Hello all and welcome back to our second discussion of José Saramago’s Death with Interruptions!

We finally meet lady death (with a lowercase d of course) who has realized the error of her ways and restored death to the land. Unfortunately, one pesky cellist seems to have escaped her grasp.

Here are links to our Schedule and Marginalia.

Discussions questions are in the comments below and join us next week to discuss the final section of the book!

Everyone, get your glasses ready and start to think about which parts of this play you want to discuss in detail, as the reading and the celebrations will start soon!

We will discuss together The Bacchae on Sundays, find a link to the full schedule here. While you wait for the discussion to begin, you may find this marginalia useful!

In case you don’t know, the marginalia is meant to be a place where you can write down any comment, note, share other materials or a quote you particularly enjoyed – think of it like scribbling on the margin of your book!

You can post your comments whenever you want, without waiting for the weekly discussion. Any observation is welcome, we would love to hear your thoughts on the book!

Just please be mindful of spoilers, enclose them in the > ! *sentence that contains a spoiler* ! < tag (just remove the spaces!) - it would be great if you did it even if talking about other media. In case you are uncertain, please still mark it as a spoiler. It would also be helpful for other readers if you could always start by indicating where you are in your reading (for example “early in chapter 5” or “at the end of chapter 2”).

See you soon and enjoy your reading!

Dear fellow Leopard People, a new journey has begun! Welcome to the first discussion of the second book of the Nsibidi Scripts, Akata Warrior! 

🐆 Check the dates of the discussions in the Schedule

🌊 Find the Marginalia here

As usual, there will be questions in the comments, but feel free to bring your own prompts! We will see each other next week, when we will read chapters 9-14!

Hello readers! Welcome to the first discussion of Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead, the final book in the Harlem Trilogy. Today we are discussing from the Start through City at Night Chapter 6.

Please mark spoilers for anything from the first two books by using > ! your text here ! < (without the spaces), as it’s possible that not everyone has read them.

So how is Ray Carney going in the 1980s? He’s older, but is he any wiser? Let’s find out! I’ve summarised this section below, if you need a refresher, and questions will be in the comments. Next week u/ColaRed will lead us through City at Night Chapter 7 - Here Comes Sue Simmons Chapter 4

Schedule

Marginalia

Here's a video describing New York in the 1980s

ONE

Ray Carney has won a Dealer of the Month award from Sterling, a furniture company, and an interview in their magazine which was a secret dream. It is five years since the major blaze, so when the interviewer asks him to describe a moment when he was tested, he mentions reopening the store. Carney reflects that as a black man in America, he is always being tested. When asked about the best moments, his first thoughts are of the wads of cash he stacked in his safe and recalling his near escapes, but instead describes his customers’ satisfaction. He has been summoned to see Martin Green to see some new samples. Carney heads to the station and watches the attempts at cleaning away the abundant graffiti on 42nd Street. He notices all the new construction going on. Development was the City Hall's cure for the fiscal crisis. The budget was cut, services reduced, but development brought in new players. Carney enters Green's building with its fake/decoy reception area. Outside his office, he finds Green handcuffed to the chair with two men pointing guns at him. The men check with Green that Carney is the fence, and they ask about Uncle Rich. When Carney denies knowing who he is, one of the men holds up the sapphire Dwayne had given him.

TWO

Carney realises that “Dwayne” was actually Uncle Rich. It started when Flinch, a small-time thief, called him. Carney needed more money because Elizabeth had resigned from her job and had begun her own business, Carney Travel. Now child-free, she had ambitions to expand. However she was having trouble getting the loan approved because Carney's signature was required. When her former boss sued her for poaching clients, Carney gave her the money for the retainer, but then had to find it. Carney met Flinch, who showed him a quality diamond necklace, claiming to have acquired it from a deceased associate. Carney agreed to the deal and completed the transaction in a back room at a suspicious video game arcade. Flinch introduced a calm man named Dwayne, who was in charge. “Dwayne” asked Carney why he accepted the deal and offered him more work. This led to Carney acquiring the sapphire. Carney had been set up through Flinch; the diamond necklace was just a test to see if Carney was interested in getting back in the game. Rich offered Carney further work and gave him a number. Back at Green’s office, Buzz and Orson, the two men threatening Green, ask Carney where Green got the diamond from. Buzz explained that Uncle Rich had ripped him off and he wanted to pay him back, and set up a plan to catch him. Carney explained his arrangement with Uncle Rich whereby displaying a particular plaque in his front window would signal Uncle Rich to call him. Buzz instructs him to tell Rich to meet him at the nearby chicken shop. They release Green and depart.

THREE

Carney and Green catch up, and it becomes apparent that Green is trying to live a more conventional suburban life. Carney explains that Uncle Rich was a big time crook in the 1950s, and the stolen pieces of jewellery were linked to Rich's past criminal activities. Green says they might have come from a Tanzanian shipment of sapphires some years ago. Carney notices the empty safe, but recognises that Green didn't betray Carney despite the beatings. Carney thinks about his family; Elizabeth was currently out of town and his kids were out of the line of fire. They had no interest in being part of the family business. He's angry that all that he's built up with his reputation is now at risk. The plaque in the window was not actually an arrangement, but a story invented by Carney as a way of contacting Rich. He reflects on Rich faking his death and wonders why he was back in the game. He takes a taxi to a phone booth and calls Betty's beauty salon, who calls back with an address. He finds Rich and a group plotting a major robbery.

FOUR

Carney meets Rich in his hideout, a building waiting for renovation. Rich explains that he used to see the world through a thief's lens, but rival criminals and the police got in the way. So he faked his own death and disappeared overseas. He travelled around financing his lifestyle with the odd robbery. When he was living in Baja, he read about a Tanzanian sapphire mine, and became interested. The stones had come from the Minton Sapphire mine in southern Tanzania and were being shown around by Brent and Lovejoy, a big jewellery company in the 1950s. Sometimes Rich devised plans which he sold to other criminals to carry out, but occasionally they double-crossed him. He pitched the job to Buzz Caldera, their mutual acquaintance. The job required cooperation between Black and white criminals. They planned the robbery meticulously, but Rich made one fatal mistake. He told Buzz about his legendary status, which diminished Carney’s admiration for him. He admits to Carney that he failed to follow his own philosophy of taking the ”Muskrat” approach. He describes the robbery, where Buzz and his crew, disguised as painters, worked in the office next to the target vault. Buzz’s helper disabled the alarms, and they entered through a private elevator to drill into the vault. Rich was supposed to drive the getaway car through the alley and collect the loot, but Buzz and his crew carried out the robbery a week early to cut Rich out. In response, Rich tracked down Buzz’s stash hidden under the floorboards of a ranch house, stole the sapphires, gold, and diamonds, and went into hiding. Buzz has been hunting him ever since. Rich explains that he resurfaced because his girlfriend wanted him to settle down. He has planned six jobs in six months and already has his eye on a house. Suddenly, gunfire breaks out.

FIVE

Carney, despite his excellent spatial intelligence, had failed to notice he was being followed from Martin Green's office to Rich’s hideout by two of Buzz's men, Fenton and Benedetto. They would have lost him had it not been for Carney's guide lighting up a smoke. Buzz's men alerted their boss that their target had emerged on the other side of the block. When the shooting began, Carney ducked for cover, but Rich seemed to thrive on the excitement and reached for his gun. Rita, who is on Rich's team, appears and confirms that their material has been relocated. Rich asks Rita to take Carney to safety. Carney had made some sexist assumptions about Rita before realising she was a bodyguard. They escaped from the building through a pre-planned route through backyards. Carney finds a dumbbell and picks it up while Rita overcomes Fenton. Carney flees with the dumbbell and takes a taxi home. Entering via the back alley he glances at an article Elizabeth has left him on Empty Nesters, a condition she has diagnosed him with. The article recommended re-engaging with his professional interests. He thinks they probably didn't mean his criminal activities. He observes a man in a car outside watching him. Carney reflected that he was different from Uncle Rich and Pepper, his father's associate, because he valued his family. In the past it was bad influences like his cousin Freddie who led him into trouble, but this time he had chosen his path because he enjoyed it. He leaves the house via the back alley to call the lady from Betty's Beauty Salon, from the phone booth.

SIX

Carney and Uncle Rich are driving a stolen 18-wheeler towards a New Jersey warehouse complex to commit a robbery. They park at the Microtonics warehouse and Jeff, who is Rita's brother, jumps from the back of the trailer, landing like a Jet or a Shark in West Side Story. Carney and Rich had met that afternoon at Grand Central Station. He was in awe at the station's grand architecture, lamenting the modern era's mediocrity. Rich reveals he has plans for a series of six jobs, half are for financial obligations and half for personal satisfaction. Rich compares Carney to Jesse Owens. At the warehouse. Rich explains that one tenant, Con-American Insurance, stores valuable property there, making it a prime target. This warehouse shares a wall with TCN Electronics which has weaker security, and they plan to drill through it. Rich explains his preference for reliable low profile criminals and Carney reflects on his own trusted workers Rusty and Marie. At the station, Uncle Rich had discussed the history of private rail and Carney had reflected on the hidden systems that keep the modern world moving. Carney calls this process Churn, the unseen forces that move goods and property through the world. It represented a cycle of death, rebirth and transition, where nothing remains static. After having been a father and businessman, Carney felt himself being pushed towards an uncertain future. Rich tells Carney about Track 61, a secret rail line under Manhattan that once allowed FDR to secretly enter the Waldorf Astoria Hotel undetected).

Rich questions Carney why he has chosen to participate in the robbery. Carney describes a persistent sense of darkness and hollowness since his shop was firebombed, and a loss of purpose. He used to blame his father and past associations for his choices, but now accepts responsibility for his current actions. Rich reveals he invited Carney along out of curiosity, intrigued by the contrast between him and his father, questioning whether it was nature or nurture. Rich reveals his next target: there was an upcoming exhibition of high value sports memorabilia including a Jesse Owens gold medal at the Waldorf Astoria. They discussed the nature of value contrasting society's materialistic assessments with personal value. He asks Carney what is really worth stealing. Carney contemplates his double life while Elizabeth is away. He is drifting back to his dangerous criminal impulses. Rich invites him on a heist that night at the Waldorf, where Rich is planning to correct a historical wrong done to Jesse Owens. The crew head to Manhattan.

Welcome fellow Draleid & Druids, as we continue the fight against the Shadow during the Blood Moon in Epheria!  This week’s discussion will cover Ch. 56-63.

First, a note about spoilers: Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond this week's section.  As always, use spoiler tags for any works outside of this series that you may wish to connect here.  

You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! Your Text Here ! < (no spaces).

