What are you reading now (Still more continuation)

I am reading Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman set in wartime Sarajevo.

I just started Dekok and Murder by Melody set in Amsterdam. I always enjoy this series by A. C. Baantjer. I find him to be a more appealing writer than Janwillem Van de Wetering.

I just finished The Likeness by Tana French. I really enjoyed it. I recently finished Origin and while enjoyable, not nearly as good as French's debut and second novel. I am one novel away from finishing all of John Sandford's Prey novels in order. I figure I have to read those since they take place where I live and work and that's pretty fun.

#2 Thanks for the tip on Dekok and Murder by Melody. I happen to like Van de Wetering, so I should really like Baantjer!

#4 Yes, do try A. C. Baantjer. It seems more of his books are becoming available. There are several on Amazon, and my library has added several new titles.

For message # 3. I'm nearly halfway through "In the Woods" and thoroughly loving it. Is the second novel have the same characters?

I'm reading my way through Peter Robinson's books. While In a Dry Season was my favorite, his earlier books are filled with eighties and nineties cultural references and so are a lot of fun.

I'm reading the second "Berlin Noir" novel, The Pale Criminal by Philip Kerr. The series starts in Berlin in the 30s, while Hitler is coming to power, and the main character is a private detective.

I have just started The Corpse in the Snowman by Nicholas Blake. Have just finished Thou Shell of death and The Beast Must Die. I thought both were very good.

Rereading to A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

I'm currently reading Case Histories by Kate Atkinson ~ beautifully written, but very different. I'm loving it, though. It's a nice break from the usual stuff.

Phillip Kerr's Berlin trilogy is good, isn't it. He has a way with the genre's rat-a-tat dialogue.

I'm finishing up Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon. I like her long suffering Inspector Brunetti, but I'm not sure I would want to read more than a few books in a row, I have the feeling that they might get repetative.

I'm in the middle of Robert Greer's The Devil's Hatband, the first of his CJ Floyd mysteries. The story is pretty interesting but the writing is pretty clumsy in spots. I'm reading this one in preparation for reading Greer's Blackbird, Farewell, which I just snagged through Early Reviewers.

I'm reading Lisa Jackson's new book Left To Die.

I am reading 'The Fault Tree'
by "Louise Ure". It's about a blind lady that overhears a murder...

I'm just starting my first James W Hall, Bones of Coral.

#12...Yes, I'm enjoying the series a lot. Although I have to say, when I read the first one, it took me awhile to get used to the noir style, because I hadn't really read any noir before. But I'm thoroughly into this one. Having heard so much about what life was like for Jewish Germans in Nazi Germany, it's interesting, in a horrifying sort of way, to see what life was like for everyone else in Germany.

I'm read about half of Jakob Arjouni's Happy Birthday, Turk. It takes place in Frankfurt. The detective is the son of a Turkish immigrant who died when he was young, so he was adopted and raised by German parents. However, he still faces a lot of discrimination. I wonder if the detective's history matches that of the author.

The story and plotting are good, but the writing is distracting. The jacket says he writes like Hammett and Chandler, but he seems to take it to an extreme. Kemal Kayankaya, the P.I., is always drinking and extremely sarcastic. Altho I would guess this is not a very good translation, that doesn't address all the problems with the writing.

Haven't decided yet whether I will read another book by this author.

#16 ... Bones of Coral is a marvelously over-the-top thriller. I think it's Hall at his most campy. The opening line is a giveaway - “Cassie Raintree was dying of brain cancer every afternoon at two-thirty.” She's a character in a soap opera, but has to be written out of the script because the actress who plays her has just been diagnosed with MS. Great stuff, and the ending lives up to the wild promise of thrills to come.

He's a wonderful nature writer, when he's not blowing things up or setting things on fire. :o)

Just finished Rain Fall, the first John Rain thriller by Barry Eisler. I'd read most of his other novels but couldn't find the 1st until last weekend. A very satisfying novel which I couldn't put down!

One of those paranormal urban fantasy/mystery things - Vicious Circle by Mike Carey

Mystic River in the living room and The Triumph of Caesar in the bedroom. Once I finish both of these, I'm going to read The Serpent's Tale, second book in Ariana Franklin's medieval mystery series. Loved her Mistress of the Art of Death and have high hopes for the second one.

#21 I read The Devil You Know by Mike Carey and really enjoyed it. Let me know if Vicious Circle is also good.

#22> Storeetllr, I will be very interested to know your opinion once you have read The Serpent's Tale, as I read the first one and really like it too.

Yes, let us know about Vicious Circle...I liked the first one as well, but sometimes authors are one hit wonders with their first novels. No idea when it will release here in the states though.

Am reading Chasing Darkness the lastest Elvis Cole novel by Robert Crais. Seems like his voice is back with this one. I was missing the snappy quality to Cole's dialogue & monologue. The noir aspect is more prevalent to me in this one, which is good.

Edited to say never mind...it's on audible.com now. When I checked the other day, it wasn't. Sweet.

I'm enjoying Vicious Circle about as much as I did the first one. Carey has kept up my interest in the characters while juicing up the action from the first book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through - once i get done I'll post a review. But yeah, I'd recommend this one.

Thanks bfister. I've read that Hall is an excellent writer, fiction and non alike. it's difficult to find his books locally so I was quite excited to find an early work to start with. I've only gotten through the first 2 chapters and certainly am impressed. It does seem a bit campy as you said, but every few pages he sneaks in some really nuanced thoughts.

I've just started The Skeleton Room by Kate Ellis. So far DI Wesley Peterson and his colleagues are investigating the murder of a woman who was pushed off a cliff, and the theft of a load of new computer equipment. They don't know yet whether they will have to investigate the skeleton of a girl found tied to a chair in a walled in room in a former girl's school. Wesley with his archaeologist friend, Neil, will be examining the walled up room for clues to determine the age of the skeleton. If clues in the room indicate it happened more than 70 years ago, the cops can avoid an investigation, but if it's more recent....

There's also an old shipwreck that Neil's crew is assisting in excavating from the ocean floor. Interspersed between chapters of the modern story are excerpts from the 1777 "Account of the Dreadful and Wicked Crimes of the Wreckers of Chadleigh."

Kate Ellis is a wonderful story-teller with beautifully plotted mysteries, tieing the past to the present. This is the 7th book I've read in the series.

Sounds interesting, CD ~ I'm going to have to try Ellis! What's the first in the series?

#24 Aluvalibri ~ Oh, boy! I started The Serpent's Tale last night and so far (about 50 pages in) am really liking it. I won't say too much about the story, just that I have high hopes that it's going to be good; whether it is as good as the first, I won't know until I'm finished with it.

