The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I just started A Deeper Darkness. So far, it doesn't disappoint.

Just finished A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames. Really great amateur sleuth set in small-town Texas.

I've started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and made it past the first 100 pages. Whew... they were a snoozer but now it's getting good, just as I was told. Let's see how the rest of the book goes!

Dottie wrote: "Lisa Gardener is awesome....keep reading! I think the 4th of the series is the best. The Neighbor. Love her books!"

I 2nd this! Lisa Gardner is fantastic!!

I just finished The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. It is so creepy and inventive. I highly recommend it.

I finished The Lost Witness by Robert Ellis. In this second book in the series LAPD detective Lena Gamble is on the outs for embarrassing her bosses but is assigned the case when the body of a young woman is found in a dumpster. Lena's investigation is made more difficult by police higher ups who interfere with her case and bug her home. Lena pushes on though, and bodies pile up amidst lots of twists and turns. For me the climax was too drawn out but I enjoyed the book.

Jeffrey wrote: "I just finished The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. It is so creepy and inventive. I highly recommend it."

I tried reading that one. I found the characters to be deprived and found the book distasteful. The book had potential but I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish.

Tim "The Enchanter" wrote: "I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish. "

I have to be able to *like* the characters in some way to be interested in the book. They don't always have to be admirable, but they have to be interesting.

It has to be an exceptional author to keep me interested in a character that really has no socially redeeming qualities. The prime example for me of that has been The Butcher's Boy and I will never be able to explain why I have re-read this book about a professional hit man multiple times ...

Sharon wrote: "Tim "The Enchanter" wrote: "I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish. "

I have to be able to *like* the characters in some way to be interested in the book. They don't alway..."

I agree. My problem with the The Shining Girls was that I had an almost equal dislike for the time travelling murderer and the spunky main female character.

This is also the reason that Tana French is my favorite author. Whether or not you like or agree with her characters, they never fail to be interesting and complex.

This has also lead me to add the Buther's Boy to my TBR list. Looks interesting.

HEY GUYS!! LEt's try to get some mystery books to compete with the romance and erotica titles. My book, Gray Ghost (blue cover with boat on it), made the best seller list on amazon for Crime Fiction and Mystery. Please consider voting for it on this goodreads list!!!! THANKS!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Chris Swinney :-)

Tim "
This has also lead me to add the Buther's Boy to my TBR list. Looks interesting. "

Will be interested to know your take on this one. The main character has absolutely no socially redeeming qualities in this book ... and I still find him fascinating and WANT him to escape.

Kathryn wrote: "Darwin, I've read The Two Minute Rule and Demolition Angel by Robert Crais and liked them both quite well. "

Seems like he's getting good praise for his other stuff. I might have to try it out ... just worry that the whole time I'm going to be wishing Joe Pike and Elvis Cole were going to make an appearance haha.

Darwin wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Darwin, I've read The Two Minute Rule and Demolition Angel by Robert Crais and liked them both quite well. "

Seems like he's getting good praise for his other stuff. I might have t..."

I really likedDemolition Angel and she makes appearances in the Elvis/Joe books.

Snow day from work gave me time to finish another book. I finished . It was a good book. I really like the books that J.T. Ellison writes. The characters are just so likable. They seem like people that you would want as friends.

Starting by Jeffery Deaver

I'm reading The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

I'm currently reading By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child.

I just started reading The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. It's the Group Read in another group I'm in and so far has been good. I just finished reading The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson. It was a cozy mystery and was not bad.

Janey wrote: "I'm currently reading By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child."

That's a great book

Sharon wrote: "Tim "The Enchanter" wrote: "I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish. "

I have to be able to *like* the characters in some way to be interested in the book. They don't alway..."

Sharon wrote: "Tim "The Enchanter" wrote: "I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish. "

I have to be able to *like* the characters in some way to be interested in the book. They don't alway..."

Sharon, I completely agree about The Butcher's Boy, and now you've got me trying to figure out why it works so well. Maybe because Perry organizes it so that we always see things from that character's point of view? This book and its sequel, Sleeping Dogs, are good rereads for me, too.

Janis wrote: " Maybe because Perry organizes it so that we always see things from that character's point of view?"

Maybe ... but I've read (or tried to read) other books that were from the main character's point of view and I certainly didn't react the same way. Perry has a very deft touch with 'not very admirable' main characters, I think.

Another of my favorites is Metzger's Dog ... again, not terribly admirable characters and much different from the Butcher's Boy in 'feel', lots of humor as well.

I liked Sleeping Dogs as well and there is a third (final, I assume) in the series The Informant. I don't think it is as good as the other two, but it does read well and pretty much finalizes things.

I also love Metzger's Dog (and have reread it with pleasure). Haven't read The Informant but will; thanks for mentioning it. Do you like his Jane (can't think of her last name) books, the Indian guide series? He's always a good read, but I'm not as fond of those.

I'll keep thinking about what it is that makes Perry's anti-heroes successful.

Starting The Fire Dance.

Janis wrote: "Do you like his Jane (can't think of her last name) books, the Indian guide series? "

Jane Whitefield ... I liked the first 2 or 3 books very well but thought it was a mistake when she got married. It just didn't work well for me after that.

