I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
The Luck Runs Out
by
Charlotte MacLeod
amateur sleuth, cozy mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Mysterious Press on November 6, 2012 and has 295 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Rest You Merry, Wrack and Rune
Second in the Peter Shandy amateur sleuth cozy mystery series and revolving around an agrology professor in Balaclava Junction in Massachusetts. The focus is on murder, theft, and kidnapping. The story is set in April. It was originally published in 1979.
My Take
It’s a sweet start with an erudite farrier filing Odin’s hoof. Part of her conversation includes a history of horseshoeing and the comfort of filing.
I must confess I wasn’t impressed with MacLeod’s first story in this series, Rest You Merry, and yet I felt the need to read The Luck Runs Out. And I’ve changed my mind about MacLeod’s Peter Shandy series.
MacLeod uses a third person global subjective point-of-view from a variety of characters’ perspectives, although Peter’s is the most prominent. She captures that sense of intellectualism in the characters’ dialogues AND she is hilarious, in a subtle way. She pokes fun at everything, from her obsession with the competition and the contests various college members have won, her depiction of various characters — the president’s daughters’ names!, the silly papers instructors are known for, and yet I truly appreciate her championing of individual farmers and what it takes to farm.
It’s partly the language and manners that had me confused as to what time period the story took place in and The Luck Runs Out revealed it was in the 1970s. It still feels like it’s taking place much earlier, like the 1950s. Although phrases like “repressive tools of a property-oriented society” are definitely more 1970s. Then it flips back, for me, with the college’s drinks etiquette. It does all sound tasty.
The sense of “earlier” also comes through in how the college is run, especially when it comes to how the farriers come and go. Although, it does make sense later on in the story when MacLeod revealed that the farrier is independent. That sense of “other” also comes through with that sense of loyalty from the students and how the faculty pulls them in for searches.
It’s a good thing Peter’s rich, as it’s enabling him to indulge his new wife with silver and a new car.
It’s no wonder that Mirelle and McSpee get on so well with all the nasty insults they toss around.
The good-hearted college president is a crack-up with all his blustering. It’s amusing to watch Peter and Sieglinde push his buttons.
With all the red herrings and drama in The Luck Runs Out, from the kidnappings, murder, crude innuendos, the loss of years of work, the fears for the competition, the relationship issues, the ambush, the vandalism, the betrayals(!) . . . and Peter’s hopes for a romance for Professor Ames, you won’t be able to stop reading.
The Story
Momentarily stunned at Helen inviting her old landlady, Peter quickly realizes how useful Iduna could be.
But the best laid plans . . . get taken over by murder, kidnapping, theft, and betrayals.
The Characters
Peter “Root” Shandy is an agrology professor who helped invent the Balaclava Buster and the Portulaca Purple Passion. He married the sociable Helen Shandy in Rest You Merry, 1, who is now an assistant librarian in charge of cataloging the valuable Buggins Collection. Peter’s cleaning lady, Mrs Lomax, still comes to clean. Deacon Marsh had been Peter’s grandfather. Marguerite had been Helen’s handy great-aunt.
The merry, huge Iduna Bjorklund, Helen’s former landlady in South Dakota, has fallen on hard times with the demise of the family company, Bjorklund’s Buggy Whips. Her aunt Astrid and uncle Olaf used to keep pigs. Willem is Iduna’s cousin Margit’s son. The Knebels with their prize boar used to be Iduna’s neighbors. Her uncle Elmer had been quite vain.
The Balaclava Agricultural College was . . .
. . . founded by Balaclava Buggins and is generous with its Endowment Fund incentives. The larger-than-life Thorkjeld Svenson is the president of the college. Sieglinde Svenson is his beautiful and formidable wife. He lives in the neighborhood referred to as Valhalla. They have seven daughters, who include the passionate Birgit, Karin, and Frideswiede. Ortrud has been Sieglinde’s second cousin.
