More Grist to the Mill
Viewing comments for Chapter 9 "Confusing Correspondence"Book 2 of the Cleeborough Mill Trilogy
32 total reviews
Comment from Raffaelina Lowcock
I should start here by commending you on a very interesting and well-written story. The step-by-step investigation and the rendering of so much of the information, within the pleasant scenario where Peter and Charles conduct their analytic queries, draws the reader's easy interest. I am enjoying the mystery predominant in this story and look forward to the next chapter.
Ralf
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2021
  |
I should start here by commending you on a very interesting and well-written story. The step-by-step investigation and the rendering of so much of the information, within the pleasant scenario where Peter and Charles conduct their analytic queries, draws the reader's easy interest. I am enjoying the mystery predominant in this story and look forward to the next chapter.
Ralf
Comment Written 18-Mar-2021
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2021
-
Thank you very much for reviewing and for that supportive remark. I am so pleased you are enjoying the story.
Comment from Pearl Edwards
Enjoyed catching up with chapters 8 and 9 as Charles and Peter try to work out what really happened to Hettie and which Tom is involved. Slowly catching up, and enjoying the story and these two characters,
cheers
reply by the author on 24-Feb-2021
|
Enjoyed catching up with chapters 8 and 9 as Charles and Peter try to work out what really happened to Hettie and which Tom is involved. Slowly catching up, and enjoying the story and these two characters,
cheers
Comment Written 23-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 24-Feb-2021
-
Thank you for continued positive reviewing while catching up.
Comment from roof35
Well, now you have me confused as I am sure you intended. Of course, I cannot wait for the next installment. I will be expecting some hints if not the full story. Well written.
reply by the author on 24-Jan-2021
 |
Well, now you have me confused as I am sure you intended. Of course, I cannot wait for the next installment. I will be expecting some hints if not the full story. Well written.
Comment Written 24-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 24-Jan-2021
-
Well, now, thank you so much for this six star review and I have just this minute posted the next chapter, so you need wait no longer
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
Now I understand why you elected to have three Toms in this book! Flawless narration--Compelling dialog rings true--intriguing speculations on the mysterious death. My vote: murder by ... Tom.
reply by the author on 24-Jan-2021
|
Now I understand why you elected to have three Toms in this book! Flawless narration--Compelling dialog rings true--intriguing speculations on the mysterious death. My vote: murder by ... Tom.
Comment Written 23-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 24-Jan-2021
-
But which Tom? Many thanks for this review.
-
That's my point! I have three times the chance of being correct.
-
Or of being wrong. It cuts both ways. lol.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
There are way too many Toms in this story. I don't know if Hettie committed suicide or not, but do believe that Tom J is the father of her child. I wonder if that will ever come out??
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
There are way too many Toms in this story. I don't know if Hettie committed suicide or not, but do believe that Tom J is the father of her child. I wonder if that will ever come out??
Comment Written 23-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
I think you are probably right about TJ being the father of Hetties child but you only know that through reading the first book. Allen is coming in at a much later stage. Many thanks for reviewing.
Comment from Pam (respa)
-Thanks for sharing the writing sample
and explanation about it; that is
very odd.
-It is a very good chapter and
Peter is quite a good lawyer;
I wonder if you have a background
in law, too?
-He is very skilled at questioning and
wording things to get Charles to see his point.
-Adding his thoughts emphasizes that, as well.
-I like how he leads Charles to his way of thinking.
-Very good deductive reasoning about
the three characters named Tom.
-I can see why you did that now.
-It will be very interesting to
see how this all progresses.
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
-Thanks for sharing the writing sample
and explanation about it; that is
very odd.
-It is a very good chapter and
Peter is quite a good lawyer;
I wonder if you have a background
in law, too?
-He is very skilled at questioning and
wording things to get Charles to see his point.
-Adding his thoughts emphasizes that, as well.
-I like how he leads Charles to his way of thinking.
-Very good deductive reasoning about
the three characters named Tom.
-I can see why you did that now.
-It will be very interesting to
see how this all progresses.
Comment Written 23-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
Mang thanks for this encouraging review. I am afraid I have no background in law apart from serving on a jury and when in the Roayal Marines on a fourth martial board. I also acted as defending officer in another case. I had little to do there though as the man pleaded guilty.
-
You are very welcome. Maybe it explains your expertise with Peter Allen. He is pretty smooth!
Comment from Sanku
I was relieved to read your notes. I was racking my brains as I read as to what the connection of this Stevenson poem to the story. I enjoyed the way Peter confused and agitated our Reverend, not without a bit of sadistic humour .And liked the sentence.. "Allen was happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his maker.... your view about the cursive writing is interesting..
