Carol’s Comments
May 2012
Hello,
Everyone! Welcome to another issue of Carol’s Comments. I am a volunteer
at the River Park Branch. After reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for
SJCPL’s One Book, One Michiana
campaign, the mystery really piqued my interest in this genre that I read an
eclectic assortment of nontraditional mysteries over the past couple months.
The
first book I selected was Death Comes to Pemberly by noted
British mystery writer P.D. James. This wildly popular bestseller is an
imaginative sequel to Pride and Prejudice by blending Jane
Austen’s beloved characters into a murder mystery.
Set
in 1803, six years after Elizabeth
Bennet’s and Darcy’s marriage, the
couple’s serene and happy life is threatened when Elizabeth’s sister Lydia
arrives at Pemberly uninvited one dark October night and hysterically proclaims
that her husband George Wickham has been murdered. After thoroughly searching
the estate, Darcy and his companions discover Wickham standing over Captain
Denny’s lifeless body screaming that he has killed his only friend.
Despite
his bitter animosity toward his former childhood friend, Darcy is convinced
that Wickham did not murder Captain Denny. To save his family from scandal, he desperately
tries to find evidence proving Wickham’s innocence.
Written
in a 19th century writing style that doesn’t mimic Austen’s original
work, James’ book greatly respects Pride and Prejudice’s characters by
skillfully placing them in realistic situations. Readers unfamiliar with the
original novel as well as Jane Austen and mystery devotees alike will enjoy
this engrossing story because James provides a synopsis of Pride and Prejudice’s characters
and plot in the mystery’s prologue. Furthermore, she also cleverly integrates
characters from other Jane Austen novels into the book’s storyline. Ultimately,
Death
Comes to Pemberly is a fitting tribute to Austen’s classic masterpiece.
I highly recommend it.
After
finishing Death Comes to Pemberly, I realized how much missed spending
time with Mr. Darcy and the Bennet family. So soon afterward, I watched my
favorite version of Pride and Prejudice, the definitive 1995 screen adaptation
starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.
This
memorable film faithfully describes the entire novel in six hours. All the
characters are so captivating they seem to spring to life onscreen. In
particular, Colin Firth’s performance as Darcy is so realistic and compelling
that no other actor’s portrayal of this role can compare to his. He IS Darcy.
This marvelous miniseries is the essential choice for Colin Firth and Jane
Austen fans. Interestingly, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle reunite 15 years
later in The King’s Speech. While he stars as King George VI, she plays
Myrtle Logue, Lionel Logue’s wife.
After
being absolutely enthralled by the world of Pride and Prejudice, I
needed to find some lighter fare. So the next book I chose was Isis Crawford’s
latest culinary mystery, A Catered St Patrick’s Day.
This
mystery series centers on sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons who own the gourmet
shop and bakery, A Little Taste of Heaven. It seems wherever they cater an
event, murder follows. Flamboyant Bernie and sensible Libby solve these crimes
with help from their retired police chief father Sean Simmons and their
boyfriends: Brandon, a local bartender and Marvin, a mortician.
In
their newest case, Mike Sweeney, member of the Corn Beef and Cabbage Club is
found drowned in a barrel of green beer at a tavern on St Patrick’s Day morning. When Duncan Nottingham is arrested for the
murder, his aunt, prominent socialite Bree Nottingham hires the sisters to
investigate and find the real killer.
These
irresistible mysteries are so much fun to read mainly due to the squabbling
sisters’ comical interplay with their father, boyfriends and goofy townspeople.
As an added bonus, the author includes several yummy recipes at the end of the
book for the reader to try.
Although
I’ve enjoyed all eight of Crawford’s mysteries since I first discovered them
four years ago, my all-time favorites are A Catered Halloween and A
Catered Birthday Party. I think Crawford’s delightful mysteries would
make terrific TV movies for the Hallmark Channel.
After
totally immersing myself in everything related to Sherlock Holmes in April, I
still craved more. While browsing The New York Times Book Review, I
stumbled upon The Pirate King by Laurie R King.
In
this ingenious retelling of Conan Doyle’s classic stories, feisty and self-reliant,
Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes’ wife narrates the book and helps him solve crimes
instead of Dr Watson. Set in 1924 against the backdrop of Britain’s silent film
era, Holmes sends Russell off to investigate criminal activity involving
illicit drugs and firearms at Fflyte Films after receiving an urgent dispatch
from Scotland Yard’s Inspector Lestrade. Working undercover as a production assistant
on the rollicking film version of The Pirates of Penzance, Russell
unravels the sinister motives of the movie’s cast, director and crew before
Holmes finally arrives.
Although
I still prefer Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes adventures, I plan to read
The
Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first book in King’s eleven part Mary
Russell mystery series to find out how the heroine’s marriage and crime solving
partnership with Holmes began.
These
mysteries and other Colin Firth movies like Pride and Prejudice can
be found at all SJCPL locations. For further information, visit the library’s
web site at www.libraryforlife.org.
See you next time and thanks for reading!
Previously posted at the SJCPL blog
Previously posted at the SJCPL blog
