Christopher Lord (1)

I love reading cozy mysteries. I especially love reading books where the main character owns a book store. So with that going for it, I started reading [b:The Christmas Carol Murders|15850970|The Christmas Carol Murders|Christopher Lord|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346018420s/15850970.jpg|21597738]. I liked the concept of a town devoted to Dickens, and trying to preserve their way of life. The book had lots of quirky characters, and I enjoyed Simon and his relationship with his new boyfriend, Zach.

Unfortunately for me, this book didn't have the "cozy" feel I was hoping for. It is hard to put my finger on it exactly. Maybe the deaths were a little too gruesome and well planned, I don't know. This book seems half way between a cozy mystery and a regular mystery thriller book. It was pretty good, and I will probably read the next in the series, if only to see if I like it better.… (plus d'informations)

i definitely appreciated how chock-full of literary references this book is - i mean, the theme itself is basically dickensian vs randian (ayn rand, that is) philosophy of community and charity. the town itself is set up as an homage to dickens and his ideas of giving back, directly in conflict with rand's virtues of selfishness and her ideas of creators. so that was an interesting tension and exploration. i also kind of liked getting to know the characters in this small town, although my favorite character was a visitor, george. i was less interested in the mystery, but that's typical for me and so might not be a reflection of the book, although i didn't feel like simon did much real sleuthing. still, i like the concept, found the characters interesting enough, enjoyed the small town feel, and wouldn't be opposed to reading more in the series.… (plus d'informations)

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: The Droodists have arrived in Dickens Junction. Local bookstore owner Simon Alastair has his hands full in his role as co-chair for the latest convention honoring Charles Dickens's uncompleted novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. A movie star, a pesky blogger, dueling scholars, a stage hypnotist, and an old family friend (among others) all have claims on Simon's time. In addition, some Droodists are clearly more-or less-than they appear, including a mysterious young man by the improbable name of Edwin Drood. When a priceless ring and a rare Dickensian artifact go missing, Simon and his reporter-partner Zach Benjamin learn that someone will do anything-including murder-to obtain an object of desire. The Edwin Drood Murders is the new entry in the Dickens Junction mystery series that began with The Christmas Carol Murders, a book that New York Times thriller writer Chelsea Cain called "a love letter to both Dickens and to the small town amateur detectives who've kept the peace in hamlets from River Heights to Cabot Cove."

My Review: As in all series books, there's an element of "been there, done that" to this volume. It's simultaneously the point and the bane of a series' life and longevity. Look at Camilleri, Salvo Montalbano goin' strong by adhering to the formula; look also at Miss Silver, Hercule Poirot, Kinsey Millhone...it can be done! It should be done!

That said, it's a very very difficult proposition for the author. S/he must deliver the expected points and actions, come up with high-stakes ways to get the sleuth into the story, and still have novelty to spare in the details. I rated this book a bit lower than the last one because there were elements of the tale that seemed to get away from Mr. Lord. A full and groaning smorgasbord of details and interrelationships, each jot and tittle important enough to introduce by not quite enough to stay "in play," mars this good and even exciting tale. The accustomed errors of a self-published novel are all here, too...one more book with these self-same errors in it and I'll have to reconsider the time commitment I'm willing to make to Simon and Zach's life together.

And that would be a shame.… (plus d'informations)

I greatly enjoyed Christopher Lord’s first Dickens Junction mystery, The Christmas Carol Murders. The “Junction” is a fictional town near Astoria, Oregon, dedicated to the spirit of the author after whom it was named.

Simon Alastair is the wealthy, gay, and exquisitely tasteful scion of the founders of the town. He’s also the owner of Pip’s Pages, a bookstore stocked only with books he’s read and can therefore recommend to his customers.

In the second Dickens Junction mystery, The Edwin Drood Murders, Simon is a board member of the United States Chapter (Western Sector) of the International Society of Droodists, which is holding its 17th triennial conference in Astoria and Dickens Junction. Droodists are scholars and others devoted to the study of the last, unfinished Dickens novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

So how can two murders and three major thefts occur during the five-day conference of such a group in such a setting? Because this is a cozy mystery, where such things happen. And Simon, of course, needs to find the answer to the question: who did it?

What I most enjoy about the Dickens Junction mysteries are Simon, the openly gay protagonist, and his gay and straight friends. A larger question than the tongue-in-cheek mystery for many readers such as myself is whether Zach Benjamin, voted one of the sexiest male reporters on the planet and Simon’s lover, will move in with him.

In Dickens Junction Christopher Lord has created an entire world I’ve come away from twice now dreaming it might be the real world (despite those unfortunate murders!), a bookstore like Pip’s Pages would remain open forever, and the dinner parties at Simon’s house, Gad’s Hill Place, would go on just as long.… (plus d'informations)