What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 3,201-3,250 of 4,475

[Jill]

Finished The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett Now starting Black Coffee by Charles Osborne Am putting off Lament for a Maker for the moment as people have said it is hard going

[Lady Clementina]

Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "Susan wrote: "Sounds good. I will amend the buddy reads tomorrow."

It looks like an English Murder may be on Canada's Gutenberg site."
Yes it is- I posted about that in this thread above. Public domain there.

[Susan]

If anyone else wants to continue/nominate any authors/series to our buddy read list, please do so. We have a few series chugging slowly along in the buddy read threads now, including Campion, Nigel Strangeways and Angela Marchmont. Stand alone mysteries are also welcome and we have Mr. Bowling Buys a Newspaper coming up. I would like possibly to begin a series which takes us outside of our usual, rainy London (although it isn't rainy here at the moment!), or country house - maybe a mystery set in India, or another, more exotic, location. What do you think?

[Jay-me (Janet)]

Susan wrote: "If anyone else wants to continue/nominate any authors/series to our buddy read list, please do so. We have a few series chugging slowly along in the buddy read threads now, including Campion, Nigel..."

You could always try the Amelia Peabody mysteries - although I think quite a few of us have already read them all (I've not read the newest written by someone else but doubt that I will read it in the future either)

[Jill]

Or Arthur W Upfield. Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries set in Austrailia. The Barrakee Mystery

[Susan]

It would be nice if we picked something that none of us (or few of us) have read. I was thinking, in dull, and dark, January, a nice, sunny mystery might cheer us up :)

Possible Buddy read suggestions for the beginning of the year:

A Rising Man

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

The Case of the Missing Servant


Also, wondered whether anyone would like to join in a buddy read of

Black Roses

This is the first in the Clara Vine series, written by Jane Thynne who was married to Phillip Kerr.

[Lady Clementina]

I've read the third of the Vish Puri ones- quite good fun though a little exaggerated.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I can get hold of all 4 of those books - my preference would be for the Inspector Chopra one.

[Sandy]

Susan wrote: "If anyone else wants to continue/nominate any authors/series to our buddy read list, please do so. We have a few series chugging slowly along in the buddy read threads now, including Campion, Nigel..."

Don't forget Bobby Owens ... of which I own many!

[Susan]

We have the next one listed, Sandy :)

Oh, interest in Inspector Chopra. Any interest in Clara Vine?

[Sandy]

I am also interested in Chopra; I've read Rising Man and the second in the series and the Vish Puri series. Enjoyed them both. They are very different: Puri is a light and cozy; the other much more serious and, I think, an excellent view of British India post-WW1. Note that I know nothing about the subject. Sometimes I worry about getting most of my history through fiction!

[Susan]

Good point, Sandy. Still, fiction just broaden our outlook. I can see an Inspector Chopra novel coming along - some sunshine for the New Year.

[Lady Clementina]

A Very Pukka Murder

This series (two so far) looks interesting too- has anyone read these?

[Pamela]

I've read the first Chopra and it's really good fun. It's been compared to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but I felt it wasn't quite as 'cozy' as those though it had the same kind of charm.

I'd read any of the others, I already have A Rising Man and Black Roses but I'd happily find the Vish Puri if needed :)

[Pamela]

Lady Clementina wrote: "This series (two so far) looks interesting too- has anyone read these?"

I think the cover would have put me off, but the blurb actually sounds quite interesting

[Susan]

Have you read, Black Roses, Pamela? Future buddy read, or not?

[Pamela]

Susan wrote: "Have you read, Black Roses, Pamela? Future buddy read, or not?"

No I haven't got to it yet, so would definitely be up for a future Buddy Read.

[Susan]

Good to hear, Pamela :)

[Lady Clementina]

Pamela wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "This series (two so far) looks interesting too- has anyone read these?"

I think the cover would have put me off, but the blurb actually sounds quite interesting"

I actually saw this only after reading about the second in the papers-again not a particularly nice cover but I liked the sound of it


Another one I am keen to read is

[Susan]

Ooh, The Widows of Malabar Hill looks good, Lady. Another addition to our Buddy Reads lists?

