What mysteries are you reading at the moment? (2021) Showing 201-250 of 1,557

[Alwynne]

I finished a golden age novel by lesser-known crime writer Dorothy Bowers Fear For Miss Betony set in a girls’ boarding school that's relocated to the countryside during WW2. The pace was fairly slow at first so it took me a while to get totally absorbed in the story but ultimately found it fairly compelling, slightly eerie and often very entertaining – particularly liked her amateur sleuth Miss Betony, a great character. Best described as a cross between Sayers and Tey.

Link to my review:

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

[Judy]

Wow, a cross between Sayers and Tey sounds excellent. Thanks for mentioning Dorothy Bowers, Alwynne.

[Alwynne]

She writes really well although I might have trimmed this back a little! And there's a detective who features in her other novels apparently who swoops in at the end but felt oddly out of place after Miss Betony had been the key voice...But would definitely read more by her.

[Carolien]

Jan C wrote: "Finishing up on The Death of Mr. Lomas by Francis Vivian. It seems like I've been reading it forever but that is often the way for me on Kindle. Inspector Knollis ..."

New to me, but it looks interesting.

I know what you mean about Kindle books sometimes feeling very long. I'm having that experience with Magpie Murders at the moment.

[Jan C]

Carolien wrote: "Jan C wrote: "Finishing up on The Death of Mr. Lomas by Francis Vivian. It seems like I've been reading it forever but that is often the way for me on Kindle. Insp..."

I really felt that when I read In the Woods and had no idea that it actually was a big book.

[Louise Tothill]

Just finished Death is the Sentence by A Horowitz. It’s been a bit of a Horowitz fest recently, but the books are v good. This one was really good. Although for the first time ever there was the correct inkling of the guilty party!!!!!!!! Thinking of switching authors for a change and then to return later x

[Tara]

Just started Elephants Can Remember for our November read. Once again I'm loving all of the AO/HP early on in the running. It has a similar flavor to Five Little Pigs in the long ago mystery to be solved.

[Susan in NC]

I also started Elephants Can Remember, but then my library delivered an ebook mystery I’ve been waiting for, The Right Sort of Man , so I have started that book.

[Alwynne]

I've started The Six Queer Things golden age crime recently republished. Has anyone else read it? The reviews I've seen made it seem like a ripping yarn but it's quite slow and sombre so far, the writing's good but not sure about the story, quite odd, and a lot of detail not much development. Apparently the author's other crime novels are much lighter/frothier but haven't read them so can't compare.

[Alwynne]

Finished The Six Queer Things after some uncertainty this developed into a compulsive read, and the second half changed my understanding of what happened in the earlier chapters.

Link to my review

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

[Judy]

I haven't read The Six Queer Things, Alwynne, but you make it sound very tempting. I will be over to read your review.

[Tara]

Alwynne wrote: "Finished The Six Queer Things after some uncertainty this developed into a compulsive read, and the second half changed my understanding of what happened in the earlier chapters.

..."

Excellent review Alwynne. Its great when forgotten authors are rediscovered by new generations that can appreciate their works in a whole new light.

[Piyangie]

Tara wrote: "Just started Elephants Can Remember for our November read. Once again I'm loving all of the AO/HP early on in the running. It has a similar flavor to Five Little Pigs in the long ago ..."

How do you like it, Tara? I didn't enjoy it.

[Judy]

I have started listening to an audiobook of Portrait of a Murderer: A Christmas Crime Story by Anne Meredith, our next group read - enjoying it so far.

[Alwynne]

Look forward to hearing about that one Judy she was on a list of neglected women crime writers I recently came across. The others were Josephine Bell, Pamela Branch, and Marion Mainwaring. I haven't read anything by any of them either.

[Tara]

Piyangie wrote: "Tara wrote: "Just started Elephants Can Remember for our November read. Once again I'm loving all of the AO/HP early on in the running. It has a similar flavor to Five Little Pigs in ..."

So far I like it, although I think all of the mentions of elephants is way overdone. Sometimes Christie just didn't know when to quit. But I do love Ariadne, so I enjoy it on that level alone.

[Jill]

Tara wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "Tara wrote: "Just started Elephants Can Remember for our November read. Once again I'm loving all of the AO/HP early on in the running. It has a similar flavor to Fiv..."

It makes no difference, but Elephants Can Remember is our December read.

[Tara]

Jill wrote: "Tara wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "Tara wrote: "Just started Elephants Can Remember for our November read. Once again I'm loving all of the AO/HP early on in the running. It has a similar ..."

I won't finish it before December, that I guess that works out :)

[Piyangie]

I'm reading The Murder Room by P.D. James, the last book of the P.D.James's challenge.

[Sandy]

Piyangie wrote: "I'm reading The Murder Room by P.D. James, the last book of the P.D.James's challenge."

While it is the last of the challenge, we are continuing the books as buddy reads next year. Hope you will join in.

[Sandy]

I'm reading Moonflower Murders but it hasn't grabbed me. I found I unintentionally put it aside, partly because I am listening to it (with a book on the side) and listening isn't convenient right now. I hope to get back to it soon but our December reads are calling and other book requests are coming in.

[Susan in NC]

I started Portrait of a Murderer for our December read - not many likable characters, but they are definitely interesting, and good writing.

[Piyangie]

Susan in NC wrote: "I started Portrait of a Murderer for our December read - not many likable characters, but they are definitely interesting, and good writing."

I'll be starting this once I finish The Murder Room, hopefully in a day or two.

