A Telegram from Le Touquet (1956) by John Bude

📬 The titular telegram from Le Touquet is indeed a center point of this mystery by John Bude. I have thought from the first that the telegram must be something to complicate the case - and it is. But the telegram is also the turning point for Inspector Blampignon from Surete to solve the murder of a wealthy widow called Gwenny.

📬 The story opens with Nigel Derry, who is vacationing at Aunt Gwenny's house, where he would find the girl he has wanted to marry: Sheila. Also coming for holiday several of Gwenny's lovers, for she's been notoriously picking up a lover after another. There are no less than three whom Nigel meets: two of her old lover/friend, and the latest one, a Frenchman. The atmosphere soon gets tensed - there's a knife fight, and Gwenny suddenly, and without specific reason, thwarts Nigel and Sheila's marriage. Nigel's vacation is abruptly cut short when Gwenny leaves for her cottage in France.

📬 But Gwenny never reaches her cottage. Or technically, her body reached the cottage, found inside her own big trunk, but she's been dead for three days. It's at this point that Inspector Blampignon steps in. After a couple days of interviews and investigations, he gets no further than the first day. The telegram which Nigel received from Gwenny, sent from Le Touquet makes things more complicated still. It's clear that the murderer is a man, and one who's close to her. But which one?

📬 The most interesting thing about this book is the denouement. Blampignon knew the murderer near the end, but I think, not how it was performed, nor the motive. We get to know that from the murderer himself. And it's such a clever elaborated effort that might puzzle many amateur sleuths. In fact, the motive is so simple I wonder if it's worthwhile considering the great effort the murderer has taken. I think, psychologically, it's not the suitable kind of murder he would have taken for the motive anyway. And the murderer was quite predictable, it's no surprise when Blampignon revealed it. But still, it's an entertaining mystery with an intricate method of murder, and listening to the audiobook had been fun.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

#MurderEveryMonday: Two Stories with Same Title

Murder Every Monday was created by Kate @ Crossexamining Crime and @ArmchairSleuth. Put simply, the plan is for readers to take a photo of a crime fiction book (novel or short story collection) which meets a given week’s theme criteria and to then share it online, using the hashtag #MurderEveryMonday.

This week's theme is:

Two crime fiction stories which share the same title

This title is the only one I remember, I have only read the one from Robin Stevens. But maybe it's time to take on the Daisy Dalrymple for the upcoming Christmas?
 

Have your read any of them? Which cover(s) do you like most?

If you want to participate, here's the list of the weekly theme.

Six Degrees of Separation, from Long Island to Vintage 1954

Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly meme, now hosted by Kate @ books are my favorite and best.

On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

This month we start from yet another book I haven't read, though I have read the previous book in the series:

0. Long Island by Colm Tóibín

Long Island is the long awaited sequel to one of Tóibín's most memorable novels: Brooklyn. We are following again the fate of the heroine, Ellis Lacey. From Goodreads: "From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and love, the story of Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of Brooklyn, Tóibín’s most popular work, twenty years later." This reminded me of another book whose heroine name is also Lacey, though it is the first name, not surname, of the heroine.

1. Pretend You Didn't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark

Lacey Farrell is the heroine of this thriller - a murder witness placed in a witness protection program by the police, with new identity and new life. But originally she is a young woman works as real estate agent. Lately I have read another book, whose heroine shares the same occupation.

2. The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christone Féret-Fleury

Julie leads a boring, unwholesome existence in Paris as a real estate agent. She struggles to follow her routine life, because deep inside, she's an imaginative girl. And that's why her daily métro journey is the one sparkle in her otherwise dim existence. Her imagination brings life to her fellow passengers as if they are characters in her book. Julie instantly reminded me of another imaginative girl I have read about long ago.

3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Francie Nolan is a little girl who comes from a poor family in Brooklyn. Excerpt from my review: "In a way, her ‘dreamy’ father had a contribution to Francie’s imagination quality, and fortunately, she also inherited her mother’s toughness and practical way of living. With all these, Francie became the first of the Rommelys who could go to college and had a decent career." There is a very strong tree near the Nolans' house. "Now here is the resemblance of Francie and the strong-built Tree of Heaven. Throughout the story, you would be taken to witness how Francie strove from the poverty, the loneliness of being unique, and the strong need of love." This tree reminded me of another tree in another title which also becomes a crucial point of the story.

4. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Six boys prepared to go for trick-or-treating, and found in front of a haunted house, a huge tree with branches, laden with Jack-o-lanterns - The Halloween Tree! That Halloween would be the one they'll never forget. Last year I have read another book by Ray Bradbury with adolescent boys as main character, about a summer one of the boys will never forget.|

5. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Dandelion Wine is Ray Bradbury's remembrance of his childhood. Quoting from my review, "[...] summer is Douglas' favorite season. During summer holidays Douglas and Tom, his little brother, used to stay at their grandfather's house, and help him preparing bottles of Dandelion wines. In Douglas' view, each bottle contains the essence of every event that had happened during that summer holiday, that he wishes not to forget." Another book where certain wine transported the characters to a unique experience is...

6. Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain

I'm glad this chain ended with one of my favorite authors. "The year 1954, wine and UFO. These are three elements that Antoine Laurain had woven into a fantastic time-travelling story set in Paris." Here is my complete review if you're intrigued.


Have you read those books? If you do #sixdegree, how it worked out for you this time?

The Upcoming #1970Club

October is here, and it means that the biannually reading club week is back! These fun weeks of reading are hosted by Simon @ Stuck in a Book and Karen @ Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings. This time they picked 1970 as the year we will be delving into! I was hoping 1971 would be picked up (it is my birth year), but 1970 is close enough. So, this post is a welcoming the upcoming #1970Club, which will be happening on 14 - 20 October 2024.

I have originally planned to read four books - had been switching off from title to title, but stuck eventually to these four. But, alas, approaching the time I need to start reading, I have only found out that only three were possible. If you haven't known yet, due to my eyesight problem, I've been limiting my reading from e-book and audiobook only. It came much cheaper option too, as I've been struggling for several years to make ends meet. Subscribing to Everand (formerly Scribd.id), therefore, is a Godsend! However, I just learned that at certain point (and I couldn't figure out the threshold), Everand would disabled our access to some titles until the next payment date. We can still access many other titles, of course, but it's still annoying when you have a certain reading plan. Hence, I am forced to abandon my plan of reading The Woods in Winter by Stella Gibbons for #1970Club, for I couldn't find any copy in Google Playbooks either.

But no worry, I still have the other three to have fun with. Actually I have read two of them - and loved them - and am now on the third. I won't reveal the titles yet - you would know only by my reviews when the time come! Meanwhile, here are some books I have read years before, if you need inspiration or encouragement to join the club...


Books published in 1970 that I have read before:

📖 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Dee Brown) - (non fiction) an eloquent history of the American Indian systematic destruction, beginning from Christopher Columbus’ arrival at San Salvador on 1492 to the massacre at Wounded Knee at the end of 1890.

📖 84, Charing Cross Road (Helene Hanff) - (non fiction), a beautiful but unexpected friendship between a freelance writer (Helene Hanff) and a second-hand book dealer in London. Written in correspondence style, it is short but deeply touching.

📖 The Naked Face (Sidney Sheldon) - a crime thriller by the inimitable Sidney Sheldon, read it when in high school or college. Can't remember the story, but it's fast-paced and satisfying.

📖 Passenger to Frankfurt (Agatha Christie) - a Christie I am sure I have read during high school, but as always with her less famous works, I don't remember what it's about. I would've reread it if I had time...

📖 The Second Lady (Irving Wallace) - read this before blogging era, a rather steamy, spy thriller consisting of high-level double identity - an actress substitution with American first lady.

📖 Man, Woman, and Child (Erich Segal) - again, read this before blogging era, and remember nothing of the story. Only remember I have read it because of the title.


If you wish to join the #1970Club, here's the first announcement. All that is required is just reading books published in the year, post your reviews during the week, then submit the link either in Simon's or Karen's blog. Have fun! ;)

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2024: OCTOBER #AgathaChristieSS24

The two stories we are going to enjoy this month are especially chosen to match the Halloween mood which will be coming soon. Hope you'll enjoy them!

