It has been a brutal winter chez the Bateses this year: December saw a deadly snowstorm; January, a visit by the polar vortex; and, intermittently, snow snow snow, some ice, sleet, freezing rain, more snow. I had a fine Christmas season, horrible milestone birthday soon thereafter, and some desultory reading. Back to work in early January and the work pile-on has been relentless… and yet, I read a few murder mysteries and it made the bad a bit better:
Mick Herron’s Dead Lions (2013)
Dorothy L. Sayers’s Have His Carcase (1932)
Tana French’s Faithful Place (2010)
As you can see, I sandwiched a classic mystery with contemporary ones and enjoyed all three, though I wish I’d been able to read them “straight-through” instead of piecemeal, juggling work and family obligations and coming to terms with memento mori…
Herron’s “slow horses” become Dead Lions in the second Slough House spook novel and I liked it as much as the first. Here, Herron brings Lamb’s past into the foreground when he and his crew of disgraced spies, in purgatorial Slough House, investigate the assassination of minor-spy Dickie Bow, as the blurb says “a talented streetwalker once, good at following people and bringing home their secrets. He was in Berlin with Lamb, back in the day…” Lamb is the show-piece of the mystery, though Herron’s talents are such that every single figure, even minor, is distinctly and brilliantly drawn. Lamb is his usual toad-like, irreverent, crude self with a core of no-effs-given moral strength: he’s a first-class a-hole, treats his “slow horses” (especially my faves, River Cartright and Catherine Standish) like dirt, but when he’s roused, he picks away at the case until truths emerge: horrific, historical truths, embedded in the sins of the past. Parenthetically, I have to say how much I liked Herron’s great framing device: rather than an info-dump to bring a new reader up to snuff on Slough House’s denizens, Herron has a cat go from office to office, observing with feline contempt, introducing us to the characters. It’s a beaut of a writer, with a keen sense of irony, who can conclude with: “…and there in front of him–snout quivering, whiskers a-tremble–sits a mouse. For a moment Lamb has the uncomfortable sensation that this mouse is staring into a past he has tried to bury, or peering into a future he’d sooner forget. And then he blinks, and the mouse is nowhere, if it was ever there at all. ‘What this place needs is a cat,’ grumbles Lamb, but there’s no one there to hear him.” How sly and clever and with what great narrative impetus does Herron bring Lamb and his “in disgrace with fortune and in men’s eyes” spooks to the cat-and-mouse game of international spydom and what it exacts from those who practice it.
Then I read Sayers’s Have His Carcase, which I found long and wished the case of the bled-to-death young man suspended on a rock had been resolved sooner than later. When it was, however, I thought the resolution intricate, clever, and fitting. What I never tired of was Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane banter: sharp, funny, caustic, yet growing in affection on Harriet’s part. Wimsey, on the other hand, is smitten. His frequent and incongruously placed and timed marriage proposals are hilarious. They’re just so lovable, these two! Truly one of the most wondrous slow-burn romances EVER. Moreover, Sayers is simply an awesome writer: so clever and witty. Her introductory paragraph is a study of great comic writing (and segues beautifully into Wimsey’s proposals by giving us a glimpse of how Harriet is thinking and feeling): “The best remedy for a bruised heart is not, as so many people seem to think, repose upon a manly bosom. Much more efficacious are honest work, physical activity, and the sudden acquisition of wealth. After being acquitted of murdering her lover, and, indeed, in consequence of that acquittal, Harriet Vane found all three specifics abundantly at her disposal; and although Peter Wimsey, with a touching faith in tradition, persisted day in and day out in presenting the bosom for her approval, she showed no inclination to recline upon it.”
Lastly, I read French’s Faithful Place, which continues her Dublin Murder Squad series with Frank Mackey’s story. Frank is the leader of his undercover “boys and girls” and is the ethically questionable, mercurial lead to the heroine’s undercover case in The Likeness (my favourite of the three Frenches I’ve read). Faithful Place cracks Frank open when he returns to his Dublin blue-collar neighbourhood, loud, rude, insufferable family, and the discovery of his first love’s body, Rosie who had been set to run away with him to London and never showed up for their teen rendez-vous. Assuming he’d been jilted but still determined to get out, Frank left to make his career with the police, marry, become a father, divorce. As Frank nears the truth of who killed the shining light of his teen years, his cool, ethically expedient self unravels: his family is too dysfunctional and grasping, sucking him back into their broken interactions, to leave him any room to control his emotions, or maintain a cop’s objectivity. In the end, Faithful Place is a flawed novel: beginning with French’s usual disorienting quandary for her main character, but then not quite showing the control necessary to bring the narrative ship to port. In this case, what kept me reading was French’s virtuoso dialogue of Dublin working-class vernacular. And no matter how uncertain the last third of the novel, it was redeemed by one brilliant scene where Frank recovers his “cop” mode and enacts a strictly-to-procedure arrest both tragically riveting and ice-in-veins shocking.
