MY READER'S BLOCK

Murder in Hyde Park

2026-07-14T15:14:30.919-04:00

Murder in Hyde Park (2020) by Lee Strauss (read by Elizabeth Klett)

It's time for the summer fashion show and, daring the weather, the organizers decide to set up the runway in Hyde Park. Ginger Reed and Feathers & Flair are major sponsors and Ginger had taken up the job of organizing the grand do. Famous designers from Italy and France--including the unconventional Coco Chanel--have models to display alongside the British design offerings. Despite Coco Chanel's calculated late arrival (anything for publicity!), the show begins smoothly...until models begin falling on the runway. It is soon apparent that things are far more serious than clumsiness. One of the models, an up-and-coming tennis champion with hopes of Wimbledon, dies and the cause is shown to be poisoning from a blow dart. Coco Chanel's one-of-a-kind bamboo parasol is missing and the bamboo shaft would have made an ideal method of delivery. And when evidence shows that the dart must have been sent on its deadly way from the direction of the famous designer's tent, the net gets a little tighter around her and her entourage. She calls in a favor from the Great War and hires Ginger to "prove my innocence." But as the evidence mounts, it begins to look like that may be an impossible ask. And then a second British tennis player is nearly killed...can anyone really believe that Coco Chanel or one of her fashion crew is out to knock off all the rising stars of British tennis?

A decent outing in the Ginger Gold mystery series. The mystery is fair--though once we clear one bit of evidence and possible suspect/s out of the way, there really isn't many options left in the suspect department. And the use of rare "froggy poison" that our culprit just happened to have access to and manage to sneak off with (supposedly before every having murderous thoughts against anyone). Seriously? I'm also not keen on the inclusion of Coco Chanel. First--I don't like her blackmailing Ginger over the knowledge that Coco has about Ginger's nom de plume during the war and the fact that she (Coco) isn't bound by the secrets act and could blab any time she wants to. Knowing what I now know about Coco's ties to Nazis in WWII, I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her. And, even though Ginger doesn't know what the designer is going to do in WWII, I don't see Ginger wanting to make friends with a woman who would use such knowledge as leverage (this is a "hope" Ginger expresses at the end of the case). We finally got rid of one secret service thorn in Ginger's side (two books ago), did we really need to saddle her with another? And...one final quibble: Here we have Ginger putting herself and her unborn child into harm's way again. This time pretty much on purpose--and why on earth she would trust the culprit when it was suggested that they just "shake hands and be friends" I have no idea. She's just lucky the killer had decided to aim at someone else AND had run out of "froggy poison."

On the plus side, it was nice to see a slightly different side to the fashion industry--though a bit briefer than one might like. And the addition of tennis as a backdrop was also good. As always, the descriptions of the period and locales are detailed and intriguing. ★★★

First line: The grand fashion summer show set in Hyde Park was only one day away and Feathers & Flair was abuzz with energy.

Last line: Ginger sighed. Her natural inquisitiveness was a tremendous trait when it came to her investigative work but when it came to Ambrosia her curiosity would have to wait.
***************

Deaths = one poisoned

The Well House Reader

2026-07-14T11:04:40.882-04:00

The Well House Reader (2022) by Donald J. Gray

From the book blurb: What did generations of Indiana University students think about their years on campus--the faculty, courses, administration, pressing social issues, and each other? Through student writings and art featured in The Well House Reader, the Bloomington campus across the years vividly and sometimes whimsically comes to life.

Poignant and reveling, The Well House Reader offers unforgettable glimpses of Indiana University through the eyes and experiences of is students across the decades.

An interesting cross-section of student views in essay, poetic, and fictional form with comments from everyday students to IU scholars (though sometimes only briefly) of more renown such as Theodore Dreiser, Ernie Pyle, and Hoagy Carmichael. It was a bit disappointing to see so few entries from the 1960s through the 1990s. Some of the literary journals may not have been operational during all of those years and perhaps there is not nearly as much in the archives for whatever reason, but one could have hoped for some letters to the editor from The Indiana Daily Student to give more representation. Most of the material seems to come from the 1920s and 1940s--maybe students were more vocal then. But given the turbulence of the 1960s-early 1970s, I would have expected more from that time period...at least in the Protests section. However, putting aside that disappointment, this is a pleasant trip down the memory lane that runs through campus giving us a look at the students of the past as well as highlighting some of the changes that have come to the campus itself. ★★★

First line (1st poem/essay): Kirkwood! Thou art not merely stone and sand;

Last line (last essay): Dean was squinting in exasperation at his next customer, and the Greek girl had found a fashion magazine to look at.

DeKok & the Somber Nude

2026-07-10T22:50:16.602-04:00

DeKok & the Somber Nude (1967) by A. C. Baantjer

Inspector DeKok of the Amsterdam police and his right-hand man Vledder are pulled into a search for a missing young woman. Nanette Bogaard's cousin Kristel van Daalen comes to report her as missing. Nanette is Kristel's partner in a flower business with Nanette creating beautiful arrangements while Kristel handles the business side of things. At this point the beautiful young woman has been missing less than twenty-four hours and Vledder can't understand why DeKok feels such an urgency about it. The cousin insists that Nanette has never stayed away overnight before and that she is certain that something awful has happened. As the two men begin their investigation, they find that they aren't the only ones looking for the flower-arranger. There's her morphine-addicted cousin, Frank Bogaard and journalist Barry Wieler who says he loves her but seems more like a reporter in search of a hot story, and Mr Staaten, a fiftish art collector and stockbroker who insists that the seventeen-year-old Nanette had agreed to marry him. In the background, there is Staaten's son Ronald who definitely did not care for the idea of a stepmother--especially one about his own age. There is is also the mysterious Brother Laurens, who may or may not have been Frank Bogaard's supplier, and Pierre Popko, who painted a portrait of Nanette nude on the late Mrs. Staaten's couch.

The painting showed up at an art dealer's shop near the canals and seems to be very much in the center of the mystery. Once it's discovered, things move very quickly with Nanette's dismembered body found by the men at the Municipal Garbage Dump. A dirty one-legged doll helps lead DeKok to the location of Nanette's murder...and eventually to the culprit in this fairly grisly and cold-blooded murder.

