--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00001 Date: 07/03/96 From: DOROTHY REYNOLDS Time: 06:22am \/To: FRED RUNK (Read 3 times) Subj: Re: Mysteries -=> Quoting Fred Runk to Dorothy Reynolds <=- -=> While in the White Hart, Dorothy Reynolds insisted to Fred Runk that FR> <=- DR> You are probably right. From what I've read and heard, there DR> aren't too many original ideas for a story. Just different slants DR> and approaches by each author. If he/she is skilled at their DR> craft, can make each plot seem a new story. FR> I heard somewhere that there are only six basic plots in all of FR> fiction--the rest are variants. Unfortunately, I've never found out FR> what those six plots were. One of them probably is that the butler did FR> it. The butler did it is a Given. However, other than Sunset Strip, I's have to dig deep in my memory where the "butler did it." Tee hee. DR> Well, today was a windfall day. One of the contributors to our DR> private library brought 3 large cardboard boxes full of books. DR> Yippee. There's quite a few mysteries in the bunch. FR> Ah, buried treasure! Yeah. I found a Julie Smith and 3 Robert Goldsboroughs among them. Oh, and two Elmore Leonards, to name a few. Also a Richard Stark also known as Donald Westlake. I'm reading that one right now. It's not a mystery. His protagonist is Parker, an anti-hero who is a professional thief. He and his friends are planning to rob an Air Force base of the payroll. DR> DR> got a rejection, "it didn't meet their requirements, but good luck with your writing," kind. FR> Have many of those also. I've been told you aren't really a writer until you've received at least three rejections. I've had four. (g). So if you've had many of those too, welcome to the club. DR> Picked out one that caught my eye. Ritual Murder, by DR> S.T. Haymon. Are you familiar with her works? This will be my FR> Nope, don't know her at all. Let me know what you think. Finished the book, finally and found it quite different. It's veddy, veddy British, dontcha know. Normally I like British authors but she uses some "inside" British terms I'm not familiar with so it rather distracted me in places. However, once I got past that it was interesting. A child is murdered in a cathedral and the body has the Star of David carved on his chest. It makes you wonder if it was done "to give rise to the infamous accusation of ritual murder that caused the massacre of so many Jews in medieval Europe." (Quote is from the synopsis on the dust cover). She brings in two modern day WASP groups who create havoc by demonstrating in front of the cathedral, making the same accusations. FR> I visited some used book stores over the weekend and came away with a FR> few books, both by authors I hadn't read before, but were recommended FR> here. One FR> is Howard Engel--THE SUICIDE MURDERS. The other is Batya Gur's FR> LITERARY MURDER. FR> Hmmm, just realized a trend has begun. Engel's book features Benny FR> Cooperman, a Jewish PI while Gur's book features Michael Ohayon, Supt. FR> of Criminal Investigations in Jerusalem. In this case, you may like Haymon's book. Her police officer is Benjamin Jurnet, a non practicing Jew engaged to a Jewish lady who won't marry him unless he becomes a practicing one. There is a very interesting Rabbi in the story. She wrote another one with him as the detective inspector titled Death and the Pregnant Virgin. Interesting title. :} FR> ... Yellow gold...Plentiful compared to white-haired friends. DR> This is great. And I hope you consider me one of your DR> "white-haired friends." (G). FR> Definitely, now that I know the color of your hair. It was chestnut, bordering on auburn, in my youth, but I'm still the same ME. DR> ... You know you're getting older when the happy hour is a nap. FR> ... All my anachronisms are out of date. FR> ___ FR> X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X FR> -!- Maximus 2.02 FR> ! Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) ... My dog thinks he's human. My cat thinks he's God. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: Pacific Rim Information -=- San Diego, CA -=- (1:202/711) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00002 Date: 07/06/96 From: BERT QUILLIN Time: 12:55pm \/To: HELEN FLEISCHER (Read 3 times) Subj: Arthur Upfield -=> Quoting Helen Fleischer to Bert Quillin <=- HF> Here you go, and happy reading! HF> TITLES BY ARTHUR UPFIELD (1888-1964) ( > marks ones I'm looking for) Alternate Publication Title: HF> 1 The House of Cain (1928) HF> 2 The Barrakee Mystery (1929) The Lure of the Bush (Much deleted for brevity) Thank you Helen. My goodness, he wrote many more books than I was aware of. It is a pity so many are out of print and probably unavailable. The more I read books by Upfield, the