A. A. Milne (1882–1956)

I always have been a fan of Winnie the Pooh since I was a kid. However, I haven't actually sat down and read the original stories that were then adapted by Disney. I was delightfully surprised by how familiar the stories felt. All of the characters, while similar to their Disney counterparts, had their own little quirks and personality bits that made them unique to the characters I already knew and loved. Specifically the little bits of sass and quips that are clearly peaks of the authors voice in the characters he created. Very excited to share these stories specifically with my future family.… (altro)

I had no idea that A.A. Milne (yes the Winnie the Pooh author) wrote any adult novels much less a murder mystery. I learned about this book from a NY Times newlsetter and luckily found a copy at my library. Written in 1922 it's a locked room mystery set in a country house in England with a fun cast of characters and an amateur detective who of course figures out the truth.

This was a fun book and while very Agatha Christie-ish it also had some very funny moments.

Antony Gillingham arrives at The Red House just after the fatal shot. He's there to say hello to a friend who is a guest at the house. These two heartily embrace their roles as the Sherlock and Watson imitations and their friendship and banter is wonderful. The actual mystery kept me guessing for a bit and while I was pretty sure of the truth the way Milne had Gillingham work out what truly happened was a fun ride.

It's a quick light read and despite being written in 1922 is still an interesting murder mystery.… (altro)