I actually want to make a list of all the series we are currently running in our Buddy Reads threads. I just need some time and I will try to bring some organisation to it, so we are alternating series properly and also adding in new books to keep things fresh and allow new members to join in.

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "Ooh, The Widows of Malabar Hill looks good, Lady. Another addition to our Buddy Reads lists?

I actually want to make a list of all t..."

Doesn't it? By the way, it's also been published as A Murder on Malabar Hill. Yes' it would be good as a buddy read but after a couple of months at least since I have a very busy month at work.

[Susan]

Yes, we are pretty 'booked up' for a while, anyway. I am just exploring ideas for the end of the year, beginning of the next. Good to see our Buddy Reads so popular.

So far, we have new additions as:

The Widows of Malabar Hill
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
Black Roses

These will run alongside our more traditional GA Buddy Reads - Campion et al.

[Jill]

Let's hope by then we have forgotten this terrible heatwave, because at the moment a cold dreary day in London sounds pretty good!

[Susan]

It's a bit cooler today, Jill :)

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "It's a bit cooler today, Jill :)"

So are we after almost incessant rain over the past couple of days. But that also meant overcast skies and no lunar eclipse (for us to see) yesterday.

[Susan]

No, it was too cloudy here in London too, Lady. We had storms last night and couldn't really see anything...

[Jill]

Susan wrote: "It's a bit cooler today, Jill :)"

But creeping up again during the week if the forecasters are to be believed, which they usually aren't.

[Susan]

Once I go on holiday it will rain, don't worry, Jill :)

[Lady Clementina]

Jill wrote: "Susan wrote: "It's a bit cooler today, Jill :)"

But creeping up again during the week if the forecasters are to be believed, which they usually aren't."

True-though more recently I find forecasts more likely to turn out right than not :)

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "No, it was too cloudy here in London too, Lady. We had storms last night and couldn't really see anything..."

So we weren't the only ones...

[Sandy]

Susan wrote: "Once I go on holiday it will rain, don't worry, Jill :)"

Self-sacrifice for the public good!?

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "Yes, we are pretty 'booked up' for a while, anyway. I am just exploring ideas for the end of the year, beginning of the next. Good to see our Buddy Reads so popular.

So far, we have new additions..."

I'll be happy to join for all of these. I have them all.

[Susan]

Excellent, Carolien.

Sandy, no matter what the weather is like beforehand, it always seems to rain when I go away!

[Susan]

OK, I have been investigating our Buddy Read threads. We currently have five series running as buddy reads:

Campion (Margery Allingham)
Angela Marchmont (Clara Benson)
Inspector Appleby (Michael Innes)
Nigel Strangeways (Nicholas Blake)
Bobby Owen (E.R. Punshon)

This is an updated list of Buddy Reads which are coming up:

Buddy Reads coming up next are:

July/August: Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham

July/August: The Mystery at Underwood House by Clara Benson

August/Sept: Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes.

Sept/October: Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper by Donald Henderson.
Sweet Danger: Margery Allingham

October/November: Malice in Wonderland by Nicholas Blake
Death Among the Sunbathers: E R Punshon

November/December: The Case of the Abominable Snowman by Nicholas Blake
The Treasure at Poldarrow Point by Clara Benson

December/January: An English Murder by Cecil Hare

January/February: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

February/March: Black Roses by Jane Thynne (currently 99p on kindle)
Minute for Murder by Nicholas Blake

March/April: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Stop Press by Michael Innes

If you want to nominate any other stand alone novels, or another series, you feel we should follow, then please do so.

[Susan]

Rosina has suggested this on the buddy read thread too:

I have recently started re-reading the Flaxborough novels of Colin Watson, and I find them just as much fun as they were forty years ago.

Would anyone else be interested in slowly meandering through the series, starting with Coffin, Scarcely Used?

I will add it in later.

