en-US Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:20:04 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9535161770 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:20:04 -0700 /review/show/7646126531 Philip is currently reading Harry's Last Stand - How The World My Generation Built Is Falling Down, And What We Can Do To Save It by Harry Leslie Smith
]]> Comment291608830 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:18:17 -0700 /review/show/568838870 Phaney's review of The Four Just Men
by Edgar Wallace

It's a story, not to be taken seriously! ]]> Review7627022901 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 07:13:50 -0700 /review/show/7627022901 Philip gave 5 stars to The Four Just Men (Paperback) by Edgar Wallace
I've given this 5 stars not because it's particularly well-written. But it's a "ripping yarn". The Four Just Men are a group of actually three wealthy individuals who go about righting wrongs, avenging the oppressed and generally despatching wrong-doers who have evaded justice. And usually wrong-doers who are also powerful and their misdeeds affect many lives.
The original fourth member was identified escaping one of their exploits and was killed by the authorities in an exchange of gunfire. Subsequently where required they recruit a fourth member to supply any special skill they lack, and then dispense with their services, either with blackmail hanging over them, or sometimes unfortunately they may be killed.
Coming a few years after EW Hornung's Raffles, like him, they operate on the wrong side of the law, but for the sake of justice as they see it. They are the forerunners of American superheroes, the Mission Impossible team and Dexter.
I really enjoyed the ingenuity of how they plan, execute and escape from their missions. These days they would have to be able to anticipate and outwit modern technology. So they would have to up their game
The book is in two parts, but in each they're up against Superintendent Yarmouth, who knows his duty but has a grudging respect for them. In the first part they intend to foil the UK Foreign Secretary from passing legislation restricting the rights of asylum seekers. And still 120 years later... In the second they manage to simultaneously use and render ineffective rival dissident or anarchist groups, even when one of the trio is caught and tried.
A rattling good read! ]]> Review7570724144 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 07:14:37 -0700 /review/show/7570724144 Philip gave 3 stars to Died in the Wool (Roderick Alleyn, #13) by Ngaio Marsh
After a prologue detailing two intriguing incidents, there follows a protracted session with Alleyn and the four principal suspects, with the intention of baring their souls and telling all about the murder victim and their relationships with her. This rather puts the brakes on the story and it never really gains pace despite some jeopardy before the final reveal. Her weakest book so far. Unlucky 13? ]]> Review7570748987 Tue, 27 May 2025 02:15:27 -0700 /review/show/7570748987 Philip gave 4 stars to Spring Unfurled (Hardcover) by Angela Harding
Superb illustrations ]]> ReadStatus9427158904 Thu, 15 May 2025 03:02:41 -0700 /review/show/7570724144 Philip is currently reading Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh
]]> Review7547102440 Thu, 15 May 2025 02:47:04 -0700 /review/show/7547102440 Philip gave 4 stars to The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp (Miss Sharp Investigates, #1) by Leonie Swann
At first I thought this book was just plain weird. It's definitely not warm and cosy as some of the reviewers on the book jacket say. These are not people with an intriguing past, all still mentally sharp living in a retirement community. They are people with an intriguing past, living in a house-share in order to avoid what they regard as the living death of retirement homes. It's extremely dark and sinister. It addresses themes of dementia and assisted dying, of childhood trauma, bitterness and jealousy.
The resolution required some extreme physicality on the part of Agnes which we were assured throughout the book she did not have. But perhaps strength came through desperation. Nevertheless, I liked the twists of the plot and how it was resolved. ]]> Review7531259439 Tue, 06 May 2025 01:30:56 -0700 /review/show/7531259439 Philip gave 4 stars to Coroner's Pidgin (Paperback) by Margery Allingham
Finally Campion is faced with the idea that his sort of people can be villains. And they've got a lot of clout much to Oates's chagrin. A nicely involved story with a touching surprise at the end.
]]> Review7528852998 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:25:25 -0700 /review/show/7528852998 Philip gave 3 stars to Spring (Hardcover) by Michael Morpurgo
Just the thing for this time of year! Lovely illustrations. ]]> Review7490050921 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:34:34 -0700 /review/show/7490050921 Philip gave 4 stars to Sparkling Cyanide (Colonel Race, #4) by Agatha Christie
An ingenious plot. There is some mention of conjurers in the story. And that's the key to solving the murders. Misdirection Taking people at their word, when the their whole narrative was a fiction. We meet all the characters one by one, apart from the lately deceased Rosemary (except in flashback, in her sister's memory). And then we proceed to the next death. Perhaps this story might have been titled Towards Zero, if that title hadn't already been used! ]]>