I have such a mixed reaction here. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoy Baantjer's style and the excellent translation work by H. G. Smittenaar. The read is smooth and fast-paced and the descriptions of Amsterdam make for a terrific background for the story. The murder is a little more violent than I tend to like, but we don't dwell on the imagery too long. And I thoroughly enjoy the relationship between DeKok and Vledder. My main frustration (which I share with Vledder) is that DeKok keeps things close to his chest--like Holmes. I guessed part of the solution. But the key word there is guessed. There are a number of observations that DeKok makes (to himself) that we're not privy to. He can't believe that Vledder (and we) didn't catch those things. But how could we? But for that I would be giving this four stars instead of ★★★ and 1/2.

First lines: It was raining. It had been raining for days, endless long July days.

Last line: "Yes," he said, "a snake in the shape of an angel."
******************

Deaths = 2 (one natural; one strangled)

Murder at Brighton Beach

2026-07-09T13:13:23.473-04:00

Murder on Brighton Beach (2020) by Lee Strauss (read by Elizbeth Klett)

Ginger and Basil take the household--adopted son Scout, sister-in-law (loosely defined) Felicia, grandmother (loosely defined) Ambrosia, and two maids--for a family vacation at Brighton Beach. And even though she's four months pregnant, often nauseous, a bit foggy-brained at times, and often tired, Ginger can't help getting involved in a mystery. When they arrive, they immediately find out that Austin Bainbridge, the brother of one of the guests, had disappeared in the last week or so. He apparently went for a swim and never came back. The authorities have determined (without a body) that it must be accidental drowning, but neither his brother nor his sister-in-law believe it. They are sure there's more to the disappearance than meets the eye. The brother had a way of backing uncertain...even sometimes shady...ventures. Could he have disappeared on purpose? Or perhaps something more dreadful than an accident has occurred?

Meanwhile, Felicia is finally making her grandmama happy by getting interested in a man with a title. Lord Davenport-Witt, is a member of Bainbridge party and a charming man. Felicia is immediately attracted and sure that this time he really is the one. (She has a history of "falling in love" at first sight...). Ginger, on the other hand, doesn't feel quite right about him (is it only pregnancy hormones talking?). She has this niggling feeling that she's met him before and there's no good vibes associated with that meeting. Felicia also has competition. Film star Poppy Kerslake has already made a claim on Davenport-Witt and is all-out to keep Felicia from knowing him better.

But...Davenport Witt is invited to join Basil, Ginger, Scout, Scout's new friend--the youngest Bainbridge, and Felicity on an afternoon sailing excursion. While Felicity meets the lord's charm with her own, Scout and his friend spy something floating near the boat. It winds up being a large trunk and Ginger and Basil suspect that they've found the missing man. They're proved right when the trunk is later opened (sans the youngsters) and now there's a murder to be solved. The local authorities ask the visiting Yard man to investigate and Basil and Ginger are off on another mysterious adventure.

The trunk belonged to Poppy Kerslake--is she involved or did someone just find her trunk to be a convenient size? When Poppy winds up dead from a tumble down the stairway and evidence points to a push rather than an accident, it looks very much like the latter. Motives begin to pile up--Austin had been frittering away the family fortune on bad deals, giving his brother a motive. He'd been throwing wrenches in the works of his latest deal, giving his business partner (also on hand) a motive. He'd had an illicit (albeit short) affair with his brother's wife, giving each of them a motive. The more Ginger and Basil dig, the more motives emerge. Ginger makes one last discovery that will solve the case...but when the murderer finds her before she can tell Basil will it actually be her last discovery for all time? [Well--of course not, she is the heroine after all. But it does look dire for a bit...]

An interesting entry in the Ginger Gold mystery series with an interesting motive for the murder. I have to say though--Ginger puts herself (and her unborn child) into danger when she really has no business doing so. She should have gone back to Basil, told him of a certain confrontation she witnessed as well as her suspicions, and let him handle it from there. But then she does have "baby brain" and isn't thinking quite as clearly as she might. I also had high suspicions of the culprit long before Ginger did (based entirely on an earlier episode when X was somewhere unexpected). Real clues though? Not until Ginger finds them in the last (dangerous) scenes. This is a fun, historical series though and I'm looking forward to the next installment with Coco Chanel. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Mrs. Ginger Reed gripped her husband's arm.

Last line: Ginger pulled back to stare at Basil, feigning offense, "As if I could."
*****************

Deaths = 4 (two broken necks; one shot; one mining accident)

Winds of Evil

2026-07-07T23:28:34.760-04:00

Winds of Evil (1937) by Arthur W. Upfield

A strangler is at work at Wirragatta Station in the far reaches of the Australian outback. The killer operates during violent windstorms that last more than one night--all the better to cover any traces he may have left behind. Enter Joe Fisher (aka Detective-Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte) who offers his services to Martin Borradale, owner of the station, as a hired laborer. Though the last murder took place a year ago, Bony is convinced that he can track the killer--after all, he's not left a crime unsolved yet. When there is another attack--this time leaving the victim alive, but with a dangerous head injury, Bony finds himself next on the killer's attack list. Fortunately, the wily detective is able to escape with only a bruised throat.

He starts with a list of eleven men as possible suspects and with patient questioning he's able to whittle the list down to five. He believes he knows who the man is and why he behaves as he does, but there's no proof. Meanwhile, a clueless detective from the nearest city has arrested a man whom Bony is sure is innocent. He decides to prepare a trap that will be sprung during the next violent windstorm....but will it catch the right man?

Another excellent mystery from Upfield--full of excellent descriptions of the outback and details enough of the windstorms to make you feel the sand stuck to your skin. Bony is good at slipping into the skin of an itinerant laborer (with Borradale's full knowledge of his true identity), though he doesn't manage to fool the landowner's sister for long. I was quite pleased with myself that I spotted the killer and his backstory well before Bony did--at least before Upfield allowed us to know that Bony did. I don't often get to the solution before the good detective.

If you want a mystery that will give you a run for your money with great descriptions of place as well as a real feel for Australia in the 1930s, then you can't go wrong with Upfield. Just remember when these were written and that folks weren't exactly PC at the time. ★★★★

First line: It was a wind-created hell in which the man who called himself Joe Fisher walked northward towards the small township of Carie.

