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[Ken]

Jane wrote: "There was a brilliant adaptation of Tinker, Tailor done by the B.B.C. starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley and if you enjoy the book, it is well worth getting hold of the dvd's."

I enjoyed the Tinker Tailor Series both as a book and as the BBC feature. They followed up with Smiley's People. I recently re-watched them on Netflix and they were still true to the story but the quality of the picture and sound was a lot worse than I remembered.

[Ken]

I started The Company of Fellows based on a recommendation on these boards. The book description starts: ""the plot rattles along at a great pace".

Somebody tell me when that starts. I'm halfway through and there a couple of cleanly positioned corpses and a messy suicide (but we always thought he was high-strung). Mostly its a tour of Oxford coffeeshops and atrip down memory lane for the metrosexual protagonist.

If I was reading a hardcover of I'd wake up with my thumb asleep, pinched between the covers. Should I stay with it? Nothing reminds me of Hannibal Lechter or Thomas Harris in the slightest. I needs me some 'it puts the lotion in the basket'.

[Sandra]

Ken wrote: "I started The Company of Fellows based on a recommendation on these boards. The book description starts: ""the plot rattles along at a great pace".

Somebody tell me when that st..."

"It puts the lotion on its skin."
Creepy! You just can't compete with this guy, especially when he tucks himself & dances! What a villain!

I love what you had to say about this book; you have summed it up rather eloquently!

[Steffi]

started with today

[Carol/Bonadie]

I agree with you on Slaughter but not on Penny. I read the first Slaughter and never went back, the crimes too graphic, the violence too prolonged. I never considered myself anything other than a hardboiled reader but that experience changed my mind. As to Penny, I'm not a fan of cozies but the interesting culture drew me into Still Life, and when I returned to read the next book I was hooked by the continuing stories of the characters, including CI Gamauche.

Johnette wrote: "I've just finished Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter immediately followed by Still Life by Louis Penny. At this moment, I'm feeling that Slaughter was too gory and Penny is too cozy. Still not sure..."

[Kate]

I'm about 60 pages into Benjamin Franklin: An American Life right now. Enjoying the book, though I must say, his advice to women made me laugh. Particularly the piece that went something like, "Women, deny yourself the trivial pleasure of having your own will." Uh... yeah. That's trivial.

[Jannene]

I just finished . It was a good listen. I really liked Guy and how he wanted to make amends for his rough past. I just started listening to .

[Barbara]

I'm reading Sixkill by Robert B. Parker. Not one of his best Spenser books in my opinion. It has a pretty thin plot mostly consisting of various hitmen going after Spenser to try to stop an investigation.

[Sharon]

Barbara wrote: "I'm reading Sixkill by Robert B. Parker. Not one of his best Spenser books in my opinion. It has a pretty thin plot mostly consisting of various hitmen going after Spens..."

I've always been a fan of the Parker books but have to admit the earlier books are probably the best from a plot standpoint. That said, in this book, I particularly liked the interaction between Spenser and Sixkill, Parker always managed to do very good dialog and characterization.

[Allison]

I'm reading THE FIFTH WITNESS by Michael Connelly -- I love Connelly, and I particularly like his Mickey Haller books. I read THE LINCOLN LAWYER when it first came out and remember standing in the middle of baggage claim after a long flight, my suitcases at my feet, finishing the book because I could not stand the thought of driving home without knowing what happened. I'm very much enjoying this latest read! Don't know what I'm going to read next ... a friend of mine, Greg Olsen, who writes both suspense and true crime, has a YA book that I bought and might read next, or the second book in a paranormal thriller series by Dardnya Jones (because I thoroughly enjoyed the first--but mind you, it's paranormal.)

The Fifth Witness Envy Second Grave on the Left

[Sharon]

I read the first book in the series by Dardnya Jones and liked it. This one is on my wish list.

[Tay]

Valerie wrote: "I'm almost done with . I'll finish it today.

