World Mysteries and Thrillers discussion
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What are you reading now?
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Don't forget to vote for the best book and author of the year (of the ones you've read this year, no matter when first published), in http://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/45... poll open until the 28th.
If there are two (or more) authors or books that all are the best, vote for one, and add in the comments who or what else you would have voted for.
I enjoy Martha Grimes's books, too, but you might be interested to know that she is not British. She is American -- born in Pittsburgh and lives in Washington, DC. But she does an excellent job writing mysteries set in Britain. As does Elizabeth George, another American whose mysteries are set in Britain.
At last! some time to read, and I'm really enjoying Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. It takes place in Quebec City in the depths of winter and delves into both a contemporary murder mystery and another one with its roots in the history of Quebec which I'm finding very interesting. Louise Penny's series, so filled with eccentric, yet very realistic characters and lots of heart, is one of my favourites so this is a bit of an indulgent Christmas present for me.
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Great to read Pat. I am yet to start reading LP but a good friend of mine in Canada has recommended her again and again...keen to start once pile less.......
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Just finished A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint. Good mystery and wonderful characters. The setting of Malaysia and Singapore was certainly different for me. The series continues with mysteries set in Bali, Cambodia, and Thailand and I am looking forward to more cases with Inspector Singh.
Sharon wrote: "Pat wrote: "At last! some time to read, and I'm really enjoying Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. It takes place in Quebec City in the depths of winter and delves into ..."Louise Penny's books should be read in the order written so as not to spoil the surprise as you move through them
I can't imagine anyone on this list NOT enjoying Louise Penny. I think her books are categorized as traditional mysteries but they are so beautifully written, so well plotted, so satisfying on many levels, you just can't go wrong with her even if you (like me) don't typically read traditional mysteries. I actually put off reading her books when life is too frenetic because her books ARE a luxury to be savored. I actually started Bury Your Dead after completing The Brutal Telling but loved the first few pages so much, I decided to put it down and go back to it later when I have more time to really enjoy it. I know, an odd thing to do. ;)
Sharon wrote: "Reading Ian Rankin's The Impossible Dead finally....kindle edition. Nice wee story but a bit slow and quiet but only 39% in...... Sure true M Fox is NOT J Rebus..... Is that the nature of the co..."Been meaning to read Ian Rankin for eons now. Can anyone a good novel of his to start with? That is, if I were to only read one, which should it be?
Donna wrote: "Just finished A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint. Good mystery and wonderful characters. The setting of Malaysia and Singapore was certainly different for me. The seri..."I love her books too! So unique.
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If you want a stand alone, I recommend The Flood or start at the beginning with Rebus....best in order.
IAN RANKIN
Inspector Rebus
1. Knots and Crosses (1987)
2. Hide and Seek (1990)
3. Tooth and Nail (1992) aka Wolfman
4. Strip Jack (1992)
5. The Black Book (1993)
6. Mortal Causes (1994)
7. Let It Bleed (1995)
8. Black and Blue (1997)
9. The Hanging Garden (1998)
10. Dead Souls (1999)
11. Set in Darkness (2000)
12. The Falls (2001)
13. Resurrection Men (2002)
14. A Question of Blood (2003)
15. Fleshmarket Close (2004) aka Fleshmarket Alley
16. The Naming Of The Dead (2006)
17. Exit Music (2007)
Fox series:
The Complaints
The Impossible Dead 2012
A Good Hanging: And Other Stories (1992)
Death Is Not the End (1998)
Rebus: The Early Years (omnibus) (1999)
Rebus: The St Leonard's Years (omnibus) (2001)
Three Great Novels: Strip Jack / The Black Book / Mortal Causes (omnibus) (2001)
Rebus: The Lost Years (omnibus) (2003)
Capital Crimes (omnibus) (2004)
Novels
The Flood (1986)
Watchman (1988)
Westwind (1990) Cannot find!
Doors Open (2008)
The Complaints (2009)
Crimespotting 2009
A Cool Head
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Anna wrote: "What (World mystery or thriller type of book) are you reading now?
I'm currently reading the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. I found a few books, got hooked, and was lucky to find the r..."
I'm currently reading the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. I found a few books, got hooked, and was lucky to find the r..."
I'm sorry. Might have posted in the wrong place.
I'm reading my first mystery by James Patterson, Kill Me If You Can. it's really an exciting ride. Luvin' it.
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Michael Connelly takes his Harry Bosch character on the road to Hong Kong in Nine Dragons. I love Connelly's writing, and the Bosch character in particular, although this book and especially the setting are a bit out of the ordinary for him. From Nine Dragons on there is departure from his successful formula - perhaps there is a new editor in the wings?
