What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 1-50 of 4,475

[Judy]

Are you reading a good Golden Age or more modern mystery at the moment, or have you just finished one? Please share your recommendations and reviews!

[Susan]

The Poison Artist is my current on-the-go mystery; although it is more a literary crime novel. Very good so far.

[Miss M]

Reading the new Elizabeth George, A Banquet of Consequences, which I am very, very relieved to say is back to being a good old-fashioned procedural. Was pretty resigned to giving up on the series, but, not yet. Don't know why Lynley had to go from the wonderful Helen to dating a bunch of sad-sacks who don't match him at all, but I just skip over those parts...Still dating the vet, but thankfully her penchant for roller-derby doesn't seem to be part of the plot any more.

[Judy]

I used to love the Inspector Lynley TV series but only ever read the first book or maybe the first two... I remember liking them, but am not sure why I didn't carry on. Glad to hear the series is picking up again for you.

[Judy]

I'm still listening to Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet, which is a mystery set in a Midsomer Murders-style country village... to start off with I was enjoying it, but then started getting frustrated with how slow it is and what a lot of time it spends building up to the murder.



But today I've listened to a bit more and started enjoying it again. The detective is certainly an intriguing character, handsome vicar and former secret agent Max Tudor. I suspect I'd have liked it better if I'd read it rather than listening, so I could rush over some of the less interesting bits, like a very long description of one character putting on eyeliner!

[Jan C]

Judy wrote: "I'm still listening to Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet, which is a mystery set in a Midsomer Murders-style country village... to start off with I was enjoying it, but..."

Putting on eyeliner? Sounds dreadful. Unless it is the detective putting on the eyeliner?

[Susan]

"Still dating the vet, but thankfully her penchant for roller-derby doesn't seem to be part of the plot any more" - Miss M, the mind boggles?!

[Judy]

Jan, no, it wasn't the gorgeous detective putting on eyeliner! Of course, my mocking of this scene means it will probably turn out to be a plot point later.

[Miss M]

Susan wrote: ""Still dating the vet, but thankfully her penchant for roller-derby doesn't seem to be part of the plot any more" - Miss M, the mind boggles?!"

Hahahaha, mind-boggling is a good word for it! I mean, there's nothing wrong with roller derby, generally speaking, but for me it's not the first thing that comes to mind when reading a procedural with a Scotland Yard detective of aristocratic background, in various London locales...
Just felt gimmicky to me. She's Lynley's latest flame, after the affair he had with his unpleasant, alcoholic boss. (She's also a large-animal vet who moves jobs to the London zoo during the course of events.)

Still, I guess it's a real 'thing'...
http://londonrollergirls.com/

[Judy]

I've just started reading Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay, who also wrote our forthcoming December read. I haven't read much yet but am enjoying it so far - it's interesting to read another novel set in an Oxford women's college which was published the same year as Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers. So far the mood is lighter in this than in the Sayers.

[Susan]

I just started The Jazz Files . Also came across this, Knock, Murderer, Knock, which has just been re-released and is definitely on my tbr list.

[Ruth]

I've just finished Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh.

Until recently I'd always thought that the progression of the story of the main character in a series was a modern phenomenon. For example you really need to read the Ruth Galloway forensic archaeology mysteries of Elly Griffiths in order because Ruth's story progresses through the series. But I didn't really consider that applied to Golden Age mysteries.

But reading this Ngaio Marsh book I realised I'd missed the introduction of Troy, Alleyn's love interest, so I'm going to go back and read Artists in Crime now.

I missed this book, and some others, because I stalled in my reading of Ngaio Marsh that I started last year when I got to Death in Ecstasy because I found it rather dull and abandoned it part-way through.

Do you think the quality of Ngaio Marsh's writing improves over time?

[Nigeyb]

Judy wrote: "Are you reading a good Golden Age or more modern mystery at the moment...?"

Yep, I've just started reading...




Follow Me by Angela Clarke

It's officially published on 3rd December 2015.

I was looking for a modern crime novel and had heard about this through some online reviews. Helpfully, via NetGallery, the publishers have sent me a copy to read and review.

