The Vicious Vet / The Murderous Marriage - Agatha Raisin mysteries, by M.C.Beaton

I came upon Agatha Raisin a while ago, when I needed some comfort reading.  So, when I was half-way through a difficult book for my bookclub (To rise again at a Decent Hour, comments to follow) I found myself at that same phase -- I was so perplexed that I needed some distraction.  Hence, not one but two comfort books, which I read in two days...

The plot of both books is, of course, a murder:  how else would Agatha Raisin keep busy when she's not trying to find love in the Cotswolds?  

In the Vicious Vet, Agatha finds herself with two kitties when a new vet arrives in town.  Pity that when she tries to charm him, she realises that half the village (women) the same idea has...

When the vet, Paul Bladen, is found dead, Agatha will need to pull all strings to find the murderer - together with James Lacey, her neighbour and love interest supreme who proves to be a challenge:

(Agatha) did not like people who suddenly quoted things at you, leaving you feeling unread and inadequate.  In fact, she thought they only did it to show off

The book is incredibly fast-paced, with hilarious moments keeping the interest high.  The "dark" moments are not overpowering and the end result is a pleasant read, ideal for a pick-me-up request.

The Murderous Marriage, on the other hand, is not, in my humble opinion, one of Agatha's better moments.  Already from the outset, the fact that on James' and Agatha's wedding date, we learn of the existence of her non-divorced, non-annuled, perfectly alive and well husband - who basically wrecks the whole ceremony - is a bit far-fetched.  Living in the same country, deserting the husband, and expecting to commit bigamy just like that... meh.  

And then he's dead. And then there's plenty of other people ending up dead.  Which is way too many, if I may say so myself.  For each one of these, Agatha and James  are primary suspects.  Again, too much of a good thing is not always better.  I kept rolling my eyes as to each new incident, where the police would call on the couple - because, of course they continue to live together.

And this is another issue I have trouble with.  Agatha and James have just had their marriage cancelled.  The emotions should be sky-high, and yet they react so rationally that I get upset on their behalf... 

(James): "I think I will always be too sore at you, Agatha, to ever want to marry you.  But the had fact is that we have worked well together in the past and together we might clear this up"

Also, already from the middle of the story, for the first time, I have my suspicions about the murderer and I'm right.  This is the final straw -- if I can guess whodunnit that early, I lose interest...

The Santa Klaus murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay

I picked up this book after reading a review by Margaret at BooksPlease, hailing it as an easy-going, holiday-appropriate piece of literature.  This is exactly what I needed, being in the middle of a difficult book (To Rise again at a Decent Hour, review to follow), which I've abandoned twice until now.  Holiday reads are meant to be relaxing and not much mind-engaging, but nevertheless attention-grabbing and entertaining!  With this in view,  I started reading The Santa Klaus murder by Mavis Doriel Hay (ok, perhaps it was also the title that triggered an interest ...)

Cover her face, by P.D. James

I started reading P.D. James fairly recently, when a colleague de-cluttered her house and gave me a box full of books, including several by this author.  I knew the name, but had failed up to that point to read anything relevant (plus, for some reason I always mistook her for A.S. Byatt, but that's another story altogether..).

So,  following the announcement of her death, I thought it proper to write down my thoughts on the first experience I had with P.D. James:  Cover her face, the first of the Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries.

The Making of a Marchioness, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I'm always amazed at how some of the themes currently at the height of interest were also touched upon by classic books. Case in question The Making of a Marchioness, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Written in 1901, it talks of financial peril, marriage of convenience and death plots for inheritance purposes...  

I came upon it  having watched "The making of a Lady" (I assume because the title of Marchioness is not well-known), a slightly rom-com set in a Victorian context - easy for a gentle afternoon watching, while knitting / cross-stitching / petting your cat, or whatever Victorians would do in the afternoon...

Youth, by Isaak Asimov

Coming back from London on a Saturday evening, the world quietens down on board the Eurostar train.  People close their eyes, contemplate the events of the day, and try to enjoy the peace around them.  This is a time when I enjoy a good read: nothing too elaborate or big - just simple, good writing and a reasonable length to last the journey.

Such a read is Youth, by Isaak Asimov.  Written in the 1950s, it is of the futuristic genre but with no fanfare.  It rather reminded me of the Twilight Zone programme that I so enjoyed in my own youth...

