strange and random happenstance

Murder Your Darlings: Algonquin Round Table Mystery by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: January 4th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
"In all reverence I say Heaven bless the Who-dunit, the soothing balm on the wound, the cooling hand on the brow, the opiate of the people." - Dorthy Parker

Dorthy Parker may be at the center of a vicious circle of writers in New York, in fact, THE Vicious Circle... that still doesn't mean that any of them are responsible for the appearance of a corpse under their celebrated round table at the Algonquin. But, as any good writer knows, that doesn't eliminate them from the suspect pool. The fact that the corpse is a reviewer that one or more of them has wished dead doesn't help matters. Once the press gets a hold of the story and starts to sensationalize the scenario, things are libel to get out of hand. Dorthy and her fellow writer, Robert Benchley, decide to solve the case on their own without the cops, who seem to be questioning all the wrong people. Not to mention the cops seem obsessed with the young wannabe writer Billy Faulkner, who Dorothy just knows couldn't have done it. She must make sure that Billy is safe and not prime suspect number one! With her dog's lead in one hand, a cup of tea filled with anything but in the other, and a heart longing for the married Benchley, Dorothy will solve this crime if she has to go to every illegal gin joint, speakeasy and bad play that stands in her way.

The unwieldy cast coupled with the plethora of puns does take awhile to adjust to. But once you grasp who everyone is and what they're notorious for, the story fully captures you. I wouldn't say that it's one of those books you just start and plow through cover to cover, with it's wonderfully short chapters and it's witty dialogue, it's a book you can pick up and set down like a nice snack. You get a little bit of refreshment and go on with your day, mulling over the wonderful little world you've been reading about. It's a nice leisurely stroll to the conclusion, which, when reached, makes you wish that you had a few more hours to bask in the time period. I was left with a happy glow that I still look back on fondly and look forward to having again when the next book comes out. Perhaps this time a who's who and maybe a map would improve the reading experience. Or little bios of everyone... because this wonderful world is made that much more interesting when you know the history. Thanks Wikipedia!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Algonquin Round Table, Dorthy Parker, J.J. Murphy, Murder Your Darlings, New York, Robert Benchley, Vicious Circle, Wikipedia, William Faulkner

"There's a reason why they're called the ROARING 20s--there was a flask in anyone's pocket and a song in everyone's heart. Nights were long. Hemlines were short. Jazz was quick, and wits were quicker. The Roaring 20s make for a great getaway, if you're so inclined to make the trip." - J.J. Murphy

J.J.'s Algonquin Roundtable books, besides being addictive reads and totally deserving of a themed month on my blog, where actually my inspiration for this third section of my Golden Summer. Because there is this trend now for authors, in the historic sense, like Dorothy Parker and Josephine Tey, to be crime solvers, not like in some weird twist that the author writing the book is also the crime solver because I think that would be more non-fiction then... or Lemony Snicket... but I digress. J.J.'s books have Dorothy Parker not just as a writer during the Golden Age of Crime Detection, though she didn't write in that genre, but doing the crime detection herself in the most wonderfully witty way. I'm so happy to welcome J.J. back and if I haven't already convinced you to read his books from all my promoting, what do I need to do? Throw a party with a bathtub full of booze? Because, just FYI, my house that I live in actually had a gin still in the basement during prohibition, so I think I could maybe get something going here...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker, Gin, Golden Summer, J.J. Murphy, Jazz, Josephine Tey, Lemony Snicket, Roaring 20s, The Algonquin Round Table

Hair of the Dog: Algonquin Round Table Mystery by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Amazon
Publication Date: May 17th, 2011
Format: Kindle
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Dorothy Parker just wants a quiet lunch, but the dining room at the Algonquin is anything but. There's a big brouhaha over some missing meat. With the owner steaming mad he points the finger at the likely suspects, the waiter, or Dorothy's dog. One being in the vicinity when the veal was purloined, the other being a dog. But in this day and age with liquor being illegal not slacking the thirst, there's more fluidity to crime and punishment. There's a give and a take. There's a barter system that might just be what's at work. This quick little story was not nearly enough to slack my thirst for this new series. Hair of the Dog was a quick little read that offered yet another glimpse into the bygone era Dorthy Parker lived in. Here instead of the publishing world we see more the lower classes and how, even in the darkest of times, there are ways to have a grand celebration, if you are willing to turn a blind eye.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker, Hair of the Dog, Vicious Circle

Murder Your Darlings: Algonquin Round Table Mystery by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: January 4th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
"In all reverence I say Heaven bless the Who-dunit, the soothing balm on the wound, the cooling hand on the brow, the opiate of the people." - Dorthy Parker

Dorthy Parker may be at the center of a vicious circle of writers in New York, in fact, THE Vicious Circle... that still doesn't mean that any of them are responsible for the appearance of a corpse under their celebrated round table at the Algonquin. But, as any good writer knows, that doesn't eliminate them from the suspect pool. The fact that the corpse is a reviewer that one or more of them has wished dead doesn't help matters. Once the press gets a hold of the story and starts to sensationalize the scenario, things are libel to get out of hand. Dorthy and her fellow writer, Robert Benchley, decide to solve the case on their own without the cops, who seem to be questioning all the wrong people. Not to mention the cops seem obsessed with the young wannabe writer Billy Faulkner, who Dorothy just knows couldn't have done it. She must make sure that Billy is safe and not prime suspect number one! With her dog's lead in one hand, a cup of tea filled with anything but in the other, and a heart longing for the married Benchley, Dorothy will solve this crime if she has to go to every illegal gin joint, speakeasy and bad play that stands in her way.

