September 2025
Patricia Highsmith
Strangers on a Train
September 9, 2025
September 4, 2025
Character List for "Strangers on a Train"
The Strangers
Guy Daniel Haines—an up-and-coming architect traveling from New York to his childhood home of Metcalf, TX
Charles Anthony Bruno—spoiled alcoholic son of a wealthy businessman, traveling from New York to Santa Fe, NM, to meet his mother for a vacation
Characters from Guy’s World
Miriam (Joyce) Haines—Guy’s estranged wife, who finally seems to want a divorce
Owen Markman-a Houston longshoreman by whom Miriam has become pregnant; she has intimated to Guy that the reason she wants a divorce is to marry Markman, but the wrinkle is that he’s already married
Ralph Joyce—Miriam’s brother, who’s with her the night she’s murdered
Richard “Dick” Schuyler—Miriam’s date the night she’s murdered
Katherine “Katie” Smith—Ralph’s date, who’s with the group the night Miriam’s murdered
Anne Faulkner—Guy’s current girlfriend/fiancé/wife, the daughter of a well-to-do importer
Mr. Faulkner—Anne’s father, a well-to-do importer
Mrs. Faulkner—Anne’s mother
Helen Heyburn—Anne’s best friend
Christopher “Chris” Nelson—Anne’s former boyfriend
Myers—a New York architect with whom Guy shares an office
Clarence Brillhart—the manager of the Palmyra Club in Palm Beach, FL, who offers Guy a big architectural project
Mrs. McCausland—Guy’s landlady in New York
Peter Wriggs—Guy’s boyhood friend
Robert “Bob” Treacher—a friend of Guy’s from his Chicago days; Guy’s best man when he marries Anne
Characters from Charles’s World
Samuel “Sam” Bruno—Charles’s father, a wealthy businessman who seems frustrated by his son’s lack of ambition and alcoholism
Elsie Bruno—Charles’s mother, to whom he is devoted; she seems to prefer seeing other men and traveling to being with her husband, Sam
Alice Leffingwell—a friend of Elsie’s who provides the yacht and crew for Charles and Elsie’s vacation to Haiti
Arthur Gerard—a private investigator on retainer to Sam Bruno
Herbert—Sam Bruno’s butler
August 7, 2025
Character List for "The Maidens"
Andros Family
Mariana Andros—a 36-year-old practicing group therapist in London; she was born and grew up in Athens, Greece, and moved to England when she was 18 years old
Sebastian—Mariana’s husband, who had died by accidental drowning off the coast of Naxos, Greece, the year before the events of the book; we never learn his surname, which would be Mariana’s married name
Zoe—Mariana’s niece, the daughter of her older sister, Elisa; Zoe was orphaned when Elisa and her husband died in a car crash in Greece, and when Zoe came to England to boarding school, Mariana and Sebastian “adopted” her; at the time of the events in the book, Zoe is a student at St. Christopher College, Cambridge, where Mariana and Sebastian had also gone
St. Christopher College, Cambridge
Edward Fosca—professor of classics at St. Christopher College whose prize group of students is known as “The Maidens”; he’s Zoe’s director of studies and also Mariana’s prime suspect for the murders
Tara Hampton-one of “The Maidens”; she is the first to be found murdered; she’s the daughter of Lord and Lady Hampton (of Scotland) and apparently a close friend of Zoe’s
Veronica Drake—one of “The Maidens” and the second to be found murdered; she’s the daughter of a U.S. Senator and has an ambition to become an actress
Serena Lewis—one of “The Maidens” and the third to be found murdered; she’s from Singapore but brought up in English boarding schools; Mariana believes she’s been having an affair with Morris
Carla Clarke—one of “The Maidens,” a tall blonde whose father is an actor
Natasha—one of “The Maidens” whose father is a Russian oligarch
Diija—one of “The Maidens” who’s described as an “Indian princess”
Lillian—one of “The Maidens”
Professor Clarissa Miller—Mariana’s director of studies when she was at St. Christopher College; Mariana has kept in touch with her since then
Morris—one of “the head porter at St. Christopher’s College, carrying on in his grandfather’s footsteps
Elsie—the “bedder” (makes beds, cleans rooms) for the court at St. Christopher College where Zoe lives
Other Cambridge Characters
Fred—a Trinity College student in theoretical mathematics who believes he has premonitions; he meets Mariana on the train to Cambridge and persists in trying to help her (or woo her?)