I've also liked several of his stand alones very well, Death Benefits I found particularly intriguing. He does tend to be a bit on the grim side with many of his plots, however and the only ongoing criticism I have is that he seems not to do endings terribly well. They always seem to be a bit abrupt and sometimes rather disorganized to me, as if he gets to a certain point and then "oh, time to finish this" ...

Sharon wrote: "Tim "The Enchanter" wrote: "I found the characters so disinteresting that I couldn't finish. "

I have to be able to *like* the characters in some way to be interested in the book. They don't alway..."

Having finally finished the terrible book I had bee reading, I have decided to give The Butcher's Boy. The talk in the thread intrigued me and I want to see what I think of it.

Isaac Asimov Foundation Series

Kristina wrote: "Isaac Asimov Foundation Series"

I don't read much science fiction but aI recently read one of Asimov's other series that starts with The Caves of Steel; the books feature a human-robot detective team and are pretty good.

I finished The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. To the joy of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutski, Clovis Anderson - the author of their guidebook - visits the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Meanwhile the agency is involved with a couple of crises: Mr. Matekoni's apprentice is arrested for working on stolen cars; and the director of the Orphan Farm has her job threatened by a rich businessman. To add to the problems Mma Makutsi and her husband are unhappy with the contractor they've hired to build their home. As always Mma Ramotswe is gentle, wise, and humorous and Mma Makutski is hilariously outspoken. This book is an excellent addition to the series with scenes that are laugh out loud funny. 5 stars.

Sharon wrote: "Janis wrote: "Do you like his Jane (can't think of her last name) books, the Indian guide series? "

Jane Whitefield ... I liked the first 2 or 3 books very well but thought it was a mistake when s..."

The idea of the Jane Whitefield series intrigues me, maybe more than the actual books. I've liked Perry's stand-alone titles also, but I agree that they aren't always resolved satisfactorily.

I enjoyed Jane and that series immensely. I agree that the books were not the same after she got married. The edge was gone.

Just started , love SK!

Malina wrote: "Just started , love SK!"

I loved Joyland! Classic King!

I just started the newest by Chelsea Cain called Let Me Go. I love the Archie and Gretchen series.

I am reading and loving Mercy Snow: A Novel. Love this cover too.

Kathryn wrote: "I just started the newest by Chelsea Cain called Let Me Go. I love the Archie and Gretchen series."
That was a cool book!

Innocent Blood, by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, and I greatly enjoyed it. It mixed the Bible, vampires, a little romance, and a lot of action into a wildly entertaining novel that I couldn't recommend any higher.


My next book will be Breathless by V.J. Chambers
Now this doesn't look like a book I'd normally read, but I met V.J. Chambers here on Goodreads a while back and I've had quite a few conversations with her about being an author and I found her to be a very cool, very interesting person, who has some very similar influences and tastes and I'm greatly looking forward to reading one of her books.

Started The Goldfinch

Rick wrote: "

Innocent Blood, by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, and I greatly enjoyed it. It mixed the Bible, vampires, a little romance, and a lot of action into a w..."

I read the first of this series and enjoyed it; didn't realize they had already written another. I notice in your review that you hadn't read any of Rebecca Cantrell's solo efforts. They are historical fictions set in Berlin in the late '30's. I highly recommend them.

Jerry wrote: "Rick wrote: "

Innocent Blood, by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, and I greatly enjoyed it. It mixed the Bible, vampires, a little romance, and a lot of ac..."

I've seen the Rebecca Cantrell's books on Amazon and they do look pretty good, so thanks for letting me know.

Rick wrote: "Jerry wrote: "Rick wrote: "

Innocent Blood, by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, and I greatly enjoyed it. It mixed the Bible, vampires, a little romance, a..."

I thought Cantrell and Rollins made an interesting team and enjoyed both books in the series (thus far). Oh and there's a short story featuring one of the characters also.

Cantrell's own series based barely-pre-WWII Berlin is also really good.

Enjoying The Invisible Ones and just finished The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure. If you find yourself taking life too seriously, STENCH is a great antidote.

I'm reading Outlaw Mountain by J.A. Jance

I'm currently reading a Tommy and Tuppence spy mystery by Agatha Christie, N or M? and just starting Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith.

Bill wrote: "I'm currently reading a Tommy and Tuppence spy mystery by Agatha Christie, N or M? and just starting Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith."

N or M? is probably my favorite Christie. She put some jagged suspenseful edges in it.

It seems wrong to pick a favorite Christie. Feels disloyal to Miss Marple and Monsieur Poirot.

Just finished Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts.

My love affair with Roarke continues.....

Just finished the diappointing The Black Book and am going to start Ubik later.

I just finished In Silence by Erica Spindler. This was such a good book and very creepy too. I didn't see the ending coming. It seemed like the perfect town until Avery started uncovering all of the missing people and deaths.

Am reading Lisa Gardner "Touch and Go" at the moment.

Renee wrote: "
It seems wrong to pick a favorite Christie. Feels disloyal to Miss Marple and Monsieur Poirot.
"

While I can't pick just one, have to admit that I find the Miss Marple series the most appealing.

I'm currently reading Power Play by Joseph Finder. It's about a group of corporate executives who travel to a lodge in the boonies and are taken hostage.

I just finished the adorable cozy Baseball Cat by Garrison Allen It had a lot of humor and charming, eccentric characters. The cat of the title is the 25-pound Abyssinian Mycroft or Big Mike. I highly recommend it.