#27 Storeetllr: the first of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson mysteries is The Merchant's House. It was excellent. Do try it, and let me know what you think.

Just finished Kill Me by Stephen White. Wow! Recommended.

Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie

I'm at the last chapter of Envy the Night by Michael Koryta. It is OUTSTANDING!! Definitely check it out!

The new Elvis Cole Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais

Just finished John McFetridge's Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. Wonderful hardboiled Toronto setting, Elmore Leonardesque dialogue, lots of irony. Looking forward to more from him.

Forgot to update my mystery reads.

I finished Lucifer's Shadow by David Hewson. It was a bit of a drag in the middle, but it picked up again at the end, and I enjoyed it.

Then I read Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn. It was the 15th in her Daisy Dalrymple series. It was for my mystery group, we pick the author and series and everyone reads a different book.

I tried to get #1, but my order was canceled. I was able to pick everything up, but it was a fizzle as a mystery. Nothing until almost 100 pages into a 300 page book, and then we never see the murder scene of a double killing. Lots of period stuff and a lot about the social changes in England after WWI.

Then I read one of the many Swedish mysteries that are being published here now. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson. It was good, a bit dry and with more philosophical discussions/reveries than usual, but not enough to slow it down too much. The theme seemed to be the difference between the Uppsala they grew up in, and the current day one.

#30> Storeetllr, thank you! I will get a copy.
:-))

Just finished Judas Child by Carol O'Connell. I liked this book, it grabs you right from the beginning and keeps you in suspense throughout. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Today I started Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais.

Going to finish Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich today. It's kind of fun, but I think she is no longer hardcover worthy even with the deep discounts.

Next up is White Nights by Anne Cleeves which is an LT Early Review book. It's part of a series, but I don't have time to read the first. Oh well, it will make an interesting part of the review to be coming in on the second book.

I just finished Death Match by Lincoln Child. I think this is the first mystery that he has written alone. He usually co-authors with Douglas Preston and those books have a little twist of the supernatual, not ghosts, but oddities. Can't tell if this is the start of a series.

I just started Lady Killer by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (for whom there is no touchstone, apparently). I had never heard of her until I read in "Mystery Scene" magazine about a re-release of some of her novels. She was a suspense writer in the 30s and 40s, and Raymond Chandler called her "the top suspense writer of them all", but her work went out of print. I'm a huge Ruth Rendell fan, and some called her a forerunner of Rendell, so that sold me.

#32 ~ etrainer......I LOVE Stephen White!!! Kill Me was great, I heartily agree.

Just finishing up Case Histories by Kate Atkinson tonight ~ I really found it intriguing, but different than the usual stuff. Can't wait to choose something new from my TBR pile.

We are bringing in books much faster than Hubby and I can read through them. It's a problem I see alot of people share on this website. :o) Glad to be among friends! We just had to bring another set of bookshelves into the house to store all the books we keep adding to our library.

I'm eyeing Nerve Damage by Peter Abrahams for my next read. I love his work. Anyone else a fan?

Well, I finally finished Downriver the book I carried in my car. Loren D. Estleman is such a superb writer of hard-boiled mysteries. If you are looking for someone to read who equals the best of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett or Ross Macdonald, you should try Estleman.

Haven't decided yet what book to take out to my car next, but here at home I'm reading Most Cunning Workmen by Roy Lewis.

I just now finished Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I found it recommended often in this library group as a twists-and-turns thriller, and would have to agree.

More, though, I found it to be a disturbing book...not meaning it was repulsive (although it describes the epitome of a dysfunctional family), but getting into the head of Camille was scary, I felt like I was invading her privacy. Usually the "heroine" is "normal". Not here.

I'm amazed at the talent of Gillian Flynn in her first book, "Sharp Objects". She seems really connected to her characters, making them really jump out in her book. I felt like I knew them so very well after just a few pages.

Justice Denied by J.A. Jance

I'm re-reading Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg. This book and author made quite an impression the first time I read it, over 25 years ago and I still feel the same now. A very strong novel! Any other fans out there of Thornburg?

I'm reading Thirteenth Night by Alan Gordon.

Just started Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas.

I just started reading Nerve Damage by Peter Abrahams....I'm about 35 pages in and so far it looks excellent. He's one of my favorites.

#46 ~ quartzite.....let us know how you like Justice Denied.....hubby and I bought several books today and that was one of them. I've never read J.A. Jance before.

#45 ~ Floridafannie.....your description of Sharp Objects makes me want to run out and get it right away! It's on my wish list on BookMooch. It sounds like something I would love!! I hope I can get it soon, although I have about a zillion TBR books waiting already...!

Picked up Already Dead by Charlie Huston, just to look at and decide whether to renew it from the library, and ended up reading over half of it last night. Very different from most vampire detective novels, a little like P.N. Elrod's vampire detective series (which is also on my nightstand to be read).

#52 Storeetllr

If you like Already Dead there are two more in the series already out:#2 No Dominion and #3 Half the Blood of Brooklyn. I enjoy the series very much.

The Elrod series is OK, but not my favorite. It is more detective than vampire, though I am only up to book 7 so the more recent ones may be different.

The series by her I like better is the Jonathan Barrett series. It is set in Colonial America (he's a Tory). The books are:

#1 Red Death
#2 Death and the Maiden
#3 Death Masque
#4 Dance of Death

They were mmpb and out of print here, but have recently been published in trade size with supposedly some new material. Don't know if they are all in print still or not. There is also an omnibus edition, oop I think jonathan barrett, gentleman vampire, but you might be able to find it used.

For Message 49: CD1am
I've had the Vargas book on my tbr pile for a long time. Let me know how it is!
For Message 52: Storeetlir
I love Charlie Huston! All of his books are very good but the Joe Pitt series is excellent. I've read the 1st 2. I think the 4th book is coming out next month. Enjoy!!

Just finished two by Leann Sweeney, Dead Giveaway and Pushing Up Bluebonnets. Both good, but I skipped a few in between, so there were a few new characters in the second one. The series is set in Houston and features a private eye specializing in adoptions. Both good, but not exceptional. Still, I wouldn't mind reading more.

