Kittling: Books: Search results for Heron Carvic

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Thursday, April 16, 2020

Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic

First Line: "Stop!" The little girl took no notice and stepped into the road.

Miss Seeton is seriously thinking about early retirement to her little cottage in the village of Plummergen. Why? Because all her attempts at a portrait of little Effie Goffer have gone horribly wrong. But once Inspector Delphick sees Miss Seeton's drawing, he asks her to do another of a dead child in Lewisham. Is the elderly art teacher actually drawing clues to a series of child murders? Delphick thinks she is, but even though he wants to concentrate on the murders, he's also got to pay attention to a series of burglaries and robberies, as well as a pesky newspaper reporter and a gang of hooligans who like to create mayhem wherever they go. Is little Miss Seeton with her drawing pad and umbrella going to be able to help solve all these crimes? Find out for yourself!

This second book in the Miss Seeton series is every bit as delightful as the first, Picture Miss Seeton. Heron Carvic wrote an essay in 1977 in which he recalled how, after having first used her in a short story, 'Miss Seeton upped and demanded a book' -- and that if 'she wanted to satirize detective novels in general and elderly lady detectives in particular,' he would let her have her head. I'm so glad he did. These books are the perfect light (and absolutely hilarious) reads when readers want to forget about what ails them and their world.

Miss Seeton may be satirizing detective novels and elderly female sleuths, but at least she has Inspector Delphick ("the Oracle") who sees her worth and pays attention to her. With her unfailing good manners and distracted air-- and how on earth could I forget her umbrella? -- she unwittingly solves all the crimes in Plummergen, not that her fellow villagers appreciate it. In fact, one of the best scenes in Miss Seeton Draws the Line is one in which a group convenes to discuss village business and winds up conducting a vicious gossip session, all described by Carvic as a medieval joust. Splendid! The scene reminded me of two things: (1) why I moved from the village where I grew up, and (2) the writing of T. H. White in The Once and Future King. Since I love White's novel, this is definitely meant as a compliment.

If you need (several) good laughs, if you need to be charmed, if you need a read that draws you inexorably to the next book in the series, by all means start reading the Miss Seeton mysteries. They are wonderful! (Although I am wondering if Miss Seeton ever discovers where all the strange pillows and cushions in her cottage came from...)

Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576317

Originally published in 1969.

eBook, 240 pages

Cozy/Humorous Mystery, #2 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Sunday, May 03, 2020

April 2020 Additions to My eBook Stockpile

Anyone who uses an eBook reader knows how easy it is to have a substantial "digital security blanket"-- or an eBook stockpile. Occasionally I tell myself to stop adding books to my Kindle. After all, I have almost 400 on mine, but... what am I to do when a book I've wanted to read for a long time suddenly goes on sale for 99¢? You know what I'm talking about, right? I thought so!

These are the books I just couldn't resist last month. I've grouped them according to genre or subgenre, and if you click on any of the titles, you'll be taken to Amazon US for more information. I'm not an affiliate of Amazon, I just buy their eBooks.

Enough talking! Let's get to the books!

~~~Cozy Mystery~~~

Witch Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic. Set in England.

Odds On Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic. Set in England.

Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic. Set in England.

~~~Thriller~~~

The Vermeer Deception by Jennifer S. Alderson. Set in the Netherlands and Germany.

After She Wrote Him by Sulari Gentill. Set in an unspecified location.

Michael's Wife by Marlys Millhiser. Set in Arizona.

~~~Short Stories/Novellas~~~

If It Bleeds by Stephen King. Set in various locations.

Oystercatcher by Martin Walker. Set in France. Reviewed on Goodreads.

~~~Historical Fiction~~~

Love, Fiercely by Jean Zimmerman. Set in various locations.

~~~Historical Mystery~~~

Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing by Maryla Szymiczkowa. Set in Poland.

~~~Non-Fiction~~~

Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton. Set in various U.S. locations.

Lady Death: The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper by Martin Pegler. Set in Russia and various locations.