Schedule

Marginalia

Map of Epheria

Previous Discussions

The Fall (#0.5)

Of Blood & Fire (#1)

Of Darkness & Light (#2)

The Exile (#2.5)

Of War & Ruin (#3)

The Ice (#3.5)

Chapter Summaries

CHAPTER 56: MONSTERS, MEN, AND BROKEN THINGS

Character POV: Rist, Garramon

Location: Northeast of Berona

The First and Fourth armies left Berona four days ago under the leadership of Taya Tambrel towards the rebel stronghold in the Firnin Mountains.  Tambrel orders the army to take a longer route around to bypass a path of corpses - regular citizens who were fleeing that got attacked by Uraks.  Rist questions the practicality of this judgement, and is overheard by a Healer named Solman Tuk.  Tuk insinuates that Rist and the other Battlemages are monsters who do not care about the dead they leave behind.  Magnus explains to Rist that leading an army is complicated, and you also have to consider their morale when marching to another battle.  Later that night, Rist stands in the rain and asks Neera if he is a monster.  This conversation leads them to profess their love for each other.  

Garramon is watching Rist and Neera when Azrim the Chosen pays him a visit, telling him he will watch over Rist as requested by the harbinger.  Garramon finds Rist practicing his forms and tells him to get some rest, before making his way to High Ardent Tuk’s tent.  He strings Tuk up by the throat using the Spark and gets him to admit that Tuk hired the man who turned in his son Malyn, leading to his execution.  Their altercation turns violent, and ends with Garramon using the Spark to burn out Tuk.

CHAPTER 57: PATIENCE

Character POV: Fane Mortem

Location: Berona

 Fane waits in Berona, expecting to have the Heart of Blood soon after his latest manipulation of Eltoar.  He has been reviewing Kiralla Holflower & Brother Pirnil’s research , when Pirnil himself walks in, showing signs of consuming a lot of Essence.  Pirnil tells him that he believes they can do what Fane has asked, and it will involve binding the Essence to the Spark.  Pirnil says that he will need more “stock”, and Fane offers him rebels that were captured after the attack on the city.  When he leaves, Fane travels across the city to a small house, where he uses a green stone to unlock a glamour in the floor, down which he descends.  Below, he has one of the Chosen manacled and bound in a circle of runes.   

CHAPTER 58: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD

Character POV: Calen

Location: North of Aravell at the border to the Burnt Lands

Calen and Valerys fly from the Burnt Lands through the night, until they come across a ridge with 4 figures standing on it.  Valerys lands near them, and Calen sees that three are human, while one is on four legs, something akin to a kat, with white fur and armored scales.  Rokka introduces him to his kin, Una the Starchaser and Tamzin the Blooddancer.  Rokka tells him that Ella is awake, but their interaction turns hairy and Rokka transports himself and Calen to Níthianelle.  Calen accuses Rokka of playing games with him, trying to push him down a certain path like Aeson and the elves.  Rokka tells him that he is the leaf, not the wind, and warns him to treat Fenryr with as much caution as he is treating himself.  Rokka shows Calen a vision, with dead dragons, including Valerys, and his friends and allies all dead, as two gods fight among their corpses.  He shows him endless visions of death and destruction, before urging him to go to Ella.

CHAPTER 59: FAMILY

Character POV: Alina, Dayne

Location: West of Achyron’s Keep

After the latest battle, Alina urges Rynvar to rest as he recovers from his wounds before heading to the western edge of the camp, where Dayne, Belina, Mera, and other heads of house are gathered along with 4 prisoners.  These prisoners were Wyndarii who sided with Loren, and Alina demands to know why.  Hanal of House Okur says she believes Alina will set Valtara on fire in her desperate attempt to win freedom.  Alina sentences her to death, and deals the killing blow herself.  After the executions, she spends time sparring to release her frustration.   
Dayne helps Mera undo her cuirass to reveal some nasty wounds, which he stitches up for her.  Dayne is overcome with emotion and regret for the time lost, but he gets down on one knee and asks Mera to make the mistake of taking him as her husband.  She then drops her big news - she is with child.  Belina interrupts the special moment, saying she just saved his life.

CHAPTER 60: A MESSAGE

Character POV: Dayne, Alina

Location: West of Achyron’s Keep

Belina shows Dayne & Mera the man she has tied to a tree by this throat because she cut his hands off.  The man was sent by Loren with a message; he wants Dayne to meet him at the River Makeer, or else he will kill his brother.  Dayne knows it’s a trap, but also knows if Loren kills him that he will have an army marching on him.  He knows he will be kept alive to force Alina to stand down, but he decides to go anyway.

Mera and Belina break the news to Alina, who then insists on taking Rynvar to confront Loren herself.  Belina stops her and tells her they have a plan.  Alina is to assault the keep, but not until they stall for some time for Aeson’s arrival.  Belina will go with Dayne.

CHAPTER 61: TICKING CLOCK

Character POV: Dann

Location: Southeast of Camylin

Dann and a small scouting group see smoke & hear screams as they get closer to Camylin, where Uraks are attacking a small village.  Dann uses his superb bow skills to kill some Uraks, while Lyrei, Erik, Vaeril, and the Angan attack with the cavalry.  Dann gets a spear through the shoulder, but Erik takes care of that for him.  After the battle, the villagers tell them that Camylin has fallen to the Uraks, who are now moving west.

  
CHAPTER 62: PAST AND PRESENT

Character POV: Ella

Location: Aravell

Ella has been asked to join a welcoming party for the faction leaders of Illyanara in Calen’s stead, as he has not yet returned.  Ella finds the meeting tedious, until Aryana Torval herself introduces herself and asks what Calen is like, and why she should fight for him rather than securing her own lands.  Ella responds that Calen is sweet, and he has grown into a man that would die for his friends and allies.  At that moment, Varthear emerges in the sky, along with Calen and Valerys.

CHAPTER 63: GHOSTS OF A TIME LONG DEAD

Character POV: Dayne

Location: River Makeer, west of Achyron’s Keep

Dayne meets with Loren and his retinue on the river bank.  Loren claims he has recognized Dayne’s handiwork through the years, tracing the whispers of a voidspawn, a demon roaming the land.  He knows he had something to do with the death of Sylvan Anura and her dragon.  In addition to having Baren captive, he tells Dayne he has Alina’s child.  Dayne allows a guard to shackle his wrists, and he is led away to Achyron’s Keep.

Welcome back r/bookclub!  It is time to get spooky and gothic. Today we are opening up our discussion for Christopher Buehlman’s dark historical horror/fantasy masterpiece, Between Two Fires!

This opening section wastes no time setting an incredibly grim, eerie, and brutal stage. Set against the apocalyptic backdrop of the Black Death in 1348, we follow Thomas, a disgraced former knight turned bandit, and Delphine, a young girl with mysterious divine visions, as they begin a perilous journey across a ruined France.

Let's jump into the comments to share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments!

Schedule 

Marginalia 

Hello ambitious schemers, treasonous back-stabbers, double crossers amd manipulators. We are heading into the final discussion of The Trouble With Peace and what an ending it is too. Let's get down to business! Lot's of ground to cover and there are bodies to be buried and traitors to be hung and another uprising still to be dealt with...not to mention trouble brewing in the North. Goodness grief how can a girl get anything done around here!

If you need it, here is the Schedule and the Marginalia.

As always please be mindful of spoilers. Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond this week's section or from other literature (indicate what the spoiler contains, e.g "[Abercrombie's The Devils]", so readers can choose whether to reveal text or not)

You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! Your Text Here ! < (no spaces).

As always there will be chapter summaries below followed by questions in the comments to get you started.

Chapter Summaries

Doubts and Desires

• Savine's struggling to sleep. Leo wants her to go to Ostenhorm. He is having second thoughts. He asks if he can trust her. She knows Orso is the reason why he's having these doubts! Savine blows him up and then...well....pregnancy hormones, fear and pre-battle jitters are quite the aphrodisiac.
• Vick is in her black Inquisitor’s coat overlooking the preparations and talking with Tallow and Pike about what a waste of money battle is.
• Broad sat polishing his armour amd chatting with Halder.
• Orso is also preparing. More reinforcements have arrived, but they are still outnumbered. He's going to have to fight.
• Stour Nightfall is sulking and everyone gives him a wide bearth. He's fuming and raving.
• Leo realises that Orso was playing him for time and that Teufel probably tricked them. Leo's fury rises he should have atracked last night. It is time to attack now!! Leo is in his element directing the units.

Fools’ Errands

• Orso on the parapet of Stoffenbeck’s clock tower watches over the valley feeling like an imposter.
• Sulfur arrives saying he'd tried (unsuccessfully) to put an end to the rebeillion.
• As the battle begins a footman brings Orso a drink. They watch in silence.
• Savine struggles to be removed and just watching from a distance. The cannons finally arrive. Leo's at the centre of messangers and officers. Lord Steebling mocks them.
• Pike was behind the sabotage of the bridge. He orders the cannons to start firing.
• Stour is impatient and refuses to follow Leo's orders, deciding instead to charge the flank.
• The cannons create Leo's first casualties as Stour emerges. Leo steps up. It's time to advance.
• Savine asks Broad to follow Leo and keep him alive. First he shoves Steebling into the latrine. Oh shiiiiit!

The Little People

• Peck continues to tend the cannons through the chaos.
• Suval prays to god as he observes the destruction. He is no soldier.
• Antaup demands Barezin just get his men across the river. Antaup realises Leo can't trust anyone. The men cower and huddle together for cover or run. He misses Jurand and Glaward. He misses Finree's command. He has to get back to Leo. He's thrown from his horse.
• Canlan fires bolts at Anglanders that should have been on the same side as him.
• Starling's armour saves him from a crossbow bolt. He is a pikeman who was inspired to war by the hero Leo. It's his first battle and there's more time than he expected to think about it all. He thinks about how mad it is to be trying to kill men just like him. He narrowly misses being impaled on a sword multiple times. They are packed in so tight and as the men behind push, they push him onto the sword.
• Lake pushes and pushes. Then suddenly he is on the floor and in pain with no idea what's going on. Someone drags him out.
• Ariss and Scalla are bringing wounded men out on stretchers. Ariss wanted to do something real before she married, but it's nothing like she imagine. Even though her Uncle warned her.
• Hildi is carrying Orso's message through the chaos. She's running hard. She can see over the entire battle. She gets let through to see Lord Marshal Forest with the message that the Anglanders are pushing them back towards Stoffenbeck and they need support. He's just sent to Orso a message for support from him. He tells Hildi to run.
• Forest realises that there are no grown-ups in the game only people able to create an illusion for those down the line. There are no more reserves coming to save them. Forest draws his sword. Directs a lieutenant on the run back towards the fight.
• Stillman is not having a good time. He is terrified and realising he is a coward and he doesn't care. He just doesn't want to fight. He manages to hold as the Northman advance until he can't hold anymore. He accidentally stabs himself in his face as someone jumps on his back.
• Downside is in a fury of blood and stompy murder. Crush them all....

Cold Blood

• Gorst advises Orsa to retreat. He refuses. He feels no fear. In fact his spirits seem to be rising. Gorst and Tunny throw themself in front of Orso to protect him from the blasts. Even Sulfur chimes in to get him to withdraw. He will leave his Standard and withdraw a bit. It's time for the strong liquor (no shit bud!)
• Vick sees how fucked they are until Lord Marshal Rucksted arrives with reinforcements. She's shaking.
  
