The Secret of Greylands

Do you suppose Haynes introduced the clue-in-the-Parrot?

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Aimeesue 😂😂😂 6d

rubyslippersreads 😂🦜 6d

Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣Totally! 🦜 6d

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CarolynM 🤣 Polly didn‘t wait for the 3rd act. He/she was giving it away from start to finish! 6d

LeahBergen What @CarolynM said! That bird was singing from the “get go”. 🤣🤣 6d

julieclair Love this! 🦜🦜🦜 5d

batsy Now that I'm about halfway through I'm cackling away at this 😂🦜 16h

28 likes7 comments

jlhammar

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, our Cynthia. I suppose she makes up for it with her “tender, adorable ways.”😆 I was definitely feeling impatient and annoyed with our heroine and would have liked more mystery (the reader pretty much knows what‘s up from the get-go), but still fun for what it is—an entertaining, atmospheric tale.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

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julieclair Tender and adorable have to count for something, right? 😆 6d

Tamra Agreed, still fun. It started out so gothic I had hopes the mystery was going to be more substantial. Oh well! 6d

Ruthiella Sharp as a butter knife! 😆 6d

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batsy I'm interested to meet this infamous butter knife of a heroine when I finally get started 😅 All of the reviews about this have piqued my curiosity lol. 6d

quietjenn I did not find her ways tender and adorable 🤣 6d

CarolynM Do you think “tender adorable ways” is manspeak for “nice to look at and too thick to be threatening”? 6d

LeahBergen Oh, our “few sandwiches short of a picnic” Cynthia. 😆😆 6d

jlhammar @CarolynM Oh my gosh, totally! 5d

jlhammar @quietjenn Right? I couldn‘t help but roll my eyes when Sir Donald was saying that to her. What a match they make! 5d

66 likes9 comments

rubyslippersreads

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

Am I the only one who thought the introduction comparing this to Agatha Christie was a bit much? I enjoyed it, but felt like I could see what was coming a mile away. It was much more Gothic romance to me than murder mystery. And Cynthia might be the dopiest Gothic heroine I‘ve ever encountered. 😂

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Jess_Read_This @Kimzey @erzascarletbookgasm @catebutler @LeahBergen @Lizpixie @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @batsy @Tamra @Teresereading @ kwmg40, @jhammar @ Ruthiella @Sparklemn @julieclair @willaful @Mrsk @CarolynM 6d

Tamra 😆 dopey, yes! 6d

rubyslippersreads Oops, @Ruthiella ☺️ 6d

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quietjenn Definitely not just you, with the intro. 6d

Ruthiella Awesome photo and review! 😂😂😂 I did not read the introduction, but I am vicariously annoyed on Christie‘s behalf. (edited) 6d

willaful @Ruthiella 😂 Also, Christie's characters, though very much types, have some *life* to them. These were such cardboard cutouts. 6d

julieclair Spot! 🥹 And I didn‘t read the intro, but Christie?? Ummm…. that would be no. 😆 6d

jlhammar Poor Spot 😢 Yes, agree with all of that! 6d

batsy Haven't read it yet but I guess the intro writer went all in to sell this book to the reader 😁 6d

CarolynM I skipped the introduction, but it sounds like it might be amusing. This one was nothing like any Agatha Christie I‘ve ever read. 6d

LeahBergen They did Spot dirty in this book. He deserved better. 🤣🤣 6d

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen #justiceforSpot 🐶 5d

47 likes1 stack add12 comments

CarolynM

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

OMG Cynthia! Could you be any more of a drip? And your taste in men is terrible. All the “secrets” of this story were so well flagged (I mean, Letchingham? The clue‘s in the name, love) but they just passed you by. Sigh…

But it was good, campy fun and I enjoyed it.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

