may 2016 - sandi

[Sandi]

A very good month quality wise with many of my favorite authors.

Here are my May reads:

Top Reads

Wolves Eat Dogs
Martin Cruz Smith
A very good listen. Arkady Renko was as fascinating as ever and the plot, which revolved around "New Russians" who have made a killing with capitalism and site of the Chernobyl disaster, was both absorbing and suspenseful. Listened to the audio version which was ably narrated by Henry Strozier.

Wilde Lake
Laura Lippman
A well written look at a family's secrets and memories with a bit of suspense thrown in. The two time lines of the plot were deftly handled and the characters were quite believable.

Island of Bones
Imogen Robertson
Crowther and Westerman are among my favorite historical detective duos and I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the series. This book delved into Crowther's past and, while the actual mystery plot was fairly predictable, the characters, historical details, and atmosphere were all top rate. Listened to the audio version narrated by Jenny Sterlin who did a great job with all the different characters.

Reasonable Doubts
Gianrico Carofiglio
Another excellent entry in this series featuring a lawyer in Bari, Italy. Smartly written with an intriguing plot and fascinating characters. Listened to the audio which was narrated by Sean Barrett who gave his usual high quality performance.

Cruel Habitations
Kate Charles
Like the author's previous works the plot revolves around the Anglican Church, in this case a fictional Cathedral Close, and the community within. Lots of tension and suspense with some romance made this a very compelling read.

The Fourth Watcher
Timothy Hallinan
An excellent thriller that mixes the well described Bangkok setting and strong characters with a tension filled plot that never falters.

Good Reads

A Pleasure and a Calling
Phil Hogan
This was definitely a unique read. I found it weird and creepy but in a good way. The first person narration really drew me into the story and I enjoyed the dark humor.

Doll
Ed McBain
Originally published in 1965, this is the 20th book in the 87th Precinct series and one of the most suspenseful. Steve Carella, Bert Kling, and Meyer Meyer investigate the brutal murder of a fashion model. I enjoyed the fast paced plot and the squad's interactions.

The Drifter
Nicholas Petrie
This was an enjoyable audio thriller that had lots of action, interesting characters, and did a good job of relating the plight of our veterans when they return home from the various war zones. The narration was handled by Stephen Mendel who was fine but I found his performance of the dialogue a bit stilted.

Turnstone
Graham Hurley
A quite good first entry in a long running English police procedural series. I liked the gritty Portsmouth setting, found all the characters realistic, and thought the plotting was well done.

Specimen Song: A Gabriel Du Pre Mystery
Peter Bowen
Not really my favorite type of plot but found this enjoyable because of the various settings and the Native American lore that was mixed into the narrative.

[Amy]

Very good month.

[Melodie]

11 is a very good number! Don't you just love it when they're all good?

[Ann]

Quite a list Sandi! You had quite a few series entries this month, many/most unfamiliar to me - as always thanks for the tempting sounding summaries.
Like you I thought The Drifter was a strong book with an interesting perspective on the acclimation struggles of returning veterans.

[Dan in AZ]

I especially like Martin Cruz smith, and I enjoy Hallinan's
Poke Rafferty character. Bangkok's bar scene is much like I remember it from my R & R there in '68.

[Dawn]

Stellar month for you!!

[Ann]

Good to know Dan!
Dan in AZ wrote: "I especially like Martin Cruz smith, and I enjoy Hallinan's Poke Rafferty character. Bangkok's bar scene is much like I remember it from my R & R there in '68."

[Amy]

Good month.