Conrad Ellis—thought by some to be Tara Hampton’s boyfriend and an early suspect in her murder because of his prior convictions for drug-dealing and aggravated assault
Characters Connected with Mariana’s Therapy Practice
Henry Booth—one of the members of Mariana’s therapy group who seems to have attachment issues
Ruth—Mariana’s training therapist and later her supervisor
Theo Faber—a forensic psychotherapist Mariana knows from her therapy-training days and whom she consults with about the murders at Ruth’s suggestion; his specialty is psychopathy
The Cambridge Police and Associates
Chief Inspector Sadhu Sangha—the lead detective on the murder cases
Julian Ashcroft—a forensic psychologist aiding the Cambridge police with the murder investigations; he and Mariana had studied psychotherapy together in London
Kuba—the police pathologist
July 15, 2025
July 8, 2025
Character List for A Disappearance in Fiji
Totogo Police Station, Suva Police Force
Sergeant Akal Singh—an Indian sergeant in the Suva Division of the Fijian Constabulary; he has been transferred to Fiji as a demotion from his position in the police department in Hong Kong as the result of a scandal
Corporal Taviti—a Fijian corporal in the Suva Division of the Fijian Constabulary and apparently Akal’s only friend there; also the nephew of a Fijian chief
Inspector-General Jonathan “John” Thurstrom—the British head of the Fijian Constabulary
Other British Officials in Fiji
David Keane—the Agent-General of Immigration
Father David Hughes—a Catholic priest and missionary in Suva; he’s the first to insist that Kunti was not a runaway indentured Indian
Dr. Robert Holmes—a British doctor living in Suva and responsible for visiting plantations to administer health exams and treatment to the Indian indentured workers
Plantation Owners and Associates
Henry Parkins—a disgraced Australian from a moneyed family who has been sent to Fiji after a scandal
Susan Parkins—Henry’s ambitious wife, the daughter of an important political family in Australia
John Brown—aka John Chalmers; the overseer for the Parkins plantation; he isn’t who he seems
Lewis Robinson—a British man living in Suva and having an affair with Susan Parkins
Indian Immigrants Indentured to the Parkins Plantation
Kunti—an indentured Indian woman who seems to have disappeared (either a runaway or kidnapped), leaving behind her husband Venkat and daughter Divya
Venkat—an Indian indentured worker who serves as a sirdar (an Indian supervisor) for the Parkins plantation
Satish—an Indian indentured worker who interprets for English-speakers with the other Indian immigrants
Other Foreigners
Ravendra Choudry—an Indian member of a British delegation (Delegation for India’s Relations with Fiji) visiting Fiji to review the Indian indentured servitude program
June 29, 2025
May 12, 2025
May 8, 2025
Character List for The Woman in the Library
The Correspondents
Hannah Tigone—Australian author, writing a novel about a writer-in-residence who’s drawn into the mystery of a woman murdered in the Boston Public Library
“Leo Johnson”/Wil Saunders—a fan of Hannah’s work and self-appointed “sounding board” and U.S. fact checker for her current novel; he’s an aspiring writer who also hopes Hannah can persuade her agent to take on his “opus”
Special Agent Michael Smith—FBI agent investigating “Leo Johnson”
Characters from the Boston Public Library Reading Room
Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid—the 27-year-old narrator, a writer from Australia who is in Boston as a writer in residence on a Sinclair Fellowship
Whit Metters—aka “Heroic Chin”; Harvard Law student who’s trying to fail so as not to be absorbed in the family firm
Cain McLeod/Abel Manners—aka “Handsome Man”; 30-year-old published writer from North Carolina where he has a possible criminal past (his defense attorney was Jean LeMarque)
Marigold Anastas—aka “Freud Girl”; a Harvard psychology student
