Septemter 2011 - What are we reading?

Just to get it started. I'm reading Belle Ruin by Martha Grimes.

(I've obviously got spelling issues today . . . ;-D )

Whose Body? -- on a mission to read all of the Wimsey's novels in order. :)

And I'm doing likewise with Gladys Mitchell's Mrs Bradley mysteries - currently reading the second one, The Mystery Of A Butcher's Shop.

Just finished The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. It was great and I look forward to more Harry Hole books.

#5, Lyzard, I'm impressed that you can find Gladys Mitchell's books in order. Weren't there a couple hundred of them? I polished off Mischief in Maggody, one of my favorites in the series, and am probably going to read R is for richochet

"In order" is what I do, Beth - I'm more than a touch OCD.

And I believe there were only sixty. :)

I'm working on an ARC of Death in the City of Light by David King. I've just started, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Going to start By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie, my first Tommy and Tuppence mystery.

I've finished Quiet As A Nun, a Jemima Shore mystery.

Reading Gallows View by Peter Robinson enjoying it so far. Robinson is a new author to me.

I'm reading The Master of Mysteries by Gelett Burgess, a collection of short stories first published in 1912 and reprinted by Suriname Turtle Press (Ramble House). So far they have been enjoyable.

Slogging through Deja Dead. Past the halfway point and not overly impressed.

Just started reading Dope by Sara Gran. So far I'm enjoying it a lot.

Just about to start the new Janet Evanovitch, can't remember its name off hand but includes 17

#13, I'm reading Gran's Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead. Really enjoying it--I liked Dope as well.

Just read Prairie Gothic by J.M. Hayes and started Coyote Wind by Peter Bowen

I've started In Cold Blood by Capote.

Enjoying Elly Griffiths' The Janus Stone.

More than half way through Iron House by John Hart

I just finished the newest in the Three Pines series, A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. I loved it and adore this series. If you haven't read the previous books, though, I think you'd lose a lot by starting with this one.

Just finished George Pelecanos's The Cut and about 1/3 through Ruth Rendell's Portobello which is wonderful so far and, I expect, will be to the end. Have not read much Ruth Rendell, but have enjoyed those I have read: The Water is Lovely and The Veiled One. Suggestions on what to try next?

#20: Interesting. I read a mystery Trick of Light many years ago that I remember enjoying. Set in seedier parts of SF, heroine is a photographer whose eyes are ultrasensitive to light. It seems that two articles can make quite a difference!

Just started Havana Blue (in English). The prose is so awkward that I wonder if the translation is faulty. Not enjoying.

Just finished the Jo Nesbo Norwegian trailer which I couldn't recommend enough. Now I'm starting Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Started Q is for Quarry this morning.

Free Fire was another good one in the Joe Pickett series.

I'm reading Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran now and starting to get caught up in it.

Finished my review of ER copy of Wicked Autumn by G. M. Malliet. As I never read others' reviews until I've done mine, it was interesting to see the spread of opinion on this title. Reviews here:

http://www.librarything.com/work/11145922/reviews

Just started Angels Passing by Graham Hurley. Hope I enjoy it as much as the first too.

So far this month I've finished Out of Sight, by Elmore Leonard, Live to Tell, by Lisa Gardner, and In Harm's Way, by Ridley Pearson. I'm now about to start Inside Out, by Barry Eisler.

Started on my first Denise Mina book with Garnethill.

I'm audio book reading the first of the Stephanie Barron mysteries featuring Jane Austen as detective. The title is Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor. There's lots of footnotes for era explanations. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

#30 I've never actually listened to an audio book, so I'm curious. How are footnotes conveyed, exactly? That problem never occurred to me.

Murder At the Vicarage ... been a while since I spent quality time with Miss Marple! (Shame on me for letting this much time lapse between visits.)

I just finished A Touch of Gold by Joyce Lavene

I've spent a weekend in Prague, and despite all the sightseeing I managed to read a fair bit, most of them mysteries:

1. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs - 3.5 stars
2. Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler - 5 stars
3. Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle - 4.5 stars
4. Simon Said by Sarah Shaber - 4 stars (despite the abysmal editing my Kindle edition suffered from)

Currently reading Death at Daisy's Folly by Robin Paige. (Yes, still...)

Am listening to The Count of Monte Cristo which is pretty good so far even though I'm at the whole Franz part and it's gotten a bit tedious. I suspect I'll be listening for weeks to come because it's so long. Am writing an ongoing journal of my read here - http://thebookmarque.blogspot.com/search/label/Monte%20Cristo%20Journal - if anyone is interested.

