The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
General Chat
>
Currently Reading? Just Finished? 2020
A Scandal in Scarlet
by Vicki DelanyIn this 4th book in the 'Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries', bookstore manager/amateur sleuth Gemma Doyle investigates the death of a museum volunteer. The book works fine as a standalone.
Fun cozy. 3 stars
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nancy, Turn of the Screw is one of my favorite gothic horror novels, and one that gets overlooked, probably because it doesn’t have an iconic character, i.e. Dracula, the Frankenstein creature, Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde, Dorian Gray. I plan on watching the Netflix haunted house film trilogy at some point too. I didn’t know it was a trilogy until a few days ago. I loved the film of Turn of the Screw from the 60’s, The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr as the governess. The screenplay was actually by Truman Capote and John Mortimer. The camera work is some of the finest black and white photography ever.
Bruce wrote: "Nancy, Turn of the Screw is one of my favorite gothic horror novels, and one that gets overlooked, probably because it doesn’t have an iconic character, i.e. Dracula, the Frankenstein creature, Dr ..."
It's a fine story to be sure, because of its ambiguity. I'm midway through right now. I think it's more overlooked because of James' writing, which is not at all easy to read, and I have to have complete silence around me while reading his work. The others you mentioned were, for me, much easier.
Re the "haunting trilogy." One of my all-time favorite novels is Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and I was sort of disappointed because although they said it was an homage to Jackson's book, the powers that be did their own thing with it filmwise. Haunting of Bly Manor is on target with Turn of the Screw so far, but I'm only on episode 2.
re The Innocents: fine film.
ps/The Picture of Dorian Gray is also up there among my favorite novels.
It's a fine story to be sure, because of its ambiguity. I'm midway through right now. I think it's more overlooked because of James' writing, which is not at all easy to read, and I have to have complete silence around me while reading his work. The others you mentioned were, for me, much easier.
Re the "haunting trilogy." One of my all-time favorite novels is Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and I was sort of disappointed because although they said it was an homage to Jackson's book, the powers that be did their own thing with it filmwise. Haunting of Bly Manor is on target with Turn of the Screw so far, but I'm only on episode 2.
re The Innocents: fine film.
ps/The Picture of Dorian Gray is also up there among my favorite novels.
The only other James novel I’ve read is the Golden Bowl, which was tedious. I found Turn of the Screw fairly easy to read, although as you said, it’s ambiguous, which may add difficulty. I think when I read it, I found the difficulties to be in that.Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorites as well. The dialogue is brilliant.
Follow the Sharks
by William TapplyBrady Coyne #3, OK to read as a stand-alone. The child of a friend of Brady is kidnapped. Tapply spent the first half of the book detailing the life story of the cast. I'm a fan of the series and I've read probably a dozen, but this entry is a swing and a miss. 2 stars.
I have just finished the delightful, touching
Home Safe beautifully written and beautifully narrated by Elizabeth Berg. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Next up is
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet
I just finished An Unusual Boy
A different sort of mystery. Here’s a link to my four star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Now starting THE DEEP DARK DESCENDING by Allen Eskens, the fourth novel in his ongoing mystery series set in Minnesota and featuring homicide detective Max Rupert.
Finished L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy. A must read noir, probably the most ambitious crime fiction I have read. Rating - 4/5
My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Devotion of Suspect X
by Keigo HigashinoThis psychological thriller pits two brilliant men - a physicist and a mathematician - against each other: one trying to cover up a crime and the other trying to solve it.
Very good puzzler. 4 star
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I completely spaced that my book group is meeting a week from yesterday, so I've started We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Snow will have to wait a bit.
Scott wrote: "Devotion sounds like a great read."
It is a good read. That whole series is pretty good.
It is a good read. That whole series is pretty good.
Bruce wrote: "Nancy, Turn of the Screw is one of my favorite gothic horror novels, and one that gets overlooked, probably because it doesn’t have an iconic character, i.e. Dracula, the Frankenstein creature, Dr ..."
I finished "Turn of the Screw" yesterday. Which camp are you in? Ghosts or no ghosts?
I finished "Turn of the Screw" yesterday. Which camp are you in? Ghosts or no ghosts?
For those that like historical mysteries, Graham Brack’s latest, Dishonour and Obey
is a great addition to the series. Here’s a link to my four star review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater⭐⭐⭐.6 for
Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters by Emily Carpenterhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I am another enthusiastic fan of Graham Brack and his mystery series. Dishonour and Obey is the third outing with Master Mercurius, who investigates a murder for colourful English King Charles II. This is the way to learn history so you remember it!
4★ Link to my review of Dishonour and Obey
Just started reading/listening to Devoted by Dean Koontz. He loves his golden retrievers/yellow labs. :)
The Enemy Inside
by Steve MartiniSteve Martini is well known for his popular legal thrillers. In this 13th book in the 'Paul Madriani' series he veers off that genre, and the lawyer characters act more like detectives than attorneys. Thus this is more a conventional thriller - actually spy thriller - than a legal thriller.
Lots of espionage action. 3 stars
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Murder in Old BombayA clean historical mystery--no sex or profanity, little violence with a dashing hero and a forbidden romance. My review, 3.5* rounded up
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gretchen wrote: "Just started reading/listening to Devoted by Dean Koontz. He loves his golden retrievers/yellow labs. :)"He does! Einstein from Watchers is still one of mine and my wife's favorite dog book. We have a rescue doberman/german shepard mix that we say could teach Einstein a trick or two.
For the thread: finishing book 3 of Killing Eve after watching the series. Die for Me
The Party Upstairs
by Lee ConellA NYC building super and his college graduate daughter who's moved back home clash during a day that's difficult for both of them.
Fun and insightful debut novel. 3.5 stars
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished Thin Air: A Ghost Story
by Michelle PaverMy Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3599014931
The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes and it's left me stunned and breathless after the first few chapters!I have somehow missed posting a few reviews this week . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...⭐⭐⭐⭐
City of Friends by Joanna Trollopehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show... https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
⭐⭐⭐
The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Accident
by S.D. MonaghanA couple are about to move into their beautiful new home when something happens that cold potentially change their lives.
Good psychological thriller.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Black Lotus 2: The Vow and rate it 4 stars.It is a gritty, realistic mystery with a fair amount of violence--not for cozy fans. My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Good Girl, Bad Girl by great Aussie crime-writer Michael Robotham just won him his second Golden Dagger Award. The second in the series, When She Was Good is very, very good, and the bad guys were absolutely horrid!
5★ Link to my review of "When She Was Good"
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Books mentioned in this topic
The Choice (other topics)Little Cruelties (other topics)
Stir-up Sunday (other topics)
Murder with Oolong Tea (other topics)
City of Vengeance (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Karen Rose Smith (other topics)Rex Stout (other topics)
Charles Brandt (other topics)
Adele Parks (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
More...














My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3589617307