Fell Murder | Litsy

#Ihavequestions

1. Fell Murder by E. C. R. Lorac was among many excellent mysteries read this year for the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub ,because it introduced me to a new author.
2. I‘m going to switch out one of my #cloakanddaggerchristmas books for Truly Devious by M. Johnson b/c I‘ve heard great things and it came up in my library holds.
3. I really love it when we learn about all the suspects‘ dirty laundry. P. D. James was especially good at this.

Ruthiella Thank you @RaeLovesToRead for tagging me. 😊 12mo

RaeLovesToRead Ooh, I will have to check out these!!! 😁 12mo

batsy Fell Murder was good! 12mo

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Ruthiella @batsy It was! And Hoopla appears to have all of Lorac‘s catalog as ebooks, which makes it so much easier for me to read more. 👍 12mo

CaramelLunacy I really liked Truly Devious! 12mo

Ruthiella @CaramelLunacy Excellent! I really looking forward to it. 😃 12mo

40 likes6 comments

rabbitprincess

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

so-so

I might have started this in a bad mood, because I ended up losing patience with it. It took a long time to get to the murder, and by the time it happened I didn‘t particularly care who murdered him because his death was nothing but positive. The detective protagonist, Macdonald, is fine, and the view of homefront WW2 in England is good, but this wasn‘t my favourite Lorac novel.
July 2023 #GoldenAgeCrimeClub selection

Aims42 I‘ve run into moods ruining a perfectly good book before too, it‘s a bummer 🫠 I had to laugh at your remark about not caring who murdered the character because it was a positive thing 🤭😆 1y

rabbitprincess @Aims42 Especially because there was a war on; I felt they had better things to worry about! 1y

Aims42 @rabbitprincess for sure!! 1y

18 likes3 comments

Larkken

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

It‘s sooo hot! We‘ll see how far I get through this list… a number (including tagged) are carry-overs from previous months 👀 #bookspin #doublespin

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!!! 1y

16 likes1 comment

kwmg40

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

I really enjoyed the setting and characters of this Golden Age mystery set in Lancashire county in England. I'm definitely planning to read more of Lorac's Robert Macdonald mysteries!

#GoldenAgeCrimeClub @Mitch
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#20in4 @Andrew65
#192025 #1944 @Librarybelle

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y

Librarybelle Hooray!! 1y

Ruthiella I really liked this too! And there are a handful of them in ebook available on Hoopla. 1y

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batsy Me too! It was a good introduction to Lorac. 1y

Andrew65 Looks good. Well done 👏👏👏 1y

kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle @Andrew65 Thanks for stopping by! 1y

kwmg40 @Ruthiella @batsy I hadn't realized that Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett) was so prolific. I'm glad to know that there is so much more of her work to read! 1y

37 likes7 comments

batsy

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

This is my first ECR Lorac mystery & it won't be my last! It's set towards the end of WW2 in a Lancashire farming community, & I delighted in all of the lovely details of the countryside as well as the farm routines. This is like if Succession was a murder mystery set in 1940s rural England. There is an irascible patriarch, and an assortment of troubled children. Clever, well-written & with sound pace & structure; I enjoyed it. #GoldenAgeCrimeClub

charl08 Sounds good! 1y

jlhammar Succession - great comparison! 😂 1y

batsy @charl08 It is! 👍🏾 1y

batsy @jlhammar 😁 1y

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Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

Anything we‘ve missed, not mentioned…???
Would you read another by Lorac?
#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG I liked reading about the dynamics of the family members. While they were all from the same family, they were all quite different people. I found this part very interesting. 1y

batsy @AmyG I agree! I would have liked a bit more of that, though I also think the book was paced just right and not too long. 1y

batsy Yes! I'd love to read more Lorac. There's a thoughtful aspect to her style that I appreciate. 1y

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Ruthiella I definitely liked Macdonald‘s style and would enjoy reading another book to see how he is in a different setting. Thanks so much for the great questions! 1y

kspenmoll Definitely would read more of her work! 1y

kwmg40 I definitely want to read more by Lorac. Thank you @Mitch, for introducing me to another excellent mystery author through the #goldenagecrimeclub! 1y

Mitch I‘m definitely up for another ( I love she uses her pet name - Carol backwards for her pseudonym! ) 1y

Mitch @batsy that‘s exactly what it is! Well said! 1y

Mitch This one is set in roughly the same place and has the same police officer!

