Mystery

Review: Sad Cypress

/ rtrube54 / 2 Comments
Cover image of "Sad Cypress" by Agatha Christie

Sad Cypress

Sad Cypress (Hercule Poirot, 21) Agatha Christie. William Morrow Paperbacks (ISBN: 9780063376151) 2025, first published 1940.

Summary: Elinor Carlisle is on trial for poisoning Mary Gerrard and will go to her death unless Poirot can show that someone else did it.

Elinor Carlisle is standing in the dock, charged with the murder by poisoning of Mary Gerrard, her lodgekeeper’s daughter. She pleads not guilty but the preponderance of evidence weighs against her. But the family physician has hired Hercule Poirot to investigate, and to find evidence that will exonerate her.

The back story, which Christie proceeds to tell is that Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Welman, are engaged to marry. Elinor is the niece of Laura Welman, whose health is failing. Roddy is Mrs. Welman’s deceased husband’s nephew. The two grew up in frequent contact, a relationship which had grown into love, at least for Elinor. Mrs Welman had always wanted this marriage. Both Roddy and Elinor had been living in London when an anonymous note is delivered to Elinor, warning of someone stealing the affections of Mrs. Welman in her illness.

When Mrs Welman has a stroke, they visit. Elinor finds Mary Gerrard, the lodgekeeper’s daughter has been keeping Mrs Welman company and helping the nurses care for her. For some reason, Mrs. Welman had taken an interest in Mary, and had paid for her education, including a finishing school in Paris. Mary is modest, and simply professes gratitude for the treatment she has received. And Mrs. Welman appreciates the company.

All may have been well and good were it not for a chance encounter between Roddy and Mary. He is immediately smitten, though Mary discourages him. Elinor sees this and it leads to the breaking of their engagement. Even then, when Roddy presses his suit, Mary discourages him. But Elinor is secretly heartbroken, and jealous of Roddy’s attentions to Mary.

Mrs. Welman, who detests being bedridden, has a second stroke. Despite surviving and improving, she dies overnight. About this time, nurse Hopkins mentions a missing vial of morphine fromn her bag to the other nurse. But there is no reason to see the death as having been from other than natural causes.

When Elinor meets with the solicitor, she learns Mrs Welman had died intestate, and that she has inherited the estate. Nothing goes to Roddy. Mrs. Welman had been distraught the night before she died and wanted her solicitor to make a provision for Mary, something she had been unable to do. Elinor settled £2000 on Mary. And she decided to sell the manor, asking Mary to clean out the lodgekeepers residence.

Meanwhile, Elinor wrapped up matters at the main house and made sandwiches from supplies she had picked up at the grocer, more than she could eat. So, she went down and invited Mary and nurse Hopkins to join her. When they sat down, she served Mary first, who took the top sandwich. Afterward, nurse Hopkins made tea that she and Mary drank. Then nurse Hopkins and Elinor went upstairs to look through some things. When they finally came down, they found Mary breathing with difficulty. Despite the doctor’s efforts, she died.

They found a lethal dose of morphine in her stomach. Since both Mary and nurse Hopkins drank the tea, the focus was on the sandwich she ate. Then a scrap of paper with the word “morphine” was found in the floorboard where Elinor had prepared the sandwiches.

It doesn’t appear anyone else but Elinor could have done it. She had motive, means (the missing morphine vial) and opportunity. But she maintained her innocence (even as she imagined she could have done it). And Dr. Lord believes her and seeks Poirot’s help. But will he find evidence that points elsewhere when the preponderance points at Elinor? Or will she go to the gallows?

In the end it comes down hidden secrets and small mistakes, things Poirot is skilled at ferreting out. But Christie made the evidence against Elinor seem so convincing that I wondered how Poirot could prove otherwise. And that’s what kept me glued to the story to the end.

Review: A Fatal Glass of Beer

/ rtrube54 / Leave a comment
Cover image of "A Fatal Glass of Beer" by Stuart Kaminsky

A Fatal Glass of Beer

A Fatal Glass of Beer (Toby Peters, 20) Stuart M. Kaminsky. MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (ISBN: 9781453247525) 2012, first published 1997.

Summary: Toby Peters is hired by W.C. Fields to find the imposter emptying Fields’ bank accounts across the country.

In number 20 in the series, Hollywood detective Toby Peters is hired by W.C. Fields to find the person emptying Fields’ bank accounts. As Fields travelled across the country, he opened accounts under names like Otis J. Raisincluster, Quigley E. Sneersight, and Cormorant Beecham III. All told, he had about a million dollars in those different accounts. Now, someone has stolen about half of the bank books associated with the accounts and is withdrawing the funds.

