The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Just finished Devil in a Blue Dress, my first Mosley read and I will definitely be going back for more. His writing style reminded me of Chandler. Also finished Knockemstiff. I'm still mulling this one over but there are some real gut punch stories in this book.

Just started Verkommen

I just finished Soft Target by Stephen Hunter. Pretty exciting book about a hostage situation at a large mall on Black Friday. My only complaint was the amount of characters but after about 60 pages, it became more manageable. Now reading Demolition Angel by Robert Crais. This book was recommended in this group so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Christie wrote: "Can any recommend any Australian crime fiction novels?"

Phryne Fisher is such a great series. Kerry Greenwood also has a contemporary series that starts with Heavenly Pleasures.

The Feng Shui Detective spends most of the story in Sidney.

And the first of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series, THE BAT, has Harry dispatched to Australia for the duration of the novel.

I just finished The Transylvania Connection by M L Dunn. It's the sequel to The Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives and I just want to recommend both of these books to this group. Great Detective mysteries and so original.
I feel like I'm one of the few who has discovered these gems and I just wanted to let others know about them.
Thanks

Nikki wrote: "I just finished The Transylvania Connection by M L Dunn. It's the sequel to The Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives and I just want to recommend both of these books to this group. Great Detecti..."
Read it. You are not the only one to have discovered these excellent books. Fun is how I would describe them also, some great back and forth between Tom and Red. I wish some Hollywood producer would discover them. They would make for blockbuster movies.

Looks like this is another one I'd better put on my 'want to read' list ... which keeps getting longer and longer! However, the books in the 'over $3' price range get put on the list for when I run out of 'free/cheap' reads ... or books by authors I am familiar with and know I'll like.

Nikki wrote: "I just finished The Transylvania Connection by M L Dunn. It's the sequel to The Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives and I just want to recommend both of these books to this group. Great Detecti..."

I'm adding a link for you. I loved this book two. Inspector Meriwether is the most likeable Chief Inspector ever in novelsThe Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives[book:The Transylvania Flying Squad Of Detectives

I just finished Doctor Sleep. Thought it was a great follow up to The Shining. No where near as good, but still a whole lot better than so many other books I've read. I wrote a really long review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which has a lot of me reminiscing about when I first found King as teenager, a very long time ago...

I just finished Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. I like these books because they are light reads. No sex or descriptive violence to read which is refreshing at times. The only part that drives me mad is that she doesn't pick between the two gentlemen.

Janene
Yes I like her Mysteries too! I have one here by Joanne Fluke called "Chocolate Chip Murder". I have not read it yet. I call these type of books "Cozy Mysteries". I alternate between those and "thrillers" with lot of violence.
Paige

Kathryn wrote: "I just finished Soft Target by Stephen Hunter. Pretty exciting book about a hostage situation at a large mall on Black Friday. My only complaint was the amount of characters but after about 60 pa..."

Only problem I had with that Hunter novel (his others in the series have been better) is how unlikely that situation would be to occur the way it did given how unlikely it is that NO one at that place would be packing. A crowd that size defenseless?

Thanks to all for their suggestions on Australian fiction books to read

Jennifer wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I just finished Soft Target by Stephen Hunter. Pretty exciting book about a hostage situation at a large mall on Black Friday. My only complaint was the amount of characters but a..."

Yeah, I thought most of the book was far-fetched, but I figured that out early on so I just settled in to enjoy it. I would like to read more by Hunter.

Nikki wrote: "I just finished The Transylvania Connection by M L Dunn. It's the sequel to The Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives and I just want to recommend both of these books to this group. Great Detecti..."

Thanks for the recommendation, Nikki! I read a sample and it sounds great. I have put it on my 'to get' list.

I'm currently reading Devil May Ride, second in a series about woman who owns a crime scene cleaning business, and who also sees ghosts.

Started listening to The Shining Girls. Its quite the mesh of genre's and I guess it is a Sci-fi/crime/mystery/thriller.

currently reading The Fate of Mercy Alban

Finished Tuesdays with Morrie and I Know This Much Is True Need something light or scary...these were heavy ones.

I finished Running Scared by Lisa Jackson. In this book 15 year-old Jon Summers, unknown to himself, was adopted at birth in unusual circumstances. Jon has visions of the past and future and talks about them, so of course he's bullied at school. The crux of the story revolves around Jon's birth grandfather trying to track him down and get him back so the family fortune can pass to him. Other familiy members - wanting the fortune themselves - aren't so keen on the idea. The story involves some not so savory family interactions ( a little incest anyone?). An okay suspense thriller. 3 stars for me.

Jannene wrote: "I just finished Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. I like these books because they are light reads. No sex or descriptive violence to read which is refreshing at times. The only part that drives me..."

It's kind of funny, Jannene, right after I read this I saw this book in a charity bin at a local grocery store for sale. I picked it up. It also has two other stories, The Dangers of Candy Canes and Candy Canes of Christmas Past. At least I think they are all different stories. Being a homemaker, I love to see recipes in a novel.

Just finished and loved it. Review should post later this week.

Peace, Seeley

Just finished an ARC (sorry---November publication date) of Catriona McPherson's Dandy Gilver and a Bothersome Number of Corpses. If you like historical mysteries, give this series a try. The first is After the Armistice Ball. Love them!

Just started and looks like I'm not going to bed early tonight!

It has overtones of J. D. Robb's "In Death" series, crossed on the Bishop/FBI files series by Kay Hooper and a twist all it's own by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Emma Bull.