The unwieldy cast coupled with the plethora of puns does take awhile to adjust to. But once you grasp who everyone is and what they're notorious for, the story fully captures you. I wouldn't say that it's one of those books you just start and plow through cover to cover, with it's wonderfully short chapters and it's witty dialogue, it's a book you can pick up and set down like a nice snack. You get a little bit of refreshment and go on with your day, mulling over the wonderful little world you've been reading about. It's a nice leisurely stroll to the conclusion, which, when reached, makes you wish that you had a few more hours to bask in the time period. I was left with a happy glow that I still look back on fondly and look forward to having again when the next book comes out. Perhaps this time a who's who and maybe a map would improve the reading experience. Or little bios of everyone... because this wonderful world is made that much more interesting when you know the history. Thanks Wikipedia!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Algonquin Round Table, Dorthy Parker, J.J. Murphy, Murder Your Darlings, New York, Robert Benchley, Vicious Circle, Wikipedia, William Faulkner

It seems like I’ve known Dorothy Parker all my life, much the same way you seem to have always known, say, the taste of lemonade. You don’t remember when you first tried that bittersweet drink, you’ve just always known what it tastes like.

Dorothy Parker, as you may know, was equally bittersweet. A writer and poet who came to fame in the Roaring 20s in New York, she was as well known for her clever wisecracks as for her writing. Mrs. Parker was a charter member of the Algonquin Round Table, which was a group of like-minded writers, editors and critics who met daily for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel. The group became famous for their funny quips and insults, so much so that the hotel manager installed a round table placed at “center stage” of the hotel’s restaurant, as a draw for more patrons.

Okay, so I’ve never met Dorothy Parker in person—she died shortly before I was born—but I got to know her and her witty sayings when I was a child. And I’ve been bumping into her ever since.

I first heard Mrs. Parker’s most famous line when I was in elementary school. A teacher said to a bespectacled schoolgirl, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” The teacher was speaking in an ironic and empowering way (at least I certainly hope so). But then again, I don’t recall any boy making a pass at her.

As I got older, my uncle from New York introduced me to the other members of the Algonquin Round Table, with such phrases as Robert Benchley’s line, “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini.”

It wasn’t until college that I was officially initiated into Mrs. Parker’s poetry and short stories. You may be familiar with “Big Blonde,” an award-winning short story that shows Mrs. Parker’s talents extended beyond clever quips. Later, I got to know her drama and book criticism: “This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly; it should be thrown with great force,” and “Dashiell Hammett is as American as a sawed-off shotgun.”

But her one piece that has stuck with me was just a short little thing, like the lady herself, but with a powerful kick. It’s “Résumé,” which is a brief list of ways to commit suicide and how they all come up short: “...Gas smells awful / Nooses give / Guns aren’t lawful / You might as well live.”

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Algonquin Round Table, Big Blonde, Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Parker, Mrs. Parker, Robert Benchley, Suicide, The Vicious Circle

Dorothy Parker is one of the most quotable writers of her day. Her sparkling, and often snarky wit is as fresh today as it was in the 1920s. She is the symbol of her age, the literary "New Yorkers" with intelligence to burn, often burning off many a brain cell at a speakeasy. The literati of the day, when those who wrote the news also made the news. I would give anything to go back to a time when writers where king and not reality television stars and D-list celebrities. When wit and intelligence where prized and not viewed as something odd.

Luckily I found the next best thing to time travel: a new series of books! If there's a better way of getting lost in a time period other than the written word I can't think of it. The world comes alive in your mind. The clothes and the people, long since gone are brought back to us. This of course can be problematic when you then have to face the "real world," but luckily a book will be waiting for you once you're done with the inconvenience of reality. Back in January while perusing the upcoming book lists of new releases, my eye spied a book about Dorothy Parker and the members of the vicious circle, ie, her writing and lunchtime cronies, Murder Your Darlings. This book intrigued me. Dorothy Parker as a kind of lackadaisical and witty crime fighter by accident. With one of those rare instances when I finally read the book it lived up to my expectations. A fun little romp round New York. More of the cosy genre of mysteries, nothing too dark or too gory. A book that makes you feel all warm and content inside, like a cat has taken up residence in you.

Since that day I have been waiting for the follow up book, You Might as Well Die, because the little story, Hair of the Dog,  for my e-reader was not enough to whet my appetite. As the days I had to wait grew shorter and shorter a wonderful thing happened. One day I was checking my email and who should have dropped me a line but J.J. Murphy! The writer! Any time a writer contacts me it's a trill with a frisson of excitement. But here was an author not just asking me if I'd like to read the new book (a few weeks early!) but have a giveaway and a Q and A and guest posts and what have you! I don't think I could be more thrilled, unless of course Dorothy Parker herself somehow wrote a guest post from beyond the grave... so I obviously said to J.J., have my blog! Just take it over for December. And thus, Dorothy December was born. I'll have reviews and a giveaway (cough, look below, cough) and little guides to the members of the round table, the witty one, not the one with swords. I'll hope you'll take some time during this holiday season to sit back and get cozy with me and J.J.

Prize: A signed copy of the new book, You Might as Well Die, direct from the author, and if that alone isn't enough, an Algonquin Round Table Mysteries coffee mug, perfect for those cold December days.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE, just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends Saturday, December 31st at 11:59PM CST
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: Which round table would you rather visit? Arthur's (as in the King) or Dorothy's?

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts this month, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 11 comments  

Labels: 1920s, Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy December, Dorothy Parker, J.J. Murphy, Murder Your Darlings, You Might as Well Die