Mystery at the Great Wall (Nick and Siam Mysteries Book 1)

They all say basically the same thing! And yet the massive changes wrought upon the current publishing industry by the onset of the Internet has included some surprising benefits for those of us who relish niche fiction. The rise of the small, print-to-order press, coupled with Internet access to titles now in the public domain have resulted in the happy reappearance of authors long forgotten, along with a growing cadre of scholars, both university-bred and home-grown, dedicated to studying and promoting this renaissance.

Many of us who grew up reading mysteries — and generally skimming the cream off the top — are now faced with increased choices and new opportunities. As a genre, classic mystery novels are short enough to allow for much reading and much sampling. Yet to younger readers who find themselves growing fascinated by this most fascinating of genres, I say to you: Build a foundation on the best of the best so that you can recognize what a truly great traditional mystery looks like.

This is a process I practice with my film students every year. At the start, I warn them that after taking the class, they will never be able to relax at the movies again, munching their popcorn and leaving with a vague sense of dissatisfaction. They will have undergone the transformation from fans to scholars. It is this quartet of authors against whom I rate all others.

In the cleverness of their plotting they are unmatched. They share a mastery over the art of misdirection , that ineffable quality so coveted by authors and so prized by discerning readers.

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Like magicians or con artists, they possess the ability to pull the wool over our eyes and the rug out from under us. In style, they could not be more different from one another, and each contributed something lasting to the genre that their peers and successors built upon in order to better their own writing.

The first evolved from a traditionalist to an experimenter, and in doing so created perhaps the first detective with a strong inner emotional life who evolved from novel to novel. The second utilized the strict logic and emotionally cold rules of mystery writing to craft mysteries that broke your heart. The third was, quite simply, the master of miracles. Oh, and she was the greatest mystery writer who ever lived. I present them in ascending order of preference, two today and two tomorrow.

In discussing their techniques, I name no killers but offer enough information that certain elements of their work might be spoiled. Take care as you read. In which Ellery Queen broods on the act of murder and, like Pinocchio, transforms from a stick figure into a real boy. It was supposed to be a lark: They took no chances and fashioned the structure and style of that first book, even the personality of the detective, after a sure thing, the successful mystery author S.

Lee could, from the start, create far more compelling and twisty mystery plots than their model author.

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My blogging buddies JJ and Ben are struggling with these early titles. Sadly for JJ, there seems to be a distinct lack of fun in the early Queens. All I can do is urge both JJ and Ben to persist. In the words of the great Dan Savage, it gets better. Then it gets silly, then it gets great, and then it gets really weird and sometimes great. During the early days, the novels that drive some men mad, Ellery the sleuth was a supercilious twit, much like his inspirational hero, Philo Vance. Quickly, however, the authors grew tired of their creation and fashioned cases that took him down a peg.

Faced with a series of failures The Greek Coffin Mystery or menaced by a forest fire and a first act mistake The Siamese Twin Mystery , the Ellery of old began to soften. By , he was flirting with girls and had traded his patronizing sense of superiority over even his own father with warm respect and a well-humored interest in mankind. Those who do not prefer the later novels complain that the authors abandoned the puzzle mystery for something murkier. But when they did succeed, the cousins produced wonderful stories that touched readers like the early books never could.

During and after the war, Dannay grappled ever more darkly with, to use a Queen title, The Origin of Evil. Ironically, this merging of the preoccupations of mankind with the prerequisites of mystery fiction inspired Queen to create some of his most brilliant and heart-rending twists.

What they lacked in old-school bedevilment, they made up for in other ways. All of this is embodied in the six novels written between and , four of them set in the fictional New England town of Wrightsville. The members of the Wright family would fit in easily as neighbors to the Gibbs or the Webbs of Our Town. They are not the sort of people who fit into the stereotyped GAD family, found in country mansions and London townhouses, where murder seems like a natural outcome. They are flawed, but they are good people. Each step in the journey toward solving the crime affects the characters in ways that ripple deeper into the fabric of their lives.

