February 2013 Group Read - The Devil's Edge by Stephen Booth

[Kathy]

I have started reading. Crazy gal that I am, I have been on Google Earth looking at the Derbyshire countryside and getting a visual of where these characters live. A theme is developing even in the early chapters. Personal safety and privacy... Are you as safe as you think you are in your own bed? Do security measures just advertise that you have something valuable to steal?

Should I wait to discuss what I am reading? I do not want to share any spoilers.

Kathy

[Kathy]

Okey doke. Thanks.

[Kathy]

I can't find this one on search to add it to my shelves. I bought the Kindle e-book on Amazon, but Goodreads isn't recognizing it for some reason.

[Kathy]

Okay, thanks David. I appreciate all your help and all the work you do for this awesome group.

[Danielle]

I can't wait to start reading this! My mum was born and raised in Sheffield and I've been there a few times! This one seems really exciting to me! Thanks!!!

[Kathy]

Amazing setting in this book. Is anyone ready to talk about it?

[Clarissa]

I will prepare the questions for the group today and put them up. There are quite a few people done with the book. And yes, I loved the setting.

[Clarissa]

Group read discussion:

First of all, I have to say, great choice for the month. I enjoyed this book.

I agree with Kathy's assessment--the setting in the book is amazing.

(1) What are your thoughts on the setting? Do you think it was pivotal to the story? Did the setting feel real to you?

(2) Now, I haven't read a lot of Booths's books but I know Fry & Cooper used to be partners and in this book, they rarely spoke. Did this bother you? Do you miss the partnership or is the book better now that they work apart? Do you think Booth plans to separate them permanently?

(3) How they solved the case, confronted the killer, did it seem realistic to you? Was it a good ending?

(4)Overall thoughts? What about the characters, did Booth make them sympathetic, realistic, funny, crazy?

(5) Would you read another book by the author?

(6) How did you rate it 1-5?

[Kathy]

This is my first of the Cooper-Fry mysteries, so I didn't know what to expect. I was surprised at the lack of interaction, it didn't affect my reading at all.

[Kathy]

Okay, hit the done button too soon! So, I was saying, I enjoyed reading from Ben Cooper's point of view. I liked how the reader got an inside look at being a cop which any police procedural has, but this book gave some insight into their difficult relationship with the public. They hate their intrusion into the village life and lie like crazy to the police, while depending upon them for safety and criticizing their lack of results.

I thought the characters were believable. Barry Gamble was odd enough to be real, and to remind me of my strange neighbors.

The setting imposed itself on the story like an additional character and I think that geography can do that, impacting history and even changing it. The writing was beautiful and I highlighted some lines, for rereading later.

[Kathy]

There is a passage on p135 starting with, "For Cooper, this was a landscape infested with evil."' That I really liked. The Hobs.

[Clarissa]

Kathy wrote: "There is a passage on p135 starting with, "For Cooper, this was a landscape infested with evil."' That I really liked. The Hobs."

I agree. In fact, I agree with all your comments. The lack of the Fry/Cooper team didn't affect the story at all for me and I really liked the character of Fry. When he was walking home from work, near the beginning of the story, and he expressed how afraid he was and his honest feelings, it made me like the character a little more. He's human.

[Kathy]

I haven't finished this book either, David, but I don't know if I will right away. I read several chapters and it just didn't grab me so for now I've shelved it.

[Lynn]

I hope this is not off topic but when I saw the February reading selection was a book by Stephen Booth, I was not familiar with him. The February reading choice made me interested in reading a book by him.

I like to start with the first book in a series so I am reading Black Dog which introduces the characters of Ben Cooper and Diane Fry. I am almost finished and am enjoying it. Will continue on with the series.

[Clarissa]

David wrote: "Fianlly got to the end of the book lsat weekend.

It's a three from me as I felt while it was descriptive in the landscape and derbyshire countryside it was just a bit to much like a tourist guide ..."

I agree that they mystery did actually take a back seat to the landscape but I did enjoy reading about the landscape. The first chapter, however, was amazing.

[Clarissa]

Lynn wrote: "I hope this is not off topic but when I saw the February reading selection was a book by Stephen Booth, I was not familiar with him. The February reading choice made me interested in reading a book..."

I haven't read Black Dog but I really did enjoy One Last Breath.