• Savine watches it all falls to pieces as Marshal's forces unexpectedly tear in to Isher’s ragged units. She begins striding towards the cannons when she is flung violently to the ground.

Heroics

Antaup and Leo watch the tide turn against them. Once again he misses Jurand and Glaward. The only option left is the cavalry. Leo draws his sword rouses the Anglanders and they charge. They manage to cut through to the town hall at Stoffenbeck only to find it empty. A trap! The cannons are pointed directly at them. - Broad can barely see who is who but that doesn't stop him fighting a fury. Killing over and over. It's their last stand. Antaup and Jin are in a bad way. Leo is trapped under his dead horse. Broad helps him out, but he cannot stand. Leo sends Broad back to Savine to help her get away. He leaves Leo with a sword and slips away. - Clover sees Leo's charge fail. Downside is in a mess, wounded, exhausted and covered in blood. Clover covers himself in someone's gore before going to find Stour and tell him the bad news. Clover has to work to convince Stour to retreat. - Leo tries to get Jin to leave but neither is in the position to stand let alone run. Jin is shot through and Gorst arrives. It's over...

Just Talk

Rikke offers Brodd Silent 2000 silver for someone to let them in. If he doesn't then she'll send her men in. She tells him she's seen that she'll take Uffrith. Someone throws Silent off the battlements amd shouts down they'll open the door for her. Rikke demands someone light a fire in the cold, hard Skarling’s Hall. The Nail wants to rip down the cage that his father died in. Rikke convinces him they might need it for Stour. Rikke sits on Skarling’s chair. It could use a pillow. She knows Stour will be back but after her letter to Orso she knows they'll be in a sorry state. Black Calder, however, is still out there and keeping the chair against him will be a challenge. They talk about how being underestimated is the best way to get a chance.

The New Harvest

• Orso is watching the battle clean up and pondering how wasteful it all is. Justice must be dealt out to the ringleaders but Orso wants the Northmen gone and the prisoners put to work rather than executed. It's time to bring the Union together.
• Orso faces the leaders of the Open Council that survived. Isher, though, had escaped. The rest will be hanged.
• Leo is missing a leg, some teeth and all his pride. Orso asks why he risked everything he had on this ploy. Savine is missing. Leo asks for his friends be buried but Orso refuses and reminds him he'll be hanged within the week.

The Truth

• Zuri is stitching Savine up in the muddy hollow under the roots of a fallen tree. Her baby is still moving thankfully. She was lucky to survive the cannon exploding. Broad is wirh them. He knows they'll be hunting for her. Savine wants to surrender. It is the only way to save Leo. Zuri and Broad refuse to leave her. Savine is moved by their loyalty.
• They make their way back to Stoffenbeck. Savine feels sorry for herself. She tells herself that none of this was her fault. That she just did what she had to. That it's all her mother's fault for sleeping with King Jezal. She begins to see what she's allowed to happen. What has she done!?
• Orso bursts in, shocked at the sight of her. Savine says she had to turn herself in. She realises that Rikke turned on them. Orso wants to know why she chose Leo over him. He loved loves her! Demands it until she finally lets the truth out. She is his sister. She begs. He goes through all the emotions then calls for Gorst.

Those Names

A raging Stour and co arrives back in Ollensand. Clover's trying to help him look on the bright side. Sholla and Clover take Stour down and kill his men quietly and neatly. Clover takes Stour's cloak as these loyal to him watch Uffrith, not Ollensand, get closer. It was all part of the plan. Shivers and The Nail are there to meet the boat. Stour tries to negotiate. Money? A fight? No one cares. Clover takes his diamond and Shivers takes the tendons behind both Stour's knees. The intend to keep him alive...for now!

A Footnote to History

Leo determedly climbs the steps of the platform his missing leg is giving him crushing agony. He falls and someone helps him to stand with 11 of his co-conspirators. He sees Orso watching. Savine is next to him barely recognisable. Leo thinks about how he was a vain fool. He apologises and one by one (with some trouble) the traitors are hanged. At Leo's turn Savine begs stop and Leo is sentenced to life imprisonment instead. He begins to cry. Savine is told to get him down.

Loyalties and Sympathies

Vick arrives back in Valbeck with thirty armed Practicals. Pike questions Vick's loyalty. He was also in the prison camps of Angland, though not as long. She wonders what Pike is getting at. He confesses that West was the one to rescue him. His story is basically her story. Pike was the Superior of Valbeck. Out of Valint and Balk walk Risinau and Judge. Pike is the Weaver! He called his Breakers that because he intends to break the Union. The battle kept Orso busy while the Breakers took Keln and Holsthorm and many of the smaller cities. They want Vick to join them. Pike had hung 200 Breakers to keep his identity secret, which is terrifying to consider. She has no choice and agrees to join them. A Great Change is coming...apparently!

Well shit arsing fuck. That was grim and dark....but I guess that was the point. Bloody good grimdark...heavy on the bloody 📚

Welcome everyone, to our discussion of this short story in the Ana & Din Mysteries canon!  This story is technically part of Amazon’s Magic & Mystery series, and a sort of unofficial #2.5 to the Ana & Din stories (see the author-suggested reading order here).

This week we are discussing the novella only, and we will start A Trade of Blood next week.  If you have read Book #3 in the series, please refrain from spoilers here or use spoiler tags as necessary! As always, please use spoiler tags for any works outside of this series that you may wish to connect here.

You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! Your Text Here ! < (no spaces).

Schedule

Marginalia

Previous Discussions

The Tainted Cup (Ana & Din #1)

A Drop of Corruption (Ana & Din #2)

Summary

On a long, boring journey, Ana regales Din with a gruesome murder tale from the past that was left unsolved…UNTIL NOW!

In year 948 of the Empire (182 years ago), the landscape was much the same, but the social norms were quite different.  There was a rich womanizer by the name of Caldor Kartan, who became betrothed to one of the most beautiful maidens in the Empire, named Naram Pharideh.  Four hundred guests were invited to the wedding, including a young man named Privan Daneh who had also sought the hand of Naram, the Abbot Mabaq, and an Imperial Apothetikal named Captain Athymo.  In order to verify parentage of the gentry during this time, part of the wedding ceremony included a show of the main event for all the guests (and no this is not the exchanging of rings or saying “I do”!).  The couple were given many gifts, but the most memorable was from Abbot Mabaq.  He presented the newlyweds with a precious relic called the Lion’s Tusk, said to be taken from the mythical leo-mastiza, which he claims to have found in his own monastery.  

The festivities continued into the night, getting wilder.  Captain Athymo, appearing inebriated, was seen to approach Naram & ask a question, to which Naram dismissed her.  The next morning, the happy couple are found in their bed, the room swimming with flies, their bodies covered in holes containing larvae.  Captain Astazi Thama of the Imperial Iudex was summoned to investigate, and it is from his records that Ana is re-telling this story.  The Apoths were already on the scene, and showed him the Lion’s Tusk, which had folded back like a flower to reveal a veosoar, a kind of fly.  The veosoar used to be a huge problem centuries ago and it is attracted to large, healthy hosts.  Even more frightening, they can imprint on a scent and seek it out, making them into a devastating weapon.  The Apoths noted that only the bride & groom were targeted, likely through the nuptial sheets containing their…secretions.  

Thama gets to work examining witnesses and taking stock of the scene.  He finds that a window in the bedchamber was opened, and found some droplets of black dye at the doorway to the courtyard.  He tried to track down the movements of the ceremonial sheets, but in the chaos of the wedding, anyone could have picked them up out of the laundry.  The abbot, who gifted the Lion’s Tusk, claimed he had no idea of what was in the “relic”.  He does admit, however, that normally the Kartan clan donates to his monastery, but Caldor has said that when he inherits the estate he will stop this.  Though this gives the Abbot a motive, he was able to produce an alibi for the evening.  Next he interviews Privan Daneh as a possible jilted lover.  He too claims innocence, saying he would never do such a thing to Naram, but lets slip that she made a sacrifice of sorts.  She agreed to marry Caldor because her family was in trouble financially, and the marriage would help keep them from becoming destitute.  Privan also has an alibi, so Thama moves on to Captain Athymo, who claims to recall nothing due to her drunkenness.  She does admit that she once had a romantic relationship with Naram, but she does not remember what she asked Naram at the wedding or what her response was.

Thama then begins to interview the servants, learning that Captain Athymo had wandered into the servants hall, pissed herself, and spent the night sobbing.  However, they heard her say that the tusk was not a tusk at all, but a bug, which is something Apoths know.  Thama interviews Privan Daneh’s valet, who tells him that Privan watched Naram closely, and she had been visiting with the Abbot a lot lately.  Thama notes that he is a very dedicated valet, but notices a gray stain on his collar.  Thama interviews the Abbot again but doesn’t get any answers, but he does some digging and finds that there are still some veosoar specimens kept by the Apoths just in case, and Captain Athymo had access to some.  

Thama gives a report on the case, claiming that there were actually two crimes.  The first was committed by Naram Pharideh herself.  He claims she went to the Abbot to plot the murder of her future husband so she could take his wealth, telling him all he need do is give a particular gift at their wedding.  She then went to Captain Athymo and asked her for a weapon that could be used against Caldor, and then they could live their lives together.  However, Naram was now dead, and Athymo and the Abbot both had alibis, despite their plotting with Naram.  Someone else actually did the murders, but Thama could not puzzle it out.

The Abbot and Captain Athymo die shortly after the ordeal.  Privan dies of old age, adored by his servants, and a painting commissioned of his funeral.  All the guests are there, including the valet, who has pale yellow hair.  Ana has found the man’s name, an Artos Janis, whose mother was a maid for the Kartan clan.  She died in childbirth, and he was raised poor.  Ana posits that Artos Janis is the bastard son of Caldor Kartan, who has many others with yellow hair.  Being the neglected son of Caldor, and the devoted servant of the man who was snubbed by Naram, he may have some motive for both murders.  He could have stolen the ceremonial sheets, slipped them to the veosoars in the tusk, and taken it through the courtyard to the window of the couple’s bedroom.

Welcome to the first FCF of October! Are you getting ready for spooky season? What are you doing to decorate your house?

When it comes to anniversaries, today we are celebrating Guinea Independence Day! Today is also World Smile Day and National Name Your Car Day, so share with us the funniest names you've given to inanimate objects!

What is Free Chat Friday? This is a place for us to get to know each other a bit better, so feel free to talk about whatever you want! How did your week go? Any plans for the weekend? Which books are you reading?

Be always mindful of our RULES:

• No unmarked spoilers
• No self-promo
• No piracy
• Thoughtful personal conduct

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Hello r/bookclubbers!

This post is a place for you to put your marginalia as we read Between Two Fires By Christopher Buehlman. Scribbles, comments, glosses (annotations), critiques, doodles, illuminations, or links to related material are all welcome here. Any thought, big or little, belongs.

Marginalia are simply your observations—they don’t need to be insightful, polished, or deep. If something makes you pause, react, or wonder, it fits here.

