The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion
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Group Read Books Selected for Jan/ Feb 2015 Group Book Reads
I would like to nominate The Talented Mr. Ripley
by Patricia Highsmith.This is not just an award winning movie, it is also the first book in a series featuring one of the most fascinating, convoluted and downright amoral characters to grace the pages of American fiction. The New York Review of Books describes Tom Ripley as:
easygoing, devoted to his wife and friends, epicurean, and a killer only by necessity. By my count, necessity leads this polite aesthete to bludgeon or strangle eight people and watch with satisfaction while two others drown. He also sets in motion the successful suicides of three friends he actually, in his way, cares about. Yet aside from an occasional twinge about his first murder, Ripley feels no long-term guilt over these deaths.
For more information on Tom Ripley’s books, read the blog post below.
The Great Tom Ripley Reread
I would like to nominate Here Be Monsters by Jamie Sheffield.It's a great read, first in a series that really captures the special aspects of the Adirondacks - with a very fun and quirky protagonist.
Mod
by Patricia Highsmith.This is not just an award winning movie, it is also t..."
I will most heartily support Tom's nomination for The Talented Mr. Ripley. Great noir at its best.
I would like to nominate A Silent Tide
by William E. JohnsonThe suspense kept me reading from the first chapter until I finished the book. This is a book you absolutely cannot put down until the end. Amazingly descriptive, I felt like I was actually “watching” the drama play out.
"A Silent Tide" won FIRST place at The National Indie Excellence Book Awards in the Thrillers category in 2014.
Beginning with the brutal 1927 ambush of Chesapeake Bay rum runners at a fog shrouded cove on Maryland's eastern shore and culminating with a final showdown eighty years later when truth meets justice at Harpers Creek Marina in Mathews, Virginia
I'll nominate L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy. Straight ahead crime and corruption. It's a standalone.
I'll nominate the most recent in the Peculiar Crimes series.
Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery.The author's website says, "The books are written chronologically, but can just as easily be read out of order (in fact, some volumes benefit from doing so)."
I'll nominate The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. KingFrom the blurb:
"Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes' pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test."
I would like to nominate At Risk by Stella Rimingtonhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
"A terrorist is targeting Britain. And to make matters worse it's an 'invisible'--someone traveling under a British passport. Virtually impossible to find before it's too late. The job falls to Liz Carlyle, the most resourceful counter terror agent in British intelligence. Tracking down this invisible is a challenge like none she has faced before. It will require all her hard-won experience, to say nothing of her intelligence and courage. Drawing on her own years as Britain's highest-ranking spy, Stella Rimington gives us a story that is smart, tautly drawn, and suspenseful from first to last. "
About the author: Dame Stella Whitehouse Rimington joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1968. During her career she worked in all the main fields of the Service: counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. She was appointed Director General in 1992, the first woman to hold the post. She has written her autobiography and the Liz Carlyle novels. She lives in London and Norfolk.
This book has been published in a variety of editions and eight or ten languages.
This is the first book in the series.
I would like to nominate Deep Into Dusk by Laurie Stevens.
"In the second pulse-pounding thriller in the series, Detective Gabriel McRay is once again forced to face his inner demons. From the enclaves of the super rich to the kinky underbelly of Los Angeles, women are turning up dead and Gabriel is determined to hunt down the killer. His one and only witness to this string of sexual murders is the beautiful Tara Samuels. Gabriel identifies with Tara. She's a victim... Just like him. But Tara Samuels is not the fragile woman he thinks she is and Gabriel is soon embroiled in the world of her dark fantasy. Realizing he's in too deep, Gabriel knows he must find a sadistic killer before he loses his career, his sanity and his life."
This book is available in print and is also a Kindle e-book. Once you start reading you won't want to put it done. It hooks you right away! Just wait until you read the third one!
It is my fine pleasure to nominate a book for the next monthly read for an author that never has gotten nominated with any of her 3 novels since the release of her debut. I am nominating for the very first time
by Julia Keller. I have had a burning desire lately to read a mystery that takes place in geographic area of the Appalachia region in West Virginia. Those that want to know more about the book can go to Amazon.com for the blurbs, description, and First Chapter Excerpt. I will read this book in the coming weeks regardless if it doesn't get the votes to win. After I finish reading The Stranger On The Train by Abbie Taylor
I would like to nominate Montana
by Gwen Florio. I originally won this book from Goodreads and loaned it to a friend after I read it. Not only did I give this book 5 stars, my friend told me that she loved the book and hoped that another was in the works.
