tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post3680685943263264194..comments2024-03-11T01:39:11.362-04:00Comments on At the Scene of the Crime: Return of the PeculiarPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-2299941870933732952012-04-26T15:42:40.469-04:002012-04-26T15:42:40.469-04:00It not only *sounds* great, it *is* great. I think...It not only *sounds* great, it *is* great. I think you'd enjoy this book! Do let us know what you think when you get around to it!Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-23188811304424334022012-04-26T15:41:53.886-04:002012-04-26T15:41:53.886-04:00Thanks for visiting, Peggy. I have *not* read OFF ...Thanks for visiting, Peggy. I have *not* read OFF THE RAILS (yet) but I do plan to eventually go back to 77 CLOCKS-- which I skipped because I couldn't find a copy at the time!Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-30873831918271375692012-04-26T15:40:57.353-04:002012-04-26T15:40:57.353-04:00I thought the misdirection in THE WATER ROOM was e...I thought the misdirection in THE WATER ROOM was excellent. I have fond memories of it-- though I confess, the plot set-up at first glance looks far less promising than those of TEN SECOND STAIRCASE or FULL DARK HOUSE! Before I read THE MEMORY OF BLOOD, though, my personal favourite entry was TEN SECOND STAIRCASE due to its plot set-up and generally satisfying conclusion (apart from the first impossibility).Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-39990642752135174382012-04-26T15:39:22.968-04:002012-04-26T15:39:22.968-04:00I must confess that it gave me a genuine shock whe...I must confess that it gave me a genuine shock when I checked my e-mail fifteen minutes ago and saw who had left a comment!<br /><br />But I agree wholeheartedly with you. This one is my favourite of the series. Great atmosphere. A decent locked room problem (though I do confess solutions of this particular type tend to blur together in a general category for me). Fascinating history, especially that of the theatre. And a killer very much hidden in plain sight! What more could one ask for? Well, apart from a million dollars and the complete works of Harry Stephen Keeler. :PPatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-26280633358807863942012-04-26T15:36:30.601-04:002012-04-26T15:36:30.601-04:00Mr. Fowler,
First off, thanks very much for comme...Mr. Fowler,<br /><br />First off, thanks very much for commenting! It's an honour for me as a genuine fan of yours-- and if I've sounded uncharitable towards the series it's the result of a quick summary. I have highly enjoyed the PCU novels I've read, with the exception of WHITE CORRIDOR. But of course, as you say, different readers, different tastes.<br /><br />When it comes to clueing, I was thinking of stuff like the identity of the killer in FULL DARK HOUSE or the solution to the first impossibility in TEN SECOND STAIRCASE. As someone who is passionately devoted to Golden Age mysteries, I thought the clues in these particular instances were fairly weak. (I'm in tricky territory here because this is what I call Spoiler Rapids. I would explain in detail if I could, but that would risk spoiling the books for someone who hasn't read them... so I'm forced to refer to these things in a roundabout way.) But then there are ingenious bits of misdirection like that in THE WATER HOUSE, which I admire very much.<br /><br />Thanks once again for visiting this humble blog and for commenting, and I congratulate you for the splendid work on this latest book.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-21276883497630716312012-04-26T14:38:47.510-04:002012-04-26T14:38:47.510-04:00I thoroughly enjoyed OFF THE RAILS, so this looks ...I thoroughly enjoyed OFF THE RAILS, so this looks just like my cup of tea. A combination of Mr Fowler and Mr Punch sound great.Sextonblakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-74684573927134237242012-04-26T12:13:30.125-04:002012-04-26T12:13:30.125-04:00I've read The Victoria Vanishes and Off the Ra...I've read The Victoria Vanishes and Off the Rails and enjoyed them both. Will look for the Memory of Blood! Thanks Patrick and Christopher:)Peggy Annhttp://peggyannspost.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-54587104841841934602012-04-26T12:10:26.045-04:002012-04-26T12:10:26.045-04:00I have read all of these, and while my own favouri...I have read all of these, and while my own favourite is "The Water Room", perhaps because Bryant was given the reins for the first time, my own notes say that this is a superior entry in a superior series. And yes, "The White Corridor" was<br />awful. I always learn so much history from these, and in such an entertaining way.Ron Smythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00575735524072816238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-14730388922621499602012-04-26T11:09:04.250-04:002012-04-26T11:09:04.250-04:00Very cool that Chris left the comment above, Patri...Very cool that Chris left the comment above, Patrick! I very much liked this one. It now ranks as my favorite of the Bryant & May books. It's very retro Golden Age in plotting. Plus all the history of Punch and Judy was just terrific for an ex-puppeteer like me.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-48596358125830679772012-04-26T09:30:38.056-04:002012-04-26T09:30:38.056-04:00Well thank you for your kind appraisal of 'Mem...Well thank you for your kind appraisal of 'Memory'. After 'The Victoria Vanishes' I changed my modus operandi a bit, cutting back on social comment beginning with Bryant & May On The Loose', and I think it's freshened up the series. <br /><br />Different readers like different styles of plot, of course. I assembled a critics' popularity list and White Corridor came 3rd) but personally I like the new style better myself.<br /><br />One point - I never cheat the reader with clues. They're always in plain sight. Try the double-book 'On The Loose' and 'Off The Rails', which can be solved from the outset if you're careful, as critics pointed out...<br /><br />Best<br />Christopher FowlerChristopher Fowlerhttp://www.christopherfowler.co.uknoreply@blogger.com