M/T Discussions List

[Dan in AZ]

Question: Why do I get a long list of discussions when I've already read all the posts for those discussions?

[Carol/Bonadie]

Dan, do you navigate the lists by clicking the link on the right that says "unread topics"?

[BarryP]

We figured you forgot what we said before.

[Ann]

Did you clear your cookies on your PC Dan? That can make a thread's status unread again sometimes. Or what Barry said! :)

[Merrilee in AZ]

I have. no idea LOL. I was in Prescott on Sunday for the art fair I looked for you

[Dan in AZ]

Carol and Ann offer practical advice: Barry offers barry, barry good advice; and Merrilee is the only honest one in the bunch. As to the art fair, now that football has started (even pre-season), my Sundays are otherwise occupied. Are you coming up here for the statehood celebration in September? Nine square blocks of culture, music, food, etc. (For those of you non-Arizonans, 2012 is the 100th anniversary of statehood for Arizona - the last continental state admitted to the union. The first celebration is here in Prescott since we were the first state capital back when Phoenix was only a cow town). End of history lesson.

[Ann]

and Dan offers a history lesson! Very interesting! Thanks Dan!
Daniel wrote: "Carol and Ann offer practical advice: Barry offers barry, barry good advice; and Merrilee is the only honest one in the bunch."

[Russ]

Wasn't sure where else to post this, but I have a question. I'm trying to think of mystery/thrillers featuring alcoholic main characters or at least key characters with drinking problems.

I've started a list at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1....

If you could please add titles to the list, I would much appreciate it!

[Ann]

Interesting idea Russ!
I've not added to a list before, but tried adding a few.
Russ wrote: "Wasn't sure where else to post this, but I have a question. I'm trying to think of mystery/thrillers featuring alcoholic main characters or at least key characters with drinking problems.

I've st..."

[Russ]

Excellent additions, Ann—thank you!

[OMalleycat]

Russ wrote: "Wasn't sure where else to post this, but I have a question. I'm trying to think of mystery/thrillers featuring alcoholic main characters or at least key characters with drinking problems."

Good topic, Russ! When I opened your list and saw that the glaring examples were already there I had the feeling there must be dozens more. I even went through a couple of years of my Read Books to try to jog a memory, but didn’t come up with anything. But still. . .doesn’t it seem like thrillers with over-drinking mc’s are common? I have that annoying tip-of-the tongue feeling. Isn’t Harry Bosch a heavy drinker? Particularly I have a nagging half memory of a female detective who stopped drinking when she got pregnant. Was it D.D. Warren?

[Ann]

Jan O'Cat: I thought there must be more as well. Maybe from books by Ian Rankin?
The examples already on Russ's list: Anna Pigeon (on the wagon as I recall) and Jesse Stone (mostly off the wagon) are series characters known to reveal their drinking habits that easily came to my mind.

Russ: We could probably list Candice Fox's Ted McCaffey (he was drinking a lot in Redemption Point)
OMalleycat wrote: "Good topic, Russ! When I opened your list and saw that the glaring examples were already there I had the feeling there must be dozens more. I even went through a couple of years of my Read Books to try to jog a memory, but didn’t come up with anything. But still. . .doesn’t it seem like thrillers with over-drinking mc’s are common?."

[Russ]

Ann wrote: "Jan O'Cat: I thought there must be more as well. Maybe from books by Ian Rankin?
The examples already on Russ's list: Anna Pigeon (on the wagon as I recall) and Jesse Stone (mostly ..."

Quite right, Ann! I hadn't thought of Ted even though we just read him. Will add--thanks Ann & OMalleycat!

[Sandi]

Russ wrote: "Wasn't sure where else to post this, but I have a question. I'm trying to think of mystery/thrillers featuring alcoholic main characters or at least key characters with drinking problems. "

Jack Taylor, in the series by Ken Bruen, is on and off the wagon and when off, drinks beyond excess.

Benny Griessel the Capetown police inspector has lost pretty much everything but his job because of his drinking problem. This series is by one of my favorites, Deon Meyer.

Most of the others I thought of, like Dave Robicheaux, are recovering alcoholics though his sidekick Clete Purcell drinks quite a bit but seems to be able to handle it.

[Dan in AZ]

Holland Taylor by David Housewright. Seattle detective by J.A. Janice (starts with letter B, maybe Beaumont.

[Russ]

Thanks, Sandi & Dan! Now I'm wondering if some readers are turned off by drunk main characters, or if it adds an extra layer of intrigue and realism to the character?

