The Hunting Party: Lucy Foley

This is a crime fiction novel taking place around New Year's Eve / New Year's Day. A winter getaway in a lovely setting, which goes wrong, of course.

Summary from the book :

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

This book had an unusual setup. The story is told from the point of view of five characters, alternating between brief chapters. It also skips around in time, which can be confusing. But still, those are both aspects that I like as long as I can keep up with the story.

The book starts on January 2nd, when a body is discovered. Then it quickly moves back to 3 days earlier, and the guests arrive at the estate. The reader knows from the beginning that one of the group has died, but it takes a good bit of the book to actually find out who it was.

There were things that annoyed me about this book. At the end of each chapter, the author has fed us a bit more about the characters to make us wonder about them (or other characters), and leave us wanting to know more. This element felt manipulative to me. I know all mystery writers have to be manipulative with the reader to keep the full story hidden from them, but this was too obvious for me.

It also has elements I love. The snowed-in, cut off from civilization setting for one. The relationships within the group and the characterization was very good.

All the friends, and their significant others plus one child, make a big effort to get together for this regular event. But there are obvious tensions between various people in the group. This reader wondered why most of them are still taking part in the annual gathering.The gradual reveal of what changes have taken place within the group in the ten years since being in school together is well done and interesting.

Although the author leaves it open that anyone may be the villain, there are hints that some of the characters are more dependable, reliable, etc. than others. However, almost all the members in the group were unsympathetic, and there was at least one that I was rooting for to be the victim. They all have secrets.

Also interesting are Heather, the manager of the estate, and Doug, the gamekeeper. They each have problems in the past which have led them to this isolated place.

In the end, I did like this book overall. And some elements of the ending were surprising to me, not a letdown at all. Psychological suspense is not my preferred type of mystery, but I would be willing to try this author again.

Another note, the story is told in present tense, which often turns me off and takes me out of the story. I have finally read enough books written in present tense that I have gotten used to it. However, I like to mention that aspect for those who don't want to read that style.

Also see John Grant's review at Noirish and Kristin Centorelli's review at Criminal Element.

And Moira's post at Clothes in Books, with excellent images to accompany her review.


 -----------------------------

Publisher:  William Morrow, 2019.
Length:     327 pages
Format:     Hardcover
Setting:     Scotland
Genre:      Psychological suspense
Source:     Borrowed from my husband.

2020 European Reading Challenge

In the 2020 European Reading Challenge hosted by Rose City Reader, participants tour Europe through books. The books can be read (and reviewed) anytime between January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021.

The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. Each book must be by a different author and set in a different country. A book must be reviewed in order to count towards the goal.

I am joining at the FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. I usually read 10 to 15 books for the challenge but don't always review them all.

This is the list of countries:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

POSSIBLE BOOKS FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Switzerland:  The Pledge by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Luxembourg:  The Expats by Chris Pavone
Spain:  Tattoo by Manuel Vazquez Montalban
Norway:  Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
Greece:  Assassins of Athens by Jeffrey Siger

Reading Classic Books Challenge 2020

Because I always need a little push to keep me working on completing my Classics List, I have been looking for a related challenge. I found the Reading Classic Books Challenge at The Broken Spine hosted by Erica.

The rules are simple:
1) ALL books must have been first published 50 years ago or earlier
2) Books must be read between January 1st and December 31st
3) Books may be used for up to two prompts

I have added books on my list that I may read for some of the topics.

The Challenge Prompts:

1) Read a classic over 500 pages

Charles Dickens – Bleak House (1853)

2) Read a classic by a POC and/or with a POC as the main character

Zora Neale Hurston – Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)

3) Read a classic that takes place in a country other than where you live

Christopher Isherwood – Goodbye to Berlin (1939)

4) Read a classic in translation

Vicki Baum – Grand Hotel (1929)

5) Read a classic by a new to you author

Madeleine L'Engle – A Wrinkle in Time (1962)

6) Read a book of poetry

7) Read a classic written between 1800-1860

Jane Austen – Sense and Sensibility (1811)

8) Read a classic written by an LGBT author and/or with an LGBT main character

9) Read a classic written by a woman

Nancy Mitford – The Pursuit of Love (1945)

10) Read a classic novella

11) Read a classic nonfiction

12) Read a classic that has been banned or censored

Ray Bradbury – Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Crime at Christmas: C.H.B. Kitchin

This is the first book I have read by C.H.B. Kitchin. The setting is one often used in vintage mysteries taking place around Christmas -- a large house where many people are gathered for Christmas celebrations. This time the house is not in the country but on Hampstead Heath in London.