The plot is fairly straightforward:  life in a distant future, where our present and recent past is considered as the "beforethewars" era (I really enjoyed that word, nothing fancy but leaving so much to the imagination...).  The main characters involve two scientists, who try to take up contact with aliens in a foreign planet, with the view to take up trade relations. Already I'm amazed at the little bits of wisdom that I read in between this simple story:

... was it reasonable to destroy almost all their tremendous civilization in atomic warfare over causes our historians can no longer accurately determine?

With them, we get to see their respective sons, longing for a future of their own, preferably in a circus.  They in turn discover some uncommon-looking creatures they think could be their ticket into this wonderful life - so they keep them in a cage and try to take good care of them.

The book is short and more than enough for the 2-hour travel to Brussels.  I really enjoyed the language used, but also some of the messages used.  While waiting for a signal from the aliens, the two scientists start debating about whether the aliens could in fact be hostile.  The pessimist of the two explains why he sees things this way:

The world has been at peace too long.  We are losing a healthy sense of suspicion

Linking it with the Twilight Zone, I came to a point where the twists are non-ending - who's watching whom here:  the scientists the children, the children the little creatures, or the children the scientists who are in truth the little creatures?  One can come to their proper interpretation of the story, but one thing is certain:  for such a tiny size, this book certainly stayed in my mind long after I had read it...   

Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming

After a first disappointment with the James Bond novels, I knew I had to give this franchise another try.  A friend gave me Casino Royale to read, together with a very encouraging review.

Casino Royale is the first James Bond, written by Fleming over a period of two months in his favourite hideout in Jamaica.  It is primarily inspired by Fleming's personal experience in the diplomatic circles -- and I would say this is what distinguishes this from other spy-novels.

It is a beautifully written book.  The plot is nothing extraordinary, but the writing elevates the book to the great spy novel level, worthy of the name of Bond.  Already in the beginning I enjoyed Bond's description:

The Classics Club: Xingu, by E. Wharton

When one is under a sick spell, one should stick to simple, short and entertaining stories:  when I found myself recently under a heavy bout of tracheitis I turned to Xingu, by E. Wharton to ease my pain.  It delivered:  a cynical but very, very entertaining little story, perfect for my predicament...

Here I have to admit I was slightly apprehensive:  I had started on the wrong foot with Wharton, and I knew this would not be an easy task.  I should not have feared:  I now know that Wharton is more than  one piece of literature.

What is Xingu?  well, we get to learn that at the very end of the story and this serves only to highlight the main point:  the superficiality of "good society"... Because the story is about a book club, where only the "chosen" ones get to belong to, where only the "wise" get to showcase their books and where those who belong to neither cast get to show their wealth.  It rang some bells with me, as I belong to two book clubs - and while there is nothing remotely similar to Xingu, I could recognise some instances I may have encountered myself (I'll leave it to this...)

The ladies of the book club are eagerly waiting the arrival of a famous author, to discuss her latest book.  We are given the characteristics (i.e. the vulnerable attributes) of everyone in the  group and we get an insight into their habits:  we get to know Mrs. Plinth, the distinguished member, in particular.  Looking down on everyone, she is the epitome of the "nerd-type" party of a literary group, a person who sees as their ultimate goal to make a name for a well-educated, industrious and valuable member (or a book club or society in general).   She declares:

"Amusement is hardly what I look for in my choice of books"

No, of course not.  One has to toil, or at least to make others thinks so.  Because when in another instance a question is posed, our dear Mrs. Plinth is revealed to utterly dislike

"...  being asked her opinion of a book.  Books were written to read; if one read them what more could be expected?  To be questioned in detail regarding the contents of a volume seemed to her as great an outrage as being searched for smuggled laces at the Custom House"

Now, I have met such people, I have to admit.  And I have seen this struggle to pretend to being something more.   Something greater.  Something higher.  And it just won't work.  There will always be a black sheep (hello, Mrs. Roby), who will basically form part of this group by accident.  But she will never strive to prove her worth against her fellow members. She is content with what she is and does, and will not hesitate to show how well she knows the others by playing a nice little farce.  A farce so well executed, she will even fool the distinguished guest.  The guest who will recognise Mrs. Roby's genius and will leave the whole group to further engage in a discussion with her.  Double the trouble then:  the group agree it's time they let Mrs. Roby go.  They shan't be made to look like fools by someone who is not deemed suitable to "participate in the mental gymnastics of the club".

And so, order is back:  everyone in the group will have their distinct role to play, and there will be no more disruptions by "outsiders".  Yes, it's all coming back to me, I knew I recognised this story...





Xingu is available for free on Project Gutenberg.  This post will also be published on Project Gutenberg Project.

