tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1485997200234349788.post5958642211858289665..comments2024-03-07T12:48:21.070+00:00Comments on MAGONIA REVIEW: MAGIC AND THE MURDER QUEENSUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1485997200234349788.post-56698232853943805572023-02-22T10:44:31.654+00:002023-02-22T10:44:31.654+00:00Super review and, you are right, much overlooked a...Super review and, you are right, much overlooked arearobertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1485997200234349788.post-21251931902304277052023-02-08T11:35:44.811+00:002023-02-08T11:35:44.811+00:00Margery Allingham isn't forgotten - well, not ...Margery Allingham isn't forgotten - well, not in this house! She has a weakness for plots built on a single elaborate contrivance, and the ritualistic mystery surrounding the "Gyrth Chalice" in the first book you refer to - <i>Look to the Lady</i> - is one such. The magical and folk-horror elements are very strong, though; in fact, I remember being thoroughly spooked by it. I think by the end of the book everything that happens has a Perfectly Reasonable Explanation, but it's a close-run thing - it's certainly not boxed off as casually as Christie did in <i>The Pale Horse</i> (which I read as a kid; I still remember the immortal line, "So the Pale Horse is a stalking horse!").Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07009879034507926661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1485997200234349788.post-57855727626270092372023-02-07T15:04:58.429+00:002023-02-07T15:04:58.429+00:00Excellent appraisal and critique of a book I might...Excellent appraisal and critique of a book I might have missed otherwise. Although I'd expect nothing less from a writer with an ability to make deep research fascinating and vital to a body of work. Though I've read all of Christie's works, I wasn't familiar with Ngaio and barely recall reading Mitchell. I will remedy those omissions. Thank you. VirtualJohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07579364099293801607noreply@blogger.com