book log 63) Margery Allingham -- Mystery Mile

Abridged on 3 CDs and read by Philip Franks. Albert Campion makes the casual acquaintance of an American judge on board a trans-Atlantic liner, by waffling his way into saving the judge from an unfortunate accident. It's only the latest of a string of attempts on the judge's life, and Campion is recruited to help the judge in his quest to stay alive long enough to identify the mastermind behind a ruthless and effective criminal gang. Campion parks Judge Lobbett at a country house, but even that isn't sufficiently remote to keep the judge safe.

It's an entertaining enough listen, but the who is so clearly telegraphed that I thought it was a red herring. At the same time, the how is obscured to the point of being irritating. It's really more of a suspense novel than a mystery. Nevertheless, there are some nice set pieces in this novel, and the final confrontation between Campion and the villain is very atmospheric.

http://www.librarything.com/work/113274

book log: 64) Francis Durbridge -- The World of Tim Frazer

First of what is apparently a trilogy of thrillers about Tim Frazer, engineer turned secret service agent. As the book opens, Frazer is dealing with the aftermath of his erstwhile partner in their small engineering firm having treated the company funds as his own. Harry Denston has disappeared as the firm is liquidated, but Frazer receives a message telling him to meet Denston at a remote fishing village, as Denston has got onto a new source of income.

Frazer might not believe the story about money, but he wants to find Denston -- both to kick his backside and reassure himself that his former partner is all right. But when he arrives, there's no sign of Harry. What he does find is an interesting selection of odd happenings, and a temporary job offer from a rather secretive office in Whitehall.

Competently written and entertaining; while there's nothing out of the ordinary here, it's an enjoyable bit of escapism.

http://www.librarything.com/work/1728993/

book log: 65) PD James -- A Taste for Death [audio book]

65) PD James -- A Taste for Death [audio book]

BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisation of the novel, presented on 2 CDs. Two men are discovered with their throats cut in the vestry of St Matthews Church. One is a local tramp, the other a former government minister. The political implications make the murder investigation a job for Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team.

It's a good adaptation played by an excellent cast, and I enjoyed listening to it. But squeezing a long book down into 2 hours 20 minutes means that a lot of material has had to be cut, and I think the adaptation does suffer for it. It's still very enjoyable, but I think might feel a bit thin to someone who wasn't already familiar with the book.

http://www.librarything.com/work/14156

Book log June 2012

And the full list for June. Most of these have had brief notes or short reviews blogged earlier this month.

56) Chaz Brenchley -- Light Errant
Re-read of the sequel to the stunning dark urban fantasy Dead of Light.
http://www.librarything.com/work/659570

57) Agatha Christie -- Three Radio Mysteries: volume 1 [audio book]
Three of Christie's short stories, adapted into half hour radio plays and updated to a modern (at the time of broadcast in 2002) setting.
http://www.librarything.com/work/8332809/

58) Agatha Christie -- Peril at End House [audio book]
Re-listen of this abridged audobook, which I've previously reviewed: http://www.librarything.com/review/52602568


59) Sam Starbuck -- Condition of Release
A reread of Sam's novel-length take on Cyberwoman, which I adore and reread every so often.

60) Linda Nagata -- Hepen The Watcher
http://www.librarything.com/work/12340912

61) Agatha Christie -- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd [audio book]
Abridged on three CDs, and read by Nigel Anthony.
http://www.librarything.com/work/3011

62) Dick Francis -- For Kicks
http://www.librarything.com/work/42762

63) Margery Allingham -- Mystery Mile
http://www.librarything.com/work/113274

64) Francis Durbridge -- The World of Tim Frazer
First of what is apparently a trilogy of thrillers about Tim Frazer, engineer turned secret service agent.
http://www.librarything.com/work/1728993

65) PD James -- A Taste for Death [audio book]
BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisation of the novel, presented on 2 CDs.
http://www.librarything.com/work/14156

66) Naomi Mitchison - Solution 3 Three

An old favourite of mine, picked up for a re-read and DNF not because I don't like it, but because I put it down somewhere and was too spaced out on migraine aura to find it and pick it up again. At this point I'd probably need to start from the beginning.

http://www.librarything.com/work/31642

Torchwood

Just spent some time away from the keyboard by watching Everything Changes, the opening episode of Torchwood. Am still bowled over by how beautifully constructed an opening episode that is. An excellent lesson on how to hook people on a show and get them up to speed on the basics of the show universe.