Crook O Lune: A Lancashire Mystery

quietjenn I like Lorac a lot - I think this was my fourth or fifth - and plan to make my way through some of the others that are available with Macdonald. 1y

jlhammar I'd for sure read more Lorac. Glad to be introduced to her work - great pick! 1y

35 likes11 comments

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

And the mystery! Perhaps not the strongest element of this book! What did you think?
#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG While I was not sory to see the father “go”…I did at first thinkit was Richard. But then, nobody really liked him. 1y

lauraisntwilder I suspected all of them. 😂 I liked how it ended, but I didn't particularly feel invested in how that part turned out, which is odd for a mystery. 1y

batsy It wasn't a particularly thrilling mystery, but I thought it was solid and didn't insult the reader's intelligence and sometimes that's enough 🙂 And like @AmyG said I was not sad to see the father go as well, lol, and a part of me was just curious about how they'd carry on without that imposing authority figure in their lives. 1y

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Ruthiella It definitely was a more slow paced whodunnit than I expected. I thought she did a good job at keeping everyone looking not guilty so I was nicely surprised. 1y

kspenmoll I really enjoyed the books pace, atmosphere, & the fact that I just could not pinpoint”whodunit” at all! I would like to read another book by this author. 1y

kwmg40 The mystery was a little more slow-paced than some, but it kept me guessing and had a satisfying conclusion. 1y

Mitch @lauraisntwilder I agree. Oddly for a mystery that element for me was slow, and took a back burner. But I still loved the book! 1y

quietjenn I agree that it was solid, if not exactly thrilling and fast-paced. I was not expecting the second corpse that turned up! 1y

jlhammar Not overly clever or surprising perhaps, but I enjoyed considering all of the suspects and thought it worked well/felt satisfying. 1y

lauraisntwilder @Mitch I thought it was great, but I was content to just see what happened without feeling like I was in suspense. 1y

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Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

I really liked Marion - her work ethic, morality and of course her dress sense! Any strong feelings, either way, for any of the characters ?

#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG Arion was my favorite. She had a good work ethic, was a smart and rational woman. The farm ran well because of her and the other woman hire. I didn‘t like any of the Garth men. (edited) 1y

batsy Yes, Marion stood out from the start! And I grew to like Elizabeth too. I could Lorac took pleasure in portraying these women. But yes, the Garth men on the whole don't come off too well (mostly)! 1y

Ruthiella Definitely team Marion! 😅 As one of the characters stated, she‘s a better man than any of her brothers! I also really liked Elizabeth and Staple. 1y

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kspenmoll Team Marion! 1y

kwmg40 My favourite characters were Marion and Macdonald. 1y

Mitch The Garth men did not fair well! 🤣 1y

quietjenn Marion for the win! But I did really like Staple as well. 1y

jlhammar Yes, Marion! Great character. I agree with others - also enjoyed Macdonald, Staple and Elizabeth. 1y

Cuilin Definitely team Marion. I felt bad for Malcom, the bee keeping, would be poet. 1y

30 likes9 comments

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

War loomed in the background again in this novel. What do you think this added to the story / plot?
#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG You got a feel for the time period. 1y

lauraisntwilder Farming was a protected profession, so maybe Malcolm wouldn't have gone to fight even if he'd been in good health, but it emphasized his situation. 1y

batsy It didn't quite affect it, I felt. Or in my reading of it. In a sense it felt like they sequestered in a little slice of pastoral bliss, of a sort! 1y

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Ruthiella War was important in placing the characters where they were - particularly Charles and it emphasized the lack of young men. I‘ve read other books which had land girls like Elizabeth. It was in the background but still an important aspect in shaping the story. 1y

kspenmoll It did provide an important backdrop to the story. Elizabeth wanted to continue to work & contribute, Charles a sad reminder of war vet. It just placed the story within a historical context of the time & for me, made their lives more real. 1y

kwmg40 The war did explain how certain characters ended up in their current circumstances, so it seemed important to the story to me. 1y

Mitch I liked how the war was seen through the impact of individual lives. It felt very lived and personal. 1y

quietjenn It s handy for placing a few of the characters in place, but it didn't feel as super significant and central as it does in many of the books I read. 1y

jlhammar I really liked getting a look at wartime from this side of things (country/farm). 1y