I've never tried Michael Connelly. Which one would you recommend???
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Series in chronological order http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Connell...
The Black Echo
The Black Ice
The Concrete Blonde
The Last Coyote
Trunk Music...
And after that list, Nine Dragons and I think there was one even newer. The Drop?
That should get you started :) The oldest ones are really good, but most books in the series are good. The only one I didn't like was The Overlook.
Then again if you do find easier a newer one of the series, you could give it a try, and if you like it, then try to read the rest more or less in order.
Kill Me If You Can by J. Patterson.
Thanks for the great list of Rankin books, Sharon! Which was your favorite? I'm reading The Leopard now (Nesbo). Enjoying it.
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I'm reading The Leopard now (Nesbo). Enjoying it."
Read them all except Westwind which I cannot find. Love all the Rebus and very hopeful IR will resurrect John Rebus soon. I love reading a characters from start to finish in order.
Not that happy with Fox but they are nice quiet stories.
The Flood was very good.
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- book of the month? As it's a larger area and has more variety than they would have e.g. in the Nordic groups, perhaps pick a few different books and authors around the world to try something different (and that way it'll be easier to find at least something of them in a smaller city)
Or it could be even a few books or authors that are for like 3 months, and then make your picks and talks based on which regions or styles etc you like.
- reading buddies or book talk of specific books? Like if you want to see what the others think of the same book while you read it or find that there are some books that would definitely benefit of a more in-depth look at them. Like pick some Chinese detectives and then discover all the interesting bits about China and the Chinese detective stories in the same thread.
I just finished The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje, which ended up being a bit of a mystery. Now I am looking for a new mystery...
Free copy --- for your review. THE DEVIL'S AUDITOR Give me an e- mail for a free PDF
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Enjoy his books so much...look fwd to that.
I'm reading Cold Granite right now, so far I've found it to be pretty good, unlike the last couple of crime books set in Scotland I've tried
Jean wrote: "Just beginning The Shape of Water."I love the TV adaptation of this series done by RAI but I don't understand Italian so I have to read the subtitles.
Currently reading some short stories by Agatha Christie, The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh, and The Boy in the Suitcase. All are very good.
Sharon wrote: "Heather wrote: "I just finished The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje, which ended up being a bit of a mystery. Now I am looking for a new mystery..."Enjoy his books so much...look fwd to that."
I didn't enjoy The Cat's Table until the very end, when we get the retrospective view...sorry...
Just finished Graham Hurley's first book, Turnstone. Enjoyed this police procedural with lots of twists and turns, but hope the DI Joe Faraday develops in the next books in the series, and developed love-hate feelings for the Paul Winter character. Has anyone else read these?
Reading on my Kindle Adventures of Nihu and Salvage THE BONES by JESMYN WARD
Donna wrote: "Jean wrote: "Just beginning The Shape of Water."I love the TV adaptation of this series done by RAI but I don't understand Italian so I have to read the subtitles."
I have an Italian Goodreads friend and she stated to me that she loved this series and hope that it wasn't change too much in translation.
Anita wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Heather wrote: "I just finished The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje, which ended up being a bit of a mystery. Now I am looking for a new mystery..."Enjoy his books so much...look ..."
Eduardo wrote: "Free copy --- for your review. THE DEVIL'S AUDITOR
Give me an e- mail for a free PDF"
Anita wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Heather wrote: "I just finished The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje, which ended up being a bit of a mystery. Now I am looking for a new mystery..."
Enjoy his books so much...look ..."
The first time I watched The Usual Suspects I immediately watched it again. I agree about the ending, and feel like I want to read it again!
People who like a good mystery liked it, need to build a readership as I have another in the works -THE DEVIL'S FOUNTAIN and two more in my head.Castillo is a Cuban Walllender, or Cuban Montalbano.
tired of the cold ... come visit S Florida and its crimes. just need some place to send them
A startling discovery is made after forensics accountant Ed Castillo accepts a project to value the assets of a large estate. The vast fortune belongs to one of the oldest and most venerable Florida families. This is one of the largest private fortunes in the country, with assets valued at an estimated billion dollars.The vast fortune is about to be inherited by an heir. According to provisions of the will, dating back to a grant by the king of Spain, the entire fortune can only be awarded to one heir, of which five remain alive …for now. But there can only be one inheritor, one living relative to inherit all of the wealth.
Before the bequeathed fortune can be awarded, a missing and mysterious document known only as “The King’s Velum” must be found and unearthed from its undisclosed location. But first an unusual rhythmic document, wax-sealed with the family crest, must be removed from safekeeping and a formal procedural ritual must be observed.