The Stationary Ark by Gerald Durrell. Set on the Island of Jersey and various other locations. Already reviewed.

~~~Police Procedurals~~~

Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri. Set in Italy. Already reviewed.

Kill the Angel by Sandrone Dazieri. Set in Italy.

Laidlaw by William McIlvanney. Set in Scotland.

Where the Truth Lies by M.J. Lee. Set in England.

Well, that's my list of indulgences. Have you read any of these? Which ones did you add to your wishlist? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic

First Line: THE WORDS-- what were the words?

Scotland Yard asks its famed "MissEss"-- retired art teacher Miss Emily Seeton-- to investigate a respected Geneva bank when a flood of counterfeit banknotes hits the market.

Not entirely sure of what they want her to do and completely new to air travel, mayhem quickly ensues when Miss Seeton boards a plane for Genova instead of Geneva. Crooks and police alike try in vain to keep tabs on her, wondering if she's a genius or merely a senile old lady. And while all these people try to keep her under surveillance, she innocently hums the fraudsters' musical password as she wanders from one place to the next on a very dangerous trail.

I loved the first two Miss Seeton mysteries Picture Miss Seeton and Miss Seeton Draws the Line. So much so that I gobbled up the rest of the books by Heron Carvic to squirrel away when I needed to read something guaranteed to make me laugh. Unfortunately, book three (Witch Miss Seeton) is where the series began to unravel. The author began bringing in multiple plot lines, many more characters, and the humor that I loved so much devolved into farce. As you can tell by that last sentence, I don't really care for farce, humor being so subjective.

In Miss Seeton Sings, not only are there multiple plot lines and many more characters, Miss Seeton and her lethal umbrella aren't even in her English village anymore-- and her execrable French only had the power to make me smile a time or two. No, Miss Seeton does her best work in her village.

Although it was amusing to see how she and her umbrella escaped death time and again, I began getting angry with Scotland Yard and the other police agencies who just turned her loose and left her completely in the dark. I know there's some humor in there somewhere that completely escaped me, but I'm not going to worry about it.

I will say that, if you are a lover of farce, this is the book for you. If you're not, you might want to leave it alone.

Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576331

Originally published in 1973.

eBook, 274 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: C-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic

First Line: "L'amour est tum tum De something..."

After enjoying a celebratory performance of Carmen, Miss Seeton is walking to her bus stop when she witnesses a murder. An art school teacher who is on the verge of retirement, Miss Seeton is able to sketch her impressions of the killer, but little does she know that her sketch is going to turn her into a sitting duck.

Having been recommended by someone whose opinion I trust, I was in the mood for something light and decided to try the first book in the Miss Seeton cozy series. I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

Delightful, charming, and hilarious are words that I seldom use, let alone throw around with abandon as I am doing now, but... I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book! If I didn't have any self-control, I'd be reading all the books in this series one right after the other like potato chips or cookies.

Miss Seeton is Miss Marple on laughing gas. She's a spryer Miss Marple, too, and you'll never believe the adventures she and her umbrella get into. To Scotland Yard's credit, Detective Chief Superintendent Delphick (known as The Oracle) knows that Miss Seeton's ability to identify the killer means her life could be in danger-- especially since they know who they're looking for: "...he had a nasty feeling that when she'd stuck her brolly into César Lebel, she'd stuck it into a hornet's nest." Fortunately for Miss Seeton, Delphick sees her for the astute person she is. Unfortunately, Detective Sergeant Ranger has the typical youth's opinion that she's merely a dotty old woman carrying a lethal umbrella-- but that opinion may change as the two police officers try their best to keep her alive.

Miss Seeton is about to retire, and she's inherited a nice little cottage down in a village in Kent. Wanting to try country life on for size, she moves in for a few weeks-- and she takes Delphick's murder investigation with her, little knowing how much difficulty the villagers are going to add. The people of Plummergen are a riot, even "the Nuts," Miss Nuttel and Mrs. Blaine, horrible gossips who are "the parish substitute for a Hollywood scandal sheet." As broad as the comedy may be, I'm from a small village and I recognized many of Plummergen's characters. (My village had its own version of the Nuts, among others.)

The killer tries time and again to do away with Miss Seeton. If you have a hard time understanding how murder attempts on a poor little old lady could be hilarious, all you have to do is read Picture Miss Seeton. I spent most of this book either smiling or laughing out loud. This book is light and fun and addictive. It's just what I needed, and I've decided: I. Need. More.

Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576300

Originally published in 1968.

eBook, 226 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Witch Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic

First Line: Poor cow.

The first two books in this series (Picture Miss Seeton and Miss Seeton Draws the Line) made my Best Reads lists of 2019 and 2020. They are the perfect blend of a traditional British mystery and laugh-out-loud humor. Having read a series of lackluster stories, I felt in great need of a pick-me-up, so I reached for the third, Witch Miss Seeton, in which the elderly lady with the lethal umbrella matches wits with scammers and a satanic cult.

Compared to the first two, what a disappointment!

First off, I think there was a bit too much going on. Either focus on the scammers bilking the rich out of thousands of pounds or focus on the witches. There was food for two really good mysteries here instead of creating an overstuffed, subpar one.

The second thing that had me all a kerfluffle was that the opening part of the book dwelled on the two vicious gossips of Plummergen whom everyone calls the Nuts. These two women willfully go out to destroy people's lives and reputations, and they both have it in for Miss Seeton. To begin the story with an overload of their bile and vitriol was too much. There was only one result that could've leavened my mood, and that didn't happen.

The third thing that left a sour taste in my mouth was the fact that there was very little real humor and not enough Miss Seeton. Now that I'm done crying in my beer, I'll say that not every book in a long-running series can be a masterpiece-- and I have twenty-one more Miss Seeton mysteries to look forward to.

Witch Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576324

Originally published in 1971.

eBook, 186 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: D

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Sunday, September 01, 2019

August 2019 Additions to My eBook Stockpile

Sometimes it's dangerous to go window shopping online. That's what I did late one night in August, and I wound up going on a spree-- mainly with books from two different authors. At least no one can say that my literary security blanket is looking threadbare!

I've grouped the additions to my stockpile by genre or subgenre, and if you click on the title of the book, you'll be taken to Amazon US to learn more about it, so beware if you're a reader in a different country and wish to make a purchase. I am not affiliated with Amazon; I just own one of their Kindles.

Let's take a look at the list and see if I managed to purchase any titles that tickle your fancy...

