What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 651-700 of 4,475

[Jill]

I have just started Information Received which I got when it looked like it would be book of the month and Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey. It is the fourth in the series and seems good, being about a book club. It seems it is a "locked room" mystery. I also am reading my way through Lovesey's Sergeant Crib mysteries. I find this author very easy to read, which maybe down to the short chapters

[Judy]

I'm just in the middle of Snobbery with Violence by Marion Chesney aka M.C. Beaton - this is the first in her Edwardian Murder Mystery series and is a quick, fun read. The main characters are Lady Rose, a former suffragette, and Captain Harry Cathcart, a veteran of the Boer War. Enjoying it so far.

[Susan]

Just started a cosy: Death on Windmill Way. I haven't really read enough to have an opinion yet.

[Judy]

Leslie wrote: "Maybe we should set up a separate thread for deals so that they don't clog up the 'what are you reading' thread? Just an idea..."

Good idea, Leslie, thanks for that - I've just set up a thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Inevitably, some offers and deals will still be mentioned in other threads, but it should be helpful to have a specific thread for them.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I've just finished a group read of Georgette Heyer's No Wind of Blame I've read it a number of times before & as always, I loved it. I find it very funny!

[Judy]

I've just started reading A Perfect Match, the first in the Lloyd and Hill series about a pair of police detectives by Jill McGown, which was published in 1983.

I just picked up the second in the series at an Oxfam shop, which is a Christmas-themed book, Murder at the Old Vicarage, but thought I'd like to start with the first in the series. Enjoying it so far. Sadly the author died a few years ago.

[Susan]

I just finished Darktown: A Novel, which is set in 1948 Atlanta. It is about the first 8 black police officers in the city and is a really good read - highly recommend it.

[Phyllis]

I have just read the first two Inspector Banks (by Peter Robinson) books - Gallowsview and A Dedicated Man. Enjoyed both.

[Susan]

Have just noticed that Anthony Horowitz has written a GA type mystery Magpie Murders. Looks really good and I know we were talking about him a while ago.

[Jill]

Looks interesting Susan. I have added to my wish list, hoping the price drops when it is published

[Susan]

It is on NetGalley, on Orion. I downloaded it yesterday, so any NetGalley reviewers may want to request.

[Sandy]

During the last six weeks I have read quite a few mysteries, not all "classics".
The Nature of the Beast, last year's entry in Louise Penny's Three Pines series. This year's entry is due today and I'm on the waiting list. I love this series. I thought a major part of the plot was fantastical and then learned in the epilogue that that part was true.
The Alienist an historical mystery by Caleb Carr. It is set in New York at the turn of the last century, when Teddy Roosevelt was chief of police. Excellent historical content and atmosphere.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. I read this because in the next entry in the Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes series I'm due to read, they are in San Francisco and meet Hammett, so felt I should have read him. All I know about Hammett I got from Lilian Hellman's autobiography. I really enjoyed the book though couldn't take it as seriously as Hammett would have liked. The movie characters took over.
Journey to Munich, by Jacqueline Winspear, latest in Maisie Dobbs series. I have mixed feelings about this series; Maisie is too introspective for my taste. This was an interesting story and good view of Munich post-Hitler, pre-WWII.
Finally, I am currently listening to Rumpole for the Defence and loving it - already ordered the next set of cd's from the library.

[Leslie]

I have started a reread via audiobook of Christie's The Secret of Chimneys -- it is narrated by Hugh Fraser (Hastings for the Poirot TV show) :)

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "Finally, I am currently listening to Rumpole for the Defence and loving it - already ordered the next set of cd's from the library. "

Oh, I love Rumpole! I enjoyed all the books and the TV series was excellent too - Leo McKern was just perfect.

[Judy]

I'm enjoying A Perfect Match by Jill McGown, but am being distracted by the many scanning errors in the Kindle edition!

Earlier on it said that someone was the "widow of the kite Charles" - it took me a moment to work out that 'kite' should be 'late', because a k and i look vaguely like an l and a!