Oh, and I'm listening to The Plain Old Man by Charlotte MacLeod. I really liked her when I was younger, but now, and especially on audio, I find her writing annoying. I like the plot on this one - Sarah's aunt is putting on an amateur production of Gilbert and Sullivan when a painting is stolen and a cast member murdered - but enough with the interior monologue! Do something already! If it was a written book, I could skip forward, but with it being a tape, I don't know if I'm missing anything important. All this review of everything that has already happened and speculation on what might happen next - get on with it! I already read that part. Why are you telling me again? Very annoying. Why do authors do that? Do they think we can't remember from one chapter to the next? It's not like the book is that long.

Enough grumbling. I don't think I'll get any more audiobooks by her, though. Just not worth it.

#54: msf59 Every Last Drop

Oooh Thanks. I put it on my wish list. 9/30/08 in the US. I thought it was going to come out in HC, and now I see it will be a tradepaper. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.

#54 msf59
After a slow start, Have Mercy on Us All got really good. I'm halfway through, and am really enjoying it, and having a hard time putting it down. I would definitely recommend you read it.

# 58: CD1am
Thanks for the heads-up! I'll try to bump it up a little in the pile!

Just finished Careless in Red by Elizabeth Georgeand started on I Shall not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming.

I enjoyed Justice Denied, but note it is about 15 or so in a series.

Also add my recommendation for Have Mercy on Us All. I've become a big Fred Vargas fan and have This Night's Foul Work on my TBR list.

Also thought Sharp Objects was very compelling.

#60 ~ quartzite......thanks for the head's up on Justice Denied...sounds like a very long series by J.A. Jance. Would it be necessary for us to read them all in order, or will this book make sense to just read on it's own?

Also, will be looking forward to Sharp Objects.

I'm nearing the halfway point of Nerve Damage....it's absolutely outstanding. If anyone is looking for a top-rate author, try Peter Abrahams. My only complaint is that he doesn't write enough novels ~ but the ones he has are great. I want more!!

You can read it as a stand alone without much problem, but there are lots of references to his past, including one relating to a plot point, that will probably be lost on you if you haven't read the others.

I'm reading Beverle Graves Myers Painted Veil. The second in her series about 18th century Venice and the castrata who solves crimes. I met her at the Owensboro, KY International Mystery Writer's festival held every June. The books are excellent as is the festival.

I'm still reading Stephen White. I just finished Critical Conditions and will be starting The Best Revenge next. Good stories and convincing dialog make these highly entertaining, IMO.

Edited for mistakes!

Just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Obviously not a typical mystery, but I really enjoyed it.

Has anybody read Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem? We read it a few years ago for one of my mystery groups, and I thought it was great. However, several people in the group had trouble with it because it so accurately conveyed the world of a person with Tourette's Syndrome.

I listened to Motherless Brooklyn as an audio and it was perfectly done by Frank Muller. He captured the tics and the timing like he really had tourettes himself. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't known it was him narrating, I wouldn't have evenr recognized his voice. Highly recommended.

Currently listening to Butcher's Hill the first Tess Monaghan novel by Laura Lippman. It's not bad. I've read a few of the later ones and really clicked with the Tess as a character. She seems like someone I would like to hang with.

I'm reading The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. One of the blurbs on the back describes it as "Harriet the Spy" for grownups...I loved Harriet the Spy as a kid, so I had to try it. Definitely original, and pretty humorous.

I love the Spellmans! The sequel's pretty darn good too.

I have a little virus, so I was looking for something solid to keep me focused. I decided to reread some Michael Innes. I finished Death at the President's Lodging today, and I'm going to read Hamlet, Revenge next. I love his books!

Feel better soon, cmbohn!

I've never read Innes. Guess I better go find something of his to try. Any suggestion as to the best one for my first?

Thanks for the get well wish! Either one of the two above are a good place to start, but Appleby's End is one of my favorites. Despite the title, it's early in the series. Seven Suspects is another name for Death at the President's Lodging. They read a little like Ngaio Marsh, but more literary.

L.A. Requiem, by Robert Crais

The Old Buzzard Had It Coming by Donis Casey

# 63: jschlei101
I'm reading Beverle Graves Myers Painted Veil. The second in her series about 18th century Venice and the castrata who solves crimes.

That sounds cool. Venice is one of the places that interests me. What is the name of the first book ?

Just finished Nerve Damage yesterday....it was a really good book, a finely crafted story...with a crappy ending. Bummer. I was rather surprised, because usually, Mr. Abrahams is excellent from beginning to end. This was a disappointment. Oh well. Everyone has an off day. :o(

Finished The Black Path by Asa Larsson; almost finished Frozen Sun: A Nathan Active Mystery by Stan Jones.

I picked up this book called Murder in Foggy Bottom by Margaret Truman from my grandfather. I've only read the cover, and it looks semi-interesting...it will have to do until I can make it over to the library.

I just finished The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith ... and I was so bored with it. I know there are alot of AMS fans out there and this is the 3rd book that I've tried written by her, and I think I'm just going to have to accept that she does not write in a style that interests me.

Back to my TBR pile for something else to read now.

I am working my way through the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. I promised a friend I would read them all before the new one comes out. I now see that the new one Cross Country is due out in November so I'm stepping up the pace. I only have four more to go, just about to start London Bridges.

I have heard that his Alex Cross books start to lose it as the series goes on. Four Blind Mice seemed to me the first book that wasn't quite so much of a page turner although I still enjoyed it. Luckily they are quick and easy to read, I don't thnk I'd bother if they were any longer.

I saw Nerve Damage in the store and picked it up. Missed the part about the crappy ending. Oh well. Still looks interesting.

Forgot the other books.

I picked up Raven Black by Ann Cleeves. Saw it mentioned somewhere on here, and thought it looked cool. Love the idea of the setting.

Also got some books for my local mystery group:

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell, his first Kurt Wallander mystery.

Then 2 by Deborah Crombie in the Kincaid and James series.
A Share in Death the first, and Dreaming of the Bones which was recommended. We just pick an author and a series and everybody is free to read what they want. I always try to start with the first.

Also 2 by Mary Daheim in the Bed-And-Breakfst series. Just Desserts the first, and Scots on the Rocks.

Then I saw something in the store that intrigued me:

Tokyo Year Zero by David Peace. It is set 1 year after the war and deals with murder and war atrocities. Looks interesting.

#74 Ficusfan, the first book in Beverle Graves Myers Baroque series is Interrupted Aria.

I'm currently reading Concourse by S. J. Rozan. Read her first book, China Trade, a few years ago and really enojoyed it, so I'm expecting good things.

#81 CD1am,

Thank you. I have placed an order with my local Borders (they didn't have it in stock).

#79 jalinda Surprisingly I've read a lot of James Patterson books, and I can't really tell you why. He is a very hit and miss author for me.

