I really love mysteries. So much so that last week I was contemplating creating a separate blog devoted to mysteries and crime novels. I even had the template picked out, but then I thought surely I must be crazy as I can barely keep up with this one and how on earth would I manage two. So it was duly deleted and I will just continue to follow a handful of really good blogs devoted to the genre and anyone else who happens to write about mysteries along with the rest of the books they read. And I'll write about my own mystery reading here.
I often think I could subsist on a steady reading diet of mysteries and crime novels, but there are too many other books I want to read as well (general bookish greediness on my part). I admire those bloggers who concentrate only on books from the genre. They seem so well read and up to date on current writers, knowing all the various trends in the publishing world and being able to talk about a body of work by a particular author and then comparing it to other writers. I dabble too much and my reading history is far too spotty to be able to discuss the genre with any depth or real knowledge. So, what can you do except keep reading? Which I think I won't have a problem doing. Especially mysteries.
This all leads up to choosing a new mystery to read. Although I am working on Tana French's Faithful Place (so far so good--after really enjoying The Likeness), I thought I needed a nice traditional mystery and maybe something historical, but not one stretching too far back in time. I've heard many good things about Andrew Taylor's Lydmouth Series, and decided a post-WWII setting was just the ticket. I don't really know much about these books except they are set on the English-Welsh border where journalist Jill Francis has come to live. First book up is An Air That Kills. I'm only four chapters in and am still orienting myself. I'm not entirely sure why Jill has traveled from London to Lydmouth--not sure whether she is running to or away from something. She'll get caught up in a murder case--the bones of a baby have just been found in a building that is being demolished. I'm impatient to meet Detective Inspector Thornhill, who will feature largely in these books.
And all that leads up to my teaser. Jill has come to Lydmouth for whatever reasons, but she has two good friends there she is staying with. The couple seem to be upper middle class with a 'servant problem'. Actually I thought this discussion pretty insensitive but a good gage of the period.
"Philip bustled forward and gave Jill her cup. 'Trouble with silver is the cleaning,' he said. 'Mrs Meague was telling me all about it the other day.'
'That's one less cross you'll have to bear, dear.' Charlotte said,
'Don't tell me we're getting rid of the silver?'
'I was referring to Mrs Meague.'
'Has she handed in her notice?'
'No dear. I was obliged to ask her to leave.'
'Whatever for?'
'First she wanted a loan. Came to me with some cock-and-bull story about needing money for an operation. She had the nerve to insinuate that she's leave me in the lurch if I couldn't help her. I said no, of course. Then later this morning I caught her slipping one of those snuff boxes into the pocket of her pinafore'."
I would really have hated to be a servant. However, it's still too early to tell is Charlotte is as snobbish as she sounds. We'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Taylor is a good writer, and I have a feeling I'll be buying the rest of the books in the series.
A little side note as I am on the topic of mysteries. The winner of the 2010 CWA International Dagger was just announced and Johan Theorin's The Darkest Room won. It is probably just about the only book I read from the list, but I am pleased it won as I really enjoyed it. I wrote about it here. I still need to read his first novel, however.
I follow quite a few different mystery authors. Do you? Any favorites? Not that I need to add to my piles, but I am always on the look out for a good mystery.