Sunday, August 9, 2009

Mystery Read-A-Thon: Update Five

Four seems to be the number of stories that I can get through in one sitting! I've read fifteen short stories now and there's certainly a mix of the good and the so-so.

The Witching Hour by Martin Edwards - addresses a witchcraft trial in Liverpool. This story was an alright mystery but was good as a period piece.

The Dutchman and the Wrongful Heir by Maan Meyers - this was well-written but had a strange twist that seemed unbelievable. It was another interesting period study as well, at the time of the change from New Amsterdam to New-York. Annette Meyers, one of the writing team, has begun a series set in Greenwich Village in the twenties. It might be a fun series.

If Serpents Envious by Clayton Emery - this is a look into slavery in New England with a killed slave trader and owner. It was somewhat schizophrenic and the main character was strange.

The Uninvited Guest by Edward D. Hoch - a Revolutionary War era story that takes place partially at Benedict Arnold's wedding. George Washington is a character in the story. I liked the writing an the mystery in this one. Hoch was a prolific writer with over 900 short stories in his long career. I would love to delve more into his work, especially his Sir Gideon Parrot novels which gently satirize detectives like Poirot.

Time Spent Reading: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Read-A-Thon Time: 6 hours 30 minutes


This is the end of my reading for the night. My eyes are starting to hurt a bit! I think I must normally only read for about two or three hours at the most per day unless I'm finishing a book. I really don't know how readers get through the big Read-A-Thon.

Learning about myself as a reader,
K

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