So far (@ 10%) I’m really enjoying it. I love books set in London and this one already has a good sense of place. It's giving a pleasingly plausible account of the life of a struggling graduate trying to break through as a journalist, writing for free, whilst also generating some money by working in a St Pancras Costa-type coffee outlet. Now, having followed some advice, she has seized the day, and got involved in a murder. The game is afoot. I know from the blurb that the murderer is active on Twitter where he earns the sobriquet, “the Hashtag Murderer” who posts clues online, taunting the police and capturing the public’s imagination. I’ll let you know what it’s like when I’ve finished.

[Ruth]

That looks really good. It's only going to be 99p on kindle so I will probably buy it when it comes out.

Have you been on NetGalley for long Nigeyb? I've had a couple of books from them but decided that I want to just write my reviews on here rather than on a blog, and also I don't want the pressure of having to read to a deadline so I'm not sure whether to carry on with it.

[Nigeyb]

Ruth wrote: "Have you been on NetGalley for long Nigeyb?"


About 18 months Ruth, and this is only the second book I've read from them.

Like you, I don't like to feel under pressure to read to a deadline however, having just read a biography of Karl Marx - Click here to read my review, I was looking for something quick, easy and undemanding to read and I noticed another review of Follow Me so popped onto NewGallery, and the rest you know.

I predict I'll have it read in 2-3 days. It's very compelling so far and a glimpse at other reviews suggests it will stay gripping through to the last page. I'll keep you posted.

[Ruth]

That's interesting - I'd assumed that if you didn't keep regularly requesting & reviewing books the publishers would turn you down. So, with the benefit of your experience, I think I'll keep it going as an occasional requester.

[Nigeyb]

I'm not really sure how the publishers decide. I have been turned down despite always reviewing books I read. I think with this particular book they are looking to establish the writer and so might be saying yes to everyone to try and create a buzz.

But who knows?

Actually Susan might - she uses NetGallery a lot.

[Susan]

I do use NetGalley a lot and I don't blog, Ruth. From what I have seen, requests depend on many factors and mostly they seem to be due to the location of the requester (ie which country) and how many copies they want to give out. I think NetGalley is a great resource for readers and I have had hundreds of books from them over the last few years - despite not blogging and only reviewing on here and Amazon.

[Susan]

Meant to mention a mystery, with a twist, that I am reading. It is The Healer . It is set just before Christmas in Helsinki, but has a slightly dystopian feel, as the world has sunk into chaos due to climate catastrophe. Our hero is looking for his wife, a journalist, who was doing a story on a killer nicknamed The Healer, who is murdering executives and politicians, plus their families.

I read Dark As My Heart by the same author and really enjoyed it. Very noir and dark and if you feel like an escape from Christmas cheer, then you might enjoy "The Healer."

By the way, does anyone have any favourite Christmas mysteries? One I tend to re-read every year or so has to be Not a Creature was Stirring . Would love to have recommendations for Christmas themed books.

[Nigeyb]

I've just finished reading...




Follow Me by Angela Clarke

Click here to read my review

[Leslie]

I am reading One Fearful Yellow Eye, #8 in the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. I am liking these OK but they are a bit dated and I can see that some women would find McGee hard to take.

[Gina]

I'm reading A Singular and Whimsical Problem, just released by my friend Rachel McMillan. I hope it's okay for me to recommend something by a friend. But it's good! :-) And it's a novella, so it's a quick read. Her first full-length novel in the series comes out in the spring.

[Judy]

I like the sound of your friend's book, Gina, and I see it is set around Christmas in 1910, so sounds ideal for the season!

[Gina]

Exactly! :-)

[Leslie]

I was inspired by our BoTM to read some other Christmas mysteries. I listened to the audiobook of A Highland Christmas which was a fun little novella. I liked the fact that there were mysteries other than murder.

I'm just about to start the audiobook of Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas.

[Judy]

I've just finished Wicked Autumn and was rather disappointed overall. I understand the series gets better later, so I might try another one some time, but this wasn't really what I was hoping for.

But, anyway, here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Judy]

As I'm also in the mood for another Christmas mystery, I'm just starting to read Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan - first published in 1949 and just republished by Vintage, this is a country house mystery and begins with snow falling heavily. I'm not very far in, but good so far.

[Susan]

I am about to start The Darkest Secret . I loved her previous book, so I am looking forward to this one.