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Ruthiella Haha 😆 I also thought lecherous Lord Letchingham was intentionally named- just in case the reader didn‘t pick up on the veiled reference to her friend being “ruined” by him”. Cynthia was such a noodle. 1w

quietjenn Drip is the perfect word for her. 🤣 1w

willaful @quietjenn yes, she goes on my “heroine is wet“ shelf. 😂

Lord Letchingham's name might have been my favorite part! Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel! 1w

See All 13 Comments

LeahBergen I immediately laughed at “Lord Lecher”, too 🤣🤣 1w

Centique “The clue‘s in the name love” 😂 I havent read it and yet your review has me cackling out loud! Hope you and the family are all going well 💕 1w

julieclair Cynthia was definitely a drip. With blinders on. 😂 1w

batsy 😆 Haven't read it yet but this review is perfect. 1w

jlhammar 😂 Great review! 1w

sarahbarnes 😂😂😂 1w

Aimeesue Right? Did she never read Dickens? 😂 1w

BookWrym Never heard of this but now I really want to read it 🤣🤣 1w

CarolynM @Centique Hope all is well with you too💕 I‘ll send you an email. 1w

Rissreads All these references have made me snort! 🤣🤣🤣♥️♥️♥️ 3d

68 likes2 stack adds13 comments

quietjenn

Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

Hooray for all the Gothic vibes! Boo for a heroine who is, er, let's be kind and say very, incredibly naive. 🤣 As a book, it's super readable and I mostly enjoyed it. But I also did a lot of eye-rolling and had to tamp down some irritation.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra Yes, 🙄 🙄. Hahaha 1w

LeahBergen “Naive” is a nice way of putting it. 🤣 1w

Ruthiella You are very kind to Cynthia! 😂 But it was fun in its way. 6d

jlhammar Well said! I felt the same. 6d

64 likes4 comments

Ruthiella

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

so-so

Found this picture on a blog showing book covers with women running away from houses. Check it out: https://fantasy-ink.blogspot.com/2010/11/gothic-romance-covers.html .

I‘m sorry (not sorry) to be a curmudgeon-maybe it‘s all the Nancy Drew I‘ve been reading, but I found the mystery to be blindingly obvious and the hero & heroine to be about interesting as a paper bag & both too stupid to find their way out of one. 🙊

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, kwmg40, jlhammar, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

KathyWheeler I love your review! Stupid characters drive me nuts. 1w

willaful I'm with you. 1w

Ruthiella @KathyWheeler Thanks! If the heroine had had any smarts at all, it would have been a very different book. 1w

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Ruthiella @willaful Glad I‘m not alone! 😅 I‘m not mad I read it, but I could have tolerated a wee more actual mystery. 1w

CarolynM 🤣 Too true! 1w

quietjenn 🤣🤣🤣 bahaha. I can't disagree! 1w

Tamra 🤣 great review! I still thought it was fun for those very reasons! The beginning held all the gothic promise of a spooky mystery. Too bad she couldn‘t carry it off. 1w

Suet624 🤣🤣🤣 1w

jlhammar Hilarious review! I‘m not very far in yet. 1w

sarahbarnes 😂😂😂 1w

LeahBergen I agree … and yet I still found it fun! 🤣 1w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen @jlhammar @Tamra @quietjenn @CarolynM I think I would have been more amused if I had known what to expect. Less Du Maurier and more Carolyn Keene. 😆 (edited) 1w

elkeOriginal Fantastic review. 1w

elkeOriginal The link to those covers! Amazing!! 1w

Ruthiella @elkeOriginal Thanks ! 😊 1w

The_Book_Ninja https://x.com/pulplibrarian/status/1789060193508012261?s=46 1w

Ruthiella @The_Book_Ninja Perfect! 🤩 1w

Reggie Lol 3d

63 likes18 comments

julieclair

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

An intriguing Golden Age mystery. Layers of lies and deception. Each time a new clue dropped, I wanted to shake the characters and yell “figure this out!” Tense, atmospheric, and very entertaining! I enjoyed this #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub read.
#Pantone2024
#ISpyBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Tamra Yes - shake shake shake wake up! 😂 1w