Now there have been two references to 'defective' instead of 'detective', and, to make it worse, someone just said 'I have taken pity on the defective branch of the police farce', instead of the 'detective branch of the police force' ! Can't publishers afford proof readers any more? I've come across so many similar errors, especially in Kindle books but also in print copies.

[Carolien]

I've just completed Delayed Death and enjoyed it very much. It is set in Florence and has a very continental feel to it in language and style as the author herself is German. Although described as a cozy, it works well as a police procedural and has a light touch of romance and comedy. It comes complete with a huge cast of Italian family members and motives abound. I'm definitely continuing this series.

I also read Last Rights. It's the third historical mystery that I have read recently where the historical aspect is very interesting, but the mystery part not as compelling. This one is set in London during the Blitz and I enjoyed the information on Jewish life in London during WWII. The second historical mystery where I had a similar experience was Murder in the Marais which is partly set in Paris under German occupation. Both books end up being 3.5 stars for me rather than a full 4 star.

[Susan]

I've read, "Last Rights," Carolien. "Delayed Death," looks good and has been added to my TBR list, so thanks for that.

[Leslie]

I am reading Smallbone Deceased which was first published in 1950. I guess that is the edge of the Golden Age? Anyway, it's really good so far!

[Susan]

The Anthony Horowitz, so called, 'Golden Age' novel, is set in 1955, so I guess that just about works, Leslie. I always, personally, think of the GA as being between the wars, but of course, authors like Christie wrote far beyond that period.

[Sandy]

I've started the Rabbi series by Harry Kemelman by re-reading Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, this time on audio. I read a few in the series a few years & years ago. Excellent. And I think I was reminded of them by this group, perhaps Everyman, so thanks to whomever.

[Leslie]

@Susan - I too tend to think of the GA as being the period between the wars.

[Susan]

Books earlier than the 1920's (I've read some set in the early 1900's) don't have the same feel to me, or writing style. I have read later books, 1950's, and they work better for me than those earlier novels somehow...

[Susan]

Just started a really good, contemporary crime novel: Missing, Presumed. Set in Cambridgeshire and looks to be the first in a series.

[Judy]

Susan and Leslie, I tend to love early 1900s detective novels, but agree they feel different from the later ones.

I've just finished The Quiche of Death which I enjoyed - looking forward to reading more Agatha Raisin!

At the moment I'm reading one of the early Patricia Wentworth books republished by Dean Street Press, The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith: A Golden Age Mystery.

So far I'm enjoying the characters but finding the plot extremely far-fetched, as with the other early Wentworths I've read so far. Once again this is more of a thriller than a mystery, with a strong element of romance.

[Susan]

I read the first couple of Agatha Raisin's and then stopped, Judy. I liked them too and should go back to them.

[Ellen]

Just received The Shattered Treewhich is the latest in the Bess Crawford series byCharles Todd. I am looking forward to starting it.

[Carolien]

I finished Blood of the Wicked last night and it was an interesting read. For some reason, I have not read many South American books, but as a South African, I can relate fairly easily to the Brazilian context. Both countries have a similar economic structure and share similar challenges regarding poverty, inequality and high levels of crime and violence. In addition, I deal with land reform and agriculture in my professional life and so found that specific aspect of the plot very informative.

This book has a high body count and the conclusion captures the complexity of the society and characters involved. It is well written and as far as I can ascertain, it is one of those series that improves over time, so I'll be reading more of them. Not a mystery as such, bit more to the thriller side of the spectrum.

I read it as part of a reading challenge that I am doing in another group which involves reading books written by authors from the Murder is Everywhere blog. I've mentioned quite a few of them in this thread during the year. The link to the list of books and challenge is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm having great fun reading the stories set across the world this year and in the process discovered a new term in the mystery/thriller genre namely Sunshine Noir http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.co.... Some of the authors have now launched a book of short stories based on the idea and I'm very keen to read Sunshine Noir. There's a lovely list of authors involved in the book.

[Susan]

Carolien, that sounds a good idea - I like reading novels set in different places.

[Judy]

Yes, I think it's a great idea to read books set in a lot of different places. I'd been vaguely wondering if I might read a detective story set in each European country - maybe I could start doing that next year.

[Susan]

That would be fun, Judy. Pushkin Press have released some good European crime novels with their Pushkin Vertigo series.

http://pushkinpress.com/pushkin-verti...

[Judy]

Thanks, Susan - by coincidence, I'd had an email about this imprint just the other day, but it had completely slipped my mind! It sounds as if there are some great titles on their list.

[Susan]

Yes, I've read a couple. Lots of European Noir and many set in our time period. If you decide to do a tour across Europe, I will try to join in as much as possible. I love European crime novels.

[Judy]

That's great, Susan - I'll give it some more thought! As you say,lots to choose from - I haven't read any of the popular Scandinavian crime novels as yet...

I've just started the secondE.R. Punshon Bobby Owen mystery,Death Among The Sunbathers, and was intrigued to see the introduction say there are striking similarities with Murder Must Advertise. Serendipity strikes again!

[Susan]

Wonderful, Judy. Plus I will set up a buddy read for the first Nigel Strangeways perhaps the beginning of October? A Question of Proof .
If anyone is interested in joining in then please do.

[Judy]

Carolien wrote: "I finished Blood of the Wicked last night and it was an interesting read. For some reason, I have not read many South American books, but as a South African, I can relate fairly easi..."

Carolien, I've just been reading your thread - many thanks for posting the link. What a fantastic challenge. I'm tempted by the sound of quite a few of the books - Sunshine Noir sounds particularly intriguing. It looks as if you are well on course to complete the challenge by the end of the year!

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "Wonderful, Judy. Plus I will set up a buddy read for the first Nigel Strangeways perhaps the beginning of October?

That's great, Susan. I'll get hold of it and look forward to joining in.

[Leslie]

For several years I have been working on a Read-the-USA mystery challenge (to read a mystery set in each of the states plus Washington DC). I am finally down to the last two states and am currently reading Dead Aim for Idaho. After that, only Oklahoma will be left!

[iasa]

Well done Leslie! That's quite an accomplishment.

[Carolien]

Well done Leslie! That's quite an effort to find all the books in the correct states.

If anybody is considering Europe, I would highly recommend The 7th Woman for France. I cannot remember who recommended the series - it may even have been Cara Black in a long ago blog post on Murder is Everywhere. I started it yesterday evening and have been compulsively sneaking it in all morning around my errands.

[Judy]

Leslie, well done and hope you enjoyed your long reading journey! It would be great to hear more about it - do you have a list of all the books you've read for this challenge, or a shelf/thread about it?

Also, Carolien, thanks for the France recommendation. I know that feeling of having to put life on hold as much as possible to get on with a book...

[Susan]

Oh, I've read that, Carolien. Fun series, although I found the love story a little too much at times! The Lying-Down Room, Arab Jazz and The Dark Angel are all great French crime books.

[Leslie]

Judy wrote: "Leslie, well done and hope you enjoyed your long reading journey! It would be great to hear more about it - do you have a list of all the books you've read for this challenge, or a shelf/thread abo..."

copied from the Cozy Mysteries Group
Here is my READ AROUND THE USA Challenge (starting 8/2012)
Progress: 43 mysteries + 7 non-mystery books = 50 completed out of 51

