What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread, 2019-2020 Showing 301-350 of 1,516

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "I'm getting on well with Dancers in Mourning, and I think it's wonderful - I'm really remembering why Allingham is my favourite GA writer (well, possibly jointly with Sayers.) Can't wait to discuss..."

Allingham’s a favorite of mine, too, but rereading this one, I remembered this was not a favorite - a lot going on, and went on for too long! I think I want to reread the earlier Campions I’ve only read once.

[Sandy]

I'm reading A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael preparing for A Morbid Taste for Bones. Both are rereads, but there was quite a gap between them so refresher is in order. And time spent with Cadfael is not wasted.

[Jan C]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I think it got lost on my Kindle when I got a new one. .."

Can't you just send it to your new Kindle?"

I assume that it is on the new Kindle (and available on my Fire and tablet), just not sure how deep it is buried.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jan C wrote: "I assume that it is on the new Kindle (and available on my Fire and tablet), just not sure how deep it is buried. ."

That's interesting. When I buy a Kindle book, I have to tell it which device I want it delivered to. And I would not expect (nor would I want) every title I've purchased to be sent to any new device. I also have the option about how I want titles ordered - by title, author or by collection.

[Judy]

I have now finished listening to Agatha Christie: The Lost Plays, which I really enjoyed.

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

[Jill]

Finished Appointment with Death Agatha Christie
Now about to start Rabbit in the Moon by Deborah Shlian

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I'm reading The Clocks by Agatha Christie. It's a late offering of Poirot and so far very different from the earlier ones in the series. I'm about 25% in and Poirot has yet to show up.

[Judy]

I've just started A Morbid Taste for Bones ready for our forthcoming buddy read. I've been meaning to read Cadfael for ages, so am happy to get started.

[Bruce]

Jill, Appointment with Death was a good novel. The play of it that she wrote was actually more interesting. It’s very similar, although 1. Poirot is omitted, 2. The female doctor figures out the murder, and 3. the culprit is different. Similar to how And Then There Were None was changed when she changed it from a novel to a play.

[Bruce]

In fact, I believe Black Coffee (an original play) was the only play Christie wrote that had Poirot. When she turned her actual Poirot novels into stage plays, Poirot was omitted.

[Tara]

Sandy wrote: "I'm reading A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael preparing for A Morbid Taste for Bones. Both are rereads, but there was quite a gap between them so refre..."

I've never read A Rare Benedictine. Is that a prequel that was published later on?

[Tara]

I just started Parker Pyne Investigates on audiobook, with the delightful narrator Hugh Fraser (aka Captain Hastings). His impersonation of Ariadne Oliver is especially funny. These stories aren't really mysteries per se, but work well as shorts, as they involve people who answer an ad from Parker Pyne about being unhappy in life.

[Sandy]

Tara wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I'm reading A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael preparing for A Morbid Taste for Bones. Both are rereads, but there was quite a gap between..."

Three short stories, published later, the first of which has Cadfael joining the monastery. Enjoyable but not necessary for understanding the series.

[Tara]

Sandy wrote: "Tara wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I'm reading A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael preparing for A Morbid Taste for Bones. Both are rereads, but there was quite ..."

Interesting, I didn't know she wrote Cadfael short stories. I find in general you don't necessarily have to read the books in order, although its helpful to keep monastical and familial story lines intact.

[Judy]

The prequel short stories sound interesting, thanks, Sandy - I will hope to read them later.

[Terri]

I just discovered the mysteries of Georgette Heyer at our historic library, which has a nice collection of Golden Age mysteries. (I understand Heyer is better known for her Regency Romances, which don't interest me, but she was also well-regarded as an author of mysteries.) I've read The Unfinished Clue, Why Shoot a Butler?, and Footsteps in the Dark. They were written in the 1930's, and I enjoy books written in that era, anachronisms and all. Of those I have read, I would recommend The Unfinished Clue for GA enthusiasts.