~~~Non-Fiction~~~

Moab Is My Washpot by Stephen Fry. Memoirs. England.

Red Light Women of Death Valley by Robin Flinchum. History. California.

~~~Historical Fiction~~~

The Foreign Field #31 by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. England, France, Belgium.

The Fallen Kings #32 by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. England, France, Belgium.

The Winding Road #34 by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. England, USA.

The Phoenix: The Morland Dynasty #35 by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. England.

Huachuca Woman by Arletta Dawdy. Arizona.

~~~Short Stories~~~

Grab Bag: A Collection of Stories by Charlotte MacLeod. Various locations.

Jimm Juree Case Files #11: Whale Vomit by Colin Cotterill. Thailand.

~~~Science Fiction~~~

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. New York City and Chicago.

~~~Cozy Mystery~~~

Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic. England.

~~~Historical Mystery~~~

Tribute of Death by Simon Levack. Mexico.

~~~Amateur Sleuth~~~

Death's Favorite Child by Frankie Y. Bailey. England.

~~~Private Investigator~~~

A Blind Eye by Jane Gorman. Poland.

~~~Law Enforcement/Working Dogs~~~

Lost Creed by Alex Kava. Florida and Nebraska.

~~~Police Procedural~~~

Off the Grid by Robert McCaw. Hawaii.

Summerchill by Quentin Bates. Iceland.

Winterlude by Quentin Bates. Iceland.

Thin Ice by Quentin Bates. Iceland.

Cold Steal by Quentin Bates. Iceland.

Cold Breath by Quentin Bates. Iceland.

As you can see, the spree I went on consisted of books by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles and Quentin Bates, and if any of you were sharp-eyed enough to see that #33 was missing from my Harrod-Eagles spree, that's because I already own a copy of that particular book in the series. (Fabulous series, by the way!)

Did any of the titles tickle your fancy? Which ones? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

2019: My Year in Reading, Part One

Depending upon how you read my blog, it's been possible to track my Best Reads of 2019 by clicking on a ribbon on my sidebar. You can see the ribbon to your left. If you read my blog on your phone, it may not be all that easy to find that ribbon, and since it's time for my year-end reading statistics posts, it never hurts to list them again. After all, they're books I loved, right?

I had eighteen "Best Reads" in 2019, which is a bit lower than usual-- probably because I read fewer books last year. (Funny how logic works, isn't it?)

I'm going to list them all in chronological order, and if you click on the title, you will be taken to my review of that particular book. Were there stand-outs on the list? Yes, there were, and I'll list those, too. Speaking of lists, I'd better get to work!

