What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 401-450 of 4,475

[Lady Clementina]

The Man in the Queue- I have read it before but don't remember enough details for the discussion so am revisiting.

[Jay-me (Janet)]

The Lake District Murder and just about to start The Sussex Downs Murder
We've played two murder mystery games this weekend, one of them ( board game about Sherlock Holmes) I solved the clues first and the second one (role playing where we each revealed clues about ourselves and challenged each other) I was the murderer.

[Lady Clementina]

Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "The Lake District Murder and just about to start The Sussex Downs Murder
We've played two murder mystery games this weekend, one of them ( board game about Sherlock ..."

Those sound like fun. We had this game which we used to play as kids- where you had chits with king/soldier/thief/minister on them and the one who got minister had to figure out who the others were.

[Leslie]

I am reading the 10th McGee mystery, The Girl In The Plain Brown Wrapper, before diving into my library loan of Black and Blue by Ian Rankin.

[Sandy]

I just finished A Room Full of Bones, #4 in the Ruth Galloway series. It is current day, she is an archaeologist, and the setting is Norfolk, England. Good series and I enjoyed the book. (if you are interested in the series, start at the beginning.) But then I went on to one of those short ebooks that are sold as filler between the "real" books in the series, Ruth's First Christmas Tree. I hope I didn't spend much. I have read of these and really don't feel they are worth even the 99 cents I probably spent. Only from the library from now on!

An aside (a rant?): Reading reviews of the book many people complained of the repetitive details. This is a problem with series, but I read the entries so far apart that I'm not bothered. One reason to not sit down and read them one after another; they are published at least a year apart.

[Betsy]

I have read quite a few of the Galloway books. As long as they stuck to the mysteries, they were okay; but I found all the details on her personal life and that of practically all her friends to be boring and unnecessary so I gave up on the series.

[Lady Clementina]

I just came across two series I hadn't heard of before yesterday-Chet and Bernie mysteries narrated by Chet the dog by Spender Quinn and the High Heels series by Gemma Haliday. Has anyone read either/both?

[Susan]

I read the first Galloway book but never liked it and never read on. I know it is a very popular series, but I agree with Betsy that there was far too much on her personal life. I found that with the first Tony Parsons book, The Murder Bag, although he focuses more on the crime now and has side lined the personal life a bit. I do like the characters in a series, but the crime needs to be central I think. All feel free to disagree!

[Damaskcat]

Susan wrote: "I read the first Galloway book but never liked it and never read on. I know it is a very popular series, but I agree with Betsy that there was far too much on her personal life. I found that with t..."

With police procedural crime novels I dislike having to read a lot about the detectives' private lives but because the Ruth Galloway series isn't a police procedural I actually enjoy the private life bits and think they're an integral part of the books. I love the series and have recently re-read them all back to back and found them even better than the first time I read them.

[Susan]

Normally, I tend to like the same books as you and Damaskcat, Ann, but I just really did not enjoy the first Ruth Galloway book. Never mind, it happens sometimes...

[Betsy]

My problem is that for me the crimes/mysteries in the Galloway books have almost taken second place to all the trials and tribulations of Ruth and Co. I read mysteries for the mysteries, not the machinations of their private lives.

[Susan]

I think that part of the charm of a series lies in the characters - it is like meeting up with old friends. However, that depends upon how much you like the characters and whether you care about them. With some series I can tolerate it, in others I quite like it, but some I find irritating. You soon know which series you want to follow.

[Betsy]

It's definitely a good thing that there are so many mysteries out there so that readers can find what they like, and don't have to 'settle'.

[Sandy]

I'm definitely on the characters first, mystery second team and probably the best example is how much I love the Amelia Peabody series - the mysteries are outrageous but the family is wonderful.

[Rebecca]

I am currently reading The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni where Dante Alighieri is the main character so hopefully it will be as good as it sounds. I used to be wary about authors using real people as characters or historical events in their novels, but the few that I have read so far this year haven't been bad.

[Leslie]

Sandy wrote: "I'm definitely on the characters first, mystery second team and probably the best example is how much I love the Amelia Peabody series - the mysteries are outrageous but the family is wonderful."

Perhaps one reason that is such a successful series is that I love it too even though I am mystery first, characters second team! Though the best mysteries have both character & mystery of course...

[Lady Clementina]

Sandy wrote: "I'm definitely on the characters first, mystery second team and probably the best example is how much I love the Amelia Peabody series - the mysteries are outrageous but the family is wonderful."