[Terri]

Sandy wrote: "I'm reading A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael preparing for A Morbid Taste for Bones. Both are rereads, but there was quite a gap between them so refre..."

Absolutely agree! I love Brother Cadfael and enjoy rereading the whole series from time to time.

[Bruce]

I just finished Cover Her Face, by P.D. James. I enjoyed A Taste for Death, Devices and Desires, and Children of Men more, but Cover Her Face was an excellent first novel.

[Jill]

That will be our January group read I believe

[Sandy]

I just finished Detection Unlimited, the last of Heyer's mysteries and one of the best.

[Sandy]

And I've started, but put aside, Death on the Nile. I'm listening to the audio, read by Suchet, while following along in the book so it has to wait until I am sitting without a baseball game on the radio. I'm glad a have a print version so I can keep reviewing all the characters that are introduced in the first chapter.

I've used that technique before and found I follow the clues better. I read Cadfael this time, after listening for my first 'read' and I got more out of the story. However, I hate giving up the narrators!

[Jan C]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I assume that it is on the new Kindle (and available on my Fire and tablet), just not sure how deep it is buried. ."

That's interesting. When I buy a Kindle book, I have to tell it w..."

No matter what device I select - it is downloaded to all of my devices.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jan C wrote: "No matter what device I select - it is downloaded to all of my devices. "

That would be simply awful. My daughter shares my Kindle account and neither of us would want the other's books on our Kindle. I also remove from device when I finish a book.

[Jan C]

If there is a way to remove a book from my new Kindle, I haven't discovered it yet. Although it does have filters so when looking at the library you don't have to look at ones that are read. It's a big change from the Keyboard Kindle.

[Abigail]

I don’t know if they’ve changed the procedure (my Kindle is several years old), but the way I remove books is this: Press and hold (don’t tap) the book in question. A menu comes up, one option on which is “Remove from device.” Tap that.

[Jan C]

Abigail wrote: "I don’t know if they’ve changed the procedure (my Kindle is several years old), but the way I remove books is this: Press and hold (don’t tap) the book in question. A menu comes up, one option on w..."

It doesn't seem to offer removal as a choice. It works on my Fire but not my new one, whatever it is.

I guess I could look at the handbook and see if that offers any way to clean it up.

[Jan C]

The directions didn't work.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

What model did you buy? (Not that I'm in the market, but if you can't remove books, I want to be sure not to get that one.)

[Jan C]

I think it is called Paperwhite. I don't recall what edition. It also isn't easy to read at night. I tried reading it in bed when I first got but the light was too bright. Even dimmed.

[Abigail]

What a pain! Mine is a Paperwhite of an earlier vintage--I wonder why they would remove such a useful feature.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jan C wrote: "I think it is called Paperwhite. I don't recall what edition. It also isn't easy to read at night. I tried reading it in bed when I first got but the light was too bright. Even dimmed."

Thanks, Jan. Useful information.

[Jan C]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I think it is called Paperwhite. I don't recall what edition. It also isn't easy to read at night. I tried reading it in bed when I first got but the light was too bright. Even dimmed..."

Too bad I was the on who had to learn it. But glad to save everyone else some money.

[Jan C]

Okay, found out how to remove a book in the list view. Will only do it after book is downloaded. Press the dots on the right side and it offers a removal choice. But, if the book has just been bought it doesn't offer a removal choice from what the user is looking at. Not sure if there is another way to do it. But I would rather not look at this big long list of books.

[Jan C]

Okay. I wouldn't be looking at such a long list if I hadn't checked ALL. I have now switched to DOWNLOADED and it is a much shorter list and I can probably shorten it more.

[Abigail]

I'm about to start A Morbid Taste for Bones.

[Gary]

Nearly done with A Pinch of Poison. 44 pages left and while Homicide detective Lt. Bill Weigand has a hunch I haven't a clue. The Norths haven't been onscreen much in this one so far.

