THE VIADUCT MURDER - Ronald Knox

A very funny mystery written  several decades ago.

Knox was a very very clever man, his use of the english language is astonishing.  This book is worth reading for the vocabulary education on its own.

The Viaduct Murder is the first of Knox's detective novels, and the only one that does not include Miles Bredon. It tells the story of how four old golfing friends discover the body of another member of the golf club that has fallen, or been pushed, from a railway viaduct. They feel they have to set about investigating what really happened because, as one of them explains, "I've got the greatest respect for the police as a body, but I don't think they're very good at following up clues

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS - Agatha Christie

An oldy but a not baddy.  Yes she cheats her readers all the time by withholding information but they are a nice way to relax for a few hours.

Not her best but worth the effort.

SOLOMONS VINEYARD - Jonathan Latimer

This was written in the 1940's but was only published in its entirety in 1982.
It's great hard boiled murder mystery with a nasty reason for the homicides.

Not quite Hammet but mighty close. 

STRANGE LOYALTIES - William McIlvanney

This is the third of the Laidlaw's and I was disappointed, it is not a 'cop' story, more a 'family' story.

Its still very well written but it was a major deviation from the first two and that annoyed me personally.

But I read recently that the series has been resurrected after thirty years and a new Laidlaw is on its way, so I'm hoping he goes back to the beginning.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE - Ian Fleming

In my opinion the second best Bond after Goldfinger.

The movie actually follows this book chapter by chapter.  Great escapisim, never boring.