Alabama -- Dog River Blues by Mike Jastrzebski (1/10/14)
Alaska -- Alaska Virgin Air by Izzy Ballard (4/13/13)
Arizona -- The Ghost Orchid Murder by Nancy Jill Thames (5/26/13)
Arkansas -- Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank (1/30/13)
California -- Death Turns a Trick by Julie Smith (9/1/12)
Colorado -- Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson (7/20/13)
Connecticut -- Elected for Death by Valerie Wolzien (11/17/12)
Delaware - Corpus Delectable by Mike Billington (2/22/14)
District of Columbia -- Murder on Capitol Hill (8/31/16)
Florida -- Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans (10/8/12)
Georgia -- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (not a mystery) (5/7/13)
Hawaii -- Maui Widow Waltz by JoAnn Bassett (9/1/13)
Idaho -- Dead Aim (9/3/16)
Illinois -- Opal Fire by Barbra Annino (10/22/13)
Indiana -- Death of the Couch Potato's Wife by Christy Barritt (12/11/15)
Iowa -- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (not a mystery) (7/18/13)
Kansas -- Murders on Elderberry Road (2/6/16)
Kentucky -- I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper (not a mystery) (12/21/13)
Louisiana -- The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke (5/15/13)
Maine -- The Book of Old Houses by Sarah Graves (9/14/13)
Maryland -- The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (3/8/13)
Massachusetts -- Going, Going, Gone by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (8/31/12)
Michigan -- Winter Study by Nevada Barr (12/31/13)
Minnesota -- Bingo Barge Murder by Jessie Chandler (8/7/12)
Mississippi --- The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty (not a mystery) (6/19/13)
Missouri -- If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton (9/20/15)
Montana -- Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett (7/13/14)
Nebraska -- One of Ours by Willa Cather (not a mystery) (11/20/12)
Nevada -- Pumpkins in Paradise by Kathi Daley (11/16/13)
New Hampshire -- An Appointment With Murder by Jennifer L. Jennings (6/24/14)
New Jersey -- Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (9/11/15)
New Mexico -- Red, Green, or Murder by Steven F. Havill (2/19/13)
New York -- Sailor, Take Warning! by Kelley Roos (8/12/12)
North Carolina -- Amethyst Dreams by Phyllis A. Whitney (10/27/12)
North Dakota -- January Exposure by Sunny Benson (1/9/15)
Ohio -- A Shot in the Bark by C.A. Newsome (7/28/14)
Oklahoma
Oregon -- The Gray and Guilty Sea by Jack Nolte (11/12/15)
Pennsylvania -- Never Buried by Edie Clair (10/31/12)
Rhode Island -- Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva (1/10/16)
South Carolina -- Oolong Dead by Laura Childs (3/1/13)
South Dakota -- Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles (1/29/13)
Tennessee -- Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan (4/15/15)
Texas -- Buck Fever by Ben Rehder (2/13/13)
Utah -- Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey (not a mystery) (11/11/15)
Vermont -- Moonlighting in Vermont by Kate George (9/29/13)
Virginia -- Carbs & Cadavers by Ellery Adams - J.B. Stanley (9/17/12)
Washington -- Murder Spins a Tale A Flock and Fiber Mystery by Veryl Ann Grace (3/24/13)
West Virginia -- Moon Signs by Helen Haught Fanick (6/1/14)
Wisconsin -- Uncommon Grounds by Sandra Balzo (8/12/12)
Wyoming -- A Deal on a Handshake by Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton (6/18/15)


visited 49 states (98%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Brazil travel guide for Android

[Judy]

Thanks for that list, Leslie, that's very interesting - quite a feat to read all those. Looking through the list, I think I've only read some of the non-mystery titles.

Was it difficult to find books for some of the states?

[Leslie]

Judy wrote: "Thanks for that list, Leslie, that's very interesting - quite a feat to read all those. Looking through the list, I think I've only read some of the non-mystery titles.

Was it difficult to find b..."

Well, I haven't really gone out of my way to find certain states until this year (I was starting to get tired of this dragging out so long!) so it is hard to say how difficult some states might be if someone tried to complete this challenge in just a year. For me, the hardest have been the states with small populations -- Oklahoma, North Dakota, Idaho, etc.

[Abigail]

What fun! Thanks for the list.

[Susan]

I just finished Missing, Presumed . Very good - literary crime and a good start to what will, hopefully, turn out to be a series.

[Susan]

I have opened a thread for the first Nigel Strangeways mystery A Question of Proof, which I am going to offer up as a Buddy Read in October.

Although not a Golden Age mystery, I wondered if anyone would be interested in a Buddy read of Not a Creature was Stirring, the first Gregor Demarkian novel, in December?

[Judy]

I'm intrigued to read Not a Creature was Stirring, Susan, after reading your review of it - I'll get hold of a copy in time for December so I can join in!

[Susan]

Good news, Judy! Although it was not written during our period, it has a very traditional flavour and is a mystery that I enjoy re-reading.

[Leslie]

I am currently enjoying some Gervase Fen short stories in Edmund Crispin's Beware of the Trains.