agent, who was carrying a top secret, by which the secret services men tried to uncover and stop a sabotage. Apparently a superpowers summit is going to be held in Baghdad, but a shadowy anti-communist and anti-capitalist group is threatening to ruin the show. The dying man's last words to Victoria was: "Lucifer... Basrah... Lefarge" - or so they sounded to Victoria. Unknowingly, but not without high excitement, Victoria was pulled into the center of this highly dangerous espionage adventure. 🐫 Of course, knowing that Christie's inspiration for this book was her own trips to Baghdad with her archeologist husband Sir Max Mallowan, we were treated with many bits and pieces about its culture, atmosphere, and even the archeological site itself. And what a treat is is, besides, of course, the thrilling adventures. The identity of the villain, is not so much surprising. You'll probably guess it long before our heroine herself realizes it. In short, it's an unusual combination of espionage and lighthearted adventure, that perhaps only Christie could weave into a highly entertaining story.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Cloak and Dagger reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (1971) by Elizabeth Taylor

🏨 This is my first introduction to the inimitable Elizabeth Taylor, and also the third book for my personal project: #Reading1971, which is the best so far! The previous two were The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher (a pleasant read), and a non fiction by Erma Bombeck: If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pit? (a nostalgic memoir that made me chuckling all the time). At first, Mrs. Palfrey gave impression as a light-hearted tale about elderly people on the last stage of their independence life, but the more you read through, the more you realized it has more than what meets the eye.

🏨 After becoming a widow in her seventy-ish, Mrs. Palfrey decided to move to the Claremont Hotel. In the 1970s, it's not uncommon that some hotels reserved some of its rooms to accommodate elderly residents. These were usually widows or widowers who lived alone. Living in a hotel was not only practical (meals, cleanings, and washings were all taken care of), but it also provided what little of independent and freedom the elderly people could get before the "end" arrive (nursery home, hospital). There at the Claremont, Mrs. Palfrey begins to adjust to this new phase of her life - living at close proximity to the same people and endure their eccentricities day in day out; counting the dull hours until meal times (these are usually the most exciting time for them), and reading or discussing the menu from a board on the vestibule to fill in the time in between meals. 

🏨 Of the little freedom the residents of Claremont Hotel could boast of, is the visits of relatives. Sometimes they would dine at the Claremont, or else they would bring the elderly out for a picnic in the country or others. These are usually great events for them - a treat, which they are eagerly looking forward to. And that's what Mrs. Palfrey is lacking of. She has only one grandson - Desmond - but she has invited him without any response. Mrs. Arbuthnot has been pestering her about this relative, that Mrs. Palfrey do something that she would have never dreamt of. She invented a grandson! Ludovic - or Ludo - is an impoverished and handsome aspiring young novelist, who happened to help Mrs. Palfrey when she's fallen on the pavement on her way from the library. His tender care touched Mrs. Palfrey's heart, and what with her gratitude, and Mrs. Arbuthnot's pestering, she blurted out a dinner invitation at Claremont, with the scheme that entailed. In short, Ludo would act as Mrs. Palfrey's charming grandson Desmond, in exchange of some exciting adventures and free dinners. The scheme is successful... until the real Desmond appeared.

🏨 If you think this a comical novel - a Wodehouse with more subdued tone, perhaps - you're totally wrong. It has a much deeper meaning than just a scheme gone wrong. The major themes are loneliness and boredom that old age bring. It's something young people hardly understand, until they too grow old.

"As one gets older life becomes all take and no give. One relies on other people for the treats and things."

"It was hard work being old. It was like being a baby, in reverse. Every day for an infant means some new little thing learned; every day for the old means some little thing lost. Names slip away, dates mean nothing, sequences become muddled, and faces blurred. Both infancy and age are tiring times."

🏨 The loneliness has nothing to do with the presence of others, but the sense of helplessness, uselessness, that the elderly must endure. To watch how their independence slip away from them; that they become more and more burden for the youngsters; the way people treat them like little child, and worse even, treat them as nonentity. I have been witnessing these in my parents. and now I realize that growing old is a painful business - and it's much mentally as is physically - and that scares me not a little. I wish we have that kind of establishment like Claremont Hotel here in Indonesia, though I doubt if I would be able to afford it - it sounds quite expensive...

