Jen's comments (member since Aug 28, 2008)

Jen's comments from the mystery lovers group.

Hi fellow mystery lovers. I wanted to let you know about a giveaway I'm holding right now on my blog. You can enter - through Friday - to win the complete set of Duffy Dombrowski novels signed by the author, Tom Schreck. His newest Duffy novel was released this week, OUT COLD, and I will be interviewing him on the blog Friday. Super guy, great writer, fun mysteries.

Stop by and enter to win!

http://bit.ly/5uM0Lu

And Sue Grafton fans, she's sharing her six-word memoir along with Tom, Brent Ghelfi, and Megan Abbott in today's memoir post.

http://jensbookthoughts.blogspot.com

Hi Michelle,

I didn't see in the details about if you're already signed up for the mailing list. Does that automatically get your name entered?

And should we email you the answer to your question?

Kate wrote: "I'm on a Scandinavian mystery kick. Recently read Borkmann's Point by Hakan Nesser, which is set in Sweden and was beautifully plotted, though the characters are kept at arm's length. Just finished..."

Kate, I just finished Karin Fossum's upcoming THE WATER'S EDGE, which I thought was outstanding. I'm also a fan of Jo Nesbo. Have you read any of his work?

Kathy Anne wrote: "I just decided to try Ed Lynsky`s books:
The Blue Cheer
The Dirt Brown Derby-this sounds like a story I will love.Anyone else read it?"


I read THE BLUE CHEER, wasn't able to get THE DIRT BROWN DERBY from my library, though. I enjoyed THE BLUE CHEER quite a bit. It's a great, dark crime fiction novel.

I'm a big fan of Robert Crais, especially his later work. Of course he was highly influenced by the likes of Chandler and Hammett. Dennis Lehane is another one who has a very dark element to his writing. George Pelecanos. Michael Koryta. Sean Chercover. And Dave Robicheaux isn't a PI, but James Lee Burke exhibits the qualities of noir.

Patricia wrote: "Jen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Jen wrote: "I just started THE SILENT HOUR by Michael Koryta. I was completely engrossed by the end of page 1. I've devoured everything he's written to date and this ..."

Patricia, can I recommend that you not read THE SILENT HOUR first? I usually don't do that, and you can understand the book perfectly fine if you haven't read any of the other Lincoln Perry novels. But, you won't get the full effect of the book without at least having read SORROW'S ANTHEM and A WELCOME GRAVE first. It is so powerful if you are already invested in Lincoln as a character.

Anyway, I just wanted to make that recommendation. Enjoy Lincoln!! :)

Bluedaizy wrote: "Kathy D wrote: "I`m from LA and thats part of the reason I like his books,it`s always so different to me when I know the area.
I thought LA Requiem was his best"

Hey Kathy D! Do you mean Robert..."

I'm a Craisie, too! I went to L.A. for the first time this year to attend the L.A. Times Book Festival and meet RC. It was wonderful. I also got to see some of his L.A. - like Griffith Park! I, too, am looking forward to February and the new Joe Pike novel!

I too started reading audiobooks when I had a to drive almost an hour each way to work. Thankfully that is over, but I'm still hopelessly hooked on audiobooks. My two favorite series on audio are the beginning of the Dave Robicheaux series. The unabridged Mike Hammer narrations are by far the best audio books I have ever read. After Hammer's death, though, I haven't been able to listen to the audios. Will Patton is a decent reader, but he is NOT Dave Robicheaux; he doesn't even seem to understand the character of Dave Robicheaux. But...

The other series that I absolutely adore is Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series. George Guidall reads that series and it is AMAZING! Guidall is stellar. He also reads the Tony Hillerman novels on audio.

I just discovered the audio of STILL LIFE (Louise Penny). I felt that was very well done. And the BBC has been releasing unabridged versions of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series, which I think are great.

Patricia wrote: "Jen wrote: "I just started THE SILENT HOUR by Michael Koryta. I was completely engrossed by the end of page 1. I've devoured everything he's written to date and this will be no exception, I can t..."

Oh YES, Patricia! Have you read any of the previous Lincoln Perry books? I'm from the Cleveland area, so I have a special love for the series, but regardless, it's fantastic! Koryta is getting better with every book.

I just started THE SILENT HOUR by Michael Koryta. I was completely engrossed by the end of page 1. I've devoured everything he's written to date and this will be no exception, I can tell. I highly recommend any of Koryta's works.