Carolyn Palfrey—the dead woman in the library; a sometime reporter for The Rag (and the granddaughter of the judge in McLeod/Manner’s case)
Occupants of Carrington Square
Leo Johnson—a writer in residence from Alabama who’s in the Sinclair Fellowship program
Katerina Wolanski—a British speculative-fiction writer in the Sinclair Fellowship program
Dr. Briton Ibe—a writer of political satire from Somalia in the Sinclair Fellowship program
Joe—the main doorman for Carrington Square
Mrs. Elias/Dr. Irma Weinbaum—a widow who sometimes represents herself as a doctor; she lives with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Gladys Jackson
Related Characters
Frank and Jean LeMarque Metters—Whit’s parents; both are lawyers whose law firm, Metters & Putnam, represents the Palfreys
Isaac Harmon—a homeless man who helped McLeod/Manners when McLeod/Manners first arrived in Boston as a 15-year-old runaway; Harmon has since died, and McLeod/Manners may be writing a book about him
Shaun Jacobs—aka Boo; a homeless man and friend of Harmon’s who blames McLeod/Manners for Harmon’s death
Lauren Penfold—a photographer from The Rag who knew Palfrey
Authorities
Detective Kelly—the Boston Police detective working the Palfrey case
Detectives David Walker and Justine Dwyer—Boston Police detectives investigating McLeod/Manners in connection with Boo’s death
Jarod Stills and Liam McKenny—attorneys with Zackheim & Associates, a law firm retained by the estate of Dr. Elias Wienbaum that represents Irma from time to time when she poses as a doctor
April 15, 2025
April 13, 2025
Character List for April in Spain
Quirke’s Family and Associates
Dr. Quirke—an Irish state pathologist; Quirke was “rescued” from an orphanage by Judge Garrett Griffin and wife when he was young and raised as their son (although it appears he never took the Griffin name)
Dr. Evelyn Blake Quirke—Quirke’s second wife and a professional psychiatrist; she’s Austrian and the widow of a “sometime colleague” of Quirke
Phoebe Griffin—Quirke’s daughter by his first wife, who died when Phoebe was quite young, so Phoebe was raised by Quirke’s “sister” and thought Quirke was her uncle for most of her childhood; she is in her late 20s
Dr. Paul Viertel—Evelyn’s nephew and Phoebe’s boyfriend
The Latimers and Associates
Dr. Angela Lawless/April Latimer—seemingly, a doctor at the hospital in the Spanish town where Quirke and Evelyn are vacationing, but Quirke soon suspects her to be the “dead” friend of his daughter
Dr. Jeronimo Cruz—another doctor at the hospital, who despite his age seems to be Lawless’s boyfriend
Oscar Latimer—April’s brother, who confessed to murdering her and then killed himself by driving Quirke’s car over a cliff
Conor Latimer—Oscar and April’s father, a hero of the 1916 Rising and later a successful heart surgeon, who is rumored to have sexually molested both Oscar and April
William “Bill” Latimer—current Minister of Defense; Conor’s brother and Oscar and April’s uncle
The Assassin and Associates
Terry Tice—aka Pinkie; an Irish orphan, ex-British Navy seaman, and sometime drifter who does “fixing” for those who can afford him
Percival “Percy” Antrobus—an aristocrat-adjacent gentleman who recognizes Tice’s potential and introduces him to people who need jobs done; Percy seems to live off an inheritance from his mother (deceased, thanks to Tice)
Dublin Officials and Associates
Detective Chief Superintendent Hackett—head of police detectives and an associate of Quirke to whom Phoebe Griffin appeals for advice on whether to travel to Spain
Detective Inspector St. John Strafford—the police detective that Hackett assigns to accompany Phoebe to Spain
Ned Gallagher—a civil servant in the office of the Taoiseach (the head of government; the Irish equivalent of a prime minister) who is known to some members of the government as “the fixer’s fixer”; Bill Latimer pressures him to “deal with” the problem of April’s possible reappearance