🏨 The issue of love or affection is also prominent in Mrs. Palfrey. Elderly people always long for loving care and attention from their relatives, and although Mrs. Palfrey is a sensible and independent woman, she, too, couldn't resist the caring and attention Ludo has been providing her. From the beginning, I have sensed that Ludo's feeling towards Mrs. Palfrey is balanced between amusement, boredom, affection, and professional gain (finding in her a wonderful material for his novel, which he titled "They Weren't Allowed to Die There", from Mrs. Palfrey's own remark. Whether Ludo is exploitative or not, is debatable. I personally think it's normal. Anyway, when you encounter an old lady you didn't know, who knits you a sweater, and gives you money when you need it, do you instantly love her? It depends on so many things, right? And nobody would blame you if you don't. The fact that Mrs. Palfrey truly loves Ludo and thinks he loves her as much, well... it's good for her, and she's not very wrong. Ludo is much kinder (as kind as an artist can be) than her grandson Desmond, anyway. 🏨 As a literary creation, Mrs. Palfrey is definitely a brilliant novel, beautifully written. It was shortlisted for the 1971 Booker Prize, but it's a shame it didn't win one. Taylor's character drawing is flawless; she managed to convey each of their personalities through dialogue, mannerism, as well as their inner thoughts. In the end, I felt like knowing them all for a long time. Of the elderlies, my favorite is Laura Palfrey her self. I loved her no-nonsense and strong character - I hope I turn like her in my old age.. :) I also liked Ludo; he is quite a lovely person. He cared about Mrs. Palfrey in his own way, and I can understand if not all what he'd said or done were genuine; she was nobody of him, anyway. And I understand enough that he's half afraid she would become his burden - which is perfectly understandable. So, you see, this seemingly sweet and unassuming (if you judge from the cover) little novel, turned out to be keeping layers of surprising depth underneath each page. If this do not turn up to be one of my favorites this year, I would be very surprised.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ivy Tree (1961) by Mary Stewart #1961Club

 

🌳 My third and last read for #1961Club is another Mary-Stewart-success. The Ivy Tree is a slow-paced psychological thriller about double identity, deception, greed, and, of course, a bit of romance. It is centered upon a young woman who calls herself Mary Grey - and who finds herself one day in the Roman Wall countryside in Northumberland, looking on to the ruin of a beautiful old house, and is identified by an angry farmer as Annabel Winslow. The farmer, a hardworking man called Connor "Con" Winslow. He is now the manager of Whitescar Farm. Eight years ago, Connor, who was a scheming and greedy young man, wanted to marry his second cousin, Annabel Winslow. But Annabel rejected him and fled away from Whitescar, to the disappointment of Matthew Winslow, her grandfather who adored her and wanted to make her his heir (hence Con's marrying her).

🌳 Several days after Mary Grey convinced Connor that she's not Annabel Winslow - despite of her uncanny resemblance to the disappeared woman - Connor's devoted sister Lisa Dermott visited Mary and proposed her to impersonate Annabel Winslow, and "come home" to Whitescar, to which Mary agreed. The inheritance money, after being divided between her and Connor, of course, would save her from her current poverty. There are two things, however, that could imperil their scheme: Mary Grey's fear of horses (against Annabel's love of the equine creatures), and Annabel's secret love affair with the Winslow's neighbour: Adam Forrest. Could Mary and Connor work through with these deception, and succeed in inheriting Whitefarm in the end?

🌳 The psychological thriller aspect I'm speaking about lays in Mary Grey/Annabel Winslow's true identity. Throughout the story Stewart threw hints and insinuations, that makes us - along with other characters in the story - continually wondering whether the woman is an impersonator, or Annabel Winslow herself; is this a deception or, well, a double deception? It is this aspect that sparks high level of excitement throughout the reading - beyond, of course, the success or failure of the scheme. Naturally, the first half of it was rather slow in pace. Mary Grey's "lessons" about Whitescar and the Winslows, which ran for three months, acted also as the background to the situation. The condition of the old grandfather (his end is near), and the upcoming arrival of Julie (Annabel's cousin, whom could change their whole scheme). 

🌳 On the whole, this was an exciting thriller/romance to read. And, knowing Mary Stewart, I have been expecting some car-speeding and/or horse-prancing scenes - and Stewart didn't disappoint me - both were there to enlivened the thriller aspect. Of course, there's romance too, but I won't talk much about it. It happened near the end, anyway. What a fascinating book to close my #1961Club chapter this April. I can't wait to know which year Simon and Karen would pick for October!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

The 1961 Club

hosted by Simon and Karen

The Body in the Dumb River (1961) by George Bellairs #1961Club

🎪 My second read for #1961Club is a far cry from my first; this one is a typical Golden Age murder mystery, introducing Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard as the detective. He was aroused from a deep sleep at 3 am, by a telephone call, informing him that a body has been found swept away by torrential flood in the Dumb River. It was identified as of late James (Jim) Teasdale of Yorkshire. Everyone said he is a decent man with no enemy; yet, he was stabbed to death, and his body was dumped in the river near Ely, Cambridgeshire, miles away from Yorkshire.