For those that enjoy C.J. Box, he's sharing a six-word memoir with me today on my blog. Stop by and check it out!

http://bit.ly/5QcE1

I can also recommend Libby (Fischer Hellmann)...and not have to do it modestly. She knows suspense! I'll also add Gregg Hurwitz to the list. His CRIME WRITER was one of my top reads of 2008.

Folks from Minnesota can also claim Michael Stanley since the "Stanley" half lives part time in Minnesota. I'm from Ohio and can claim Les Roberts and Craig McDonald. Michael Koryta is from Indiana but writes his books set in Cleveland where his parents were born and raised.

Hi Mary. Robert Crais has a couple stand alones that are terrific: DEMOLITION ANGEL, THE TWO-MINUTE RULE, HOSTAGE. LA REQUIEM is one of his Elvis Cole series, but you could easily start with that book. I just finished George Pelecanos THE WAY HOME which is a standalone. Either of Thomas Holland's books can be read as a standalone: ONE DROP OF BLOOD or K.I.A. Michael Koryta's release last year, ENVY THE NIGHT, was a fabulous standalone as was Gregg Hurwitz's THE CRIME WRITER. Most of Hurwitz's work can be read as individual books even though three are a recurring character. And I'd be remiss in not mentioning Dennis Lehane. SHUTTER ISLAND is still one of my all-time favorite novels.

These are all on the more traditional side of crime fiction.

Linda, hope you enjoy Pelecanos. He's among my favorites and, in my opinion, one of the greats of contemporary crime fiction. He does SO MUCH MORE than tell a story. I just finished his newest book THE WAY HOME. Incredible!

Week two of the YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIX WORDS...SIX WORD MEMOIRS FROM CRIME FICTION'S GREATEST WRITERS has been posted and folks are raving about them. Hope you'll stop by and check them out if you haven't done so already:

http://tinyurl.com/o7c57l

Hi all you mystery lovers! I wanted to let you know that today I posted the first article in a series of blog articles that's called YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIX WORDS...SIX-WORD MEMOIRS FROM CRIME FICTION'S GREATEST WRITERS. I'm still working on the project and this, as I said is the first in a series of AT LEAST nine posts. I hope you'll stop by and check it out:

http://bit.ly/fXx3b

I know you'll see some names you recognize over the course of the series, but you may also find some folks you didn't know about before. Hope to see you there...make sure you say "hi" ! :)

I can't really speak to Nero Wolfe's work as I'm not as familiar with his as with some others, but I can say that, like Dickens, many of today's mysteries reflect the time, the people and social issues...look at Pelecanos, Craig Johnson, Simon Lewis, Dennis Lehane, Alafair Burke, Kathy Reichs, Thomas Holland...James Lee Burke's TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN couldn't be a better example. Tim Hallinan is looking at issues in the Far East and Michael Stanley in Africa. While these books are all "popular fiction" right now, so was Dickens in his time. Americans completely discounted Poe when he wrote during his time. And Shakespeare is the ultimate in mystery/thriller writers of his time. Today's mystery writers are definitely a reflection of this age, the locations they are taking place in and the people of our time.

Susan wrote: "I've just finished THE LOLITA MAN, and while I don't usually give 5 stars to a mystery because the genre is somewhat debased, as a writer Bill James seems to have it all. THE LOLITA MAN is literat..."

Ah Susan, obviously you've been missing out on some great mysteries if you feel the genre is debased. I would hold the quality of a James Lee Burke or Craig Johnson or Robert Crais or Timothy Hallinan or...up to anyone in any genre. There's no lack of quality in any of those writers and they could hold their own with ANY so-called "literary" writer.

Hi all you mystery lovers! I wanted to let you know about a giveaway on my blog sponsored by the Hatchett Book Group. I am giving away a copy of the new Mystery Writers of America short story collection called THE PROSECUTION RESTS. Linda Fairstein is the editor and you can read more about it plus get the entry information on my blog:

http://jensbookthoughts.blogspot.com/200...

In addition to that great giveaway, I wanted to let you know that I reviewed a book called THE ISLAND OF THE NAKED WOMEN. No it isn't pornography, it's a pyschological thriller. The publisher posted a comment on my blog yesterday offering people a hefty discount if they let him know you heard about it from my review. So if you might be interested in that, you can see the review and the publisher comment here:

http://jensbookthoughts.blogspot.com/200...

Happy Reading!

Just finished EASY INNOCENCE by Libby Hellmann. I'll be posting my review of it later today, but it's fantastic! I highly recommend it!! Great characters, powerful plot. And the insider look at Chicago is just an added bonus.