So, hypothetically, it's raining and you have some free time... what do you do?

Well, if you haven't just received Fable II and Oblivion as birthday gifts, and you are me, you read. If you have received the above mentioned Xbox 360 games, you read and play the games. Sometimes simultaneously.
But for now, the books. I've been on a British mystery kick. Possibly inspired by my current location--and at least partially inspired by the fact that I now have access to my books again after six months of separation, and we are getting to know each other again. I thought I might put some of my reviews up here, as I realize that not everyone automatically gravitates towards these books, and they really do have something to offer.

The first book I read was Vintage Murder. An early, and fun, book in the Roderick Alleyn series. This one takes place as he is travelling through New Zealand and recovering from some unspecified operation. It is early in the canon as he is not yet married or dreaming of his future wife. There is a rugby-hooligan type incident on a train that ends with a bruised backside on one of the characters and a theft before the main murder even occurs. This book has a number of characters, and following every movement of each person can get baffling at times; however, Marsh never makes the reader feel as if Alleyn knows something special or has super-powers, merely that his powers of deduction are sharp and that all of the information is there that is necessary to solve the mystery along with him.
It is interesting to note that the translations of the book all mention the murder weapon, but lose the pun inherent in the original title.
I'll get to the rest of the books (and the Xbox games) in later posts, but I highly recommend Marsh. Even if you find Agatha Christie too "stuffy", Marsh is a lively and entertaining writer. Of course, this is coming from someone who loves most of Christie's work, so your mileage may vary.