He is usually a quick read, his plots not complicated of late, so if I'm laid back they work. But I have enjoyed his earlier books, including some of the Alex Cross books.

Most recently I read two, (not Cross mysteries) Sail and enjoyed it, certainly more than Lifeguard which barely held my interest. Got a chuckle out of Sail front jacket, though; the sail boat is supposedly a 47 ft yacht, and his artist certainly missed that on the front cover, barely looks 27 ft! I'm an old sailor so noticed it right off the bat.

I am reading Sympathy Between Humans by Jodi Compton Sarah Pribek is such a "rogue cop".

#45 I read Sharp Objects about the same time you did. We have a group at work wher we talk about what we have read. I spoke of it and an equally disturbing true crime book. Someone said, "Look at her and she looks so normal."

#79 I have read several of the Alex Cross books. I admit I liked the early ones better. I read Four Blind Mice last year and enjoyed it. I have read a number of his stand alones and finished Sail about a month ago. I liked The Quickie and Honeymoon the best. Avoid You've Been Warned.

#80 ~ FicusFan......maybe you will feel differently about the ending of Nerve Damage.....I just thought it was a rather abrupt, hurried ending that sort of left me hanging. After reading the story, with such good suspenseful plot, I thought he could have done a better job of wrapping it all up. Still a good book, overall.

I just finished Sharp Objects. I read it because it was mentioned so many times here and in other groups (I think). Pretty good, but not outstanding, IMHO.

I am reading Gone for Good by Harlan Coben- a very plot twisting, suspense, thriller of a book...

Just got to This Night's Foul Work by Fred Vargas, very intrriguing as usual.

I've been spending my time browsing art and watching some interesting/disturbing/delightful but always entertaining performances at the Fringe Festival in Indy, so I haven't made time to read. That means I have to put aside Concourse for a bit to read The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill for my Wednesday mystery group.

I just finished reading Hit and Run by Lawrence Block (interestingly the touchstone for Hit and Run lists a book by RL Stine!) In any event, I have really liked the Keller hitman series that Block writes. Actually, I have loved everything by Block that I've read. I'm now reading a book by Jo Bannister -- can't remember the title, but I like her work as well. I really like Fred Vargas, but some friends had trouble with the translation.

I read Motherless Brooklyn recently and enjoyed it. Having some connections with Maine and Brooklyn, the sense of place was fun. As with the case of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the author did an interesting job of representing the brain disorders.

I am reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce--rather crazy, but that the is pleasure.

Just Finished reading The Given Day by Dennjs Lehane. A must read.

RE: Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. One of the finest suspense novels to come out of the post WW2 era was written by Holding - The Blank Wall. It was filmed as The Restless Moment with Joan Bennett as the mother trying to cover-up a crime she thinks her daughter committed. It was filmed again more recently as Deep Water with Tilda Swinton as the mom, but the daughter was transformed into a gay son. Gimmicks. The book is somewhat of a classic in the crime genre. She is a sadly underrated an dunder-appreciated writer and it's a shame her work vanished into the Land of Non Printdom. Even those reissues hare hard to come by these days. Net of Cobwebs (a spin on the old amnesia plot) and The Old Battle Axe are two of Holding's other well done suspense novels.

Alexander McCall Smith is a man! I loathed The Sunday Philosophy Club. It was dull beyond belief. And it was a flimsy excuse for a crime novel. In fact, there was no crime at all! It was more of a suburban tea society study. What I can't understand is how he managed to pen three or four more to create a series with that tiresome Dalhousie woman. Maybe they're more entertaining if you live in Ediburgh and can understand all his political in-jokes. I don't even know why I finished it, but I did. And I've never read another thing by him since. Even more astonishing is that the man is an utter delight in person - lively, witty, and very friendly. How did he turn out something so lifeless and dull? There's a real mystery for you.

I didn't like the Edinburgh series or the Irregular Sausage Dogs or whatever that one was, but I love the Botswana series. The other two were really dull. Everyone told me about the 'dry humor' in the Sausage Dogs, but it was so dry that it wasn't funny.

#94 I completely agree, the Isabel Dalhousie series was billed as 'mystery' but they are not. I loved the series and love Isabel as much the Mma Ramotswe character, but to advertise them as mystery, is definitely a stretch. Still, they are full of lovely "life's wisdom" and observations and musings of Isabel and they clearly show the author's love for Edinburgh. I adored the series. I didn't think they were dull at all, but introspective.

#95 The Prof von Igelfeld was caricature and it is brilliant! McCall Smith has the gift to overdraw his characters with subtle quirks and make funny stories out of them. The event where Prof von Igelfeld was conducting surgery on his friends sausage dog was absurdly funny and hilarious. McCall Smith's detailed knowledge of academia (and German society) was used as to create subtly funny moments.

I simply adore both series, and I suspect there isn't anything Alexander McCall Smith writes that I wouldn't love (even his shopping list).

#93 & 94 prettysinister...I have heard that The Blank Wall was one of E. Sanxay Holding's best novels, but my library doesn't have it, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it (I think I'd have to order a used copy from Amazon). I read Lady Killer and thought it was so-so. She has sort of an odd writing style that took some getting used to. I did think she ended the story in an interesting sort of way, though. I guess I'll have to try some of her other novels; maybe Lady Killer just wasn't one of her better ones.

I agree with you about the Isabel Dalhousie novels, although I love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. But the Dalhousie series was like watching paint dry. I also couldn't get into Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Smith. I do enjoy the 44 Scotland Street serials though. Nothing much happens in them, either, but for some reason they appeal to me.

So far, I have enjoyed everything I read by Alexander McCall Smith. I really like his dry sense of humour, my kind of stuff!
:-))

I'm just starting The Uninvited Countess by Michael Kilian. It takes place during the roaring twenties, and it sounds like a fun mystery.

I think I'm finally going to start Mallory's Oracle by Carol O'Connell this weekend. I bought it based on a long-ago recommendation from this group, and it's about time I moved it to the top of the TBR pile.

>100 Talbin: Talbin

Ooh....let me know what you think about it! (Mallory's Oracle)

I too, bought the series because of LT recommendations and they are in my TBR pile.

I read Judas Child which is one of her stand alones, and I loved it!

Just finished listening to Harry Botsch solve The Closers. It's so great that the libary now offers books on MP3 players or you can download for free from the Ohio eBook Project to your own MP3 player. The bus ride to Chicago was much more pleasant with a good crime to solve.

I started A Mansion and Its Murder but then realized I'd already read it, so now I am on An Expert in Murder, about which I am withholding judment for the moment.

