Fiction:
Death and the Joyful Woman by Ellis Peters is second in the Felse mystery series, published in 1961, though for the characters it has only been three or four years. I did not guess the murderer as early this time, though I did guess an important subplot. Reading this so soon after the first book, it amused me how similar the plots were in some aspects, in relation to how teenaged Dominic Felse figures in the plot and its resolution.
Flight of a Witch by Ellis Peters, third in the Felse series, starts off with a new point of view character, Tom Kenyon, a mid-twenties teacher at the grammar school who is quietly infatuated with Annet Beck, the eighteen year old daughter of the couple from whom he rents a room. “Teddy Boys” are mentioned, which gives a historical time frame. I note here that both this and the previous work feel outdated in terms of gender relations; to me, it’s off-putting that Kenyon even considers this infatuation as having any potential at all. It’s portrayed as a growth experience for him, that she’s his first serious interest, but he also does not push or demand, so there’s that. Annet is a key figure in the mystery, but I found it interesting that the reader only sees her via outside points of view, a canvas on which others paint their ideas. Peters is expanding the scope of the series; the actual murder case belongs to the Birmingham police, while George Felse is involved in protecting a potential victim and trying to get her testimony.
The Feywild Job by C. L. Polk is a delightful secondary-world heist, putting together a group of adventurers with criminal skills, some serious grudges, and past emotional pain. Saeldian is a half-elf who makes a pact with an archfey to gain power and escape their violent stepfather. Fast-forward, and they are an experienced con artist working with the good-hearted Jubilee Righthoof. They, a druid, and Sheldian’s former partner Kell are swept in against their will and bound to what seems to be a reverse theft, retrieving something that was stolen…or was it? The heist was fun but I really enjoyed the characters and their journey in this book the most. Growth and change! Found family! Reconciliations! Overall, very satisfying.
A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs by Ellis Peters takes the Felse family (George, Bunty, and Dominic) to a holiday town in Cornwall, where Dominic meets a famous travel writer. They are drawn into the mystery of a famous historic tomb which may hold lost poems. Peters’ strong character work carries the story through a young boy’s re-discovery of his family, smuggler secrets, and solving a historical mystery as well as more recent murders.
The Piper on the Mountain by Ellis Peters goes even farther afield from the fictional Comerford, following Dominic and a group of his college friends on a trip to Europe. Theodosia Barber, called Tossa, did not get along with her government officer step-father, but after learning of his accidental death in the Lower Tatras in Czechoslovakia might have been murder, she’s determined to discover more. Dominic, of course, figures out she’s up to something and feels bound to protect her or help. From the outset, the story seems like it will be a spy thriller; at least it has some of those trappings. But the gorgeous Czechoslovakian landscape shifts the tone, and Dominic and Tossa discover the Czechoslovakians are on their side. I found it interesting that the mystery was solved from several different angles in this volume, though Dominic still manages to get himself into danger as bait, again, while trying to solve it.
Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Heart by Ellis Peters while back in Comerbourne, I was excited to see that Tossa was back, in Dominic’s company. This was the first returning character I’d seen in the series other than the Felse family, and it looks like she might stay around in the recurring cast. The story revolves around a Victorian estate and grounds turned into a center for music conferences and scholarship, which Dominic and Tossa are attending together. A featured performer is seemingly threatened by his girlfriend in a performance, and when he goes missing, George Felse is brought in to quietly investigate. I guessed a major twist but didn’t mind, it was so interesting seeing a plot structured a bit like the folk ballads intertwining with it, down to Something Bad happening near a river.
The Grass Widow’s Tale by Ellis Peters features Bunty Felse, wife of George and mother of Dominic, as the detective. Depressed and alone on her birthday after George is called away on an investigation, she meets a stranger at a pub and is swept into a thriller-like mystery as a result of her own kindness and empathy. All is not as it immediately seems, with several big twists and the revelation that Dominic’s detective instincts didn’t only come from his father.
The House of Green Turf by Ellis Peters focuses on a famous alto who, after a near-death experience, is convinced she caused someone’s death, and hires a private investigator to help her figure out what had happened in her past to emerge now as an obsession. Bunty’s background as a singer, before her marriage, is mentioned again in this installment, linking her to the events, and George’s knowledge of open cases also intersects with the mystery. I am very much appreciating the variable approaches Peters took to the books in this series.
Mourning Raga by Ellis Peters unexpectedly sends Dominic and Tossa to Delhi, India, escorting a wealthy young girl to her family, only to find several difficulties at the other end. There is a murder, but also a related kidnapping, and most of the story follows the living rather than the dead.
At this point, I was thwarted in my ebook binge when the library catalog had to go offline for a critical PHP security issue. Hopefully, I’ll be able to log in again in November, sigh.
