The Black Box by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is working in the Open Unsolved Unit trying to solve the case of a Danish Journalist shot dead during the L.A riots in 1992. Finding evidence or eyewitness for riot cases are hard enough, but as years pass by wouldn't it be impossible to solve. Bosch is not one to take no for an answer. With advancement in technology on his side, Bosch finds a lead, matching the bullet casings to another case. With this little bit of evidence, Harry works doggedly despite pressure from his bosses to stop the case or pursue it after sometime. Harry's bosses do not want him to solve the murder of the only White dead woman in the riots when hundreds of Blacks were killed during the riots. But our Hieronymus Bosch is not one to be stopped by politics. He is passionate about cases he is working, and he wants justice done.

This is a police procedural, where Bosch works persistently and thoroughly looking into various angles, looking for any leads that would help him solve the case. He looks into small leads, that at the outset look unimportant, like a call made at the tenth anniversary of the riots to find out if the case is still open. With almost practically nothing in the beginning to hunting the perps in the dramatic end, it is interesting.

In the home front, Bosch teenager daughter wants to become a detective and Bosch takes her to play a Simulation game for police detectives testing their decision making skills. The simulation game sounds really really interesting, wish I could play it too. Every case has a Black box, if you find it the case is solved. But you need somebody like Bosch who works doggedly to find the Black Box.

White Face by Edgar Wallace

A man with a white mask dubbed 'White Face' is causing havoc in London West End by relieving rich women of thousands of pounds worth jewellery. Nobody knows who White Face is. It looks like the work of a lone operator. Who is the White Face? This story is not a robbery case but a murder case. Dr.Marford of Tidal Basin witnesses a scuffle between two men on the pavement outside his clinic. One man falls down and the other confused runs away. After a while the fallen man rises and has a brief conversation with a passing policeman. The Policeman walks away and the fallen man falls again. An opportunistic small time thief makes an attempt to steal from the fallen man, the policeman notices it and catches him. They find that the fallen man is stabbed. Who stabbed him and how? Is it the devil of the Tidal Basin? Is it the White Face? How could whoever stabbed the man do it without being noticed by the people in the crime scene?

Initially I thought that crime reporter Michael Quigley is going to play a major role in investigating this case. But it is not so. While other policeman play a role, it is Chief Inspector Detective Mason who solves the case. Some of the interactions are funny. For example, when the thief caught at the crime scene quotes poetry while interrogation and detective asks him where he learnt it. He points out

“When I'm in stir I only read poetry," he explained. "The book lasts longer because you can't understand it.”

When the reporter Quigley questions Mason about the case, he responds

“You shall have the story when it's properly cooked—at present the oven is just heating up.”

In this work of fiction, Sergeant Elk explains the difference between real police work and a work of fiction.

“It was all about who-did-it. First of all they introduced you to about twenty characters, told you where they were born and who their fathers were, and what money they wanted and who they were in love with—you couldn't help knowing that the fellow who did the murder was the red-nosed waiter. But that's not police work, Dr. Marford. We're not introduced to the characters in the story; we don't know one. All we've got in a murder case is the dead man. What he is, who his relations are, where he came from, what was his private business—we've got to work all that out. We make inquiries here, there and everywhere, digging into slums, asking questions of people who've got something to hide.”

If you ever wondered what a Jury is, Elk explains
“The jury," said Mr. Elk oracularly, "is a body or institution which gives everybody the benefit of the doubt except the police.”

When Bray complains that his subordinate Elk is taking over the investigation sidelining him, Mason tells him

“As a matter of fact, you oughtn't to complain. These darned regulations about questioning prisoners are so framed that it's good to have some other officer responsible for breaking them—you can always pass the kick on to him. Shoot 'em in, Bray.”

While this book is not as fun as Yellow Snake by Edgar Wallace I read last year, it is a fairly decent mystery. Even though I guessed who White Face is, Wallace plays a nice little trick that very soon I am off track. I couldn't really guess how the man is stabbed with none of the witnesses seeing it.

This work is in public domain in countries where copyright is Life+70 and can be downloaded for free from Feedbooks.

Tom Brown's Body by Gladys Mitchell

As you have guessed from the title, the story takes place in a boys ' school. No, Tom Brown is not dead but Gerald Conway is. Gerald Conway, a master at Spey College, is found murdered. Almost everybody both the pupils and the masters have a motive and nobody has a alibi. Everybody is running about here and there in the middle of the night, both the boys and their masters, so practically anybody could have murdered him. Who murdered him and why? Gerald Conway seems to be having affairs with most of the wives and daughters of Masters in the School.