Then I'm going to start reading the next Michael Connelly book on my list, which is [bookcover:Echo Pa..."


I hope you enjoy Echo Park. It was an excellent read.

[Jan]

I'm currently reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer, only because it's my book club's next selection. It's pretty easy reading but not very well written IMHO.
I also got a Kobo Vox ereader for Christmas and have borrowed Two Dollar Bill by Stuart Woods from my public library.

[Ken]

Marjorie, if you like the WW2 rut (and who doesn't), and liked the Night of Long Knives, you might also enjoy a book with both a similar title and a similar theme, The Night of the Generals

For those unfamiliar with the Long Knives, this was the purge of German Officers after the July 1944 coup attempt against Hitler. mixes in an ongoing murder investigation with the purge. The investigator tries to solve the crime without being swept up in the murderous purge. Also a movie but I don't recall who was featured. Been a while but the title jumped at me from your post.

[Diane S ☔]

Love the Vogel mysteries. I am reading Storm Damage which beside having a very good storyline also is covering New Orleans right before and after Hurricane Katrina. Unbelievable!

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Hi Marjorie, If you want to stay in the WW II rut I can highly recommend the Billy Boyle series. Billy Boyle by James Benn. Very interesting stories based on some of the lesser known (or now forgotten) events of WW II.

[Nikol]

I'm actually reading now Nancy Drew case 5; Hit and run holiday. Seems pretty interesting, like all her cases :)

[Barbara]

Allison wrote: "I'm reading THE FIFTH WITNESS by Michael Connelly -- I love Connelly, and I particularly like his Mickey Haller books. I read THE LINCOLN LAWYER when it first came out and remember standing in the ..."

Thanks Allison. I'm putting The Fifth Witness on my TBR list :)

[Leslie]

The Fifth Witness was excellent! Great ending! Looking forward to reading his Connelly's latest, The Drop, which is sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read!

[Jeanette]

I just finished by Lee Childand now I'm reading by Marc Eliot.

[Jannene]

I finished listening to N is for Noose. This was a good listen. I liked this book. I didn't have any particular attachment with the characters except Kinsey. I didn't have a clue what was going to happen with the twists and turns in it.

[Jan C]

I just finished listening to Stephen White's Dry Ice. Parts of it go back to his first, Privileged Information. I enjoyed it. Maybe I'll even go back to reading that one that he wrote that took place in Utah - name escapes me right now.

[Gatorman]

Jan C wrote: "I just finished listening to Stephen White's Dry Ice. Parts of it go back to his first, Privileged Information. I enjoyed it. Maybe I'll even go back to reading that one that he wrote that took pl..."

Dry Ice was a very good book. I have read most of White's books but am unsure of the one set in Utah.

[Jan C]

Gatorman wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I just finished listening to Stephen White's Dry Ice. Parts of it go back to his first, Privileged Information. I enjoyed it. Maybe I'll even go back to reading that one that he wrot..."

I looked it up - Higher Authority. It was his third book.

I don't always remember to look up when driving.

[Gatorman]

That's one I didn't read.

[Kate]

Jeff wrote: "I started "If Books Could Kill" yesterday. It is very good so far. A nice easy, light mystery
If Books Could Kill"

Thank you, Jeff!

[Kate]

I'm reading Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and really enjoying it so far. He's quite a character, very much a pragmatist.

[Judith]

I have Reginald Hill's The Woodcutter right next to me. I ordered it to read on a long plane trip coming up in March, but it's highly unlikely that I'll be able to resist it till then. It's calling to me.

[Allison]

Leslie wrote: "The Fifth Witness was excellent! Great ending! Looking forward to reading his Connelly's latest, The Drop, which is sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read!"

It's sitting on my shelf, too! Well ... actually, I think my mom took it when she visited, so I'll read it when I get it back :)

[Harlow]

I forced myself to finish The Bone Collector by Jefferson Bass. Plot really didn't get going until I was some 70 pages in. Also, you'll be lost if you haven't read the first book. I just started Heart of Evil by Heather Graham. Sorry, I don't know how to add hyperlinks. I'm beginning to feel jaded. I just haven't found a really good murder mystery lately. Aargh! Suggestions anyone?

