What mysteries are you reading at the moment? (2022)

[Tara]

Just finished Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride by Lorenzo Carcaterra. It was way too cozy for my tastes but is not without its charms. It certainly made me want to visit the island of Ischia, which I had never heard of, despite visiting southern Italy a few years ago.

[Sid]

Susan in NC wrote: "Do you have dry or humid heat? I follow a British YouTuber who hosts Pilates exercise videos, and she’s in Brighton, says it’s very humid there. Is the rest of Britain humid? Might affect your laundry, Sid, might end up moldy! ;)"

It varies, but it's been mostly fairly dry in London this time. Today is due to be about 35C (95F) and increasingly humid - and it's pretty sweaty already at 6am so today won't be so good for laundry. Yesterday, though, I got two loads washed and dried in the sunshine, which is a bonus.

We lived in the USA for a while when I was young, and this isn't as uncomfortable as the summer weather I remember in Chicago, New York, or Washington D.C. Compared to Lake Mead, Nevada where it was 120 in the shade (if you could find any), it's positively cool - but it is unusually hot for London.

(I'm tempted to quote the remark Mark Twain never made about the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco, but I'll restrain myself.)

[Judy]

Carolien wrote: "Shaina, Judy do you think it's worth nominating the series for a buddy read? I'd like to read all of them and it's 10 books in total."

I'd like to read them all too - I think they are a bit darker than our usual reads in this group but that should be fine for buddy reads. Just hesitating because we have so many books coming up and I'm personally a bit overwhelmed - would it be OK by you if we waited until the New Year for these, Carolien?

We could maybe start with the second book unless anyone wants to read Roseanna?

[Shaina]

This would suit me perfectly! I have already read Roseanna and will be happy to start with the second book in January.

[Carolien]

Judy wrote: "Carolien wrote: "Shaina, Judy do you think it's worth nominating the series for a buddy read? I'd like to read all of them and it's 10 books in total."

I'd like to read them all too - I think they..."

I was actually thinking they may make a good option for next year! We should finish one of the reads by the end of this year and can then slot it in. Maybe if we warn everyone we are going to start with the second book, it gives anyone else who hasn't read it yet time to read Roseanna in the next four months.

[Rosina]

I have a few of the Martin Beck series - and would be happy to join a buddy read!

[Susan in NC]

Sid wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Do you have dry or humid heat? I follow a British YouTuber who hosts Pilates exercise videos, and she’s in Brighton, says it’s very humid there. Is the rest of Britain humid? Mi..."

Lol, you’re not wrong, Sid, I’ve not been to San Francisco myself, but a GR friend in the area has confirmed that about their cool summers!

Glad you got some laundry in while the less humid heat and sunshine was bearable! I remember growing up in Chicago, we were able to dry clothes on the outdoor clothes line, and they smelled heavenly, like sunshine! But since moving to NC many years ago, I find too many allergies year round make it impossible for me - my clothes would make me sneeze!

My son attended college in the Midwest, so I can confirm that summers in Illinois can still be brutally hot, as you recall!

[Susan in NC]

Carolien wrote: "Judy wrote: "Carolien wrote: "Shaina, Judy do you think it's worth nominating the series for a buddy read? I'd like to read all of them and it's 10 books in total."

I'd like to read them all too -..."

Thanks for the heads up, Carolien - I’m not familiar with this author, but can read the first book by then to see if I’m up for the series. Love discovering new mystery writers with the group! As Flavia deLuce would say, my cup runneth over with murder!

[Sandy]

Like Susan in NC, I plan to read the first book to see if I want to continue. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Susan in NC]

Tara wrote: "Just finished Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride by Lorenzo Carcaterra. It was way too cozy for my tastes but is not without its charms. It certainly made ..."

Tara, I just looked at the page for this book, and even if it’s too cozy, I have to try it - growing up in Chicago, we had a little old Italian widow who walked by our house every day on her way to Mass. I feel like I know Nonna Maria already a bit! ;)

Stay cool, I know it gets nasty hot in NYC!

[Sandy]

I am about to start The Maid, very popular in my library system.

[Jan C]

Saw that we are about to read (or is it re-read?) The Studio Crime and started my re-read.

