March 2013--What are we reading

Dance hall of the dead by Tony Hillerman ; also The red pavillion by Robert van Gulik. It will finish the Judge Dee series for me.

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth

Still working on Phantom by Jo Nesbø.

White Bones by Graham Masterton

The Mysterium by P. C. Doherty it is a Hugh corbett Medieval Mystery! One of my favorite series. 8^)

Touchstones are being very wonky today!

Thereby Hangs a Tail...so far so cute.

Tag Man by Archer Mayor

Death of a Gentle Lady by M.C. Beaton

The dark room by Minette Walters

Started The Bat by Jo Nesbo the other day...it won't touchstone though...can't even find it on the list. bah.

The Last Six Million Seconds by John Burdett

I've started Orchid Beach by Stuart Woods.

I'm just starting The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - so far, so good!

Coming right up:
Johannes Cabal the Detective
The Relic
One Corpse Too Many: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Broken Harbor, just finished, was not very satisfying.

Mortal Sins by Penn Williamson.

Just finished Thomas Perry's Poison Flower His The Boyfriend is next

Recently finished L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker and loved it. Now reading Silent Joe.

Just finished Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, really enjoyed it. Now reading:

Woman With Birthmark - Hakan Nesser
Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell- Susanna Clarke

Just finished Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay and started Cloud Atlas by Liam Callanan. I am also planning to read The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton.

Witness in Death.

The Man with the Golden Gun, by Ian Fleming.

1 - What did you think of Judge Dee? I liked the series, but I wasn't completely crazy about it. A little embarrassed by the covers on the ones from my library!

3 - I love her books! I found a copy of The Case of William Smith my library was getting rid of and I was so pleased to get it!

14 - I really enjoyed that one. I wasn't sure what I would think - it's one of those EVERYONE has talked about, so you never know if that's a good thing or not. But I like Flavia. Maybe not very realistic, but good fun all the same.

19 - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell was one of those totally overwhelming books for me. I got so into it and was just blown away. I hope you enjoy it too.

I just finished If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. Not my favorite, but it was good and he managed to fool me with the murderer. I'm still reading Aspirin: The Remarkable Story right now. Not sure what I'll start when that's done, but I have a good stack from the library to enjoy.

Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay

I finished The Bishop Murder Case on Friday. I thought it a better read than The Greene Murder Case, although the villain seemed a bit obvious.

While traveling to a conference on Saturday, I read The Black-Headed Pins, the second of the works by Constance and Gwyneth Little for me. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to tackling their others as time permits. There weren't really enough suspects despite a fair number of characters, but the relatively light-hearted tone was appealing.

I've now begun The Crimson Clown Again - more pulp vigilante/crime stories from the late 20's by Johnston McCulley, author of Zorro. As the volume contains four separate novellas, I'll probably switch off, perhaps to read Mignon G. Eberhart's Man Missing, which I got on Sunday together with No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer.

Starting The Midnight Choir by Gene Kerrigan

#23, I've truly enjoyed all of the Judge Dee books. Some of the covers are a little lurid but I like the detective very much. I will probably re-read the series at some time in the future.

I finished Orchid Beach, which I found pretty ordinary, to tell the truth. I doubt I'll be continuing this series, as there are so many superior ones out there.

I've now started The White Road by John Connolly.

A Wanted Man by Lee Child. Not his best, but still better than most books of this genre.

Just finishing a spy novel and then I am on to:

The Tiger Among Us by Leigh Brackett
Sleep With Slander by Dolores Hitchens
and
Money Shot by Christa Faust

Just finishing Extinction. Not as good as his earlier two. Not sure what will come off the pile next. My niece gave me Life As We Knew It, but I have some library books I need to finish. Also an early reviewer I have to finish up and review. Ahhh, decisions,decisions.

About a third of the way rhrough Die Trying by Lee Child. Hard to put down.

I'm about a third of the way through No Wind of Blame.

Just started Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

New author for me - Stephen White. Picked up a copy of Dead Time on the cheap. In the middle of the series, but what the hell. It was like a dollar.

I'm on The Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, first of the Agent Pendergast series. Years ago I randomly read a much later book in the series, before I knew that it was a series, and I was a little lost with respect to the focal characters and their puzzling relationships. I never went back to it. Now I think I might give at least the next few a try in order. It's nice to know that the series has held up pretty well so there appear to be some good reads in store.

I really enjoyed the early Pendergast books (and have actually reread Cabinet of Curiosities), but the later ones...not so much.

Some of the Jack Reacher novels can be a bit much, but even so I find them compelling, almost addictive.