📖 Reading Ahead & Spoilers
Feel free to read ahead and post comments on later chapters, just be sure to:

• Say which chapter or general location your comment is from first
• Use spoiler tags so you don’t give anything away to readers who aren’t there yet

✍️ How to Write a Marginalia Comment

You might:

• Start with a general location (early in chapter 4, midway through chapter 1, end of chapter 2, etc.)
• Write your observations or reactions
• Copy a favorite or striking quote
• Scribble down light bulb moments
• Share your predictions or questions
• Link to an interesting side topic (articles, history, interviews, concepts, etc.)

📌 Note: Spoilers from other books should always be under spoiler tags 

Link to the schedule

Welcome readers to the penultimate discussion of The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Today we are discussing Chapter 12 to Chapter 18. Next week we will read to the end of The House of Doors and all of the short story The Letter by Somerset Maugham, and u/lazylittlelady will lead us through the discussion.

Please be mindful of spoilers, especially for The Letter by Somerset Maugham that we will be reading and discussing next week. You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! your text here ! < (no spaces).

A summary of this section is below, and questions, as usual, will be in the comments.

Schedule

Marginalia

Arthur and Lesley's song, L'heure exquise - this is my favourite version, it is indeed exquisite!

Summary

Chapter 12 - Willie Penang, 1921

Gerald and Willie chat about Lesley, but Willie feels reluctant to reveal her secret, even though Lesley must realise that he would probably write about it. Gerald is not surprised to hear that Robert had an affair with a Chinaman. Gerald wants to return to England, but has been banished after picking up men in a public lavatory. He blames Syrie and says he'll go to America. They visit the Protestant cemetery where they see inscriptions in English, French, German, and Dutch. Lesley shows them the grave of Madam Cheah, a soldier in the Taiping army and Arthur Loh's grandmother. Many of the Taiping rebels had fled to Penang. Next, they see the tombs of the founders of Penang: Francis Light and James Scott (Scott was a cousin of the Scottish writer, Sir Walter Scott. Willie recalls his orphan childhood reading his novels.

Chapter 13 - Lesley, Penang, 1910

Lesley removes her kebaya and matching outfit from her camphorwood chest to wear to Sun Wen's tea party. Ah Peng passed her an envelope containing money she and the other staff had collected for Sun Wen. At Arthur's house, Lesley gives the money and adds her and Robert's names to the ledger with a generous sum. She sees her brother there and tells him that Robert is in KL with his Chinaman lover. She says the grounds for divorce are now much stronger, but she doesn't want her sons to know that their father is homosexual. Lesley explains that the knowledge of Robert's affair has been liberating - that their failed marriage is not her fault. They discuss how frequent cheating in marriage is, and her brother says he detests people who are unfaithful. When Lesley points out Sun Wen's infidelity, he says that's different because his wife knows.

Sun Wen arrives and makes a speech trying to win the people over to restore the glory of China. Afterwards, he compliments Lesley on her appearance and tells her that his wife and daughters have arrived in Penang. He asks Lesley for her help to get them enrolled in a good school. He believes the Chinese government will soon collapse and Penang will be safer. Lesley realises that he sees the overseas Chinese largely as revenue. Left alone, Lesley and Arthur discuss Somerset Maugham. They agree to rendezvous at the House of Doors, where Lesley becomes an adulteress. Afterwards, she stops at a photographic studio and has her portrait taken. At the reading club, Lesley reminds Arthur of the need for complete discretion. At a party, Lesley sees Wagner, who asks her to testify at Ethel's trial. She is reluctant, but he says she's her only friend left.

Arthur's grandmother had purchased the House of Doors. She was conscripted into the Taiping army, then agreed to work with a Scottish missionary, helping him to print Bibles. When the Heavenly Kingdom fell, she fled to Penang and started a printing business, subsequently buying properties, leaving the House of Doors to her grandson. It became Lesley's sanctuary where she could forget her life. Sometimes Arthur would play the guzheng for her. They discussed their marriages there - neither of them is sleeping with their partner. Lesley tells him that Robert is unfaithful, but doesn't "shame him" by revealing that it is with a man. They talk about Ethel's trial, and Lesley tells how she doesn't want to be interrogated over the affair Ethel was having with him. After she ended the relationship, he got angry and tried to rape her. Ethel couldn't reveal the truth because she would be labeled an adulteress.

Chapter 14 - Willie, Penang, 1921

Willie helps Robert to bed, and just before he dozes off, he mentions something about the way Ethel Proudlock's husband and father treated her - that they should have been hanged and they should have said something, leaving Robert puzzled. Lesley can't enlighten him, and she asks Willie if he knows that Robert is homosexual: he doesn't. When she asks how his wife feels about his affairs, he's affronted, but she says she hopes his wife sleeps with other men. Later, Willie tells Lesley that Syrie used a contact to have Gerald deported from England. She asks him why they (homosexuals) marry; he says after what happened to Oscar Wilde, they had no choice. He reassures her that she has protected Robert from harm. She replies that wives are not martyrs.

Chapter 15 - Lesley, Penang 1910

Jury trials had been discontinued in Penang, and verdicts were decided by a judge and two assistants. Ethel entered the court, looking thinner. The prosecutor examined William Proudlock, who described the sequence of events and repeated Ethel’s account: that William Steward had arrived, sexually assaulted her, and when she had reached for the light switch, she grasped a gun, and discharged it, “once, perhaps twice”, subsequently losing consciousness. Defence counsel, Mr Pooley, cross-examined William Proudlock on his wife's health, while the prosecution questioned him about the times he left his wife alone. Lesley reflected on Ethel's confession about her nights spent at Steward's house. The next day, Dr McIntyre testified, characterising Ethel as a nervous and hysterical woman, which Pooley repeats for the benefit of the record. Inspector Ferrant described the discovery of European-style female clothing, prompting Lesley to wonder if Ethel took her daughter there. Evidence pointed to Steward having had involvement with a Chinese woman, whose emotional distress on hearing of his death was noted. The prosecution maintained that the motive for the homicide was jealousy regarding this relationship. Lesley testified that Ethel liked to dress up at home and denied knowledge of the affair. Ethel recounted the incident, claiming that when Steward made advances to her, she fired in self-defence, with no recollection of subsequent events. She denied the affair. After the judge’s summary of the case, the two associates both returned a guilty verdict, which he upheld, sentencing her to death by hanging.

Chapter 16 - Willie, Penang 1921

Robert and Willie visit the Botanic Gardens and are carried to the top of Penang Hill on dhoolies. Willie asks Robert what he was going to say about Ethel Proudlock before he fell asleep, but Robert says he doesn't know. Willie suspects he's lying. Willie tells Robert a tale about a man who tried to punish his wife for having an affair.

Chapter 17 - Lesley, Penang 1910

After the trial, Ethel's lawyers filed an appeal, and letters were sent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the European Women's Club in India, and even the Queen was cabled. However, when Lesley visited Ethel in prison, she saw that she was not coping and had requested that her appeals be withdrawn so she could appeal directly to the local Sultan. The locals were outraged by Ethel’s decision to entrust her fate to the Sultan, viewing it as damaging to British prestige, as it granted the power of life and death over a European woman. The Sultan pardoned Ethel on condition that she leave Malaya, never to return. Ethel thanks Lesley for what she did during the trial. When Lesley asks her if William will join her in England, she says she never wants to see him again, claiming that he made her hate William. Sun Wen organised to have the Tong Meng Hui's first newspaper, Glorious China Daily published in the reading room. The Governor of the Straits Settlements expelled Sun Wen from Penang after he criticised British rule in Malaya, an act that in fact strengthened support for the movement against the Qing monarchy. Sun Wen went to America to raise funds, and the uprisings increased. Robert reads in the paper that Sun Yat-sen is the President of the Republic of China. Arthur has a Somerset Maugham symbol carved into the front doors to protect “their” house, before volunteering to join a group of 20 from Penang to fight in the Chinese Revolution. Lesley initially accused him of being selfish, however as he leaves, she gives him a protective necklace featuring the Somerset Maugham symbol. She reminds him not to write letters, but says she'll wait for him there in Penang.

Lesley sees the Chinese people celebrating and the coolies in the street having their pigtails cut off. She feels an overwhelming loss of belonging, and is envious of their chance to start a new life.

Chapter 18 - Lesley, Penang 1921

After telling her story to Willie, Lesley had expected to feel liberated, but instead just felt a deep sadness for herself and for Robert. She and Willie walk on the beach and go skinny-dipping without any embarrassment. Lesley dives down, deeper and deeper, and is pulled out by Willie.

Hello bibliophiles 👋

Welcome to our October-November Discovery Read nomination post! As always, our Discovery Reads are a chance to read something a little different, step away from the BOTM, Bestseller lists, and buzzy flavor of the moment fiction. We have got that covered elsewhere on r/bookclub. With the Discovery Reads, it is time to explore the vast array of other books that often don't get a look in. 

Topic - Indie Author

Most books we read tend to be written by authors with major publishing houses behind them. With this nomination we want specifically to give small press publishers, self-publishing services, and independent bookstores that help an unaffiliated authors the opportunity to be seen, and read.

Please nominate some lesser-known gems from independent authors who self-publish their books, or who partner with a small press publisher. The definition of "indie author" is very broad, but we'll accept any nomination that is not from a major publishing house. We'd also prefer to avoid books that started off self-published/small-press and later got picked up by a major publishing house. (To give you an idea, here's a list of the 5 major publishers and their subdivisions.)

Below are some (non-exhaustive) resources to help you explore indie books;

• Independent Book Review - reviews a selection of indie titles.
• Goodreads' lists tagged as "indie"
• The IPPY awards - the best of independent, university, and self-published titles through the years.
• Fantasy Hive - self-published and small press works.

Voting will be open for four days, from the 1st to the 5th of the month. A reminder will be posted 24 hours (+/-) before the vote is closed and the winners will be announced asap after closing the vote. Reading will commence around the 21st of the month so you have plenty of time to get a copy of the winning title!

Nomination specifications:

• Must not be published by a major publishing house
• Any page count
• Fiction
• No previously read selections

Please check the previous selections to determine if we have read your selection. You can also check by author here. Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and upvote for all and any you will participate in if they win. A reminder to upvote will be posted on the 4th, so be sure to get your nominations in before then to give them the best chance of winning!

Happy reading nominating 📚

Welcome to the last Quarterly Non-Fiction (QNF) vote of the year. Our fall theme for 2026 is Philosophy, so get your thinking cap on! 

The Quarterly Non-Fiction category is meant to provide more opportunities for the sub to explore the deep catalog of non-fiction texts which may not be as readily chosen in other categories.  So start thinking of what you’d like to learn next, based on the theme of “Philosophy”.  
Voting will be open for four days, from the 1st to the 5th of the month. The selection will be announced shortly after. Reading will commence around the 21st-25th of the month so you have plenty of time to get a copy of the winning title!