[Rosina]

I'm reading that too - alternating with listening to Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord

[Judy]

I've just started The Studio Crime as well - some of us previously read it in BYTs.

[Sandy]

Finished The Maid and liked it a lot, perhaps the first half more than the second. It has an interesting and sympathetic main character.

[Susan in NC]

Currently rereading the ebook of The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters for our upcoming read. Spending a lot of time in the car lately, wanted a good paperback, so finally getting into my birthday stash of ECR Lorac’s I treated myself to last year, reading The Devil and the C.I.D. .

[Jan C]

Just finished another good one from J. J. Connington, The Case With Nine Solutions. Enjoyed it.

[Tara]

Susan in NC wrote: "Currently rereading the ebook of The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters for our upcoming read. Spending a lot of time in the car lately, wanted a good paperback, so f..."

I'm super behind on my Peters reading, and only getting through Pilgrim of Hate at the moment. I normally love these books, but I haven't been in the mood lately, so its taking me forever to finish.

[Susan in NC]

Tara wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Currently rereading the ebook of The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters for our upcoming read. Spending a lot of time in the car lately, wanted a ..."

I hear you, I generally enjoy Cadfael rereads later in the evening, as I’m nodding off - I listen to the audiobooks, so nice time to just shut my tired eyes, visit Shrewsbury! The only problem is when Cadfael and Hugh discuss the political situation in the civil war - so much switching sides between Maud and Stephen, hard to keep track when I’m tired…

[Marwan]

Started reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

[Sandy]

I have got the latest Strike and Robin book from the library, The Ink Black Heart and that will be my next read. I've been rewarded for being a conscientious moderator by reading September's books in August, so can spend the weekend with Strike and Robin.

[Judy]

We've now added a couple of the Martin Beck books by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö to the buddy reads - we were going to start with book 2, but a few people wanted to read the first one, Roseanna, so that one has been added for November and then book 2, The Man Who Went Up in Smoke, in January as previously discussed. :)

[Shaina]

I'm currently reading The Ink Black Heart and will read nothing else till I finish it.

[Judy]

I've just read our next Maigret, The Night at the Crossroads, and have now started another of our forthcoming buddy reads, Shadows in Bronze.

[Jill]

I have started Shadows in Bronze but finding I am having a hard job concentrating on it, to work out the politics.

[Judy]

I'm not very far in yet, Jill, but given the huge cast list at the start I think I may have a job keeping track of all the characters as well as the politics!

[Susan in NC]

Glad I wasn’t the only one confused at the beginning of “Shadows in Bronze” - it starts within days of where the last book left off, but I was in a fog - decided to just go along for the ride, and ended up enjoying it. In fact, curiosity about the whole political situation, and Ancient Rome in general, prompted me to check out the ebook SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard from my library. Still working on it, fascinating and informative - what I didn’t know about Rome was a lot!

On the mystery front, about to start the latest in a series I really enjoy The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair.

[Carolien]

I've just finished the second in the Maria Kallio series by Finnish author Leena Lehtolainen, Her Enemy. I'm really enjoying this series, not as dark as some of the other Scandi-noirs and interesting characters.

[Jan C]

I started a new series, The Evil That Men Do by Hugh Pentecost. About a hotel manager in New York. I thought it was the first in the series but looks more like it is the third in the series. Looks like it might be interesting.

[Susan in NC]

I started the first in a Golden Age series, Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly. I picked up a few paperbacks years ago at a used book store, because the back blurb said she was Agatha Christie’s favorite American mystery writer - hello! But I bought #4 and #6, and I’m one of those start-with-the-first-book people, so I found Scribd has several of the first few books -yeah!

[Alwynne]

Otto Preminger's 'Bunny Lake is Missing' is a favourite movie so I was excited to read the novel it's loosely based on. Evelyn Piper's bestselling book Bunny Lake Is Missing from 1957 has been hailed as a subversive feminist piece but I found it incredibly disappointing, incredibly overwrought and less than progressive in its underlying message. However, the central mystery was compelling enough to keep me hooked until the end.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Judy]

I remember enjoying the film of Bunny Lake Is Missing, Alwynne. Sorry to hear the book was a disappointment.

