Skip to main content

Roman Hat Mystery 80%

Okay, the book stopped and the author says we have enough to figure out the murderer.  Here's my guess.

 The hat lining held blackmail information.  Our crooked lawyer wore the hat to the play.  He'd meet with his victim, collect the cash, and then give the victim his hat.  So, must be a male.

Next, nobody left with two hats.  No ripped up hats.  Meaning, person came in without a hat.  But who goes to a play without their top hat? (Well, I do, but this is 1929.)  Apparently no self-respecting play goer does.  That means, not a play-goer.  Leaving ushers and actors.  The ushers so far have all been women, so I'm betting on an actor.  The only actor we've heard about is the boyfriend of the rich industrialist's daughter.  Motive?  No idea.  Method?  Adulterated gasoline, but how do you get somebody to drink it?  And when is an actor up in the audience?  Intermission, ginger ale bottle adulterated I guess.

Enjoyable book. Lots of comments about "the two Queens" going out together.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin . . . finished

 Follows Sadie and Sam (Mazer) from childhood to mid-thirties when both are feeling old and a bit out of it in the gaming world.  Characters are well-rounded, develop throughout the novel in interesting way.  Plot is involved but sensible.  Not a single, "Oh, come on!" moment.  The book could have been faster paced. Odd, since the main topic is video games which are not for their speed of engagement and Gabrielle Zevin clearly knows her video games. Recommended by Michael Connelly in an interview.  He also has Bosch pick up the book in his novel, Resurrection Walk, as Bosch tails a possible witness to a crime as she moves through a bookstore. Sadie and Sam do not get together at the end, which is good.   Marx killed by homophobic nutcase who really wants to kill Sam, but Sam isn't there. Marx is father of Sadie's child. 

The Secret, Book and Scone Society

Cozy mystery with a "women are superior creatures" underpinning. The four women have all had their struggles, which we will learn about one-by-one, but they all remain/emerge wiser, kinder, smarter, etc. than the men in the novel, most of whom are corrupt, narrow-minded, unfeeling and potentially violent. (Nora's encounter with the paramedic-hunk is the exception, though it occurs to me that he may be the murderer.) Even Estelle, who uses sex to get what she wants, is portrayed positively.  The men are comically manipulated by her curves.  In one scene, she goes skinny-dipping with a married man but is rescued by her buddies before she actually has sex with the guy. Nora, our main character, is told by her female friends that she is beautiful despite her scars. No male says this to Nora because males are just too crass to see beyond surface beauty.  I hope I'm wrong and the book is more nuanced. If not, then this author is a one-and-done writer for me.