>101 lindasbooks: lindasbooks: I enjoyed Mallory's Oracle. In some ways, it was obvious it was a first book in a series - much of the novel seemed to be more about establishing the character than anything else. In fact, I found that I wasn't all that interested in the mystery itself - I was more interested in what was happening with Mallory, and whether Charles Butler was going to make it (I liked him and was hoping he might be a recurring character). I'll definitely be continuing on with the series. Here's my full review, if you're interested.

>104 Talbin: Thanks Talbin, I have heard that the 1st book was not as good as the rest as the series. Please keep me posted!

Let's see, I am reading 13 Steps Down by Rendell, which I am really enjoying. She's a genius of the psychology of the human mind. Good stuff always.

I also have on tap Dry Ice by Stephen White, Mount Dragon by Preson & Child (the last of their stand alones that I went nuts over this summer) and The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie which is on my 888 list.

As always, I've gotten some great suggestions from this thread, too! I'm anxious to see what the Ariana Franklin book mentioned is like as I thought Mistress of the Art of Death was pretty good.

Just finished Big Dig which is a Carlotta Carlyle installment. Not bad. I only read them here and there though and haven't really paid attention to character development. I just kind of like the local flavor I get with them. The big scene at the end was set in the next town over from me, so it was fun.

I'm currently reading All the Pretty Girls on a recommendation from a friend & am enjoying it so far.

Yesterday our discussion grp from the Mystery Co. Bookstore went to see the French film Tell No One based on Harlan Coben's book of the same name. After the movie we met to discuss the book and the film adaptation. The film made a few changes to the book, but for the most part it was a really good transfer from book to screen. The dialogue came right from the book. Everybody in the grp enjoyed both book and film, with some thinking the changes in the story on screen were better than the original written version. All in all a highly enjoyable afternoon, and a strong recommendation for both book and film.

#109>My husband and I saw Tell No One this summer. We thought it was one of the rare instances when the movie was almost as good as the book. Glad you had a good time and enjoyed the film.

I'm almost done with Jane and His Lordship's Legacy by Stephanie Barron. It is a Jane Austen mystery. Yes, Jane Austen solves mysteries!

Am rereading The Chimney Sweeper's Boy since it's been ages and I barely remember it. After this I'm giving this genre a break though since I'm really burned out.

I'm almost finished with The Ice House by Minette Walters. It's my first book by Walters and I will definitely be reading more. I'm sort of enjoying the non-series aspect of her work (you don't have to worry about remembering details about the characters for further reading), and there have been all sorts of fun red herrings in the story.

Just finishing Sherlock Holmes and the Greyfriars School Mystery by Val Andrews. I've read two other pastiche's of his, and thought he did better in those in writing in the voice of Watson. He just didn't get it quite right in this one.

I couldn't resist my new Phryne Fisher mystery Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood that came in the mail for me today ... so, having just finished reading Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon and about to start a non-mystery book ....I just had to put that aside and sit back with the redoubtable Phryne.

I'm about to start Jester Leaps In by Alan Gordon.

I'm almost done with Urn Burial and Greenwood has once again not disappointed with her crisp writing and attention to detail, while injecting a dash of humor in her characters. And I still can't figure out who did the dastardly deed!

Just finished 'Snake Stone' by Jason Goodwin, and about to start on the next 3 Barbara Nadel Inspector Ikmen books 'Petrified','Deadly Web', and 'Dance With Death'

Rich

I just finished reading A share in Death by Deborah Crombi. It was the first in the Kincaid and James series. It is about two cops from (New) Scotland Yard. Kincaid is the boss and James is his minion (can't spell the S word properly). In this book Kincaid goes on holiday at his cousin's timeshare in Yorkshire. James stays home and works. Of course there are murders at the time share.

The book was pretty weak until the killing started. Just very flat in terms of characters and setting. No real story other than wait around until the mayhem starts. Way too many bland people and their relatives and claim to fame to keep track of and none that you really care about, even when they are killed. James and Kincaid were also separated until the end.

It got better as it went along, and once the killing started the detecting was good. Very low key clues and a subtle solution. I am sure they get better as the series progresses, but I have one more and probably won't read another.

I am in the middle of The Lake of Dead Languages which I discovered on the Twisted Endings thread when I was an LT-newbie. So far so good!

I'm in the early part of an ARC of The Swap by Anthony Moore. He writes in an odd style ...some of his paragraphs are incredibly long, but so far, I like where the story seems to be going. It starts off with a school boy feeling sorry for an outcast at school who's always being bullied, and swaps a comic book for a piece of plastic pipe. Next scene, the boys are grown adults and meet at a school reunion where the outcast boy is now a successful, dapper and suave businessman, while the boy who gave him his comicbook, is a rather bumbling and not successful comicbook store owner. He tries to steal the comicbook he gave away years ago, and finds a dead body instead.

interesting....

I'm halfway through A Cold Day in Paradise, set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Never been up there, but I'd love to go, and this book makes me want to even more.

#120 nancyewhite: I loved The Lake of the Dead Languages. Lots of twists in that book.

I am presently reading a true crime, Circumstantial Evidence. Very engaging so far.

I thought Greenwood's Phryne Fisher was too much of a Mary Sue. I just didn't care for the series.

I'm reading Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason

It is set in Iceland and written in this sort of morose tone that works very well, I think. I'm very engaged by it at the moment. It's the start of a series which is always fun - knowing there are more out there if you want them...

Just finished A Corpse in the Vale by Howard Thomas. It's not recommended, it was like several different books battling for supremacy and the worst of them winning. Also it was badly copy edited.

#122 Alamich If you like MI scenery read the the P J Parrish series. South of Hell, A Thousand Bones and An Unquiet Grave all take place in MI. BTW they are listed in reverse order as it is a series about PI Louis Kincaid.

I'm currently reading South of Hell and need to pick up Till the Cows Come Home for my book club that meets this coming Tuesday. Good thing it's going to rain all weekend.

Warning Signs by Stephen White. I read a couple of lukewarm reviews of this book, but White has never disappointed me. I think the Alan Gregory books are quite good.

>128 etrainer: Thanks for the encouragement etrainer. I have been collecting the Alan Gregory series here and there at sales. I am looking forward to reading this series someday.

I am almost done with With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George.
Its the last of the Inspector Lynley series.
The writing is good, but its a bit long and drags at times. I already peeked at the ending.

#125 I'm also reading Jar City - just started it last night and am enjoying it very much so far. Besides being set in Iceland in the rainy fall (very dark and gloomy), the translation must have been done by a Brit, which adds to the "morose" tone you mentioned. I already have book #2 ready to go when this one is finished.