Mrs Bradely who visits Spey in search of an ancient book of spells by her ancestress, a witch, is also a psychiatrist who investigates the case with the help of a scotland yard detective.

I don't know how Mrs Bradely finds the clue. I don't know if she uses her intuitive powers, or magical powers or psychiatry to find out what she finds. This means I have really nothing to play the detective I love playing in mystery stories.

The first half is more or less madcap, the characters, their attitudes and motivations even Mrs. Bradely itself, so much so I had no clue where the story was headed. The boys in the school put up a murder mystery play as catharsis. The story gets interesting and exciting from the start of the play. I didn't guess the killer or the reason. I loved the end with its logical explanation. Tom Brown's Body is published in 1949 and you get a glimpse into boys school of the era.

Whited Sepulchres by Anne Perry

In Victorian London, Genius Architect Melville approaches Oliver Rathbone to defend him in the court for a breach of promise case. It looks like Melville has courted his mentor's daughter and when the date for the marriage is set, Melville feels that he is misunderstood. He never proposed marriage and he feels that his friendship was misunderstood for love. The girl's father brings on a case of breach of promise to vindicate the honour of his daughter. All this could be avoided. Everybody repeats this over and over. They could have reached some understanding without involving the court. The case drags on and on. In this scenario it is difficult to sympathise with the case. Why is Melville not ready for the marriage?

This book features Victorian private detective Monk. But he appears only after the first hundred pages. The first half is Rathbone's case but after half the book Rathbone more or less disappears. Everybody runs to Hester to find the female perspective. At one end they talk of weak women who need to be protected even from their wounded husband's past, the other end is Hester who had been to Crimean war-the all clever, independent, strong woman. There is also a side case. Hester requests Monk to find the deformed nieces of the housekeeper who were abandoned a long time back.

Perry places her story in the aftermath of 1857 Sepoy mutiny in India. Initially it's irritating as the Sepoy Mutiny is called a barbaric act and pioneers of the movement called cruel. Perry redeems herself by making a turnaround.

There are some surprises. I never figured out the real reason for Melville's refusal to marry. It is interesting how Monk finds out the missing girls. Perry probably is making a statement of the superficiality of Victorian England, where people are obsessed with beauty and success, where women go to any extent to catch a suitable match for their daughters. Where marriage is seen as most suitable objective for women. Perry explores the role of women in Victorian England. While this aspect is interesting, it is difficult to get involved in the mystery at the centre of the book as the writer repeatedly says this case could be avoided.

Yellow Snake by Edgar Wallace

I was looking for a book with Yellow in the title for the color coded challenge. I found a free book in feedbooks.com. This work is available in public domain for countries where copyright is Life+70. Yellow Snake published in 1926 is first Edgar Wallace book I read. If you haven't guessed from the title, this book is about Chinese- Chinese domination of the world. Yep! Racist, but given the times, I suppose Yellow Peril novels were quite common then. If you could overlook this bit you can have some great fun. I read Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer last year and it was a great thriller. Everytime I pass Limehouse in London can't help thinking of Opium dens in Yellow Claw.

Now about this book. Stephen Narth's business is close to bankruptcy. He had speculated with his clients' money. Joe Bray, Narth's second cousin, the wealthiest man in China, dies leaving his fortune to Narth on condition that one of his daughters or cousin marry his assistant Clifford Lynne. Both his daughters Letty and Mabel refuse to the condition and decide to sacrifice Joan, the 'Cinderella', who has nil prospects anyway. Joan reluctantly agrees even before seeing Clifford Lynne. Stephen Narth also borrows from Grahame St Clay.

The Narth sisters are happy that they escaped a horrible fate when they meet the eccentric Clifford Lynne, with a long, straggly beard. Joan takes an immediate liking to Clifford despite his appearances. But when Clifford shaves his beard he turns out to be not only best-looking man in China but also the wealthiest man. Could the girls Mabel and Letty let him go off easily?

Grahame St Clay is really crazy and has plans of world domination. To fulfill his mad mission he needs shares of the company owned by Bray and Lynne. He decides to kidnap Joan to coerce Lynne from parting his shares. So what will happen? Will he kidnap Joan? How will Clifford stop Grahame St Clay from taking control of the world?

With twists and turns Yellow Snake is a fun read with some surprises, kidnapping, murders and mistaken identities. Grahame St Clay, a strange name isn't it? His real name is Fing-Su. Oh! A real Yellow Snake does appear in the first few pages of the novel. I didn't expect the book to be such a delightful read.

Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

Lord Asherton and Dame Caroline's son-in-law, Connor Swann is found dead in River Thames. Lord Asherton and Dame Caroline are renowned opera singers. Presumably upon Asherton's request Duncan Kincaid and Gemma are asked to investigate the case. Was Swann murdered? Was his death accidental? Did he commit suicide?

This is the third book in the Gemma and Kincaid series. I haven't read the first two books. The story starts with the death of young Mathew, son of Lord Asherton and Dame Caroline in the River Thames. The shadow of the event haunts the present case too. Was Mathew murdered? Or was it a accident? Is there a connection between both the cases?

I hear a lot about Deborah Crombie and wanted to pick a book to see if it works for me. I would just say it is a good mystery. There are details about lives of artists, Opera Singers, costume designers and the stage. One of the reasons I couldn't really get involved in the story was because of all the use of the best police, Swann's death could have been accident. I had the same problem with P D James' The Black Tower. I read these books around the same time. Maybe I should stop plunging in middle of a series, then probably I would enjoy more.

Why don't people answer the questions police ask? Okay, these people are celebrities but when the police are asking simple questions like what you were doing at a particular time, doesn't it make sense to establish an alibi rather than beat about a bush or talking something irrelevant? I suppose they are celebrities and they can get away with it.

There are some unexpected twists, and turns. Pool of suspects is really small and you can work out who long before, Kincaid and Gemma work it out. I should try another Deborah Crombie to really decide whether I want to read her books or not.

My post for Crime Fiction Alphabet L.

The Black Tower by P D James

Inspector Adam Dalgliesh is not dying of cancer but after his recent illness he has decided to retire. He had one personal commitment to fulfil. Father Baddeley had written to Dalgliesh that he needed his professional advice and invited him to Toynton Grange, a private home for the disabled. On reaching Toynton Grange, Dalgliesh finds that Father Baddeley is dead. He also finds that one of the inmates had committed suicide. Was Father Baddeley murdered? Are both these deaths related? Did the inmate really commit suicide or was he murdered?

Not knowing if there was really a crime, weakened the case for me. For all we know Father Baddeley may have died a normal death. It was difficult for me get involved maybe because Dalgliesh does not want to get involved with the inmates or the case. There really wasn't one character I could root for. There are other deaths that got me involved. So what really is happening here. As for the mystery, I didn't guess what was happening.

It looks like P D James is an expert in creating isolated communities thus creating a perfect setting for a whodunit. In the Lighthouse it is an isolated island, in the Private Patient it is a gated Private Hospital here it is an isolated home for disabled.

I have noticed before in James novels that both suspects and the victims are despicable. I wonder if James specialises in characters we could not sympathise or love. Usually in whodunits there is somebody you would like and maybe they end up the killer but that's a different story. Here there is nobody to like. I have mixed feelings about this book while the mystery is great, I felt like an outsider and couldn't enjoy it. The Black Tower is published in 1975 is the fifth book featuring Adam Dalgliesh. This is not my favourite James book. I liked Private Patient and Cover her Face better. I am planning to read James' Unsuitable Job for a Woman featuring Cordelia Gray next.

Color Coded Challenge - Wrap up

I completed the Color coded challenge hosted by Bev @ MyReadersBlock
1. "Blue"- Blue Heaven by C J Box
2. "Red" - Roses are Red by James Patterson
3. "Yellow"- Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer
4. "Green" -Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
5. "Brown"- Molly Brown's Freshman Year by Nell Speed
6. "Black"- The Black Eagle Mystery by Geraldine Bonner
7. "White"-The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart
8. Any other color- The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters
9. Color implied- Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer

Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer is a mystery featuring French detective Gaston Max. Henry Leroux, a novelist, is writing into the middle of the night. It is the second time somebody is disturbing by ringing his bell. His wife is away in Paris and his man is playing truant. A strange dying woman is at his doorstep. He goes to call his neighbour Dr.Cumberly to see to the woman. Before they arrive "Straight at the bare throat leapt the yellow hands; a gurgling cry rose—fell—and died away." There is a paper with the name Mr.King in her hand. Who is Mr. King? Who killed the woman? Why is Gaston Max a French detective investigating this case in London?

Then I had a brainstorm, isn't there a writer called Gaston Leroux? Here we have a writer called Henry Leroux and detective called Gaston Max. Is there any connection? Is it just coincidental or intentional? So I did some research (read googled). I learnt that Sax Rohmer and Gaston Leroux were contemporaries. Also that Sax Rohmer mainly wrote about Master Criminals and supernatural horror. I was put off by it and decided to abandon the book. I was still looking for a book with Yellow in the title. I kind of decided to read Yellow Cap or Yellow Fairy. Finally decided to give it a try and I liked it.