I nominate Quarry's Choice by Max Allan Collins. Quarry books are such great fun, and this one was released just yesterday!
I would like to nominate
byOak Anderson
It's an edgy and fast paced thriller that is sure to keep you in suspense.
MURDER GOES VIRAL!
Take One With You is a unique crime thriller/millennial love story that poses the question: If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, would you kill someone tonight? Someone who had done something terrible. Someone who deserved to die. If so, who would it be? If you wouldn't go that far, what about your neighbor? Your friend? Your enemy? Who draws the line? Who decides who lives and who dies? And what if we all began to take justice into our own hands?
Mod
by Lauren Bradshaw. A dark, suspenseful, new era crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!"Sorry, Lauren. It's not cool to nominate your own book. It's actually in the rules.
I nominate Lauren Bradshaw's book Daddy's Girl Daddy's Girl. A truly 5 star book from a fresh faced author. You have not yet experienced true fear until you have read Daddy's Girl.
Scott wrote: "It is my fine pleasure to nominate a book for the next monthly read for an author that never has gotten nominated with any of her 3 novels since the release of her debut. I am nominating for the ve..."Looks great. Haven't read much from this part of the USA.
I nominate Jo Nesbø's book, The Devil's Star. It's extremely captivant and well written, including two well built conflicts. I promise it's worth reading
Paul 'Pezski' wrote: "I'll nominate The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. KingFrom the blurb:
"Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex D..."
I second this nomination.
I nominate Blue Heaven
by C.J. Box.Synopsis: "A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder---four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and who know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children’s fate. Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children.
With true-to-life, unforgettable characters and a ticking-clock plot that spans just over forty-eight hours, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to the heart: the ruthless power of greed over broken ideals, the healing power of community where unlikely heroes find themselves at the crossroads of duty and courage, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a setting whose awesome beauty is threatened by those who want a piece of it, Blue Heaven delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page.
Blue Heaven is the winner of the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
I think a book by Jo Nesbo has been read in the last year.
Charlotte (Buried in Books) wrote: "I think a book by Jo Nesbo has been read in the last year."Also, The Redbreast would be a better starting place to read this series.
That's the one that was read last August/September.
Just to summarize so far, these are the books that have been nominated so far. Jo Nesbo's book won't be put on the list this time as we read a Nesbo book within the last year. As well, I won't be adding Daddy's Girl to the poll. (See Nancy's comment above). So here are the firs few acceptable nominations.1. CJ Box - Blue Heaven
2. Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr Ripley
3. James Sheffield - Here Be Monsters
4. William E. Johnson - A Silent Tide
5. James Ellroy - LA Confidential
6. Christopher Fowler - Bryant and May and the Bleeding Heart
7. Laurie R. King - The Beekeeper's Apprentice
8. Stella Rimington - At Risk
9. Laurie Stevens - At Dusk
10. Julia Keller - A Killing in the Hills
11. Gwen Florio - Montana
12. Oak Anderson - Take One With you
A nice mix so far. By the way, it's not necessary to second a nomination as it's not required for me to add it to the poll, but then again, feel free to do so anyway. No issue either way. Keep your nominations coming. You've got a few days left to do so.
Bill wrote: "Just to summarize so far, these are the books that have been nominated so far. Jo Nesbo's book won't be put on the list this time as we read a Nesbo book within the last year. As well, I won't be a..."Argh, already a number I'd happily read! Currently 2 of them really stand out for me!
Too much choice is always preferred, Richard, eh?.. :)
I'm saving this list myself :)All sound awesome.
It's an excellent mix of classics and new authors for me. I agree totally, Donna. There are so many excellent mystery writers out there and I keep finding new ones with all of these nominations.
Bill wrote: "Too much choice is always preferred, Richard, eh?.. :)"True that! Like a child in a candy store!
I nominate Natchez Burning by Greg Iles https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...This is one of the best books I have read in years
I nominate The Innocent by David Baldacci, it's a very good thriller!
I nominate Max Allan Collins' new book Quarry's Choice.