Ruthiella I had this one pretty much sussed by the first chapter! 😆 1w

LeahBergen Even the parrot was yelling, “Figure this out!” 😆😆 1w

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willaful @LeahBergen 🤣 1w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen I know, right?!?! Where do you think the parrot learned that phrase Cynthia? 🦜 🤦‍♀️ 1w

Tamra @Ruthiella @LeahBergen 😜 🦜 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1w

julieclair @LeahBergen @Ruthiella I think the parrot may have been the smartest character! 😂🦜 1w

LeahBergen @julieclair Definitely! 😆 1w

33 likes9 comments

Tamra

Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

Just what you would expect from a golden age mystery - pure entertainment. 😊

The end made me laugh. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra It‘s amusing how transparent the plot is and how it‘s all wrapped up with a pretty bow. 😂 1w

LeahBergen So transparent! You just KNEW that scratched wrist was going to come into play. 😆 1w

jlhammar Beautiful blooms 🌺 I just started last night. Enjoying it so far! 1w

See All 10 Comments

julieclair @Tamra @LeahBergen Yes! And the transparency made it all the more fun! 1w

Tamra @julieclair yes! 😜 1w

Tamra @jlhammar desperate for color! Enjoy the novel, total light entertainment. 1w

quietjenn Yeah, I'm only a little over halfway, but some things seem very clear to me that Carolyn is not picking up on 🤣 1w

quietjenn (I mean, I guess I could be wrong, but ...) 1w

Ruthiella @quietjenn You are not wrong! 😂 1w

Tamra @Ruthiella @quietjenn no, but it‘s fun in a simple way! 1w

50 likes10 comments

LeahBergen

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

pick

This book reminded me so much of the ‘70s era, “woman fleeing a house” covered Gothics that I loved as an early teen.

It had it all: a spooky manor on the moors, an eye-wateringly dim heroine, a dishy hero who catches her every faint, and even a parrot squawking out clues to the “mystery”. We as readers can see how this mystery is going to pan out from a mile away but the journey is campy and fun. A great “flu read”! 😆

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @lizpixie @aimeesue @willaful @teresereading @Tamra 2w

Ruthiella OMG Cynthia was beyond dim! 😆 2w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella I was questioning how she could feed and dress herself. 🤣 2w

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Tamra I‘m really enjoying it too - hitting all the entertainment buttons. 😊 2w

Tamra @LeahBergen 🤭 good one Leah. (edited) 2w

catebutler Just starting this today! Lovely review, Leah. x 2w

rubyslippersreads And the heroine is always fleeing in her negligee! 😂 2w

ShelleyBooksie Such a spooky cover! Atmospheric. 2w

jlhammar Fun review! Hoping to start soon. 2w

quietjenn Oo, maybe I'll start this tonight ... 2w

BarbaraBB That photo makes me want to see more of those shelves! 2w

batsy This sounds fun! I'm hoping to finish a teen YA thriller 😆 then get to this next. 2w

Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻 I‘m loving this cover ❤️ 2w

LeahBergen @Tamra It‘s quite entertainingly silly. 😆 2w

LeahBergen @catebutler I hope it‘s a fun read for you, too! 2w

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads It‘s the only way I‘D flee. 😆 2w

LeahBergen @ShelleyBooksie It is! 2w

LeahBergen @jlhammar @quietjenn I hope you both find it fun, too! 2w

LeahBergen @BarbaraBB 😆 Thank you! 2w

LeahBergen @batsy The teen YA thriller will probably be deeper. 😆 2w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! 😘 2w

Aimeesue Great review! Eye wateringly dim is right! 😂 2w

CarolynM Cynthia certainly was dim, but I didn‘t have much regard for Sir Donald‘s brains either. Hope you‘re feeling better💐 2w

kspenmoll Love your review! 2w

LeahBergen @Aimeesue So dim. 🤣 1w

LeahBergen @CarolynM Sir Donald was as thick as Cynthia. 🤣 1w

LeahBergen @kspenmoll Thanks! ❤️ 1w

julieclair Sorry you had the flu, but so glad you had such a fun read to keep you company! But I do hope you were wearing your negligee while you were stuck in bed recuperating. 😂 1w