This requires that the seal be broken by the trustee of the estate during a ceremony attended by all of the possible intended inheritors. The cryptic cadenced message providing a guide to the “velum’s” location must then be deciphered before the quest for the will can proceed. Additionally the cipher of the velum’s riddle itself must be broken, and a series of trials must be passed, conditions met and legal requirements followed to ensure that all the unusual provisions found in the codicil of the will are being adhered.
Castillo is soon persuaded to also accept the investigation of the nearly seven year old unsolved missing person’s case of the Gardner’s, the wealthy aristocratic South Florida couple who had left the bitterly contested and yet to be adjudicated will.
The Gardners had been the inheritors of the historically significant and mysterious estate known as “Las Palmas” located in the affluent neighborhood of Coco Plum on the intracoastal, near the shores of Biscayne Bay in Miami Florida.
They were reported missing by their nephew during one hurricane wind-whirling afternoon almost seven years ago. Castillo is soon drawn-in and begins to delve into their disappearance and possible murders. They were presumed dead and brutally murdered; based on the amount of blood found at the scene. DNA testing had identified five different types of blood, three were identified as Gerard Gardener’s, his wife’s, and their housekeeper’s, while the other two small droplets remained unidentified.
Their nephew soon became the prime suspect, hounded by the police, and facing unequivocal incriminating evidence of his guilt, he is soon accused and arrested and brought to trial. Ed, Manny, and Dr. Pierre de Baptist are enlisted to aid in his defense.
***
I sincerely hope that you enjoy this second of my little fairytales, and that you enjoy the journey discovering clues that identify who the killer or killers are.
PROLOGUE
It had been a harsh hot summer, followed by a long hot autumn. On this humid, windy morning, Biscayne Bay was covered over in a thick heavy layer of grey fog that rolled over the surface of the water like a boiling caldron. Although you could not see the ripple of waves, you could hear them in the silence of daybreak; softly lapping the shore by the jetty’s retaining boulders.
It was on this wind swept sultry day, six years ago, towards the end of fall, and just before the beginning of the hurricane season, that the Gardners, together with Maria Rosa, their longtime housekeeper, nanny, and surrogate aunt to their daughter Marie, had all vanished from the Las Palmas estate. Located in the very plush, private and very quite Miami community known as Coco Plum; this event would shatter the serenity of this wealthy community for years to come.
The only indication of their previous existence was the crimson red blood that had soaked into the flowerbed surrounding the imposing wall fountain that graced the large courtyard; traces of blood were also found on the rim of its basin. Droplets leading to the wide circular driveway left a trail of blood that ended where the family car was normally parked. There a large and distinct splatter of blood was found, caused by what was assumed to be dripping blood that had flowed from their bodies as they were being thrown into the trunk or seat of the family car.
There were no other significant signs providing any other clues as to the events that had transpired that day, just prior to their disappearance. Speculation by police detectives and forensic examiners hypothesized that the bodies were driven to the place where they were ultimately disposed. Testing of the blood found, indicated a mixture of five different types, three samples corresponding to the blood types of the three missing and presumed dead victims were identified, as well as two distinct and miniscule droplets of two other blood types that could not be matched to anyone in the household.
CSI investigators and the coroner could not determine if the quantity of blood found on the grounds would be sufficient to cause death, they did state that if the victims had not received prompt medical attention, they most likely would have died, based on the quantity of lost blood found at the scene. Police divers searched the bottom of the algae near the shore where the bodies may have been dumped, while police boats used dragnets, dragging the bottom of the bay all the way down to where the current could have taken them, but no bodies were ever found.
Known as the god-wind fountain, but also by its more notorious name, the devil’s fountain, the ancient fountain held many secretes from long ago, and now it seemed likely that it would hold still another. The loss of Gerard and Gail Gardner was deeply felt; it had caused great sadness and anxiety in the affluent community of Coco Plum. They were a well known, well-loved and respected couple, pillars of their community, champions of many charities, and supporters of several local cultural initiatives. They would be sorely missed; their loss was not only a blow to the community, but also to their only granddaughter, Lizzie, and their nephew Stephen Gardner. Nothing like this had ever happened in the close-nit and very exclusive community of Coco Plum.
The Gardners were inheritors of the Castaneda legacy, a birthright traceable to a bequeath made by King Ferdinand II of Spain to past ancestors. They, together with their beloved housekeeper, had become yet further victims to the so-called curse of the god-wind fountain. Their disappearance had become one more mysterious secret shrouding the fountain and buried deep in the Las Palmas mansion’s history.