SaraHope--- Audio book footnotes -- the narrator simply interrupts and says " footnote..." reads the footnote, says "end footnote" and goes back to where she left off. You should try audio books. The narrator is extremely important, I think. Some voices you like, some you don't like so much. Sometimes I choose a book based on narrator -- go to the narrator's web site, see what all he/she has read, and then choose a book for the next read based on that. A soothing voice that can do many characters and accents is a wonderful thing.

>32 gmathis: I've also just started The Murder At the Vicarage, my Christie of the month.

#36 Hmm I don't think I'd enjoy having the narrative interrupted like that, but I guess I do the same thing when I'm just reading myself. Maybe some day I'll try audio books. I haven't even warmed to ereaders, though. I have a Sony reader and an iPhone and still prefer to read dead tree versions.

I'm reading a classic that I've never read before The Mystery of the Yellow Room. So far, I'm really enjoying it, and wondering why I did not read it sooner.

Finsied Q is for Quarry, one of the better Kinsey Milhones. May go on to R is for Richochet or I may read Celia Fremlin's Hours before dawn about which I've heard good things.

Oh, I so rarely get over here these days. While I don't generally have a steady diet of crime novels, this year I have read more than most recent years. I consider myself relatively picky.

I discovered Norwegian author Anne Holt after writing an article on Nordic Women crime writers for Belletrista. Her resume intrigued me and I thought it would translate into interesting novels. It did. I have read three of her Vik/Stubo series this year: Fear Not (mostly recently translated) and What is Mine and What Never Happens (first two that were translated). They feature Adam Stubo, a gifted NCIS detective, and Joanna Vik, a somewhat reluctant, but very talented criminal profiler. They two are married by the second book. What's a bit different about these books is that Stubo & Vik are basically happy people with a relatively normal family life. It's a bit refreshing after reading so many tales of morose, brooding male loners. Still, the domestic situation doesn't dilute the crime storylines, which are satisfyingly complex and are often puzzled out between the two.

I also recently read the latest Kjell Ericksson (Swedish) crime novel, The Hand That Trembles, 4th of his Anne Lindell series to be translated. While he wouldn't make my A list of mystery authors, he's a solid B. This one was slightly less satisfying than his earlier ones; although I enjoying revisiting the characters.

I also this summer read Outrage by Arnuldur Indridason, which I enjoyed. For those familiar with the series, this one focuses on the sidekick, Elinborg, as Erlunder is off in the area of his boyhood brooding (or working out his haunted past). Besides being a capable detective, Elinborg is a middle-aged mother and cookbook author, her approach is level-headed, measured, and steady. It's interesting to see a bit more of a secondary character.

Looking foward to getting my hands on the latest Garry Disher...

Just starting Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

Just finished The First Cut by Dianne Emley. Enjoyed it; suspenseful, but a quick, easy read.

I've started A Mysterious Affair of Style, the second in a fun series of Agatha Christie spoofs. (Note that the plot doesn't actually reference The Mysterious Affair at Styles however, they've just had fun with the name.)

#42 - just finished Spider Bones (previously published in hardback as Mortal Remains, according to the back cover - I really hate it when publishers do that!) and found it a bit - meh. Would be curious to know what you thought ...

I have recently discovered the wonderful Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri and have just found the latest hardback in the library. I also happened to see one of the early books on BBC4, it was in Italian with subtitles. Fortunatlely it didn't jibe with my idea of the main characters unlike other televised versions.

#45 still at the very beginning, I'll let you know when I finish. Sorry to hear you weren't impressed. I usually like her books quite a bit.

>@cimorene I love the Inspector Montalbano series.

I started Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead on my commute this morning. As a New Orleans lover, I'm really enjoying her obvious familiarity with the city. The protagonist is really interesting and different too. I think this one will be a winner for me.

Just started reading High Country Fall by Margaret Maron of the Deborah Knott Mystery Series. A great series about a NC judge that is constantly being thrown into various mysteries in different NC cities. I love the stories; M Maron is a very prolific and good mystery writer.

I am reading A Killing Tide by P.J. alderman which was 99 cent e-book special at Amazon, and it's not bad.

Just starting The Burning by Jane Casey.

Reading Elizabeth Peters aloud to a friend and juggling r is for richochet and Celia Fremlin's Hours before dawn

#53> Oh, it'd be fun to read Amelia Peabody out loud! She's got such a great narrative style and personality.

I finished A Mysterious Affair of Style and it was a good fun romp, lots of silly digs at Alfred Hitchcock style movies and Agatha Christie style books.

