Time Passages

When I have a free moment,I read or create. I love to write, stitch, and read. I'm fascinated by the British way with mysteries, both old and new and am exploring as many as I can.

So what makes the mystery so intriguing? For me it's the complexity of the characters and how the plot is played out with their various personalities and flaws. A good example is the wonderful books written by Agatha Christie, especially the Miss Marple mysteries whether they be in story form or in books. Miss Marple is an observer of people and sees patterns in the way life plays out with certain "characters." She is an observer of habits, flaws, and lies but mostly in how our flaws are played out in what we do under stress. That's what makes her so interesting, and because of the working of her mind I enjoy trying to see how she's pondering each piece of information.

So, for me the best mysteries are the ones that are not the gore filled who-done-its, but rather the one that create good stories, and mind games to unravel. One I'm just discovering are the Inspector Lynley series. Another I've enjoyed of course is Ellis Peters' Cadfael. (What an intricate life this 12th century Benedictine monk has in this Series! I return to these books often and am never disappointed!)

Where am I off to next? Certainly the mysteries created in the final installment of Harry Potter's adventures might be one avenue. (I'm not addicted as many, but do find them interesting.) I enjoy the Owen Archer series by Candace Robb and recently finished book 9, The Guilt of Innocents. That book was a rather guilty pleasure for me because her 14th century Welsh archer, turned detective creates a grand picture of the city of York and it's many inhabitants and an interesting whodunit. So where to next? Who knows where that poison pen will lead? I think I need to go exploring!