The protagonist, Malcolm Warren, has an unusual job (for an amateur sleuth in a mystery); he is a stockbroker, and he is visiting Mr. Quisberg, his most important client. Mr. Quisberg's wife has five children by previous marriages, aged from 12 to mid-twenties, so with the family and some of Quisberg's friends, they have a full house, although Quisberg and his secretary Harley have gone off on a business trip.

After dinner on Christmas Eve and a game of bridge, they play a game of musical chairs, and during the shenanigan's Malcolm falls and seriously injures his arm. The doctor (one of the guests) gives him something to help him sleep. When he wakes in the morning he discovers a dead body on a balcony, which is quite a shocker although it seems to have been an accident.

In the next few days, there are more strange and deadly occurrences. Malcolm is suspicious of what is going on in the house, and feels that things are off but he cannot put his finger on the problem. When a second body is found, Inspector Parris shows up. He immediately befriends Malcolm, using him somewhat as a spy in the household, and at the least a source of information. I did not particularly care for the inspector, but he is useful to the plot.

The story moved slowly, but I enjoyed the slow pace. Malcolm tells the story in a first person narrative and he has a lot to say about his surroundings, the house, its furnishings, and it occupants.

He describes his impression of the house...

The less I say about the furnishing and 'appointments' of the house, the better, perhaps. Both Bloomsbury and Belgravia would (for different reasons) have described them as appalling. A few pieces of furniture were beautiful. All of them were expensive, but the general effect was deplorable. Somehow everything about the house was a little wrong. Despite the size of the rooms, they seemed too full. The electric light fittings, specially made in Paris, I was told, did not harmonise with the carving on the walls and doors...

After the first death...

It was perhaps fortunate that it was early in the morning; for at such an hour my emotions are rarely acute. While shaving, I can forget even that I am in love. My chief feeling, I think, was one of annoyance. There we were, all gathered together for a Christmas party, and plunged suddenly into gloom and the menace of official inquiry.

Malcolm is a very strange creature, in a good way. I liked him a lot and did not really care how things turned out otherwise. A lot of the other people staying at the house were also strange, some likable, some not so much.

The last chapter was unusual, wrapping up the story with a Question and Answer session. I liked that also, but some reviewers did not.

Per his Author Bio at Allen & Unwin...

C. H. B. Kitchin was born in Yorkshire in 1895. He read classics at Exeter College, Oxford and, after serving in France during the First World War, was called to the Bar in 1924.

This is the 2nd book by Kitchen featuring Malcolm Warren. Other books in the series are:

• Death of My Aunt (1929)
• Death of His Uncle (1939)
• The Cornish Fox (1949)

See other reviews...
at Beneath the Stains of Times, crossexaminingcrime, Pining for the West, and View from the Blue House.

My husband has provided several of my recent reads set during the holidays. This one, and The Christmas Egg and one coming up, The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (published this year).

 -----------------------------

Publisher:   Faber & Faber, 2015, (orig. pub. 1934)
Length:       249 pages
Series:        Malcolm Warren #2
Format:       Trade Paperback
Setting:       Hampstead, London, UK
Genre:        Mystery
Source:      Borrowed from my husband.

European Reading Challenge 2019: Wrap Up Post

This is my wrap up post for the 2019 European Reading Challenge. The goal was to read and review at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. I enjoyed reading these books and will be signing up for this challenge in 2020.

These are the books I read and reviewed for the challenge:

NORWAY:  What Never Happens by Anne Holt

Anne Holt is a Norwegian author of crime fiction, and this is the second book in her Adam Stubo and Johanne Vik series, set in Oslo. Adam is an inspector in the Criminal Investigation Service and Johanne has worked with the FBI as a profiler.

SWEDEN:  The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler

This book is set in Tumba, Sweden, and features Detective Inspector Joona Linna and Erik Maria Bark, a hypnotist. 

