Friday 25 May 2012

A is for Alibi

This is my 'A' post for Crime Fiction Alphabet 2012.

Alibi is defined a claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place: she has an alibi for the whole of yesterday evening . Oxford English Dictionary

If you have an alibi it is bad because

"...because only a man with a criminal enterprise desires to establish an alibi." as Sherlock Holmes points out to Watson.

If you don't have an alibi, and were at home alone it is worse because

Home Alone was a movie, not an alibi.
~ Jerry Orbach

It is important as G K Chesterton points out in The Ghost of Gideon Wise

the theory by which it is maintained, in defiance of the mythological Irish bird, that it is impossible for anybody to be in two places at once.

Criminals go to great extents to establish Alibi in fiction. They use actors to act as double while they commit the murder. They use an accomplice. Or invent or use devices that would kill while they are out establishing their alibi. Add just one poisonous pill to a bottle full of daily medicines. Friends and loved ones are always helpful, if you need one, they provide you one with.

But
"The nature of alibis has not changed much in two centuries." The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey

The most common Alibi is watching a movie in a Cinema and show the ticket stub as a proof. Wonder how many people do take back tickets home to keep it, just in case one needs an Alibi. The other most common alibi that people don't readily admit to but always bring it up at the last moment - being unfaithful to their spouse.

A is for Alibi is also the first book in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. As far as I remember this book got nothing to do with Alibi. But a decent mystery. All her other books are great.

Finally from my love-hate poet T. S. Eliot's Macavity: The Mystery Cat

He always had an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place -
Macavity wasn't there!

Monday 21 May 2012

Victorian Celebration 2012

I am signing up for the Victorian Celebration 2012. I have some Victorian books in my TBR list. This would be a good chance to catch up with them. I am planning to read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, and Life of Charlotte Bronte by Gaskell. I haven't read anything by my favourite author Charles Dickens in a while, I would like to read either Bleak House or Hard Times. And of course I would read some Victorian Crime Fiction.

Crime Fiction Alphabet 2012

I saw Bev @ My Reader's Block participating in Crime Fiction Alphabet 2012. I am joining too. I mostly read crime fiction and I haven't reviewed many of the books I read this year. So this will be an opportunity for me write at least one review per week without further postponing it. Not all my posts will be reviews.

Here are the rules
By Friday of each week participants try to write a blog post about crime fiction related to the letter of the week.

Your post MUST be related to either the first letter of a book's title, the first letter of an author's first name, or the first letter of the author's surname, or even maybe a crime fiction "topic". But above all, it has to be crime fiction.
So you see you have lots of choice.
You could write a review, or a bio of an author, so long as it fits the rules somehow.
(It is ok too to skip a week.)
You probably won't have to do a lot of extra reading in order to participate, but I warn you that your TBR may grow as a result of the suggestions other participants make.

Friday 11 May 2012

Friday Memes

This week I am posting from Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

Friday Book Beginnings is a weekly meme where we share the opening line of our current read. Book Beginnings is hosted by the Rose City Reader.

All this happened, more or less.


Friday 56 hosted @ Freda's Voice is a weekly Meme where we share an interesting snippet from page 56 of our current book.

When he regained consciousness, he wasn't on the flying saucer.

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursday is a fun weekly Meme hosted at Reading Between the Pages.

This weeks theme is Drinks, tea, wine, beer, water (anything liquid)

I am posting from Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

She fixed herself a Coca-Cola, made a lot of noise banging the ice-cube tray in the stainless steel sink.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

A to Z Blogging Challenge-Reflections

I jumped abroad the A to Z train in the last moment before it set off. I was not entirely sure if I should have missed the train this year and give it a go next time. Once I jumped in, there was no going back.

My A to Z posts was about my favourite books, favourite authors and book related stuff. I always meant to write about my favourite authors and books but this challenge nudged me to do it. I got some followers and I followed some blogs and commented on a few. Most of my posts were last minute midnight posts posted before nodding off to sleep. I am glad I joined. Some of the alphabets were difficult but I managed. I do think I could have done more justice to these posts if I was well prepared. Maybe next year! Maybe I will jump in at the last moment like this one. It was a jolly good ride.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Borrowed Book Challenge Complete

I signed up for the Bookie level of Borrowed Book Challenge 2012 to read 5-10 books borrowed from my local library from February 1 to April 30. I did little better than that, I read 11 books borrowed from my local library, haven't reviewed them all. Here they are in alphabetic order.
1. The Black Tower by P D James
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
4. Death Comes to Pemberely by P. D. James
5. DeKok and Murder on Blood Mountain by A.C. Baantjer
6. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
7. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie (March mini challenge Green)
8. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
9. The Retribution by Val McDermid
10. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (February mini Challenge Romance)
11. Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar

Thursday 3 May 2012

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursday is a fun weekly Meme hosted at Reading Between the Pages.

This weeks theme is Agree, nod, accept

I am posting from Gladys Mitchell's Tom Brown's Body

Mrs Bradley, who had not before encountered these tactful adjectives, nodded solemnly.