Welcome to Litsy!

This really got too ingenious for its own good at times; it overstayed its welcome after about 60%. I can appreciate what Berkeley was doing with the structure of the mystery, expectations, etc, etc, but it got annoying.

Plus, y'know, Berkeley's misogyny isn't a super fun time.

This is starting to drive me batty. Roger Sheringham isn't a favourite detective of mine anyway, and watching him get everyone in trouble with fake alibis... argh!

Interesting! Berkeley often liked playing around with the structure of crime stories, and in this one he shows us the murder being committed with names and all... and the introduction (by Martin Edwards) implies that the detective actually ends up being wrong. Very curious how this plays out.

(It is showing signs of Berkeley's issues about women, though.)

The writing style is muddy, the plot drags, and I‘m getting tired of the dual timeline bit. However, the historical details about San Francisco were great and kept me going. I also enjoyed getting to know Al Sullivan, and hope that in subsequent books, he‘ll embrace his birth identity.

Two murders in the Claremont Hotel spanning two decades. Is Madam Chiang Kai-Shek involved, or is the ghost of Iris Stafford seeking vengeance?

A group of friends decide to gather together to give each other a living funeral, to show their love and appreciation for each other whilst they are still around to hear it.Their friendships span three decades, this book shows us a remarkable portrayal of enduring bonds. I also loved the 90's nostalgia throughout the book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm not always a fan of Anthony Berkeley, but this one was fun -- it was explicitly written for the audience to figure out, and the British Library reissue includes Berkeley's reports on the results of the contest. I wouldn't have won either, there was definitely a clue I didn't fully appreciate.

Litsyland and the #birthdayfairies are happy to be celebrating with two of our own today…HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage and @MommyOfTwo !! 🥳🥳🥳

Wishing you both a day filled with sunshine, laughter and #birthdaylove and a year ahead blessed with good health and fun surprises. 💙💚

Erika and Amy…it‘s PARTY TIME!

💃🕺🏻💃🕺🏻💃🕺🏻💃🕺🏻💃🕺🏻💃🕺🏻

I love reading these classic crime stories and this was a solid one. I listed to the audiobook and it was a well do “who done it“

https://youtu.be/gYra7dQaAcY?si=qIyYxxg-hYrDolrY


Introduction

A special book giveaway

Mystery guest

Week in Review

The Thorn Puller by Hiromi Itō, Jeffrey Angles (Translator)

Odd Girl Out by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran

The Pornographer by John McGahern

Hangman by Maya Binyam

A Wreath for the Enemy by Pamela Frankau