Right now am listening to Calculated in Death and finding it not the best of the In Death series, but not bad.

Looking forward to reading the latest Robert Crais, Suspect.

Suspect was great.

Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade

Just finished The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville. Fairly good.

Now I'm into The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello. Very good so far!

Just read a review of Romanov Cross in my Sunday paper. the review was vey positive. You will have to let us know how you like it.

I've reviewed Ashes to Dust, the third Icelandic thriller featuring Thora Gudmundsdottir, in my thread...post #45.

#45
Read your review and liked it. I have had this author's work on my radar screen for some time. Just tracking. So far have not read any. Might have to take care of that soon. Iceland is a place I would like to visit and I don't think, in real life, it has that many murders. I suspect it might have more volcanoes than murders. But they sure write good murder mysteries. Maybe it is all those long dark nights?

Keep it Quiet by Richard Hull

I've finished Relic and moved on to the second Brother Cadfael mystery, One Corpse Too Many.

>43 benitastrnad: I suspect you're onto something with the long, dark nights aspect....

I've finally reviewed All I Did Was Shoot My Man, a Leonid McGill thriller by Walter Mosley. Such a long time since I won it, and I was *sure* I'd already reviewed it, but such was not the case.

Anyway, I didn't like it. Here's why.

This morning started Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson, first in a mystery series set in mid 18th-century England. Liking it so far.

Two chapters in ... A Dirty Death by Rebecca Tope. Set in the U.K.; farmer suffocates in his own muck pit -- a vicar, plenty of nosy small-town neighbors -- has the makings of pleasant read.

I finished No Wind of Blame, which I found enjoyable, although I figured out the culprit early on.

I've now begun The Yellow Room, which I think I once read long ago, but I have no recollection of its details.

Forced to Kill by Andrew Peterson.

The Spellman's Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. I guess it qualifies as a mystery, the family are PIs, but I find it as much comedic as anything.

>36 Meredy: I enjoy listening to the Pendergast novels. The reader is good and everything moves along briskly.

I'm just finishing Buried Prey and have A Woman of Consequence up next.

Just finished Timothy Hallinan's The Fear Artist . A gritty page turner. I'm looking forward to more of his reads.

Just started Don Winslow's, Way Down on the High Loney. I read California Fire and Life and really enjoyed the pace and the dialogue.

#53
At the recent ALA conference Soho Press, the publisher of Timothy Hallinan's books, was really pushing his work. Apparently he was a self published author whose work finally caught the attention of the editors at Soho so they signed him. They are now in the process of re-releasing his books and doing some major public relations work to get his stuff out there. I am glad to hear that you like him as I picked up two of his books at that conference on the strength of the editor's recommendations.

I finished No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency which veered toward too sappy for me (Precious being too Precious at times) and accidentally picked up Cater Street Hangman. This is, technically a re-read but it was so long ago I only remember the highlights.

Trying out the first installment in Maureen Jennings's new series featuring Tom Tyler, Season of Darkness. It's set in rural England during WW2, which is what led me to pick it up.

55: I felt much the same about No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and had no urge to continue with the series. My appetite for cuteness is uncommonly low.

I am currently reading The Complaints by Ian Rankin and thoroughly gripped by it. I wondered if I would enjoy this post Rebus novel but I need not have worried. What a master storyteller Rankin is. I was hooked before the end of the first chapter.

I finished The Vanishing Point the other day. I haven't decided yet if I liked it or not.

Finished the Imogen Robertson mystery, which was quite good except for a slightly stilted "big reveal" scene at the end, and moved onto a true crime book, People Who Eat Darkness. I'm not typically one for true crime and read only the more up-market ones that are really well-regarded as this one is. I can see why it's won so many accolades. Really interesting, even-handed coverage, told like a story in an engaging style.

>55 majkia: I agree with you about No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency but I really enjoyed The Sunday Philosophy Club by the same author.

#55, 57, and 61
I have listened to some of both of these series and for me they worked very well in the recorded version. I have read one of The Sunday Philosophy Club books Friends Lovers, Chocolate and thought it was very good. I listened to these books in the car while on long driving trips and they were very enjoyable to listen to. Maybe these are books are written in a style that lends itself to easy listening rather than easy reading?

I'd never heard of The Sunday Philosophy Club. Will investigate!

While I only got through 2 1/2 books of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, I really enjoyed HBO's presentation of the series. I have The Sunday Philosophy Club sitting on my bookshelf. Maybe I wll pick it up and read it.