In, general, murderers are the most stupid of criminals, prone to commit a hundred mistakes. They are more stupide than embezzlers. I believe that it is the fear of the rope which upsets the average murderer and makes him make mistakes. Even the really clever murderer, the odd one in the hundred, will make at least one vital mistake. Not always, however, does the investigator see, or recognize, the mistakes, so that it is always the investigator who fails to sheet home a crime and not the cleverness of the criminal to get away with it. (Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte; p. 45)

Last line: "And you," loudly asserted Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, "are another!"
********************

Deaths = 7 (two strangled; four natural; one shot)

GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Glissading

2026-07-06T18:44:39.631-04:00

My newest mystery meme: the Golden Age of Detection (GAD*) Mystery Word of the Day. Whenever I find a word that I'm unfamiliar with--or shall we say not absolutely confident I know the exact meaning of, I'm going to actually take time to look it up and share it with mystery-lovers everywhere. There will be occasional words from more modern mysteries as well. 😊

Today's GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Glissading (verb) --1. to perform a ballet glissade (sliding step) 2. to slide in a standing or squatting position down a snow-covered slope without the aid of skis

They were evidently experienced partners, for they were dancing with great skill, glissading, pivoting, floating across the floor, breaking from a slow drag into a flurry of tricky little steps which diminished into a graceful turn, as Auntie Sybil took a quick drag on her cigarette in its long holder which she carried expertly in the fingers laid lightly on Uncle Rupert's shoulder. (The Eve of the Wedding by Lionel Black)

GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Colloguing

2026-07-05T09:50:15.539-04:00

Today's GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Colloguing (verb) --to converse privately; to intrigue or conspire

Well then the landlord and Mr. Ralph was colloguing about their cricket match and Miss Geraldine, and I wasy I dunno about Miss Gerladine, but I got a brother who strikes for the St. Mary Le Bone men, likewise he's a mighty hitter or a dead stone waller whichever they fancies best; and he's got to come to Marlow on account of being left a fortune on Saturday, and if spoke to the right way and offered his beer he'd be just as like to come on here the Sunday and play for them as well. (A Conspiracy of Poisons ~J. G. Jeffreys)

Titanic Captain

2026-07-04T23:56:36.131-04:00

Titanic Captain: The Life of John Edward Smith (2011) by G. J. Cooper

From the book blurb: The definitive account of the life and career of the respected and popular captain of the Titanic includes original research drawing on the ship's logs, crew lists, newspapers, and first-hand accounts. Edward John Smith's career had been a remarkable example of how a man from a humble background could get far in the world, and this biography tracks the fascinating career and many voyages of a seasoned captain. Born to a working-class family he went to sea at the age of 17 and rose rapidly through the ranks of the merchant navy, serving first in sailing vessels and later in the new steamships of the White Star Line. By 1912, he was their senior commander and regarded by many in the shipping world as the "millionaire's captain." In 1912, Smith was given command of the new RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage, but should have been among the crowning moments of his long career at sea turned rapidly into a nightmare following the Titanic's collision with an iceberg. In a matter of hours the supposedly unsinkable ship sank, taking more than 1,500 people with her, including Captain Smith. This account dispels myths about the man and tracks his movements and motives in detail on that fateful night.

To be clear, the ship's logs in question are not the Titanic's--those went down with the ship. And honestly--so much of what is given in the logs from the other ships Smith served on and captained are very dry, business logs. Very little is learned about Smith from these document other than where he and the ships were and ship's business--but telling us anything new about the man himself, not really. And when the logs or letters or newspapers don't tell us something, Cooper loves to speculate. The log doesn't tell us that Captain Smith did X, Y, or Z, but we can suppose that he did because "reasons." We get that a lot--a lot more than a well-researched book should be giving.

The best of the research comes from letters that Smith wrote to various people and primarily to his nephew. Kudos to Cooper for giving us a more balanced look at Smith and for giving us more of his background growing up. It was good to see his record as a sailing man and captain prior to his taking the helm of his last command. And it was interesting to see his interactions with the elite of the Gilded Age. There is quite a bit that's new about Smith's life before the Titanic and that made the book as interesting as it was. But giving us new details about that last fateful voyage? Not so much. ★★★--just

First line: Hanley in North Staffordshire, where Edward John Smith, the future captain of the Titanic, was born in 1850 was one of six tons that by the time of his birth were known collectively as the Potteries.

Last line: With her death Ted Smith's line and story had finally come to an end.

July Reading by the Numbers Reviews

2026-07-01T22:15:17.569-04:00

July Virtual Mount TBR Reviews

2026-07-01T22:12:00.347-04:00

July Mount TBR Reviews

2026-07-01T22:09:39.968-04:00

July Vintage Scavenger Hunt Reviews

2026-07-01T22:06:57.157-04:00

The Eve of the Wedding

2026-06-30T15:33:15.675-04:00

The Eve of the Wedding (1980) by Lionel Black (Dudley Barker)

Kate and Henry Theobold have just met the Shoeburys--Americans Dick and Felicity-Ann. Dick Shoebury's and Henry's clubs are corresponding clubs, so Dick has temporary membership while in London for his daughter's wedding. The two men hit it off immediately and invites Dick and his wife for dinner. The Shoeburys reciprocate by inviting the Theobolds to a good old-fashioned German Polterabend--a noisy prenuptial party on the evening before the wedding which includes a mock abduction of the bride and a scavenger hunt by the groom to find his intended. Dick thought this would be a great idea--better than separate a separate bachelor and hen party. Is either family German. Not that anybody mentions. Are any of the family members particularly excited about the idea. Not that you'd notice. Is there any reason on earth why a couple of newly-met "friends" would want to crash such a pre-wedding party? Not that I can think of on the face of it.

But...Kate is a newspaper reporter. And when Dick mentions that the German marriage custom has loose ties to the idea of poltergeists...and that the groom's family home has its very own poltergeist, Kate is intrigued. And determined to get a story out of it if she can. Little does she realize that she's going to have an even bigger story by the end of the party. As the back cover says, "By the time this party's over, it has ended in tragedy: a bride in hysteria, a groom with murder in his heart, and a corpse in the study." Philip Leatheridge is the groom...and his brother Gregory is the corpse.