[Susan]

Wondered whether anyone had a favourite crime novel, or author, they discovered this year? I've read lots of mysteries that I have enjoyed, but I think my find of the year is Angela Marsons whose three books, Silent Scream, Evil Games and Lost Girls were all brilliant.

Other crime hightlights this year for me were: Death In Shanghai, Burnt Paper Sky, First One Missing, A Book of Scars (third in an excellent series set in the Sixties), Little Black Lies and The Shut Eye. There seemed to be a lot of new crime novels about missing children this year...

I also really, really enjoyed The Golden Age of Murder and, as I also like true crime, The Murders at White House Farm.

Interested to hear your favourites this year.

[Ruth]

I've just finished Silent Nights edited by Martin Edwards who also wrote The Golden Age of Murder

He had a 10 minute spot at the end of yesterday's edition of Open Book on Radio 4 talking about re-issues of Golden Age Detective fiction including the one you're reading at the moment Judy - Murder for Christmas - how are you getting on with that one now? I must say Martin Edwards sounded very nice :-)

Here's my review of Silent Nights (short and sweet!)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Hi I didn't get many Golden Age style mysteries read this year.

From within this genre I liked A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters the best (although I found the sequel disappointing)

Rereads Endless Night by Agatha Christie. The last of the great mysteries she wrote IMO (since she had written Curtain years earlier.)

[Susan]

I like the Cadfael books, Carole, but they do need to be spaced out, as there are a lot of plot similarities.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan wrote: "I like the Cadfael books, Carol, but they do need to be spaced out, as there are a lot of plot similarities."

I've been told they are uneven & I will get back to the series. I have roughly 100 unread or awaiting reread books at home,so it may be a while! :)

[Carolien]

Ruth wrote: "I've just finished Silent Nights edited by Martin Edwards who also wrote The Golden Age of Murder

He had a 10 minute spot at the end of yesterday's e..."

Martin Edwards recently made it on my TBR list due to this blog post on the Murder is Everywhere blog. http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.co...

I've been following the blog for years and want to read a book by each of the main contributing authors as well as some of the guest authors next year. (The affordability of that plan took a knock this week since our currency is worth 10% less than it was a week ago. Fortunately I have some of the books already available).

My favourite mystery discoveries for the year included Martin Jensen's series translated from Danish. It's somewhere between Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series and Ellis Peter's Cadfael series. You may want to try The King's Hounds, Carol.

I also enjoyed The Garden Plot as a nice cozy series.

I started Andrea Camilleri's series set in Sicily and look forward to continuing with it. I enjoy Italian crime novels, I'm also a fan of Michele Giuttari.

In terms of the Golden age I read Ngaio Marsh for the first time this year. Enjoyed it and looking forward to my buddy read with Carol over the next week.

I've also started rereading PD James and Dorothy Sayers.

[Leslie]

I listened to the audiobook of Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas which I didn't like much. I then read an American cozy called Death of the Couch Potato's Wife which was OK but not great.

Next up is either Death By Water by Michael Innes or The Long Way Home by Louise Penny...

[Judy]

Ruth wrote: "He had a 10 minute spot at the end of yesterday's edition of Open Book on Radio 4 talking about re-issues of Golden Age Detective fiction including the one you're reading at the moment Judy - Murder for Christmas - how are you getting on with that one now? I must say Martin Edwards sounded very nice :-)

I've finished Murder for Christmas now, Ruth - I really liked it and loved the detective, Mordecai Tremaine, who is quite a character, an eccentric, mild-mannered man in his 60s with a passion for romantic fiction! Very well written with a nice touch of humour at times. The country house at Christmas setting is rather similar to The Santa Klaus Murder, though, so at times I've been getting the two mixed up!

Unfortunately, this isn't the first Tremaine book in the series, but all the others are out of print and incredibly obscure - I'm hoping the success of this one will lead to the others reappearing! And thanks for the Open Book tip - I will catch up with the interview.

[Susan]

I quite liked, "The King's Hounds," but really disliked the translation. Too many jarring words and slang - I am sure in 1018, characters would not refer to someone as a, "dumb guy..."

Looking forward to adding to my tbr list from all your suggestions though.