And I attempted Blindsighted, but stopped at page 32. EW. TOTALLY GROSS. Returning that one to the library unread as soon as possible, I don't want it in the house any more.

My library group has been reading lots of first mysteries, and I've decided to start reading subsequent volumes. My first such read is Louise Penny's A Fatal Grace, because I enjoyed Still Life quite a bit.

>55 Jim53: Jim - The series just gets better and better!

I started the latest entry in the Three Pines series, A Trick of the Light.

Seem to be on a Scottish writers' kick at present - this weekend I read Singing to the Dead by Caro Ramsay, The Darkness and the Deep by Aline Templeton and The Blackhouse by Peter May - all excellent, I'm pleased to say!

Started Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle.

I can't remember (and can't find) whether I posted about Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead. It was good, a memorable time in beaten down, post-Katrina New Orleans with an intriguing new detective. I look forward to her future adventures.

Blood Trail was another good one in the Joe Pickett series. This time he's back in his old Wyoming jurisdiction battling some of those aligned against him while trying to solve a series of killings of hunters.

I loved it too. Read 3 more. Liked the Snowman.

I just finished a new one, Purgatory Chasm. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't crazy about it. I reviewed it and gave it only two stars.

I just started another new one, Learning to Swim. It's better. It's looking like a four-star book.

I won both books from different online sites.

I've been reading Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs the 10th book of the Temperance Brennan series, and All that Remains by Patricia Cornwell the 3rd book of the Kay Scarpetta series. Both were fun and quick reads.

techeditor, I liked Learning to Swim Ann Turner and am hoping this will become a series.

Just started The Broken Shore by Austrailain Peter Temple. Good read but having difficulty with Austrailian slang.

I was out of town for the better part of last week, during which time I read the fourth of William G. Tapply's Brady Coyne series, The Marine Corpse.

And because so many of my customers (I own a used bookstore) ask for Lee Child books and because I've read so many good notices about them here, I decided to start at the beginning of the Jack Reacher series, so I'm now reading Killing Floor. At page 140 came a plot twist that made me realize I'd read this before! C'est la vie. I'm enjoying it and I don't remember what happens.

Finished By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie, just in time for her birthday. Happy Birthday Ms Christie! Thank you for making me happy and comforting me with your wonderful cosy mysteries when I need it the most!

My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/76731576

Or my 75 Books Challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/120427

Just started Crusader Gold by David Gibbins, which is maybe more of a action/adventure type book than a true thriller, but I like it.

Made a brief start on Snow is Silent by Benjamin Prado.

Finished In Cold Blood. Remarkable and ground-breaking.

Started Long Gone, my first book by Alafair Burke, and her first standalone, I believe.

Just finished Iron House by John Hart, which is excellent. I also recommend highly his first two, The King of Lies and Down River.

I just finished A Ghost Meets an Angel by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox

#45 Sophie236 just finished Spider Bones and I have to agree with you meh....certainly not one of my favorites.

I started The Strain, co-written by the director of Pan's Labyrinth. Almost 600 pages but breezes along so far.

Back with the Three Pines gang and Inspector Gamache in Louise Penny's new one, A Trick of the Light. Life is good.

I'm reading The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill and I'm really enjoying it. This is my first book by Hill, but now I find I'm curious about his series books.

#72 - no, it's not one of her best, is it? Far too many TLAs!

Just finished The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams. I really enjoyed this book. Not too often that I don't figure out who the murderer is.

Just starting The Burning Soul by John Connolly one of my favorite authors.

#41 > Wait until you read Death in Oslo (aka Madam President). That one's the best yet of the series.

#77 pollux...I just finished the same book...The Stranger You Seek. I agree with both of your statements. I am looking forward to the next one in the series. I love Keye Street!

I recently finished Charm City by Laura Lippman, and have moved on to City Primeval by Elmore Leonard.

I finished and enjoyed Nemesis by Jo Nesbo. It's the follow-up to the excellent the Redbreast. Next up is The Fifth floor by Michael Harvey. It's the 2nd in a Chicago-based crime series.

I'm reading Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon. Her books are set in Venice and I am gradually working my way through all her books. They do not have to be read in order but all contain the same main characters.

Highly recomended ...

Just over three quarters of the way through Sacrifice by S J Bolton (in paperback, borrowed from the local library). Never come across her before, and she seems to have written three or four and I would certainly read her others

A Trick of the Light, the new Inspector Gamache, was great. It may be my favorite now. Lots about the art world and whether people truly can change, not to mention a murder mystery.