The Leatheridge family home is full of oddities--from the patriarch, Grandfather James, and Auntie Sybil & Uncle Rupert, who all seem to have stepped out of late-Victorian times, to Gregory, the grandson who has somehow seized control of the family business, and his down-trodden wife Cynthia to Julia, the great-granddaughter who is just the right age to encourage poltergeists to the faithful servants Mr. & Mrs. Budd. Mr. Budd looks like he might have been a burglar in another life...and probably was. And, of course, there's the poltergeist--who has shoved Dick Shoebury in the back when no one else was around and broken mirrors and tossed a bit of furniture about. When Gregory is found stabbed in the study, Auntie Sybil insists that the poltergeist has taken up dagger-throwing as its newest trick. But Kate and Henry--and their old friend Inspector Comfort--don't believe it for a minute. There are plenty of very real motives to be had without adding a supernatural element. It's obvious that Cynthia hated her husband--had she finally decided to get rid of him for good? And what juicy secret did Gregory know about his grandfather that would cause the old man to sign over the business? And then there's the hysterical bride--made so by the actions of Gregory. Was his brother furious enough over it to kill him?

Once again, Kate goes snooping all over the house and nearly finds herself added to the victim list. She definitely falls into the "where angels fear to tread" category and you'd think by now she'd realize that she shouldn't go off by herself. Of course, being one half of the amateur detective duo, we all know that she won't really be dropped out the window in an "accidental" fall, but still. The murder plot is a fairly good one, though I must say it has a bit of a creep factor that isn't chalked up to a supernatural entity. There's a couple of Leatheridge family members who seem to have a few screws loose. A solid, middle-of-the-road mystery. ★★★

First line: Kate left them in the living-room, where Henry was busily stirring dry martini for their guests, and went through to the kitchen to get the soup bowls of cold consomme out of the fridge.

Last lines: The pair of them were quite calm again now. Civilized.
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Deaths = 2 (one auto accident; one stabbed)

A Conspiracy of Poisons

2026-06-28T13:05:55.366-04:00

A Conspiracy of Poisons (1977) by J. G. Jeffreys (Ben Healey)

Synopsis (from book flap): The ace of Bow Street Runners, rollicking, resourceful, womanizing Jeremy Sturrock, and his dreadful clerk Master Maggsy, are back again, this time called on to investigate a Napoleonic plot which may threaten the safety of Britain in an ingenious and carefully worked-out mystery.

The year is 1804, and the trail leads from a beautiful but mysteriously poisoned prostitute to the grisly digging up of a still more mysterious corpse, back to the salons of a fashionable brothel, and on to a headlong ride to the wilds of Savernake Forest.

Once upon a time, a young Bev read A Wicked Way to Die (the second book in the Jeremy Sturrock series) and pronounced it good enough to put Jeffreys on the TBF (To Be Found) list. This resulted in my picking up both the current read (book #4) and Suicide Most Foul (book #5) along the way. I've not come across the first or third in my book hunts. And now, having finished, A Conspiracy of Poisons, I'm left wondering just what the heck young Bev was thinking. Sturrock has a fine head on his shoulders for detective work in these early days of the Bow Street Runners, I will give him that. But you'd need to do a hefty bit of detective work yourself to find a more unsavory cast of characters (every single one of them, from the "good" guys to the bad guys) in a piece of historical detective fiction.

With the language of the book (which does its best to give us early 19th Century speech and writing patterns), it's a bit of a slog to make one's way through to the essential details. And with several characters running around under more than one name, it's a bit difficult to keep up with the players (with or without a scorecard)--especially keeping track of which ones might be minions of the chief villain. That's the good news. Once the chief villain is introduced, there's no problem remembering who they are. Unless you were looking for a good old-fashioned whodunnit and wanted to try and figure out the villain from clues. Then it's bad news, I suppose.

We've also got a run of pretty senseless murders. The first one makes the most sense--we're afraid the woman is going to give away the whole plot against the British crown. But one is pure mistake and another is for reasons I still haven't gotten clear (and I read that bit twice). All in all, a fairly disappointing read. I can only suppose that either A Wicked Way to Die was a much better mystery or that young Bev wasn't nearly as jaded as she is now. I'll probably go ahead and read the last Jeffreys book I own--but unless it's much better than the ★★ outing I've just had, I won't be seeking out any more.

First line: "Pray, Mr. Sturrock," said my publisher, tapping his fingers on the desk, "pray," says he, "let us have a work of more weighty matter."

Last line: I cheered as loud as Master Maggsy when His Majesty emerged from the sea.
*****************

Deaths = 6 (four poisoned; one stabbed; one shot)

Review Posting

2026-06-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!!

GAD Mystery Word of the Day

2026-06-25T13:02:37.411-04:00

So--I went of vacation towards the end of May and promptly fell off the word wagon. Let's try and start this up again. Today's GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Contumacious (adj) --stubbornly disobedient, rebellious, or willfully resistant to authority.

"Master Maggsy," I told the child, "you're a contumacious wretch." (A Conspiracy of Poisons by J. G. Jeffreys

Murder on Fleet Street

2026-06-25T12:22:56.153-04:00

Murder on Fleet Street (2020) by Lee Strauss
(read by Elizabeth Klett)

Lord George Whitmore is a well-known older society gent with a roving eye. He's also been dabbling as a "employee" of a London bank (though no one seems to know exactly what he does). Ginger Reed aka Lady Gold of Lady Gold Investigations also knows him as a fellow secret service agent during the war. When Whitmore is found dead in the bath of his latest side entertainment, it's difficult to know if the deed is related to his philandering (a vengeful wife or the mistress's wish to be rid of him, something mysterious at the bank, or his ties to the secret service. But after Ginger finds a coded message in her pocket after a chance encounter with the gentleman shortly before his death, she suspects the latter. And when Captain Smithwick, her "handler" during her war service, shows up and asks her to take up the job once more to help track down a Communist cell in London, she's proved right.

Whitmore had been on the cell's trail and had just discovered their meeting place (revealed once Ginger cracks his code) before he was killed. Smithwick insists that she pose as a French Communist contact and try to infiltrate the cell. At this point in her life, Ginger has more hostages to fate--especially with the recent adoption of Scout--and is reluctant to put them in danger. But she really doesn't have a choice. And it's going to be difficult to keep her undercover investigation from her sharp-eyed husband Inspector Basil Reed, especially since he's the one investigating Lord Whitmore's death.