Professor Daniel Stott is the chairman of the animal husbandry department. His wife, Elizabeth, died of a surfeit of herring.The Stotts had had two sets of quadruplets (some of whom are Mary Beth, Julie Beth, Clara Beth, and Lily Beth) who have gone on into a variety of pig-related professions. Belinda is Balthazar’s latest consort, who’s pregnant. Balthazar of Balaclava is the college’s prize hog.
Professor Timothy Ames, Peter’s best friend, and newly widowed, is a soil specialist. Jemmy is Tim’s daughter who is married to Dave Marsh, Helen’s young relative. Royall Ames, Tim’s son, was recently married to Laurie Jilles while on an expedition in Antarctica. The snotty Jemima is Tim’s late wife, a real pain in the patootie. The nosy, rude Lorene McSpee is Tim’s new housekeeper who is obsessed with cleaning and ammonia. And she is ticking off Tim’s friends.
Dr Philip Porble is in charge of the college library, which makes him Helen’s boss. Grace is his wife. Moira Haskins is the new comptroller. Professor John (a Professor Emeritus of Local Fauna) and Mary Enderble are a sweet couple. Shirley Wrenne teaches here.
Mirelle Feldster is a nosy neighbor who is not above inventing gossip. Her husband, Professor Jim Feldster, is part of the animal husbandry department where Pam Waggoner is an assistant. He’s also a member of almost every fraternity around — to escape his wife! Mrs Mouzouka is the head of the cookery department. Miss Tibbett works in administration.
Grimble is no longer the college security chief, Not after events in Rest You Merry. Yay! The new security people are Silvester and Clarence Lomax, brothers.
Hannah Cadwall is having a going-away party. It only makes sense after events in Rest You Merry.
The students include Birgit and her boyfriend, Hjalmar Olafssen, who is brilliant yet inept, athletic yet clumsy; the misplaced and unhappy Matilda Gables; Genevieve; Henry Purvis, who can’t ride, plow or whang a drum; Jennifer Berg; and, Alison Blair. Some have founded the Vigilant Vegetarians, a.k.a. the Viggies.
Martha Flackley the Farrier, a former schoolteacher who lives at Forgery Point, is the farrier in charge of the college’s Balaclava Black horses who include Odin, who likes being fussed over; Loki, the smallest, who is a very private horse; Thor; Freya; Balder; Tyr; Heimdallr; and, Hoenir. Will Flackley had been Martha’s predecessor. Frank Flackley is her newly arrived nephew, who recently lost his job with Rudy’s Rough Riders. Matt Flackley was the last to work on the wagon. Captain Flackley had been on the Antarctica expedition and married Royall and Laurie; he had been Martha’s nephew. Bruce of Bannockburn is the collie with whom Hjalmar has been working.
Fred Ottermole is the chief of police, and Peter isn’t impressed with his work ethic or intelligence. The charitable Harry Goulson is the local mortician.
Lieutenant Corbin, Sergeants Mullins and Lubbock with his BS degree, and Officers Partinger and Madigan are with the state police.
The Balaclava County Weekly Fane and Pennon is the local paper. Arabella Goulson, Harry’s wife, writes Junction Jottings, a column for the paper. The Reverend Spottswold. Mrs Olson. Mrs Pleyer. Branwell. The Ruptured Duck is a feeble excuse for a restaurant. Mabel is one of its waitresses. Charlie operates a garage in town where Peter garages his car. The Illumination is a Christmas event from Rest You Merry.
The Carlovingian Crafters are known for their silverwork and where Mr Peaslee gives tours. Mr Birkenhead appears to be the owner. I think Mrs Pomfret is the secretary. Mr Williams and Ferdinand McSpee, a former maintenance man, were more employees.
College rivals in the Annual Competition of the Balaclava County Draft Horse Association (the equine Olympics) include the Lolloping Lumberjacks of Lumpkin Corners and the Headless Horsemen of Hoddersville. Ethelred Spinney had been a previous champion.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep grass green background. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author’s name in pink below it. Below the upward arching last name is a broken porcelain pale pink piggy bank. Below that the title curves downward and is in white. The same pink is repeated in the series info at the very bottom.
The title refers to the wrong way to hang a horseshoe, as The Luck Runs Out.