Lenny Marks—an illegal arms dealer to whom Gallagher entrusts the hiring of a person to “deal with” the problem of April; Marks hires Tice
Dick “Fitz” FitzMaurice—the Chief Whip of the Dáil (lower house of Irish legislature) who investigates the events in Spain and metes out consequences for Gallagher and Bill Latimer
March 13, 2025
March 2025 Author’s Video
March 2025 Author’s Video for Liv Constantine
March 2025
Liv Constantine
The Senator’s Wife
March 6, 2025
Character List for The Senator's Wife
The Chase and Montgomery Families
Sloane (Emerson) Chase Montgomery—the wife of Senator Whitaker Montgomery; she is the widow of Senator Robert Chase, who was killed in an accidental domestic shooting
Emmy Chase—Sloane and Robert Chase’s adult daughter
Rosemary Chase—Robert Chase’s mother, Sloane’s mother-in-law, and Emmy’s grandmother
Camille Chase—Rosemary’s daughter and Robert’s sister
Senator Whitaker “Whit” Montgomery—Sloane’s current husband; he is the widower of Peg Montgomery
Peg (Barkley) Montgomery—former wife of Whit, cousin of Robert Chase, and Rosemary’s niece; she was killed in the same accidental domestic shooting that killed Robert Chase
The Politicians, Donors, and Lobbyists
President Marshall Beckermann—current POTUS and a former senator
Anne Beckermann—current FLOTUS and a good friend of Sloane
Vice President Chester Bishop—current Vice President recently appointed by Beckermann to replace the elected VP who died a year before; a friend of Whit who seems to be working with him on a project
Congresswoman Faye Chambers—congresswoman and a friend of Rosemary Chase; she seems to be working on a project with Whit Montgomery
Congressman Frank Horner—congressman who seems to be working on a project with Whit Montgomery
Dominic Peterson—a lobbyist for, and president of, Redstone Consulting who seems to be working on a project with Whit Montgomery
Fred Sawyer—a lobbyist who has contributed heavily to Senator Whitaker Montgomery’s campaigns and career and who also seems to be working on a project with Whit Montgomery
Madelyn Sawyer—Fred Sawyer’s wife, who’s involved with Whit Montgomery
Others
Athena Karras—aka Athena Pamfilis; a young widow hired to be a home health aide and assistant to Sloane Montgomery while she recovers from hip surgery
Clint Winston—an associate of Athena
Yvette—the cook for the Montgomerys
Doris—the housekeeper for the Montgomerys
Dr. Porter—Sloane’s rheumatologist who treats her lupus
Mac Slade—an old friend of Rosemary Chase’s; she asks him to investigate Whit
February 7, 2025
Character List for The Princess of Burundi
The Jonsson Family
John Harald “Little John” Jonsson—the first murder victim; an unemployed welder whose hobby and passion is tropical fish, specifically Princess of Burundi cichlids from Lake Tanganyika in Africa
Berit Jonsson—Little John’s wife; a part-time in-home attendant for social services
Justus Jonsson—Little John and Berit’s 14-year-old son
Lennart Albert “Brother Tuck” Jonsson—Little John’s older brother; a man who’s had previous interactions with the Uppsala police
Albin Jonsson—Little John and Lennart’s father; died when he either slipped or jumped from a cathedral roof where he was welding
Aina Jonsson—Little John and Lennart’s mother; still living, but in early stages of dementia
The Police
Chief Ottosson—the head of the Homicide Division of the Uppsala police
Ola Haver—the lead police detective on the Little John murder case
Rebecka Haver—Ola Haver’s wife, on maternity leave from public health job
Beatrice Andersson—one of the police detectives sent to investigate the original call about Little John’s murder; she makes initial visit to Berit Jonsson
Allan Fredriksson—one of the police detectives sent to investigate the original call about Little John’s murder; also called to the scene of the attack on Gunilla Karlsson
Sammy “Rasbo” Nilsson—police detective who seems to have theories about cases that are not usually shared by his fellow detectives; he’s also been part of a youth street crime project
