What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 3,501-3,550 of 4,475

[Susan]

Thanks everyone - especially Elizabeth. I have read a few of the books you listed, but I will check out all the titles. As this thread is quite busy, at the moment, I will just post the books for our Challenge next year. Obviously, this list will also be on the Challenge thread, but it is always a good idea to organise our reading - as the year is, unbelievably, heading towards winter!

As everyone knows, we are planning to continue our Ngaio Marsh challenge next year. We have already read books 1-12, so next year, we will be reading the following titles:

Jan - Book 13. Died in the Wool (1944)
Feb - Book 14. Final Curtain (1947)
March - Book 15. A Wreath for Rivera (1949)
aka Swing, Brother, Swing
April - Book 16. Night at the Vulcan (1951)
aka Opening Night
May - Book 17. Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953)
aka The Bride of Death
June - Book 18. Scales of Justice (1955)
July - Book 19. Death of a Fool (1956)
aka Off with His Head
August - Book 20. Singing in the Shrouds (1958)
September - Book 21. False Scent (1959)
October - Book 22. Hand in Glove (1962)
November - Book 23. Dead Water (1963)
December - Book 24. Killer Dolphin (1966)
aka Death at the Dolphin

There are further Marsh books in the series:

25. Clutch of Constables (1968)
26. When in Rome (1968)
27. Tied Up in Tinsel (1972)
28. Black As He's Painted (1974)
29. Last Ditch (1976)
30. A Grave Mistake (1978)
31. Photo Finish (1980)
32. Light Thickens (1982)
33. Money in the Morgue (2018) (with Stella Duffy)

Rather than continue the Marsh challenge into a further year, we will run the remaining nine books as Buddy Reads.

[Jill]

That's good to hear Susan.

[Judy]

Annabel wrote: "I've just finished Trent's Last Case which I know was a Buddy Read on here not long ago.

A really early classic o..."

Glad you enjoyed this one, Annabel - I agree with your comments about the problems with it, but also feel that it was well worth reading.

[Valerie]

Elizabeth's list reminded me of: Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker, which I've read and enjoyed. I hope to get back to that series as well. The setting is the French countryside.

[Adrian]

Susan wrote: "What are our favourite mystery series set in other countries? Recommendations welcome!"

Maigret !

[Gardener0126]

Another series that is set in Italy are the Inspector Montalbano mysteries by Andrea Camilleri. Quite a few of them have been translated into English.
Amazons Camilleri page says: “you either love Andrea Camilleri or you haven’t read him yet.” I’m too cheap to spend $10 or more on an ebook, so I have been borrowing the audiobooks from the library. My library doesn’t have his ebooks.

[Gardener0126]

I just finished The Fourth Postman and 8 Faces at 3 both by Craig Rice. They are the first of her books that Ive read, and I thought they were fun. Somewhere I saw them described as “screwball comedy meets hard boiled detective”. It’s actually a pretty apt description. The mystery is quite good, but it’s all mixed in with the quirky comedy, so you need to pay attention to pick out any clues.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I've added the first in the series of both Camilerri and Rice. Thanks!

[Roman Clodia]

Well, I'm probably conventional in loving the Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri; I also discovered the Quebec-set Three Pines series last year by Louise Penny and just devoured them back to back.

I'd previously dipped in Donna Leon's Venice-set police series, am now reading them from the start - have no. 3 up next.

[Agnesh]

Just started Mystery In White by J Jefferson Farjeon ( A British Library Crime Classic reprint)

Fun fact from the jacket: Farjeon is now best known as the author of Number Seventeen, a play that was adapted for the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock.

[Judy]

Hope you enjoy Mystery in White, Agnesh. It was a Christmas group read here a couple of years ago - if you want to take a look at our discussion, this is a link to the non-spoiler thread:

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

[Judy]

I've been getting into festive mood somewhat early - the next Marsh book, Death and the Dancing Footman, is very snowbound, although I don't think it is actually set at Christmas. (I may be wrong as I haven't finished it yet!)

I've also started listening to Hugh Fraser reading The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, really for the second story in the collection, which is one of this month's Poirot buddy reads - but, having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas pudding title story!

[Susan]

I really enjoyed, "Death and the Dancing Footman," Judy.

[Jan C]

I enjoy both Camilleri and Rice.

