This week, my teaser lines come from Caroline Graham's 1987 whodunit, The Killings at Badger's Drift. It's the first book in her series of Chief Inspector Barnaby novels, and I haven't actually started it yet. I have read several of the later novels in the series and enjoyed them very much, but somehow I missed out on the book that started it all. Sounds like me.This snippet is from page 12 and caught my eye because it establishes one of the funniest traditions of the novels (and one of the things I've always liked about them) - the fact that Joyce Barnaby, the Chief Inspector's wife, is a horrible cook. As he says, she has many other wonderful abilities, but cooking (alas) is not among them:
It was almost nine o'clock. Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby sat at the dining room table facing a plateful of leathery strips, black and shiny as liquorice, surrounded by coils of yellowish green paste.Again, sounds like me. I can definitely identify with poor Joyce because I have the same problem: I am probably the world's worst cook. Even though my husband has always said (lovingly, if rather un-diplomatically) that I'm only the world's second worst cook because his mother was the first. So I suppose I got lucky there, even if he didn't.
"Your liver and greens are spoiled, dear," said Mrs Barnaby, implying that there had once been a time when they were not.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.
And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in a comment here.
Oh, man. That takes me back...I think I read this in 1987 (or not too long after)
ReplyDeleteHere's mine: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/10/teaser-tuesdays_19.html
Sounds like me, I'm good at a lot of things however cooking is not one of them.
ReplyDeleteMy teaser is up at Find the Time to Read
Now here is a title I have not seen in decades. Excellent book and series. Enjoy! My TT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/10/teaser-tuesdays-voltaires-calligrapher.html
ReplyDeleteI love detective/crime thriller books, although I haven't read all those in the Inspector Barnaby series.
ReplyDeleteI have however watched all the Midsomer Murders TV shows, several times.
The long suffering Mrs Barnaby is a joy, with some of her one-liners and boy, can she not cook.
Mind you, I'm not one to talk, the easier the better, is my idea of dinner.
Forgot to leave my teaser
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fiction-books.biz/category/my-latest-news-and-musings/teaser-tuesday-my-latest-news-and-musings/
That's all that talk of cooking!!!
Yvonne
Just my kind of book!
ReplyDeletehttp://readbookswritepoetry.blogspot.com/2010/10/teaser-tuesday-girl-who-kicked-hornets_19.html
Interesting.
ReplyDeletehttp://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2010/10/teaser-time_18.html
PS Love the new look!
This teaser made me laugh! But it's very unappetizing! Your comments are funny, too. You don't sound upset that you aren't a good cook which is very good. There are plenty of other things to do in the world. The fact that your mother-in-law wasn't a good cook either works well because your husband doesn't have any expectations. DOes he cook?
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy this book when you read it. I'm going to look this series up.
Thank you!
~ Amy
Amy's Teaser
That is hilarious but I have to say if I can cook better than the mom my goal is done, lol, even if she is terrible.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like my kind of book, I always like a book that can make me chuckle. I'm not much of a cook either, I learnt to cook after I got married, and was always calling my Mother-in-law asking her how to fix something. Finally, she bought me a Mennonite Cookbook. Their recipes are real easy to follow, although not good if you are on a diet.
ReplyDeleteTalking about food, my word verification is scones. haha
Funny teaser! I wasn't that great of a cook until I ended up being at home for an extended length of unemployment. I started cooking more and experimenting because I was bored, and now I'm pretty alright!
ReplyDeleteJulie @ Knitting and Sundries
Not a very appertizing visual teaser..think I will skip that meal lol!!
ReplyDeleteCMash
My husband eats most of the things I cook but I do have to say... I make a mean roasted LAMB! The vegs take a hit but at least A for effort.
ReplyDeleteCool teaser and hope you're enjoying it more as the plot thickens.
At least he could tell what they were meant to be!
ReplyDeleteHa! That made me laugh out loud!
ReplyDeleteDo you know if the British tv series Midsomer Murders is based on these books?! My Mom is a huge fan of the series so this might be the perfect Christmas present idea! :D (did I mention that Christmas is one of my favourite things...?? so no, thinking about Christmas presents in October is not even soon for me...) I doubt she's aware of the books since I wasn't.
ReplyDelete