The Classics Club: The Thirty-nine Steps, by J. Buchan

John Buchan is a well-known Scottish author who wrote The Thirty-nine Steps while recuperating from an illness.  The title of the book came from a flight of 39 steps found in this nursing home...

It is considered one of the first "shockers" - combining personal and political drama -, but I actually watched Hitchcock's film adaptation by the same name first:  though not one of his best and memorable, it was adventurous enough to let 1.5 hours pass by.   As I came across the book, though, I wanted to see whether the plot there would be "flat" compared to the film, or whether it would be just as thrilling...

Roast Beef, medium - by E. Ferber

Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber is simply a great read:  the compelling adventures of an independent woman, out to earn the respect she deserves, single-handedly winning over her male colleagues, while raising  her son on her own.  Simple, little story?  Absolutely not - this is 1913...

While this book could well make the case for being a feminist one, I did not feel this:  there is still a fine line between emerging feminist thoughts and nostalgia for the traditional roles in society expressed by Emma McChesney, our heroine.  I would just say it's a novel way ahead of its time:  Her "adventures" could well have taken place in modern times, which made me wonder:  if these descriptions apply today and the problems are still in existence today, what was the situation back in 1913?  How could Emma, any Emma, survive, when even today women can still fail facing such challenges?

The Classics Club: This Side of Paradise

Having read The Great Gatsby and fallen in love with Fitzgerlad's story-telling, I couldn't help but wonder whether this was a one-off experience.  

I was so mesmerised by the techniques he used, that I wanted to have more of it - and so chose to read This side of Paradise, Fitzgerald's first novel, semi-autobiographical, and the book that shot him to fame.  

Would I distinguish his brilliance already there? Would I feel the "lost generation" he so eloquently spoke about?

Fitzgerald was in his early 20s when his wrote this book, and used elements from his personal experience to draw the character of Amory Blaine: a well-off, spoilt-rotten mama's boy who grows into a sad, lonely young man, never meant to find happiness...

On her majesty's secret service, by I. Fleming

After having watched almost all of the Bond movies, I should at some point read the respective books, wouldn't you think?  I was aware of Fleming's own lifestyle and how it resembled that of the Bond character, but how would he have interpreted his own hero?  and then, what would be his writing style?  would it inspire all these extravagant movies, or would the books offer a deeper understanding of the great James Bond?  

My only problem, of course, was which book to read.  In the end, I chose On her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming for primarily two reasons:  I must be one of the few ones who actually liked the movie, and then because it could offer an insight into the complex nature of Bond.  Or so I thought...

The Classics Club: To kill a mockingbird

This being my mother's favourite book, I've heard about To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee ever since I was a child. So, when I received it as a present, I was really looking forward to this treat.   

I wanted to see how deep into the social circumstances of that era I would dive in, and I was also interested to see whether I would understand why this had been Lee's only published work so far...

The Home-maker

I wanted to read The Home-maker by Dorothy Canfield ever since I read a review by Claire.  I've often wondered how "lucky" women are nowadays to be able to do as we please (ok, most of the time - I'm sure there still exist sectors where women would be looked upon suspiciously). 

When I was in university, I wrote a thesis on the suffragettes, and my research actually came to the conclusion that despite the success this movement had at the time,  women, especially after the end of the world wars, preferred to return home and lead a "conventional" life... (and yet, I got a very good grade!).

The Classics Club: The Quiet American

When I first read The Quiet American by Graham Greene, I was a teenager.  I studied the book for the Proficiency Diploma in English as a foreign language, and it served as material for the oral exam.  I was so impressed with its content, the descriptions of extraordinary situations, the conflict between nations, people and couples.  I considered it as one of the best novels I'd read (true, there hadn't been that many at that point), and I regarded it as a good example of classic literature. I decided to include the book in the Classics Club, because of these memories and because it had been 26 years ago - a good time to re-read a book one has loved.

Murder runs in the family

When I first heard about Murder runs in the family by Anne George, I could well imagine the background:  somewhere in the South, a couple of Miss Marples investigate a little crime.  While the story is indeed set in the South, nothing else was as I expected - in a good way.

The story unfolds in Alabama, a place that tends to be misunderstood (speaking from a European perspective). Still, I can easily relate to it being Mediterranean: people are often thought of being slow, laid-back, lazy, but also family-oriented (this last being true).

The Classics Club: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

I first read 1984 by George Orwell in 1984, and, while the whole story was depressing and scary, it was evident that it was a work of fiction, in a futuristic setting, far, far away in another galaxy ...