#122 Hope you enjoy A Cold Day in Paradise - I've read the whole series so far and love them. Makes me want to travel north, too.

#125 & 131 I liked the detective and the mystery in Jar City, but I didn't like the detective's home and personal life. So that detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

I'm on the road, so have read M.C. Beaton's Death of a Dreamer and The Confession of Brother Haluin by Ellis Peters. Also read The Rosary Bride which has a bit of a supernatural touch. Enjoyed all three books.

#127...thanks for the recommendation; I'll definitely check those out.

#131...I did enjoy A Cold Day in Paradise. I think one reason I liked it is that it's sort of a fantasy I think a lot of people have, just chucking it all and going off somewhere to live (literally) in a cabin in the woods. Or maybe that's just me ;-)
I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Just finished Missing Persons by Stephen White.

#130--Actually, it's not the last of the Lynley series, there are currently 2 more. It's too bad that you peeked at the ending, but the next book in the series is What Came Before He Shot Her which I just finished last week and it is excellent.

'Thirty-Nine Steps' by John Buchan While waiting for yet another two Barbara Nadel Inspector Ikmen books to arrive from accross the pond.

Rich

#41 I've read Death Match a few times. Not a start of a series, the books he has written alone seem to exist alone. Try Utopia by him as well. I really liked it.

I'm visiting my sister, and she has four Brother Cadfael books which I've now read. They are my first by Ellis Peters, tho they are the 15th, 16th, 17th and 19th books in the series:
The Confession of Brother Haluin
The Heretic's Apprentice
The Potter's Field
The Holy Thief

I'm reading Who Killed What's Her Name by Liz Squire. The protagonist is a 55-year old widow with memory issues. As a person of a certain age who sometimes forgets, I'm finding it amusing and interesting.

Just finished and posted a review of, slacker mystery, The Swap by Antony Moore for the LT Early Reviewer program.

I am reading Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner for the LT Early Reviewers program. Enjoyable so far.

I'm reading Dying Light by Stuart MacBride, set in Aberdeen.

I'm reading Murder on the Eiffel Tower also and listening to The Rebel Angels. I just finished the audiobook Cards on the Table. The actor who plays Hastings on the Mystery! series is the narrator. It's funny, because Hastings doesn't appear in this book, but he does an excellent job at the voices, including Poirot.

A SnowBall in Hell by Christopher Brookmyre

I finally got the book that was mentioned about 18th century Venice, by Beverle Graves Myers, Interrupted Aria. I ordered it through my local Borders on 8/30. They had to contact the publisher, and there is where the problem started.

The publisher is Poisoned Pen Press. Turns out there is another publisher called Poison Pen, and the store spent 2 weeks calling them, and leaving messages and no one returned the call. They were about to give up when they noticed they had the wrong company.

So about a week ago I got sick of waiting and called the correct publisher myself. Had a nice chat with the lady in sales, she was very friendly. She even looked up on her computer and saw that the title I wanted, in the format I wanted, had been sent to Borders in my city. Very cool. 3-4 days later the store called and the book was in. I hope to start it as soon as I finish my required reads.

#145 What a quest you've been on! Interrupted Aria sounds worth it, though. Please let me know what you think of it when you've had a chance to read it.

I'm reading Mr. White's Confession, the August ER that I got from LT to review. So far (about 90 pages in), I'm really enjoying it a lot. It's kind of a mixture of hard-boiled Chandleresque whodunnit detective story and philosophical ruminations on the nature of innocence, evil, God. Very different, but it so far works for me. Looking forward to finishing it this weekend and will put up a review of it on LT and my blog.

I am about half way through John Connolly's The Reapers. I have like all the other books I read by him, but am having a hard time sticking with this one. Since I started this one I have read 3 other books. I think I am avoiding it.

Sounds good!

I've just finished Cliffhanger - a darkly, humourous crime/thriller set in an English coastal village. It was a real fun book!

I read one of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason mysteries, The Case of the Shapely Shadow, and now am reading Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman.

Just finished Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain. Meh. Derivative formula mixed with unlikable, unfathomable characters and a healthy amount of going for the cheap emotional payoff. Oh and the ending was a wimpy, cop-out mess. Not good.

I started One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. It's the follow-up to Case Histories and it begins superbly. She creates such indelible characters.

Just started my first Dorothy Sayers' mystery, Strong Poison. Lord Peter Wimsey is one of the most ridiculous characters I've come across. He falls in love after seeing a woman, from a distance, one day in court?!?! And proposes to her after seeing her three days in court without nary a conversation?!? I thought Sayers was a serious mystery writer, not with characters the like of Stephnaie Plum, or one out of a Harlequin romance or one of Tom Robbins' wacky humor novels. Wimsey bounces around like a 10 year old, and I suppose 10 year olds might think they are in love after seeing someone from a distance. But Wimsey, so far, is just silly.

Now I've only read 39 pages, so can't say anything about the quality of the mystery yet. But with such a silly character, I don't plan to read more of these.

My question, tho, has to to do with a quote. Wimsey's mother comments:
"I don't suppose detective writers detect much in real life, do they, except Edgar Wallace, of course, who always seems to be everywhere and dear Conan Doyle and the black man what was his name and of course the Slater person ..."

This book is copyright 1930. So does anyone here know who the black mystery writer was that is referred to?

#153 Oh, my, CD1am, your very low opinion of Lord Peter in Strong Poison struck me, and I feel I simply must respond to defend him and the series (and the author). Lord Peter's actions vis-a-vis Harriett Vane didn't affect me the same way they did you, perhaps because I'd read the series from the beginning, long before he "meets" Harriett Vane (who, I must admit, I didn't like in the beginning at all).

Just a suggestion, but I think you should put Strong Poison down and start with Whose Body?, which is the first of the series, and see if you don't see it and Lord Peter in a slightly different, better light.

Well, with a last name like Wimsey, what can one expect? : )

The only LPW novel I read was The Nine Tailors which was quite good. I can't recall any overt silliness, but it's been about 20 years since I read it.

I would echo Storeetller. Strong Poison is one of my favorites, but you want to get know Wimsey before that point. Also, I think it is not much of spoiler to add that the book in no way ends like a happily-ever-after romance.

Quartzite ~ Isn't that the truth! :)

Okay, if I can get hold of Whose Body I will read it.

But nobody has answered my query about the black mystery writer who had published before 1930 I'd really like to know who he was.