~~~Best Reads of 2019~~~

Rupture by Ragnar Jónasson

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Desert Redemption by Betty Webb

The Widows by Jess Montgomery

The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava

Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets

Salt Lane by William Shaw

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay

First Degree by David Rosenfelt

The Institute by Stephen King

Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic

Wrecked by Joe Ide

The Case of the Reincarnated Client by Tarquin Hall

Dead Stop by Barbara Nickless

Of the eighteen authors on my Best Reads of 2019 list, I've had the pleasure of meeting eleven of them, and that means a huge THANK YOU! to my favorite independent bookstore, The Poisoned Pen.

I also noticed that the list is fairly evenly split between male and female writers. Here's a look at the entire list...

Now you're probably wondering what the standout books were on this list. This is something I don't particularly enjoy doing because all these books are wonderful, but when I told you my standouts last year, I got a lot of feedback, so I bow to your wishes, dear readers.

In 2019, the standouts on my Best Reads list were:

All three were read early in the year, so you know they're good when your eyes light up at the sight of their covers almost an entire year later. The setting and the story of The Lost Man really captured my imagination. Betty Webb's Desert Redemption was a hugely satisfying ending to one of my favorite series, and Jess Montgomery's The Widows was a perfect evocation of a time and place with rock-solid, memorable characters. In many ways, it reminded me of my grandparents and great-grandparents: attitudes, language, living in a mining town...

Which books were your favorites last year? Inquiring minds would love to know.

I can't wait to see what books I'll add to my Best Reads of 2020 list!

Sunday, January 10, 2021

My Best Reads of 2020

Although you can keep an eye on my Best Reads list throughout the year in one of two ways (clicking on the icon on the sidebar or clicking on Year's Best just below the blog title), I've learned that you also like to see them in a year-end post when I'm wrapping up all my reading statistics, and I'm happy to oblige. There's just something about year-end book lists, isn't there?

About the only difference between my year-end list and similar ones is that I don't post mine until after the New Year. I would imagine that sales have a lot to do with many publications posting theirs in November, but as far as I'm concerned, there's still plenty of good reading time left. I often have one "best read" in the latter part of December, and I like having a list that runs from January to December. Just call me perverse. (It wouldn't be the first time.)

Here's the list of titles that made my Best Reads of 2020. They are in chronological order, and if you click on the title, you'll be directed to my review of that book.

~~~ Best Reads of 2020 ~~~

The Hollows by Jess Montgomery

November Road by Lou Berney

The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories edited by Hazel Rumney

The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic

Deadland by William Shaw

Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Street Music by Timothy Hallinan

The Distant Dead by Heather Young

The Mist by Ragnar Jónasson

A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

A Forgotten Place by Charles Todd

Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Absence of Alice by Sherry Harris

Even though my reading pace was on track for the year, I wound up with fewer best reads than in previous years. I'm chalking that up to ye olde COVID-19.

The other thing I noticed about my list is that there's a little something for everyone on it. A short story anthology, two translated titles, thrillers, historical mysteries, cozies, police procedurals... Eight of the seventeen are set in the United States while the rest are in places like Thailand, Iceland, England, Russia, and Italy.

Where will my Best Reads of 2021 take me? I'm looking forward to the discovery!

Sunday, January 05, 2020

December 2019 Additions to My eBook Stockpile

December was a good month for fluffing my digital security blanket. I not only managed to get a couple of titles free, but I also got the jump on holiday spending by using a gift card or two. How do I manage to find bargain eBooks? By subscribing to daily emails from places like Book Bub and Early Bird Books. There are plenty of sites that do this, so let Google guide you to them. Just make sure you don't take penny-pinching to an extreme by downloading pirated books. That is theft, plain and simple, and doesn't help your favorite authors pay the bills OR write more of the books you love to read. Be careful, okay?

Now that I got all that off my chest, let's take a book at the books I added to my eReader. I've grouped them by genre and/or subgenre. Hopefully, that will help your eyes find what you're looking for. If you want to know more about a specific title, click on the title and you will be taken to Amazon US for more information. I'm not affiliated with Amazon; I just own a Kindle.

~~~Thriller/Historical Thriller~~~

November Road by Lou Berney. Historical thriller set in various locations.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. Thriller set in New York City.

The Dying Hour by Rick Mofina. Set in Washington.

~~~Historical Mystery~~~

Death Beside the Seaside by T.E. Kinsey. Set in England.

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon. Set in England.

Tragedy at Piddleton Hotel by Helen Organ. Set in England.

Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin. Set in England.

What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson. Set in New York City.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Set in North Carolina.

~~~Non-Fiction~~~