Just finished Peach Pies and Alibis

Hello. I'm a new group member. Have just finished Dead Water by Ann Cleeves and just started The Dying Minutes by Martin O'Brien.

welcome, greydoll. I keep meaning to get to Raven Black. I need to excavate it from the mountain.

I've read all of the Precious Ramotswe books in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and enjoyed all of them. We loved the TV series, too, and were disappointed it wasn't renewed.

I just finished Judgment in Death, another good one featuring Lt. Eve Dallas.

The TV series of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency wasn't renewed? I wondered why it wasn't on TV. I liked the one episode I saw. I will have to see if I can get that on Netflix. I wonder why it wasn't renewed? It had great reviews and I think it had a fan base. What are those TV executives thinking? Not everybody watching TV is male and under 25. In fact most people watching TV are probably over 25 and aren't male. It is simple demographics.

69> No, but the 25-40 male demographic is the group that spends the most money after seeing advertisements, so networks make the most money out of them.

19 & 23 -- Just joining this thread. Wow! Others who have read or are reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. An amazing book which defies categorization. Read it about 2 years ago and still think about it often. Bizarre and stunning.

Just finished Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (aka. John Banville) for a mystery book group. We're discussing it tomorrow.

Reading Force of Nature by C.J. Box which I think catches me up on all his books. That sucks.

67>Thanks for the welcome, majkia. BBC One TV in UK has just shown their adaptation of Red Bones from the first Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves. I think Dead Water is the start of a second Shetland "quartet".

Just started Louise Penny's Naivistin kuolema ("Still Life").

I just posted a 64 novelist March Madness Bracket Style Tournament to find out who people think is the best novelist. I have included quite a few Mystery/Thriller Authors. Please vote often.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/151522

Marion

Sorry for the double post.

Marion

69> I really enjoyed the tv series of No 1 ladies...too. And thought there would be another series but looking at Wikipedia about it, it looks like the director Anthony Minghella was the driving force in getting it made and he sadly died.

Zipped through The Chinese Chop by Juanita Sheridan yesterday, after picking it up along with some other Rue Morgue Press reprints at the Cloak and Dagger in Princeton, N.J. Enjoyable enough that I'll likely get the others in the Lily Wu/Janice Cameron series.

Next up, Murder Gone Minoan, also in the form of a Rue Morgue reprint. This will be the second of Clyde B. Clason's Theocritus Lucius Westborough mysteries for me.

I read a new release by a new author. It's a great fact-based eco-thriller: Nocturne, Opus 1: Sea Foam by Norene Moskalski

Just read Ruth Rendell's Make Death Love Me, which i found pretty disappointing.

Started The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter, by Malcolm Mackay, which my mother dropped a sizeable hint about as a birthday present. Or at least I assume that's why she pointed it out at the bookstore! So I'll read it first and try to determine whether she'll like it (the main attraction is the setting: Glasgow).

Just finished The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello. Really good! Now I'm on to The Leviathan Effect by James Lilliefors. Off to a great start!

I enjoyed the second Brother Cadfael mystery (One Corpse Too Many) and will soon move on to the third. Meanwhile, I'm reading Nabokov's Pale Fire, which is amply mysterious even if not in any conventional way, as well as Connie Willis's Doomsday Book.

#83
I have been trying to get to Doomsday Book for several years. I did get to the library and checked out Blackout to take with me on my spring break. I think I will end up having to purchase Doomsday Book. Or resort to Inter Library Loan.

>47 SaraHope: Imogen Robertson is my favorite new author this year! The books get better as you go through the series. I highly recommend her.

Just read a novel in a series by Maureen Jennings, called Beware This Boy. Read it out of sequence, but still enjoyed it. I always am interested in stories with a theme featuring life in England during WWII, probably because my parents were both teenagers in northern England at the start of the war.

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book and it is quite good so far.

Reading Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb.

#71 FYreads: how did you and your club like Christine Falls? I liked it a lot, but most of my club hated it. I haven't gotten back to another Quirke yet, but he's on my list.

Currently reading Rebecca, which looks as if it will turn into a mystery pretty soon.

#89
I liked Quirke. I have read three of them. He sort of grows on you and his character develops more in the next books. However, he did wear on me after awhile. Just like Harry Hole did in the Jo Nesbo books.

I've finished a full re-read of the Brandstetter mystery series, all 12 books. How wonderful that was. I've posted the first review, of Fadeout, in my thread...post #117.

Finished Dance hall of the dead by Tony Hillerman--probably my favorite Joe Leaphorn so far.