Btw, the mystery in Strong Poison was decent, tho I'd figured out whodunit early on, long before Lord Peter. But the how was quite unique, tho I'm still wondering if it is realistically possible. And Wimsey wasn't as silly thru the rest of the book as he was at the beginning. I'm still not terribly impressed, however, but I'll withhold final judgement until reading the first book.

I'm reading Triptych by Karin Slaughter and then 2 series I'd like to start:

The Sultan's Seal by Jenny White, a historical crime novel with a Turkish guy named Kamil Pasha as the main character--how could I go wrong with that? lol

and The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, a sci-fi crime series that looks intriguing.

#158 cd1am, that's a really interesting question. The earliest black mystery writer I'm aware of is Chester Himes, who I think began publishing after WWII. But others here no doubt know much more. If you find an answer, please share it.

I've just finished Sacred, the third Kenzie/Gennaro novel, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. (edited to fix touchstone)

I went online and did a little detectival research myself just now and found these authors whose work was published either before or during the years of Lord Peter:

Mystery Chronology

The following is a chronology of mystery fiction that includes the more significant African American contributions. This list is by no means comprehensive, and most of the information was found in Paula L. Woods’ book Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes: Black Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction of the 20th Century

1820 - Congregational minister and Revolutionary War hero Lemuel Haynes publishes the first true crime narrative by an African American, Mystery Developed, the account of the disappearance of Russell Colvin of Manchester, Vermont, the trial of his brother-in-law for murder, and their subsequent exoneration.
1856 - Pauline E. Hopkins born. Writer of the first African American mystery stories.
1900 - Pauline E. Hopkins publishes two short stories with mystery themes: “The Mystery Within Us,” a tale of magical realism and spirituality, and “Talma Gordon,” a locked-room mystery with themes covering miscegenation and the “tragic mulatto.”
1907 - “The Black Sleuth” by John Edward Bruce is serialized in McGirt’s Reader.
1926 - "The Haunting Hand" is published by Jamaican-born W. Adolphe Roberts. The first mystery by a black writer, although it does not feature black characters.
(See full text at http://www.coe.ohio-state.edu/beverlygordon/834/miller.html.)

ETA, from http://www.answers.com/topic/rudolph-fisher:

In 1932, Fisher's book Conjure Man Dies saw publication by Convici-Friede, making him the second African American to publish a detective novel in the United States.

I've never heard of Hopkins or Bruce or Roberts. Interesting!

I just finished Small Gods. Not sure what's up next, but I need to make another trip to the library. I tried this historical mystery on tape about King Edward, but I just couldn't get into it.

Carte Blanche by Carlo Lucarelli set in WWII Italy.

I am now reading Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It is a book club read that I am behind on.

I really enjoy the SF Crime Series The Retrieval Artist by Kirstine Kathyrn Rusch. My favorite is the second about a moon marathon, called Extremes.

Just a thought about the black crime writer mentioned by Lord Peter Wimsey's mother. I don't think they used the term the same way we do today. I have seen it written in period UK stories about Indians too. I think it was the polite way to refer to non-whites, not just those of African heritage.

Oh, good point, Ficus! I started to look for "ethnic" mystery writers last night, but it was late so I gave it up to go to bed.

Although, didn't the Brits used to call anyone who wasn't caucasian "colored" as opposed to "black?"

Dang, what a difference from then to now! I was almost embarrassed to use the term "colored," even though I wasn't using it to diss anyone.

I don't know about 'colored' other than in the US.

I have seen in books about the Brits in India (the Raj), calling the Indians 'Blacks' (of course there were other words too, that I won't repeat). I remember it, because I found it confusing, and to me with the modern usage, wrong.

This has turned into an interesting discussion, but with FicusFan's comments it just stuck me that the term "black" didn't come into popular usage for African Americans till the 1960's. Before that the common term used in the states was "colored".

So I suspect Brits didn't use "black" as we do today either, so perhaps Dorothy Sayers is referring to an Indian writer, instead. With India being part of the empire at that time, there were certainly immigrants coming to Britain from India. So I sent people off on the wrong track, but I appreciate everyone's effort in trying to identify an early black mystery author.

Now, however, does anybody know if there was a mystery author of Indian descent writing in the 1920's?

Edited to add that my original question, & the quote from Sayer's book which prompted it, is in message #153.

I am now reading Mahu Surfer a mystery set in Hawaii. It is book 2 in the Kimo Kanapa 'aka series.

The main character is a gay cop and has just been publicly outed. In this book he is trying to put his life, job and relationships back together, while investigating murders of surfers on the North Shore. It is the first book in the series I have read. Book 1 is out of print, but scheduled to be reprinted in March '09.

I stumbled across the series on Amazon when looking for Amuse Bouche the first of the Russell Quant mysteries that Richard suggested.

started Die A Little this evening..a re-read. i had forgotten what a master of suspense and foreboding Ms Abbott is...what a wonderful, deadly Walk/Crawl on the Wild Side this book be!

I just bought Coroner's Pidgin at the library book sale, not remembering that I already had it under a different title at home, Pearls Before Swine. But I still love it, so I read it last night. I'll give the duplicate copy to my parents.

And I checked out Campion Season 2 from the library, so we've been watching that too. My kids like it too, for some reason, so they watched Flowers for the Judge last night.

I'm in the middle of Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog by Boris Akunin. It's a mystery set in Russia around the turn of the (last) century, and I'm enjoying a it a lot, except for the fact that I'm having a hard time keeping track of the many characters. But I love Akunin's writing style.

My bedtime reading is Murder Most Scottish, an anthology that so far has not had a bad story. My car book is More Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov. Not a traditional mystery, but a series of short stories about a group of men meeting for dinner and solving puzzles or little mysteries presented by a guest. Many of the characters aren't very likeable, but the interactions and variety of puzzle are interesting.

I finished Mahu Surfer and enjoyed it very much. The setting was very well done, wonderful depiction of Hawaii. Just a visitor there, so I can't swear to it being 100% accurate, but it seemed so to me.

The characters were interesting, thoughtful, and believable and they mystery was good. It was a good meaty read. I hate the flimsy mysteries that don't think they have to tell a real story, as long as there is a mystery.

To quote Amazon: "Readers should be prepared for explicit gay sex"

I have ordered the next book in the series Mahu Fire, and will get the first book in the series Mahu when it is re-published in March.

Hi CD1am
If you want to read a current series by a black author about a black police woman I recommend Eleanor Taylor Bland. Her character is Marti MacAlister in a small town outside Chicago.
As to the term coloured it was used in South Africa to mean anyone not white.