Somewhat spoilerish ahead!

So, this is one of my favorite historical mystery series. It's possibly my favorite cozy-leaning historical mystery series. That would be why the plot in this one (and to some extent Murder at Bray Manor) goes a bit against the grain. I'm sure Ginger was a terrific agent in the war and I'd even be willing to read a series of books that were based on that work. But--I'm not a huge fan of dragging in the secret service angle now. Especially now that she's married to Basil and has various family commitments--hostages to fortune as I mentioned. And I really don't like Captain Smithwick. He does redeem himself at the end of this one and (Spoiler!) I wouldn't wish his fate on anyone, but I haven't enjoyed the plots with him shoved in nearly as much. He also seems to bring a bit more violence with him when he shows up. In this one we get Ginger and Basil tied up with a bomb ready to blow them to smithereens. I'm just glad we didn't decide to somehow put Scout in danger as well.

Once the Communist cell connection was made, the solution became fairly obvious, though it was a coin toss between the two most prominent members as to who actually did the deed. Not one of the best-plotted mysteries in the series, particularly in terms of clues and red herrings, but a good enough diversion for a few days. ★★★

First line: Mrs. Ginger Reed, also known around the city of London as Lady Gold, loved a good party, and if the official adoption of her son Scout wasn't a fabulous reason to celebrate then she could think of what was.

Last line: "Oh, Basil! I can't believe we're going to have a baby!"
*******************

Deaths = 3 (one electrocuted; one stabbed; one bomb explosion)

Murder in the Mystery Suite

2026-06-24T23:12:38.236-04:00

Murder in the Mystery Suite (2014) by Ellery Adams

This is the first in a series of "Book Retreat Mysteries" set at Storyton Hall in the hills of western Virginia. Storyton Hall and the town which has grown up around it is a retreat for book lovers. The Hall is full of books and quiet nooks where those who love to read can come for a nice restful vacation with the printed page. There's a bookstore in town, a lovely little cafe, and, for those who want a bit of outdoorsy adventure as well, a place to rent horses. Which brings us to our first death--a beautiful young woman (whom nobody knows), comes careening through town on a runaway horse. A handsome young man, brother of our heroine Jane Steward's best friend, follows in a mad attempt to stop the horse. He manages to do so, but the young woman falls off--dead. Mystery number one--who is she? Why did she come to Storyton? Who shot the arrow that spooked the horse? And why did she did? The police can find no answers.

Meanwhile, Jane, who has taken over the management of Storyton Hall from her late husband's Aunt Octavia and Uncle Aloysius, is planning the first-ever themed event in an effort to boost the Hall's financial situation. It will be a Mystery & Mayhem Week for mystery fans to gather for role-playing, scavenger hunts, mystery plays, and fantasy crime-solving. The big prize will be a first edition by the late Adela Dundee, creator of the great Italian detective Umberto Ferrari. Little does Jane know that there will be some real-life Murder & Mayhem, the loss of a far more valuable Dundee first-edition, and the discovery that her husband's family have even more valuable treasures at risk...and a number of people at Storyton Hall are not exactly what they appear to be. She will need to sharpen her own detective skills to find a killer, prevent more deaths, and return the missing book to its rightful place....

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Cannot fully discuss without letting a few cats out of bags.

So...first off. This is just plain fun for someone who loves books and mysteries. A resort devoted to books? A retreat where you can read to your heart's content, surrounded by books and by other people who love books? Sign me up! Having the owners devote a whole week to mysteries with a mystery-related scavenger hunt, amateur productions of mystery plays, a costume ball to dress up as your favorite detective? Yes, please. A good mystery plot that revolves around a deceased mystery writer's secret and a special edition of a book? Even better. Interesting characters? You betcha.

And now...we get to the cats escaping from bags. So....we have a family of book guardians plopped down in the hills of Virginia in a transplanted English country house and they have a bunch of ninja/special agent/what-have-yous on staff to help them protect the secret stash of incredibly valuable and unknown works by famous authors. Okay. Fine. I can go with that. Maybe. But....you're telling me that Aunt Octavia, one of the guardians, would leave a valuable first edition with a top-secret letter from the author (so top-secret that it's been left sealed and no one has read it) stashed in the dust jacket just lying about where it could get mixed up with an almost identical, not-so-valuable first edition? That we wouldn't stash that in the hidden vault with all the other treasures?? Seriously? I mean, I realize that we lose a chunk of the plot if we're not playing hunt-the-missing book for 2/3 of the story and we might not have as many murders (or any at all), but after the crash-course in book guardianship that Jane Steward, our newest guardian, gets which drills home the idea that we have to protect the books at all costs...well, you'd think Aunt Octavia would have been a bit more cautious.

But...putting that quibble aside. This is a delightful new series debut. I can't wait to see where things go with Jane and her new duties in the next book (though I must say if we're going to have an endless parade of murders--there's nine books in the series that I see online--then I'd think folks would get a bit leery of staying at Storyton Hall). ★★★★

First line: There were books everywhere.

Last line: "My next chapter has just begun."
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Deaths = three poisoned

A Particular Eye for Villainy

2026-06-21T22:58:01.405-04:00

A Particular Eye for Villainy (2012) by Ann Granger

Mr. Thomas Tapley, an eccentric, scholarly, older man is found bludgeoned to death in his sitting room in the lodgings he rents from a Quaker lady. Fortunately, Inspector Benjamin Ross of Scotland Yard is a nearby neighbor and is quickly on the scene. But it's difficult to discover a motive or even a suspect for the death of a man with no apparent connections or past. But then Mr. Jonathan Tapley, QC, hears of the death and comes to identify him. It seems that Thomas Tapley had left England for France in the wake of scandal that threatened his family's good name. But what brought him back to England now? And who knew he was here and might have wanted to kill him?

