What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 3,951-4,000 of 4,475

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I think Sunbathers cements the idea of how young and inexperienced is Bobby Owens and how he is perceived by other detectives, including his boss, Mitchell. I don't know that *all* of them need to be read in order (have read only the first 3), but I would definitely recommend reading the first two.

[Susan in NC]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I think Sunbathers cements the idea of how young and inexperienced is Bobby Owens and how he is perceived by other detectives, including his boss, Mitchell. I don't know that *all* of them need to ..."

Thanks, Elizabeth- I’ve gotten hold of 1 and 3, I’ll see if I can get Sunbathers!

[Susan]

I just finished The Wych Elm

I haven't read anything by Tana French before, but really liked this.

[Susan in NC]

I’m reading Dead Lions .

[Susan]

Susan in NC wrote: "I’m reading Dead Lions."

Hurrah!

[Susan in NC]

Told you I’d get there - eventually! So many great books, so little time...

[Jill]

Susan in NC wrote: "Told you I’d get there - eventually! So many great books, so little time..."

So right!

[Sandy]

I am about half through Money in the Morgue, the book started by Marsh and finished by Stella Duffy. Alleyn is still in New Zealand and I think Duffy is emphasising that more than Marsh did. Lots of talk about New Zealand traits. Alleyn misses Fox and his crew every few pages. Of course he's been away longer and it is Christmas in the summer; quite unnerving for us from the northern hemisphere.

[Susan in NC]

Finished Dead Lions, dove right into The List: A Novella .

[Susan]

Susan in NC wrote: "Finished Dead Lions, dove right into The List: A Novella."

Hurrah again! I love the novellas, Susan. The Drop: A Slough House Novella follows on from The List, if you like it.

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "I am about half through Money in the Morgue, the book started by Marsh and finished by Stella Duffy ..."

Are you enjoying this one, Sandy? I've nearly finished it now - while I enjoy the descriptions of the New Zealand scenery, so far I have found it rather slow and not as entertaining as Marsh on her own, to be honest.

[Jemima]

I fell behind so I’m busy reading ‘Singing Sands’ at the moment. I’m loving the story. It’s like a mystery and a travel book and a voyage of self discovery all at once.

[Judy]

I liked Singing Sands too. Our threads on it are still open, Jemima. :)

[Sandy]

Judy wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I am about half through Money in the Morgue, the book started by Marsh and finished by Stella Duffy ..."

Are you enjoying this one, Sandy? I've nearly finished it now..."

Only a so-so read for me. There were many parts I enjoyed but much felt drawn out with a rather strange ending. Have you read Stella Duffy? This book did not inspire me to try her.

[Sandy]

Jemima wrote: "I fell behind so I’m busy reading ‘Singing Sands’ at the moment. I’m loving the story. It’s like a mystery and a travel book and a voyage of self discovery all at once."

Singing Sands has many layers, Jemima. Take your time and enjoy them all. The threads are always open.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Finished Dead Lions, dove right into The List: A Novella."

Hurrah again! I love the novellas, Susan. [book:The Drop: A S..."

Ah, good to know, thank you - I thought that came later. I bought this on kindle, opened just to read the first few pages get a feel, and of course I was sucked right in! I read half before bed, I would’ve finished it if my eyes weren’t so tired and it wasn’t late!

[Susan in NC]

Jemima wrote: "I fell behind so I’m busy reading ‘Singing Sands’ at the moment. I’m loving the story. It’s like a mystery and a travel book and a voyage of self discovery all at once."

Lovely - that’s how I felt, as well!

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "Have you read Stella Duffy? This book did not inspire me to try her. ..."

No, I haven't and not sure I will, although her own books with her own characters might be better.

[Susan in NC]

I just started Information Received .

[Judy]

Hope you enjoy Information Received, Susan - I enjoyed the interplay between Inspector Mitchell and Bobby Owen in that one.

[Susan]

I just started Snapshot

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "Hope you enjoy Information Received, Susan - I enjoyed the interplay between Inspector Mitchell and Bobby Owen in that one."

Thanks, I think I will - it’s a new author for me, but Bobby has just discovered the corpse and I’m enjoying the old school feel very much! Can’t wait to meet Mitchell.

[Annabel]

I am reading Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert.

It's set in a WW2 prison camp in Italy and there's a murder. It's not at all grim so far despite the setting - the tone is more like the early sections of A Great Escape.

I think it's one of the recent paperback reprints of 'Golden Age crime' although it doesn't quite fit that category. So far I'm really enjoying it - these reprints have been of variable quality but this one's well written and paced.

[Susan]

His daughter, Harriett Gilbert, does a BBC radio show - A Good Read

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/prof...

I keep meaning to read the re-printed Michael Gilbert books, Annabel.

[Annabel]

That's interesting to know, Susan. I find myself desperate to know whether the author was himself ever a POW but dare not read the book introduction until I've finished in case of spoilers. You would think you would have to have had that experience to write about it.

[Judy]

Annabel, according to Michael Gilbert's Wikipedia page, he served with the Honourable Artillery Company. in 1943, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war in northern Italy near Parma.

