The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion
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Currently Reading? Just Finished?
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Mallory
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Jun 25, 2012 07:20PM
Just finished reading the first Vince Flynn novel, Term Limits. LOVED it, and can't wait to read more into the series.
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I started Among the Missing: A Novel, but I just could not get into it right now. I will give it another go later, but right now I am reading When She Woke. I love the writing, it just feels so easy to read.
Malina wrote: "Just finished MudboundNot sure what I will be reading next."
what did you think of it?
@Val, I really liked the way the book was written (Mudbound). The ending was a good point to end. This point in history is sad and my 20 yr old daughter cannot understand how people could treat other people this way. Sadly it still happens maybe not to this degree but its there.
Well, I just finished
and I was disappointed. As I said in my review, I wanted to love it, as I adore all things Sherlock, but the weak mystery and political agenda were very un-Sherlockian, in my opinion. Have others read it? Did I judge it too harshly?
Donna wrote: "Cathleen wrote: "I'm now reading The Ghosts of Belfastby Stuart Neville. It's about an IRA killer,Gerry Fegan, who served a dozen years in prison and is/has been continually haunted by the ghosts ..."That's probably a good thing :) His novels, as good as they are, have nary a glimmer of lightness :)
I just finished Dying for a Danceand Conflict of Interest two very different books, but learned a lot about ballroom dancing in the first, and a lot about breaching security systems in second. I still have to do the reviews and will post on my page by tomorrow.
Just finished my first Dennis Lehane, A Drink Before the War. OK, it was fun and moved along well. His characters seemed a bit too comic book to me. The main character, Patrick Kenzie, is written as if he is complex and constantly conflicted. He doesn't pull it off. Yeah, the dialog was good. The premise and story were sound but the cut out characters made me feel like I was reading Starsky and Hutch.
Finishing this one I started Lehane's The Given Day, historical fiction. Wow, night and day. I'm only about fifty pages in and am very impressed. I get the feeling Lehane writes Kenzie/Genarro to pay the bills but has another love.
I'm reading Resurrected: An Adam Wolf Thrillerby Steve Trotter. I can't get the link or the cover to display here. However, the book is a page-turner that's both exciting and funny. Check it out before they're all gone.
I just finished
. Very interesting take on Lincoln. I know it's not real but it's fun. I'm now reading
Finished Gone Girl and really liked it. Started my advance copy of And When She Was Good - my very first Laura Lippman ready and enjoying it quite a bit.
Cliff wrote: "Just finished The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley.A 'golden age' British whodunnit first published in 1929. Too many twists and turns for a convincing ending, but the very inventive..."
I read that last year, Cliff, and it was enjoyable. A nice parlour mystery.
It's not Mystery, Crime or Thriller but just finished To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom by Newt Gingrich. I thought it appropriate with July 4th coming up. Starting today Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine.
Tay wrote: "I just finished[bookcover:Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter]. Very interesting take on Lincoln. I know it's not real but it's fun. I'm now reading
"Saw the Abe Lincoln movie over the weekend. Very cool. Enjoy all the Michael Connelly books, but that one was particularly good.
Renee wrote: "Genine wrote: "Renee wrote: "I'm about mid-way through A Carrion Death and yesterday I misplaced it. I was surprised by how upset I got. Not just because it belongs to the library but because I rea..."The other series is The Jimm Juree series, and yes, the first in that series is At the Whim of a Hat. I plan to start those books when I finish the last (so far) Siri Paiboun book. I'm on Curse of the Pogo Stick, but it's an audiobook on CD, a player only in the kitchen, so it's slow going (and not as satisfying as reading it!)
Okay. Here's the link to Resurrected: An Adam Wolf Thriller by Steve Trotter.http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...
Teresa wrote: "I'm so excited -- just picked up
last night and can't wait to start reading it today!"It's a kick. Enjoy!
started
first page awesome, would never have found it without this book because it is not totally a mystery. Reading
at night but it seems a bit contrived compared to my compulsive reading of
my first experience at the wonder that is Sayers. I am going around saying "Oh, I say indeed dash it" love it!
Marilyn wrote: "started
first page awesome, would never have found it without this group because it is not totally a mystery. Reading
at night but it seems a bit..."
just finished compulsively reading (all evening into a,m, and then some today) Hide by Lisa Gardner http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32...Absolutely loved it!
Cliff wrote: "Bill wrote: "Cliff wrote: "Just finished The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley.A 'golden age' British whodunnit first published in 1929. Too many twists and turns for a convincing end..."