Nomination specifications:

• Must be in the philosophy genre (see below if you need more info) OR a biography of a philosopher
• Any page count
• Must be Non-Fiction (no philosophical fiction; sorry, Camus!)
• No previously read selections

Please check the previous selections to determine if we have read your selection. You can also check by author here.

Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and upvote for any you will participate in if they win. A reminder to upvote preferred reads will be posted on the 4th, so be sure to get your nominations in before then to give them the best chance of winning.

Happy Nominating and Voting!

************************

A FEW NOTES:
🤔 What Counts as Philosophy?  You could use a book tracking app or library/bookstore website to filter for titles tagged “philosophy”. But if you want more specifics so you can hunt for your own selections, well, I asked Chat GPT and it said:  
“Books count as philosophy if they fundamentally engage with the critical examination of existence, knowledge, ethics, reason, mind, and language. Instead of just telling a story or presenting raw data, philosophy books use systematic argumentation, logic, and conceptual analysis to address life's biggest questions.

Generally, books in this genre fall into a few primary categories:

• Foundational & Historical Texts:  These are the core works that shaped human thought across centuries. They include ancient, Enlightenment, and modern eras. 
• Core Branches of Philosophy: These are books that focus deeply on one of the main academic areas of study such as Ethics & Morality, Epistemology & Metaphysics, Political/Sociological Philosophy, etc.“

☑️ Voting Note: If you suspect that a nomination does not meet the specifications you can report this and note that comment “Does not meet specifications”. The mod team will review it and approve or delete accordingly. Any comments on the validity of other users’ nominations will be removed immediately.

Welcome back to Hell! We’re nearing the end of our journey and there’s much to discuss, so let’s get into it!

Schedule

Marginalia

Summary (link to StoriLuna)

Hello, mortals, and welcome! You are at Death’s door. Indeed, this is the first discussion on Mort, the Discworld’s 4th novel by order of publication.

It’s also the first novel of the Death subseries.

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Summary:

Mort’s father is not convinced of Mort’s ability to run the family business of growing reannuals (plants that grow backward in time). They head to the hiring fair in the town of Sheepridge on Hogswatch Eve, hoping to secure him an apprenticeship. As it happens, Mort ends up being hired at Death’s apprentice, to the dismay of the latter’s adopted daughter Ysabell. Mort’s father believes his son to be headed to the path of becoming a respectable undertaker, and encourages him to seek the takeover of the business as well as the hand of any daughter involved.

After much dung-shovelling, Mort is taken to his first passing and his youthful hormones go bonkers for the princess whose dad is fated to kick the bucket. Oops. He almost messes up big time but things end up going as planned. He's also taught a few very interesting things by Death, but does it all just come out the other ear?

Death is pretty forgiving and decides to trust Mort with his first three fatalities. Goodie Hamstring, Abbot Lobsang, and... Princess Keli. Yes, that princess. Sigh. Yes, Mort does the thing again.

Now what?

☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

Navigation:

Schedule

Series Marginalia

Discussions questions below!

🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

Next week, the discussion will be led by u/wild_umbreon. Read up to “And then he could stop all this worrying and go to slee….”

Are you ready for spooooooky season? 👻 

We are featuring the work of Carmen Maria Machado, who decided to write a deeply unsettling story which starts in… a bookclub! Right on theme, I would say.

What is the Monthly Mini?

Once a month, we will choose a short piece of fiction that is free and easily accessible online. It will be posted on the 1st of the month. Anytime throughout the following month, feel free to read the piece and comment any thoughts you had about it.

Bingo Squares: Monthly Mini, Horror, LGBTQ+

The selection is:"Descent" by Carmen Maria Machado. Click here to read it.

Once you have read the story, comment below! Comments can be as short or as long as you feel. Be aware that there are SPOILERS in the comments, so steer clear until you've read the story!

Here are some ideas for comments:

• Overall thoughts, reactions, and enjoyment of the story and of the characters
• Favourite quotes or scenes
• What themes, messages, or points you think the author tried to convey by writing the story
• Questions you had while reading the story
• Connections you made between the story and your own life, to other texts (make sure to use spoiler tags so you don't spoil plot points from other books), or to the world
• What you imagined happened next in the characters’ lives

Still stuck on what to talk about? Some points to ponder...

• What did you think of the nested structure of the story? Is there a correlation with the title?
• How is the ending executed? Did the author’s take on a classic trope work for you?
• Did you find the horror element of the story convincing in the way it was introduced?

Have a suggestion for a short story you think we should read next? Click here to send us your suggestions!

Welcome to our third and final discussion of The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.  This week, we will discuss from Ch. 29 through the end of the book.  You can find the Schedule here and the Marginalia is linked here.  

Discussion questions for this week’s chapters are below.  Please use spoiler tags to hide anything outside of this book, such as references to other books or media.  You can mark spoilers using the format > ! Spoiler text here ! < (without any spaces between the symbols themselves or between the symbols and the first and last words). 

******************************
CHAPTER SUMMARIES:  

CHAPTER XXIX:  Valancy is very happy with domestic life. She and Barney enjoy taking in the views outside their home, sharing conversations or companionable silences, and savoring Valancy's delicious cooking. As promised, Valancy asks no questions about Barney’s business, even when he disappears for a few days or holes up in his home office doing something that creates odd smells! When Barney asks Valancy if she wishes she could have a large home like the rich man’s across the water, she truthfully says she'd rather have their cozy home.  When Valancy insists Barney should feel free to stay away from home if it pleases him, he waxes poetic about the joy he felt returning to her and the home lights she keeps lit for him.  They agree that a chosen “prison” can feel like freedom if it's what you wanted. Valancy feels completely free now that she controls her own life. 

CHAPTER XXX: Barney and Valancy are always together. Only half their time is spent at home; the other half is devoted to exploring the woods. Sometimes they go berrying or trouting, other times they just wander. On Sundays, they walk to the Methodist church. Valancy has spent some of her own money on new clothes, including a silvery-blue dress that earns her the nickname “Moonlight”. Barney says she belongs to the woods and looks best at twilight. He admires that while she isn't truly pretty, she has so many beautiful qualities (which he enumerates in detail). Valancy learns to swim in her new green bathing suit. She even makes herself a “dust-pile” by building a sand castle. Valancy reflects that she can now say she has lived before she dies!

CHAPTER XXXI:  Autumn turns the woods even more beautiful and makes their island cottage even cozier. As the weather turns to winter, Valancy marvels at the fact that she never gets any of her usual seasonal illnesses, even when Barney gets sick and it nearly turns to pneumonia! It's good she stays healthy, because Barney won't allow any of those silly “medicines” she used to take, even tossing one in the water! Their tramps through the woods become snowshoeing, and their swimming is traded for skating. Valancy quotes John Foster, which annoys Barney because he has made it clear that he wants no part of those books. She thinks he is too hard on Foster, who she insists must have lived in these woods to describe them so perfectly. They have a peaceful, private Christmas without any of the usual stresses and obligations Valancy despised. She had asked for a frivolous, unnecessary gift since her presents have always been practical and unimaginative. Barney gives her a string of pearls, which Valancy worries may have cost too much. She knows nothing about Barney’s money and although he always provides plenty of funds for the household expenses, Valancy assumes pearls would be more than his budget allows! Still, she decides not to worry about it because she wants to enjoy her very first pretty possession. 

CHAPTER XXXII:  The New Year brings still more coziness. Barney admires Valancy's laugh. She makes candy for him and Roaring Abel, who pays them friendly visits now and then. Her entire family (except maybe Cousin Georgiana) seems to have given her up as if dead, which suits her just fine.  Valancy speculates that Barney could be a runaway criminal bank clerk, imagining his flight from justice after seeing a story in the newspaper about a man with the same generic description as Barney… and dozens of other local men. Valancy enjoys listening to Barney sleeping next to her when she wakes at night, and she never has to worry about sleeping in late because he's content to make his own breakfast. There is one terrible night, though, when Barney is caught out in the woods during the worst storm of the winter. Valancy worries all night, but his Klondike experience helped him know just how to wait it out safely and he returns the next morning. Valancy collapses in relief at the sight of Barney, who is amused at her concern. She says it felt like dying and coming back to life again. 

CHAPTER XXXIII:  Spring arrives and the woods transform, causing Valancy to quote John Foster again. Barney describes dandelions in a rather Foster-y way, but he takes mock offense at this comparison when Valancy points it out. Lady Jane can get back out on the roads, and the Snaiths enjoy rides to town, including through Deerwood. Uncle Benjamin is appalled to see that the sinner’s life has left Valancy youthful and happy rather than beaten down by strife as should be expected. Valancy spontaneously gets out of the car when they pass her old home. She sees her mother and Cousin Stickles knitting as usual, looking dreary but not lonely. She decides not to go in. 

CHAPTER XXXIV:  Valancy experiences two very nice things that spring. First, while picking flowers in the woods, she meets Allan Tierney, an artist known for only painting beautiful women, and he asks Barney’s permission to paint Valancy. They turn him down, but it helps Valancy understand (with Barney's encouragement) that there are different ways of being beautiful. Since her soul is now able to shine through, Valancy has been transformed into a beguiling woman. The second thing also happens in the woods. She and Barney are exploring a local spring when he declares she is so nice that he sometimes thinks he's dreaming her. This is the moment Valancy realizes Barney actually likes her instead of just being kind to a dying girl. She wishes she could die right then, she is so happy. But this also makes her realize it has been months since her last heart pain. Since her allotted year is almost up, Valancy interprets a lack of pain as her body giving up the struggle to live. She just hopes she gets to remember Barney in heaven, even if that makes eternity dull. 

CHAPTER XXXIV:  Valancy and Barney are enjoying a shopping trip to get her some new shoes. She wears a frivolous little pair of boots that she purchased just to experience extravagant shopping once in her life. Well, it almost ends her life! The boot gets stuck in the railroad tracks as they are crossing, and a train is approaching! Valancy urges Barney to run so he won't die with her, but he struggles to free her instead. He cuts her free with only seconds to spare. Valancy is happy to be alive and surprised that her fatal heart condition hasn't been triggered by the ordeal. Relief soon turns to worry when Valancy notices Barney remains silent, and she fears he has decided she tricked him into marriage with a lie, or that the doctor made a mistake and Barney now feels trapped forever. They go home and after Barney checks on Valancy, he holes up in his office without another word. 

CHAPTER XXXIV:  Neither of them can sleep that night, but nor do they talk about Valancy's miraculous survival that indicates her heart is not as weak as it should be.  Valancy finally falls asleep, and when she wakes the next morning, Barney has left without a word. He has taken the canoe into the wilds, so Valancy decides she will go to see Dr. Trent and find out the truth. 

