Make Mine Murder Monday

[evelyn_b]

What I've Finished Reading

No More Dying by David Roberts: Lord Peter Wimsey fanfic with the serial numbers lightly scribbled over, plus mostly irrelevant historical hindsight in enormous quantities. Half the characters are real people, and the made-up people are constantly elbowing each other in the ribs and saying things like, "Poor little Jack

Comments

[osprey_archer]

"Well," she said, "if you walk up to the top of this building and jump off, you can be."

Well, that's certainly bracing. But it sounds like Vernon needs some bracing, so perhaps that's not a bad thing. And surely Nell's desire for Vernon to give up on this composing nonsense and get a real job would get in his way far more than Jane's insistence on having a personality? Don't marry Nell, Vernon! You'll regret it!

Vanity Dies Hard sounds intriguingly terrifying.

[evelyn_b]

Vernon needs more than your ordinary share of bracing. He needs a whole elaborate trapeze rig-out if he's going to manage any of the normal spine-requiring activities of human or genius life. It's a hard road, being a genius on one hand, and having no spine to speak of on the other.

Vanity Dies Hard is excellent.

[lost_spook]

LOL, oh dear. I am feeling somewhat smug(ish) about only reading Christies with murder in them now.

I had looked once with interest at those David Robert books, but ahaha, oh dear, not badly done pro-totally-not-fanfic, oh dear also.

Mind, I don't want the terrifyingness of Ruth Rendell, either! (Is she really terrifying, or is this like me thinking Agatha Christie was and she isn't? Maybe your reviews will solve that little mystery too!)

:-D

[evelyn_b]

I feel like I'm not adequately conveying how much I've been enjoying Giant's Bread in spite of it being. . .well, Giant's Bread. It's not good like Christie's murders are good, but. . . ok, really I just like it because it's Christie trying something different, but the enjoyment is genuine!

Those David Roberts books have really tempting covers! I was drawn to this one immediately when I saw it at the Friends of the Library book sale. And in its defense, I didn't notice it was fanfic until page 50 or so (because Roberts 100% forgot to put any jokes in, for one thing). But you will probably be happier just buying an actual vintage travel poster and putting it on your wall, or just looking at some old Guinness ads on Tumblr or something.

Is she really terrifying, or is this like me thinking Agatha Christie was and she isn't?

It's hard to say. The situation is really creepy, with a main character who thought she had lots of good friends suddenly unsure if she can trust anyone, and Rendell does a great job making you feel the

[lost_spook]

Then I'm glad you're enjoying it! I can tell I wouldn't be, though, because I recognise similar notes from her murders, and not the good notes. Hence, some smugness. :-)

[liadtbunny]

So genius is of no use because there's now a war on? I guess Vernon could write some great tune that lefts everyone's spirits before making music all good. I hope Jane didn't shred her vocal cords for nothing!

[evelyn_b]

No, it's just that everyone was too distracted by the war to do effete cultural stuff, so the opera closed early and didn't put down roots in the national consciousness the way Jane was hoping it would. Her sacrifice was doubly in vain, because not only did hardly anyone remember the opera except the most dedicated hipsters, half of those only remembered it because it was Jane's last performance and killed the voice of a promising singer. Genius is a hard road! :(

[liadtbunny]

It is! Poor Jane:( Get some murders in(!).