I've only read one of those so far but it was great fun. They felt sort of like exaggerated versions of the characters from the Mummy films.

[Everyman]

Damaskcat wrote: With police procedural crime novels I dislike having to read a lot about the detectives' private lives but because the Ruth Galloway series isn't a police procedural I actually enjoy the private life bits and think they're an integral part of the books. "

What about the Hamish Macbeth mysteries? They're in a way police procedural, but they're also very much about his private life and how it develops (and undevelops) over the series.

[Sandy]

I enjoy Hamish, but consider him more as an anti-police procedural (or maybe police anti-procedural) as he is so often on the outs with his boss. Or prehaps they usually are? I don't read many. I enjoy his personal life, the side characters and the community, but he doesn't develop.

[Betsy]

I agree. The Hamish of the first book and the latest book are mainly the same. Just the fact that he can't 'decide' between his women after some 20 books says a great deal about him plus I think he likes being the big man in his very small world. Granted his bosses are jerks, but that seems to be common in mysteries nowdays.

[Jan C]

I've never been a fan of Hamish. They seem too much like "cozy" to me, although they may not technically fall under the definition of "cozy".

[Miss M]

I do think the MacBeth books are cozies, even with a policeman. Think I've finally given up on them though, took the last one back to the library unread. Just too formulaic for me and as Betsy says, really nothing ever changes.

I like how the personal lives and family of the detectives in Deborah Crombie's series have developed over tme.

[Susan]

The good thing about this debate is that there are SO many series, that you do not have to read any that don't interest you. The choice is so immense. I just think it depends on what you personally like. I don't mind Gregor Demarkian's cast of neighbours in the Jane Haddam books, but other series annoy me. If you don't warm to a series you can just drop it and try something else and thank goodness for all the great choice we have - truly we are spoilt as readers.

[HJ]

Everyman wrote: "What about the Hamish Macbeth mysteries? They're in a way police procedural, but they're also very much about his private life and how it develops (and undevelops) over the series. ..."

For me the problem is that I love the TV series (I own the DVDs) but was disappointed by the books. He's almost anarchical in the TV series, and the characters of the villagers are wonderful too.

[Damaskcat]

Susan wrote: "Normally, I tend to like the same books as you and Damaskcat, Ann, but I just really did not enjoy the first Ruth Galloway book. Never mind, it happens sometimes..."

It would be odd if we liked all the same books :-)

[Damaskcat]

Everyman wrote: "Damaskcat wrote: With police procedural crime novels I dislike having to read a lot about the detectives' private lives but because the Ruth Galloway series isn't a police procedural I actually enj..."

Love Hamish Macbeth :-) He is so much a part of the mysteries he investigates because he usually knows the people involved that his private life is his work life I think.

I also like Cynthia Harrod Eages' Bill Slider mysteries but there is quite a lot about his private life in those too. I think it depends what the private life consists of as to whether I like reading about it. I got totally fed up of alcoholic detectives at one point when they were 'fashionable' that I went off series which had a lot about recurring personal problems in them.

I think one of the reasons why I like the Ruth Galloway series is because the main characters' personal problems do change and they do find creative solutions to them - even if those solutions don't work all the time. It's not the same problem all the time without any change or development.

[Everyman]

Miss M wrote: "I do think the MacBeth books are cozies, even with a policeman. Think I've finally given up on them though, took the last one back to the library unread. Just too formulaic for me and as Betsy says..."

Well, one thing that changed that I miss is his hill climbing. Maybe he's getting too old for it, but that was a fun feature of some of the early books which has been totally missing from the more recent books.

[Sandy]

I forgot about his hill running, thanks for the reminder. I think Hamish lives in one of those timeless fantasy villages. Some of the stories go on for awhile as the author mentions that months have passed and seasons have changed (which I really appreciate as a small touch of reality vs. everything wrapped up in a week), so after 30 books he would be getting along in years in the real world.

[Ellen]

I am reading Hamlet, Revenge!byMichael Innes. It is the second in the Appleby series.

[Leslie]

I had some trouble with the first part of that but by the end I loved it! I think this is the one that made me decide to read more of the Appleby series.

[Susan]

I really must go back to Appleby - I enjoyed the first one in the series. I'm a sucker for books set in Oxford - my nephew is a student there and I love visiting him:)

[Abigail]

Love the Appleby books! Also the novels that Michael Innes wrote under his real name, J. I. M. Stewart.