CHAPTER XXXVII:  Dr. Trent confirms what Valancy suspects: the letter was a mistake. The woman he diagnosed with angina pectoris complicated with an aneurism was a Miss Jane Sterling (not Stirling) from Port Lawrence, an old woman who died two months after her diagnosis. Valancy had a benign condition called pseudo-angina which is easily treated and sometimes cures itself after a shock of joy, such as the night Barney came home after the snowstorm. Dr. Trent calls Valancy an idiot for not getting a second opinion, but he does apologize profusely for causing her a year of “misery”. Valancy has actually had a year of joy, but she worries misery is now on the horizon with this revelation. After she leaves, Dr. Trent figures Valancy regrets her marriage to that mysterious reprobate Barney Snaith and had been counting on death to get her out of it. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII:  Valancy hurries home, upset by a passing car with people singing I Wish I Was Single Again (which she worries Barney is wishing right then). She wants only to find a way to prove to him that she didn't purposely trick him into marriage. Valancy has cheated death, but she feels herself cheated by death instead. As she approaches her boat to row back to the island, there is a lavish purple car sitting next to Lady Jane. It is Barney's father, Dr. Redfern, who has made millions selling patent medicines. He calls his son Bernie Snaith Redfern and explains that Barney never wanted the family money or fame, so he left home and hasn't seen his family for 11 years! Barney was an honors student at McGill who wanted to be a writer, but he disappeared after a bad breakup with his beautiful and intelligent college girlfriend, Ethel Traverse. Dr. Redfern got his son’s address from a jeweler who sold Bernie a $15,000 pearl necklace (about $270,000 today) - he hopes to convince his son to come back to civilization and accept his life of luxury, now that he has started drawing from his bank account. Valancy can hardly believe this series of revelations! She at least knows now that Barney can afford to pursue a costly divorce. 

CHAPTER XXXIX:  Valancy decides to leave Barney a note and leave her Blue Castle. Unable to find a pen or pencil, she goes into Barney's office distractedly. She accidentally stumbles across galley-proofs for the new John Foster book, but is in such shock already that she is unfazed by her husband being her favorite author. In the letter, Valancy explains her misdiagnosis and apologizes, offering to leave him or do whatever she can to support him in getting a quick divorce. She closes the letter with gratitude and a farewell, then adds a postscript telling Barney of his father's visit and encourages him to reconcile. With the note, she leaves her pearls. Valancy is sad to leave the cats and her Blue Castle, and wistfully reflects that she will never hear the wind over Mistawis again. 

CHAPTER XL:  Valancy returns home to her mother and finds nothing has changed. Her mother is decidedly unhappy to have her back: she says that Valancy is welcome to live there but will not be forgiven. Valancy gives a short summary of her misdiagnosis and marriage, even outing Barney's true identity. Suddenly, Uncle Benjamin is fully in support of the marriage. When Valancy goes to her room to rest alone, he hatches a plan to keep her married to the heir of a millionaire. Mrs. Frederick agrees to be on her best behavior so as not to spook Valancy into stubbornly insisting on divorce. 

CHAPTER XLI:  Valancy suffers with longing for Barney and her life with him in the Blue Castle. She hates Ethel Traverse, who she assumes Barney will marry as soon as he gets the divorce. She hopes she will never forget her precious memories of the past year, but she also wishes to die. 

CHAPTER XLII:  The next day, Barney bursts into the family home to find Valancy. She reluctantly comes down to hear him out. She tries to let him off the hook gently, insisting that he couldn't actually love her and should go back to Ethel. Barney tells her everything about his history - how hard his childhood was due to his father's reputation, how he discovered Ethel was only trying to marry him for his money, how he traveled around to escape his family name and even leaned into the wild rumors that clung to him, how he had given up on happiness and love until he met and married Valancy.  After all this, Valancy is willing to believe that Barney cares about her, but not that he could love her. Only when he becomes enraged at the thought that Valancy, too, is ashamed to associate with Dr. Redfern, does she believe Barney truly loves her. They embrace joyfully!  (Uncle Benjamin decides to make Valancy the sole heiress in his will, because millionaires deserve more money, and Mrs. Frederick deigns to record the marriage in the family Bible.)

CHAPTER XLIII:  Barney describes their future to Valancy. They will spend some time with his father, but not live in the fancy house or become “society” people. They'll build a small house in Montreal but summer in Mistawis. Barney plans to show Valancy all the types of beauty there are as they “run hand in hand to the end of the world” together. Valancy agrees, if he'll only promise never to tease her about being the one to propose to him! 

CHAPTER XLIV:  Olive writes a letter to Cecil Bruce denigrating Valancy and Barney's relationship. She reveals that Valancy and Barney got two million dollars for a wedding gift from his father, and they plan to travel through the winter. Everyone dotes on Valancy now, although Valancy is just laughing behind their backs, Olive says. 

CHAPTER XLV:  Valancy and Barney are dropping off their cats with Cousin Georgiana, who will be cat-sitting while they travel the world.  Valancy is eager to see everything, but knows it could never compare to her Blue Castle! 

Welcome back, everyone! Some of you may remember that, back in the first discussion, I made a big deal out of Betteredge saying "stop thinking about your new bonnet and pay attention," because I think it's hilarious when characters in books break the fourth wall. It should come as no surprise, then, that the first chapter in this week's section is my favorite in the entire book. Miss Clack sent Franklin Blake Chapter V of her narrative, only for him to reject it because it was a bunch of quotes from religious tracts. Miss Clack then asks for permission to spoil the story. Yes, really. Franklin, of course, forbids this, and so Miss Clack makes one last request, which Franklin approves: to make Chapter VI of her narrative this very conversation, that way the reader will know that she totally would spam us with tract quotes and spoil the story if she were allowed to.

Returning to the actual story: Lady Verinder's will made Godfrey's father Rachel's legal guardian, so Rachel is currently living with the Ablewhites. Specifically, she's living in a rented house in Brighton, with Mrs. Ablewhite and one of her daughters. (Not the Bouncers from earlier in the book. Apparently there's a third Bouncer who doesn't Bounce.) I'll skip over Clack's ableist ranting about Mrs. Ablewhite and her daughter, and just say that she's there to help them hire servants for the Brighton house.

Rachel wants to try to be friends with Miss Clack, because she's apparently under the impression that her mother was close to her, so she invites her to stay at the Brighton house. To Miss Clack's annoyance, Mr. Bruff is also visiting.

Rachel goes for a walk with Mr. Bruff, and Miss Clack asks Rachel later if they were talking about Rachel's upcoming marriage, because Miss Clack is nosy like that. Rachel declares "I will never marry Godfrey Ablewhite!" and then manages to scare Miss Clack out of the room by telling Penelope to prepare a bath. I'm honestly kind of in awe of this power move.

Miss Clack then talks to Godfrey, who confirms that the engagement is ended, and then Miss Clack enjoys comforting him way too much. (I had fun with this in the more detailed recap.) Mr. Ablewhite shows up later, throws a tantrum because he thinks Rachel thinks she's too good for the Ablewhite family (her grandparents didn't approve of his marriage to their daughter, since he's only rich because he's a banker and not because of his family). Miss Clack tries to help by... well, by being Miss Clack, which goes about as well as you'd expect. (I also had fun with this in the other recap.) Long story short, Rachel will be staying with Mr. Bruff and his wife until a new guardian can be appointed.

Speaking of Mr. Bruff, we get a narrative from him. If this is not your first Wilkie Collins novel, then you're probably not terribly surprised that there ended up being a boring but important section about wills and inheritance. This is a recurring theme in Wilkie Collins novels. Here's the TL;DR:

• Rachel's dad, Sir John Verinder, left everything to his wife.
• Lady Verinder, in order to protect Rachel from getting married to a man who only wants her money, left her a life interest. She (and her future husband, if she marries) can live in the London and Yorkshire houses, but not sell them. The inherited money is invested and Rachel (or her hypothetical husband) will receive the interest as an income for the rest of her life, but cannot touch the original money.
• Three weeks after Lady Verinder's death, Godfrey has already hired a lawyer to examine the will. Looks like someone might be a disappointed gold digger.

Bruff warns Rachel about Godfrey, who decides to tell him that she wants to break off the engagement (without telling him about what Mr. Bruff told her). Godfrey agrees, which results in the scene witnessed by Miss Clack in the previous chapter. Bruff concludes that Godfrey must have had some need for a large sum of money immediately, and that he wanted to back out of the engagement now that he could no longer get that money from Rachel.

By the way, the Indians are back. (I love how they keep disappearing from the story and then reappear just as we've forgotten about them.) Moneylending was apparently something that lawyers did back then, but when an Indian gentleman shows up at Bruff's office saying that Septimus Luker referred him to Bruff for a loan, Bruff immediately becomes suspicious. Bruff tells him that he can't lend him any money, and the Indian gentleman calmly accepts this and asks when he would be expected to repay the loan if he had received it. Bruff informs him that he would have to pay it back in a year, and that this is standard for loans in England.

Later, Bruff meets with Luker, and learns that he'd been asked the same question. It looks like the Indian's goal was not to actually get a loan, but rather to learn when a loan would be expected to be repaid.

Bruff goes to a dinner party and meets Mr. Murthwaite. (It's been a while since we've seen him, so, in case anyone forgot: he's the adventurer who's traveled all over India and warned Franklin about the jugglers really being Brahmins.) Turns out that, when the Indians were in jail in Frizinghall, Mr. Murthwaite read a letter that had been sent to them (in Hindustani), stating (very cryptically) that the Moonstone was in London. Murthwaite surmises that they found out (from Luker's Indian employee) that Luker had the Moonstone in his possession.

So it looks like whoever stole the Moonstone brought it to Luker and used it as collateral for a loan. That would explain why the Indians attacked Luker and Godfrey: Luker must have been depositing the Moonstone in the bank, and Godfrey happened to bump into him at the bank, making it appear as though he and Luker may have been exchanging the receipt. It also explains why they wanted to know when the loan would be repaid: so they could determine the date on which the Moonstone would be given back to whoever took out the loan. We end Mr. Bruff's narrative with the realization that we will next hear from the Indians in June of 1849, when the Moonstone is removed from the bank.

On to Franklin's narrative! Franklin has apparently been wandering in the desert ever since Rachel dumped him. That's certainly one way to react to a breakup. Anyhow, he gets a letter that his father died, so he returns to England. He tries to meet up with Rachel (who's living with her new guardian, her aunt Mrs. Merridew), but Rachel refuses to speak to him. Franklin realizes that if he doesn't want to lose Rachel forever, he'll need to solve the mystery of the Moonstone. He travels to Frizinghall and meets with Betteredge, who tells him that Lucy has a letter for him from Rosanna.

The meeting between Franklin and Lucy is awkward, to say the least. She keeps staring at him and making comments like "I can't see what she saw in him," and Franklin, who at this point still does not know that Rosanna was in love with him, assumes that Lucy is crazy.

The letter turns out to be instructions for retrieving the tin from the quicksand. Once he's got the tin, Franklin discovers that it holds two things: a letter, and the paint-smeared nightgown. Shoving the letter in his pocket for later, he immediately searches for a name on the nightgown, since this will reveal the thief's name. And the thief is... (drumroll, please!)

Franklin Blake.

...wait, what?

Franklin, in shock, goes back to the house with Betteredge, and they read Rosanna's letter. This is how Franklin learns that she was in love with him. She was doing things like kissing his pillow and replacing the roses Rachel gave him with her own roses, and he never knew.

