The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Dominique wrote: "Skye wrote: "Dominique wrote: "L'm reading by Douglas Preston"

Dominique: is it good?"

I just started but the first one of the series [bookcover:Relic|..."

Love the Pendergast series! I've read all of them. He's such a compelling character and as the series progresses you find out more and more about his unusual past.

Finished readingBig Little Lies by Aussie author Liane Moriarity. I've also read The Husband's Secret by the same author. I gave 4 stars to both books. She deals with some heavy subject matter in both books, but her suburban school mums and dads make you laugh along the way. The PTA parents, elementary school and its issues are presented in ways that make you identify with them. Family dynamics and good people with complex problems are constants.
Now I'm trying to get into the Halloween spirit. I listened to The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury narrated by Bronson Pinchot. He was wonderful and made the story so creepy and fun! I'm rereading Harvest Home by Tom Tryon. An oldie but goodie.
I just loved to read ghost stories when I was a kid. I relished being scared. I'm waiting for my turn in the library queue to read The Paying Guests by Sara Waters.
Any other good suggestions to get a Halloween scare on this October?

Harvest Home is wonderful. IO read that many years ago.

^have you ever read any of Lisa tuttles books they have a creepy Celtic mystical feel to them they are worth a read if you haven't

^have you ever read any of Lisa tuttles books they have a creepy Celtic mystical feel to them they are worth a read if you haven't

I adore anything with a Celtic flavor; I have never read any thing by this auhor.

She is really good she gets the haunting atmosphere and the menacing aspects just right

She is really good she gets the haunting atmosphere and the menacing aspects just right

I will check her out; any particular novel?

I started with the silver bough which is what hooked me into her other books start with that and if you like that you will love the mysteries hehe it's great

Thanks, Zoe!!!!

Aniket wrote: "I've just started reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I know I'm a bit too late to read this.
Been busy with other books. :-)"

Well, guess it's time to consider reading Lolita again. All someone has to do is mention it. Nabokov was such a great writer and Lolita delivers.

I finished Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson. Goldy the caterer is happy when her godfather Jack moves to Colorado. Jack and his friend, Doc Finn, are always willing to give Goldy a hand.
As the story opens Goldy - married to detective Tom Schulz - is preparing to cater a couple of weddings: the O'Neal nuptials and the wedding of Billie Attenborough to Dr. Craig Miller. Self-centered Billie has driven Goldy crazy by continually changing her wedding plans. Finally, Billie decides to hold the event at the Gold Gulch Spa owned by Victor Lane - who Goldy dislikes.
The first tragedy strikes when Doc Finn has a fatal accident on the day of the O'Neal wedding. Turns out Doc was thinking of having a mysterious vial analyzed before he died.
A few days later, Jack is attacked at the Attenborough affair. In the hospital Jack gives Goldy some mysterious clues that she uses to help her husband investigate the crimes. Seems there are odd goings on in the medical community and at the spa; things that Doc Finn and Jack were looking into.
This is an okay light mystery with Davidson's popular recurring characters and interesting ancillary characters. As usual everyone consumes lots of mouth-watering food (for which Davidson provides the recipes).

Steve wrote: "Well, guess it's time to consider reading Lolita again..."

No wonder it's so insanely famous.

Thanks, Zoe!

Another great read from Linda Castillo and the second Kate Burkholder books.

One family. One horrific murder. An entire town under suspicion…

The Planks moved from Lancaster County Pennsylvania to the small Amish community of Painters Mill, hoping to resume the comforts of the Plain Life in Ohio. Less than one year later, the family of seven is found dead—slaughtered on their own farm.

This isn't just any brutal murder, either- a family of seven, Amish, bound and slaughtered. Sound pretty gruesome? It is. Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in the small town of Painters Mill. Formerly Amish, Burkholder finds the crime shocking and is immediately thrust into the center of a tornado of questions. Trying to find answers, Burkholder must confront her own past and penetrate the tightly-knit Amish community who distrust the 'English', as they call outsiders in a town uneasily divided along the lines of faith and culture.