more they are enjoyed. There is a book store here in Portland that has a National reputation. It is called Powell's Books. I called them about "A Royal Abduction" and "The Beach of Atonement". They had neither, so called another store that is local to Tigard where I live called "And Books Too". Spoke to a nice young lady that is also a admirer of Mr. Upfield. Though she had no copies of the books mentioned above, she did say she heard recently a possibility exists for release of new printing of the Upfield books. She will inquire around for "Abduction" and "Atonement". Should she locate them will let me know, and if that should devolop, will send you the information. Thanks again for the complete list. Regards, Bert ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: COM-DAT BBS (1:105/314.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00003 Date: 07/06/96 From: FRED RUNK Time: 01:32pm \/To: DELORES E ROWE (Read 3 times) Subj: This and that.... -=> While in the White Hart, Delores E Rowe insisted to Fred Runk that <=- re Dexter's MORSE'S GREATEST CASE AND OTHER STORIES. DER> Did you happen to notice when they were furst published? Were they DER> early works, per chance? I checked and no dates are given--not even the publishing/printing date for this book, but one of the first pages has been ripped out. The biblio information was probably on that page. Don't know if I mentioned this before, but there are ten stories in the collection, with five being "Morse" tales. DER> I just started The Edge of Sleep by David Wiltse. I have never read DER> any of his, but the blurb looked interesting. However, I have been DER> fooled before!! We shall see. :) Let me know what you think. ... Silence means never having to say you were wrong. ___ X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00004 Date: 07/06/96 From: FRED RUNK Time: 01:41pm \/To: DELORES E ROWE (Read 3 times) Subj: Daughters Of Cain Finished reading DAUGHTERS OF CAIN, the latest "Morse" mystery by Colin Dexter. In spite of the recent TV portrayals, Morse is not reforming! He is as irrascible as always and is not a potential member of AA. However, he encountered some health problems in the midst of this investigation, and there was some talk between Morse and his boss, Strange, about retirement. But, that's clearly a few years off for Morse--don't know about Strange though. Morse, as usual, is wrong more often during this investigation than he is correct in his guesses, which naturally irritates poor Sgt. Lewis. But, in a murder investigation, as in war, it isn't how many battles one wins that is important, but which ones, and of course, winning the last battle is most important. Morse's guesses/hunches/conjectures at the end of course save the day. Interesting twist to the investigation part way through--won't say more than that. Overall, I would rate it a good Morse mystery, not quite as strong as the last one THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS, but definitely readable. ... ebius tagline. This is a mobius tagline. This is a mo ___ X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00005 Date: 07/06/96 From: FRED RUNK Time: 01:53pm \/To: BERT QUILLIN (Read 3 times) Subj: Upfield & Hillerman -=> While in the White Hart, Bert Quillin insisted to Fred Runk that <=- re HIllerman BQ> Everything he has written. He is another real favorite. It surprises BQ> me how many people I have talked to that don't care for him. Seems to BQ> have something to do with the detail he provides relative to the BQ> Navajos and the country involved in his stories. I haven't met anyone who objected to Hillerman on that grounds around here. Or course, living in Tucson, Arizona might have something to do with that. I haven't read everything by him yet, but I'm working on it. ... One may explain water, but the mouth will not become wet. -Takuan- ___ X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00006 Date: 07/06/96 From: FRED RUNK Time: 01:55pm \/To: PATRICIA FERRARA (Read 3 times) Subj: Mysteries -=> While in the White Hart, Patricia Ferrara insisted to Fred Runk that <=- PF> If you decide to expand on that trend, you could look for PF> some of Faye Kellerman's books... Tell me more. I'm not familiar with her works. ... FANATIC: Each day MUST be a new beginning. ___ X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBB00007 Date: 07/06/96 From: FRED RUNK Time: 02:20pm \/To: LARRY HORTON (Read 3 times) Subj: Perry -=> While in the White Hart, Larry Horton insisted to Maureen Goldman that - LH> surprise me that this is true. Do you read Anne Perry. LH> She is a serious student of Victorian England and LH> addresses social issues of the times in her mystery LH> novels. She has also served time for murder of a friends LH> mother thus lending