[Carolien]

I've just started Murder in Steeple Martin and so far am enjoying it. I'm finding the descriptions on how and who harvested hops in Kent before automation especially interesting. It's one of those little side alleys in history that has completely disappeared. (Of course, what I should be doing is studying for my law exams that are coming up over the next two weeks!)

[Susan]

My mother used to go hop picking as a child, Carolien. I believe much of the East End decamped to Kent in the summer.

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "My mother used to go hop picking as a child, Carolien. I believe much of the East End decamped to Kent in the summer."

That's exactly what the book describes!

[Damaskcat]

Susan wrote: "I really must go back to Appleby - I enjoyed the first one in the series. I'm a sucker for books set in Oxford - my nephew is a student there and I love visiting him:)"

The Appleby series is one I keep meaning to go back to as well.

Another author whose books are set in Oxford is Veronica Stallwood

[Damaskcat]

Carolien wrote: "I've just started Murder in Steeple Martin and so far am enjoying it. I'm finding the descriptions on how and who harvested hops in Kent before automation especially interesting. It..."

By coincidence I'm listening to the audio book edition of the second book in that series - Murder at the Laurels

[Damaskcat]

Carolien wrote: "Susan wrote: "My mother used to go hop picking as a child, Carolien. I believe much of the East End decamped to Kent in the summer."

That's exactly what the book describes!"

I think there's one of the Maisie Dobbs series which involves hop picking as well.

[Susan]

It was a cheap holiday for those in the East End. Whole communities used to go and camp in the same places each year. My mother had very pleasant memories of going.

[Rebecca]

Today I finished The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni which has Dante Alighieri as the main character. The premise was good, but it fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the political and religious tension, but the climax was a bit boring.
Now I can continue with the Shardlake series, I'm excited to see what happens next!

[Everyman]

Have started The Cinema Murder (free from gutenberg) as my bedside book. It's a little weird so far, but enjoyable.

BTW, if you read e-books at bedtime, as I often do, read them on an ereader (Kindle or Nook) rather than on a tablet or smartphone. The white screen of a true ereader doesn't interfere with your ability to get to sleep, but the blue light screen of a tablet or smart phone does.

[Lady Clementina]

Everyman wrote: "Have started The Cinema Murder (free from gutenberg) as my bedside book. It's a little weird so far, but enjoyable.

BTW, if you read e-books at bedtime, as I often do, read them on an ereader (Kin..."

I prefer reading actual books at bedtime for the reasons you mentioned as well as comfort so I read e-books whenever I can during the day (all day these days since I am taking a break) but switch to a book at bedtime. At the moment that book is Duncton Wood.

[Judy]

I'm just reading The Daughters of Gentlemen the second in the Frances Doughty series by Linda Stratmann at the moment, and enjoying it a lot - I love reading books set in the Victorian period, and she has a dry sense of humour which adds to my enjoyment. Thanks again to Damaskcat for the recommendation.

[Susan]

I just started Confessions which is really interesting/different so far.

[Damaskcat]

Judy wrote: "I'm just reading The Daughters of Gentlemen the second in the Frances Doughty series by Linda Stratmann at the moment, and enjoying it a lot - I love reading books s..."

You're welcome, Judy and I'm glad you're enjoying them :-)

[Deborah]

I'm reading an old Perry Mason. Picked it up a few weeks ago, then got busy. :(

[Carolien]

Everyman wrote: "Have started The Cinema Murder (free from gutenberg) as my bedside book. It's a little weird so far, but enjoyable."

I enjoy Oppenheim, he wrote some of the very early spy thrillers as well.

[Everyman]

Deborah wrote: "I'm reading an old Perry Mason. Picked it up a few weeks ago, then got busy. :("

Oh, by golly, I had totally forgotten about Perry Mason. Although ESG certainly wasn't one of the "follow the rules" authors. But Raymond Burr was unforgettable.

I found out that the Perry Mason series is the best selling adult book series in history, according to Wikipedia. (Its third on the overall list; the top two are Harry Potter and Goosebumps.)

[Betsy]

I've read quite a few of the PERRY MASON books, and have seen all of the episodes.

[Jan C]

I'm working my way through Perry Mason. Of course I saw all the shows. But I had read a book by Susan Kandel, I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason where the lead character, Cece Caruso, was working on a biography of Gardner. I'm on her fourth book now, Christietown. And Gardner's second. I have read a few others that were out of order though.