2023 - 08 - sleuths - What did you read?

[PAS, Moderator AC]

August Shelf is sleuths

Did you re-read an old favourite or did you find a new favourite?

[Joyce]

I read One for the Hooks and really enjoyed it. I gave it 4 stars

Review
I have read a few of these books out of order but other than Molly Pink's romances it doesn't matter much. In this book a murder of a real estate agent seems accidental, but Molly is not so sure about that. The neighbors don't want a house in a cul de sac to have daily rentals. But would they kill for that? Molly and her Tarzana hookers are working on a new project for which the pattern is in the book. Molly's son invades her house with his pregnant girlfriend and takes over the whole house. I found I really wanted to smack him. Will Molly finally choose to be with?

Like usual this was a fun read but really didn't expect the ending.

Used in: By the Month, Moving Mountains and 15 in 15
I nominate: Ghost

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I read Hot Six and I enjoyed it. It was a reread for me. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter. She isn't a very good bounty hunter. He does manage to catch her fugitives with the help of her mentor Ranger. He is a mysterious person. In this installment, Ranger is wanted for questioning in a possible murder. Stephanie is given the job of bringing him in. She has no idea where he is. I used it for By the Month and 15 in 15.
I nominate Fairy Tale Retellings

[Joanna]

Purity in Death by J.D. Robb
4 stars

Maybe I'm just stressed out right now, but I liked this book better than some of the others in this series. Of course, this follows the same basic plotline of all of the books in this series--there's a serial killer of some sort, Lt. Eve Dallas (NYPD) has to kick ass and solve it, along with her cast of loveable sidekicks and her billionaire-husband.

The narrator for these audiobooks always does a good job and, at this point, is the voice of this series. These are perfect easy listening--the plot is complicated enough and fast enough to be engaging, there's some action, but never any doubt about how it's going to turn out.

The books are interchangeable enough that you could easily read them out of order or as a standalone, but there is some character development across the books that makes it slightly more enjoyable to read them in order. And, since they're so interchangeable, you might as well read them in order.

I nominate priority.
Used for By the Month and 15/15 and SS.

[Beverly]

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
3 stars

I have wanted to try this series for awhile and thought the book was just ok for me. A is for Alibi is the first of the Kinsey Millhone series and was published in 1982. Not sure if I was distracted this go round or if this book was just not my cup of tea.

[Meg]

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
3.5 stars

This was my first KS and I see why so many people love her books. The suspense was intense and it was a really fast and exciting read. I give it 3.5 stars but rounded down because on reflection there were some problems. Still, I enjoyed it a lot and am excited to delve into her backlist.

Read for 15/15

I nominate unreliable narrator

[Elvenn]

I read Towards Zero (1944) by Agatha Christie, a typical Christie where family members gather under one roof and everyone's a suspect, but with Superintendent Battle, instead of Miss Marple or Poirot.

It started really well, with very interesting characters and a mysterious setting, but the author kept adding characters, and the spotlight ended on a few that felt a little cartoonish. I would have liked to know more about some of them, then perhaps the stakes would have been higher, and I would have been more invested in the story. Instead, the focus is placed on following the characters' movements, and the explanations presented get more and more convoluted.

It was an enjoyable read, only not really memorable as other of her books. The Secret of Chimneys is still my favorite Battle, though I've been told Cards on the Table is really good as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Shelf nomination: Survival

[Joyce]

I read The Case of the Missing Marquess and even though I sort of remembered the story from the movie on TV. It's has been long enough that I enjoyed it. The movie was pretty much similar to the book though except it left a bit on a cliff hanger.

It is the story of Enola Holmes (sister to Sherlock and Mycroft). Her mother disappears and she is trying to find clues to where she has gone. On the way she solves another case "The missing marquess". I will read more of this series.

I used this in: By the month, Moving Mountains 2023, Seriously Series

I nominate: Ghost

[Bea]

I define a sleuth as a detective, particularly either a PI or amateur.

With that definition, I read several that would fit this shelf:
A Fatal Thaw - Kate Shugak, a retired investigator for DA
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club - Lord Peter Wimsey, amateur
The Ghost and the Dead Deb - Penelope Thornton-McClure, bookshop owner (amateur)
A Cast-Off Coven - Lily, vintage clothing store owner (amateur)
The Devil's Bones - Bill Blass, forensic anthropologist
Frames - Valentino, a film archivist (amateur)
Helen Vardon's Confession - Dr. John Thorndyke, expert in both forensics and strange cases

All were rated 4*.

I nominate contemporary.

[Susan]

I read Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta #9. I enjoyed it, as I do all the Kay Scarpetta books. Nothing exciting, just an enjoyable read. I'm not sure I'd have put this book on the "sleuths" shelf, considering some of the books that didn't make it. Mystery & detective, certainly.