>pmarshall
thank you for mentioning the Eleanor Taylor Bland books..it's been too long since I read them..but they are good..oh, man..do i want to re-read them? just maybe just

thanks again

;-)

# 174 Hi pmarshall -- I believe I've read a description of the Eleanor Taylor Bland series, and if I'm recalling correctly, it seemed to include a lot about the character's personal life outside of police work. I tend to like police procedurals that focus primarily on the crime and detection aspect.

For example, I just read a couple Tony Hillerman mysteries (just finished Talking God), and yes, Joe Leaphorn misses his deceased wife, and yes, Jim Chee is having girlfriend problems, but those issues are kinda mentioned in passing, and then Hillerman gets on with the story. On the other hand, in the Icelandic mystery Jar City, a lot of time is spent on the cops worries about his drug addicted daughter. I didn't care about the drug addicted daughter, I wanted to get on with solving the mystery (even tho, at the end, a contact of the daughter played some part in helping to solve the mystery, I wouldn't have needed to know so much about the daughter and her relationship with her dad).

However, if I'm wrong about what the Bland mysteries are like, please advise.

#176 Hi. Yes you are right there is family/friend stuff in Bland's books. I find that that helps round out the characters, but I can also understand your point.

I'm on the verge of starting Indigo Dying by Susan Wittig Albert.

I am in the middle of Lonely Hearts by John Harvey. It is the first of the Charlies Resnick series. It had been recommended in They Died in Vain by Jim Huang and had been sitting on my shelf until I read a recent review of the latest in the series.

I enoyed The Reapers by John Connolly, which I read earlier; in particular I was intriqued by the application of nitrogen trioxide.

I just finished two more short stories in the Murder Most Scottish anthology. The one by Antonia Fraser I realized I had read previously -- it was the story about the Carr children, so must have been in some other anthology.

#179 HorusE -- The LT page on Lonely Hearts has one positive review and one negative, so I'll be interested in hearing what you think of it. It was one of the books I marked as sounding interesting in my copy of They Died in Vain.

I'm going to spend some time at my parents, so I won't be online for awhile. But for my next book I'll probably read another of my mother's Perry Mason mysteries.

I'm currently reading Allison Brennan's prison break trilogy. An earthquake shakes San Quentin & several prisoners escape & go after the people who helped convict them. I finished Killing Fear & started Tempting Evil yesterday.

Hanging on the Wire, the second book in the Nell Bray series by Gillian Linscott.

Just stared N or M? by Agatha Christie, featuring Tommy and Tuppence Beresford.

I just finished Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason, and enjoyed it.

I am now going to start Every Last Drop by Charlie Huston, book 4 in the Joe Pitt series, a noirish vampire detective story.

One of those books that I want to both devour, and delay (since when its done it will be about a year to wait for the next one).

>174 pmarshall: pmarshall Just to clarify: The term "coloured" was used under the Apartheid laws in South Africa to refer to people "of mixed race" I believe.

The Automatic Detective by A. lee Martinez.

I'm reading John Dickson Carr's The Four False Weapons.

I just finished Charlie Chan Returns and Mr. Campion, Criminologist both borrowed from my parents. Enjoyed both, but the Campion one was better.

Just read The Flanders Panel by Arturo Reverte Perez.

I'm reading The Best American Mystery Stories 2008

I finished Every Last Drop by Charlie Huston, it was OK. I found it to be a bit repetitive, and I want to see something new.

I am now reading Mahu Fire by Neil Plakcy, the 3rd book in the Kim Kanapa'aka series. So far so good.

Finished N or M? by Agatha Christie, which I found entertaining - even though I still prefer Poirot and Miss Marple - and just started The Chinese Gold Murders by Robert van Gulik, another in the Judge Dee series.

With great joy I am just starting The Private Patient by P.D. James. I love her language, her characters and her plots!

>186 Thrin: Thrin Yes you are right I meant to go back and change that and forgot.

>192 FicusFan:: FicusFan- I was hoping for a more glowing review of Every Last drop. Disappointing! The first 2 were so good! I heard Huston is only doing 5 in this series!

MSF59, It may just be me. There are a few others here who have rated it, and think its a 4 or 5. I am just over the wow factor and want something new.

It seems very repetitive, and I am tired of Joe's attitude, and of him almost only ever getting from one scene to the next by being grabbed, or knocked out. Of him having it out with the same people, over the same issues, with the same results.

I wrote a review, though it has spoilers. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

I recently finished Empire of Lies by Andrew Klaven. It's a great book for those of us who are concerned about the growing prevalence of "political correctness," especially as it may impact the war on terror.

I'm reading The Empty House, a novella by Ed McBain, included in Police Procedurals, a book of four novellas by four different authors. This is the first I've read Ed McBain and so far I am enjoying it.

Am reading The Song is You by Megan Abbott- this time a stagger/crawl through 1950s Hollywood (Hollyweird, more like it)...with a male protagonist.
no one writes 'em better than Ms. Abbott, IMHO
;-0

Jack Reacher #2 - Die Trying. So far following the Reacher formula, but he's such a likeable character it doesn't really matter.

Compulsion - Jonathan Kellerman

Full Dark House - Christopher Fowler

The first in the annals of the Peculiar Crimes Unit of Scotland Yard.

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett...totally loving it!

I am in the middle of The Victoria Vanishes, by Christopher Fowler, and really enjoying it.

Finished The Empty Hours by Ed McBain. The detective work was interesting, and seemed very real. But I didn't really like the writing style.

Also read Wycliffe and the Scapegoat by W.J. Burley. This one I found really entertaining.

Currently reading The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Not sure if this is actually a mystery, or better classified as an adventure story or just a novel.

Finished People who walk in Darkness the new Rostnikov novel by Stuart Kaminsky and I am nearly through with In for a Penny by Kathryn R. Wall, which is not bad for its type--fiesty Southerner, crime and and assorted 'characters'.

> 203: AlaMich- I love the Bangkok books! I've read all 3 and they're all excellent but the the 1st one blew me away! I hope he's writing a 4th! Enjoy!

A Single Eye by Susan Dunlap. A new series about a Zen Buddhist /sleuth Darcy Lott. I will finish it but I think Dunlap has lost her touch.

#207...I have to say I was quite blown away-to quote you- by the last quarter of Bangkok 8, which I finished last night and this morning. I love his language, and I kept reading these great lines and thinking, "I should write this down!" I'm looking forward to the next one.

jost finished Hornswoggled by Donis Casey, set in pre WW I Oklahoma.