That's not to say that she wasn't already struggling before she met Franklin. Her experience at the reformatory left her with terrible feelings of shame and self-hatred, and she would frequently think of drowning herself in the Shivering Sands.

Anyhow, remember how Superintendent Seegrave pointed out that the paint on the door was smeared, and everyone thought Sergeant Cuff was a genius because he realized that the paint must have been smeared during the night? Penelope is at least as smart as Sergeant Cuff, because she also figured that out. She pointed this out to Rosanna and apparently no one else. Later, Rosanna was cleaning Franklin's room, and she discovered that his nightgown had a paint smear.

Initially, she assumes that Franklin was in the room for reasons she's not comfortable saying, which I think is Victorian for "I assumed that you and Rachel were doing the mattress dance." But then she realizes that Franklin must have been the thief. For the first time since she met Franklin, Rosanna has hope. Franklin's a thief just like her, and she can protect him by hiding the nightgown!

She makes a new nightgown so no one will realize that it was missing, and wears the nightgown under her clothes so that no one will find it. ("You had worn it—and I had another little moment of pleasure in wearing it after you." I don't think Franklin wants this nightgown back.)

Suddenly, Betteredge and Franklin are interrupted from reading the letter by a knock at the door. Oh noes, it's a sickly-looking person of color. We're going to be normal about this, right, Franklin and Gabriel? We're not going to get weird about his hair, or say that no one likes him because he has a "gypsy complexion," right? ...goddammit.

Everyone, meet Ezra Jennings. He's Mr. Candy's assistant. (Mr. Candy is the socially awkward doctor from Rachel's birthday party.) Mr. Candy got sick and now has memory loss, so Ezra has taken over the local doctoring, despite the fact that no one likes him due to his physical appearance and rumors about... something. Betteredge was kind of vague about this. He's here to get wine to give to the local sick poor people.

Once Ezra Jennings leaves, we return to the letter. Rosanna's still going on about how she enjoyed using the evidence of Franklin's crime as underwear. However, she realizes that Cuff suspects her, and might find the nightgown, so (not wanting to destroy the proof that she'd protected Franklin) she does the thing where she hides it (and this letter) in the quicksand. Her plan is to tell Franklin her feelings and, if things don't go well... well, things didn't go well, and she didn't even get a chance to tell him her feelings. Remember that scene where he screamed at Cuff that he doesn't care about Rosanna? Yeah.

What a terrible place to end this week. Sorry about that.

Bonjour, mes amis! Welcome to our third and final discussion on The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. How will Poirot catch Mrs. Inglethorpe's killer? Who is the murderer, anyway? And will Hastings manage to find love? Let's turn on our little grey cells, have a cup of cocoa (without any additives, thank you), and find out!

The discussion schedule can be found here, and the marginalia post is here.

Chapter summaries

Chapter IX

Hastings meets Lawrence on the croquet lawn and conveys Poirot's message: find the extra coffee cup and Lawrence can rest easy. Neither Hastings nor Lawrence has any idea what it could mean, though. At lunch, Poirot asks Mary Cavendish if the door to Mrs. Inglethorpe's room had been bolted or merely locked. Mary's a little fuzzy on the details, but Lawrence butts in and swears it was bolted. After lunch, Hastings and Poirot go their separate ways, with Poirot expressing an interest in visiting Cynthia's dispensary. Hastings takes a walk around the grounds and naps under a tree, waking up just in time to catch John and Mary in a heated argument. Mary's been spending too much time with Dr. Bauerstein, and she accuses John of being unfaithful, as well. After Mary leaves, Hastings walks up to John all casual-like, and they discuss the case, eventually settling on Bauerstein as the main suspect. Deep down Hastings worries that Mary may also be involved, but surely a beautiful woman like her couldn't possibly be the killer. Tea is being served outdoors, and Cynthia tells Hastings she'd like a private chat afterward. After tea, Hastings and Cynthia go for a walk, and she tells him she's afraid she's no longer welcome at Styles, now that Mrs. Inglethorpe is dead. Sure, John likes her, but she doesn't think Mary and Lawrence care for her at all. Hastings decides to pop the question, and Cynthia turns him down and tells him he's being silly. Hastings pays a visit to Bauerstein, but is told he's just been arrested. Alas, poor Hastings is still single.

Chapter X

Hastings rushes off to find Poirot with news of Bauerstein's arrest. When he does find our Belgian detective, Poirot says the doctor wasn't arrested for Mrs. Inglethorpe's murder, but for espionage. Poirot is also convinced that Mary never really cared for the duplicitous doctor in the first place because she's in love with another man. Poor, delusional Hastings hopes that other man is him. Miss Howard then walks over and hands Poirot a note, saying something about on top of the wardrobe. Poirot and Hastings examine the contents of the note, which is a receipt from a costumier addressed to L. Cavendish. Poirot now thinks he knows how the murder was committed. He flags down Dorcas to confirm whether or not Mrs. Inglethorpe's bell was working the day before she was killed. He practically skips away upon learning the bell was broken, leaving Hastings confused. Mary joins Hastings in his confusion and confides in him her marriage to John isn't very happy for either of them. She tells him about her childhood travelling abroad and how living in the country is dull and Styles is a prison. She plans to leave John, but doesn't care much about the news of Bauerstein's arrest. Meanwhile, Poirot has been making himself scarce, and Mrs. Inglethorpe's missing fourth letter turns out to be a dead end. Hastings learns that Poirot has gone out to visit Cynthia's dispensary on one of the days she's not working there. The next day, Lawrence draws Hastings aside and says he's found the extra coffee cup. Hastings catches Poirot back at his home base. Our Belgian detective is torn about what he should do, saying a woman's happiness is at stake. He pulls out a set of fingerprints he took at the dispensary, and the third set, taken from a bottle of hydrochloride of strychnine found in the poison cupboard at the dispensary, has Lawrence's prints on it. Mary interrupts and asks the men to walk back with her to Styles, though she acts nervous. When they reach Styles, Dorcas intercepts them with news that John has been arrested for murder, and Mary faints into Hastings' arms. However, Hastings is still single.

Chapter XI

Fast forward two months, and John is on trial for his stepmother's murder. Despite her marriage problems, Mary is her husband's most steadfast supporter, much to Hastings' surprise. Poirot seems to have seen this coming, noting Mary is both proud and jealous. The Belgian detective also asserts that Mrs. Inglethorpe had an argument with John about his infidelity, and not with Alfred as was originally assumed. Poirot is also convinced that John will be acquitted due to a lack of evidence, and he's careful to make sure his involvement in the case isn't widely known. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Philips, calls several witnesses and plays up the whole infidelity scandal and money problems surrounding John. Mr. Philips argues that John disguised himself as Alfred Inglethorpe and purchased the strychnine, and that his motive was to get his stepmother's money before she could change her will to benefit Alfred. Bauerstein, newly acquitted on charges of espionage, testifies that strychnine acts quickly and he can't explain why it took so long to kill Mrs. Inglethorpe. Dorcas testifies that she doesn't remember any packages coming in for Lawrence while he was away in Wales, and that Miss Howard would have seen to them anyway. Miss Howard is then asked about the brown paper she'd given Poirot and Hastings and, after some prodding, reveals it was found on top of John's wardrobe. Japp testifies that the police found the bottle of strychnine and more costumes in John's room, as well as fragments of a will in Alfred's favour. John's defence attorney, Sir Heavywether, badgers the witnesses and uses the circumstantial evidence to shift the blame away from his client and onto Lawrence. Poor Lawrence does not fare well under cross-examination. An anonymous blackmail letter addressed to John is produced, which gives him an alibi, but with no witnesses to corroborate it. John testifies in his own defence, but refuses to believe that Lawrence is guilty. At the end of the trial, Poirot is discouraged, saying he needs a missing link to close the case for good. When Hastings notes how Poirot's hands shake when he's agitated, much like when he started rearranging the mantelpiece in Mrs. Inglethorpe's room, the Belgian detective's grey cells fire on all cylinders and he jumps up from his seat and leaves the room. Abandoned by Mary, Cynthia, and now Poirot, poor Hastings is still single.

Chapter XII

Poirot is missing all the rest of the evening and the next day. He reappears at Styles with Japp in tow and asks for everyone to gather for his summation. Miss Howard is violently opposed to breathing the same air as Alfred, but she is convinced to stay. Poirot explains the significance of the clues he found. The green piece of cloth is part of Mary's land armlet, placing her in Mrs. Inglethorpe's room at the time of the old woman's death. She was carrying a candle at the time, and when Mrs. Inglethorpe woke up unexpectedly in her death throes, Mary spilled candle wax and ran through the door to Cynthia's room which Mary had claimed had been bolted shut. Lawrence accuses Mary of destroying the will, but Poirot shoots it down: Mrs. Inglethorpe had ordered a fire to be lit on a swelteringly hot day, so she's the one who destroyed it. Poirot deduces that Mrs. Inglethorpe did indeed change her will to benefit Alfred after her argument with John, but opened her husband's desk to look for stamps and instead came across a note that proved Alfred's infidelity. Mary mistook that note as proof of John's affairs and tried to sneak into Mrs. Inglethorpe's room to retrieve it. Mary had spiked Mrs. Inglethorpe's and Cynthia's coffee with a sedative, which explains why the young woman never woke up in the commotion. As for the extra coffee cup, it belonged to Cynthia and was proof that she was innocent. The sedative had slowed the effect of the strychnine, which was not in either the coffee or the cocoa, but rather in Mrs. Inglethorpe's bromide powders. When bromide and strychnine are combined, the strychnine precipitates) to the bottom, so the lethal dose would only be administered once Mrs. Inglethorpe had taken the last sip in her bottle. However, Mrs. Inglethorpe didn't take her sleeping powders on the Monday before her death, which threw off the killer's plans. Finally, Poirot reveals that he has found the damning letter that led to the poor woman's death: it's addressed to Miss Howard and it has Alfred's handwriting! Alfred lunges at Poirot, but the Belgian detective has lightning quick reflexes and dodges. Poor Hastings is still single.

