Reading the Detectives discussion
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What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread
Judy, I love those types of challenges. A few authors popped into mind for Eastern/Central Europe. Andrey Kurkov
Vilmos Kondor
Marek Krajewski
Zygmunt Miloszewski
Oana Stoica-Mujea
Stelian Ţurlea
Josef Skvorecky
Vladislav Todorov
Indrek Hargla
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Sounds like it would be a good idea to set up a thread or section for personal challenges - I'll do that when I get in from work tonight. :)
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https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Judy wrote: "There is now a folder and thread for individual challenges:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."
Oh, good idea!
I just finished listening to Hugh Fraser narrate one of my favorite Christie books, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
I'm readingInnocence; or, Murder on Steep Street by Heda Margolius Kovaly . I love the 1950's Prague setting. Also reading French Concession: A Novel and Fright.
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I have finished another Inspector Montalbano mystery, The Track of Sand. So good that I finished it in one afternoon!
I am reading The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux. It's a very early "locked room" mystery.I just finished Mystery in White, my most recent British Library Crime Classics acquisition! It was one of the best that I've read so far.
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I've been meaning to read this one - I've read that it was the book which really got the current revival of classic mysteries going, by becoming an unexpected bestseller! Is it very Christmassy? I was wondering about it as a possible nomination for a group read in December.
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I also have a Kindle mystery on the go for when I'm somewhere where it is easier to read on Kindle... this one is Framed in Guilt by John Russell Fearn, which I snapped up when Miss M noticed it was free to download for a limited time. This is set in a legal office - so another workplace mystery to compare with Murder Must Advertise!
Judy wrote: "Moonlight Reader wrote: "I just finished Mystery in White, my most recent British Library Crime Classics acquisition..."I've been meaning to read this one - I've read that it was ..."
It would be a great Christmas read - I had intended to save it for December, but I needed a book with snow on the cover for a team challenge, so, I read it.
It was pretty good, although it's still a tier 2 golden age mystery. After reading a few of them, I've concluded that there is a legitimate reason that they went out of print. I'm not saying they aren't good, but don't I no longer expect to find another Murder on the Orient Express hiding among those titles.
I recently finished The Moving Target, the first Lew Archer book. A little more hardboiled than I generally read but well done.
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Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers. Am running a bit behind on the Sayer's challenge....
Well, Sandy, I'm more behind than you are! ;) Just finished my first Sayers:
3.5 stars for me.Last week I read an old whodunnit,
. Usually he wrote action-adventures, but this one was good, too. Four stars.
The Cheltenham Square Murder - fits in with my round Britain challenge, plus it is also another book in the Superintendent Meredith series that I have been reading.
Hannah wrote: "Well, Sandy, I'm more behind than you are! ;) Just finished my first Sayers: 3.5 stars for me.Last week I read an old whodunnit, [bookcover:Miser Hoadley's Secret|3..."
I have added your 'old who-dunnit' to my mountain of books to read Hannah. Sounds like a good read. *:D
Just beginning Where Roses Never Die by Gunnar Staalessen. He's not an author I've read before, but I do love me some non American crime fiction.
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Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Hannah wrote: "Well, Sandy, I'm more behind than you are! ;) Just finished my first Sayers: 3.5 stars for me.Last week I read an old whodunnit, [bookcover:Miser Hoa..."
Yay! Now finding a copy will be a challenge... :) It was a fun read.
Just started Mrs. Jeffries on the Trail. Find these easy light reads and have become quite fond of the characters
I've started reading my paperback copy of Five Red Herrings and have also downloaded The Hog's Back Mystery: A British Library Crime Classic onto my kindle. Both books will fit into my reading challenge. I had looked at the Freeman Wills Crofts book earlier this year and added it to my wishlist.
While awaiting my library hold of Nicholas Blake's "A Question of Proof" to arrive, I read a cozy set in eastern Washington state, Heaven Preserve Us. It was okay but not as good as the Golden Age mysteries ;)
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I have finished #13 in the Inspector Montalbano series, The Potter's Field. While I continue to enjoy the characters, this one didn't seem as good a mystery as some of the previous ones. 3*
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I've nearly finishedThe Murder on the Enriqueta: A Golden Age Mystery now and am a bit disappointed. It's well written, but only the first few chapters are on board ship. After that it becomes extremely similar to all the early Patricia Wentworth books I've read recently, which are far- fetched adventures involving a brave and beautiful heroine...
I just finished On a Desert Shore by S. K. Rizzolo, the fourth entry in a series of historical mysteries set in Regency England. I highly recommend it—was very impressed! Reading it as I did on the heels of Murder Must Advertise, I was reminded of the seriousness and literary ambition of Dorothy Sayers. Here’s my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I'm reading the biographical section of The Draycott Murder Mystery: A Golden Age Mystery. Is the Murder on the Enriqueta her last book? I think her later books, especially the last one, were questionable. Either that or mymmemory of what I read about it was questionable.
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Is the Murder on the Enriqueta her last book?"
Just checked and it was her second mystery , published in 1929, the year after The Draycott Murder Mystery. I'll be interested to hear what you think of that one.
Just finished Mrs Jeffries Plays The Cook 7th in the series I'm reading . Found it quite humorous in places . Am now reading Lost Light which is another series I am working my way through.
Jill wrote: "Just finished Mrs Jeffries Plays The Cook 7th in the series I'm reading . Found it quite humorous in places . Am now reading Lost Light which is another series I am wo..."I enjoy Connelly. Have seen him at readings several times.
I just finished Drinking Gourd, by Barbara Hambly, 14th in the Benjamin January series. Those are always fantastic. In this one Ben's work with the Underground Railroad gets a lot more up close and personal than simply hiding fugitives in his house in New Orleans, when a conductor in Vicksburg is shot and requires Ben's services as a surgeon. And that's before we even get to the murder!
I'm almost done with One Wonderful Night A Romance of New York, a hilarious screwball comedy with a murder mystery and a couple of shrewd detectives playing a part.
I'm reading Hamish Macbeth books at the moment - I have a few on the kindle that I got a couple of years ago, I read the first three and then left the series to read other things. I started the fourth book in the series as part of my "Round Britain" challenge and also my "Backlist Challenge" so I have carried on reading them.I have been trying to work out which Scottish County one of the books might cover, but haven't had any luck, so for the moment only one county is crossed off my list.
I am enjoying them - nice light reading. I don't remember much of the TV series I think I only saw perhaps one episode and wasn't bothered enough to watch more. They were apparently quite different from the books.
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I just finished Death in Cyprus by MM Kaye. I had read all of Kaye's mysteries years ago, before they were reprinted by Minotaur. They are just as good as they ever were - very enjoyable, well-plotted mysteries with a romantic sub-theme set in exotic colonial locales.
Moonlight Reader wrote: "I just finished Death in Cyprus by MM Kaye. I had read all of Kaye's mysteries years ago, before they were reprinted by Minotaur. They are just as good as they ever were - very enjoya..."I'm reading The Far Pavilions at the moment but I also have a copy of Death in Zanzibar Paperback publishers have not served this author well - both are falling apart!
I am currently reading a read for review copy of A Useful Woman I normally don't like non Heyer Regencies, but this is a mystery and the author has her own voice, so I'm enjoying so far.
Moonlight Reader wrote: "I just finished Death in Cyprus by MM Kaye. I had read all of Kaye's mysteries years ago, before they were reprinted by Minotaur. They are just as good as they ever were - very enjoya..."I liked the MM Kaye mysteries too. My favorite was Death in Kenya
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I'm halfway through and enjoying it, but Alleyn keeps saying he has a "filthy memory", which is a bit annoying, since it's blatantly untrue! He seems to have a lot more mannerisms and banter in this book than I'd remembered - I think he becomes a bit more serious later in the series.
Also his better-known sidekick, Inspector Fox, features in this one alongside journalist Nigel Bathgate.
Judy wrote: "I'm just reading the second Alleyn mystery by Ngaio Marsh, Enter a Murderer. I'm halfway through and enjoying it, but Alleyn keeps saying he has a "filthy memory", wh..."
I enjoyed this one, too.
Carol ♛ Type, Oh Queen! ♛ wrote: "Moonlight Reader wrote: "I just finished Death in Cyprus by MM Kaye. I had read all of Kaye's mysteries years ago, before they were reprinted by Minotaur. They are just as good as the..."I've started Far Pavilions, not sure how far in I am. I am guessing at not very.
Jan C wrote: "I've started Far Pavilions, not sure how far in I am. I am guessing at not very. Jan I'm in Part 6, but if you want a buddy to read with, I am using this group.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... :)
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Reading the Detectives
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Judy wrote: "That sounds like a great idea for a challenge, Jay-me! If you decide to go ahead with that or a US challenge, let us know."
I think I will set this up for next year as I probably won't be joining in the Christie challenge. It could take longer than a year though so I won't be setting a time limit on it. Also I won't limit it to mysteries. I will have to see if I can find a nice map like the one for the US states. It will get me using my blog again if I post details on there. I think I will also use the original counties if possible.
Any suggestions for books will be gratefully received.