What mysteries are you reading at the moment? (2021) Showing 501-550 of 1,557

[Judy]

i've started the next book for our Christie challenge, The Man in the Brown Suit - an early Christie, with a thriller feel to it so far.

[Lady Clementina]

Judy wrote: "i've started the next book for our Christie challenge, The Man in the Brown Suit - an early Christie, with a thriller feel to it so far."

It's a fun one. I actually revisited it only last June so am wondering whether to reread or participate based on what I remember.

[Tania]

I finally got to the front of the library queue for The Thursday Murder Club and picked it up at the weekend. I'm really enjoying it so far.

[Maria]

I think you are going to love (Thursday Murder Club) it Tania

[Jill]

Just starting Death Called to the Bar by David Dickinson This is the fifth in the series. I have enjoyed the first four.

[Judy]

Lady Clementina wrote: "Judy wrote: "i've started the next book for our Christie challenge, The Man in the Brown Suit - an early Christie, with a thriller feel to it so far."

It's a fun one. I actually revisited it only last June so am wondering whether to reread or participate based on what I remember...."

Hope you can join in either way, Lady C. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Lady Clementina]

Judy wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "Judy wrote: "i've started the next book for our Christie challenge, The Man in the Brown Suit - an early Christie, with a thriller feel to it so far."

It's a fun one. I act..."

I will certainly join in, may be will fit in a quick reread at the end of the month!

[Judy]

Lady Clementina wrote: "I will certainly join in, may be will fit in a quick reread at the end of the month!..."

Good to hear! I'm looking forward to our next Christie discussion.

[Klowey]

I just bought the Kindle version of Mystery at Fig Tree Hall and see that there is no Table of Contents, more accurately, Chapters. Nevertheless, there are chapters in the book.

Do those of you who own the actual book have a Table of Contents/Chapters?

[Judy]

Klowey wrote: "I just bought the Kindle version of Mystery at Fig Tree Hall and see that there is no Table of Contents, more accurately, Chapters. Nevertheless, there are chapters in the book.

Do those of you who own the actual book have a Table of Contents/Chapters?..."

Sorry, Klowey, can't help on this as I will also be reading the Kindle version. Does anyone have a print copy? It looks as if the print edition is the same if you look inside at Amazon.

[Judy]

I've started reading The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout as I felt it was time to get back to Wolfe and Archie. It's been too long since I read one of this series!

[Colin]

That's one I want to get back to. I read it a very long time ago and recall nothing about it now. Recent reading and/or rereading of Stout has seen me unconsciously focusing on the novellas.

[Judy]

It's a good one so far, Colin - an intriguing start, with a kid turning up at the brownstone and demanding to see Wolfe, who has just fallen out with Fritz over a new recipe! I think I may tend to prefer the novellas, but The Golden Spiders was a recent offer on Amazon so I picked it up then.

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Just starting Death Called to the Bar by David Dickinson This is the fifth in the series. I have enjoyed the first four."

Agh, yet another series I mean to get back to reading “someday”!

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "Judy wrote: "i've started the next book for our Christie challenge, The Man in the Brown Suit - an early Christie, with a thriller feel to it so far."

It's a fun one. I act..."

It was fun, adventurous- I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones film!

[Susan in NC]

I’ve begun to feel like the doorstop historical fiction I was reading was becoming like homework, so decided to start the latest Brother Athelstan for a break - I think I have an addiction, if I don’t have a mystery on the go, I get fidgety! I’m reading The Stone of Destiny byPaul Doherty.

[Sandy]

I read The Postscript Murders and loved it. There are too many co-incidents in the plot for a complete 5-star rating but the characters are delightful, the story is interesting, there is humor and a bit of romance. I will think of this book when I encounter small woodland creatures.

As the author writes the Ruth Galloway series without resorting to unlikely co-incidents I imagine she is amusing herself in this book and I hope she writes more of them.

[Susan in NC]

Still working my way through the early Poirot mysteries, I joined the group too late to reread those. Currently rereading The Murder on the Links, listening to the audiobook by Richard armitage. I love Hugh Fraser, but this was available through audible, and he’s lovely! I’m vaguely remembering Hastings meet-cute with Cinderella in the opening chapter, but the mystery is a total blank, so yay!

[Jan C]

Started Why Shoot a Butler? this afternoon.