[Jannene]

Harlow, have you read any of the Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen?

, . Both of those books, I gave 5 stars, very good!

[Harlow]

Hi Jannene, no, I haven't, but I watch the TV series. I'll give Tess Gerritsen a try. Thanks.

[Jannene]

I watch the TV series as well. The first book doesn't have Isles but the plot is great. The next book has Isles in it and she becomes a regular in book 3, The Sinner. I believe that you will really like that series.

[Ken]

Stalin's Ghost arrived in the mail today and I'm putting down that Oxford novel and getting reacquainted with Arkady Renko. Like having an old friend come over but not drink all your expensive booze.

[Allison]

Harlow wrote: "Hi Jannene, no, I haven't, but I watch the TV series. I'll give Tess Gerritsen a try. Thanks."

My favorite Gerritsen books are VANISH (an Edgar nominee), THE APPRENTICE, and ICE COLD. She's a terrific writer, you really can't go wrong. The only book I didn't love was THE SINNER, but it was still worth reading. I have THE SILENT GIRL in my towering TBR pile. Though a series, they can stand alone in most ways. THE SURGEON is the first, but I didn't read it until I'd read a couple of the later books first.

[Allison]

Harlow wrote: "I forced myself to finish The Bone Collector by Jefferson Bass. Plot really didn't get going until I was some 70 pages in. Also, you'll be lost if you haven't read the first book. I just started ..."

Oh, another good murder mystery (but edging more in the thriller category) author is JT Ellison. She has a series with 5 or 6 books, her debut was ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS which was good (I gave it a blurb because I liked it) and her second book 14 was even better. She won the Thriller Award for best paperback original last year. Disclaimer: she's a good friend of mine, but I wouldn't recommend the books if they weren't terrific. They are a little gritty, but not as violent as Karin Slaughter, for example. (I also like Slaughter a lot, but my mom doesn't because of the violence--my mom loves Ellison's books.)

[[deleted user]]

Harlow wrote: "Sorry, I don't know how to add hyperlinks."

Hi Harlow, check out the "Techno Corner" folder. Instructions for all sorts of neat things:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...

[Shawn]

Ken wrote: "Stalin's Ghost arrived in the mail today and I'm putting down that Oxford novel and getting reacquainted with Arkady Renko. Like having an old friend come over but not drink all your..."

I *love* Arkady Renko. Stalin's Ghost is a good one. Have you read Child 44?

[Steffi]

50 pages into , really like it so far

[Sharon]

About halfway through Dead Beat which will be my first Kate Brannigan mystery by Val McDermid. I know I've read something by him before and wasn't impressed but can't remember what it was or why I didn't care for it. This one is going well and I like the characters and the writing.

[Amy]

Thanks for the suggestion to Harlow, Allison! I got a Nook Tablet for Christmas, and was deciding what to download. I just bought !

Just a side note, also - I LOVE Slaughter's books. She's definitely one of my favorites!

[Leslie]

Shawn wrote: "Ken wrote: "Stalin's Ghost arrived in the mail today and I'm putting down that Oxford novel and getting reacquainted with Arkady Renko. Like having an old friend come over but not dr..."
Did not know there was a new Arkady Renko book! I loved Child 44, thought it was excellent. Wo, Stalin's Ghost is going on my wish list right now! Thank you for the good news!

[Leslie]

Leslie wrote: "Shawn wrote: "Ken wrote: "Stalin's Ghost arrived in the mail today and I'm putting down that Oxford novel and getting reacquainted with Arkady Renko. Like having an old friend come o..."

Ok, I'm out of touch. Just looked up Stalin's Ghost and see that it was published in '08. Well, I have some catching up to do. So many books, so little time!

