What mysteries are you reading at the moment? (2023)

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Unlike many, I am quite liking Seven Dead, perhaps more as an adventure story than a GA mystery."

Good, I’m glad you’re enjoying it, definitely gave more of an adventure, almost thriller vibe (view spoiler)[when the reporter took off in his boat to France in search of the young woman in the portrait, and was faced with the sinister landlady and the mysterious scarf seller following him! I thought, oh no, seven dead, and we’re veering into 1920s international thriller territory?! I’d think seven dead bodies was enough mystery for anyone to solve! (hide spoiler)]

[Keith]

Sandy wrote: "Unlike many, I am quite liking Seven Dead, perhaps more as an adventure story than a GA mystery."

I am glad really that someone liked it! For me. it was no pleasure, just hard work, a job to be completed, I was thankful when I got to the end. I'll never have another bash at it so I'll probably just delete it from my Kindle collection

[Gary]

Susan in NC wrote: "Gary wrote: "Currently reading/listening to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Amazingly this is the first time I have read this book. How did I miss this in the 1970s and 1980s when I wa..."

I am listening to the audio book read by the wonderful Hugh Fraser. I have around 2 hours left in my listening time. I will be finishing it tomorrow. Then I will be moving on to Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts. That is book 5 in the series which has past 50 books.

[Jackie]

I am reading #3 in Simon Brett's Fethering mystery series The Torso in the Town.

[Susan in NC]

Gary wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Gary wrote: "Currently reading/listening to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Amazingly this is the first time I have read this book. How did I miss this in the 1970s..."

I’m reading my own used hardcover of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and listening to Hugh Fraser, also, by far my favorite Christie narrator!

[Sarah]

Both Judy and Susan in NC hoped my library would find Acqua Alta: good news! I picked it up this morning, thanks to Link+, learning Berkeley borrowed it from Livermore. Both Berkeley and Livermore have national labs (LBL and LLNL), in the past sites for nuclear bomb technology, now for magnetic and fusion energy. They also deal with environmental restoration; I hope they are paying attention to Venice!
Thanks, Keith, for your compliments on Fou. He reminds me that in addition to a good mystery, getting lots of sleep is good for one's health.
Susan in NC: I'm relieved to hear someone else likes The Thursday Murder Club series. I actually found the latest, "The Last Devil Must Die" very moving, much richer than the previous books. Osman said in his Acknowledgments that his next book will feature father/daughter-in-law detectives, but the Thursday Murder Club will continue.
Now I must start on the stack of books on the table before Fou crashes them down to the floor.

[Susan in NC]

Yay! Enjoy the Brunetti mystery.

[Gary]

Susan in NC wrote: "Yay! Enjoy the Brunetti mystery."

A series I keep meaning to get to in my TBR on my Nook and Kindle, they are spread over both devices.

[Susan in NC]

I read the first many years ago, always wanted to continue with the series, but life got in the way! Glad the group decided to add this to our Buddy reads, it gave me the nudge back towards the series, and I’ve really been enjoying it.

[Jan C]

I finished Murder In Peking late last night/very early this morning. Interesting book but I think I dragged it out too long.

[Jill]

I have now started Acqua Alta for the buddy read.

[Susan in NC]

I had a library ebook loan come through, and am reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

[Sarah]

Just finished Acqua Alta; a good comparison to Pears' series on Italian art fraud and theft, seen from a Venetian Commissario's perspective.
Changing the subject: I recently read an American Golden Age mystery, Frances Noyes Hart's The Bellamy Trial. The Mysterious Bookshop in NYC, affiliated with the Penzler Press, has a monthly reading/discussion of American Mystery Classics on Zoom. Next month's read with be John Dickson Carr's The Red Widow (published under the name Carter Dickson), with Baynard Kendrick's Blind Man's Bluff on the calendar for December. I'm not sure if the readings are timed with new editions out for publication, but I'll see what the discussion is like for the first time this afternoon, 4 p.m. my time, 7 p.m. their time.

[Jill]

Susan in NC wrote: "I had a library ebook loan come through, and am reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn"

Let me know what you think of it. Have it on my list to read.