That same week hurricane Wilma struck, attacking Miami with a vengeance; hard and heavy gales from storm bands began early that morning pelting the city with a wavering inordinate force. Although advance warnings had been given days in anticipation of its arrival, there were still people that had not heeded them; they began taking action only just before it was scheduled to strike. Alarms rang throughout the city; piercing squelching sounds rang relentless through out Miami. Under the alarming sound, unprepared inhabitants of the city ran along the high-risers pounding across the marble lobby foyers, hurrying home or the nearest shelter. When the hurricane hit, many of the unprepared had died unnecessarily. Sustained Winds of upwards of 250 miles per hour and gust of even higher speeds, pounded the city with a relentless force. Telephone poles snapped like toothpicks, electric wires sparking on the ground were everywhere. Traffic lights were swaying horizontally, flashing on and off, while the winds bent steel light poles into pretzels, toppled trees and broke large heavy branches that could be found blocking traffic throughout four counties. Soon the torrential rains and the rising floodwaters followed. Roofs were torn off as if they had been soup can lids that had been opened by a gigantic can opener. Flying debris: street signs, aluminum awnings, ceiling plaster, and broken glass, were everywhere. The whining sound of emergency vehicles and the piercing honking of electronic horns could be heard for miles. In the city people were running, some confused and panicking, frantically fighting upstream against the crowd and the rising waters. In some parts of the city dust debris was whirling in small compact cyclones, while in other parts of the city the wind blew horizontal rain, downing more branches and swaying palm fronds. The falling branches were then propelled by the wind like flying jets and rockets into cars and buildings, shattering windows into thousand shards of glass. Everything was crashing all around. Sink holes formed flooding gas lines, and braking sewer lines, gas station overhangs were groaning in the wind, barely holding on to their columns. Then there were the hurricane storm parties ... no need to chase it … it came to you.
In the madness of the chaos, the Gardner’s fate had taken a back seat to the mayhem. _________________Prologue
Right now I'm reading Becoming Marie Antoinette and Little Green Men.
We have a winner! Any other takers?
I cant keep this up for long (SHAMWAO is made in Germany ... and you know those guys make good stuff, ... wait that's a different commercial)
Muriel I sincerely hope you enjoy reading THE DEVIL'S AUDITOR as much as I enjoyd writing it.
Don't forget your comments, they are extremely important to me.
Many thanks for accepting this gift.
Come on people ! ITS FREE FREE FREE (PDF version)THE DEVIL'S AUDITOR 350 pages of fun, forensics and facts.
All I need is your valuable time to read it and some comments to improve my writing.
You have my guarantee that at a minimum it will be full of interesting facts, fun and forensics.
I challenge you to predict the murderer's identity!
ONE OF the first 10 people to provide an in-depth review will be eligible for a FREE paper copy signed by me, the author , one day it will be valuable.
I will be the judge as to who the winner will be.
I only have one taker so far.
Jean wrote: "Donna wrote: "Jean wrote: "Just beginning The Shape of Water."I love the TV adaptation of this series done by RAI but I don't understand Italian so I have to read the subtitles."
I..."
A week ago, I was so looking forward to diving into this series, since I've enjoyed other detective fiction set in Italy. But I couldn't even finish "The Terra-Cotta Dog," the first one I tried. I didn't find the characters as interesting or amusing as the author apparently does. The pseudo-"tough guy" writing (or translation) was awkward and off-putting. It made me appreciate how much more successful the other police procedural I read recently (Or the Bull Kills You) was.
Bill you may appreciate THE DEVIL’S AUDITOR humorThe more adventuresome were having mountain oysters, listed on the menu as balls of fire, or bull’s balls … but after the recent crime scene that Ed and Manny had witnessed, where Fernando’s testicle had been removed; they thought they would pass. The guys at the next table were a bit more daring, and were having them, one asked, “How come the balls on my plate are smaller than his”… pointing to his buddy’s plate. The waiter, a Mexican guy, then said half jokingly and half seriously … “Well ju see señor some times the bull fighter wins and some times the bull wins.” Everybody laughed.
Eduardo wrote: "Bill you may appreciate THE DEVIL’S AUDITOR humorThe more adventuresome were having mountain oysters, listed on the menu as balls of fire, or bull’s balls … but after the recent crime scene that ..."
Eduardo,
Anna has a specific folder for author material. In the future will you please place any discussion of your books in the folder. It just makes it a bit easier to manager folders. Thanks.
World Mysteries and Thrillers
Books mentioned in this topic
Four Aunties and a Wedding (other topics)My Friends (other topics)
Midnight and Blue (other topics)
Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets (other topics)
Hidden in Smoke (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jesse Q. Sutanto (other topics)Fredrik Backman (other topics)
Ian Rankin (other topics)
Christopher Farnsworth (other topics)
Lee Goldberg (other topics)
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I'm in the middle of a manuscript, once I finish that, I think next it's time for The Stone Murders