Coincidentally, Ben's wife Lizzie had seen Thomas earlier that day--and is convinced that a man dressed as a clown was following him. She also learns that he had a mysterious visitor a few days before his death. There's also the foreign couple who showed a great deal of interest in Tapley's country property. The list of suspects slowly begins to mount and when Ben realizes that the killer must have run off with Thomas's latch key, he knows that he will have a way to tie the culprit to the crime...if he can find him. And if the killer holds on to the key.

I seem to have jumped into the Inspector Ross series mid-stream, but that didn't affect my reading pleasure one bit. Granger doesn't seem to have a long story-arc going on as seems to be popular with so many series, so while it might be nice to see Lizzie and Ben meet for the first time and then settle into married life, nothing is spoiled in their life story by starting with book four.

I quite liked the set-up: reclusive scholarly man who loves his books (and apparently spends what money he has left after lodging costs on the written word). The man has a mysterious past, no visitors (generally speaking), and there's no apparent reason for anyone to wish him dead. It's interesting to watch Ben and Lizzie each dig in their own ways to find out more about their mysterious neighbor. Granger also does a good job with the historical details and I enjoyed my visit to her version of the Victorian period. Once we learn certain details about Thomas's past, it's not difficult to figure out who killed him, but it makes for an interesting story nonetheless. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: A fine spring day in London isn't to be compared with spring in the countryside but the city does its best.

Biddle now turned even redder and I feared his head would burst into flames in the only case I'd ever seen or was likely to see of spontaneous combustion. (p. 55)

Maidservants operate a sort of telegraph system of their own by which anything like that [gossip] runs round like like wildfire. (p. 69)

"You always had a funny sort of interest in corpses. Ladies do have hobbies, I know. Only generally it's painting flowers or bothering the poor with their good works. But your pa was a sawbones, I recollect you telling me. So I suppose it runs in the family. You certainly have a particular eye for murder." (Mr. Slater; p. 86)

Last lines: "Then she'll be truly happy..." Lizzie reached out and took my hand..."like you and me."
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Deaths = 2 (one hit on head; one natural)

[Finished on 6/17/26--just got the review done.]

The Case of Cabin 13

2026-06-14T22:16:13.307-04:00

The Case of Cabin 13 (1999) by Sam McCarver

Synopsis (from the back of the book): Passengers are dying on the White Star Lines transatlantic ocean liners. Three mysterious suicides, on three different ships--all in first-class cabins numbered 13. And with the maiden voyage of their newest ship imminent--an incomparably lavis vessel called the Titanic--the cruise line can't afford a fourth. With the police stumped, Professor John Darnell, the world's first and only "paranormal detective," may be their last hope of debunking rumors of a murderous ghost. Soon the famed skeptic has agreed to be the next occupant of cabin 13--and he's sure it's no spirit he's after.

As the world's largest and purportedly safest ship sets sail, neither Darnell's sixth sense nor his investigative skills can protect him from the twin perils he is about to face. Can the American-born Englishman possibly survive the deadly forces of both nature and man? Because somewhere on the icy sea, a killer is lurking...

Okay...I've got to get a couple of things off my chest at the outset. First there's our hero, the "first and only 'paranormal detective.'" Really? I believe (if we're sticking to fictional characters) that Sheridan Le Fanu's Dr. Martin Hesselius (from the 1870s) and William Hope Hodgson's Thomas Carnacki (first written of in 1910) would like a word. And then, like the historical mysteries that are littered with strong-minded women and the men who love and encourage them, the Titanic seems to be bursting with fictional detectives who are hot on the trail of murderers and who manage to find one of the limited spots on a lifeboat to live to tell the tale. As I said in my review of the Holmes pastiche which finds Holmes and Watson onboard the ill-fated ship:

...if all the fictional people who have sailed on the Titanic and lived to tell the tale had actually been there and done that....well, none of the real, live people who survived the tragedy could actually have made it. There wouldn't be room on the survivor roll call.

Now that we've got those two quibbles out of the way...I am enthusiastic about this take on a mystery set on the Titanic as well as the mystery itself. The plot has a few flaws (like Darnell not actually deducing who the killer is and only finding out when the culprit sneaks into his cabin to see if the poison in his sherry had done the job), but Darnell is a charming character with a lot of promise and potential. The motive for the crimes make sense and could have been deduced, so there's a definite attempt at fair play here. It was interesting to see that McCarver gave some of the reported actions of Lightoller and Ismay to Darnell and the killer respectively, but it was done in good faith to service the fictional murder plot. This is a good debut to a series that has five more entries. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Professor John Darnell smiled as he poked his way along through the clammy opaqueness of the thick, moist fog, using his black umbrella as a walking stick.

Last line: "I think you know," he said, smiling into her eyes, "which cabin we won't take."
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Deaths = 18 (two overboard; one poisoned one shot; one natural; thirteen drowned)

Spellbound

2026-06-14T14:20:08.024-04:00

Spellbound (apa The House of Dr. Edwardes; 1927) by Francis Beeding (John Leslie Palmer & Hilary St. George Saunders)

This is the novel that the Hitchcock movie featuring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck was adapted from. It revolves around a "House of Rest" (for which, read a mental asylum) which serves as a haven for the imbalanced rich and a place where Dr. Edwardes, who owns the castle on the on mountain, can study interesting cases without worrying about money. The house, a literal fortress, sits in a circle or rock surrounded on three sides by the sheer slope of a desolate mountain in Switzerland. When night comes, it is a great crouching black hulk which the townspeople claim is the home of the Devil himself.

Constance Sedwick is a recently qualified doctor. Dr. Edwardes is an old friend of her father's and Edwardes offers her the position of his assistant. But before she arrives, Dr. Edwardes was sent away by his own doctor for a much needed rest and she finds a young Dr. Murchison, a doctor brought in from England, in charge of the asylum. At first all seems well, but Murchison has some odd quirks--reading books about the Devil and flinching when the shadow of a cross falls on him. There is also the funeral of one of the attendants at the hospital--murdered by the newest inmate. And a tale told by the villagers of blood which appears on the white stone in the black wood whenever the Devil is about.

Things get worse...the inmates, who were fairly docile and benign in their own delusions begin to act in strange, more menacing ways. They talk about a wedding to come and begin patrolling around Constance's room at night..."to protect her." But she believes there is danger coming. Can she escape it--and take the innocent with her?

