What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread Showing 401-450 of 4,457

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while)]

Out Comes the Evil: A Cotswold Murder Mystery by Stella Cameron

[Lady Clementina]

Everyman wrote: "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 "..."

I enjoy Perry Mason books as well. Also the books by ESG with Gramps Wiggins.

[Damaskcat]

I'm currently reading my way through the Falconer Files by Andrea Frazer I can recommend them if you want something light to read. Plenty of humour and well plotted with interesting and likeable characters.

[Deborah]

Everyman wrote: "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 "..."

I found some used, and hadn't read one in years. It was on my shelf in out Tenn lake house. That house has been filled primarily with mysteries.

[Deborah]

Jan C wrote: "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..."

I read several Kandell books and enjoyed them

[Rebecca]

My grandparents had a wall of paperback mysteries in their home office, mostly Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner...I hadn't thought about that in years!

I've just started on Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear. Next up is When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris.

[Susan]

Just started Murder at the Loch
This is the third in a series set in the 1950's and I enjoyed the previous two. The main character is a thriller writer and so it has a nice, bookish feel.

[Carolien]

I've finished Murder in Steeple Martin. Nice cozy mystery with an intricate plot.

[HJ]

Carolien wrote: "I've finished Murder in Steeple Martin. Nice cozy mystery with an intricate plot."

I've got that in my TBR pile. Must get round to it, especially since you recommend it!

[Deborah]

Carolien wrote: "I've finished Murder in Steeple Martin. Nice cozy mystery with an intricate plot."

Good to know. It's on my list already, but now I will look for it

[Jan C]

Carolien wrote: "I've finished Murder in Steeple Martin. Nice cozy mystery with an intricate plot."

I have it partially read on my Kindle. It gets lost in the crowd.

[Susan]

For something different, I just finished Confessions
a literary mystery set in Japan. It is not a 'whodunnit' but looks at he repercussions of a crime. Very good indeed.

[Carolien]

Jan C wrote: "Carolien wrote: "I've finished Murder in Steeple Martin. Nice cozy mystery with an intricate plot."

I have it partially read on my Kindle. It gets lost in the crowd."

I know how that happens!

[Carolien]

Susan wrote: "For something different, I just finished Confessions
a literary mystery set in Japan. It is not a 'whodunnit' but looks at he repercussions of a cri..."

Looks interesting. I have Claws of the Cat on my TBR list which is set in Japan.

[Carolien]

I've just finished Killer Instinct (obviously reading crime fiction is much more amusing than my Criminal Procedure text book at this stage!).

One of the best female protagonists that I have encountered in a while and a solid plot. I like the writing style. It's fairly gruesome, but not as dark as some other books I have read recently and not morbid at all. I'll be checking out the rest of the series (which now involves a convoluted effort to get my husband to buy the Kindle editions via Amazon.co.uk for me as gifts since they're not available on Amazon.com.)