English Mysteries Club discussion
Book Chat
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What are you Currently Reading?
Let me jump in and say how much I enjoy Lady Georgiana. I, too, am up to date and it makes me feel good every time I read it.
Helen wrote: "Penny wrote: "Diane wrote: "Penny wrote: "currently listening to 
anyone else like historical crime?"
I enjoy historical mysteries. My favorite series are..."
wow - a spreadsheet!!
It's just so I can keep track of the books I've read and the books that are coming up for publication. I follow a lot of authors, and it's easier this way.
Her Royal Spyness always looked interesting in the bookstore. I have to try them out. I do like series books because you really get to know the characters.
While I don’t have a spreadsheet, I do have a piece of paper with the series name listed at the top of the page and the books in the series listed below.
In the back of my calendar in the note section, I had to start listing books for each book club so I could keep track and be able to get the upcoming books.
While I don’t have a spreadsheet, I do have a piece of paper with the series name listed at the top of the page and the books in the series listed below.
In the back of my calendar in the note section, I had to start listing books for each book club so I could keep track and be able to get the upcoming books.
Helen wrote: "Agree with Allie, that's a fun series if your wife is looking for lighter fare. Set in the 30s. Is she interested in any particular time frame? I've always got recommendations ."Allie wrote: "Have her try Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen , Adrian.
It’s perfect for someone just submerging themselves into historical mysteries. They’re cute and funny!"
Thank you both for your kind replies. I will pass this recommendation on to her, and pester you both if she needs more, thanks again.
I'm listening to the first in the Inspector Purbright series from the 1950s (fictional) town of Flaxborough: Coffin, Scarcely Used.
Helen wrote: "Penny wrote: "Diane wrote: "Penny wrote: "currently listening to anyone else like historical crime?"
I enjoy historical mysteries. My favorite series are..."
Oh my goodness, I am so glad that I am not the only one to have spreadsheets to keep track of the books I read! When I'm in a bookstore, I use 3x5 cards that not only have the names of the authors and books I've read but comments like "got tired of the main character" or "hated the writing, don't buy." Thanks so much, Helen!
I'm currently finishing up Becoming
by Michelle Obama and am enjoying it very much, but I do miss not reading a mystery and I have so many to choose from.I recently got my hands on The Uninvited Guests
by Sadie Jones, which I've wanted to read since 2013!But considering the times, I think I will start The Keepers of the House
, the Pulitzer Prize-winning work of Shirley Ann Grau.
Pamela wrote: Oh my goodness, I am so glad that I am not the only one to have spreadsheets to keep track of the books I read! When I'm in a bookstore, I use 3x5 cards that not only have the names of the authors and books I've read but comments like "got tired of the main character" or "hated the writing, don't buy." Thanks so much, Helen!I aim to please, Pamela! 8-)
I am currently reading The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie which is my 54th AC book. It's 100 years since AC first published and over on agathachristie.com there is a lot of great info as well as being able to download lists of her books.I hope once the library opens up to pick up some Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham books.
Since my last entry, I managed to read The Keepers of the House
, Oolong Dead
, The Bishop's Pawn
and The Clocks
. This pandemic sure is improving my reading! Last night I dove into a box of Marcia Muller books that I got from a neighbor and pulled out A Wild and Lonely Place. But I'm also eying two books I've downloaded from my local library ...
A U.K. police procedural. The Darkest EveningI enjoyed it, 3.5 stars rounded up. My review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My Goodreads friend Steve Haywood and I had been planning on doing a buddy read of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story collections, His Last Bow, so I've finally started on it today. I'm reading it in the print format Summit Classic Press edition,
His Last Bow: 8 Stories, a faithful reproduction (edited by human beings, not a computer program!) of the 1917 American edition by Doran. It'll be a quick read on my part, since I've already read most of the stories.
So I suppose I am late to the party but I m racing through the Molly Murphy books - loving them and I needed some light relief after the Robert Galbraith book I recently finished. Poor old Wexford is waiting patiently to be picked up again!
Last week I read The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton. Sayers is only one of the remarkable women covered in this group biography, but it was interesting to learn more about her.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm reading The Guest List, by Lucy Foley. This is a proper, British who dunnit mystery!
What a great time to readThe Best Man to Die by Ruth Rendell. Join us in discussing this interesting book in the Wexford buddy reads.
Listening to Allingham's Police at the Funeral. Narrator a bit over-the-top with Campion's voice, but I've grown used to that; otherwise a great job reading. Story takes place in Cambridge, with Lugg left behind in London. As noted above Gareth Armstrong knocks it out of the park (to use an American baseball term) narrating Maigret! 👍👍👍
Am reading a nonfiction work about a period of history very important to Britian and that is The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson.It was a bit slow at the beginning for me but has gotten very interesting and it certainly adds to my knowledge about Churchill and the Blitz during World War II. I just feel that I've not been able to dedicate enough time to reading this story.
I'm listening to The Witness at the Wedding, part of Simon Brett's series centered around a pair of complementary amateurs from a fictional town in West Sussex. Apparently, that's the county to be from, reflecting the best of British life! However, one of the sleuths is forced to attend an event in Essex, which seems to be the dregs of British counties in comparison? Sort of like the reputation of New Jersey, USA or Leitrim, Ireland.
John wrote: "I'm listening to The Witness at the Wedding, part of Simon Brett's series centered around a pair of complementary amateurs from a fictional town in West Sussex. Apparently, that's the..."I lived in West Sussex for over 20 years John , and it is a nice County, wonderful coast and fabulous rolling countryside. In fact I even met Simon Brett a few times at festivals and such. Essex, well its closer to London, but also has some nice coast and countryside (diplomatic ha ha).
