May Reading …

 

After a bad month of April with only 3 reads, I was determined to improve my score in spite of being busy with office work. I had some long distance travel time scheduled in May which will helped me read more J

Also it was nice to read Sherlock Holmes and 3 Investigators once again after a month's gap.

 

1. Sherlock Holmes: The Stock Broker's Clerk by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This one was a short story where Sherlock deduces well but does not get a chance to actually catch the culprit. This story also proved to be an instance of this good line of deductions and rather than a mystery to be 'solved' or some crime to be uncovered.

 

2. The Three Investigators & the Mystery of the Moaning Cave by Robert Arthur

This one was also like teenage Indiana Jones kind. A moaning cave was a very interesting point to start a story with. As the story unfolds, there are characters which seem shady and there are some legendary figures too (to consider as possible 100 year old suspects) … all leading to a treasure. The treasure turns out to be a recent one rather than a historic one.  

 

3. Feluda: The Key by Satyajit Ray

It was an interesting case for Feluda. A key with no sign of the lock, which belonged to a person who lived like he had no money but indulged in a hobby of collecting rare music instruments which meant that he indeed had a lot of money, stashed away somewhere (and it is not a bank). The key would obviously then unlock his personal treasure box (cash actually).

 

4. The Three Investigators & the Mystery of the Laughing Shadow by William Arden

This story was not a great one but still a decent one. I did not really see the significance of the title of the story till I reached the climax where the mystery of the tall shadow and his strange laughter is revealed.  

 

5. Feluda: The Royal Bengal Mystery by Satyajit Ray

It was an interesting case for Feluda. The story had shades of mystery and a very interesting climax too with several revelations. The background is that of forests … Ray taking his audience to different parts of the Indian geography through the stories.

 

6. The Three Investigators & the Mystery of the Crooked Cat by William Arden

This was kind of fun. A crooked stuffed cat, a carnival where the lion is let loose by someone and accidents happen, a reluctant carnival owner and a shady strong man – all put together to make an interesting story.  

 

7. Feluda: The Locked Chest by Satyajit Ray

This one was a different kind of case for Feluda. The story did not seem to be high on mystery in the beginning; rather it was a puzzle to be solved by Feluda. But then once the puzzle was solved and feluda was rewarded by the challenger … things took a different turn and the seemingly boring though mysterious story turned into something interesting with a good piece of suspense.

 

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

This one continues to be a slow read. I haven't completed this one yet. Got to put this one on the fast track now.

 

Series Completion Score (as of 31^st May 2011):  

Three Investigators     13 out of 35

Feluda                         10 out of 35

Sherlock Holmes         17 out of 56

Total                           40 out of 126