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
I was relieved to read your notes. I was racking my brains as I read as to what the connection of this Stevenson poem to the story. I enjoyed the way Peter confused and agitated our Reverend, not without a bit of sadistic humour .And liked the sentence.. "Allen was happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his maker.... your view about the cursive writing is interesting..
Comment Written 23-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
Many thanks for your kind review. It is greatly appreciated.
Comment from Mary Kay Bonfante
Now the issue of Hettie's suicide is most certainly in doubt, especially as pointed out in the last line of the story by Charles, the rector. It makes me wonder whether your having so many Toms in your novels is not by accident (or by running out of names, haha? Or a simple affinity for the name "Tom"?), but by design.
You have painted the good-natured cleric into quite a corner, by the lawyer's introduction of his moral dilemma. The lawyer is a clever fellow, indeed.
Possible revisions:
Allen was quite happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his maker, but not quite yet.
-->
Allen was quite happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his Maker, but not quite yet.
[It's up to you, and I suppose it's a matter of reverence, but other readers may feel as I do... still, your choice.]
I'll bet you Hettie and her father knew Tom Bache by some other name,
-->
I'll bet you, Hettie and her father knew Tom Bache by some other name,
In the process of providing us with a handwriting sample, you've also given us a confusing sample of poetry, so I hope you're pleased with yourself!
Wherever did you find it? Or are you the mystery writer?
Confusing correspondence, it is.
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
Now the issue of Hettie's suicide is most certainly in doubt, especially as pointed out in the last line of the story by Charles, the rector. It makes me wonder whether your having so many Toms in your novels is not by accident (or by running out of names, haha? Or a simple affinity for the name "Tom"?), but by design.
You have painted the good-natured cleric into quite a corner, by the lawyer's introduction of his moral dilemma. The lawyer is a clever fellow, indeed.
Possible revisions:
Allen was quite happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his maker, but not quite yet.
-->
Allen was quite happy to give him all the time he needed to consult his Maker, but not quite yet.
[It's up to you, and I suppose it's a matter of reverence, but other readers may feel as I do... still, your choice.]
I'll bet you Hettie and her father knew Tom Bache by some other name,
-->
I'll bet you, Hettie and her father knew Tom Bache by some other name,
In the process of providing us with a handwriting sample, you've also given us a confusing sample of poetry, so I hope you're pleased with yourself!
Wherever did you find it? Or are you the mystery writer?
Confusing correspondence, it is.
Comment Written 22-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
Thank you so much for this review. You managed to mention a couple of errors no one else had noticed and these I have duly corrected.
The 'Handwriting Exercise' illustrated here was about as far as education in the English language went back then, and later too. I doubt if a legible hand still high on the teachers' priorities in these days of ubiquitous keyboards. The Poem was by Robert Louis Stevenson an English poet of the 19th century, who wrote a great deal of stuff for children.
-
You're very welcome, Jim. So happy to help. Robert Louis Stevenson! I had some of his books as a child, but don't remember reading that poem. So it was deliberately written to be silly, of course, for a child! Maybe I did read it and don't remember it, and that's where I got my awful sleeping habits from? Probably not. Anyway thank you for explaining. God bless you. - Mary Kay
Comment from estory
The dialogue here between the cleric and the lawyer really digs into the complications of life; the dual nature we possess, in these revelations of possible murder by people who earned our respect on the battlefield. What it makes it so mysterious is looking back and trying to piece together from clues in the past, letters written long ago, what they were emotionally experiencing. Hettie especially falls into this catagory. The mystery is tightly wrapped and there are several possibilities, we learn. But one of them could be the murderer. the suspense is triggered...estory
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
The dialogue here between the cleric and the lawyer really digs into the complications of life; the dual nature we possess, in these revelations of possible murder by people who earned our respect on the battlefield. What it makes it so mysterious is looking back and trying to piece together from clues in the past, letters written long ago, what they were emotionally experiencing. Hettie especially falls into this catagory. The mystery is tightly wrapped and there are several possibilities, we learn. But one of them could be the murderer. the suspense is triggered...estory
Comment Written 22-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
Many thanks for your supportive review. It is thrilling to learn how many people are intrigued by this story.
Comment from greyson ernst
this is a really really good poem and congrats on being 1# novelist so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and as always keep writing and stay safe
sincerely Greyson Ernst
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
|
this is a really really good poem and congrats on being 1# novelist so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and as always keep writing and stay safe
sincerely Greyson Ernst
Comment Written 22-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2021
-
Many thanks for your review and congratulations. As you say, it is early days yet and the order tends to be mercurial until we get towards the end of the first quarter.