LeahBergen @julieclair My negligee sweatpants! 😆 1w

89 likes4 stack adds29 comments

Jess_Read_This

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

🕵🏻I can‘t believe it‘s May and time to read this book! I‘m so very much looking forward to reading this with the #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub. I‘m in the mood for a good Golden Age Mystery too. And fingers crossed I‘ll be granted some free time this weekend to crack it open instead of being drafted into the deck painting project we‘ve been putting off!

May my next photo of it be from a freshened deck with a beverage in hand. 📖🍸

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Tamra I started it last night and it‘s intriguing! 2w

Jess_Read_This @Tamra Hooray!! That‘s the kind of book endorsement I like to hear. 2w

Tamra @Jess_Read_This I too am really in the mood for a good mystery. 😄 2w

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LeahBergen I‘m sending you good “finished deck” vibes! 🤣 2w

Ruthiella Yahoo! Hoping for a good read and a finished deck. 👍 2w

julieclair Looking forward to your next photo! 😀 2w

batsy Nice! And may it be anything but "grey" weather ?? 2w

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen We are going to need all those vibes. We aren‘t the handiest people to have doing home improvement projects 🤣 2w

Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella Thank you! Fingers crossed no rain! 2w

Jess_Read_This @julieclair Thank you! I think I‘m committed now since I‘ve made public statements about future photos 😂 2w

Jess_Read_This @batsy 😂 Definitely need the no grey weather vibes this weekend! 2w

julieclair @Jess_Read_This You totally are committed! 😂 2w

37 likes12 comments

LitsyEvents

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

repost for @Ruthiella

Hey party people! May is the month we read the next #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub book. We‘re delving in into our FIRST MYSTERY 👻 from Dean Street Press.

I‘m excited to try something new. As usual, the rules are, there are no rules! Read at your own pace and if you blurb or review on Litsy, tag the group so we can share.

#BuddyRead

original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2729883

Ruthiella Thank you! I always forget . 🙃 2w

35 likes1 comment

Ruthiella

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

Hey party people! May is the month we read the next #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub book. We‘re delving in into our FIRST MYSTERY 👻 from Dean Street Press.

I‘m excited to try something new. As usual, the rules are, there are no rules! Read at your own pace and if you blurb or review on Litsy, tag the group so we can share.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Tamra I‘m looking forward to this one! 3w

Aimeesue Greylands certainly looks grey! 3w

catebutler I have been looking forward to this one!! 3w

See All 10 Comments

quietjenn Excited about this one! 3w

LeahBergen Yay! The cover looks like my local weather today. 😆 3w

batsy Looking forward! Have to admit I'm seeking out a bit of Greylands from the midst of a neverending heatwave 😆 3w

jlhammar Looking forward to it! 2w

Jess_Read_This Thanks for tagging all of us! Can‘t wait to read this with you all! 🌻 2w

CarolynM Thanks Ruth. Looking forward to it. 2w

kwmg40 I'm looking forward to this one! 2w

64 likes10 comments

Jess_Read_This

The Secret of Greylands | Annie Haynes

My picks for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub May 2024 are a DSP published Golden Age Mystery by Annie Haynes and (I think Cate and I had Elizabeth Fair on the brain for 2024!) “Bramton Wick. I‘ll tag that book in the comments. Both are written by authors I‘ve been meaning to read for awhile now. Litsy doesn‘t have blurbs for either- I‘ve linked them below for plot descriptions 😄

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Jess_Read_This Second Choice Tag: no blurb though. Will post link below.