Miss Bates Reads Romance 
I am sorry life has been so hard, from the weather to…everything else; but I’m really glad you’ve found a way to continue reading (and blogging).
The only one of these I’ve read is the Sayers, and yes, yes, yes; the slow burn between Harriet and Peter is fantastic, and her use of language brilliant.
Here’s to more good reads, and to a better year for you and MamaB than it’s been so far.
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Thank you, my friend! At least we’ve been able to get out and about with some improvement in the temps and a bit of sun too. Always helps to make one feel better! Reading a life-saver!
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Miss Bates. Love to read your remarks concerning Betty Neels books. I am a big fan of hers and have been since her first book came out. I discovered Iris Bromige about two years ago and I have become a great fan of her also. I have never heard you mention her and just wondered if you read her books.A book lover!
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Well, hello, BGW! And thank you for the encouraging words and for being a Betty-fan! I have a yen these days for a Betty and have one lined up to read and review in the next few weeks. I’m intrigued by Bromige and haven’t read her, but would on your rec. Sadly, unlike Betty, she isn’t available on KIndle, so I’ll have to see what I can find used…wish more of these vintage romances were reproduced in omnibus form. I’m a paper-lover, but I’ll settle for digital if available. Hope all your February reads are wonderful!
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Oh, yes, the banter! I agree that the case gets tedious but their relationship is a total delight.
Have you watched the recent Slow Horses series? The adaptations are excellent, I think.
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Totally total delight! The case just drags a bit for my taste, but I was fascinated by the intro which claimed this is Sayers first big Wimsey book and showed a new commitment to the series.
I haven’t watched it, finishing Rogue Heroes, but it’s on my March break to watch list! One of my colleagues has watched both seasons and she too recs it!
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It’s a real breakthrough in the series. Sayers wrote in really interesting ways about how having created Harriet she found she had to revise Peter entirely so that she could actually accept him – which is how we end up with Gaudy Night.
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A fascinating point, I love Wimsey in the Bellona Club book, but I can see where she had to change him to make them more compatible. He’s a much more manly man in this book. He was kinda broken in Bellona Club and saltimanco-esque in The Five Red Herrings. Strong Poison was more of an ensemble mystery, but I loved that one, for introducing us to Harriet.
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And Wimsey’s deeper character development parallels the struggle that Harriet, as a mystery author, is having in the book, where she realizes some of her characters are cardboard cutouts, and ends up having to do a whole rewrite.
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This is very true, the parallels with Harriet’s book. There must’ve been some writing-soul-searching on Sayers’ part too, I would think.
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I WISH we had some snow. There has been nothing this winter but one little dusting here in Central New Jersey. Dorothy Sayers is wonderful, I wish she had written more Lord Peter mysteries, but we have to treasure the ones we have.
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Our snowy days, frankly, have ebbed and we’re back to rain, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet…yippee…NOT. I totally agree with your comment on Sayers: I’m sad she abandoned the wonders of Wimsey (to what she deemed, I guess, more “serious” stuff), but Wimsey et. al. have turned out to be her true and most-beloved literary legacy.
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Miss Bates. Thank you for your reply.
My mom has several Iris Bromige books that I read and I was hooked. I love paper copies too so I have tracked down my copies from book sellers on the Internet. I don’t know where you live, but I am from the US and have been able to find just about all of her books online. A lot of my books came from England where she was born. My favorite is “The Second Mrs. Rivers” so I highly recommend it but all her books are wonderful. Hope you locate one of her books and enjoy it as much as I have.
Happy reading to another book lover!!!
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I’m glad to hear they’re “findable”. I’m in Canada and so, not that hard to track down used copies, UK or otherwise. I’m slowly but surely also making sure I have paper copies of all the Betty Neels, so far I haven’t had much of a problem finding them.
I’m glad you’ve pointed to a specific title because it’s great to have a starting point. The Second Mrs. Rivers, eh? Shades of Manderley? Woot. So thank you!
