November 2010 What We Are Reading

I'm currently not reading a crime novel,(sad face) but I wanted to get the new month up and ready.

Thanks Mark! I'm still plowing through The Poet, which I'm finding a fairly difficult read, since I just don't care enough about our main character. I can wade through some fairly serious violence in books if I have a hero(ine) I can empathise with (or like, or admire; hello Lisbeth Salander). Jack MacEvoy just comes across as an arrogant and unlikeable, and I don't really care if he wins or not. (Which is pretty awful for all of The Poet's victims.)

But the end is nigh, and the twist is beginning to appear and it looks like it might just be a corker. And does explain some of the niggling annoyances to the book, which I can't describe now because it would be completely spoilerific.

I am currently reading The Killing Floor by Lee Child. This is my first time reading anything by him and I am enjoying it so far.

I started The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard earlier today, I am having a hard time putting it down. I really enjoy her writing.

Reading Skating Around The Law by Joelle Charbonneau, a debut cozy. It's quite fun. Next up The Reapers by John Connolly.

Rumpole and the Golden Thread by John Mortimer
Department of Dead Ends by Roy Vickers
Gracie Allen Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine

I've been on a Laura Lipppman craze the past week and I am currently reading In a Strange City.

The locked room by Sjöwall & Wahlöö I love the Beck series, both the books and TV series.

Have been on a Sharyn McCrumb binge of late; just started The Songcatcher last night. Funny; I ended up reading the first several Spencer Arrowood novels in reverse order, starting with The Rosewood Casket, and I'm glad I did; I believe if I had done so in reverse order, I would have liked them less. McCrumb just gets better and better as she goes.

I'm about half way through One Good Turn and it is another Kate Atkinson gem IMHO; I can't believe how often I am caused to laugh-out-loud in between some quite strong pathos. And it is all starting to 'come together'...

1: Why aren't you reading any crime Mark?
7: I'm looking forward to starting that series; I see so many good comments about it. :)

I'm reading Bell, Cook & candle

I found something to say about Eye of the Red Tsar in my thread...post #90.

Always good to find a perfectly pleasant way to spend an afternoon, Richard.

Judy, I look forward to hearing your thoughts after you finish The Scent of Rain and Lightning. I've not read her, and this one looks intriguing.

At Mark's suggestion, I read The Guards by Ken Bruen, and it lived up to its billing as an enjoyable "Hiberian Noir". I'll be reading others in this series.

Fixing touchstones

Lyn- Excellent question, my friend! I plan on starting one in a week or so, if I don't go into withdrawal first! I think I'll be finally reading Out. I'm way over due, on that one.
BTW- Loved the 3 Jackson Brodie books!

Joe- This Mark guy has excellent taste! You are very fortunate to know him. What's "Hiberian Noir"?

That he does, Mark! And such a modest guy, too. :-)

Hibernian Noir, when spelled correctly by persons better at it than me, is lifted from blurbville, and in particular Publishers Weekly, which interviewed Ken Bruen about this one: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19953955_ITM : "Bruen now has a chance to become that country's version of Scotland's Ian Rankin-and perhaps the standard bearer for a new subgenre called "Hibernian Noir."

I understand that Hibernia is the classical latin name for the island of -you guessed it- Ireland.

Finished The Poet, failed to care about the ending. Meh. I obviously need characters I like far more than I need plot in my crime novels.

Taking a break from crime for a very short non-crime book. Will be back rsn.

Joe- Thanks for the link! Very cool! Now, I know what "Hibernian Noir" is! Bruen rules!

I'm working on The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which I definitely count as a thriller :-)

I have a Brady Coyne omnibus by William Tapply to read for my RL mystery group this month.

Next book after my current one.

I stopped at the library on my way home and picked up the copy of Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves that was waiting for me. It's the 4th in the Shetland Quartet and I''ve been looking forward to it.