Sheesh auto correct messed up my original message. Now fixed.

[Sandy]

Jan C wrote: "Okay, found out how to remove a book in the list view. Will only do it after book is downloaded. Press the dots on the right side and it offers a removal choice. But, if the book has just been boug..."

There is also a 'delete' function on the Amazon 'your devices' page. It comes with a warning that you will NOT be able to get the book back again, nor any notes, so I only use it for expired library books, not for books I own. Those I remove from my device but keep in the cloud. (I have a non-paperwhite and use Abigail's method)

Thanks for the warning about the brightness of the light - very annoying.

[Tara]

I am not sure if these would technically qualify as mysteries, but I am reading the short-story anthology 100 Fiendish Little Frightmares . Each story is about 7-8 pages, so its easy to fit in one or two a night in between the other books I am reading. Its a bit of a mixed bag; some great classics such as AC Doyle's The Case of Lady Sannox, and also some clunkers. But fun to read regardless.

I also picked back up A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie , which I had started months ago, and then stopped reading for a bit. Its very interesting, although highly technical in parts. I would recommend for anyone who has an interest in the science and biology of poisons.

[Jill]

Sebastien wrote: "Currently reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles of Agatha Christie. So far so good , the first introduction to Poirot!"



Here are the the threads of the discussions from when the group read it :-
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

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

[Judy]

I've started our next Marsh book, False Scent - it starts off well. Hoping this will be a good one.

[Jill]

Just about to start False Scent I too, am hoping this is one of the better of Marsh's books

[Susan in NC]

Just started Triple Jeopardy , #2 in Anne Perry’s spin-off series of young lawyer Daniel Pitt.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Going to start The Hangman's Daughter, which doesn't look to be anything like GA and later. I picked up the entire series when it was a Kindle deal earlier this year. It's not a time period I usually read, and I can't say why, exactly, it appealed to me then. Maybe I was ready for an adventure. Or something.

[Sandy]

Susan, thank you for the mention of The Big Over Easy in the kindle deal thread. It reminded me of how much I liked the first of the Thursday Next series, so I am now rooting for Jack Spratt and Mary Mary to solve the messy death of Mr. Dumpty. Very tiny William Winkle has not been much help.

I wonder if Fforde keeps track of all references and if anyone could get them all. Such fun.

[Sandy]

I read Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, also a mystery with a twist (but quite a different vibe from the above book). I enjoyed it very much, but it has a very strong anti-hunting, pro-animal rights bias. There is a strong sense of place, the Polish-Czech border. It is not an easy book for me to review.

[Judy]

I've started reading Knock, Murderer, Knock! by Harriet Rutland ready for next month's group read. It's currently 99p on Kindle.

[Susan]

I really enjoyed it, Judy. It has mixed reviews, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Very different, but I am reading a modern thriller Elevator Pitch
I hadn't read anything by Linwood Barclay before, but I liked the premise.

[ShanDizzy]

I am reading Sweet Danger (The Albert Campion Mysteries) by Margery Allingham; Inspector French’s Greatest Case (Inspector French Mystery, Book 1) by Freeman Wills Crofts; He Didn't Mind Danger (Inspector Hazlerigg, #2) by Michael Gilbert; THE THORPE HAZELL MYSTERIES - Complete Series by Victor L. Whitechurch and Sherlock Holmes:The Complete Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

[ShanDizzy]

Susan in NC wrote: "Just started Triple Jeopardy , #2 in Anne Perry’s spin-off series of young lawyer Daniel Pitt."

Is this a good read Susan? I actually won a copy of the 1st in the series but it's been on my list for quite a while.

[Judy]

Wow, that is a great selection of reads there, ShanDizzy! Sweet Danger is a favourite of mine and I also really liked Inspector French's Greatest Case, love Holmes and have recently enjoyed trying some Thorpe Hazell, though I only listened to a few abridged ones. I haven't tried anything by Michael Gilbert as yet.