Nikki wrote: "I just finished The Transylvania Connection by M L Dunn. It's the sequel to The Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives and I just want to recommend both of these books to this group. Great Detecti..."

thank you, Nikki, always looking for the undiscovered gem.

Is there any way to get these discussions to start with the most recent posts-if you know what I mean?
So I dont have to scroll through 994 Posts to get to the ones I want to read....

I have recently started A perfect evil, by Alex Kava. Have to say i'm struggling with it a bit, not as engaging as I hoped it would be. I will stick at it, but im not desperate to read on....

Maia wrote: "Is there any way to get these discussions to start with the most recent posts-if you know what I mean?
So I dont have to scroll through 994 Posts to get to the ones I want to read...."

If you are on a pc you can click on either the date or "newest" on the top right hand corner of the first post. I don't how the mobile platform is set up.

If you are just using the app from the store you have to page through it. At least, I haven't found any other way.

But I have found that if I access GR through Google/search engine and click on mobile version - then you should be able to click on newest.

Not a problem though from the pc or a tablet.

Just finished The Turnaround by George Pelecanos--my first reading of any of his novels. I'm excited to check out more. The man knows his world of crime in Washington D.C, as well as just the darker side of human nature. Arguably a horror writer in some ways...

Just started last night. More of a cozy, but as the title suggests, about Rottweilers, dog shows and dog people ... done well ... which is often not the case. Enjoyable.

Just started



It has a blockbuster beginning!

Peace, Seeley

Now starting this week i will be reading these

Been very sick so i did alot of reading in bed here is all i read since the first of the month
Dark Horse by Tami Hoag
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The Cat Who Saw Red by Lilian Jackson Braun (AWFUL)
Heat Wave by Richard Castle

I started yesterday and I'm halfway through. I'm really enjoying the storyline and characters.

I'm rereading , after 20 plus years it's still a pretty gruesome story

Reading Showdown by Dekker. Never read him except his collaboration with Perretti? called House

Just had to pop in and say I'm reading The Shining Girls The Shining Girls and it's just great. Unique premise and excellent writing.

Kathryn wrote: "Jannene wrote: "I just finished Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. I like these books because they are light reads. No sex or descriptive violence to read which is refreshing at times. The only par..."

You will enjoy it. The other two you got, I haven't read yet but do own.

Shannon wrote: "Been very sick so i did alot of reading in bed here is all i read since the first of the month
Dark Horse by Tami Hoag
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The Cat Who Saw Red by Lilian Jackson Braun (A..."

Hope you're feeling better now, Shannon! Those are some nice reads.

Just finished Jet III Vengeance by Russell Blake and it was not my favorite book so far in the series, so I'd recommend the first book, but not so much this one.
I've moved on to the Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives, which is starting out to be an amazingly original story that I'm looking forward to finishing. I'll let you know how it ends...

Starting This House is Haunted, my spooky Halloween read.

Jannene wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Jannene wrote: "I just finished Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. I like these books because they are light reads. No sex or descriptive violence to read which is refreshing at tim..."

I think those are the ones I will read next.

I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling and have to say that it is really good. The end, how the crime is all explained, etc, reminded me of Agatha Christie and her Hercule Poirot series. Very British. Every single move the killer made (hour by hour) and all the motivations were figured out by the detective and then presented in the climactic scene. J.K. Rowling created a great series character in Strike and even his assistant, Robin. I wish she would continue on with the mystery writing and not go back to Harry Potter.

I've had a 5hr bath and finished Vigilante - Kerry Wilkinson. Had some spelling/grammar mistakes, but all in all a very good thriller. I kinda guessed near the end who was doing it and will be carrying on reading the rest of the series. Now I think I will go back to reading Halfhead - Stuart MacBride.

I tried to finish The Shining Girls. The premise was interesting with a time travelling killer but the execution was bad (in my opinion) and I didn't have the stomach for the content. On to something better.

I just finished The Secret Pilgrim by John Le Carre. It was an excellent book, maybe just as good as Tinker Tailor, but I'd have to read it again to be sure.

Right now I'm reading Merrick by Anne Rice because I try to read some kind of horror story around Halloween. I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would, since I strayed away from Rice years ago...

I just finished . It was hilarious. I was laughing out loud a lot of the time. My husband would ask what was so funny and I couldn't read it to him without laughing. I am so glad that it was such an enjoyable read. The last few books hasn't had the flair as the earlier ones. This one was just like the earlier books!

I've finally given up on Halfhead - Stuart MacBride

"I am sorry to say that I have given this as much energy and time as I can, but I still can't get into the storyline. I have no idea the characters are like the way they are. Not sure where the story is going with a prolific serial killer not doing much as it is and why the police officer is just sat in a pub moaning.

Oh well, I do love Stuart MacBride's books. But I really couldn't get my head and teeth into this Sci-fi style book".

Jannene wrote: "I just finished . It was hilarious. I was laughing out loud a lot of the time. My husband would ask what was so funny and I couldn't read it to him without la..."

I agree. I especially liked the nude beach part with Lula and Stephanie.

I've finished the first 4 books of Richard Castle's Nikki Heat series. I'm waiting to read the 5th one, Deadly Heat, when the price goes down or the library gets it. I've now started the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter. It starts with Triptych. I loved the Grant Co series so I'm excited to get into this one.

I'm also reading 10th Anniversary, which I listened to on audiobook but didn't retain in my memory. I guess I can't concentrate enough for audiobooks lol!!