Mary wrote: "I nominate The Innocent by David Baldacci, it's a very good thriller!"I second this.
Yikes!! There are about 6 on the list so far that I'm anxious to read... starting with "Here Be Monsters."
Autumn wrote: "Has Heartsick by Chelsea Cain been selected yet? Thought it would be a good February theme!"I second Hearsick!! I recently got the first 3 in that series and I believe that is the first one! Sounds great for a Feb theme!
Two more days for nominations then, I'll set up the poll. These are the books nominated so far.1. CJ Box - Blue Heaven
2. Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr Ripley
3. James Sheffield - Here Be Monsters
4. William E. Johnson - A Silent Tide
5. James Ellroy - LA Confidential
6. Christopher Fowler - Bryant and May and the Bleeding Heart
7. Laurie R. King - The Beekeeper's Apprentice
8. Stella Rimington - At Risk
9. Laurie Stevens - At Dusk
10. Julia Keller - A Killing in the Hills
11. Gwen Florio - Montana
12. Oak Anderson - Take One With you
13. Greg Iles - Natchez Burning
14. David Baldacci - The Innocent
15. Chelsea Cain - Heartsick
16. Max Allan Collins - Quarry's Choice
I think the groups already read that.
Andrea wrote: "Snow White Must Die"Charlotte is right, Andrea. We read that within the past year. You can nominated another book.
I'm having an impossible time figuring the correct order of Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series. Is Heartsick first? Are Night Season and Kill You Twice part of the series and, if so, where do they fall? Can anyone help?
Jon wrote: "I'm having an impossible time figuring the correct order of Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series. Is Heartsick first? Are Night Season and Kill You Twice part of the series and, if so, where do th..."Heartsick 1
Sweetheart 2
Evil at Heart 3
The Night Season 4
Kill You Twice 5
Let Me Go 6
I nominate "The Bride Wore Black" by Cornell Woolrich..a great one by a master.
Jon wrote: "I'm having an impossible time figuring the correct order of Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series. Is Heartsick first? Are Night Season and Kill You Twice part of the series and, if so, where do th..."Thanks very much, Tom!!
Jon wrote: "Thanks very much, Tom!! ."You're very welcome. I read and enjoyed the first and fourth books but I have since burned out on serial killer books so I'm not sure how many more I'll read.
I would like to nominate Cliff Diver by Carmen Amato...
Brian and Columbialion. Unfortunately nominations are closed now and it's down to the actual voting. If you go to the Poll page you can vote. It's open until end of the day tomorrow.
Mod
Remember that for February, Columbialion. I'd love to revisit that book.
The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Snow White Must Die (other topics)Snow White Must Die (other topics)
Heartsick (other topics)
Heartsick (other topics)
The Redbreast (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Chelsea Cain (other topics)Chelsea Cain (other topics)
C.J. Box (other topics)
Laurie R. King (other topics)
Jo Nesbø (other topics)
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Here comes the fine print: I know you've seen this a bajillion times, but we do need to post the general rules for Group Reads nominations:
1) Important: If your nomination wins, you will be the discussion moderator. Please do not nominate a book unless you're willing to do this.
2) One (1) nomination only per person. Neither self-nominations by authors nor nominations by their respective publishers or publicist will be accepted.
3) Do not cheat or manipulate results. It is not acceptable to create fake accounts to nominate books or vote in polls and it is not acceptable to invite people to the site for the sole purpose of nominating a book or voting for a book in a poll. It is not acceptable to ask for votes or influence the poll in any way. If the moderators feel that a group read poll has been manipulated, the book in question will be disqualified. If the moderators feel that the user(s) are fake accounts, these will be reported to Goodreads for further review.
4) Please do not repeat an author we have read in the last year. For the sake of expediency, here's the list -https://www.goodreads.com/group/books... - just look back through December of last year going forward, and you'll know which authors NOT to include.
5) For your nomination please include Title, Author and Link (Use the "add book/author" link at the top of the comment box).
6) Since we are an international group, please check to make sure the book is readily available in more than one format. The last thing we want is to nominate a book that no one can get.
7) Finally, a word about series - Please consider whether the book you are nominating would be best read by someone who has read all the previous books in the series, or if it can be enjoyed by someone new to the series too.
Have fun and good luck!!