🎪 It's later found out that Teasdale had been leading a double life. He had made huge mistake of marrying a girl from a snobbish, social-climbing family, who was always pestering him to be a successful man, which he was not. He failed at several attempts (an art store, photography store, and whatnot), and one day made an impulse of taking over a hoopla game at travelling fairs, on which, astonishingly, he made quite a success. Of course, he couldn't tell his wife and in-laws that he's running a hoopla; hence he told them that he's travelling much for a company, and would only come home every weekend. During his absence on these weekends, the hoopla was managed by a woman he's hired, who eventually became his mistress.

🎪 I have suspected from the beginning that this double life of his would probably be related to his murder. But is it? Is it his family who've done it? Or is it a blackmail case? Either way, this mystery has had a good and promising beginning. I instantly liked Superintendent Littlejohn, with his no-nonsense but gentlemanly manner - just the kind of police/detective I always prefer. I liked also the slowly revealing of facts upon facts, by way of Littlejohn's painstaking interviews with either suspects or people who could provide clues. I always love a slow-building of mystery. However, after such a perfect pace with a promising dramatic scene near the end, the end itself felt underwhelming. The 'drama' during the denouement was too long for an ending scene, and the red herring felt unimportant. I was surprised too to find out that this was actually the 35th book in the series - you'd have expected a smoother one than this! I wouldn't probably continue reading the series, unless you can convince me that one of the previous books is much better than this one.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

The 1961 Club

hosted by Simon and Karen

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

The Ten Teacups (1937) by Carter Dickson

☕ Although I'm a fan of simple but ingenious murder mysteries - such as what Agatha Christie had often delivered - every now and then I could also enjoy the impossible and intricate ones. The Ten Teacups was one of those. Moreover, it's written by John Dickson Carr - whose pen name of Carter Dickson was too obvious to be hidden from public. And this was my first introduction to Sir Henry Merrivale, the brain of this murder-series, who was accompanied by Chief Inspector Humphrey Master from Scotland Yard, and the young and bright Detective-Sergeant Bob Pollard. Merrivale is an old barrister and head of military intelligent of war office in England. 

☕ The mystery begins with an anonymous letter that Masters received, bearing the message that "There will be ten teacups at number 4, Berwick Terrace, W.8, on Wednesday, July 31st, at 5 p.m. Precisely. The presence of the Metropolitan Police is respectfully requested." Masters' immediate action is to consult Sir Henry Merrivale (or HM, as people usually call him), because the letter reminded Masters of another similar letter the Scotland Yard had received two years previously, which ended on an unsolved locked-room murder mystery. The police had then found ten teacups (empty) laid on the table near the body. This time, though, Masters is more prepared; he instructed his men to watch the house (number 4, Berwick Terrace, which was an empty house on-sale), and Sergeant Pollard to get the key from the agent, and hide himself inside. Despite of these precautions, Vance Keating was dead after having been shot twice, and ten teacups were found near his body, although the police never saw any other person entering the house.

☕ The most interesting part of a locked-room mystery is always the technicality of the murder. How was it performed while there's no one possibly inside the room? But here, the police were also struck by the similarity of it with the previous ten teacups mystery. Were the two connected, or even committed by the same murderer? One thing that they could connect was that both the houses were belonged to the same person. And this man, along with his wife, are the victim's friends. They are the suspects, along with three other friends. What puzzled HM and Masters at the early stages, was why had the murderer not brought the ten teacups with him when he left the place? Were they meant to be a symbol, perhaps? Was there even a ten-teacups-secret society perhaps? What ensued from these, were a combination of theories, interviews, and some actions in the end - the theories (presented by HM) are rather the dominant part compared to the rest.

☕ All in all, this was a solid intricate and impossible locked-room murder mystery. The one which, when you passed one solution, and then the second one, you would forget the previous one. I could remember the murderer, all right. Though I have expected Dickson Carr had given the murderer's more "stage" to elaborate on their motive, rather than reading HM's long-stretch of denouement - a dry explanation that made you a bit sleepy. And my problem with these impossible locked-room mysteries is the technicality. I couldn't possibly know, for instance, whether if you pointed a particular type of gun to a particular angle, it would produce a shot at a certain point, could I? No, it is much simpler to follow the technicality of how human psychology works than these weapons and what not. Nonetheless, this had been a quite entertaining one, though the solution was not what I have expected.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

Evening Class (1996) by Maeve Binchy

 

🛵 Reading Maeve Binchy's is always a blissful moment. Well, this is only my second read (the first one is Scarlet Feather - a lovely one), but I know I can always count on Maeve Binchy's whenever I need a soothing and delightful reading. This one is no exception. If book is food, this has been a scrumptious dessert. The good news is, Binchy's are always a long reading (usually more than 400 pages), and she's a prolific writer. Meaning that I can never run out of Maeve Binchy's whenever I need one.