DENMARK:  The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Carl Mørck is a homicide detective in Copenhagen, and has been chosen to head the new Department Q, focusing on high profile cold cases.

ICELAND:  Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson

Snowblind is the first book in the Dark Iceland series. The setting is the northernmost town in Iceland, Siglufjörður, close to the Arctic Circle.

UNITED KINGDOM:  The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell

The Hilary Tamar series centers around a group of young barristers who often seek Hilary's help when they run into trouble. This story is about an heiress, who is trying to avoid excessive estate taxes by an amendment to her grandfather's will. 

IRELAND:  Broken Harbor by Tana French

The fourth book in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series features Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy, who had a minor role in Faithful Place, and his new partner, rookie detective Richie Curran.

FRANCE:  Turncoat by Aaron Elkins

Peter Simon, a professor of history at Brooklyn college, takes a journey to Spain and France, in search of his wife who has disappeared.

GREECE:  Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger

Inspector Andreas Kaldis has been assigned to the beautiful island of Mykonos as Police Chief. The first case after his arrival on Mykonos is the discovery of a young woman's bones in a church.

NETHERLANDS:  Death in Amsterdam by Nicolas Freeling

This is the first book of the Van der Valk series by Nicolas Freeling. It was originally published in 1962 in the UK with the title Love in Amsterdam.

GERMANY:  City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin

City of Shadows is set mostly in Berlin, starting in 1922 and then picks up the story again in 1932. Esther Solomonova and Nicholai Potrovskov are both Russian émigrés in Berlin. The difference is Prince Nick is rich and Esther is very poor and a Jew.

SWITZERLAND:  Allmen and the Dragonflies by Martin Suter

Forced to downscale, Allmen inhabits the garden house of his former Zurich estate, attended by his Guatemalan butler, Carlos. Refusing to lower his expenditures in order to live on the money he takes in, he gets involved in petty theft, and then in more serious crimes.

CZECH REPUBLIC:  Innocence; or, Murder on Steep Street by Heda Margolius Kovály

This novel was written in 1985, and is set in the 1950s, in the early days of Communist Czechoslovakia, a time when no one knew who to trust, and policemen and State Security agents were looking for traitors at the slightest excuse. 

RUSSIA:  Tarnished Icons by Stuart M. Kaminsky

This is the eleventh novel in Stuart Kaminsky's Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov series, set in Russia in the late 1990's. Rostnikov and his team in the Office of Special Investigations have a new boss, Igor Yakovlev, formerly of the KGB. And Rostnikov's son, Iosef, has decided to join the police and is working with Rostnikov's team

Nothing Lasts Forever: Roderick Thorpe

This is the novel that the film Die Hard (1988) was based on. The book was published in 1979 so the time frame is about the same in the book and the movie.

From the description on the back of the book:

A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed all according to plan. But they haven't counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily. As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight to the death. Ho ho ho!

I would like to think that I could have evaluated this book without comparing it to the movie as I read it, but that wasn't really possible. I have seen the movie many, many times and practically have it memorized. And the plot of the book is close enough to the movie that it was hard to separate them.

In the book the main character is Joseph Leland. He is a former policeman, once had his own private detective agency, and now is a security consultant.  When terrorists take over the skyscraper he is visiting, he evades them and soon knows how dangerous they are and that he is the only one who has a chance to foil their plan.

If anything, the book has more violence than the film, and the story is definitely darker than the film. There is very little humor. The story is set at Christmas, beginning Christmas Eve and ending on December 25th. Much of the action is very similar to the film, but characters and relationships are different.

I did like the story very much. It is told from Leland's point of view, and we learn a lot about his past and his attitudes in between action scenes. Other characters are important to the story, but we never get to know them as well. The ending was a shocker.

Roderick Thorp wrote an earlier novel, The Detective, published in 1966 and also featuring Joseph Leland.  It is twice as long and doesn't get many good reviews so I am undecided whether to give it a try someday.


 -----------------------------

Publisher:   Graymalkin Media, 2012 (orig. pub. 1979)
Length:      245 pages
Format:      Trade Paperback
Series:       Joseph Leland #1
Setting:      Los Angeles, California
Genre:       Thriller
Source:      I purchased this book.