Fast forward today, or actually about 10 years ago, when the whole craze of the "Big Brother" reality series started.  Never could I have imagined that the words of caution in the book would be misinterpreted and actually turned against fellow humans and seduce all of us into a voyeurism without precedent... 

This was a totally different way of reading... I found I had to stop several times because the plot was becoming so heavy, I felt I was getting out of breath.  I had to recollect my thoughts and analyse bits before I could proceed to the next part.

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener

(photo credit)

I was recently going through a phase where there was too much of everything... So, when Katrina reviewed an Agatha Raisin book by M.C. Beaton saying that it was "a good book for a bad day", I knew I wanted to try as well - I started with Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (plus, it fits nicely in my Century collection...)

The first thing that came to my mind, of course, was the name of the heroine - Agatha.  I personally only know one other famous Agatha, Christie, and I was wondering how and if the two had any connection.  Well, in Beaton's biography, I read that she's considered the "new Queen" of crime (aha!) and, already in the first pages of the book, this is what I read when a new village neighbour greets Agatha:

Bloomsday - Dubliners by James Joyce

Today marks Bloomsday - a whole day devoted to celebrating James Joyce's life through his novel Ulysses (set on 16 June 1904).  It's called Bloomsday after Leopold Bloom, the main character in Ulysses.  This is also the day most purists actually read Ulysses... but not me.  I'm still in awe of this epic novel, and even though I would be able to recognise parts from Homer's Odyssey... I'll start my first celebration of Bloomsday by reading Joyce's Dubliners.


Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories, which are meant to reflect the various types of Dubliners.  Most of the stories refer to adolescents and young adults, which - for me at least - also shows the contrast with the established, older generation and describes their desperate attempts at their future ...

The Classics Club: The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle must be one of the few books that I read AFTER having watched various visual interpretations.  So the question for me was no longer whodunnit, but rather how, when and where, under what circumstances etc...

First of all, one either has to like this genre or not.  If you don't like it, it is indeed silly - to say the least.  And yet, much as I like mysteries, I also like the pen of Conan Doyle, because he writes in a style that provides much more depth onto the storyline but also, and more importantly, on the relationship between Holmes and Watson.

In this case, Dr. Mortirer seeks their help when he unveils an 18-century manuscript that details a "plague" cast upon the Baskervilles from a supernatural hound lurking in the moors - its most recent victim, Sir Charles Baskerville, has fuelled the fear in the area once more.  The next of kin, Sir Henry Baskerville, is in London en route to Baskerville Hall in Devonshire, only to be warned of his intention to stay there, as well as to have his shoes stolen.  Holmes and Watson agree to take the case, albeit in a somewhat peculiar manner:  It will be Watson taking the reins in this investigation, while Holmes stays back in London...

Again, I will make the distinction between films and the book.  While most films portray Watson as Holmes' ordinary sidekick, I never get that impression from the book.  Here the two are equal, and there are many instances where Holmes is not shy to point out Watson's strong points:  When he suggests Watson accompanies Sir Baskerville, he justifies it thus: 

"there is no man who is better worth having at your side when you are in a tight place.  No one can say so more confidently than I"

So, when even the great Holmes finds himself in a tight spot, who does he call? Indeed, Watson...  And again, when Watson complaints that Holmes did not tell him he was in Devonshire as well, Holmes replies: "My dear fellow, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many  other cases".  Just so that there are no misunderstandings, Holmes and Watson are a team!


The main theme in this novel is the supernatural:  the hound lurking around the moors is not a common little dog - no, it's a horrible, impressive hound, with fire coming out its eyes and mouth, it is the devil ... Something that common folk would immediately believe and I would think even Sir Henry and Dr. Mortirer would have trouble keeping out of their thoughts.  And yet, here is Holmes who also states his preference for this world: 

"In a modest way I have combated evil, but to take on the Father of Evil himself would, perhaps, be too ambitious a task"

Modesty or realisation that even his power has limitations?  In a reversal of roles, I found that it was the scientific mind of Watson that remained calm even in instances of distress and shed light into the story.


Another important theme are of course the moors, with their vastness and vagueness proving deadly for people and animals.  Everyone is afraid, does not dare to walk over in the dark - still, most of the important scenes in the story take place there.  I would even say that the moors get to have a personality, they are often described as "melancholy" and a place where 

"you never tire of the moor.  You cannot think the wonderful secrets which it contains.  It is so vast, and so barren, and so mysterious"

 But danger awaits around the corner:  "the longer one stays here the more does the spirit of the moor sink into one's soul, and also its grim charm".