[[deleted user]]

I just started, The Vanishing Type This will only be the second series I have been able to stay with all the way through! It took me a little while to get to know my characters but I have really enjoyed the writing style and of course the mystery 😊

[Jan C]

Susan in NC wrote: "I started the first in a Golden Age series, Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly. I picked up a few paperbacks years ago at a used ..."

I'm really enjoying this series. Have just started Murders in Volume 2: Henry Gamadge #3. I had to pick that one up in paperback because it was either too expensive on kindle or not available.

[Jan C]

Alwynne wrote: "Otto Preminger's 'Bunny Lake is Missing' is a favourite movie so I was excited to read the novel it's loosely based on. Evelyn Piper's bestselling book Bunny Lake Is Missing from 1957..."

I read the book before I saw the movie. Not sure I even recognized them as the same thing.

[Keith]

Having just finished all the Wimsey stories including the four by Jill Paton Walsh, I have started on her Imogen Quy books. It is a pleasure to read good quality English prose. Her stories are a little slow to get going but I find that is much of the pleasure and her development of her characters issimilarly slow which to me ie all the more pleasurable. She has a similar writing style to Sayers qhich I guess was why she was asked to complete the Wimsey set

[Alwynne]

Judy wrote: "I remember enjoying the film of Bunny Lake Is Missing, Alwynne. Sorry to hear the book was a disappointment."

It's a shame, she gets mentioned alongside a number of decent women writers from the era but she's nowhere near as solid a writer, I was hoping for a sort of Fremlinesque novel with a hard-boiled, America slant. It does start out well though.

[Susan in NC]

Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I started the first in a Golden Age series, Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly. I picked up a few paperbacks ..."

I like this first one, getting a Campion vibe from Gamadge, tall lanky, kind of disappears into the background, but seeing a dry humor underneath.

[Alwynne]

Jan C wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Otto Preminger's 'Bunny Lake is Missing' is a favourite movie so I was excited to read the novel it's loosely based on. Evelyn Piper's bestselling book [book:Bunny Lake Is Missing|7..."

I knew the settings were different but not quite how much had been altered.

[Jackie]

I just started reading Death in Brittany and so far it's OK, albeit hard to get the place and people names straight in my head because I don't remember how to pronounce French words.

[Tara]

I have 2 very different mysteries on the go:

Cat's Paw by Roger Scarlett, another offering from the American Mystery Classic series. Similar to Ellery Queen, Scarlett is actually a pseudonym of a writing pair, in this case a female couple. Somewhat of a predictable country house mystery vibe, it does have excellent character development. I am just getting to the murdery bit and the introduction of the police investigation.

On the other end of the spectrum is Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. I don't normally read a lot of contemporary mysteries, but I was intrigued by the anti-PC detective, John Corey. I appreciate a police investigator who isn't a broken, scarred loser, as so many seem to be written today.

[Carolien]

I've just finished The City of Blood, third in this French series. I have enjoyed all of these to date, highly recommend them as police procedurals.

[Judy]

I really enjoyed Swan Song by Edmund Crispin and am looking forward to our discussion.

[Jill]

Just about to start The Raven in the Foregate

[Rosina]

I am reading My First Murder, but have decided to go onto next!

[Marwan]

Started reading The High Window by Raymond Chandler

[Jackie]

my library just filled my hold on Two-Way Murder and now I don't remember why I put in on hold. Was it a buddy read for here? or did someone I know just rave about it? LOL, it's all good.

[Susan in NC]

I started listening to A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell , our next Freddy Pilkington-Soames, perfect to listen to while knitting. I also started our next challenge read, The Missing Partners by Henry Wade.

[Judy]

I've also started The Missing Partners, Susan - I'm still reading Shadows in Bronze as well. As they are set in such different periods, hopefully I won't mix them up! ;)

[Judy]

Jackie wrote: "my library just filled my hold on Two-Way Murder and now I don't remember why I put in on hold. Was it a buddy read for here? or did someone I know just rave about it? LOL, it's all..."

Hi Jackie, it was nominated for a group read a few weeks ago but didn't win the poll, so that may be what tempted you? I'll be interested to hear what you think as I'm hoping to read it soon.