Bought and started Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane yesterday. After a 10 year gap he's written another Gennaro/Kenzie book which is good, but they've become breeders now so I expect things to go downhill rather fast. Ah well, all good things must come to an end, right? Maybe I can get it signed tonight at his reading.

Finished Jerusalem Inn by Martha Grimes. Well I have had my Martha fix for awhile. Not sure what to read next. Did pick up An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd at the library.

Making painfully slow progress through The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. The narrative is way too full of maritime details for my understanding. Getting bored with it all.

#19> Hi FicusFan. Have you read any of Tapply's books before or will this be your first go with Brady Coyne? I've read the first two Coyne novels and I'm about to start on the third, Follow the Sharks. The first two were lots of fun, I thought. Interesting to be reminded of what life was like "way back" in the 80s! :)

I'm about two thirds into Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane. I live in Massachusetts and have loved all of his books, but this one, I'm not crazy about yet. I wanted so much to love it. :(

#13 Joe, I have posted a review of The Scent of Rain and Lightning. I think it was a very good book, I may have prefered her Virgin of Small Plains a tich more, but I would definitely recommend this one as well. I gave it 4 1/2 stars.

> 24 rocketjk,

No I have not read any Tapply. The beginning books are oop, so the omnibus was all I could get. Stories 11,12,13 maybe ?

Will post more details when I get to it.

#23--Porua, I had exactly the same experience with The Riddle of the Sands; in fact, I put it down after 50 p. and have yet to go back to it. Had such fun with Rumpole and the Golden thread that I read Rumpole's Last case as well. Am reading My brother Michael by Mary Stewart, which is kind of romantic suspense. Am not far enough into it to have an opinion.

>26 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Excellent review! The Scent of Rain and Lightning is now on my tbr list.

# 28 Bjace, so far your decision of giving up on The Riddle of the Sands is proving to be correct. I’m a little more than 100 pages in and I’m still finding it hard to like it. The story is still going nowhere even after so many pages. The maritime details are at an all time high with descriptions of tides and sand banks and what not!

I've just started my first Inspector Morse, The Dead of Jericho.

>31 mstrust:

Oh, I hope you enjoy them! I just love Morse.

Thanks, I've been enjoying the t.v. series, so wanted to read the books. I do like Morse so far as he seems so awkward with people.

I miss Morse !

Oh, me too, Cindysprocket. That wonderful opening sequence, with the Morse code clues!

Okay, the scary mean people in "Recommend Site Improvements" are onto something I've wanted for ages of ages...easy ways to identify discussions about specific books without having to hunt and search and generally get annoyed at the prolixity of our beloved Thingamabrarian community.

The thread discussing it is over here and I strongly encourage all and sundry to head over there and make your opinions known!

OK. I have started the William Tapply book. It is A Brady Coyne Omnibus. The first novel is The Snake Eater. So far it seems enjoyable.

#36> Not that this should in any way hinder your enjoyment of The Snake Eater, but I guess that omnibus is not starting at the beginning of the Coyne series, as the first Brady Coyne book is Death at Charity's Point. Just thought I'd let you know.

By coincidence, I am now reading and enjoying the third Coyne entry, Follow the Sharks. (The second Coyne book is The Dutch Blue Error.)

Anyway, enjoy the omnibus. I've found the first 2 1/2 Coyne books to be light-hearted and well done.

Yes I know. The first books are oop. So this was all I could get. I said that back in #27.

I am reading for a RL book group.

#38> fwiw, I was able to find the first 5 Brady Coynes fairly cheaply online at either Alibris or ABE if you're interested in going back to the beginning of the series some time.

Made a start on the Harry Bosch series with The Black Echo. It's looking like this won't be the last one I read of these books.

In the 'Be Careful What You Wish For' department, I just started a new job after two years of unemployment - long hard hours to get up to speed. So I haven't picked up a book in over two weeks. And I have two Early Reviewers that I need to finish and review. Pfui!

>41 etrainer: Congratulations and I'm sorry!