[Susan in NC]

I’m really enjoying it so far, about 1/2 through - I appreciate the author’s humor. I’ll be curious to see how she resolves things.

[Craftyhj]

I've just finished Swan Song and Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin. My plan is to catch up with the group ready for the next buddy read in the series.

I do enjoy the character of Gervase Fen although I think he is definitely better when in Oxford than on his travels.

The thing that always strikes me when I read the GAC books is just how much they all smoked! They must have lived in a permanent fog!

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I had a library ebook loan come through, and am reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn"..."

Loved it, 5 stars from me, for pace, humor, characters - I guess right book, right time!

[Susan in NC]

I am currently reading Deadly Nightshade: Henry Gamadge #2 byElizabeth Daly. She was an American GA mystery writer, supposedly “Agatha Christie’s favorite” , not sure if that’s favorite American writer, or favorite mystery writer…that’s what my cover says.

[Jill]

Susan in NC wrote: "Jill wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I had a library ebook loan come through, and am reading Killers of a Certain Age by [author:Deanna Rayb..."

Good to know. Thanks

[Jackie]

I am reading another Simon Brett, Mrs Pargeter's Point of Honour.

[Sandy]

Finished The Secret Hours, Herron's latest Slough House adjacent book. Excellent, as expected, and supplies some of the older characters' backstory.

Now onto the latest Cormoran Strike, The Running Grave, which is 35 hours on audio. What is this author thinking!

[Susan in NC]

I have started a reread of a seasonal favorite, Agatha Christie’s Hallowe'en Party.

[Wendy]

Kajehas wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I've been in a bit of a reading slump so far this year so I thought starting a new series might be just what I need. I'm currently reading Old Bones and am really enjo..."

Glad to hear that the rest of the series is good - I'll keep reading on!!

[Jill]

Now reading A Night Of Errors. Michael Innes. I’m finding it a bit disjointed.

[Judy]

Susan in NC wrote: "I have started a reread of a seasonal favorite, Agatha Christie’s Hallowe'en Party."

I recently saw the new Kenneth Branagh Poirot film which is supposed to be based on this book, A Haunting in Venice, but it seemed to be a completely new story! I quite enjoyed it but a lot of the scenes were very dark so it was hard to see what was happening. Has anyone else seen it?

[Gary]

Gary wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Yay! Enjoy the Brunetti mystery."

A series I keep meaning to get to in my TBR on my Nook and Kindle, they are spread over both devices."

I just picked up the Audible of the first book. It was only $2.73 to purchase. I already have ebook on my Kindle. I knocked out the first chapter already.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I have started a reread of a seasonal favorite, Agatha Christie’s Hallowe'en Party."

I recently saw the new Kenneth Branagh Poirot film which is supposed to be bas..."

I haven’t seen it, but the commercials for it looked like it was a horror film, and I couldn’t figure out which book it was based on until I googled it! Definitely looks like an entirely different story!

[Judy]

I've just read a couple of books that I enjoyed. The first was Six Against the Yard by The Detection Club, a series of stories involving "perfect" crimes by members of the club, which a retired Scotland Yard superintendent then explains how he would have solved. I thought this was much better than the round robin The Floating Admiral - I really liked most of the stories.

I have also just read Blackthorn House by John Rhode, which was on special offer recently - I've become increasingly keen on these puzzle-type mysteries and really enjoyed the writing style of this one, but wasn't so impressed by the plot.

[Judy]

Jill wrote: "Now reading A Night Of Errors. Michael Innes. I’m finding it a bit disjointed."

I haven't started this one yet - I have just discovered that all the Michael Innes books which were on Kindle Unlimited in the UK now aren't on there any more and most of them cost £7.99 each on Kindle, so I've ordered this one from the library! Hoping it comes through soon. This may just spur me on to get rid of KU. Although I've said that before and then gone back...

[Susan in NC]

I’m going to start our next Cadfael mystery, The Heretic's Apprentice by Ellis Peters. I always find them restful reads, with the slower pace of life, emphasis on the natural and liturgical calendars - very appealing right now!