[Nigel]

Just finished this:

The Killing Of Emma Gross is based upon a true story, set in a period when ‘the Ripper’ (or ‘Vampire Of Dusseldorf’) was terrorising families in Germany in the late 1920s.

The murder we’re concerned with is of one Emma Gross, a prostitute found killed in the room of a seedy hotel where customers pay by the hour. It’s one that comes as part of a rather unfortunate package.

Seaman takes the idea of this unsolved case and weaves a wonderful story for the reader to delight in.

The book opens with Detective Michael Ritter with the body of Emma Gross and we get a fly on the wall view of what happens.

From that point on we’re inside the head of one Detective Thomas Klein. In fact, we’re not just inside his head but inside his whole body as it reacts to each situation and new emotion in different ways. It’s quite a skill Seaman has with internal settings, giving us not only Klein’s insides, but small rooms and oppressive atmospheres that lend to the whole piece a claustrophobic feel which entirely makes sense for the period and situation.

Unfortunately for Klein, he has something of a history with his senior colleague Ritter and this leads to trouble when their paths cross over the case.

Klein has been tipped off about the ‘the Ripper’ Peter Kurten and sets off to arrest him in a church.

Instead of making Klein the hero, Ritter turns the world upside down and Klein is given a roasting in an interrogation room.

The bringing in of a Berlin hotshot soon sees Klein back on the case and he’s soon sent off to work on a maverick operation that leaves him vulnerable from every angle.

Klein is a superb character. An old storm trooper who’s allowed himself to go to seed, he moves through the underbelly of the city with all senses bar smell switched on.

We get a glimpse of what it might have been like in a post-war world where the communists have been crushed, there’s an economic depression and Freud has a spreading influence that percolates through German Expressionism. I got flashes of the movie ‘M’ every so often (Fritz Lang’s very early talkie from the period and dealing with a serial child-killer) – that’s a film I admire greatly so if the effect was intentional, I take my hat off.

Seaman throws in some German language every once in a while, usually in terms of humour (the word ‘arsch’ is slipped in wonderfully from time-to-time).

I’d say he also did a lot of research, but it’s leaked to us subtly rather than rammed.

It’s a must for the fan of the police procedural and is even more of an essential read for those fans looking for something with a strong and unique flavour.

Full Marx.

[Sufferingbruin]

Anirban wrote: "Just completed Gone for Good by Harlan Coben...started today Killshot by Elmore Leonard."

Let me know when you finish Killshot. I think that's Leonard at his best though I didn't like a significant portion of the book... well, we can talk when you finish! :)

[Ruth]

I just finished Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man and gave it 3 stars.

[Ken]

Haven't read Child 44but it sounds good. Decided to catch up on Arkady and see what he's been up to.

I like Elmore Leonard but if I had to pick the ones I like least, they all seem to be set in Detroit. I like when his stories are set in Florida much more but I think Carl Hiasseen and Leonard had a turf war for the state and Carl won.

[Beth]

I'm well into The Past Came Hunting by my friend, Donnell Bell. It's her first published book, and one I've been waiting for for a looong time. It's a suspense, not a mystery, because you know who the killer is near the beginning. But, you worry about what he's going to do for the rest of the book. It's a gripping read, and even if it wasn't written by a friend, I would highly recommend it. ;-)

[Jannene]

Allison wrote: "Harlow wrote: "Hi Jannene, no, I haven't, but I watch the TV series. I'll give Tess Gerritsen a try. Thanks."

My favorite Gerritsen books are VANISH (an Edgar nominee), THE APPRENTICE, and ICE C..."

Allison, I didn't care for either. It was a 3 star I thought not quite like the other two. I am getting read to start the forth .

[Ethan]

I just finished reading Sanctus by Simon Toyne. It was a very satisfying thriller, written in a similar style to those by Dan Brown. Now I'm reading Bitter Legacy by H. Terrell Griffin. I'm desperately trying to finish reading all of the promotional copies that I've received this year. So far, I'm really enjoying this one!