>42 Copperskye: Thanks!

Almost done with False Mermaid in audio.

Just started Memory Book by Howard Engel. I bought this bcs. it's the author's first book in the series which he wrote after a stroke that left him with the ability to write but not read, and now his character in this series suffers from the same condition.

Just posted my review of The Killer's Art: http://www.librarything.com/work/4051110/reviews/65518630

Finished the new Archer Mayor Red Herring, which was a nice old fashioned follow the clues with some new-fangled forensics. Now reading Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway from Ireland.

>35 richardderus: richardderus, you made me laugh out loud! They are scary and mean over in "Recommended Site Improvements." I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to comment, but the thought of the derision I'd draw upon myself drew me up short.

Not that they're not doing important work for the LTverse...

Just finished Trunk Music by Michael Connelly. He never disappoints me.
I am also about 150 pages away from finishing The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.

>46 BeckyJG: I know, I have my heart in my throat every time I hit the "submit" button over there.

# 48 "I have my heart in my throat every time I hit the "submit" button over there."

It's the same way with me. I've wanted to comment on some of the threads on 'Recommended Site Improvements' but I chickened out most of the time. The few times I did comment I was pretty reluctant to hit the 'submit' button too.

I finished A Brady Coyne Omnibus. I finished the last 2 novels The Seventh Enemy and Close the the Bone.

Only the last had anything resembling investigation/detection. Good writing and characters, neat Boston - NE setting, mostly poor mystery stories.

Have no desire to read more of the series.

Coincidentally, I just finished the third book of the Brady Coyne series, Follow the Sharks. I've now read the first three books, which I enjoyed and which, I thought, had plenty of investigation/detection. I looked up the books included in the Omnibus, FicusFan, and as we've discussed those are much later in the series. Perhaps by then Tapply was burnt out on the characters, etc.

I just finished the first book in a new series A brisket, a casket.

Just started Night Show by Richard Laymon

Just started 8083513::Everyone Dies by Lawrence Block (book touchstone not working properly!).

ETA: Which is because I got the title wrong! It's actually Everybody Dies. head*desk

Just started China Lake by Meg Gardiner. I'm not usually an enthusiast for thrillers that involve religious cults, so we'll see how this goes.

I've just finished Truth by Peter Temple, which won this year's Miles Franklin Literary Award. I thought it was an excellent book, very hard-hitting and hard-boiled.

Back to the non-crime for a while. :)

Fancied another simple quick read, so just started a second Richard Laymon, Allhallow's Eve

Just finished up Mankell's Sidetracked and I'm starting Tess Gerritsen's The Surgeon.

I'm about halfway through Margaret Millar's Beast in View...chilling.

I've done Six Bad Things and one of them is to leave this book unread for so long.

I started Out by Natsuo Kirino. I've been putting this off for awhile. It's about time and it begins very well.

Finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest last night. Loved the wrap up of it all, although there were alot of areas (beginning and midway) that dragged. Yay, Lisbeth!!

Started Still Life by Louise Penny today.

*Touchstones...grrrr!

Night of the Jaguar by Michael Gruber

Recently finished Murder in Grub Street. Currently reading The Untouchables. Both worth the read.

Hodejegerne by Jo Nesbø. I prefer the Harry Hole series.

I am reading "Trail of Blood" by Lisa Black. Great author, I highly recommend her! God Bless!

Message 61: Out by Natsuo Kirino made my Top Ten the year I read it. Please post your thoughts as you progress.

Next is Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce

>#61 msf59 -- That is such a dark book but so good. I have another by her in my TBR pile but haven't gotten to it.

I've just finished Christie's second book, The Secret Adversary. More chases than I've seen in most of her books.

Just finished The Dark End of the Street: New Stories of Sex and Crime. A few of the stories were really good, but too few to make this collection a keeper.

>nbsp & jmyers24- I'm over 300 pages into Out and it's been very good. She has a nice knack for pulling the reader along, never sure what's around the next corner and yes, there are a lot of corners!