🛵 Evening Class is about some dozen of Irish people, whose lives seemed to be on a dead end, and then found relieves after joining an evening class on Italian. Each chapter telling the story of one character after another, how he or she ended up joining the evening class. Interestingly, their lives are intertwined with one or some of the other characters. The story then reached a climax when all the class joined up on a dream trip to... of course... Italy. A good structure, in my opinion, so that even when there are (too) many characters involved, the story never feels disjointed. 🛵 It all begins with a Latin teacher in the Mountainview College called Aidan Dunne. What with a failing marriage - that made him stranger in his own house - and a dead-end career, his only indulgence is in everything Italian - a subject very dear to his heart. Luckily, the teacher who became the new principle (the position Aidan had been certain were to be his) fell in love with Aidan's daughter, and to help her father from humiliation, he offered Aidan chance to propose anything he felt worth for the college. Hence, the idea of an evening class, subjecting to Italian course. The teacher recruited was another 'lost' soul. Nora O'Donoghue - everybody calls her Signora - is a spinster. She's been living in Italy, following the love of her life - who ended up marrying another woman, following his family's choice. She lived alone near this man's home for years, until the man died, and she was asked to go away. 🛵 Bitter and penniless, but with a loving nature and love for Italy, Signora is the perfect teacher for the evening class. The students love her, with her childish eccentricity and mystery. She transforms the Italian course into a fun adventure, every Tuesday and Thursday evening. They don't just learn about language, but also the food, art, culture, etc. Signora's lifelong passion for Italy really made the class sparks with joy. The students - thirty of them - consist of people from various background. One of them had been involved with shady activities; another had been in a disastrous marriage; while the other had a shock of a huge scale. They have one thing in common though, a struggle and unhappiness in life. The evening class helps lightening up the burden, and little by little, it becomes their source of happiness. The evening class, in one way or another, had been catalyst for happier changes to all of them.
🛵 I loved everything about this book. The writing is obvious - Maeve Binchy was a marvelous writer who could always tell stories that pull us into it. Once you start a chapter, you wouldn't be able to put it down. The characters are mostly relatable, although there were too many of them that some of them weren't developed enough. But the star character here, which I only realized near the end, was Signora. And hers' happened to be my favorite storyline of all. I loved, too, the Italian side of the story. Their visit to Italy was the 'star of the show' for me; the vibes permeated the last part of the story. What a delicious, charming book, that I could enjoy to the last drop!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Case of the Perjured Parrot (1939) by Erle Stanley Gardner

🦜 I have been meaning to return to Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason series, which I enjoyed very much growing up. I picked this title in particular, due to the parrot involves (I love birds!) Unlike most of murder mysteries involving animals, where the animals rarely take the stage, and only serve as attraction; in this one, the parrot became the central part of the case (thank you, Mason!) Casanova, the parrot, was owned by the murdered man, an eccentric millionaire called Fremont Sabin, who often spent solitary time in his cabin up the mountain, accompanied only by his beloved parrot. 

🦜 Perry Mason was hired by the man's son, Charles Sabin, to investigate the murder, which he (the son) was sure to be committed by his father's second wife, a gold digger, called Helen Watkins Sabin. The killer seemed to be a bird-lover, since he deliberately provided the parrot food and water, after he killed its master. So, the parrot was the only witness to the murder. However, Perry Mason found out later on that the parrot was probably not Casanova at all - this one cursed too much. Where was Casanova, then and why was he substituted with another? 🦜 Mason's second finding was that Fremont Sabin had been secretly marrying another woman. And another parrot was found at this woman's house, also called Helen! This parrot keeps repeating an incriminating sentence: 'Put down that gun, Helen [....] you've shot me!' Was it Casanova? And which Helen he's been accusing? 🦜 I forgot how entertaining these Perry Mason mysteries can be! This one is no exception. It was fast-paced, full of twists and red-herrings, and what always makes this series stand out from the rest, is the courtroom scene and Mason's performance as lawyer. For me, that's always a satisfying moment of reading - just like Poirot's denouement in Agatha Christie's. The parrot as the key of the mystery added its charm. But made me giving this book a five star is the unexpected twist at the end. You know how you think you have solved the mystery, but suddenly, out of no where, a twist comes and blows your sweet theory away? That's the wow factor for me, and many thanks to Mason for ending this one very beautifully!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook