What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 1,001-1,050 of 4,457

[Jill H.]

I'm convinced I would be a really bad detective!!!!!

I think that one book of hers took everyone by surprise, her masterpiece.......The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

[Susan]

Yes, it wouldn't now, but then it was truly original. She was the originator of the unreliable narrator!

[Judy]

After finishing Fer de Lance, I'm jumping out of order to read the Nero Wolfe book where he goes back to Montenegro, The Black Mountain by Rex Stout - enjoying it a lot so far.

[Lady Clementina]

Jill wrote: "I'm convinced I would be a really bad detective!!!!!

I think that one book of hers took everyone by surprise, her masterpiece.......The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by [author:Agatha Chri..."
It certainly did- and most of her's do despite all the clues that they gives the reader- I particularly remember Lord Edgeware Dies where I missed the clue staring me in teh face.

[Lynne]

Jill wrote: "I'm convinced I would be a really bad detective!!!!!

I think that one book of hers took everyone by surprise, her masterpiece.......The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by [author:Agatha Chri..."

How interesting that this should come up! In my reading of all the Christies, and finishing up with Poirot in chronological order, I am about to start Roger Ackroyd!

[Jill H.]

Lynne..........I guarantee that you will love it. To me it is her crowning achievement even though written early in her career.

[Helen]

Just finished grey mask, the first miss silver book by Patricia Wentworth and it's something special. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... It's twistier than a very twisty thing and I loved it.

[Jill H.]

Judy wrote: "After finishing Fer de Lance, I'm jumping out of order to read the Nero Wolfe book where he goes back to Montenegro, The Black Mountain by Rex Stout - enjoying it a lot so far."

Black Mountain really takes Wolfe out of his comfort zone. His stamina amazed me since he never does anything physical. I think it amazed Archie too. Good book but atypical of a Wolfe mystery.

[LovesMysteries]

Jill, have you read "Some Buried Ceasar"? It's definitely a favorite of many Nero Wolfe fans!

[Jill H.]

Yes, I have. Although it introduced Archie's sometime girlfriend Lily Rowan, I have to say it was not one of my favorites. I think I like The Doorbell Rang and A Family Affair the best......but be warned.....don't read A Family Affair until you have read the rest of the Wolfe corpus. It changes some things in the series that went before and is rather a shocker. It is also the last Wolfe book written by Stout.

[Judy]

I've recently read Some Buried Caesar and enjoyed it - and am bearing in mind all the warnings to save A Family Affair for last!

[Gary]

I just finished earlier today, Calendar of Crime by Ellery Queen. We need some discussion of Ellery Queen in this group.
Now reading Mystic Mistletoe Murder by Sally J. Smith

[Gary]

Learnin Curve wrote: "Just finished grey mask, the first miss silver book by Patricia Wentworth and it's something special. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... It's twistier than a very twisty thing an..."

I read the first 2 Miss Silver books last year, enjoyed them and picked up several more in a recent Ebook sale.

[Helen]

I've got a mix of paperback and audiobook- I needed a new series on audiobook to take over from my beloved Peabody and I'm happy to report that the miss silver narrator fits the bill. She's one of the good 'uns that manages to go from ditzy flapper to hardened criminal and onto dear old lady seamlessly. :D

[Jill]

Gary, maybe you should nominate a Ellery Queen for one of the monthly book reads

[Everyman]

Jill wrote: "Yes, I have. Although it introduced Archie's sometime girlfriend Lily Rowan, I have to say it was not one of my favorites. ..."

I agree. It was pretty good, and it did (view spoiler)[show how much crow Wolfe was willing to eat to wheedle a comfortable bed and chair, but it didn't show him off, I thought, to best advantage. I would say it was middle of the pack. (hide spoiler)]

[Jill H.]

Everyman wrote: "Jill wrote: "Yes, I have. Although it introduced Archie's sometime girlfriend Lily Rowan, I have to say it was not one of my favorites. ..."

"I agree. It was pretty good, and it did ......"

Re: spoiler.........you are right about that!!!

[Sandy]

I finished The League of Frightened Men - excellent! - and am reading The Janissary Tree - Istanbul in 1830 - interesting, but not completely engrossing. It is a time and place I know nothing about. One problem is that I recently read Jade Dragon Mountain, completely different setting but also a time and place new to me and I can see confusing the two if I continue on both series. Maybe I'll stick to New York and small English villages.

[Jill H.]

I am about halfway through The Reckoning by Rennie Airth and it is quite good. Takes place in the UK, a setting I prefer, right after WWII. Scotland Yard is baffled by a series of seemingly unconnected murders which look suspiciously like assassinations. Good plot that keeps you guessing.

[Susan]

Is that the new Rennie Airth, Jill? If so, I have it on pre-order and will be interested in your thoughts.

Sandy, I enjoyed The Janissary Tree when I read it some years ago.

[Gary]

Just finished Mystic Mistletoe Murder by Sally J. Smith

[Jill H.]

Susan wrote: "Is that the new Rennie Airth, Jill? If so, I have it on pre-order and will be interested in your thoughts.

Sandy, I enjoyed The Janissary Tree when I read it some years ago."

No, it is #4 in the John Madden series which I am trying to read in order. But it is fairly new and has quite an intriguing plot.

[Susan]

The Death of Kings is the new one coming out, Jill. I am looking forward to it, but a friend of mine read it (it came out in the States before the UK) and didn't like it. I am now a bit worried, as we usually like the same kind of novels, but we'll see...

[Jill H.]

I always find that friends of mine who share the love of a certain genre are usually right if they say the liked/disliked it. Good luck on this new Airth book. I hope you all disagree for once!!! :>)

[Gary]

Currently reading Empty Nest by Marty Wingate

[Jill H.]

Am just starting Dead Man's Grip by Peter James. it is one of the DS Roy Grace series.

[Everyman]

Finished The Ranger, by Ace Atkins. Seems to be a wanna-be of Jack Reacher, but Atkins is no Lee Child. Mediocre at best is my evaluation. Won't be reading any more of his.

Edit: I should have mentioned that "finished" is a relative term. I read the first third, then skipped to the last two chapters just to see how it ended. Don't feel that I missed much.

[Jan C]

Everyman wrote: "Finished The Ranger, by Ace Atkins. Seems to be a wanna-be of Jack Reacher, but Atkins is no Lee Child. Mediocre at best is my evaluation. Won't be reading any more of his.

Edit: I should have men..."

Never read his Ranger books but have enjoyed his crime stories. Wish he would get back to them.

[Carolien]

Gary wrote: "Currently reading Empty Nest by Marty Wingate"


I really enjoy Marty's books. I'm slowly making my way through the Potting Shed series.

[Gary]

I have books 1,4,& 5 in The Potting Shed series and will read that series when I acquire books 2 and 3. I am 17% done with Empty Nest and no dead body....yet...

[Jill]

Just starting Death Comes For The Fat Man by Reginald Hill Love this author, and have been laughing from first page. Such a loss to the book world.

[Jill H.]

Jill wrote: "Just starting Death Comes For The Fat Man by Reginald Hill Love this author, and have been laughing from first page. Such a loss to the book world."

I love the Dalziel/Pascoe series and that book is particularly good. Fat Andy is in deep trouble in this one..

[Lynne]

Just finished Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Great!!!!

[Jill H.]

Lynne wrote: "Just finished Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Great!!!!"

That is one of the greatest classics of all mystery books IMHO. Did you guess who dunnit? I'm surely not going to spoil it for others by even hinting!!

[Susan]

I just started Slow Horses about a group of misfit special agents who have been side lined to administrative tasks. It's the first in a series and I think I'm going to like it.

[Blaine]

Just found this group, happy for that!! I am between mysteries right now, but I just completed The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - it is her 3rd book and her 2nd featuring Poirot.

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "I just started Slow Horses about a group of misfit special agents who have been side lined to administrative tasks. It's the first in a series and I..."

This has been on my TBR for ages. I really must get around to it, because it looks very interesting.

[Lynne]

Jill wrote: "Lynne wrote: "Just finished Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Great!!!!"

