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

[Susan in NC]

Just started The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin for our upcoming read.

[Judy]

The Moving Toyshop is a lot of fun, Susan - enjoy!

[Jill]

Susan in NC wrote: "Just started The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin for our upcoming read."

I am about to start this and hoping it is more to my liking than the 2 previous books by Crispin.

[Jan C]

I liked the first two books but am having trouble with Toyshop. Is there a point where it picks up? Not sure how far in I am but it seems to be dragging.

[Sandy]

I finished A Line To Kill (excellent series) and have to decide among our next Bobby Owen, one of two historical mysteries, or a new Mccall Smith, The Pavilion in the Clouds.
I bought a book on a recommendation from this group, The Stranger Times that my partner is reading and finding hilarious. We thank you.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "The Moving Toyshop is a lot of fun, Susan - enjoy!"

Thanks, so far I’m enjoying the humor, can’t wait to meet Fen, i think this poet, Cadogan, will be a match for him!

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Just started The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin for our upcoming read."

I am about to start this and hoping it is more to my liking than the 2 ..."

I was unable to get the second book, so can’t say - I’m only in the first chapter, but enjoying the humor so far.

[Susan in NC]

Jan C wrote: "I liked the first two books but am having trouble with Toyshop. Is there a point where it picks up? Not sure how far in I am but it seems to be dragging."

Oh, that is annoying- I follow the 75 page rule (sometimes I’ll give it 100 if it seems promising) - if it doesn’t interest me by then, chuck it and move on!

[Jan C]

Susan in NC wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I liked the first two books but am having trouble with Toyshop. Is there a point where it picks up? Not sure how far in I am but it seems to be dragging."

Oh, that is annoying- I fol..."

Thus far I am not contemplating quitting because I like Fen.

[Susan in NC]

Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I liked the first two books but am having trouble with Toyshop. Is there a point where it picks up? Not sure how far in I am but it seems to be dragging."

Oh, tha..."

I just put in a little nonfiction reading time, going to switch over to Fen for a few laughs before bedtime! I hope I continue to enjoy it.

[Sid]

Sandy wrote: " bought a book on a recommendation from this group, The Stranger Times that my partner is reading and finding hilarious. We thank you."

And I thank you, Sandy. I'll definitely give that a try.

[Roman Clodia]

I've started The Invisible Host which Susan nominated this month and am enjoying it - I actually prefer it so far to Christie's And Then There Were None.

[Susan]

Ooh, sounds like I need to push that one up my TBR list then, RC.

[Roman Clodia]

I'd say so - the New Orleans setting and the American guests including a Hollywood star, a female lawyer and various dodgy businessmen suits the plot very well, I think. And it takes place in an Art Deco penthouse, a suitably ornate setting for such a bonkers plot!

[Susan]

Will be really interesting to compare the two. Look forward to reading your review.

[Judy]

I'm about halfway through Murder on the Lusitania on Kindle, but have also started another of our forthcoming buddy reads, Henrietta Who?, as I wanted something to read on paper. I don't think I'll mix these two up as the settings are so different!

[Sandy]

I started Suspects Nine and am quite happy as Bobby has returned to his London beat. My copy has an interesting preface by Curtis Evans.

[Susan in NC]

Roman Clodia wrote: "I've started The Invisible Host which Susan nominated this month and am enjoying it - I actually prefer it so far to Christie's And Then There Were None."

Oh, good to know- it’s available through Scribd, I definitely want to try it - so intrigued, an American mystery writer may actually have hit on a brilliant plot before the Master? Yes, please! So glad you brought it to our attention, Susan - been an American mystery reader since I was a kid, never heard of it!

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "I'm about halfway through Murder on the Lusitania on Kindle, but have also started another of our forthcoming buddy reads, Henrietta Who?, as I wanted something to re..."

Definitely!

[Roman Clodia]

Susan in NC wrote: "... so intrigued, an American mystery writer may actually have hit on a brilliant plot before the Master?"

I enjoyed The Invisible Host a lot for both its style and its craziness! It's certainly interesting to see what changes Christie made to the basic plot.

[Jan C]

I finally finished The Three Taps the other day. That was fun.

[Susan in NC]

Roman Clodia wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "... so intrigued, an American mystery writer may actually have hit on a brilliant plot before the Master?"

I enjoyed The Invisible Host a lot for both its style..."

Good to hear, thanks!

[Jackie]

I'm 5 chapters into my second read of Mary Stewart's Madam, Will You Talk?

Does anyone think it isn't a mystery? It's kind of a hybrid. It's an adventure novel with romance and mystery.

[Franky]

Currently finishing up Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man.

[Judy]

Jackie, I haven't read Madam, Will You Talk?, but I've read a couple of other books by Mary Stewart which I think fit your description as adventure novels with romance and mystery. Hope you are enjoying this one.

[Franky]

Judy wrote: "Jackie, I haven't read Madam, Will You Talk?, but I've read a couple of other books by Mary Stewart which I think fit your description as adventure novels with romance and mystery. Hope you are enj..."