In the end, the case is solved. But order is definitely not restored, and Ellery slinks off with the sense that, even in his success, he has somehow failed these people. The shadows of the past wreak havoc on the Fox family, casting an epic tone over the proceedings. The Queenian concept of the hidden mastermind hangs over both titles. It is positively chilling in The Tragedy of Y and adds a bittersweet note to the shenanigans of the later novel. Queen established himself as a master of the false solution as early as with The Greek Coffin Mystery , and he is equally adept in at least one of these two titles.

As devastating as the finale of this case is for the Van Horn family, it is Ellery who truly suffers. Cat of Many Tails works beautifully on so many levels: In this novel, Queen has to be begged to participate, and he enters the search for the Cat with the understanding that can break him. Ellery will visit the town several times again, but these are, for the most part, lesser books, and the town becomes.

Out of Time Series Box Set

Now, when I first read this one, I loved it, but a re-read forces me to acknowledge that perhaps Queen is double-dipping into his bag of tricks a little too quickly. We have another serial killer, another bizarre series of crimes whose pattern must be deciphered, and we have a finale that, moment for moment, strikes me as a stunning repeat of an all too recent title. Yet, even if it suffers in comparison to the stronger titles that preceded it, Double, Double is immensely enjoyable.

She had flitted about from job to job — as model, dancer, and governess. And now here she was, working in a fashionable dress salon, and her co-worker was so. The only thing for it was to kill her off. I wish I could be as informative or insightful about Christianna Brand as I have tried to be about Queen. Thanks on that score are due in large part to authors Francis M.

Nevins and Joseph Goodrich. I wish a lot of things about Christianna Brand: That she had she started earlier. As it is, the enjoyment I derived from her mysteries floats in a hazy wave of memory. I had no memory of it being an impossible crime. And I was so dazzled by Tour de Force I know, I know, that opinion is controversial that certain aspects of it — like the dazzling trick at its heart — are groan Branded in my memory.

Brand started writing in , the year scholars claim marks the beginning of the slow decline of classic mysteries. Thankfully, nobody mentioned this to Miss Brand, for her work embodies both the style and standards of the best detective fiction. She only wrote ten mystery novels, six of them featuring her most famous sleuth, Inspector Cockrill, and eight of them written over the course of fourteen years, up through Her final mystery, A Rose in Darkness , appeared in I distinctly remember walking through a bookstore in London and coming upon this title, which I had never heard of.

It was perhaps the greatest gift that such a trip could bestow: It is the only mystery of hers I do not own, and I would love to track it down. Could these two titles be the same book??? Inquiring minds would really like to know. She wrote historical novels under a number of assumed names. Frankly, I can see Brand writing books for children, for there is a distinct touch of whimsy in her mysteries.

Overall, this was a nice light set of books with which to pass some time reading. Almost forgot to mention - time travel!!! Maybe they'll run into Doctor Who May 26, Donna rated it it was amazing. Fascinating Very well done. Zzzz nice most not been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long had Fascinating Very well done.

Zzzz nice most not been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long been here long had years good king but seems awed this years under hoop adds design from good king hiccup nickname most more base from good years jack home good race sees with every race this years under jump order part post play Jun 28, Stephen Saxton rated it it was amazing.

I was a little disappointed in the beginning, as it started out with an unlikely pair, who were each hiding something from each other. As I continued to read, I got caught up in their characters, and ideals, and thinking, there must be something else that is keeping the pair apart. Something in one or the others past was creating the issue, and I do like a good mystery. And it came with a history lesson to boot.

By the time I had finished the third book in the set, I was hooked. Bring on the next set, I'm more than ready! Jun 17, Joseph J. Stockemer rated it it was amazing. The PerfectTime I'm a huge fan of time travel stories and I put this series as one of my favorites.

Great suspense and intrigue. The clever periods traveled to, characters involved and constant plot twisters were quite enjoyable. Current references by the main characters was fun including a reference to one of my favorite comedies - The Great Race. I could not stop reading this series because I wanted to know how it would all turn out. I even rooted for the romance. Thank you Monique for the bu The PerfectTime I'm a huge fan of time travel stories and I put this series as one of my favorites.

Thank you Monique for the bumpy ride! Jun 06, Jonelle rated it really liked it. I will be looking for the others, and would like to see this adapted for the screen! Mar 10, Janet L. Hage rated it it was amazing. Time travel trilogy Action adventure mystery series, with a lot of the old , Nick and Nora flavor. It takes Professor Simon 3 books to ask his beautiful aid Elizabeth to marry him. Very cleverly written with well-developed characterization.