So, he hires Toby Peters to catch up to the thief and recover the money. But he doesn’t leave it at that. He wants to accompany Peters. That’s where Gunther Whertman, who we met in Murder on the Yellow Brick Road comes in. Peter hires him to drive Fields’ Cadillac. What results is a madcap adventure across the country beginning in Philadelphia. In a note, the thief identifies himself as Lester O. Hipnoodle, and through a police friend, they find his apartment in Philadelphia. But no Hipnoodle. Only a note where he is going to strike next.

Oddly, although it seems Hipnoodle wants them to follow, a caller warns them not to, on danger of death. But that doesn’t deter Fields, who has survived his share of scrapes, as Peters will hear. However, Hipnoodle outfoxes them at each bank, using a fake ID and the bank book to empty the account, leaving a clue to where he would hit next. As they pursue, they are pursued by someone they identify as “The Chimp” and the threats become real. Is one person behind all this, they wonder?

The story portrays Fields as dauntless, one who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, yet generous. Also, he often thinks he is funnier than he is. But the combination of Fields, Gunther, and Peters makes for great fun. Meanwhile, the dentist he shares an office with yields to move Peters and his receptionist out.

In sum, this isn’t great detective fiction, although there are some interesting plot twists. Rather, this is just a fun, cross-country romp.

Review: Lightning Strike

/ rtrube54 / Leave a comment
Cover image of "Lightning Strike" by William Kent Krueger

Lightning Strike

Lightning Strike (Cork O’Connor, 18) William Kent Krueger. Atria Books (ISBN: 9781982128692) 2022.

Summary: In this prequel, Cork as a twelve year old finds a body hanging in a tree but his father is not convinced it was suicide.

Twelve-year-old Cork O’Connor and his friend Jorge are exploring an abandoned logging camp called Lightning Strike. It is a sacred place for the Ojibwe. But what the boys find this day is death. A body is hanging from a tree. They recognize it as Big John Manydeeds. They also think they see a spirit in the trees, a scary apparition. The boys report what they’ve seen to Cork’s father, Liam O’Connor, who in 1963 is sheriff of Aurora.

On the face of things, it looks like Big John had committed suicide. There were empty bottles of Four Roses whiskey nearby. Big John was an alcoholic, although he had reformed and stayed sober in recent years. There was alcohol in his blood. Liam found more empties at his cabin, although they didn’t have any fingerprints. Some things weren’t adding up, and Liam has to face the possibility that it was a murder.

Two suspects emerge. One is Duncan MacDermid, one of the richest men in the area. It turns out his wife was having an affair with Big John. But would the law dare to go against the most powerful man in the county? The other suspect was his brother Oscar. When Big John had been drinking they fought frequently. And when subsequent toxicology shows a barbiturate in Big John’s blood that Oscar used with his animals, focus intensifies on him.

But accusing one of The People threatens to divide the White and Indigenous parts of the town. And this division runs through Liam’s own family. His mother-in-law Dilsey is Anishinaabe and his wife is half Anishinaabe. As much as they love and respect Liam, they fear another in the string of betrayals Indigenous peoples experienced from broken promises and displacements to the horrors of boarding schools. However, Liam is determined to follow the evidence. But he is challenged to listen to his heart as well as his head.

To complicate things, a young runaway Indigenous girl has gone missing. Liam and his department have to investigate this as well. Eventually, her body is found floating in a nearby lake with signs of violence on her body. Two murders.

Meanwhile, Cork believes he has a part to play. He saw what he believed the spirit of Big John, unable to walk the Path of Souls. He wonders what part he has to play. Henry Meloux, the mide, can only cryptically encourage him to “follow the crumbs.” And so he and his friends do. They eventually find Big John’s missing canoe, smashed up. And they locate where the young girl died. But this will put them in danger in the page-turning climax.

As a prequel, the book reveals how Cork begins to discover his own calling, one which in many respects follows his father. Readers of the series know Cork’s father died in a bank robbery when he saved an old woman wandering into the line of fire. An epilogue recounts those events. And Sam Winter Moon, a family friend tells Cork that his father was ogichidaa, one who stands between evil and his people. And he tells Cork he believes that Cork was also born ogichidaa. Cork has a long path to traverse before embracing that identity. But we see the first steps here.

Review: The Labors of Hercules

/ rtrube54 / 2 Comments
Cover image of "The Labors of Hercules" by Agatha Christie

The Labors of Hercules

The Labors of Hercules (Poirot, 26), Agatha Christie. Wm. Morrow Paperbacks (ISBN: 9780061746383) 2006, first published 1947.

Summary: As Poirot approaches retirement, he solves twelve cases that parallel the “labors” of his namesake, Hercules.

One evening, an old friend drops by for a social visit. In the course of conversation, the subject of Poirot’s Christian name comes up, one actually derived from Greek mythology. Later, they discuss his approaching retirement and how he might conclude his career, joking about “the twelve labours of Hercules.” After his guest departs, Poirot ponders this aside and determines that he will indeed take on twelve cases that mimic the twelve labors of Hercules. And so the remainder of the book chronicles Poirot moving from and solving them one by one.