[Keith]

Set during the Anarchy, the 12th century first English civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. A really fascinating period. Sharon Penman used her other name, Maud, to differentiate between the Empress and King Stephen's wife, also called Matilda, in her novel 'When Christ and His Saints Slept'

[Jill]

Keith wrote: "Set during the Anarchy, the 12th century first English civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. A really fascinating period. Sharon Penman used her other name, Maud, to differentiate bet..."

I read Here Be Dragons last year and really enjoyed it. I mean to read the others, but she did write doorsteps and just haven’t had the time to get to them.

[Keith]

Sharon Penman really does bring early history to life though, doesn't she? And then Cadfael makes the details seem more real with the mysteries he investigates, many of which are linked to actual events.

[Judy]

I've just started reading one of our forthcoming buddy reads, There's a Reason for Everything by E.R. Punshon, and I see it involves a ghost hunt in a reportedly haunted mansion - sounds perfect for Halloween!

[Sandy]

I've finished my 35 hours with Strike and Robin in The Running Grave. Excellent story, and, for quite a long section, very immersive. I thought it was a seven-book series (this is #7) and if true, I will be annoyed. P.S. Editted to say I can contentedly live with a seven-book series.

Now onto our buddy reads. Penhallow will be first as that is due back soon.

[Judy]

Our new buddy reads are now open for discussion! Looking forward to discussing the latest batch of books.

[Gary]

Finished Death at La Fenice, what a terrific read. Looking forward to reading further in the series.

[Susan in NC]

I’m taking my time with Cadfael in The Heretic's Apprentice, I’ve got the audio from my library, narrated by Derek Jacobi, but it’s abridged! But I love his voice, so I’ll enjoy it when I can, without losing too much of the plot - or the author’s beautiful writing.

Meanwhile, I saw a GR friend’s review of The Pale Horse , an Agatha Christie I’ve only seen dramatized, not read, so I’m picking up a large-print copy from my library soon, my eyes will appreciate that! I read Hallowe'en Party last week, now Pale Horse sounds appropriately seasonal, with witches in the usual murder mix…about as scary as a wimp like me can handle.

[Sandy]

Susan in NC wrote: "I’m taking my time with Cadfael in The Heretic's Apprentice, I’ve got the audio from my library, narrated by Derek Jacobi, but it’s abridged! But I love his voice, so I’ll enjoy it ..."

Why would anyone abridge Cadfael! They are not long books and the beauty is in the details.

[Jill]

Why would anyone abridge Cadfael! They are not long books and the beauty is in the details.
That's what I was thinking.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I’m taking my time with Cadfael in The Heretic's Apprentice, I’ve got the audio from my library, narrated by Derek Jacobi, but it’s abridged! But I love his voic..."

Exactly! I love Jacobi’s voice though, may listen to bits. I love the way Peters writes about the seasons and nature, it’s very restful.

[Keith]

I'm reading my Miss Marple collection. In the books she 's a different character than her TV counterparts, much more diffident, fluttery and 'old'.

[Jackie]

I agree with everyone: Cadfael books should not be abridged.

[Gary]

Abridged...gaahhhh

Too many notes Mozart....

[Judy]

I'm going to get rid of Kindle Unlimited for a while as I'm not using it enough, so am trying to read a few of the books I've got saved before my subscription ends! I'm currently reading The Hog's Back Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts, which I'm enjoying - he's become one of my favourite GA writers.

[Jan C]

I've gone back to Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie. Hadn't realized I was at the 75% mark when I put it down.

[Sandy]

Jan C wrote: "I've gone back to Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie. Hadn't realized I was at the 75% mark when I put it down."

Yet another of my favorite series.

[Sandy]

I just read The Last Devil to Die. For anyone following the series, you may not want to be reading parts in public places. Very good book.

Will be starting our Bobby Owen buddy read next.

[Jan C]

Sandy wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I've gone back to Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie. Hadn't realized I was at the 75% mark when I put it down."

Yet another of my favorite series."

Mine, too.

[Sarah]

I LOVED the latest in The Thursday Club series. It raises a lot of serious issues, and I found myself contemplating both legal and ethical questions in relation to myself and others.