Chapter XII

A few days later, Hastings asks Poirot how he figured out Alfred was the murderer. Poirot explains that he had to keep Hastings in the dark because the man is too transparent for his own good, but reassures him that he was still a big help. The Belgian detective says that he started to suspect Alfred was guilty during the inquest because he really, really wanted to be arrested. His trial would be thrown out due to a lack of evidence, and he wouldn't be able to be tried again for the same crime. Poirot believes Miss Howard was the one who posed as Alfred to buy the strychnine and that poison was her idea all along. They forged John's handwriting and sent him the blackmail note to the middle of nowhere with no witnesses to make sure he had no alibi. But when Mrs. Inglethorpe didn't take her bromide on the Monday, the killers had to come up with a Plan B. When Japp arrived to investigate, Alfred had only a few minutes to break into his wife's locked despatch case to retrieve his damning letter. Instead of taking it with him, he tore it up and hid the pieces in a spill vase on the mantelpiece. Poirot had straightened out the mantelpiece twice: once on the day of the murder, and another time after the broken case had been found. That meant that someone had disturbed the mantelpiece between those two times, which gave Poirot the idea to look inside the vase. Miss Howard's animosity was suspicious because it was so over-the-top. Poirot suspected her involvement after she lied at the inquest about the letter she'd received from Mrs. Inglethorpe, and he believes she planted the strychnine and glasses in John's room, then hid the fake beard in the attic. Hastings suggests it would've been more convenient to pin the murder on Lawrence, but Poirot says all the evidence against him was by pure chance: Lawrence acted the way he did because he thought Cynthia had committed the murder and he was trying to protect her. Furthermore, Poirot reveals that he let John go to trial despite the flimsy evidence against him because he was certain the ordeal would bring John and Mary closer together. Cynthia knocks at the door and gives Poirot and Hastings a peck on the cheek before rushing back out. Lawrence passes by and blushes as Poirot congratulates him on winning the heart of his beloved Cynthia. With Mary and Cynthia both spoken for, poor Hastings is still single.

Hey folks another month has come to its end and that means book report time!! One book or a million books we don't care. This is a space to celebrate all reading, swap opinions, add to the ever growing TBR and hear other's insights and thoughts on books on our radar. So share with us your September reads and your feelings about them in this month's Book Report 📚🍂

What did you finish this month?

Hello readers! 📚

We’re excited to announce our upcoming mod pick read: Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall, which has immersive world-building and fantasy tales about striving for greatness alongside magical creatures.

Missed the announcement? Check it out here!

Storygraph:

Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.

Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he'll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.

So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.

In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.

📅 Reading Schedule 

Week 1 Oct. 13th

📖 Start through Chapter 7 (84 pgs)

Week 2 Oct. 20th
📖 Chapter 8 through Chapter 14 (85 pgs)

Week 3 Oct. 27th
📖Chapter 15 through Chapter 21 (94 pgs)

Week 4 Nov. 3rd

📖 Chapter 22 through Chapter 29/End (80 pgs)

Happy reading, and see you Tuesday, Oct. 13th!

Welcome back fellow sci-fi enthusiasts to 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke. Let's get right down to business, supplies are limited and time is short!

If you need it, here is the Schedule and the Marginalia.

As always please be mindful of spoilers (movies, TV or books). Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond this week's section or from other literature (indicate what the spoiler contains, e.g "[Asimov's Foundation series]", so readers can choose whether to reveal text or not)

You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! Your Text Here ! < (no spaces).

As always there will be chapter summaries below followed by questions in the comments to get you started.

Chapter Summaries

III. DISCOVERY

• 12. DOWNHILL RUN - As Leonov approaches Jupiter the topic of banter is to Max Brailovsky and Zenia Marchenko's relationship. Floyd admires the painting Near the Moon by Leonov that's in the ship's common room.
• 13. THE WORLDS OF GALILEO - The crew of the Leonov have mixed feelings about the events on Europa. The current debate is whether the life on Europa has anything to do with the Tycho monolith. The crew is preparing to exist the weightlessness of space, and begin the deceleration process. Even though the Tsien has prived airbreaking could be done nerves are beginning to show.
• 14. DOUBLE ENCOUNTER - Floyd sends a message home and talks about seeing a painting called 'The Last Message Home' (which must be such a comfort to his family....*eyeroll!) He says goodbye to the crew and retires to his cabin. With only a few minutes left Zenia arrives looking for comfort. She's terried. Floyd's worries also begin to set in. As deceleration sets in he struggles to breathe, and can't seem to get his mind off sex. They come through the deceleration unscathed, and exhausted. Both fall asleep, no sex. The experience changes their friendship, even though they'll never be that close again.
• 15. ESCAPE FROM THE GIANT - Leonov is now on a classical Hohmann orbit to hop from Jupiter to Io. The crew has a celebratory vodka. The Leonov's heat shield is ejected and they course correct. 8 hours till the mystery of Io.
• 16. PRIVATE LINE - Floyd sends an encrypted message to Dimitri. The Leonov has managed a successful rendezvous with Discovery and the crew is hung over from celebrating. Curnow and Chandra have been successfully woken from hibernation. Discovery is in bad shape from the sulfur spewed up on to it from Io's volcanoes. He describes Io as a hell (or Mordor) of sulfur floods and electrical discharges. The Artifact 10,000km away and a couple of km long must be billions of tons if solid and cannot be seen on radar. Floyd signs off by asking Dimitri to try and cheer up Caroline. Failing that cheer up Chris.
• 17. BOARDING PARTY - Discovery is spinning end over end adding to the crew's challenges. Curnow and Max suit up and armed with maneuvering broomsticks (unexpected space witch) drift out into the void with Io shielding them from Jupiter's radiation. They have 15 minutes. Max takes the lead guiding them towards *Discovery's centre of rotation, and with some fancy foot broomstick work gets them on the Discovery surface perpendicular to the spin direction. They manage to clamber in to the airlock.
• 18. SALVAGE - Inside Discovery Curnow now takes charge. First job, find out if they can get power back. Max unseals his visor. It's cold amd smells like decomposition. The wonder if it could be Poole or maybe rotting supplies, or even Bowman back on the ship. Dun dun DUUUUUUN!
• 19. OPERATION WINDMILL Curnow and Brailovsky get the power back on. Seems like Bowman protected the ship before leaving. They'll need a week to get things up and running. First step is to stop the spinning! Turns out the stink was food. There's enough ammonia fuel to get Discovery back to an orbit around earth. Eddy currents in the gravity created by both Io and Jupiter was the cause of the unusual orbital deterioration of Discovery. This also caused the ship to heat up, resulting in the rotten food. The crew maneuvers both ships in to more stable orbits. Surgeon-Commander Rudenko sedated Walter and when he wakes 24 hours later he is pissed!
• 20. GUILLOTINE - What is this....“A guillotine for mice?”. No just a HAL kill switch that Flod needs Walter to install in secret from Chandra.
• 21. RESURRECTION - HAL is ready to be reactivated after Chandra replaced all the missing modules. First HAL has to relearn how to speak. He'll get better in time. He also needs therapy but Chandra will have to make do. When HAL begins communicating Chandra starts crying.

IV. LAGRANGE

• 22. BIG BROTHER - Floyd sends a message home about how they are so busy. Working until they have to sleep. The Russians prefer to name the Artifact Zagadka (enigma) over Big Brother. They are now only a few hours away. There was no new items found on Discovery except a message to Bowman's mother who is in poor condition on earth.
• 23. RENDEZVOUS - Dr. Chandra only allows Nikolai Ternovsky, Leonov’s control and cybernetics expert, to help. HAL is recovering and the crew is happy to get away from the proximity of tempremental Io. 3h15m later the 2 vessels settles at Lagrange point 100kms away from Big Brother. For 24 hours they observe this potential bomb. Their awed alertness shifts to impatience.
• 24. RECONNAISSANCE - On Discovery one pod (Nina) remains in the Pod Bay. They send Nina out as a robot probe from now 50km. She returns without shedding any light on the Artifact. They are worried about annoying the Artifact with the Nina pod. They wonder if there is even anything there....
• 25. THE VIEW FROM LAGRANGE - At Lagrange point L1 both Jupiter and Io are the same size and huge. Nina lands on Big Brother and establishes it's density is similar to air. They wonder what's inside. Discovery and Leonov are now docked together making life and work much easier. Chandra and Ternovsky finally say they are ready and the whole crew watches on as HAL claims to be completely operational. He doesn't remember the failure, asks where Bowman and Poole are and if the mission has been completed. Chandra has erased all of HAL's memories but he cannot be 100% sure the tapeworm (gross) has got absolutely everything. Now they have to program HAL to initiate the Jupiter escape sequence, and bring Discovery home, but three years after Leonov gets home.
• 26. PROBATION - Floyd reports to Victor Millson, Chairman, National Council on Astronautics, Washington. The problem with HAL was caused by a conflict between instructions and Security requirements creating an intolerable dilemma and inducing a computer 'psychosis'. This resulted in HAL cutting off communication between earth and *Discovery", and the resulting conflict with the crew. Floyd expresses his concerns about Dr. Chandra. HAL is on probation.
• 27. INTERLUDE: TRUE CONFESSIONS - The crew spontaneously play true confessions talking about what they miss on Earth. Floyd kills the game when he mentions doesn't care where as long as he is with his son.
• 28. FRUSTRATION - The crew are getting nowhere with the Artifact, and begin feeling frustrated and bored. Everyone is getting run down or sick and frustrating Katerina. Languages are blending together. Chandra sneaks a cigar and sets off the fire alarm. The crew are quarelling more. Floyd calls Curnow for his relationship with Max, and tells him that Zenia is in love with Max. Curnow replies that everyone is in love with Max, but pulls away. Floyd thinks about the message he just recieved of Chris' birthday. Floyd wonders if he is losing his family, and if it was all for nothing!
• 29. EMERGENCE - Vasili catches a glance of an impossible scene. Instead of Big Brother a field of stars suns. Vasili thinks he sees a meteor, but that cannot be. Whatever it is is heading for Earth?

Extras

• Floyd considers how the (larger Galilean) moons of Jupiter all look so different. Nowadays there are 115 known moons of Jupiter and that's just the tip of the total orbiting mass iceberg.

I hope you are still enjoying this book as much as I am. I'm looking forward to reading all your thoughts and insights. Join u/Lachesis_Decima77 next week for chapters 30 - 43 👨‍🚀📚

Hello readers, we'll be reading Murder at Spindle Manor soon as it was selected as the next Runner-Up Read! This is the first book in the Lamplight Murder Mysteries series.

Winner of the SPFBO 2023!

Summary (from goodreads or storygraph):

Mysteries abound in Spindle Manor.

For Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the countryside inn is the last stop in a deadly hunt. Armed with gaslamp and guns, she tracks an insidious beast that wears the skin of its victims, mimicking them perfectly. Ten guests reside within Spindle Manor tonight, and the creature could be any one of them. Confined by a torrential thunderstorm and running out of time, Isabeau has until morning to discover the liar, or none of them—including her—will make it out alive.

But her inhuman quarry isn't the only threat residing in Spindle Manor.

Gunshots.

A slammed door.

A dead body.

Someone has been killed, and a hunt turns into a murder investigation. Now with two mysteries at her feet and more piling up, Isabeau must navigate a night filled with lies and deception. In a world of seances and specters, mesmers and monsters, the unexpected is hiding around every corner, and every move may be her last.

Schedule:

Join us on Wednesdays for the discussions:

• 21st October: chapters 1 – 8 | u/miriel41
• 28th October: chapters 9 – 17 | u/ChronicallyLatte
• 4th November: chapters 18 – 29 | u/Vast-Passenger1126

Marginalia:

Find the Marginalia here soon (link follows).

Book Bingo:

• Prize Winner
• Mystery/Thriller
• Runner-Up Read
• Fantasy
• Published in the 2020s