[Susan]

He was a POW and sounded a very interesting man. I found his obituary, which says how he managed to fit everything into his very long, and busy life:

"How did he manage to do it all? By industry and application, of course, but also by taking advantage of the 50-minute morning train journey from his home in Kent to write some 500 words each day. This was an art he had learnt in wartime when, saving electricity as he felt was his duty, he took to reading for his law finals in the light provided by the Tube, three times round the Circle Line. The war, however, intervened before he was able to become articled as a solicitor."

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006...

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "He was a POW and sounded a very interesting man. I found his obituary, which says how he managed to fit everything into his very long, and busy life:

"How did he manage to do it all? By industry a..."

That’s what you call resilience!

[Susan]

Yes, I trust the Circle Line was less busy than it is now :)

It reminded me of Churchill's fictitious tube ride, in "Darkest Hour," which never actually happened.

“He’s only been on the Underground once,” were the words of his wife Clemmie, “and that was during the General Strike. I deposited him at South Kensington and he went round and round and round not knowing where to get out.”

[Judy]

That scene made me cringe, Susan - it was so obviously made up!

[Susan]

Much of the film was made up, to be honest. All the books I have read, have suggested Halifax was not keen to be PM for example. He was more involved in having an affair with Baba Metcalfe at the time. Indeed, as I discovered in, Six Minutes in May: How Churchill Unexpectedly Became Prime Minister at the time that Halifax might have been expected to form a government, he disappeared discretely to a dentist appointment, so he couldn't be found!

[Judy]

I'm reading The Secret of High Eldersham by Miles Burton (Cecil Street), which is set in an East Anglian village, and enjoying it - but not much point in me getting hooked on this series, about detective Desmond Merrion, as only 2 of the 61 books are in print! I've already read the other one, Death in the Tunnel. A few books he wrote under another pseudonym, John Rhode, are in print though.

This is one disadvantage of British Library Crime Classics picking up an author compared to Dean Street Press - BLCC often tends to just print one or two titles, whereas DSP usually republishes everything!

[Susan]

That's annoying, Judy. You do need to publish everything - preferably in order :)

[Judy]

To be fair, I suppose as BLCC prints a lot of copies it is probably hard to do too many titles at once. Anyway, I hope they bring out a few more by Miles Burton.

I'm also reading one of the BLCC collections of short stories, Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries.

[Susan]

I can see why publishers want to publish an author's most popular book, but, as you say, it is difficult if you like a book, or an author, and then can't get your hands on the first book in a series.

[Judy]

This actually is the first one, although they published it after one of the later ones, I think.

[Annabel]

Yes. DSP are being very thorough about Patricia Wentworth, which I appreciate. Love that cover of the Miles Burton one though.

[Sandy]

Its a snowy holiday here, my walk is shoveled, and I plan to reward myself by listening to Death in the Clouds.

[Susan in NC]

Perfect way to spend a snowy Monday - enjoy and stay warm! We’re looking at getting some freezing 🥶 rain midweek, I hope they are wrong, always makes such a mess...

[Sandy]

Freezing rain is much worse than snow. Hope you miss it.

[Jan C]

Susan in NC wrote: "Perfect way to spend a snowy Monday - enjoy and stay warm! We’re looking at getting some freezing 🥶 rain midweek, I hope they are wrong, always makes such a mess..."

They say tomorrow night. Hope it will miss us.

[Susan in NC]

Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Perfect way to spend a snowy Monday - enjoy and stay warm! We’re looking at getting some freezing 🥶 rain midweek, I hope they are wrong, always makes such a mess..."

They say t..."

Me, too - you’re further west, in the mountains, right? Be safe!

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Freezing rain is much worse than snow. Hope you miss it."

Thanks! You be careful on the roads tomorrow when everyone heads back out there.

[Jan C]

It has been raining since noonish but freezing rain/ice storm is supposed to be from 6 tonight until 4 tomorrow afternoon.

[Jemima]

I’ve never heard of freezing rain. Is that like hail? We were discussing last night in our AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) class the word for blizzard-which is weird because we would never use that word here and if we went overseas the sign would be different anyway. 😳

[ShanDizzy]

I am currently reading this delightful series which was on my GR homepage, you know, in one of the 'because you read this, you may like this' and I am enjoying it so far.

[ShanDizzy]

Susan in NC wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I think Sunbathers cements the idea of how young and inexperienced is Bobby Owens and how he is perceived by other detectives, including his boss, Mitchell. I don't know ..."

Susan I'm happy to see that you are reading one of my current obsessions - the Bobby Owen series. I'm on #11.

[Susan in NC]

Jemima wrote: "I’ve never heard of freezing rain. Is that like hail? We were discussing last night in our AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) class the word for blizzard-which is weird because we would never use th..."

No, it’s more like a very cold winter rain - the ground and surfaces (roads, bridges, stairs), are so cold that the cold rain freezes on contact - very dangerous for getting around!

[Susan in NC]

S Dizzy wrote: "I am currently reading this delightful series which was on my GR homepage, you know, in one of the 'because you read this, you may like this' and I am enjoying it so far. [bookcover:Murder at Harti..."

Can’t wait to see what you think, that series has been recommended to me, too.

[Susan in NC]

Jan C wrote: "It has been raining since noonish but freezing rain/ice storm is supposed to be from 6 tonight until 4 tomorrow afternoon."

Oh, yuck, be careful! Hope you keep power, and stay warm and dry.