That is one of the greatest classics of all mystery books IMHO. Did you guess who dunnit? I'm surely not going to spoil it for other..."

I won't write a spoiler either---but I will say I began to suspect about 2/3 the way through. Yes, it is a classic!!

[Judy]

Blaine wrote: "Just found this group, happy for that!! I am between mysteries right now, but I just completed The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - it is her 3rd book and her 2nd featuring Poirot."

Welcome, Blaine! We have lots of Agatha Christie fans here so you have come to the right place. :)

[All About Agatha]

We loved The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as well! In fact we just did one of our most recent podcast episodes about it! Check it out if you'd like; we go into a more detailed analysis of exactly how Christie pulls off that AMAZING twist!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Lynne wrote: "Just finished Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Great!!!!"

[All About Agatha]

Welcome Blaine! We did a podcast episode about Murder on the Links that you might enjoy.... One thing we learned while researching for the episode: it was inspired by Gaston Leroux's The Yellow Room, which is one reason the book has a bit more of a heavy tone than Christie usually does.... We also enjoyed the rivalry between Poirot and the French Inspector, Giraud. Another interesting tidbit: when the novel was first serialized, it was called "The Girl With the Anxious Eyes." I feel like that may be a better title? Especially since there is very little golf in this book! (The Suchet adaptation definitely solves that problem; lots more golf there....)

Episode is #11 on our list:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Blaine wrote: "Just found this group, happy for that!! I am between mysteries right now, but I just completed The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - it is her 3rd book and her 2nd featuring Poirot."

[All About Agatha]

We (Kemper & Catherine) both recently read The Trespasser, by Tana French.... We both adore her. Her last book, The Secret Place, was a little disappointing, but this one was right up there with her best. Anyone else a Tana French fan?

[Lynne]

All About Agatha wrote: "Welcome Blaine! We did a podcast episode about Murder on the Links that you might enjoy.... One thing we learned while researching for the episode: it was inspired by Gaston Leroux's The Yellow Roo..."

Just found the podcast---A+. Thank you!

[Lynne]

All About Agatha wrote: "We (Kemper & Catherine) both recently read The Trespasser, by Tana French.... We both adore her. Her last book, The Secret Place, was a little disappointing, but this one was right up there with he..."

I have a couple books of hers on the shelf---my mother-in-law passes them along to me and I kinda forgot about them. Now I shall have to move them up the queue!

[Judy]

I'm just reading a British Library Crime Classics book on Kindle, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North. This is the first in the series about a Yorkshire detective and seems a bit darker and more realistic than most BLCC reprints - it is also more recent, published in 1960.

I've also got a mystery on the go in a physical book, Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham, which is another first in a series, about Welsh police detective Fiona Griffiths. Compelling but *very* dark so far - I might need some lighter relief after these two books.

[Susan]

I enjoy books set in the Sixties, Judy, so will look at the Gil North one.

Andrew, I am really enjoying "Slow Horses," so far and it is a series I have also meant to read for ages.

[Jan C]

Judy wrote: "I'm just reading a British Library Crime Classics book on Kindle, Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North. This is the first in the series about a Yorkshire detecti..."

They both look good.

[Jill H.]

All About Agatha wrote: "We (Kemper & Catherine) both recently read The Trespasser, by Tana French.... We both adore her. Her last book, The Secret Place, was a little disappointing, but this one was right up there with he..."

Re; Tana French. I have read all her books except The Trespasser and have liked them very much. However, I have to agree with you that The Secret Place was pretty weak and not on the same level with her other works. Disappointing but hopefully The Trespasser will be better. Did you like it?

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "I enjoy books set in the Sixties, Judy, so will look at the Gil North one.

Susan, I realised it is really set in the late 1950s, as it was published on January 1, 1960. I read through to the end very quickly (it's a short book) but wasn't really a fan overall as it is a bit on one note - everything is dark, dingy, gloomy, miserable etc. The writing style is very readable though. Anyway I've written a review:

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

[Susan]

Good review, Judy. Having read it, I see your point! Maybe I will get to it, but perhaps it has dropped down my TBR list a few notches...