Finished The Untouchables. Have now started Watery Grave, the third book in this series.

Started Broken by Karin Slaughter yesterday. Liking it so far....
Happy reading everyone :)

Finished reading The Killing Floor from Lee Child. I really liked it and look forward to reading more of that series. I have now started Term Limits by Vince Flynn.

Just started The Whisperers by John Connolly. So far, so good, as always.

>76 LauraKCurtis: Hi, Laura ~ Do you think I need to read the first in the series in order to enjoy The Whisperers? I had to return Every Dead Thing to the library only partially read, and I don't know when I'm going to get a chance to pick it up again. (Not during November, since I'm one of those doing ~ or trying to do ~ NaNoWriMo.)

Normally I read a lot more mysteries. Right now, the only one I am reading are the Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits. This is a very good series on historical and mystery genres. I have met new favorite detectives including Dame Frevysse, Madame Storey, Capt. Cook, and a woman who I ended up buying her series afterward, Sister Fidelma.

I finished up Ann Cleeves' Shetland Island Quartet with the wonderful Blue Lightning. It's a great police procedural series which begins with Raven Black.

I don't think so. I suspect you'd enjoy the whole series more if you could read them in order, but you know the really important thing already because if you read the first page of Every Dead Thing you know that his wife and daughter were killed.

I should warn you that as the series goes on, it takes a turn for the weird. There's a fair amount of crossover into horror territory, though nothing exactly explicit. (That is, Connolly very carefully leaves things unsaid, so that the evil could be supernatural or just worse than most evil we're accustomed to, if that makes sense.) The early books are straight thrillers, but in the last three or four, that horror element has become more pervasive.

Hope that helps!

I just started Shakespear's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

Recently finished Kaye C Hill's The Fall Girl, and Alan Bradley's The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. This month I've been rereading some of my old mysteries and thrillers - Mary Roberts Rinehart, Elizabeth Peters, Mary Stewart, Agatha Christie, etc. Going to go reread Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time as a follow-up to reading Elizabeth Peters' The Murders of Richard III.

Bloodline by Mark Billingham. A Tom Thorne thriller. So far so good.

I read Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron the latest in the Judge Deborah Knott series to go into paper. Loved it, though was sad she was away from home and the usual cast. It just came out and now I have a year to wait for the new one to come out in paper :(

Just started The Romeo Flag. I'm just at Part One, Chapter 2, but so far it's really good. Just bought the audio of The Trudeau Vector, which sounds really chilling.

> 85 I read The Trudeau Vector and enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy it too.

Finished re-reading of an old comfort read, Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie. Good as always. My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/63925466

Or my 75 Books Challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/98949

Love those classic Agatha Christies!

The Track of Sand was another enjoyable one in the Inspector Montalbano series. Wish I could go out to eat with him - the food and the sharp mind, what a combo.

I've finished and reviewed Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves. It was wonderful. It's in my thread...post #208.

I've been reading Cold Earth by Sarah Moss and have been completely captivated. Great stuff, I'm not sure if I'm happy or not that I've only got a few pages left. I should go and see if she's got any other books out...

A Darker Domain by Val McDermid....at first I was put off by the quick switches between time and place, but as the book has gone on I'm getting into the style more. Although I doubt this will be my favorite McDermid.

I'm about halfway through Crossing the Lion

Started my first Charles Todd An Impartial Witness. Starting out pretty well.

# 88 "Love those classic Agatha Christies!"

I do too!

Rain Gods by James Lee Burke. It is most excellent.

I recently finished Michael Connelly's new book The Reversal and now I'm almost done with Steven James' The Bishop. Next week, I should be starting on Hell's Corner by David Baldacci.