I have moved to West Sussex from Essex. I lived there for 30 years. Simon Brett chose his Essex location with care. It is a part that has a lot of London overspill and, in my opinon, was not developed with care. One part of Essex I miss is the wildness of the salt marshes. The village of Fethering, which is the location for this set of stories, is losely based on Ferring, just outside of Worthing. I feel that it is the selective way that locations are described that provides the differing opinions about them. I love being in West Sussex but have found places that are equally as bleak as some in Essex.
Pam wrote: "I have moved to West Sussex from Essex. I lived there for 30 years. Simon Brett chose his Essex location with care. It is a part that has a lot of London overspill and, in my opinon, was not develo..."I get that there's good and bad everywhere. The part of New Jersey where I am from is educated and affluent, a far cry from the programs Jersey Shore and Sopranos.
Pamela wrote: "Am reading a nonfiction work about a period of history very important to Britian and that is The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz [b..."Pamela, have that in my TBR pile. Also want to read it in conjunction with these, that I'm waiting on from my library:
Troublesome Young Men: The Churchill Conspiracy Of 1940 and Citizens of London: The Americans who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour
Both nonfiction studies of historic events in the early days of WWII.
To tie this into English mysteries, Mike Hollow's "The Blitz Detective" series takes place during the early days of the war, with what went on in the East End -- lots of crime.
Anne Cleeves is English, but this book is set in Scotland.A mystery/thriller, set in Shetland. I enjoyed it. My 4 star review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ann Cleeves is brilliant and we have her to thank for 'Vera' on TV
Dorothy wrote: "Ann Cleeves is brilliant and we have her to thank for 'Vera' on TV"Yes she is
My trouble with Vera on TV is Brenda Blethyn's voice. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard to me.
I like Vera and Brenda's voice doesn't bother me. My wife doesn't watch it.
Susan wrote: "My trouble with Vera on TV is Brenda Blethyn's voice. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard to me."Anne Cleeves thanks "the magnificent Brenda Blethyn" in her latest book The Darkest Evening
I like Vera too and I understand her voice is Ok to most people or she wouldn't have the ratings but it's just irritating to me.
Helen wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Am reading a nonfiction work about a period of history very important to Britian and that is The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Bli..."</i>Helen, it was pretty darn good. I've gotten more and more into nonfiction books about specific periods and have read several about the Roosevelts, including Franklin. Would like to read more about Churchill - he seems to be such a fascinating character.
Next up for me is a book called [book:Salt: A World History
. Really don't have a specific reason except that I know that salt has been in trade for hundreds of years, including I think as currency there for a while. Right now, however, I'm about halfway through Capital Crimes: London Mysteries
, a series of short stories by such notable authors as Arthur Conan Doyle (this is not Sherlock Holmes at all), R. Austin Freeman, J.S. Fletcher, Margery Allingham and Anthony Berkeley.
I have just finished 'A Shilling For Candles' by Josephine Tey. I found the characters interesting but the murderer was a bit too obvious a choice for me. The next one will be the read of the month by Nicola Upson.
I finished an interesting book The Cutting Place by Jane Casey. It was fascinating look at a bizarre murder and a rich man's private club.
I just finished Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
, and am currently reading Death in the East
, and just started a reread (audiobook) of Crocodile on the Sandbank
for an upcoming challenge.
The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. So far I find it a bit long winded. The book has nearly 500 pages and I have read circa a 100.
I am reading theMiss Marple novels in order. This month I plan to read two (2) Agatha Christie novels:4:50 From Paddington
and
The Mirror Crack'd.
Mariasha wrote: "The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. So far I find it a bit long winded. The book has nearly 500 pages and I have read circa a 100." I agree with the start of the book. However keep on because I can assure you that it gets really interesting. Really pleased to see him playing with the form.
Yes, I'll stick to it. I have a feeling the beginning needed to be done that way to introduce the characters properly.
Fan of Karen Charlton's Regency-era series featuring Inspector Lavender and Constable Woods. Skipped the first one, loved the second, and now listening to the audio of the third one The Sculthorpe Murder, brilliantly narrated by Michael Page.
I am making my way through an Anne Perry series set in Victorian London - Thomas Pitt. I took a break to read the latest Louise Penny though. Also reading Ruth Randell but got ahead of the Buddy read.
In another group, I'm joining in a September common read of an Agatha Christie mystery story collection,
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories. I know, I'm coming very late to the party (long story!), but it's a short book and I'm expecting it to be quite a quick read. This is a reread for me; but my first read of it was back sometime in the 90s and I hardly recall anything about the stories, so it's essentially like a new read so far.
Just started Against a Dark Sky by Katherine Pathak. New author to me, set in Scotland so the audio is read by one of my favourites David Monteath. It’s going great so far!!
I'm not reading a mystery but Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures and memories.
Just finished The Whisper Man, which is set in England, although I don't recall that the exact location was ever stated. A well crafted psychological thriller. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished the first in a series, OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE about a murder in a small village. Really enjoyed it.
Some reading buddies in another group I'm in are doing an ongoing read of Agatha Christie's entire Poirot canon. I don't join in all of the reads, but I'm taking part in the one this month, of
Sad Cypress. This is a reread for me; but my previous read was as a kid of perhaps 11 or 12, and I don't really recall anything about it except that it was set in England, had Poirot in it, and took its title from a Shakespeare quotation that considered cypress as wood for a coffin. So for me it's essentially like an entirely new read!
English Mysteries Club
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Right now, I’m reading our selection for June and the Dickensian group too. My other read is The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand which has a A Christmas Carol link. I also want to read soon Letters Home by Sylvia Plath, I finished The Bell Jar and I loved it.