I just finished High in Trial, Donna Ball's newest Raine Stockton mystery.

I'm currently reading Crisis Four, the second in the Nick Stone series.

I liked Louise Penny's first Armand Gamache novel (Still life) so I decided to try the second one as well: Kylmän kosketus ("Dead cold").

Reading Sunflower, which is a 80's vintage spy novel. I'd heard about it because it was written by a Congressman's wife from Indiana and a lot of people at our library like it, but the thing's a hoot and not in a good way. The general impression it gives is that spies kill people willy-nilly.

I just finished Jude by Kate Morgenroth. It's released as a YA thriller, but I don't know, I think that's only because the protagonist starts out the story as a 15 year old. Really enjoyed this one.

Just started Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes.

Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin I didn't read the Rebus series in order, so I have a couple of old ones to read before starting on the latest one.

Douglas Preston's Isku ("Impact").

Out of order, but I am starting No Graves As Yet after being completely captivated by Anne Perry's Shoulder the Sky. Has anybody read the entire WWI series? Are they consistently as good?

Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb, after finishing Betrayal in Death. Hooked on this series.

>102 jnwelch: -Joe
I am just starting into Survivor in Death and it is riveting. How have I not read any of this woman's works before this!

I know, Cathy, I kept hearing/reading about this series, and once I read the first one, I was off and running with it. The good news is there are a lot of them, so we won't run out any time soon!

Started Camille Lackberg's The Ice Princessyesterday and just loving it. This Swedish novel is very much Scandinavian noir lite..not as intense as some of the other Northern writers I've read and a bit too much on the romantic intrigue side, but it's still fun to read. So many great Scandinavian noir novels, so little time to read.

> 102/103/104
'survivor' not 'survival' -not sure where my brain was with that one! lol

#101
There are two of these that I have not read Shoulder the Sky is one of them. I can say that they are all good, and that they all tackle the big philosophical questions of life in a way that makes you think. Each one of the books that I read makes me realize what a trauma WWI was for Europe that is just not the same as it was in the U.S.

The Phantom by Jo Nesbo & The Burning Soul by John Connolly

#107, thanks--good to know. Pleased to have discovered a nice, new, prolific author to follow and catch up on!

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Started The Racketeer this morning--my first by John Grisham! Loving it so far, no wonder people like this guy's books...

Just starting Dogstar Rising by Parker Bilal, second in his Makana series. Enjoyed the first The Golden Scales so looking forward to this one.

Robert Harris's Pelkokerroin ("The fear index").

I've picked up Dark Fire, C.J. Samsom's second Matthew Shardlake novel - it's good so far!

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill and Trail of Blood by Lisa Black are my two current mystery reads. They are both really good so far.

Murder Gone Minoan was OK. I figured out the murderer fairly early.

I then read The Black Gloves. The Littles are certainly growing on me. This one didn't seem quite so jaunty and madcap.

I've now begun Murder, Chop Chop. Too soon to tell.

Death of yesterday, the next Hamish MacBeth.

Death of Yesterday just came out today - that's quick work!

#118, it was already on my Kindle when I went to lunch so I just started in.

Funeral in Berlin by Len Deighton (old school), I, Said the Spy by Derek Lambert (Carter/Reagan era) and Sunset Express by Robert Crais (hometown favorite).

Finished Seduction in Death, another good one in that series, and started the new Joe Pickett novel, Breaking Point.

I've just begun Reliquary, the second Agent Pendergast novel by Preston and Child.

that one isn't quite as good as Relic, Meredy, but Cabinet (#3) is wicked good. Enjoy!

I have to agree - Relic may well be my favorite, but Cabinet of Curiosities is great, too. You've got to read Reliquary, though.

I didn't think to mention it here, but I reread Relic this month - it had been a while.

oh good to hear. I've got Reliquary near the top of the TBR.

mmm...you probably mean Cabinet. : )

So I just finished up a fairly decent thriller. Not the most original, but fun. Review here, not spoilery. http://www.librarything.com/work/12354341/reviews/91120030

duh, it would help to name the book. Circle of Bones by Christine Kling

Am at different stages of completion of a plethora of mysteries of different types and different formats: The Dark Monk by Oliver Potzsch (on the Kindle for my commute), What Darkness Brings by C.S. Harris (hard cover), Killing Orders by Sara Paretsky (audio in the car), The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick (Early Review proof) and The Hard Way by Lee Child (audio on the iPod).