[Frances]

Just finished Bleeding Darkness, the fifth in the Stonechild and Rouleau series set in Kingston and Ottawa, Canada (my hometown). I really enjoy this series-police procedural mysteries without too much violence, and, at least in the first and last book, lots and lots of snow! Great characters that develop as the series progresses with interesting side histories.

[Louise]

When in Rome by NgaioMarsh. It's fairly good.

[Carolien]

Frances wrote: "Just finished Bleeding Darkness, the fifth in the Stonechild and Rouleau series set in Kingston and Ottawa, Canada (my hometown). I really enjoy this series-police procedural myster..."

I've downloaded the first in the series based on a recommendation in another group. Glad to see there are more fans. Now I just need to read it!

[Carolien]

In terms of mysteries set in different countries, I read a lot of translated crime this year. I'm just going to post the link to my challenge as there is a very long list in comments 1 and 2.

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

[Carolien]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I'm currently reading The Burglar on the Prowl by Lawrence Block. Light and amusing.

Susan wrote: "What are our favourite mystery series set in other countries? Recomm..."

Brilliant list and a lot of authors I haven't tried yet. Thanks!

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I thought of another this morning, a series set in Bangkok. I've read only the first, but I learned more about the dominant religion than I might have expected from a mystery novel.

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett

Most of this one is OK, but there is creepy stuff, too.

[Valerie]

I always forget that Canada is a different country to some (ha, ha....) - I love Louise Penny (you need to start at the beginning of the series); and Brad Smith (sadly, he has only done 3 in the Virgil Cain series).

I also am just starting the Ava Lee series by Ian Hamilton. I started with the prequel Ava Lee .5.

[Jill]

Another author I thought of is Dana Stabenow I read the first of Dana Stabenow books (Kate Shuak series) set in Alaska and liked that a lot. I intend to get back to her. I found the first certainly gave me the feeling of the vastness of the snow.

[Carolien]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I thought of another this morning, a series set in Bangkok. I've read only the first, but I learned more about the dominant religion than I might have expected from a mystery novel.

Bangkok ..."</i>

Another series set in Thailand is by [author:Timothy Hallinan. I think the first one is A Nail Through the Heart.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jill wrote: "Another author I thought of is Dana Stabenow I read the first of Dana Stabenow books (Kate Shuak series) set in Alaska and liked that a lot. I intend to get back to her. I found the first certainly..."

Haha! I'm like Valerie. Canada and the US are not "different" countries.

[Frances]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: Haha! I'm like Valerie. Canada and the US are not "different" countries.

We may sound the same (at least to your northerners), but I think that politically and philosophically we are very different.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Frances wrote: "We may sound the same (at least to your northerners), but I think that politically and philosophically we are very different. "

Perhaps. And perhaps we're not so different being that we all started as British subjects. But we're talking mystery settings in this thread, are we not?

[Susan]

I am currently reading The Long Drop

Love the cover of this book and enjoying it very much so far. Very dark and disconcerting.

[Jan C]

We are different countries or we wouldn't need passports to cross the border. Although I can remember when all you facedcrossing the border was a couple of questions - business or pleasure? Are you taking fruit? Yes, we were, at least once. They had a young me sitting on a bushel of peaches and was threatened if I opened my mouth.

[Judy]

I really enjoyed Death and the Dancing Footman and have now started A Bespoke Murder.

[Sandy]

Re exotic settings: I've enjoyed a series set in Botswana (not #1 Ladies, I love that series but don't really consider them mysteries) by Michael Stanley (actually two people, Michael and Stanley). The first book is A Carrion Death. Botswana is still portrayed, as in #1 Ladies, as a polite, honorable society; quite a treat.

[Carolien]

Mysteries in other countries (I've linked to the first book in the series)

Italy:
Delayed Death
A Florentine Death
A Season for the Dead
Ratking
The Shape of Water
Death at La Fenice

France:
Murder in the Marais
The 7th Woman

Greece
Murder In Mykonos

Brazil:
Blood of the Wicked

Ghana
Wife of the Gods

Kenya:
Strange Gods: A Mystery (historical)
Nairobi Heat
The Honey Guide

Japan:
Claws of the Cat (historical)
The Salaryman's Wife

Iceland:
Last Rituals

Sweden:
Unseen
Mind's Eye

South Africa:
Recipes for Love and Murder (cozy)
Red Ink
Payback (not for the squeamish)
Like Clockwork (again not for the squeamish)
Random Violence
Sibanda and the Rainbird
Weeping Waters (excellent, very complex plot)
Dark Traces

Laos:
The Coroner's Lunch

Australia:
The Dry
Miss Phryne Fisher Investigates
Truth

New Zealand:
Assigned to Murder

India:
A Madras Miasma
The Last Kashmiri Rose

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Great list, Carolien. Thanks!

