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robinwalter's reviews
1774 reviews
Error of the Moon by Sara Woods
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
This was the second Antony Maitland mystery in a row that had a setting involving espionage and drawing Antony back into his military intelligence past. The moral ambiguities and nuances of that kind of story were very prominent in The Third Encounter, the book preceding this one in the series, and for that reason it was not my favourite. I enjoyed this one considerably more because it was a simpler, more straightforward murder mystery. The espionage/intelligence setting was really just that - the setting of the mystery. Antony had no real interaction with the shadowy intelligence chiefs who had dragged him back into their world in The Third Encounter, and there was no moral ambiguity nor any ethically uncomfortable concessions to Realpolitik in the resolution of this story. In short, a good old-fashioned murder mystery of exactly the kind that I enjoy delivered with the deft touch that I have come to expect from Ms Woods.
Once again, that deft touch was especially in evidence when it came to the relationship between Antony and his wife Jenny. After just four books they are now a firm favourite mystery couple for me. They've overtaken Troy and Alleyn in my affection (not that difficult since in that couple Troy was easily my favourite) and now sit close behind Albert and Amanda Campion, still my number one "detective duet". The Maitlands though, are a very different couple. For one thing they are childless, and the reason for that situation has played a big part in the dynamics of their relationship. Another difference is that Woods writes with quiet thoughtful insight about the nature of Antony and Jenny's relationship, as this line shows:
Jenny herself, who had realised and accepted long ago the fact that no companionship could be complete that did not recognise weakness as well as strength,
Jenny is a very interesting character. She is neither an active "sidekick" in Antony's investigations, as Amanda Campion sometimes is for Albert, nor is she simply a passive "supportive wife". Theirs is a sweetly subtle symbiosis, and having a protagonist pairing portrayed as deeply, unashamedly and yet realistically in love with each other has cemented the series in my affection.
The mutual understanding and trust between the two of them played a big part in the outworking of the climax of this mystery, and Jenny's comments on how she felt about Antony's assignment, and the risks and challenges it posed to him and to them added a nice human touch to the mystery, making sure that it wasn't simply about the unravelling of the plot.
Another thing I enjoy about a lot of mystery novels from Dean Street Press is what I learn from them.
At the start of the book, Antony makes a reference to a character in the story called Thomas Overbury and alludes to an historical character of the same name. Until I googled him, I'd never heard of the unfortunate poet to whom Antony alluded, but reading the Wikipedia article about him raised a smile when I saw that in this story Ms Woods includes a villainous character with exactly the same name as a key villain in the real Thomas Overbury story. I love it when authors do this kind of thing - referencing real history in their mysteries, and shaving a nanometre or two off my ignorance in the process. Four books into the series, there hasn't been one that I disliked, and this is the third that I have very much liked. That's the kind of success rate that makes me eager to read more.
Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters by Nienke Bakker, Hans Luijten, Leo Jansen
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
A fascinating glimpse into his life in his own words, and a powerful testament to the skill and dedication of the translators and curators of this compilation.
The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking by Christina Arokiasamy
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
A great introduction to Malaysian cooking, with lots of very interesting information in addition to the mouthwatering recipes. I need to try to find an edition with metric measures and temperatures though
Manana Forever? by Jorge G. Castañeda
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Anotther Storygraph Reads the World pick that has enhanced my knowledge about and understandngi of a country I knew too little about.
Egypt on the Brink by Tarek Osman
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
A sober, sombre recitation of the recent history of a country whose modern iteration is often overlooked for its glamourised and mythologised past. Not an easy read, but a very worthwhile one
Ednapedia: A History of Australia in a Hundred Objects by Dame Edna Everage
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Predictable but it still raised a few chuckles
Matatu: A History of Popular Transportation in Nairobi by Kenda Mutongi
informative
medium-paced
4.5
I had never heard of matatus before reading this book, so I learned a great deal about Kenyan history and politics through this account of its truly homegrown transport 'system'
China from Empire to Nation-State by Michael Hill, Wang Hui
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
A very dense read, and a very thought-provoking one. It made me think about connections I'd never made before, and added depth and a new perspective to what had previously been my dangerously over-simplified take on the issue of China as a nation-state. The complex ideas and arguments being presented also make this book a remarkable tribute to its translator.
Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture (revised and Updated) by Doreen Fernandez
informative
reflective
4.0
I learned a lot about Filipino culture and history through this book about its food, it was very interesting.
Harlequin House by Margery Sharp
I laughed at this passage because it highlighted the difference between Ms. Sharp's writing and that of other middlebrow authors I've read. Some middlebrow books have had characters express more or less exactly this sentiment in complete earnest, an attitude that seriously irks me. Because Ms. Sharp on the other hand made it patently clear she was mocking the attitude, it was funny.
At the very start of Elizabeth Crawford's very informative introduction she mentions that " the Manchester Guardian intimated that she was second only to P.G. Wodehouse as a comic novelist" . That is VERY high praise and I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but there were passages in the book that definitely reminded me of the style of PGW. These two, for example:
And finally a line that really made me chuckle because of the context in which I read this book. It was the fifteenth and final book of my Dean Street December 2024, in which I read only books from Dean Street Press. Since nine of the other books were detective stories, I found this parenthetical statement amusingly apposite.
In summary this was a delightful read. Satirical without being acidic, laughing at its characters but making sure we knew it was ok to do so because they did too. Sweet without being saccharine, and ending on a positive, literally life-affirming note. Love, life, and laughs - all were to be found in Harlequin House.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The refining influence of natural beauty, particularly upon members of the Anglo-Saxon race, is a fact universally admitted, particularly by Anglo-Saxons."
The opening sentence of Harlequin House delivered a laugh. I'm giving the book 4.5/5 for delivering plenty more. The story was offbeat, the characters very nearly more so, but it all hung together because Ms Sharp was not building a story built on a narrative, she was providing entertainment. That opening sentence did set the tone for the rest of the book - gently satirical, wryly amused, and very amusing. A few examples that tickled my funny bone:
The opening sentence of Harlequin House delivered a laugh. I'm giving the book 4.5/5 for delivering plenty more. The story was offbeat, the characters very nearly more so, but it all hung together because Ms Sharp was not building a story built on a narrative, she was providing entertainment. That opening sentence did set the tone for the rest of the book - gently satirical, wryly amused, and very amusing. A few examples that tickled my funny bone:
She did not stop to enquire why her fiancé had not let her know of his return, it was enough that he was there, at hand, obviously willing and competent to take all responsibility from her shoulders. It was an attitude which Mr. Partridge highly approved: he liked women to be feminine, and it pleased him to discover that Miss Campion’s true character, now revealed, was that of a clinging vine.
I laughed at this passage because it highlighted the difference between Ms. Sharp's writing and that of other middlebrow authors I've read. Some middlebrow books have had characters express more or less exactly this sentiment in complete earnest, an attitude that seriously irks me. Because Ms. Sharp on the other hand made it patently clear she was mocking the attitude, it was funny.
At the very start of Elizabeth Crawford's very informative introduction she mentions that " the Manchester Guardian intimated that she was second only to P.G. Wodehouse as a comic novelist" . That is VERY high praise and I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but there were passages in the book that definitely reminded me of the style of PGW. These two, for example:
The unmarried Victorian uncle, unlike the unmarried Victorian aunt, had played but little part in the nation’s domestic economy: his passing left a gap outside the stage-door rather than a gap in the kitchen or nursery.
He had no foolish scruples about leaving the ladies behind: he came from a walk of life in which the pleasures of the male did not admit of interference.
And finally a line that really made me chuckle because of the context in which I read this book. It was the fifteenth and final book of my Dean Street December 2024, in which I read only books from Dean Street Press. Since nine of the other books were detective stories, I found this parenthetical statement amusingly apposite.
(Lisbeth encouraged detective stories; they all had such moral endings.)
In summary this was a delightful read. Satirical without being acidic, laughing at its characters but making sure we knew it was ok to do so because they did too. Sweet without being saccharine, and ending on a positive, literally life-affirming note. Love, life, and laughs - all were to be found in Harlequin House.