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Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

I found the contrasting police officers - their priorities and approaches- interesting. What did you make of them?
#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG I found the small town police not very likeable while Macdonald quite likeable. One would have thought it would be the other way around. Macdonald was just a nice guy. 1y

lauraisntwilder Poor, impatient Layng. I grew up in a small town and I could just imagine everyone withholding information from someone like him because he didn't ask the question the right way. Macdonald takes his time and gets so much further. I enjoyed the moments when someone, like Staple, admitted to not telling the whole truth to Layng. 1y

batsy This was interesting! Layng was just never going to make any inroads with that manner, was he 😅 Macdonald comes off as likeable and kind. His experience also came through in his manner; I liked that in this case with his character it was more showing than telling. 1y

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Ruthiella Poor Layng! He didn‘t really do anything wrong, he just is not culturally adept enough in this case. I thought it was great how the author gave the reader what was going on in their heads so we could understand why Layng‘s approach didn‘t work and why. 1y

kspenmoll Yes, Laying just could not anyone to open up with his impatience & inability to empathize with the people.Macdonald was reminded of where he grew up & so could approach the people with patience, respect , & kindness. It was ok if he took a few visits to get his questions answered 1y

kwmg40 This contrast seemed to me typical of many mysteries of the era, where a bumbling investigator is set against the “real“ detective, in order to make the latter look more intelligent and perceptive. Macdonald did seem very likeable compared to Layng. 1y

quietjenn I really appreciated the working relationship between them. Layng didn't resent Macdonald, and Macdonald acknowledged that he gave a good report and seemed competent - just wasn't a good fit in the community. I also thought it was interesting to hear the list of issues rural police had to deal with and the idea that if you're cashing in the Yard, do it right away. 1y

Mitch agree! MacDonald was patient, smart, empathetic and a good listener. I suppose I was expecting the country officer to have those relationships and the city police to come in with a bulldozer! 1y

jlhammar Fabulous pic! Giving us Layng first was a smart way to let us appreciate MacDonald's much more effective style. That “to understand this problem it's necessary to understand the nature of those concerned.“ A very likable detective. 1y

28 likes9 comments

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

The setting of Lunesdale really did feel like one of the main characters of this novel. How well do you think the author draw this place / time / atmosphere for you?
#goldenagecrimeclub

AmyG This was my favorite part. I had such. Clear vision in my head…ha, probably nothing like what the author wrote about but it worked for me. 1y

lauraisntwilder It worked so well. Making everything so easy to picture also made the characters' devotion to the land that much more relatable. 1y

batsy It worked so well and I agree with @lauraisntwilder it made the characters, especially Marion and Elizabeth, more realistic because it shows what draws them to that life despite the hard toil and discomfort. 1y

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Ruthiella 100% agree with the above! The description of the landscape and farming were so good. I didn‘t google once! 1y

kspenmoll She did a fabulous job- @lauraisntwilder point regarding the atmosphere created by the landscape did make us/me understand their fierce loyalty to the land & the farm. 1y

kwmg40 The setting was what I liked best about the book. It was really well drawn. 1y

quietjenn She did an excellent job and, as others have mentioned, I think that in turn contributed to my understanding of the characters. 1y

Mitch I absolutely agree with you all! The landscape and the peoples relation to the land was so strong. Loved it! 1y

jlhammar Loved how she wrote about the landscape and how she depicted this farming community and their deep ties to the land. And all of the very hard work they do! 1y

Cuilin I loved the description of the place so much I want to visit and walk in the heather. 1y

26 likes10 comments

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

Yeah - it‘s time for this months #goldenagecrimeclub bookchat. Everyone‘s welcome to join us - jump in whenever you‘d like.
Let‘s start, as always, with initial impressions, relationship with the author, general likes and dislikes!