The Nemean Lion. In this case, the “lion” is a kidnapped Pekingese dog who is a “veritable lion.” Several Pekingese have been kidnapped from their owners and returned unharmed for a ransom.

The Lernaean Hydra. Letters claiming Dr. Oldfield poisoned his wife are like a “many headed hydra” and destroying the innocent doctor’s practice. But when the body is exhumed, she has indeed been poisoned with arsenic!

The Arcadian Deer. A car breakdown results in meeting a mechanic reminding Poirot of an Arcadian shepherd. The mechanic recognizes Poirot and asks his help to find Nita, a maid to a famous dancer he’d briefly met and fell in love with. She is Poirot’s Arcadian deer.

The Erymanthian Boar. Enroute to a remote lodge, Poirot receives a note from Lementeuil, the Swiss Commissaire of Police, who has recognized him. As it turns out, Marrascaud, who Lementeuil describes as a “wild boar” is going to the same lodge. Marrascaud is a gangster connected to many killings. But Poirot, eager to help, struggles to identify him from among the guests.

The Augean Stables. So, Poirot is back in England, called on the new prime minister to deal with scurrilous rumors about his wife. He devises a clever solution to clean out the “Augean Stables” of rumors.

The Stymphalean Birds. Harold Waring, a British undersecretary is on holiday when two Polish women, reminiscent of birds in their appearance, blackmail him. These are the “Stymphalean Birds” However, Poirot discovers they are not the real blackmailers.

The Cretan Bull. Diana Maberly is engaged to a Hugh Chandler, a promising officer and a “bull of a young man.” But after he breaks off the engagement, claiming he is going insane. Diana asks Poirot to investigate.

The Horses of Diomedes. A doctor seeks Poirot’s help with a young girl, Sheila Grant who is developing a cocaine addiction. Poirot likens drug purveyors to the horses of Diomedes, who feed on human flesh. But as in many cases, things are not what they seem.

The Girdle of Hippolyta. An art owner asks Poirot to investigate the theft of a Rubens painting, The Girdle of Hippolyta. However, another case of a missing schoolgirl interests him more. Subsequently, we discover there is a connection between the two cases.

The Flock of Geryon. The Pekingese kidnapper of The Nemean Lion turns over a new leaf by offering to help Poirot expose a religious huckster (“Geryon”) connected with the deaths of three wealthy women. But her undercover work in the cult puts her own life at risk.

The Apples of the Hesperides. The apples here are on a goblet an art collector bought at auction. But thieves stole the goblin before he received it. He asks Poirot to track it down, a journey that will take him to a remote convent.

The Capture of Cerberus. Cerberus is Dou-Dou, the guard dog at a popular night club run by Poirot’s old friend, Madame Rossakoff. He learns of a drug ring operating out of the club, of an impending raid, and helps Inspector Japp to find who is behind it.

What a novel way to present twelve Poirot short stories and tie them all together. Each one is about the length of what one might read at a sitting. Instead of long, twisty plots, we have short ones with a few twists and a quick denouement. And then Poirot matches his namesake and can retire with honor!

Review: Tell Me Everything

/ rtrube54 / Leave a comment
Cover image of "Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout

Tell Me Everything

Tell Me Everything, Elizabeth Strout. Random House (ISBN: 9780593446119) 2025.

Summary: While Bob Burgess represents a murder suspect, he and those around him tell stories of their and other lives.

I understand that the working title of this work was The Book of Bob. Strout opens the book describing him, a description we see bearing out in this book:

“This is the story of Bob Burgess, a tall, heavyset man who lives in the town of Crosby, Maine, and he is sixty-five years old at the time we are speaking of him. Bob has a big heart, but he does not know that about himself; like many of us, he does not know himself as well as he assumes to, and he would never believe he had anything worthy in his life to document. But he does; we all do.”

One of the main threads of the story is the relationship Bob, a semi-retired criminal defense lawyer develops with Matt Beach. Matt was a reclusive artist who cared for his mother Gloria Beach. He came home to find her missing and called the police. But she wasn’t found until the following March in a quarry pool near a missing rental vehicle. Gloria Beach was a miserable person for most people to be around, nicknamed “Bitch Ball” when she’d work in the school cafeteria. Suspicions focused on Matt though there was no hard evidence tying him to her murder. Matt’s sister, Diana, a successful school counselor asks Bob to become his lawyer. He is perhaps the first to listen to Matt and becomes his friend, even staying with him for several nights when he is particularly troubled. He discovers Matt’s artistic gifts. That’s the murder mystery part of this novel.