Thanks for the Anne Holt recommendation. If you like Indridason and Ericksson, you should try Asa Larsson too: well-written, nicely translated, highly atmospheric and set in rural northern Sweden, and an interesting and poignant main character who's a young woman lawyer.

Thanks, coppers (#56). I heard the same thing from a friend last week. I enjoyed the second one quite a bit. Looks as if there's quite a conspiracy forming. I'm looking forward to continuing.

Just started "The Ridge" by Michael Koryta

#59 In the middle of The Fifth Floor - for me, the Chicago locations are an extra kick. Hope you enjoy it.

Faithful Warrior by Basil Sands - enjoying this so far; about a third of the way finished

Audio version of The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett. Quite good so far.

Read 2 good ones this weekend: Love You More by Lisa Gardner and A Fearsome Doubt by Charles Todd

Ready to start The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza by Lawrence Block

Finished The Count of Monte Cristo and am sort of reeling. I've had to rewind and relisten to a lot of my audio book Bad Blood by John Sandford...I suppose that's to be expected.

A very enjoyable weekend spent reading Anatomy of Murder and Island of Bones, jointly reviewed in my thread...post #229.

Reading Cut Short, but so far it is so-so.

I just finished and highly recommend The Last Child by John Hart. Any recommendations of other North Carolina mystery writers?

I'm halfway through A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber. I'm enjoying it so far.

I've just finished a 1940 detective story called 69 Diamonds, perfectly delightful it was, too. I've reviewed it in my thread...post #33.

Enjoyed the new Charlie Parker Burning Soul by John Connolly, more satisfying than the last...

Slogged through The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters

It was interesting to read about Mongolia but a bit heavy on the exposition (realistic within the plot that Mongolian politics and economics would be a topic of conversation between characters but it didn't make for exciting reading) and the denouement was weak. The main character has potential but the plotting needs to be tighter and the visting English police detective remained a cypher and appeared only to exist as form of plot device.

On the other hand I warmed to my first outing with 'Vish Puri' in The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

Once I got used to the 'Hindi-English' phraseology used by the main character the story turned out to be a lot of fun. The blurber on the back which refers to the character as an 'Indian Hercule Poirot' is spot on. The main character is pompous but likeable with a huge ego but a kind heart - the sub plots added rather than detracted from the main storyline and there was even a 'gathering in the parlour' to reveal whodunnit at the end, I enjoyed it a lot.

>85 danieljayfriedman: If you are talking to me, you're welcome. As it happens I do read Åsa Larsson and just read her latest, Until Thy Wrath be Past but found this one not as good as the previous ones. The "foo factor" was high in this one: the murdered girl is a secondary character of sorts, a la The Lovely Bones. I thought it was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the story. Martinsson can come up with thoughts all on her own, she doesn't need a ghost helping her out-at least that's my opinion. However, her characteristic use of landscape and animals were included, as was the usual traumatic event for Rebekah (a well done suspense scene).

Finished this week The First Rule by Robert Crais - kept me going - interesting - multi-levels.

Now reading my first Randy White writing as Randy Striker Key West Connection and enjoying it - I like his Doc Ford series a lot - pretty light but entertaining enough. A nice read between non-fiction or biographies. I read mysteries for pleasure and escape and don't want to have to think too much! I rarely put any energy into trying to figure out who done it, but then it usually seems pretty obvious, would you agree? At least by my ripe old age of 63 and so many years of reading.

I am reading my first Perry Mason - the first one Erle Stanley Gardner wrote - The Case of the Velvet Claws - Just like Perry Mason on TV so far. There are 50+ Perry Mason books. Now, that would be a challenge to read them all! This one is mostly dialogue. I am missing that feeling of the 1930's that the book was written in. Guess I like more descriptive narration than this book is providing. I am curious to see if all Perry Mason stories are written this way.

cacky, the Learning to Swim that I'm talkng about is the one written by Sarah J. Henry. I finished it, and it IS a 4-star novel. Also, it IS going to be a series.

I'm now reading VERMILION DRIFT. It's pretty good, not one of those formulaic thrillers, which so many thrillers are. I realize a lot of people like the formulaic thrillers, but I feel that they're inferior to nonformulaic thrillers.

Sticking with rendell you must read 'The Bridesmaid' & 'Going Wrong' & 'Lake Of Darkness'. As Barbara Vine i'd recommend 'Grasshopper', 'The Brimstone Weddings' & @King Solomon's carpet.'