Uh, I just found the title for $262.18…on the ‘zon. I shall look “elsewhere”… 😉
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I have not seen that price. I did see it for $125 which I thought was ridiculous. My mom has a first edition copy which we treat like gold. All her books are so good, so anything you find I would recommend.
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I think maybe that price is also in Canadian dollars and we have a quite weak dollar…but there are some reasonable prices for her other titles on AbeBooks, quite “do-able”!
Also, that treat like gold is a good idea!!
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Yes “Abe Books” is pretty doable. I hope you enjoy her books as much as I have.
I have started reading Mary Burchell again. I have not read her books in years but I am really enjoying them this go around. I am really into the vintage books now. Happy reading!
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Oh, I love Burchell and, for a while there, there were digitizing, but haven’t seen that in ages. I do have a lovely old paper Harlequin from a church sale that I’m holding on it for when I’ll need it b/c it’s the only one I have left!
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Your Bromige recommendation also caught my eye, so I went to look at her book list, and the one that attracted me the most, based on the book description was The Second Mrs. Rivers. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s the most expensive to buy used! $125 on Amazon in the U.S. I have a talent for picking the most expensive item when it comes to just about everything.
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Hello! Yes that book is just ridiculous but if you ever decide to buy one of her books, all of them are good. That just happens to be my very favorite. If you enjoy the vintage romances, I would highly recommend her.
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I do like the vintage romances. Have you read anything by Frances Murray? I have read two, The Belchamber Scandal and The Heroine’s Sister, that were wonderful.
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No I have not read anything by Frances Murray but I will look her up. I also like Sara Seale. Have you read her books?
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And Miss Bates has more recs… 🙂
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Frances Murray, thank you! I’m loving this thread!
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Scandal has been digitized, but sadly, the cheapest Heroine’s Sister is $72.80!
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This is ME! I remember years ago selecting drape material and the shop-owner mumbled to my mother, “Of course, she chose the most expensive one…”
Still, I shall snag a Bromige, not what is in Canada $262 (yikes!), but a more reasonable one.
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I just snapped up a free copy of The Heroine’s Sister from paperbackswap.com, which I’d be happy to mail to you, Miss Bates. If you were in the U.S., it could have been shipped to you directly at no charge, but because it’s Canada, I’ll have to forward it once it arrives.
I also checked paperbackswap to see if they had any Iris Bromige books. Sadly there are none available right now.
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Oh, that is so kind, thank you so much! My contact is:
missbatesreadsromance at gmail dot com
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And Brenda, I have not heard of Sara Seale. Another one for me to Google!
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*ditto*… 🙂
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My mom has three Sara Seale books I had never read. Brought them home and fell in love with her writing. My favorite is “Maggie.” She wrote the same time as Iris Bromige. I tracked all her books down online and didn’t have much trouble finding them. I would highly recommend her also.
Today I read “The Broken Wing” by Mary Burchell. Loved it. I love these vintage books. I think they are far better than what is out there now.
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I shall look out for her too, then, on your rec.
I love Burchell…she’s up there with BettyN. I’m so glad you enjoyed her too.
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Yes I think Burchell is up there with Betty Neels but I would put Iris Bromige in that group also.
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Well, all the more reason to have a little ace vintage category romance thread!!
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Hello Karen. Thought I would mention Iris Bromige book “Marchwood” in case you still want to try one of her books. It is in my top five Bromige books. The price might be much better than $125. I think I paid a very reasonable price for it.
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Thanks. Marchwood doesn’t seem to be available now on Amazon or eBay, but I’ll add it to my wishlist in case in turns up.
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I checked Abe Books too…not available, but plenty of titles are, some quite reasonably priced too.
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Have you bought from Thrift Books? If not, you might want to check them out. I have bought lots of vintage books from them and they also have a wish list.
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Oh, no, never heard of them…with many thanks, I will definitely check it out!
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Oh boo! to the crappy weather and horrible birthday. But yay for finding space for some reading ❤
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Thank you, it’s been a good reading and blogging year!
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Happy belated birthday! I had a big one this year too so can comiserate with you. Hope you start getting some better temps up there!!
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Thank you! I’m approaching the “birthday” with equanimity these days and trying to count my blessings: good health, good job, friends, faith community, and good BOOKS! It’s already looking better for us: with sun and warmer temps, but March always has a few “nasty” surprises…at least I’m no longer driving in the dark to and from work.
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