Next is Broken Angels by Richard Montanari

I just started Paris '97 by Eric Hamilton. The wrong book keeps coming up for its touchstone, but you can still find it in librarything or just go to www.paris97.com

It's a fictional mystery/suspense/thriller novel about the circumstances surrounding Princess Diana's death, but it's based in fact. I've read other Princess Diana conspiracy books, but they were all cheesy and super annoying (for lack of better words). Paris 97 isn't like that at all--I was entertained AND I finally got real facts about the situation.

The author is actually Eric Wilson, who wrote all those children's books about Tom and Liz Austen. Paris '97 is definitely for adults though! Eric Hamilton is one of those rare authors who can successfully write for kids and adults (did you hear that, Judy Blume?)

Has anyone read it? I'd LOVE to talk about it!

I'm reading Thistle & Twigg. And I'm going to start There goes Santa Claus

I'm reading A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS by RJ Ellory.

Finished Watery Grave by Bruce Alexander today. I really enjoy this series but I've now run into a roadblock in finding the 4th. So, in the meantime, I've started The Queen's Head, yet another series. Hopes are high...

Reading Alone in the Crowd by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza.

My library has 1,2 and 7 in the series. So, even though I've missed 3-6, the book still reads very well. However, I'd like to read the missing books in the series. I may have to look around and buy them. I usually like to read mystery series from the library if I can. Except for Indridason's and Camilerri's - those I've bought.

Listening to Dexter Is Delicious and reading The Killing Circle.

Just finished Jonathan Kellerman's The Web. Not his finest effort.

I am starting Death Comes by Amphora by Roger Hudson, ancient Greek mystery.

#104 After The Web I stopped reading Kellerman for a while--I guess he got more or less back on track though.

Really enjoyed Borderlands. Reviews here:

http://www.librarything.com/work/2850477/reviews/67036767

Also enjoyed False Mermaid, especially the selkie folklore. I looked forward to the passages about the selkies. It's just coincidence that I read two stories that involve County Donegal, Ireland, back-to-back.

Reviews here:

http://www.librarything.com/work/8929700/reviews/66741450

>56 wookiebender: wookiebender, I read Truth earlier this fall and while I agree it's a great police procedural, I thought it an unrelentingly bleak book, particularly in its view of Melbourne. As I said at the time, if I was from the Melbourne he describes, I'd just slit my wrists and end it immediately. I was actually a bit appalled that it won the Miles Franklin. I thought his The Broken Shore was a much better book overall.

I also read and enjoyed Cold Earth:-)

I'm now reading Ashes to Dust, the 3rd mystery by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Bought it in a bookstore in Reykjavik a week ago (after failing to look for it in the London bookshops when there just prior). The mystery begins with the opening up of a house on the Westmann Islands which was buried in lava and ash in 1973. While the former owner no longer have a claim of the property, it is agree that the owner's son, a teen in '73, and accompanied by his lawyer (our protagonist) be allowed first into the basement where he could take what he wanted from there... Wouldn't you know it though, three bodies turn up down there...

Just finished Still Life by Louise Penny. I really enjoyed this mystery. I love the village of Three Pines and the characters. It's alot different than the grittier murder and mayhem books that I read but very satifying to say the least. It put me in the mind of the boardgame "Clue"...Mrs Peacock, in the library, with the candlestick...lol.
I am very much looking forward to the second book in this series A Fatal Grace which should be in at my library in a couple days.
Thanks to LT or I probably wouldn't have ever picked this book up.

I just finished White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones. It's the first time I've ever read a book set in an Eskimo village in Alaska

Reading 4 short stories by Georges Simenon - Les nouvelles enquêtes de Maigret - in a Danish translation.
France quite a few years ago. Quaint but fun.

I'm going to start on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest tonight. It feels a bit sad that there won't be any more.

Just finished reading Term Limits and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more of his. I started The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly.

>114 grshppr215: Oh, grshppr215 ~ The Lincoln Lawyer by Connelly! I don't usually enjoy novels about lawyers (I work for and with them daily ~ 'nuff said), but this one was really great! One of my favorite Connelly's. Hope you enjoy it too!

