R is for RealWhoDunit Roosevelt and Reliable Runcie

What I read: Murder in the Oval Office by Elliott Roosevelt.

"R" contains a plethora of mystery authors: Kathy Reichs (who, despite my love of Bones, I have not read); Ruth Rendell; Kate Ross (author of the very good Julian Kestrel books); Mary Roberts Rinehart; Gillian Roberts; Laura Joh Rowland; and Deanna Raybourn whose Lady Julia Grey books I've just begun [in 2009].

I checked out an Elliott Roosevelt mystery on the mistaken assumption that I was checking out one of Margaret Truman's novels. Not that I customarily confuse Roosevelt with Truman: my thought was "mystery novel about politics by person related to a politician? This must be from the series . . ."

It wasn't the series I am thinking of. And the series do differ. Elliott Roosevelt's books star Eleanor Roosevelt as the detective while Margaret Truman's detectives appear to vary. Elliott Roosevelt's mysteries take place in a historical time period replete with historical personalities. Margaret Truman's novels, from my brief exposure, are more about the political setting than the historical one.

I found both authors fairly unreadable--in part because politics do not interest me in and of themselves. That is, while I might be interested in a particular time period or country, I don't feel the same way about political people and locations. Reading Murder in the Oval Office is like reading People magazine: very little mystery; lots and lots of name-dropping (and then Eleanor met the young, brash Lyndon B. Johnson!).

Margaret Truman's mysteries aren't riddled with name-dropping--the president of Murder in the White House is entirely fictional. Rather, her mysteries are riddled with political minutiae. Reading the beginning of Murder in the White House is rather like reading a Tolstoy spy novel: twenty billion people from twenty billion organizations conferring in little groups throughout the White House and...yaaawwwn.

The political murder mysteries I do like are by the mystery writing team, Emma Lathen (as R.B. Dominic). Emma Lathen is better known for her Wall Street mysteries starring John Thatcher. Her political mysteries are mostly out of print. I like them! Like in her economic mysteries, she focuses on "domestic" crimes, employs humor, and uses a detective who, while important (a congressman), isn't high profile.

Politics is always best dealt with indirectly.

2023: Reputedly, religion and politics are two topics to avoid at the dinner table. 

So I decided to try Grantchester novellas by James Runcie. 

I use "novellas" because the tomes are several long stories or investigations in one book. The first book includes "Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death" as well as "A Question of Trust" and so on. There is a chronological structure--the stories refer back to prior events--but the stories can be read and enjoyed separately.

I balked at picking up the first book because although I mostly enjoyed the first season of the BBC series, it started to feel a tad soap-operatic. I also felt that the religious positions were a tad too conveniently modern. 

The book, however, I found quite enjoyable. Sidney is by nature laid-back and laissez-faire. He honestly believes that his job is to be a good role model rather than a pious lecturer, an attitude that was not uncommon in the aftermath of the second World War. He ponders the difference between his role as a Christian canon or priest and his role as an investigator: the one role commands that he give people the benefit of the doubt and think well of them; the second role commands that he doubt everyone. 

The television Sidney is similar. He simply seems more angsty. Either book Sidney isn't as angsty or I can picture him not as angsty. 

I recommend the books!