[[deleted user]]

Malice in malmo for me.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Susan wrote: "OK, I have been investigating our Buddy Read threads. We currently have five series running as buddy reads:"

and Poirot

[Susan]

Updated Buddy Read List:

Updated List:

Buddy Reads coming up next are:

July/August: Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham

July/August: The Mystery at Underwood House by Clara Benson

August/Sept: Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes.

Sept/October: Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper by Donald Henderson.
Sweet Danger: Margery Allingham

October/November: Malice in Wonderland by Nicholas Blake
Death Among the Sunbathers: E R Punshon

November/December: The Case of the Abominable Snowman by Nicholas Blake
The Treasure at Poldarrow Point by Clara Benson

December/January: An English Murder by Cecil Hare
Coffin Scarcely Used by Colin Watson

January/February: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

February/March: Black Roses by Jane Thynne (currently 99p on kindle)
Minute for Murder by Nicholas Blake

March/April: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Stop Press by Michael Innes

[Carolien]

Carol wrote: "Malice in malmo for me."

Been on my list for ages. Will be interested.

I'll join Colin Watson as well.

Anybody up for PD James in order?

[Susan]

Meet Me in Malmo is, I think, the first in the series? I wasn't sure whether Carol was saying she was reading that, or suggesting it? We haven't had many Scandinavian novels (if any?) so it would be interesting.

I love P D James and would certainly like to read them in order, so definitely a possible. In fact, I think I suggested them as a first challenge, until we decided to go with Sayers?

[Susan]

Carolien, do you want me to add the first P D James to the Buddy List? That would be Cover Her Face

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "Carolien, do you want me to add the first P D James to the Buddy List? That would be Cover Her Face "

Yes, please. I'd love that.

[Susan]

Buddy Reads coming up next are:

July/August: Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham

July/August: The Mystery at Underwood House by Clara Benson

August/Sept: Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes.

Sept/October: Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper by Donald Henderson.
Sweet Danger: Margery Allingham

October/November: Malice in Wonderland by Nicholas Blake
Death Among the Sunbathers: E R Punshon

November/December: The Case of the Abominable Snowman by Nicholas Blake
The Treasure at Poldarrow Point by Clara Benson

December/January: An English Murder by Cecil Hare
Coffin Scarcely Used by Colin Watson

January/February: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

February/March: Black Roses by Jane Thynne (currently 99p on kindle)
Minute for Murder by Nicholas Blake

March/April: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Stop Press by Michael Innes

April/May: Cover Her Face by P D. James

[Susan]

We are so far ahead now that I am calling a temporary halt to adding new books to the Buddy Read list for a couple of months :)

Thank for all the great suggestions and it is fantastic that we have some new series starting, for new members to start with.

[Jill]

Finished Lament for a Maker at last. and now reading The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney So far liking it a lot.

[Susan]

I finished Lament for a Maker yesterday too (rather pleasantly, sitting by the river in Oxford, while my children were punting with their cousins). Not sure I am really getting any further with Michael Innes though.... Lament was a struggle!

[Elinor]

Been a long time :) I've bought quite a few books during my trip in London, Cambridge and Oxford, a few of them being mysteries. But haven't been reading a lot of mysteries lately, just Death in a Tenured Position (I'm reading this series completly out of order and it's not my fault) which I did quite enjoy but didn't love. However I should be starting Last Bus to Woodstock today !

[Teri-K]

Susan wrote: "I finished Lament for a Maker yesterday too (rather pleasantly, sitting by the river in Oxford, while my children were punting with their cousins). Not sure I am really getting any further with Mic..."

I finally gave up on Innes. I only liked one of four that I read. Struggle is a good way to describe how I felt, too.

[Gary]

Just finished Cop Hater by Ed McBain I used the paperback cover since it is better than the current Kindle cover. A really fine start to the extremely long running 87th Precinct series.

Of course now the question is what next, after I finish reading some non-mystery novels.

[Louise]

Just started reading Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers, which is quite enjoyable.