A very interesting read. I haven't actually seen the Hitchcock film (one of several of his films that I have yet to see), so I didn't have any preconceptions going in. Quite suspenseful, though I was a little disappointed that Constance didn't catch on to what was going on a little sooner. The characters are great--particularly the patients at the asylum. Beeding does a great job making each one distinct so it's easy to keep track of who is who.

This is very much a "how will the heroine get out of this?" and "will the villain get away with it?" kind of story rather than a whodunnit. It's pretty obvious (to the reader, if not to Constance) pretty quick what's going on here...it's just a matter of how will everything be resolved. Now I want to go watch the movie. ★★★★

1st Line (Prologue): Dearest Helen, How delightful to get your letter, which we found waiting for us at Thonon.

John is an angel, but I shouldn't care to take a honeymoon with anybody; so don't be rash, and if ever you feel in the consenting mood, which so often happens, pull yourself together and think it over. Fortunately, John and I agree about all the most important things. What I mean is that we both like to sleep with the window open. (p. 7)

1st Line (1st Chapter): Constance Sedgwick, M.D., aged twenty-six, was staring at herself critically in the long mirror.

Fortunately for Doctor Edwardes, lunacy is not confined to the poorer classes; and he had treated in his time more than one poor gentleman who, if ha had not been sitting so comfortably in Chateau Landry, might have been sitting rather less at his ease, though possibly quite as much at home, in the House of Lords. (p. 13)

Last Line: I must stop now or I shall be losing the post. We are moving on next week to Bordighera and Alaisso. My best love to you all, Always your affectionate Susan"
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Deaths =6 (two fell from height; two stabbed; one natural; one in war)

IU Summer Reading Challenge

2026-06-13T23:47:04.734-04:00

For the first time ever, Indiana University, my alma mater and current employer, is hosting a summer reading challenge. The challenge runs from June 1 - Sept 1, 2026. And you know me--I can't resist a reading challenge. So here I go...

To complete the challenge, you can go for the usual across, down, or diagonal bingo OR you can complete the IU trident symbol (red squares) OR you can try to cover the card. I'm currently working on the trident.

1. The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves (Debut Novel)

2. A Case of Life & Limb by Sally Smith (Historical Fiction Novel)

3. Spellbound by Francis Beeding (One-Word Title)

4. The Case of Cabin 13 by Sam McCarver (Book with Number in Title)
5. A Particular Eye for Villainy by Ann Granger (Told from Multiple POV)
6. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams (From My Own Shelves)

7. A Conspiracy of Poisons by J. G. Jeffreys (Cream & Crimson on Cover)

8. Titanic Captain by G. J. Cooper (About Grief, Loss, Or Change)

9. Winds of Evil by Arthur W. Upfield (Set in Different Country--Australia)

10. Murder at Brighton Beach by Lee Strauss (During a Vacation)

11. DeKok & the Somber Nude by A. C. Baantjer (Translated from Dutch)

12. The Well House Reader by Donald Gray (About IU History)

13. Murder in Hyde Park by Lee Strauss (Set in Summer)

14.

A Case of Life & Limb

2026-06-13T22:56:13.341-04:00

A Case of Life & Limb (2025) by Sally Smith

It's the Christmas season in the Temple and even the King's Counsellors are feeling festive with the dusting of snow. It's time for a break in court appearances, family gatherings, and presents in pretty packages. But the gaily-wrapped that shows up on Sir William Waring's doorstep doesn't exactly contain glad tidings of great joy. A desiccated severed hand is wrapped up in the tissue paper within...with a card that says: Can I give you a hand?

After Sir Gabriel Ward's success at tracking down a murder just a few months ago, Waring turns to him again to discreetly investigate the origins of the grisly package. Gabriel would much rather spend his time preparing for a particularly difficult libel case brought by the beautiful and beloved music hall star Topsy Tillotson against the notorious tabloid newspaper, the Nation's Voice. The newspaper had published a story that Topsy, known as "the unconquerable," had been truly conquered by the Honorable Frederick Sewell. She swears she doesn't know the man, has never even met him, and that the story is a filthy lie. And she wants Gabriel to represent her in the case against the tabloid. He has quite a job ahead of him to prove their case. And now he has to divide his time on a hunt for the practical joker with a morbid sense of humor.

But when more packages arrive and the shock of receiving one kills one of Gabriel's oldest friends withing the Inner Temple, he knows he must devote more time to the investigation. It becomes quite evident that someone has a deep-set grudge against the members of the Temple and doesn't mind if a few people die while they exact their revenge. Gabriel teams up with his new-found friend Constable Wright of the City of London Police to bring the culprit to justice...all while finding a way to salvage the reputation of his client in the libel case.

This was a terrific follow-up to Gabriel's debut in A Case of Mice & Murder. Often the second book in a series is weaker than the debut, but not so in this case. Gabriel has gained confidence in his sleuthing skills (which spills over into his conduct of the libel case--out-performing the histrionic Sir Edward Hopkins and winning over the jury with flair and emotion). His relationship with Constable Wright has also progressed and the two make an even better sleuthing team than before. I enjoyed watching them investigate the mysteries--both together and separately--and particularly enjoyed Wright's dishing out a bit of extra justice when Sewell receives what seems to be a mere hand-slap.

This is a particularly satisfying mystery--even if I did see one part of the ending coming. But I have to say that I found the development of Gabriel's character even more satisfying. Smith is gradually widening his experience--the man has had a set pattern to his life and few social interactions or commitments beyond those necessitated by his profession. Constable Wright is becoming a good friend and the way a certain cat by the name of Delphinium insinuates herself into his routine is delightful. I am eager to see where the next Case takes him. ★★★★ and 1/2

First line: No hint of the horror to come was discernible in the pure snow.