The story in the Hound is past-paced, and I thoroughly welcomed the alteration between dialogue, narration, letters and diary entries.  This variety in text format provided for change in pace and prevented me from feeling  bored (not that I could ever feel bored in such a novel).  The end is fairly predictable, but still not without some effort - which is why I generally like Sherlock Holmes.  Everything is within the boundaries of the rational...


Two things that I found remarkable:  the convict, who from a dangerous criminal is now a guileless creature  sheltered by his sister, because "Evil indeed is the man who has not one woman to mourn him" (and here I thought Sherlock was a misogynist...) and a red herring that almost made me scream:  Dr Mortirer insists that he gives Watson a lift homeward "into his dog-cart".  This is of course a light horse-drawn cart, and not a dog-drawn cart carrying people (phew...)


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I've watched three interpretations to date of the Hound:  the 1981 Russian version with Vasilij Livanov and Vitali Solomin, the 1988 British version with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke and the 2012 British version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.  Of the three, I really enjoyed the 1981 version, but I have to admit I now prefer the book version of the Hound...  

Also read for the Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

The Classics Club: Ethan Frome

If I wanted to be super-cynical, I could summarise reading Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton as follows:  Ethan is an unlucky man, misses out on his opportunity to fulfil his potential, marries out of obligation, meets Mattie and is infatuated with her, has deliberate accident, which leaves Mattie paralysed.  Poor Ethan now has to continue his miserable life looking out for both his sickly wife and for Mattie.

Of course there is more to the novel, but I found I could connect to none of the characters, and reading was just a nuisance.  Finishing was actually a relief but also a puzzle, as I had not understood what the point of the story was.

The story begins with a narrator who comes to Starkfield, wanting to find out about one of the local characters, Ethan Frome, who had a tragic accident about 20 years earlier.  From then on, the story goes back to that point in time, and narrates Ethan's life in a secluded, run-down farm.  It goes on to describe the triangle between Ethan and his wife Zeena on the one hand, a woman who tried to nurse Ethan's sickly mother, only to become one herself shortly afterwards.  She has been "oppressing" Ethan ever since their marriage, and while sickly, it's clear she dominates the household.


Things could start to look rosier when Zeena's cousin, Mattie, arrives to help with the household.  Ethan sees in her the spark of youth and unselfishness.  He falls helplessly in love with her, but he cannot escape being mastered by the social and moral constraints. On the one night they find themselves alone, they do... nothing! They cannot ever bring themselves to express their affection to one another, and on top of everything else, Zeena's favourite pickle dish is shattered to pieces...


When Zeena announces that she will replace Mattie with a more efficient girl, Ethan's world falls apart.  He considers eloping with Mattie but almost immediately realises there's no way society will let him escape his destiny... Ethan decides to bring Mattie himself to the train station - on the way there, they stop at the crest of the village in order to have a sledding adventure - Mattie sees no exit strategy in their situation but a deadly encounter with the elm tree at the end of the  hill.  The result is not what they wished for.  Fast forward twenty years to present day, and the narrator lodges with a Mrs. Hale, together with whom he mourns the state of "cursed" Ethan Frome, caring for these two women.

The story could provide so much material for ups and downs in the narration.  And yet, I could feel no tension while reading, as I would have expected given the miserable circumstances - in fact, I could see no action taking place at all!  It was this sense of "inactivity" that most probably unnerved me.  The characters of Zeena and Mattie are only partially developed, as Mattie is simply described through the eyes of Ethan and Zeena is just the unsympathetic copy of Ethan's mother.  Only Ethan is properly described in depth, and I could see his thoughts, his initial ambitions, the missed opportunities that could have led to a different outcome... 
The overall justification for his inactivity falls, apart from society's imposed moral conduct, also on the harsh weather conditions, and their effect on the human psyche (Ethan is described as having "been to Starkfield too many winters") - something I cannot agree with (plus, I doubt that Wharton had any experience on the subject and this actually shows in her story-telling).  I could see how a sensitive person like Ethan could be overwhelmed by the elements, but I had real difficulty explaining his whole life solely from this fact.  All in all, I felt it was not a well narrated story, it left nothing to yearn for and I'm afraid in a few months' time it will have been removed from my memory.

I had read a lot about Edith Wharton, and had long wanted to read her work.  I'm afraid though that reading Ethan Frome as a first novel may not have been the best choice.  It's not often that I feel so uneasy about a book  I've read and I hope it does not happen often...