Ann Lindell—police detective out on maternity leave but so eager to return to duty that she becomes inexplicably involved in the Little John case; her baby is Erik; (in a probable foreshadowing of later books in the series, she seems to have romantic feelings for Ola Haver and has been in a past relationship with Edvard Risberg)
Berglund—an older police detective with long-time ties in Uppsala
Riis—the police detective who does forensic accounting investigations
Peter Lundin—a germaphobic police detective
Eskil Ryde—the police’s forensic specialist
Lisolette Rask—the head of public relations for the police
Jan-Erik Hollman—a policeman killed by Vincent Hahn during Vincent’s arrest
Karolina Wittåker—the psychologist assigned to evaluate Vincent Hahn
Little John’s Friends, Classmates, and Other Associates
Mikael “Micke” Andersson—a childhood friend of Little John’s, whom Little John had visited the night he was murdered; he had sometimes given Little John information on part-time work in snow removal
Oskar Pettersson—an old timer who knew the Jonsson family when Little John was growing up
Vincent Hahn—a troubled classmate of Little John’s who has grown up to be a troubled man with a vendetta against former classmates and others
Gunilla Karlsson—one of the classmates against whom Vincent Hahn has a vendetta for ignoring him and taunting him in school
Vivan Molin—Vincent Hahn’s sister-in-law, formerly married to his brother Wolfgang Hahn (decamped to Israel); she’s another of Vincent’s victims
Mossa—an Iranian gambler with information about Little John’s big poker win
Ove Reinhold Ljusnemark—unemployed airplane mechanic who was in the poker game that Little John won; he gives the police eight names, but after interviews, only three—Lindstrom, Rosengren, and Mossa—are considered possible suspects in Little John’s death
Dick Lindström—one of the poker players in the game that Little John won; Lennart Jonsson believes that Berit had an affair with Lindström; he’s now disappeared and believed to be in Holland
Allan Gustav “The Lip” Rosengren—one of the poker players in the game; he’s also disappeared
Little John’s Former Co-Workers
Agne “Sagge” Sagander—the owner of Sagander’s Mechanical Workshop where Little John had been employed as a welder until he was laid off, ostensibly because of lack of work
Ruben Sagander—Agne’s twin brother
Erki Karjalainen—another welder at Sagander’s who had worked closely with Little John and was a friend
February 5, 2025
Meeting Reminder for February Mystery Books
Our Next Meeting
Is
February 10, 2025
At
12 Noon
If you are interested, here is a 10 minute video about the care and feeding of the Princess of Burundi Cichlids
https://youtu.be/ZtjppFAhxF8?si=pPUFqm8Y3Bmq4OGu
Hello Fellow Fish Keepers,
In this video we take a closer look at Neolamprologus brichardi a great fish from Lake Tanganyika. It goes well with many of the fish from that lake and shows some very interesting fry care.
January 18, 2025
January 7, 2025
Character List for The Turn of the Key
Mr. Wrexham—barrister to whom contents of the story are written
Rowan Caine & Rachel Gerhardt—one of these is the narrator of the story, the most recent live-in nanny hired by the Elincourts; the other is the narrator’s former roommate, now traveling in Southeast Asia
Bill & Sandra Elincourt—Owners of a home called Heatherbrae House in Scotland, as well as partners in a design firm; they seem to have trouble retaining nannies for their daughters
Rhiannon Elincourt—14-year-old eldest daughter of the Elincourts
Maddie Elincourt—8-year-old daughter of the Elincourts
Ellie Elincourt—5-year-old daughter of the Elincourts
Petra Elincourt—18-month-old daughter of the Elincourts
Jack Grant—a driver and handyman for the Elincourts who lives on the property
Jean McKenzie—a local woman who comes in during the day to wash up, pick up, and sometimes prepare food
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