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "I quite liked, "The King's Hounds," but really disliked the translation. Too many jarring words and slang - I am sure in 1018, characters would not refer to someone as a, "dumb guy..."

Looking fo..."

Interesting - that's the kind of thing which normally bothers me but it didn't in this series... I will be reading #3, A Man's Word, soon...

[Judy]

Susan, I've been thinking over your question about which was my favourite crime book or author this year. Must admit I haven't read all that many detective stories overall - hoping to read a lot more of them next year! - but my favourite new-to-me author this year is Rex Stout.

I got off to a slow start as I didn't like the very first Nero Wolfe book much, but he has now really grown on me and I'm currently enjoying some early magazine stories by Stout very much, Target Practice . The collection is uneven, but some of the stories are great - there is a really good courtroom/detective murder mystery in several chapters about a lazy rich lawyer and a determined young sidekick which is great fun and reminded me of Nero and Archie.

[Judy]

P.S. I also enjoyed finally reading a book by Georges Simenon and again hope to go on to more next year.

[Susan]

I have read a lot of crime novels, but mostly contemporary ones. I am enjoying discovering some 'new' Golden Age mysteries and authors.

[Arpita (BagfullofBooks)]

Susan I didn't read many mysteries this year but my favourite was Christianna Brand's Green for Danger.

[Susan]

That's a good book, Arpita. I love Christianna Brand. Nice to see her nominated this month too.

[Leslie]

Susan's comment about The King's Hounds (post 37) encouraged me to read the 3rd book in that series sooner rather than later so I have finished A Man's Word.

I am having a good mystery-reading month, surprisingly. I am now reading #22 in Michael Innes' Appleby series, Death By Water. Each time I come back to this series, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy Innes' writing and his dry wit. These later books (written in the late 1960s & into the 70s) appear to be more traditional mysteries (without some of the very bizarre crimes of the ones from the 1940s such as The Daffodil Affair!) & that is all to the good as far as I am concerned.

I am also listening to the audiobook of Christmas Carol Murder which is only so-so... not enough focus on the murder, a lot of family and small town life.

[Judy]

Leslie, I've only read one Michael Innes book so far and really enjoyed it - The Case of the Journeying Boy. I definitely want to read more them, and am interested to her that the later ones are actually more traditiional.

I've just started reading a book which Kindle kept on recommending to me, The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson, a very light country house mystery which is good middle-of-the-night reading when I can't sleep!

However I gather there is quite a mystery over the author, who it is claimed wrote a whole stack of novels in the 1920s without publishing them - but now her family is said to be publishing them after her death in the 1960s. The whole thing seems rather odd, but I'm quite enjoying the book so far, anyway.

[Leslie]

Judy wrote: "Leslie, I've only read one Michael Innes book so far and really enjoyed it - The Case of the Journeying Boy. I definitely want to read more them, and am interested to her that the la..."

Well, my collection of Innes books (which I got when my parents downsized) is incomplete - I am missing most of the Appleby books from the 1950s for example. So my judgement is based on an incomplete sample. However, several of the 1940s ones were well-written but very strange. The ones from the 30s were less strange but each was written in a different style (one in the style of Wilkie Collins, one like John Buchan, etc.) The ones I have read from the 60s have settled down to one style of writing and the mysteries are of more typical types (though not predictable at least to me).

I have The Journeying Boy but haven't read it yet. That's one of the few I have that is not part of the Appleby series.

[Susan]

I read the first Michael Innes and enjoyed it. There are just SO many series that I keep starting and stalling on. I am looking forward to finally reading Dorothy L. Sayers in her entirety :)

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "I read the first Michael Innes and enjoyed it. There are just SO many series that I keep starting and stalling on. I am looking forward to finally reading Dorothy L. Sayers in her entirety :)"

I think I currently have about 30 series underway. I try to read at least one book in most of them a year, but it's still a very slow process and then I find so many new ones to try in threads like these!

[Susan]

I know what you mean - I am just the same :)

[Roisin]

I wish I was as fast a reader as you guys. : )

Christianna Brand, didn't think I'd heard of her before, but just realised Green for Danger, wasn't that made into a film? So her name must have been on the credits. Not familiar with her work though.