Bramton Wick

(edited) 6mo

LeahBergen Hey everyone! Jessica asked to throw in a DSP golden age mystery by a woman to see if we‘d be interested in that sort of thing. We DO only have a finite amount of Furrowed Middlebrows to choose from going forward! What do you all think? 6mo

Jess_Read_This Greylands plot described if everyone agrees to it: https://www.deanstreetpress.co.uk/pages/book_page/91 6mo

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LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This It‘s such a great cover, too! I‘m still deciding. 😆 6mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen I‘m really trying not to be biased but that plot dramatically has me intrigued 😂 6mo

Jess_Read_This Bramton Plot/Review: https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2021/05/28/bramton-wick-elizabeth-fair-1952/ 6mo

Ruthiella I‘m down for a mystery! Though by my math, it will take us 13 years to read the FMB books left at 6 per year. 😆

The Secret of Greylands

(edited) 6mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella 13 years?? 😆😆 How many have we read together so far? 🤔 6mo

catebutler @Jess_Read_This Great minds!! 🥰 6mo

catebutler And this is so hard, both sound absolutely intriguing! So, on this one, I‘m going to say I‘m happy with whatever the vote is. And if Greylands isn‘t picked I will definitely be adding it to my TBR. 6mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella I guess it seemed like we had fewer to read because I had already read a bunch when we started. 😆 6mo

Jess_Read_This @catebutler I‘m having trouble deciding too. Both are high on my want to read list! 6mo

quietjenn I've read the Fair, so am willing to branch out a bit and vote for Greylands. 6mo

Tamra Ooooooo Greylands is intriguing! 🥺 That‘s my pick. 6mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen As a group, we‘ve read 19, starting with

Nothing to Report

6mo

CarolynM I‘m always interested in golden age mysteries, but in this case I‘m going to vote for

Bramton Wick

6mo

jlhammar I‘m torn! Very tempted by the golden age mystery with gothic vibes, but I‘ll throw my vote in for the domestic comedy

Bramton Wick

6mo

Tamra @jlhammar I‘m just going to download both 😂 6mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella That‘s pretty impressive! 6mo

LeahBergen I can see myself buying Greylands very soon but I‘ll be good and vote for the one I already own!

Bramton Wick

6mo

rubyslippersreads I‘m in favor of branching out to mysteries by women authors, so I‘ll pick Greylands. 6mo

elkeOriginal I already own Bramton so must vote for it. That is your own fault @Jess_Read_This 😉 6mo

julieclair Both sound really good, but for me, a slight edge goes to

The Secret of Greylands

6mo

batsy No objections at all to adding the Golden Age mysteries! And this one sounds so intriguing so my vote goes to it

The Secret of Greylands

6mo

Kimzey I am completely torn. I‘ll vote for Bramton Wick, but also love golden age mysteries. So, would be happy with either choice. 6mo

erzascarletbookgasm

Bramton Wick

6mo

erzascarletbookgasm I love a golden age mystery but voting for the other one just because I own a copy.. 6mo

kwmg40 Could you please add me to the tag list? Thanks! Both sound good, but I'll give my vote to

The Secret of Greylands

6mo

Aimeesue I need more "deliciously malicious humour" in my life, so Brampton Wick it is!

Bramton Wick

6mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen could you double check my math? It looks like Greylands finished out ahead by one? Cate and I skipped voting because we were happy to read either one 😂 (edited) 6mo

LeahBergen No problem! I‘ll do another count before I create our reading schedule post. 👍 6mo

LeahBergen I‘ve counted twice and have it as a 7-7 tie. 😆 You can vote yourself to break the tie or else I‘ll do a coin toss. Which do you prefer? 6mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen 🤣Glad you double counted! Coin toss please! Let‘s have fate decide! 6mo

LeahBergen Tails it is and Greylands wins! Just so you know how my day is going … I had to do the coin toss twice, too, as I fumbled and dropped it the first time. 😆😆 6mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen lol!! Our days must have been similar since I couldn‘t even do basic math correctly 😂 6mo

LeahBergen Just a usual sort of day in my world! 😆 6mo

julieclair Greylands turned out to be a wonderful pick! 👍 1w

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