[Piyangie]

Sandy wrote: "Piyangie wrote: "I'm reading The Murder Room by P.D. James, the last book of the P.D.James's challenge."

While it is the last of the challenge, we are continuing th..."

That's great. Sure I will, I want to finish the series now that I've started.

[Jill]

Just starting, what would seem to be the very controversial, Portrait of a Murderer

[Tara]

In the first, of hopefully many, of my Christmas themed mystery reads, I've started The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy at a book fair several years ago, as this title was not published in the US. It is most definitely a Christie 60's book--longing for the traditions of the past, lamenting the unwashed youths of the present. I suspect this longing for the past was particularly strong during the holidays.

[Colin]

I recently finished off The Duke of York's Steps by Henry Wade, which is a pretty good procedural with at least one twist at the end I didn't see coming.

I'm now starting in on The Death of Mr Lomas by Francis Vivian.

[Judy]

Colin, I hadn't realised that quite a few books by Henry Wade are on Kindle - he is one of a number of GA authors I've been meaning to try.

[Colin]

This was only the second Wade novel I've read - the other was Lonely Magdalen, a later effort which is strong on characterization - and I've enjoyed both. There are a few of his titles on Kindle for 99p, or there were at any rate.

[LovesMysteries]

About to start reading Agatha Christie's "The Body In The Library"

[Alwynne]

Tara wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Finished The Six Queer Things after some uncertainty this developed into a compulsive read, and the second half changed my understanding of what happened in the earl..."

Thank you, and definitely love finding new, old(!) crime novels. Particularly as, like most of this group, I love vintage crime.

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Just starting, what would seem to be the very controversial, Portrait of a Murderer"

I hope you like it more than I did! I gave it a good try, though, but did not finish- opted instead for our Poirot holiday storyThe Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, which was okay, and then opted to join in a reread of “Hercules Poirot’s Christmas” and also started listening toThe Leper of Saint Giles.

[Alwynne]

Abandoned Helen Phillips The Need mystery/speculative fiction, annoyed me but not much else...

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

[Colin]

I slogged my way to the end of The Death of Mr Lomas. It was very disappointing, particularly as it opened well and I remember liking one of Francis Vivian's later non-series mysteries.
However, this one had one of those investigations that feel interminable with endless visits and interviews, followed by repeat visits and more interviews following up on the earlier followup interviews! For me, it all added up to wholly unnecessary obfuscation and what made it worse was the fact three main suspects, admittedly encouraged by the plot mechanics, became progressively harder to distinguish.

I'm going to try some seasonal short stories to cleanse my palate now - The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories.

[Jan C]

Colin wrote: "I slogged my way to the end of The Death of Mr Lomas. It was very disappointing, particularly as it opened well and I remember liking one of Francis Vivian's later non-series mysteries.
However, t..."

Whew! I thought it felt interminable to me because I put it aside for a couple of months.

[Judy]

I've started reading our forthcoming buddy read There Came Both Mist And Snow by Michael Innes - I'm not very far in but enjoying its quirkiness so far, although there are a lot of characters to keep track of!

[Judy]

The Death of Mr Lomas does sound like rather a slog from your description, Colin - one or two of the Ngaio Marsh mysteries are a bit like that with endless interviews going over the same ground.

[Gary]

Just finished reading The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Lyndsay Faye. This is a rather fun collection of "lost" Holmes stories. One tale is comprised of excerpts from Holmes' journal dealing with the case that kept him from going to Baskerville Hall at the same time as Watson.

[Jill]

Finished The Leper of St Giles, and now starting There Came Both Mist And Snow for the buddy reads

[Sandy]

I'm feeling like a real sluggard, well behind all of you starting your mid-month reads. I'm 2/3 through The Murder Room, have the other monthly books available, but need to read some non-group books before I can start the rest of our monthly reads.

My non-group reads are the next Kincaid and James series, My Lady Judge, A Will To Kill, and Eric from the disc world series. I will be closely checking due dates!

[Judy]

I have read nearly 30% of There Came Both Mist and Snow, and have just gone back and jotted down a family tree/cast list from the info at the start of the book, as I was getting lost among the characters!

To anyone else starting this, it might be a good idea to do this at the start if you think you may also struggle to keep track of who is who. I wil also try to add mine to the thread later.

[Judy]

I have now added my family tree/cast list to the general thread for There Came Both Mist and Snow.

[Jill]

Judy wrote: "I have now added my family tree/cast list to the general thread for There Came Both Mist and Snow."

Thanks Judy.

[Rosina]

Judy wrote: "I have now added my family tree/cast list to the general thread for There Came Both Mist and Snow."

Thank you - I am about to listen to this again, so the cast list will be very useful!

[Judy]

Thanks Jill and Rosina - hope the cast list makes sense.

[Tania]

Well, I ordered Thunder on the Right from the library back in July/Aug for the group read. It has now turned up so I've started it. I've glanced through the threads for it so I know to expect a bit of melodrama.

[Judy]

Hope you enjoy Thunder on the Right after the long wait, Tania!

[Tania]

Thanks Judy, good so far, and I'm glad I know to expect over the top melodrama.

[Jackie]

That group read was the first read for me and I really enjoyed the book. I look forward to any comments you make, Tania.

[Judy]

I've finished There Came Both Mist and Snow which I mainly enjoyed and think should make for a good discussion. Now starting another of our forthcoming buddy reads, The Leper of St. Giles - it's nice to get back to Cadfael.

I'm also listening to Evan's Gate, another of the Constable Evans books by Rhys Bowen.