THE HOUND OF DEATH

The first story is a non detective one. A young Englishman visiting Cornwall finds himself delving into the legend of a Belgian nun who is living as a refugee in the village. Possessed of supernatural powers, she is said to have caused her entire convent to explode when it was occupied by invading German soldiers during World War. Sister Angelique had been the only survivor. Could such a tall story possibly be true?

Occult and science fiction are two interests developed by Agatha Christie at that time. In an interview with Nigel Dennis in 1956, she professed her keen interest in science fiction. And there is that touch in this story. Interesting, right? Hopefully it's not one of Christie's zonk stories...

The story was first published in the Oldhams Press edition of The Hound of Death in 1933, available only by collecting coupons from a magazine entitled The Passing Show. It was included in the US collection The Golden Ball and Other Stories in 1971, and was adapted for radio in 2010 by the BBC.

THE VOICE IN THE DARK

For our second story, we are back with Mr Satterthwaite, whose old friend, Lady Barbara Stanleigh, asks him to investigate her daughter's claim that the family seat is haunted. She appears to be hearing voices. Is it her imagination or is the sinister demand for something stolen a warning?

Mr Quin glides into the picture, dropping clues and setting Satterthwaite's thoughts along the right path, as always leading him towards a resolution. The story was first published in book form in the collection The Mysterious Mr Quin, published by Collins in 1930. 


How excited are you to start reading them? Have fun! ;)

#MurderEveryMonday: Cover with Drink On (or in the Title)

Murder Every Monday was created by Kate @ Crossexamining Crime and @ArmchairSleuth. Put simply, the plan is for readers to take a photo of a crime fiction book (novel or short story collection) which meets a given week’s theme criteria and to then share it online, using the hashtag #MurderEveryMonday.

This week's theme is:

Cover with a drink on (or in the title)

Have your read any of them? Which cover(s) do you like most?

If you want to participate, here's the list of the weekly theme:

Six Books Saturday #11: Books with Interrogative Sentence as Title

#SixBooksSaturday is my personal monthly bookish meme, inspired by Six Words Saturday, which I've stumbled upon @ Travel with Intent. It's basically to list six books of random category, which I'd decided on the spot. Anything is possible according to my whim. I post Six Books Saturday on last Saturday of each month. If you're interested, you are, of course, welcomed to join me. There's no rule, really. You can post six anything about books.

This week prompt is something I've just realized, that I have read quite a few books with certain similarity, here it is...

BOOKS WITH INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE AS TITLE

1. Madam, Will You Talk? (Mary Stewart)

A gripping romance-thriller novel, of which genre, Mary Stewart has always been the queen. The curious title was quoted from an old Chesire song lyrics:

“O will you accept of me a new silver pin
To wrap up your hair and your fine muslin?
Madam will you walk, Madam will you talk with me?”

2. How Do You Live? (Genzaburo Yoshino)

A coming-of age Japanese psychological fiction which the author wrote specifically for younger readers, to teach them the importance of free and rich culture to human progress. It was an essay that his friend offered the job to write at first place, but fortunately he wrote this deep and enjoyable novel instead.

3. Where Are You Now? (Mary Higgins Clark)

A classic suspense-romance from another queen from another era (the 80s): Mary Higgins Clark. A young property agent accidentally witnessed a murderer leaving the victim's house, and she was put into witness protection program. With a new identity, nobody's supposed to know where she was.

4. Why didn't they ask Evans? (Agatha Christie)

One can always trust Agatha Christie to get interesting idea for her book title. This one isn't quoted from nursery rhyme, as were with many of hers. But rather, it's a remark from the sleuths when they finally realized that the key to their puzzling mystery should have been in the hand of the person called Evans.

5. N or M? (Agatha Christie)

It's a Tommy & Tuppence mystery, so it's naturally about spy operations. N and M are the initials of two German spies whose identities Tommy and Tuppence must find out among the seemingly innocent guests at a seaside hotel.

6. Whose Body? (Dorothy L. Sayers)

This was my first Dorothy L. Sayers (and still is - I need to read more soon!) A bachelor architect found a dead body of a stranger in his bathtub one morning, and no one have any idea of the who and why. It's an intriguing mystery for Lord Peter Wimsey to solve!


Have you ever read books with interrogative sentence as title? What's your favorites?


Next Six Books Saturday: 26th October 2024.