AmyG I loved the atmosphere of the book….the fell, townspeople, the house. 1y

lauraisntwilder The countryside sounded so lovely. I want to nap in the heather, too! 1y

batsy I thoroughly enjoyed it in all aspects. Even the mystery was solid & satisfying. But yes, her love for rural Lancashire came through strongly & I appreciated the loving but non-romanticised view of farming life, too. 1y

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Ruthiella Initially I wondered when the murder would happen? 😂 And then when would the REAL detective show up since Layng was clearly not it. But then I settled in an really enjoyed it. Macdonald was ultimately great. 1y

kspenmoll I too enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the landscape- felt like I was there! I really enjoyed the whole book- kept me guessing with so many contenders for the murderer! 1y

kwmg40 I enjoyed this book very much. I especially liked the setting and the character of Macdonald. 1y

quietjenn I liked it! Great characters and depiction of landscape and really solid, skilled plotting. 1y

Mitch Yeah ! It sounds like we‘ve got a winner with this one! I loved the setting. It‘s harvest time here ( I like surrounded by fields) so it was doubly brill to read this as the crops were being brought in. 1y

Mitch @lauraisntwilder im with you on that! A nap in the Heather sounds fab! 🤣 1y

Mitch @AmyG we‘re off to the Lake District in October and can‘t wait to walk the Fells! 1y

AmyG Ooooooo @Mitch ….post pictures! 1y

jlhammar My first Lorac and it was just really enjoyable. I'm ready to move to a farm in the fells! 1y

26 likes12 comments

jlhammar

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

I quite liked this gentle murder mystery. Lovely setting. I was fond of this farming community and of Chief Inspector Macdonald‘s investigative style. Looking forward to our discussion!

#GoldenAgeCrimeClub

Mitch

Tamra I really enjoyed the setting of this one. 1y

batsy Yes! I'm about 3/4 in and I love how she builds atmosphere and sets the scene. 1y

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shortsarahrose

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

Continued #treatyoselfday with a trip to Target for some and (not pictured) frozen meals. Came home to find two packages - my most recent bookshop.org #bookhaul and some nice photo prints of my cat April to fill the frames I got several months ago 😆

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Nice!! 1y

RaeLovesToRead Awww April! 🥰 1y

44 likes2 comments

lauraisntwilder

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

I enjoyed this one. I loved the descriptions of the countryside. I want to take a nap on a hillside in the heather! How do I sign up for that? SO many suspects and I honestly didn't know who did it. I was suspicious of all of them by the end. #goldenagecrimeclub

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quietjenn

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

Like other Lorac's I've read, I thought this was a solid, well-plotted mystery, with good characters and a strong sense of place. Macdonald is appealing, down to Earth detective and I'm glad that so many of his adventures are being republished.

Ruthiella I‘m excited to get to this one. I‘ve started a “tradition” of reading hurriedly the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub picks the Friday/Saturday before the discussion. 😂 1y

julieclair Need to get started! 😬 Really looking forward to it. 1y

AmyG I enjoyed this one, too. 1y

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batsy @Ruthiella Same 😂 1y

batsy I'm looking forward to it. It'll be my first Lorac; I've heard only good things about her 🙂 1y

quietjenn @Ruthiella @batsy that was my m.o. for the first few, but then I didn't get around to the last one and I am traveling this afternoon/weekend and it's a library book, so wanted to finish before I left 😃 1y

quietjenn @batsy I think this is my fourth or fifth and I've really enjoyed them all! 1y

quietjenn @julieclair hope you enjoy! I thought it read pretty quickly, so you should be good 👍 1y

Cuilin I just finished an hour ago. Love the setting. 1y

Suet624 I would buy that book for the cover alone. 1y

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Cuilin

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

I‘m not moving except for snack and bathroom breaks till I finish this book. After days of travel and family reunion stuff and very little reading I finally have a day to myself. Vacation 🍹⛱️📚

LiteraryinPA Looks delightful! 1y

Ruthiella Enjoy! 😃 1y

dabbe 🖤💙🩵 1y

Suet624 Lovely. 1y

63 likes4 comments

Tamra

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

pick

Not overwhelmingly amazing, but the mystery held my attention enough to get through it, which says something. 😊 Loved the strong female characters and rural setting.

Post rainstorm pic in rural NE - a rarity in all the years we‘ve been visiting. Never been this green in July/August!

dabbe Gorgeous. 🤩🤩🤩 1y

Ruthiella Beautiful landscape! 😃 1y

Cathythoughts I love the rural settings too ❤️ 1y

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batsy Looks gorgeous 😍 1y

jlhammar Wow, beautiful photo! I need to get started on this one soon. 1y

DivineDiana Looks so peaceful! ❤️ 1y

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kspenmoll

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

Book cover, painting match. My sister‘s home in Rindge NH.
Cannot wait for our #goldenagecrimeclub discussion. So many possible murderers to choose from! Wonderful detective, Chief Inspector Macdonald, a sense of place that welcomes you in.