Rest of the story is about Chinamen and opium dens. I didn't expect to be so involved in the book. I even had a nightmare about a locked room and a golden dragon. A good thriller. Now I will have to read the next book in the series, Golden Scorpion.

Blue Heaven by C J Box

This is the second C J Box book I am reading. I read Three weeks to say goodbye last year and I liked it.

Twelve year old Annie, and ten year old William are angry with their mother and go for fishing without her permission. In the woods they see an execution. The killers identify the kids and are watching their home. They have nowhere to go. How long will they survive in the woods? Where will they go? Will anybody help them?

Jess Rawlins a lonely failing rancher, looks like a tough guy. Will the kids find refuge in his ranch? Will they trust him? If they do, can Rawlins fight against a group of organised ex-cops who have cunningly take on the system. A roller coaster ride with bad cops and some good guys. A great thriller. Only after finishing it I knew that it was an Edgar award winning book. Worthy winner. Loved it!

The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters

I think this is the third Ellis Peters book I read. I read Monk's Hood, I know because I reviewed it in my early blogging days. I am not sure if I read The Leper of St.Giles. I could have read the book or got it from library and returned it before completing as the book was due.

This is the thirteenth chronicle of Brother Cadfael, the herbologist Monk detective. But he doesn't do much detection here. The story takes place in 1142 in Shrewsbury, England. Young widow Judith Perle has given the use of a house to the abbey in return for one White Rose as rent from the garden to be remitted on a particular day every year. Such is the beauty and grace of Judith that there are suitors abound. But it is not just her beauty and grace alone that make suitors flock it is her wealth too. Judith is the proprietor of a flourishing clothier business which she runs successfully with the help of her cousin. Few days before the rent is to be remitted Brother Eluric is found dead and part of the Rose bush hacked. Who did it and why? Judith goes missing. What happened to her? Was she killed? Or an unscrupulous suitor hold her hostage to make her marry him?

There is only one solution to the puzzle and why does it take so long for Brother Cadfael to find it? I wish there were some twists and turns and a real surprise in the end.

Molly Brown's Freshman Year by Nell Speed

I was planning to read Tom Brown's School days ended up reading Molly Brown's first year at Wellington college. I couldn't go beyond the first few pages of Tom Brown's school days. While Molly Brown's college days is a easy breezy read. I hope to get acquainted with Tom Brown someday, but not today. For today I am happy to know what Molly did in college a hundred years ago.

Molly Brown from Kentucky is our model heroine. She is kind hearted. She wants to make her family proud. She works very hard at studies. She is very popular with everybody. She hosts parties. She blacks boots, tutors her friends and makes sugar bursts to make money to keep her through college. Along with her friends she forms a group to be kind to girls in college who have no friend.

This book deals with her first year in college. An enjoyable easy read. I will probably read her other years in college too.

Roses are Red by James Patterson

This is the fourth Patterson book I have read. I read Along came a spider, Kiss the Girls a long time back. I don't remember anything about the books, but I don't think it was very bad. If it was I don't think I would have picked this up. I then read London Bridges and was disappointed.

I kind of liked Alex Cross from his earlier books I read, so wanted to give him another try. I picked mostly because I need to read a book with colour red in the title for Color-coded challenge hosted by Bev @ MyReadersblock. So this book seemed a good fit.

Now the story. There are a series of bank robberies and murders. In some cases the family of the bank employees are held hostage and killed mercilessly. In some cases the bank employees are killed. All this seems to be leading to something bigger. These robberies and murders seem to be masterminded by a psychopath. FBI approaches Alex Cross to help them in their investigation. Will Alex Cross catch the Mastermind? Who is the Mastermind?

The story has two narratives. One is the first person narrative by Alex Cross, the other is a third person narrative giving us the overview of the criminal activities of the mastermind.
Alex Cross is supposed to be in difficult times with his ex-girlfriend, who was kidnapped by a serial killer in one of the earlier books. She is not able to reconcile with her life. Alex's little daughter has a tumour operation. The first person narrative is so matter of fact that it is hard to feel for the guy. Alex goes on with his investigation when his daughter is in hospital. All this turmoil just makes him hesitate a bit before commencing on a love affair with a FBI agent. There are some twists and turns. There is a surprise in the end, still the story is disappointing.

The book has 305 pages and 124 chapters. What's with this one page one chapter business! Wonder what purpose it serves. Every third page is empty because chapters don't start on the left page. If the book was published without these empty pages and a few chapters clubbed together wonder how long it would be.