I've had both books on my lookout list. Next time I get to my mystery book store I'll check them out. Hope you enjoy.
Thanks, Genine: Jimm Jurree is her name. Just finished Ghost on Black Mountain by Ann Hite, an impulse check-out from the library. Somtimes that works out pretty well. It exceeded my expectations. I s'pose it is kind of a read-alike for Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad series. It is set in North Carolina (mostly) during the Depression (mostly). Secrerts and lies and Haunts and haints. Perhaps a flawed saint or twain too.
In the middle of Stephen Hunter's Point of Impact. His deadly calm, sharp shooting sniper protagonist from Arkansas is a great character. A good page turner.
I'm on vacation next week so I started
. My favorite Mixed Martial Arts fighter. It should be hilarious.I'm also going to start
in addition to the one I'm reading which is Chasing the Dime
I just finished A Fatal Debt by John Gapper. It is a quick Wall Street type thriller with an exceptional twist on the genre. Now I'm reading Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins. It is my first Rollins novel, so I'm eager to see what all of the hype is about.
I just finished Arrow Pointing Nowhere, which was a very enjoyable book. I'm just getting into The Sword in the Stone which I'm enjoying already even though I just started. About to start a book I've had for a little while now, The Poisonwood Bible.
Just finished
-- a "cozy" read (I had no idea this was even a genre lol) ... I really liked it, and would like to read more in this series
Cozy mysteries are usually shorter, lighter mysteries. Often humorous, not much graphic violence. There are often themes like cooking, crafts, antiques. Charlaine Harris has a couple of cozy series that are good. Sometimes the older mysteries like Sayers, Tey, Stout etc are also placed in this genre. My personal favorite is Dorothy Cannell and. M C Beaton.
fivesunflowers wrote: "Just finished
-- a "cozy" read (I had no idea this was even a genre lol) ... I really liked it, and would like to read more in this series"I'm just about finished with What's A Ghoul To Do also. I started out of order with Ghouls Gone Wild and didn't expect I'd want to read the whole series. I love a good cozy, but they can be a little hit or miss. I also seldom care for much paranormal (with notable exceptions: Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly series is great).
Sometimes one needs a kind of 'palate cleanser' from the noir, the psychological thriller, the international intrigue, the true crime. Sort of like a nice sorbet.
But what makes the difference between a great cozy and a, um, .... 'meh' cozy?
Not all cozies are created equal, that's for sure. They are a nice break from the dark side. Some people just don't like detailed forensic evidence and graphic violence, so they lean in the cozy direction. I'm usually into the more traditional, darker Mystery/crime novels, but like you, I stumbled across a cozy mystery and loved it. If you look up the list of cozy authors you would be surprised by some of the well known mystery writers names that appear on the list.
For me, the requirements to be a great cozy are the same as any other book - believable characters, a plot that holds together and tells a good story. In some ways this is harder in the cozy genre since the author cannot rely on the shock value of graphic violence or warped psychology or the awe inspiring whizardy of modern forensic science to keep us turning pages.
Donna wrote: "For me, the requirements to be a great cozy are the same as any other book - believable characters, a plot that holds together and tells a good story. "Exactly. I definitely enjoy some cozies and the two places most of them don't work for me is believable characters (can't quite see the ditzy blonde secretary suddenly turning into Modesty Blaize) and so many times the plots simply surpass even my abilities to suspend belief.
My favorite cozies for the most part usually end up being mature/older females ... a bit along the line of Christie's Miss Marple books.
Sharon wrote: "Donna wrote: "For me, the requirements to be a great cozy are the same as any other book - believable characters, a plot that holds together and tells a good story. Exactly. I definitely enjoy s..."
I love Miss Marple but she could get a bit phychological and dark at times. Love a cosy like that. Even Kinsey Milhone has some kind of cosy feel to me
Yes, Sue. Grafton is on the cozy list. I just started that series. I'm on the third one. I love it so far.
Another 'older lady' series that I just love (still re-read often) is the Miss Seeton series (the original ones by Heron Carvic). Retired art teacher that retires in a small English village ... great sense of rather dry English humor.
thank you Sharon, will put that on my to read list. And Julie I have read all of Sue Grafton's books except the last. Some were just good, some were great, a few not that good but I will follow her to the end of the alphabet. Sorry about the bad spelling on pychological. love the dry English humor. I am reading my first D. Sayers and am realizing there is a cosy feel to it along with dry humor.
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