credibility to her writing. I wasn't aware of that. However, in her latest "Willian Monk" mystery SINS OF THE WOLF, Monk's "friend"--nurse Hester Latterly--is accused of murder. I thought the depiction of Latterly's stay in prison, the conditions and her mental and emotional state, was especially strong. ... Barkis is willin'. -C. Dickens- ___ X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBC00000 Date: 07/06/96 From: MAUREEN GOLDMAN Time: 09:14am \/To: DELORES E ROWE (Read 3 times) Subj: Criteria for a Mystery On (05 Jul 96) Delores E Rowe wrote to Patricia Ferrara... PF> I've been wondering lately, what constitutes a true mystery? PF> Most fiction has to have some element of mystery about it or PF> you wouldn't be drawn into the story enough to follow through PF> to the end, would you? I suppose it has to include a dastardly PF> deed, murder being one of the ultimates. DE> I think that the key element to a good mystery is suspense. Having read DE> so many, I am disappointed when I can figure out "who dun it" when I am DE> a fourth of the way through the book! :) Any writer who can keep the DE> suspense building, amd me guessing, through to the climax, had my DE> admiration. What sort of suspense? I mean, the person has already been killed. The detective does this sort of thing for a living. Offhand, I don't see much to hold one's breath about. This sounds more like the definition of a thriller. ... Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. Now be happy. Okay, pout. --- PPoint 1.88 * Origin: Point of No Deposit, No Return (1:153/404.11) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBC00001 Date: 07/06/96 From: DEBBIE SHANKER Time: 09:15pm \/To: HELEN FLEISCHER (Read 3 times) Subj: Nessen > DS> RE: Killing Critics > DS> One of the other staff members got the book on Wed or Thur, went > DS> home, and finished it in one sitting. I'm off to the bookstore this > DS> afternoon with plans of buying it...I'll start it tomorrow...Have to > DS> finish Karen Kijewski's "Honky Tonk Kat" tonight..I love the Kat > DS> Colorado series. > There's a review of Killing Critics in the paper that I just cut > out for > Betty. She always gets those first. ;) I've been picking up the > Kat > Colorado books, but only recently found the early ones. I didn't > want to > start in the middle, so they'd languished on my to-read shelf. > Guess > they're going to hit the top of the stack soon. ;) I started the Kat Colorado books in the middle of the series and it didn't make much of a difference. In fact just recently I found one of the earlier ones in the series, didn't like it and I don't think I even finished it. Honky Tonk was excellent though. I loved the idea of her interacting with someone from her childhood. This one was one of the best. > DS> I also saw a note on DotL that Jan Burke has finished the first > DS> rewrite of her latest in the Goodnight Irene series. That's another > DS> series I gobbled up (I had gone home sick with the flu during the > DS> winter and brought home with me the first 3 of her series. Finished > DS> them by the time the sniffles were gone). > Boy, you do gobble, them! I haven'te tried any of those. Will try > to > remember to grab one. Now the Goodnight Irene books should definitely be started at the beginning of the series. Goodnight Irene sets the whole pace and premise of all the following books. I guess I really do gobble up books. Since I'm not much of a TV watcher, I can spend most of my evenings reading. <<< Debbie >>> --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: chocolate, Chocolate, CHOCOLATE: Roch, NY (1:2613/321.1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 244 MYSTERY Ref: DBC00002 Date: 07/06/96 From: DEBBIE SHANKER Time: 09:28pm \/To: PHIL POCOCK (Read 3 times) Subj: Late Reading > Actually, I'm trying to find time to get into my favorite authors, > although there are those among "YOU" who would descry my > selection as a *mystery* authors. I love Leslie Charteris and Sir > Arthur Conan Doyle. I've read a little bit of the current stuff, > and still return to the OLD stuff. There's certainly nothing wrong with the OLD stuff. I was given a copy of Doyle's complete works years ago, and it's just in the past year or two that I've actually sat down and read it. Although I did read the Hound of the Baskervilles when I was in college and loved it. For some reason, I never continued with the rest of his stories. Actually, the Jeremy Brett series made me curious and caused me to pull out the dusty old book. Have you tried The Beekeeper's Apprentice? You might like the continuation of the Holmes saga, told from a ladies point of view. <<< Debbie >>> --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: chocolate, Chocolate, CHOCOLATE: Roch, NY (1:2613/321.1)