Sep 12, Jeanette Longford rated it it was amazing. Out of time series This series was delightful. I found the use of language refreshing. Words and expressions of a bygone age. Varied colourful expansive stories interwoven, in an exciting considerate love affair. With rich unforgettable characters. In this time travel extravaganza, not usually my cup of tea. But again high praise for the author Monique Martin for writing stories with history; suspense the occult and atmosphere.

A real joy to read. May 25, Julie Emovon rated it really liked it. Enjoyable read I enjoyed the stories and the main characters are relatable. The only thing I could fault is where the main characters are in war time England. There is a part where they spend 5p and 10p. That wasn't the currency then. We used pounds, shillings, and pennies abbreviated as d not p It would more likely be 3d or 6d. A small thing, but it jarred and pulled me out of the story. Jun 22, Gina rated it it was amazing. Fun and timeline jumping adventures I was introduced to this book on a Facebook group and have really enjoyed the series so far.

Historical fiction is really interesting and add in some time travelling heroes and what is not to like. I have enjoyed getting to know Simon and Elizabeth and am so looking forward to seeing what they get up to next. Aug 17, Carolcoucillgmail. Interesting I gave this book three stars because it was quite average.

I enjoyed the first book the most but the other two were weaker. Although all three books were well written they lacked thrills and struggled to keep my attention. May 20, Glenda Griffin rated it it was amazing. Out of Time I would love to have one of those watches and the key, because I definitely was was born out of my time frame in history. Each story flowed into the next adventure flawlessly. Beautifully written, I applaud Ms Martin for such masterful storytelling. I didn't want to stop reading from book to book. I highly recommend this box set to anyone.

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May 29, Norma Mason rated it it was amazing. I have just finished the first three, and am so excited and pleased that there are more available! Usually I don't like time travel stories, but these are the exception! Sep 02, Amber S rated it it was amazing. Loved every word of it! Couldn't stop reading this set! All the historical events, and the growing relationships were great.

Each new character truly added to the story Now to track down the rest! Nov 11, Tony Tkach rated it really liked it. I liked the first set of three stories in the series.

They are well-written and have fully developed characters. My only complaint is the story plots could be a little more complex and are not overall as good as the writing. Four out of five on Goodreads. Sep 08, Mary rated it really liked it. Exciting adventures await Simon and Elizabeth as they travel through time and around the world helping people right the historical wrongs. I love the team they are and how they work together to solve their problems,.

May 11, Walter Jones rated it liked it.

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Could have been a great read The only thing wrong with this book is the missing pages every four or so pages. It's impossible to follow the story when key sections are missing.

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Until this is fixed, don't bother. Jul 30, Cheryl Cowtan rated it really liked it. Loved the first book. Will read the rest later, but for now, know this is a delightful dip into the past. The author, Martin, cleverly reconstructs the '30s and it's a joy to read. The characters play off each other, and the tension is real. I will definitely read book 2. Jun 19, Terry Moran rated it it was amazing. A fun time travel series that also has edgy twists to the plot. You get really involved in the characters and keep wanting more! Looking forward to reading the continuing adventures of Simon Cross and Elizabeth West.

Jul 18, Kathy Starling rated it it was amazing. Well thought out story lines; Characters that come to life. Dec 13, Michelle Nichols rated it it was amazing. These books are amazing! Wonderful stories spun with excitement and romance and history in not a boring way. Aug 21, Claudia Andras rated it liked it.

While the first one was quite nice and engaging, the rest are just a promise of more and more adventures, like a never ending TV series. Perfect if you want a -laid-back-don't-think-too-much-about-it kind of read. Jan 07, Lisa Berger rated it really liked it. Good story, average writing I very much enjoyed reading the first three Out of Time stories.

All of the books could benefit from the help of a good book editor. Page count 2 15 May 31, Don't miss a new release, sign-up for the newsletter! She grew up on both coasts, living in Connecticut and California. She currently resides in Southern California with her naughty Siamese cat, Monkey. Monique attended the University of Southern California's Film School where she earned a B Don't miss a new release, sign-up for the newsletter!