Josephine Tey: Daughter of Time

One Word Summary: Tonypandy
More Words: I looked up Richard III on Wikipedia just to verify the official story about his reign. I confess I like Inspector Grant's version much better (Joan Wolf vouchsafes a Good King Richard in her regency, Fools Masquerade, too), although I'm not much interested in searching primary sources to be sure Richard didn't have a hump. As for the story (a spoonful of sugar, really), I got the impression Ms. Tey was a bit of an intellectual snob. First she had her inspector wax eloquent on the decline of the novel. Then, and this doesn't support my accusation, but still... she gave each character a superfluous name. The woolly lamb. The amazon. The midget. The actress. The charwoman. The last two don't count since she didn't actual use those names, but I got so used to thinking of her characters as labels that I don't remember their real names. Anyhow, it's a clever technique, and I can't help but think she overused it to make some point which flew entirely over my head. Ipso facto, she must be an intellectual snob. Because my taste runs to romance instead of mystery the only thing I can really say to recommend Daughter of Time is 1) It's educational and 2) it's short and therefore 3) it's not a waste.

Glen Ebisch: Grave Justice

One Word Summary: that insipid nasal sound

More Words: Murder Mysteries are like olives, you have to try them now and again just to see if you still don't like them. I think I need to sample a better olive, before I give up on them entirely. For this story my biggest complaint is the dialogue. It felt too convenient. One character makes a statement, another person replies, a few remarks are shared, and the author sets you up nicely with some vital information, and everyone is satisfied. Sort of like in a sitcom. Conversations are never so straight forward. They're supposed to be messy. There was also some romance, which made me feel really embarrassed- again just because of the way the would be lovers were talking. It was weird, and maybe even unhealthy. However to be fair I did like the criminal mastermind ploting.

I did read a similar novel earlier in the year by Catherine Coulter: Double Take. I liked it fine. But I'm not addicted in the least to this genre.