The novel revolves around the telling and unfolding of life stories. The other thread running through the novel are the walks Bob and author Lucy Barton take together. “Tell me everything” is the refrain describing their conversations. Bob talks about his brother Jim and his own troubled past, having accidentally killed his father as a child playing in the family call, accidentally putting it in gear, rolling over his father. Lucy discusses her troubled relationship with her daughters. She also recounts her conversations with Olive Kitteridge. Although ninety-one, Olive’s memory is sharp, and she shares with Lucy stories of “unrecorded lives.” Soon, Lucy reciprocates, although Olive doesn’t always appreciate the stories.

Lucy is back together with her ex, William. Bob is husband to the Unitarian minister, Margaret Estaver. There are no conflicts between them but in some ways Bob and Margaret have grown apart. People, even William and Margaret, see Bob and Lucy as “just friends” but we sense the emotional intimacy grow between them through the book, a crisis Bob confesses to his brother Jim.

Bob and Jim grow closer in the book when Jim’s wife Helen dies. Jim comes to terms with what a poor husband, father, and brother had been. He claims he was the one who put the car in gear that day. Bob and his sister remember things differently. In the end, it is uncertain, but Bob bears the marks of this on his life. Lucy describes him as a “sin eater,” one who absorbs the hard stories of others while caring for them.

And the point of all the telling of stories? Lucy expresses it to Olive this way, “People and the lives they lead. That’s the point.” But we also see in the telling of stories characters growing in self-awareness and depth–Matt Beach, Margaret, Jim, and indeed, Bob and Lucy become more fully themselves. Indeed, one of the things Bob experiences is the discovery through the words of others the “worthiness” of his life.

One comes away from this Elizabeth Strout novel with the sense that there is no such thing as an insignificant life. Even Gloria Beach had lovingly cared for Matt as a child when his life was in danger. And not unlike my reaction to Theo of Golden, I found myself wanting to be more like this Bob. Both men affirmed the worth of others simply by noticing and naming that worthiness. This is not a small thing, it seems.

Review: Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs

/ rtrube54 / Leave a comment
Cover image of "Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs" by Don Everts

Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs

Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs (The Sensate Saga), Don Everts. IVP Kids (ISBN: 9781514012185) 2026.

Summary: Shortly after moving, Oscar starts seeing things and joins school journalists to solve a mystery.

Oscar had just moved to a new town in time to start his freshman year at Centerville High School. Due to a limp from an accident, he worried how he’d fit in. Of course, there were bullies to help realize his worst nightmares. At home, after the first day of school, he was thinking over the day when a mysterious silver orb appeared in front of him replaying a scene from the day. Was their old house haunted?

Then he began to see orbs elsewhere, and in front of other people. They seemed to occur whenever people were reflecting. But this didn’t help with his most pressing struggles. The bullies. The self-absorbed Mr. Shell, a health teacher who advised student council, and the ever-present Shane and Penelope. And he missed his friends, especially Regan, who seemed put off when he told her about the orbs.

Mrs. Robinson (“Mrs. R.”) saved the day. She was his English teacher and advisor for The Argus, the school paper. Although he said little, she seemed to take a special interest, as did Annie, the student editor of the paper. Slowly, he was finding friends. The staff of The Argus. A wheelchair-bound student named Timothy. Bobby Kim, an athlete. An art student. Eventually, Mrs. R and several of the students including Annie help him see he’s not the only one with unusual gifts. As a group, they describe themselves as Sensates.

And in short order, they have to put those gifts to work. Someone has spraypainted what seems like a racist message on a display case for the Scotties, an all-girl pipe and drum group. The questions go deeper than the vandalism and who did it. Very quickly, the school’s investigation is stopped. And pictures of the vandalism are removed from social media. Who is behind this and why? The Argus journalists and especially the Sensates put all their investigative skills and gifts to work. Even Timothy helps out, deploying his knowledge of how to use the old mimeograph machines and typewriters in the basement of Oscar’s dad’s bookstore.

In the process, Oscar not only forms new friendships but also comes to understand the role of prayer and how God can help him as the team investigates a dark conspiracy. He also learns that words are powerful and that, as Mrs. R is fond of quoting, “The truth will out.”

This is the first in what will be a three book Sensate Saga. One thing we discover at the very end of this first book is that not all the Sensates are on the side of good. The books are written for middle grade readers. In addition to being a page-turner, I found myself, even fifty years out from high school, connecting with feelings of fitting in, dealing with bullies, and the different personalities of teachers. I remember my own stumbling attempts to figure out what it meant to trust God at school.

In addition, Everts makes his lead character a bi-cultural student with a disability. Mrs. R is Black and the student journalists include East and South Asian students in addition to Oscar. Annie models strong female leadership. There is a strong anti-racism message. This is a book that connects with diverse audiences. But above all, this is good storytelling. I look forward to reading the next two books in the Sensate Saga!

_____________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.