[Jill]

I have started Murder in Stained Glass our buddy read. I am liking the the chatty way it is written so far.

[Jill]

Now starting Tour de Force for our Christianna Brand buddy read.

[Judy]

I've started The Layton Court Mystery by Anthony Berkeley - enjoying it so far. I like Berkeley's slightly sarcastic writing style.

[Susan in NC]

Just started Poirot Investigates .

[Sandy]

I'm returning to Anne Perry's Pitt series with Callander Square. I started this and her William Monk series in 2013, decided I could read Monk and return to Pitt. I'm close to being caught up with Monk but since then the Pitts' son has his own series so I'm falling behind.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "I'm returning to Anne Perry's Pitt series with Callander Square. I started this and her William Monk series in 2013, decided I could read Monk and return to Pitt. I'm close to being..."

Ugh, the pressure of the spin-off series! I was thinking of rereading Thomas and Charlotte since I’m enjoying Daniel so much, but I’m already rereading the early Poirots on my own, and Cadfael, Amelia Peabody and Flavia with the group, (wow, what an interesting dinner party conversation those four would make...;) !) I want to have time to get to some of the new to me authors you all keep introducing to my attention!

[Sandy]

Susan in NC wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I'm returning to Anne Perry's Pitt series with Callander Square. I started this and her William Monk series in 2013, decided I could read Monk and return to Pitt. I'm ..."

I'm impressed that you would consider rereading a 30ish series! (Though I am doing Amelia Peabody and Flavia that add up to 30 books.)

[Jill]

I started Anne Perry's Pitt series years ago but I have only read the first two. I decided I wouldn't start on the Monk books until the Pitt books were done, but with the groups on here I find it difficult to get back to others. I do feel pleased that I managed to read all the Miss Marple and Poirot books , plus Peter Whimsy, Dalgliesh and Marsh books, which I probably would not have done without the help of the group.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I'm returning to Anne Perry's Pitt series with Callander Square. I started this and her William Monk series in 2013, decided I could read Monk and ..."

Well, more in the way of brain candy/comfort reads! Like old favorites - but the nice thing is, the Daniel Pitt books usually have at least a few scenes with the parents, so that’s nice!

[Judy]

I've started rereading Murder in Stained Glass by Margaret Armstrong ready for our forthcoming group read. Enjoying it, although I remember quite a bit from my previous read.

I'm also currently listening to Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen, the 9th in the Constable Evans series - only one more to go after this! I don't think the later books in the series are as much fun as the early ones are, because we don't see so much of the villagers, but I still enjoy Roger Clark's narration.

[Susan in NC]

I’m rereading The Seventh Sinner by Elizabeth Peters. It introduced Jacqueline Kirby, a middle-aged (for the time - early 1970s!) academic librarian, spending a summer in Rome. She’s befriended by a group of graduate students studying at the same institution, and when one is killed in mysterious circumstances in the underground ancient Temple of Mithra, she gets involved. Like the later Amelia Peabody mysteries in Egypt, there’s a lot of interesting local color and information about Rome. Like Susan said in another thread, we readers can travel anywhere, anytime!it’s been many years, I wanted to see how it held up for me.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "I've started rereading Murder in Stained Glass by Margaret Armstrong ready for our forthcoming group read. Enjoying it, although I remember quite a bit from my previo..."

I’ll be interested to see everyone’s thoughts on the Stained Glass mystery - interesting, likable amateur detective, but she doesn’t really have an “in” with the police, like a Poirot or Wimsey, so she’s really on her own!

I like the Constable Evans books, but don’t remember much - they were fun, kind of an early Hamish MacBeth vibe!

[Judy]

Susan in NC wrote: "I like the Constable Evans books, but don’t remember much - they were fun, kind of an early Hamish MacBeth vibe!..."

I've only seen the Hamish MacBeth TV series and haven't tried the books - I liked the TV version as far as I remember, although it was a long time ago now.

[Jill]

I found the TV versions differed a lot from the books, as do the Agatha Raison ones. For a start I don't recall a TV John in the books at any time , but think he was in a lot of the TV versions. Also Robert Carlyle is neither very tall or ginger headed, and the dog was not a west highland terrier. M C Beaton hated what TV did to the books
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/tvan...