>102 seawerth: If you want a little different flavor than Perry Mason, check out the books Erle Stanley Gardner wrote under the pen name A.A. Fair. The Donald Lam, Bertha Cool mysteries. He's the brains, she's the muscle. They are horribly sexist as a lot of the detective stories from that era are, but still a lot of fun.

Started Die Trying by Lee Child, the second in the Reacher series, on audio.

I finished Savage Run, the second book in C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series. There is something very addictive about them and I'm looking forward to getting to the next one!

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny on Audio CD
The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett in audio on Kindle

>108 Copperskye: @coppers I've found the Joe Picketts addictive, too. Actually, >107 Storeetllr:, Mary, the Jack Reachers have been, too. I envy you starting out on these great series.

Murder's Long Memory by Roderic Jeffries was pleasant, and Inspector Alvarez was an appealing character. But I'm not sure I'd look for others in the series.

I'm about 2/3 through another Joe Pickett, Below Zero.

Finished Ah, Treachery the last book by the excellent Ross Thomas. It was apretty expensive Kindle version with apalling formatting problems that were very distracting.

Now reading The Atomic Renaissance by Jeffrey Marks about several women writers in the 1940's and 50's.

That's a shame about the Thomas @quartzite, he's a phenomenon. Haven't read that one though. Was it worth wading through the bad e version?

Finished Pitch Dark and just started Operation Napoleon.

Yes, worth reading, though I'd go for a used paperback.

Just started Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger.

The Taker, by Alma Katsu. Still very early on, I haven't made up my mind whether I like it or not.

I'm reading I'll Walk Alone and The Shadow of Your Smile both by Mary Higgins Clark.

Reading the classic And Then There Were None by Christie. Brilliant so far, and that's even without Poirot.

Oh to read Christie again for the first time. Actually I read her books so long ago and have forgotten so many of them that I may be able to do just that.

I thought of And then there were none earlier in the year when I was reading Bertie and the seven bodies by Peter Lovesey. The book is an homage to it; Lovesey borrows freely from Christie's devices in it. Actually, it's not a very good book, but I think it was meant to be more of a literary joke than anything else.

I began Still Midnight by Denise Mina. It is my first library book on my Kindle. She can really write.

bjace > I know I've read most of the Christie's in my teens and early 20s, but those years are quite a while ago, so it really is like reading them for the first time. Plus, I seldom remember who the killer is in mysteries after a week, so it is easily new to me.

Just started reading The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathan King. So far really good.

Just finished The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. It's the first of his that I've read and certainly won't be the last! A really gripping read.

#121> Plus, I seldom remember who the killer is in mysteries after a week, so it is easily new to me.

LOL!

I'm about halfway through Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon, and having a great time.

Just finished Harlan Coben's Hold Tight. I loved it. I read all his Duke basketball hero books and loved them as well. His stand alones are better than the series books.

>125 dyarington:--I agree with you; while I find the Myron Bolitar books fairly good, I also think his standalone novels are his best.

I'm currently reading Dead Connection by Alafair Burke

The Affair by Lee Child - Fantastic!

I am enjoyingThe Third Victim! I have read this author's stand-alones and the D.D. Warren series, but I haven't delved into the Quincy and Connor series before.

Good stuff, now I have to figure out where the rest of the series is located in my TBR!

Flowering Judas a new one by Jane Haddam one of my favorite authors.

Just finished Dog On It and loved it. I wish I could recall the LTer(s) who recommended it; I'd send them a huge thank you!

Just starting The Experiences Of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective by Catherine Louisa Pirkis, from 1894, a collection of short stories featuring one the first literary female detectives.

Reading Pretty in Ink by Karen E Olson - tattoo artist in Vegas who gets caught up in mysterious deaths.

Just started I Kill by Giorgio Faletti - had never come across this author before, but so far it's looking pretty good ...

I just started The Long Quiche Goodbye

Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman ... love me some Alex & Milo :)

#96 I like Katy Munger's Casey Jones series quite a bit. It begins with Legwork. Then there are Sara Shaber's Simon Shaw series, Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series, Liz Squire's series with the protagonist I can't remember, which is funny because her failing memory is a theme. None of them are as good as The Last Child, though. I also enjoyed Hart's Down River. Haven't got the new one yet.

Read Son of Stone by Stuart Woods yesterday. Don't know why I keep reading his books. Every time I swear I'll never read another. Definitely losing steam. But then who wouldn't after all those years?! My fav was White Cargo (wrong touchstone) and that was a long time ago!

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill

The Affair is excellent so far.

138> I loved the Dr Siri series by Colin Cotterill

New thread for October,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/124432