Mitch

AmyG I just finished and yes to all of that! 1y

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Tamra

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

Been getting zero meaningful reading done visiting family. Have bailed on several books on my Kindle, but I think this mystery may be able to hold my attention.

Playing tourist today at Devils Tower. If I could send the scent of the sunlit pine trees into the sphere of Litsy, I would share!

bookishdawg Just mentioning the summery pine scent worked! 😊 1y

Cathythoughts The scent 💚 1y

65 likes2 comments

kspenmoll

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

That first sip…#cofffeeandbooks
Rindge NH, early morning quiet.

Soubhiville Mmmmm, my favorite part of the day! 1y

Birdsong28 Looks so cosy ☺️ 📚📖 1y

AmyG Agreed….first sip of the day….heaven. 1y

60 likes3 comments

kspenmoll

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

#coverlove a
I‘m enjoying this book. In his Introduction Martin Edwards says of the author‘s writing: “Her description of the countryside is lyrical.” The book is worth reading just for that- but her characterization of the farmers & local people is just what you might imagine given the time (WWII) & place ( Valley of the River Lune)the author has created two strong,competent, & compelling female characters which is refreshing. #goldenagecrimeclub

Mitch

bnp This sounds like an author I would like. Onto the stack it goes! 1y

Mitch I‘m just starting today! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 1y

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LitsyEvents

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

from @Mitch
And next up - something a little more under the radar. Discussions with all you lovely folks on July 30th. Everyone welcome to chip in at any time.
#goldenagecrimeclub

39 likes

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

And next up - something a little more under the radar. Discussions with all you lovely folks on July 30th. Everyone welcome to chip in at any time.
#goldenagecrimeclub

jlhammar Looking forward to it! 1y

Mitch @LitsyEvents 1y

rabbitprincess Yay! Managed to get a copy of this so will be joining you 😊 1y

Mitch @rabbitprincess 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 1y

56 likes4 comments

LitsyEvents

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

repost for @Mitch And here it is ( drum roll!!) our second half of the year reading for the #goldenagecrimeclub.
Each month we read and then chat about the chosen book on the last Sunday of the month. Everyone welcome to chip in - the more the merrier! Please share around so everyone gets a chance to see this! 👍🏼

33 likes

Mitch

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

And here it is ( drum roll!!) our second half of the year reading for the #goldenagecrimeclub.
Each month we read and then chat about the chosen book on the last Sunday of the month. Everyone welcome to chip in - the more the merrier! Please share around so everyone gets a chance to see this! 👍🏼

LitsyEvents

Mitch So over the next 6 months we‘ve got country houses, costume parties, rural mysteries, train timetables galore, an American mystery and of course something suitably festive 1y

Cuilin These look great! 1y

kwmg40 Great choices! Looking forward to reading these (rereading in a couple of cases). 1y

See All 11 Comments

rabbitprincess I‘m in for 4:50 from Paddington—this will be a re-read for me! Lots of good choices. 1y

AmyG Awesome! And I even own An English Murder. Thanks @Mitch. I look forward to these. 1y

jlhammar Oooh, very exciting!! Haven‘t read any of these yet. I‘ll be reading the Christie a bit early since it falls as number 7 (late July/early Aug) in my year of Marple. I‘ll just circle back to it for our Nov discussion. Thanks! 1y

TheAromaofBooks Some really fun picks here!! I'm excited to explore!! 1y

Librarybelle Hooray!! Looking forward to the selections! 1y

kspenmoll I agree with everyone! Great choices- I have not read any of them! 1y

Larkken Yay! Looks great! 1y

batsy Great picks. I've read the Christie and the Hare and enjoyed both! 1y

54 likes11 comments

shanaqui

Fell Murder | E.C.R. Lorac

This should be good! E.C.R. Lorac's books are always solid, if still fairly within the mould for Golden Age crime fiction. In this one the opening is interesting: I think the old man ends up the victim, but he's not described as horribly as most crotchety old men are -- he also has a sense of honour and responsibility.

Lots of pleasing closeness to the land (through farming), too.

17 likes

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