[Jill]

Many thanks Carolien.

[Valerie]

Sandy wrote: "Re exotic settings: I've enjoyed a series set in Botswana (not #1 Ladies, I love that series but don't really consider them mysteries) by Michael Stanley (actually two people, Michael and Stanley)...."

That looks interesting, I've added it to my TBR. I'm like you - I love #1 Ladies, but they're not really mysteries!

[Judy]

Thanks for the list, Carolien, and also thanks for yours that you posted earlier, Elizabeth. Some great choices there.

[Susan]

Last Rituals and The Last Kashmiri Rose are two of my favourites from that list, Carolien.

I just got The Sentence is Death from NetGalley today, so need to start that, as it is out on the 1st November.

[Pamela]

I really liked The Honey Guide, it's a shame that series seems to have come to a halt.

The Darko Dawson series set in Ghana is also good (Wife of the Gods in Carolien's post)

[Jill]

I am reading Lord Edgeware Dies ready for next month.

[Sandy]

I am reading The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird. I read others in the series a couple of years ago (maybe with this group), liked them, then forgot them. Now I remember how much I enjoy the author's quiet humor. Regarding a police photographer who knows the answer to every question: "perhaps it is best he went in for photography. Knowing all the answers as he did would have got him nowhere on the police ladder of promotion."

I was quite surprised that the series continues into the 21st century as I thought the books were Golden Age. Aird may still be alive, though almost 80. And its a 25 book series.

[Lady Clementina]

Sandy wrote: "I am reading The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird. I read others in the series a couple of years ago (maybe with this group), liked them, then forgot them. Now I remember how mu..."

Stately Home is the only one I've read of hers and I really enjoyed it-the humour as you mention, especially.

[Susan]

I have the first in the series on my kindle and must get around to reading it. I have always heard good things about Catherine Aird.

[Paperbackreader]

I have read quite few books form Catherine Aird's Inspector Sloan series. They are kind of a mixed bag. I liked the first book of the series, The Religious Body. Some of the books start off great but kind of peter out. But overall, it is a good series. I was never bored and Aird is always funny.

[Jill]

I've read the first two and enjoyed them.

[Louise]

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. A bit slow getting started, I don't really want a lot of stuff about the detectives personal lives, I want them to get on with solving crimes.

[Sandy]

Louise wrote: "Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. A bit slow getting started, I don't really want a lot of stuff about the detectives personal lives, I want them to get on with solving crimes."

I've also just started Lethal White but I am intensely interested in their personal lives. Just like Harry Potter, these books get longer with each entry and the mystery is just starting at the end of the 2nd cd (of 19!).

[Lady Clementina]

Sandy wrote: "Louise wrote: "Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. A bit slow getting started, I don't really want a lot of stuff about the detectives personal lives, I want them to get on with solving crimes."

I'v..."
I've been hearing both reactions- some people aren't particularly thrilled with their personal lives occupying so much of the book, and indeed the length of the thing. I am yet to read the third book, but I did really like 1 and 2

[Jan C]

I just finished Excursion to Tindari, Andrea Camilleri's 5th Inspector Montalbano story.

[Carolien]

Just finished Rounding the Mark, the 7th in the series. It's an interesting read in the context of the current immigration debate as it was written in 2003 with a central part of the plot related to child trafficking as a subset of the illegal immigration context. Enjoyed the setting as usual.

[Susan]

I've only read the first one. Another series that I need to continue. Having just visited the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio tour with my children, there is a lot of J K Rowling in my house at the moment!

[Louise]

Sandy wrote: "Louise wrote: "Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. A bit slow getting started, I don't really want a lot of stuff about the detectives personal lives, I want them to get on with solving crimes."

I'v..."

I find it very irritating. Just as something interesting seems to be happening, we're back with that tiresome Robin and her tiresome husband, or Strike's girlfriend or ex.girlfriend or something.