"Nothing is horrible beyond description," said Gabriel, his inner lawyer--ever alert to inaccuracy of vocabulary--challenged this observation. "Words are all we have. Everything is describable, however terrible. Look at Medea; look at the Book of Revelation; look, for that matter, at Dracula." (Gabriel Ward; p. 10)

Last lines: Really, he thought to himself disagreeably, sometimes I do wonder about Sir Gabriel Ward KC. Now he has taken to walking about the Tempe with that objectionable cat at his heels. A lawyer of his seniority and distinction. One of our King's Counsell! In public! I shall have to speak to him.
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Deaths = 4 (two natural; one hit on head; one strangled)

The Harlot of St. Cecelia's

2026-06-08T22:47:57.536-04:00

The Harlot of St. Cecelia's (2026) by Darcy Graves

Synopsis (from the back of the book): London, 1923. American expat librarian Eden Brior thinks things are bad when she is accidentally locked overnight in the St. Cecelia's Library vault with the charming and unreliable playboy Simon Cross. Then she emerges to find the body of his estranged wife, a French actress, draped over a chair upstairs.

Detective Inspector William Garrett is quiet, perceptive, and fairly certain he already has his man. He tells Eden to go home, read a book, and leave the detecting to the professionals But how can she?

Racing to clear their names before Garrett closes the case, Eden follows the truth from the bright footlights of the London stage through the sleek drawing rooms of Jazz Age society, and secrets that someone will kill to keep buried.

Eden believes Garrett has decided that she and Cross may be in cahoots and this leads to her seeking answers on her own. When Simon's sister Meg also finds Garrett's investigation to be too focused on her brother, she and Eden join forces to out-sleuth the sleuths. And it's amazing what suspects and witnesses will tell ladies that they'd never dream of telling the police...But when their queries put them too close on the murderer's trail, they find that s/he isn't afraid to kill again if necessary to keep their secrets safe.

This is a marvelous debut novel in a new historical series. My favorite historical time period runs from the Victorian era through World War II and this look at the years between the wars was a great treat. The characters are vivid and well-defined and even though we've just met, I feel like I've known Eden and Meg, Simon and Inspector Garrett for ages. Eden and Meg make an excellent amateur detective team and really steal the show from Garrett (if he's intended to the be the leading recurring character). Not that the inspector doesn't have his charm. One definitely sympathizes with his trials and tribulations with his less competent subordinates (and superior, if the truth be told). One gets the feeling that he could really shine if there were better support amongst his colleagues. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward with great anticipation for future installments! ★★★★

First line: There was very nearly a murder in the Library that Thursday afternoon.

Last line: when he reached the end of the street Garrett turned and looked back, but she had returned to her garden.
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Deaths = 3 (one strangled; one natural; one shot)

[finished on 6/1/26--but vacation delayed my review]

~~~This book was given to me as a review copy by the author, Darcy Graves in exchange for an honest review. All comments (except the quoted synopsis--in italics) are my own and I have received no payment of any kind.

The Man Who Didn't Fly

2026-06-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

The Man Who Didn't Fly (1955) by Margot Bennett

Four men--Joseph Ferguson, Maurice Reid, Harry Walters, and Morgan Price--decide to book a private plane for Dublin. They all claim to have business in Ireland and plan to come back to their family and friends at home. But those who saw the plane start its westward journey across England tell of a fireball that plunged into the Irish Sea. But when an investigation is mounted, the police find that only three of the men joined the pilot in that disastrous journey. The difficulty is finding out which man didn't fly. No one who saw the men--from the bus driver who took passengers to the airport to the barman at the small airport to the men who helped get the plane ready can swear to which men were actually there. There were too many other people milling about and there was no reason to take special notice of any of them. The only things the detectives assigned to the case have to go on is a half-heard conversation that mentions Australia...or maybe South Africa and the fact that at least one of the men might have smoked and might have had a silver cigarette case.

It is odd that the man who didn't fly doesn't come forward. Did he somehow arrange for the plane to go down? If so, how? And why? The investigation comes to center on the family left behind--listening to their version of what happened in the days leading up to the plane's take-off. Other clues crop up in the conversations and eventually the police are able to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw together.

I have to say that I'm not finding the revival of Margot Bennett stories to be very satisfying. I wasn't nearly as impressed with her The Widow of Bath as some of my Golden Age Mystery friends (see linked review) and The Man Who Didn't Fly was just as disappointing. This time around the characters are not nearly as well-drawn (though they are just as un-engaging). I had a hard time keeping all the men straight (Was "Uncle Joe" the one who might have been in the plane or was it Hester's father?). And, speaking of Hester--she may not be "bitter, dreary, and cruel" as I have described the heroine of Bath, but she's definitely not one of the shining lights of GAD leading ladies. Her relationship, such as it is, with Harry is not at all believable. Why on earth both she and her step-mother (?--I'm not really sure about the relationships of all the women in the case either) are both attracted to him is a mystery to me. And the rest of the women are just as unimpressive. Added to the lack of interesting characters is a lack of interesting detection. We've taken what could have been a very engaging mystery (the premise really hooked me when I purchased this copy) and dragged it out through an endless parade of "here's what happened--in excrutiating detail--on the Monday before they all left" and "here's what happened on Tuesday"...rinse and repeat for each day leading up to the plane crash. Even breaking up the recollections with other bits of investigation didn't help me. By time things picked up and we were finally getting some action and interesting discoveries I was too numb to even care. ★★

But--my friend Kate over at Cross Examining Crime gave this a glowing review--so your mileage may vary.

First line: At eleven in the morning the aeroplane began its westward flight across England; shining like snow under is blue sky; losing its glitter in the thick white clouds; passing, heard but unseen, over the Welsh hills.

"Would you be willing to say that one of them wore a hat?"
"No. and I'll tell you why. Because I didn't see. and, if I did see, I didn't remember. And if I didn't remember, it was because I was thinking of something else. And, if I was thinking of something else, it was the three thirty at Lingfield. And if I was thinking of the three thirty at Lingfield, there's no law against it." (Police detective, Mr. Crewe; p.4)

He is a poet in words. That is now of no importance. I am a poet of money. Words! We have too many words. Word poets talk all the time of love and death. People fall in love and they die and no amount of poetic advice has ever helped them to do either of those things more successfully." (Joe Ferguson; p. 55)

"Let me try curling my lip. Do you suppose when people curl their lips it's convex or concave?" She went to the glass over the mantlepiece. "It looks queer both ways. If I curl it up towards my nose it is worse, don't you think? People in those books must look odd most of the time." (Prudence Wade; p. 116)

Last line: She kissed him and there was nothing left of Harry, except a small handful of poems for the anthologies.
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Deaths = 5 (four airplane crash; one shot)