I loved Relic, but my favorite is definitely Cabinet of Curiosities. I've read it two or 3 times, and I seldom reread books anymore (at my age, there's just not enough time). I enjoyed Reliquary too, though not as much as the first and third, but I agree that you have to read it between them.

Sheesh Storeetllr! How do you keep track of them all?

Relic is the best of the series I think. CoC definitely better than Reliquary. As the series goes on I found Predergrast harder and harder to relate to. it just got very strange. I haven't read the latest.

Read and enjoyed The postman always rings twice

@Bjace, I remember watching the old John Garfield movie by that name.

I'll have to check and see if it's on Netflix.

I'm listening to The House at Sea's End and enjoying it muchly.

I read The Sound of Broken Glass, the latest in one of my favourite series, by Deborah Crombie.

>128 tjm568: I know, crazy, isn't it. I don't know what's gotten into me this month. I usually have a couple books going at one time, but this many is ridiculous, and I didn't even include the paranormal fantasy I'm also reading. I just can't seem to get settled in with one ~ though they are okay, a few even really good, none of them have completely sucked me in. (BTW, I decided not to finish Killing Orders. It just wasn't grabbing me for some reason, and with so many others on the boil, so to speak, I didn't feel compelled to go on with it.)

Murder, Chop Chop was entertaining enough, and I was indeed surprised by the identity of the culprit. I don't think the other two of James Norman's Gimiendo Hernandez Quinto mysteries have been reprinted; I'll have to watch for them used.

I just started Murder on Tour, the first of Todd Downing's Hugh Rennert mysteries. It was just reprinted this month.

I just started The Wrong Man by David Ellis. Promising so far . . .

I have just started Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews, a new author and series for me.

I loved Murder with peacocks The sequels are a lot of fun, too.

I'm just starting HOUR OF THE RED GOD by Richard Crompton

Halfway through Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton.

Re: 140...I need to take inventory of all the Hamish Macbeths I haven't read yet. I just love him and his bumblish personality.

Murder on Tour was a good introduction to the character Hugh Rennert, Todd Downing's detective in several novels in the 1930s and would likely be a good place to start for someone wishing to try the series, albeit it isn't quite so complex and puzzling as the other three I've read so far.

Next up will likely be The Mouse in the Mountain, the first of the Doan and Carstairs books by Norbert Davis, although I may tackle something by Edgar Wallace first.

I'm also still working my way through the short stories and novellas in According to the Evidence, an entertaining collection of tales by Hugh Pendexter - some of them mysteries - about Ezra Stackpole Butterworth and the Bureau of Abnormal Litigation first published in magazines between 1905 and 1914.

141, gmathis. I love him to. I just downloaded Death of Yesterday, the newest book. I have read all of them.

Just started my ER copy of Breaking Point by CJ Box. A first for me from this writer. I've noticed a few of his writerly tics already, but that Joe Pickett is a game warden might be diverting enough to keep me from noticing more.

Adjusted the touchstone - boy, there are a lot of books called Breaking Point. And now I've got that old Clapton song in my head, which is not a bad thing.

Good morning, all. I've recently finished Dark Fire, the second of C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake books. It was very good, but not quite as good as Dissolution which is, after all, a tough act to follow.

I finally got around to trying the first of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels - Killing Floor. It wasn't bad, but in all honestly it wasn't my type of book.

My current mystery fiction read is Murder Below Montparnase by Cara Black. Are there any Cara Black fans here?

Just finished up The Leviathan Effect by James Lilliefors. Really interesting thriller. Now I'm starting Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka

Started The Beggar King by Oliver Pötzsch.

Re Christine Falls, the group was mixed. Several of us loved it altogether (characters, writing style, plot, etc.). Others loved the writing style but couldn't find anyone they liked, admired, or even found interesting enough to care. And most found it unrelentingly depressing and dark. (Even those of us who loved it would agree to its darkness.) Interestingly, two people who were mixed still found it compelling enough to pick up The Silver Swan right away since somehow they couldn't get enough of Quirke! All in all, VERY interesting to discuss.

And, by the way, one of our books last year that was almost uniformly enjoyed was du Maurier's Rebecca. Hope you enjoyed it.

The Mouse in the Mountain was disappointing. The ending seemed rushed, and the whole depended a bit too much on coincidence or on things just happening. I'd still read the other two Carstairs and Doan books should chance put them in my way, but I wouldn't seek them out, and I wouldn't have the high expectations I had going into this one.

Next up, Episode of the Wandering Knife by Mary Roberts Rinehart, although I anticipate taking a brief break from mysteries.

Stone's Fall by Iain Pears

New thread is up:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/152217