[Melodie]

Russ wrote: "Thanks, Sandi & Dan! Now I'm wondering if some readers are turned off by drunk main characters, or if it adds an extra layer of intrigue and realism to the character?"

I found Jance's J.P. Beaumont more interesting when he was drinking!

[OMalleycat]

Russ wrote: "Now I'm wondering if some readers are turned off by drunk main characters, or if it adds an extra layer of intrigue and realism to the character?"

Russ, my unambiguous 😏 answer is “it depends.” Having lived around alcoholics I hate it when the trouble they get up to is portrayed as good-natured hijinks. My sympathy is for all those around the drunk, who are unlikely to see it as all fun and games. My worst example of the hijinks approach isn’t an M/T or even fiction; it’s an autobiography, A Monk Swimming by Malachi McCourt who was apparently clueless even after sobering up and writing a book. I don’t like it when over-drinking is portrayed as just a way of coping without any particular consequences.

On the other hand, drinking can lend an extra layer of despair to the often troubled mc’s one finds in M/T’s. I have to admit that one of the reasons I read M/T’s is because of the soul-wrestling that goes on in many of these books. Good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, end vs. means, nature vs. nurture. It’s like reading philosophy in a funner package.

I haven’t read any of Parker’s Jesse Stone books but I’ve seen some of the TV movies. Does that count? Jesse’s drinking contributes to his personal and professional problems and the problems contribute to his drinking. Drinking is a trait a trait with which he existentially wrestles like Harry Bosch wrestles with his recalcitrance or Elvis Cole with his yearning for family and connection but inability to commit.

[Ann]

Russ: I'm with Jan O'Malleycat on this one. It depends.
Generally if a character drinks alcohol or self-medicates, it could add a level of detail for insight into the humanity of some characters. I am not a fan of excess.
That dislike of excess drinking on the job interferes with my joy of reading some Jesse Stone books. I love the series, read each new book as fast as I can. Try the books Jan!
OMalleycat wrote: "Russ, my unambiguous 😏 answer is “it depends.
I haven’t read any of Parker’s Jesse Stone books but I’ve seen some of the TV movies. Does that count? Jesse’s drinking contributes to his personal and professional problems and the problems contribute to his drinking. Drinking is a trait a trait with which he existentially wrestles like Harry Bosch wrestles with his recalcitrance or Elvis Cole with his yearning for family and connection but inability to commit."


Russ wrote: "Now I'm wondering if some readers are turned off by drunk main characters, or if it adds an extra layer of intrigue and realism to the character?"

[OMalleycat]

Ann wrote: "Try the books Jan! (Jesse Stone).."

I intend to, Ann! I’ve even got a couple of them. I’ll get to them. . .you know. . .just as soon as I’ve gotten to everything else!

[Russ]

OMalleycat wrote: "Russ wrote: "Now I'm wondering if some readers are turned off by drunk main characters, or if it adds an extra layer of intrigue and realism to the character?"

Russ, my unambiguous 😏 answer is “it depends..."

I think you're on to something there, OMalley. (And Melodie & Ann--good comments, all!) There's probably a spectrum of people and characters who enjoy drinking but not to excess (James Bond) to those who are hard drinking but mostly hold it together, to all-out alcoholics whose addictions should never be glamorized...

[Dan in AZ]

If you want to see the difference between a drinker and a drunk, read a Charles Bukowski book.

[Ann]

Dan: I looked up Charles Bukowski, one book blurb said his mc averages 300 hangovers a year. Yikes!
Dan in AZ wrote: "If you want to see the difference between a drinker and a drunk, read a Charles Bukowski book."

[Debbie]

It seems like Sheriff Walt Longmire is a recovering alcoholic in the series by Craig Johnson. Also, I typically don't like TV series based on books, but have to admit the actor portraying Walt is actually pretty on point.

[Ann]

Debbie:
My husband and I spent much of July watching all six seasons of Longmire on Netflix,. We really enjoyed the shows. I am going to read my first Longmire book this month and will see what new tidbits I can glean.
Thanks for the tip; I can see on the TV series, that when he did drink a lot, he did drink a lot! He was pretty regularly having a (Rainier) beer here and there throughout the show.
Debbie wrote: "It seems like Sheriff Walt Longmire is a recovering alcoholic in the series by Craig Johnson. Also, I typically don't like TV series based on books, but have to admit the actor portraying Walt is a..."