The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Margery Fleming approaches Lawyer John Knox to help find her missing politician father Allan Fleming. Fleming's butler Carter also goes missing. There are other mysterious happenings in the Fleming household. There is a break-in the night and Margery finds a piece of paper pinned to the pillow with the words eleven twenty-two written on it. On Knox's advice Margery moves to her aunts' place. Mysterious events follow Margery even there. So many things happen, that it is almost impossible for me to keep track of them. Some valuable pearls go missing, eleven twenty-two appears again, blood in the attic, Aunt Jane goes missing, something about calling Anderson's drug-store, and finally White Cat, the political club. Who stole the Pearls? What does eleven twenty-two mean? What happened to Aunt Jane? Finally what happened to Allan Fleming? These are just some of the questions that this mystery solves. There are many other questions too. Only I don't remember them.

Rinehart weaves an intriguing tale with so many threads. Interesting intriguing tale.

Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery

I was looking for a book with colour Green in the title for the Color coded challenge. Anne of Green Gables had been in my To be Read list for a long time. So decided to read it for this challenge.

Childless couple Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to adopt a 12 or 13 year old boy who would help them in their farm. The orphanage sends eleven year old Anne instead. Matthew who is usually shy of women and mortally scared of girls takes an immediate liking to Anne. Marilla is not sure if she could bring up a girl especially one who talks so much. Kind-hearted Marilla decides to keep Anne.

Anne is very imaginative and talks all the time. She gets into all kinds of scrapes because of her imagination, temper and absent mindedness. She finds her "kindred spirit" and bosom friend in Diana Barry. The only sorrow of her life is her red hair and when Gilbert Blythe teases about her hair. She vows not to talk to him. Her rivalry with Gilbert makes her work hard to achieve good results in school.

This book deals with her school life and Teacher's license exam till she is sixteen.

Below are some quotes from the book that I liked.

"But I'd rather look ridiculous when everybody else does than plain and sensible all by myself," persisted Anne mournfully.

“I'm not a bit changed--not really. I'm only just pruned down and branched out. The real ME--back here--is just the same.”

“Oh, but there's such a difference between saying a thing yourself and hearing other people say it," wailed Anne. "You may know a thing is so, but you can't help hoping other people don't quite think it is."

"The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them."

A feel good book, I enjoyed reading it. I would like to read other books in the series.

Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

I haven't heard about Ngaio Marsh before joining the Vintage Mystery Challenge. I wanted to read some of the authors I have never read before for this challenge. So I picked this book up.
The action takes place in a Thermal Spa in New Zealand. And the action doesn't begin until almost the last quarter of the book. Marsh takes her time setting up the place, giving glimpses into her characters and finally delivers. Colour Scheme has really colourful characters Dr.Ackrington, Questing, Bert Smith, Colonel Claire, Mrs.Claire, Barbara Claire, Eru Saul, Gaunt and Dikon Bell. The characters are Wodehousian. Dr. Arckington's recommendation to Gaunt's doctor is the funniest recommendation I have ever read. Gaunt wanting to stay in the place after the recommendation is incredible. There is a nice love story.
The characters and final denouement reminded me of Agatha Christie. Pointing fingers in the climax is very funny.
Only, wish the murder took place in the first few pages and not the last few. At one point, the story was exciting, so was there a murder? If there was a murder, who was murdered? Who murdered? There was lots of possibility but it sizzles down on expected lines. There were still a few surprises in the end.

The Black Eagle Mystery by Geraldine Bonner

The Black Eagle Mystery published in 1915 is narrated by Molly Morgenthau Babbitts, former 'telephone girl' and Jack Reddy. Hollings Horland "Threw himself out of his office window on the eighteenth story" of Black Eagle Building. His suicide is linked to the Copper Pool scam where he lost his fortune. Before his suicide he was heard quarrelling with Johnston Barker, who disappears. Miss Whitehall a real estate business woman gets involved in this affair. The office of Whitney & Whitney try to solve the case with the help of Molly, Babbitts, Jack Reddy and others. Did Harland commit suicide? Or was he murdered? Why is Barker missing? What is the role of Miss.Whitehall in this mystery?
There are some nice twists and turns. I like the way Molly refers to her reporter husband by different names sometimes, 'Himself', 'Soapy' or 'Babbitts'. There is a quite a lot of reference to Hesketh Mystery where Molly has met many of the characters in this story including her husband Babbitts. "The Girl at Central" tells the story of the Hesketh Mystery, would be worth checking out.Overall, an enjoyable fun mystery.