#109> avaland, there was an incident at the end of The Broken Shore that was just a little stupid (can't describe due to spoilers), but I had no such issues with Truth. Although agreed, very (very) bleak, but I can sometimes deal with bleak.

Did you see the Australian crime flick "Animal Kingdom"? That's another one that made Melbourne look horrible, all bleak and depressing and ugly. (And it's a lovely city! Truly!)

Finished My brother Michael by Mary Stewart, which is not a mystery but romantic suspense and which I didn't care for much. Started Roy Vickers' Department of dead ends last night. It's written in kind of a mundane style, but the stories are cleverer than they seem.

>113 flips:
My last read was The Girl who kicked the Hornet's nest. On finishing it I felt that I should be entitled to have a badge "I conquered the Millennium Trilogy".

Currently stuck into Ritual, by Mo Hayder, my first read by her. Sometimes I feel it crosses the line from 'crime' into 'horror'... certainly not your straightforward police procedural.

# 118 Hey I want one of them badges too, wonderlake! I finished the last one, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, earlier this year.

I've heard so many great reviews on the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - I will have to check this out!

Finished off Ritual, which I would recommend; and continuing my crime-spree I'm now beginning Postmortem, by Patricia Cornwell- my first read by her too.

I'm currently reading Three Seconds by Anders Roslund for the First Look book club at B&N.

Karen / lilk13
http://lilk13.blogspot.com

I've just started The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters.

Raven Black was a good one. And now I know where the Shetland Isles are.

Halfway through an old T.J.Parker, Pacific Beat. Awesome.

Next is The Moon Tunnel by Jim Kelly

I finished and loved The Last Child by John Hart. Anyone looking for a dark well-written mystery. This is the ticket.

I hope you continue with the Jack Reacher series. It is certainly one of my favourites. Killing Floor didn't do a lot for me, but was intrigued enough to continue. Sure glad I did.
I find that about every second book by Child is the better one.

Enjoy!

Collision by Jeff Abbott was excellent, and I'm now reading Trust Me.

Any book by Rick Mofina will blow you away, as well as the Atticus Kodiak series by Greg Rucka, but those should be read in order.

I loved Death Comes by Amphora by Roger Hudson. It was dense, but full of great ancient Greek stuff. Wish there was more.

Now reading Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard. It is dark fantasy - but a mystery. Set in the Aztec empire before the Spanish. Has magic and evil gods and the mystery of the abduction and possible murder of a high priestess.

Last night I started Black and White and Dead All Over by John Darnton. So far, very enjoyable!

Read Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. It was a quick read but overall rather dissatisfying and kind of revolting. My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/64991217

Or my 75 Books Challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/98949

Reading The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva. The series just gets better and better.

I just whipped through Stephanie Barron's latest Jane Austen mystery, Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron. Not one of the the better entries in the series. Like Jane herself, I miss the Gentleman Rogue.

hey Porua - I thumbed your review earlier today. Nice to see another person unimpressed with this book. Way too much tell and not enough show. Writing 101 fail. I've watched the TV show and it's just as idiotic, but more fun.

Typhoon by Charles Cumming - espionage in Hong Kong just before the 1997 handover. Well-written and well-plotted, plus I'm learning a lot - always a bonus!

# 135 Hi Bookmarque! Thanks for the thumb! Yes way too much tell is the right word. I think maybe the writer enjoys hearing himself talk! ;-)

I finished The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters last week. I thought it was very well done.

I liked The Devil's Feather, too. It didn't go where I thought it would which is a good thing.

Re-reading Imperfect Strangers for the first time since it came out in 1995. Pretty dreadful stuff. No wonder I stopped reading Stuart Woods not long after.

does anyone out there consider Haruki Murakami a kind of mystery writer? Have you read (the Wind up Bird Chronicle) - what do you think?

Hound of the Baskervilles

The weather wants me to curl up in front of a roaring fire and read Sherlock Holmes.

New thread for December is up,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/103626