I definitely like Mary Stewart's style. I read Nine Coaches Waiting and enjoyed it.

[Sid]

I'm reading The Dark Flood by Deon Meyer from NetGalley. It's the latest in his Benny Griessel series and I'm enjoying it (at about 1/3 of the way through). I've liked all the books I've read from this series (3 or 4, I think); Meyer writes a plausible and gripping police procedural and the South African setting is excellent, with a clear-eyed view of the corruption of Zuma and his government (although he is never named) and of the country as a whole. I like the relationship between the two protagonists, too.

Worth a look, I'd say, if you haven't already.

[Jeff]

I really enjoyed Mary Stewarts Merlin books, yet to read the last one of the trilogy as I wanted to saviour the whole experience.

Just started The Daughter of Time

[Sandy]

I am about to start either A Sunlit Weapon, the latest Masie Dobbs or a non-mystery, non-series by Alexander Mccall Smith, The Pavilion in the Clouds. Both need to be returned to the library soon. Then I have another new book waiting, The Cartographers. Requests seem to become available all at once.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "I am about to start either A Sunlit Weapon, the latest Masie Dobbs or a non-mystery, non-series by Alexander Mccall Smith, The Pavilion in the Clouds. Both need to b..."

Same with my library requests! So many books…

[Gary]

Nearly finished reading/listening to Murder by Misrule by Anna Castle, the first in the Francis Bacon series.

[Sandy]

Gary wrote: "Nearly finished reading/listening to Murder by Misrule by Anna Castle, the first in the Francis Bacon series."

One of the books I own but have not yet read. Hope you liked it.

[Judy]

I've got Murder by Misrule as well - I think it was a freebie a while back. Would you recommend it, Gary?

[Jill]

Seems I got it free back in 2017, so will be interested as well.

[Jackie]

it's still free, so I just got a copy - we should do a group read or something.

wait, is it recommended?

[Gary]

I am enjoying the heck out of it. One of my favorite periods of history. Elizabeth I is on the throne. Mary of Scotland is still alive. There is the Protestant versus Catholic dynamic going on. Against this background, a lawyer is murdered not far from a festival attended by the Queen. Bacon is charged with looking into the murder by his uncle, who happens to be Elizabeth's spymaster. I am currently starting chapter 43 of 45. Bacon is a somewhat more active version of Nero Wolfe. He is the brains, his students are his legmen. Those students including Thomas Clarady, whose father is one of Elizabeth's privateers, have more screen time than Bacon. A fun read so far.

[Gary]

Sandy wrote: "Gary wrote: "Nearly finished reading/listening to Murder by Misrule by Anna Castle, the first in the Francis Bacon series."

..."

I had it in my library for a long time and recently grabbed the audio book along with several others in the series during a recent sale at Chirp books.

[Gary]

At the 36% mark of Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton.

[Carolien]

Sid wrote: "I'm reading The Dark Flood by Deon Meyer from NetGalley. It's the latest in his Benny Griessel series and I'm enjoying it (at about 1/3 of the way through). I've lik..."

I need to get to this one, I've read the others in the series and he is very good. If you are interested, I'd recommend Zola which I am currently reading. Excellent police procedural, very gritty and Johan Jack Smith gets Johannesburg exactly right as a setting.

[Sid]

Thanks, Carolien. I'll look into Zola - sounds good!

[Susan in NC]

Reading ebook of The Moving Toyshop, listening to a reread of The Silver Pigs. Great narrator!

[Sandy]

Susan in NC wrote: "Reading ebook of The Moving Toyshop, listening to a reread of The Silver Pigs. Great narrator!"

After reading the first few Falco's I discovered the narrators (there are two), loved them and switched to audio with a book by my side.

[Jill]

I am half way through The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill Although it is tagged horror as well as mystery, I think this author doesn't write to horrify, but she is very good at building the tension and making you feel creepy and uncomfortable.

[Jan C]

I have finally just finished The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Reading ebook of The Moving Toyshop, listening to a reread of The Silver Pigs. Great narrator!"

After reading the first few Falco's I discovered the ..."

I requested the physical book from my library, hope to pick it up this week.

[Jill]

I am now starting The Survivors by Jane Harper I have read her first three books and thought it is an author I should keep up with, while I can.

[Colin]

I've recently had a good time with Philip MacDonald's Murder Gone Mad, one of the earliest serial killer novels.

I'm now reading a time traveling historical effort from John Dickson Carr, Fire, Burn! - it's great fun so far.

[Jan C]

Colin wrote: "I've recently had a good time with Philip MacDonald's Murder Gone Mad, one of the earliest serial killer novels.

I..."

I have them both ... somewhere.

[Colin]

That "somewhere" business is something I can sympathize with. There are always books I know I own (or that I feel pretty certain that I own, at any rate) but actually remembering where they have been stashed is another matter.

[Jan C]

The Macdonald book I may even have bought twice. I knew I had one and saw one at a book sale. Turned out I bought the book I already had. So back to the sale for it.