[Jackie]

I wonder if I am the only one who dislikes MC Beaton? it's been a long time, but I tried a couple of her books - Agatha Raisin, I'm pretty sure - and I was liking them until every now and then, reading along, something in the dialog just went clunk.
but she is super popular so maybe it's just me.

[Tania]

I don't particularly like her either. I found them easy to read but thought the writing a bit clunky. Horses for courses. However I did really like the TV series of Hamish Macbeth, but as Jill points out, it bears little resemblence to the books. I also enjoyed the Agatha Raisin TV series.

[Judy]

I also really liked the Agatha Raisin TV show, but have only read a couple of the books so far. I liked the first one a lot, the second one not quite so much, but hope to try some more.

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "I found the TV versions differed a lot from the books, as do the Agatha Raison ones. For a start I don't recall a TV John in the books at any time , but think he was in a lot of the TV versions. Al..."

Wow, that is different- I never saw either show, only read the books. In both cases, Hamish and Agatha, I thought the choice of actors surprising. I don’t know anything about them, just seen pictures, but they look nothing like Beaton’s descriptions.

[Susan in NC]

Jackie wrote: "I wonder if I am the only one who dislikes MC Beaton? it's been a long time, but I tried a couple of her books - Agatha Raisin, I'm pretty sure - and I was liking them until every now and then, rea..."

No, I agree, I gave up on both series because they started out likable and funny, but after awhile they just felt like rehashing the same story over and over. Also, it seemed like she didn’t know what to do with the characters- Agatha forever chasing a man, Hamish not wanting to leave his village or settle down. Just got old...

[Gary]

Susan in NC wrote: "Just started Poirot Investigates."

Just finishing this myself. Good fun. Hastings is way dumber than Watson.

[Susan in NC]

Gary wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Just started Poirot Investigates."

Just finishing this myself. Good fun. Hastings is way dumber than Watson."

😂

[Lady Clementina]

Jackie wrote: "I wonder if I am the only one who dislikes MC Beaton? it's been a long time, but I tried a couple of her books - Agatha Raisin, I'm pretty sure - and I was liking them until every now and then, rea..."

I've only read one Agatha Raisin and one Hamish Macbeth so far and liked the latter but not the former so much. I do plan on picking up a few more to see how we get along

[Carolien]

I've tried a few Agatha Raisin books, but am not a fan either. Just couldn't get into them.

[Piyangie]

Just started our April group challenge - The Man in the Brown Suit

[Sandy]

I quite like Beaton's Hamlish series though I have to agree with many of the criticism. He never changes, never ages, but his pets come and go. I listen to them and the calm stories and narrator's voice are a pleasure.

I may give Agatha Raisin another try now that I have run out of Hamlish's but she has an abrasive personality.

[Jill]

Sandy wrote: "I quite like Beaton's Hamlish series though I have to agree with many of the criticism. He never changes, never ages, but his pets come and go. I listen to them and the calm stories and narrator's ..."
I agree Agatha can be abrasive at time, but she is also soft-hearted at others. Some of her escapades have had me laughing, I just wish she wasn't so man-mad, as she doesn't need to be.


Now reading Tether's End our next Margery Allingham buddy read

[Susan]

I have also started Hide My Eyes (AKA Tether's End). Surprise, surprise, a Campion book that actually has a plot I can understand! Usually I feel lost with all the different characters and side stories, but I am hoping I will like this one more than the previous few.

[Sandy]

I just read two of our April reads, The Man in the Brown Suit and Murder in Stained Glass and I was struck by a couple of similarities. The one I will mention now is that they both have fearless, or foolish, amateur women main characters. There are also many differences between the two women.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "I have also started Hide My Eyes (AKA Tether's End). Surprise, surprise, a Campion book that actually has a plot I can understand! Usually I feel lost with all the different characte..."

Oh, thank goodness! I wanted to start this one, but Campion has stymied me a few times, but I don’t want to give up, since I bought several used paperbacks years ago.

[Sandy]

I just borrowed Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club from the library. I don't plan to write a book but I expect some of the essays will be interesting.

[Colin]

I'm reading Sorcerer's House by Gerald Verner at the moment. There's a creepy old derelict mansion, whispers about Cagliostro's black deeds in the past, a larger than life detective etc, all of which recalls John Dickson Carr and that's never a bad thing in my opinion.