Castillo does a great job with her characterization. She really breathes life into her supporting cast, and you start to get to know Kate and all team better as well as Tomasetti.

I really do like Linda Castillo's writing style, and the brutal crimes in "Pray for Silence" will make even the most avid genre reader flinch while reading. This is definately not a book for the squeamish as Castillo visits some pretty nasty corners of Painters Mill.

While I don't think "Pray for Silence" was as nailbiting as "Sworn..." it's still a great read, and Cheif Burkholder is one of the best new characters to hit crime fiction in years. If you haven't discovered this series...do yourself a favour and pick up both Burkholder books.

Just have another five to read, and as Linda Castillo says herself, her new book looks like being her best book, it's out in 2015.

Sean wrote: "

Another great read from Linda Castillo and the second Kate Burkholder books.

One family. One horrific murder. An entire town under suspicion…

The Planks move..."

I agree Sean, this is a good series.

..just finished this book.

am now reading...

I enjoyed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- there were so many colorful people in there.

I agree Nancy:)I just loved reading this true crime novel.Its up there with ...In Cold Blood.

Marian wrote: "I agree Nancy:)I just loved reading this true crime novel.Its up there with ...In Cold Blood."

Now you'll have visit Savannah! Word to the wise: forget about it between May and October -- the heat index gets up in the 120s in the summer.

Just started

I've read Die For Me: A Novel of the Valentine Killer - Cynthia Eden and listened to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson. Now I am reading Broken Build - Rachelle Ayala.

Nancy wrote: "Marian wrote: "I agree Nancy:)I just loved reading this true crime novel.Its up there with ...In Cold Blood."

Now you'll have visit Savannah! Word to the wise: forget about it between May and Octo..."

I shall keep that in mind Nancy:)I hate the heat!

Marian wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Marian wrote: "I agree Nancy:)I just loved reading this true crime novel.Its up there with ...In Cold Blood."

Now you'll have visit Savannah! Word to the wise: forget about it betwee..."

me too -- and I live in Florida!

Barbara wrote: "Sean wrote: "

Another great read from Linda Castillo and the second Kate Burkholder books.

One family. One horrific murder. An entire town under suspicion…

Th..."

I loved that book!!

Just finished: The Family by Martina Cole

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


audio
Phillip Murphy is a gangster.
His is also very much a family man. He worships his old mum; he takes care of his siblings who help run his business empire in Southend; he dotes on his two young sons who will one day take over the reins. And then there's his wife and saviour Christine, whom he loves with a vengeance.
Christine has always understood this about her husband; it was one of the things that first attracted her to him.
But there is another side to Phillip, and it's a side he never wanted his wife to see. Though, even if she did, could she do anything but stand by him? Because Phillip has rules, and he expects loyalty from his nearest and dearest.
I am not a great fan of Martina Cole, and I really don't enjoy books about gangsters.
It was easy listening but pretty predictable, and I got sick of all the swearing (not all of it was necessary).




View all my reviews

I finished The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag. When the mutilated body of a teenage girl falls from a car's trunk a serial killer called 'Doc Holiday' is the prime suspect. Detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska investigate the murder of the girl - dubbed 'Zombie Doe'.
Turns out Zombie Doe is 'Gray, a high school classmate of Liska's son Kyle. Talking to students reveals that Gray was at a teen hangout the night she disappeared, as was Kyle and a number of other students - some of whom were bullies who tormented both Gray and Kyle.
The homicide detectives pursue evidence on the assumption that Doc Holiday killed Gray, wanting to stop him before he claims another victim.
The characters are realistic, the police investigation proceeds at a good pace, and the ending is almost satisfying. All in all an okay mystery book.

Just started "Rules of Deception" by Christopher Reich. I've heard good things about this series so I'm beginning book #1 over the weekend.

I started Three Strikes and You're Dead; by Michael A. Draper

I finished Reliquary and I didn't find that it was as good as Relic. I do like Pendergast and would like to know more about him.

I just started Dead Dry by Sarah Andrews. This is a new author for me. I'm 50% through and it is pretty good.

Started a couple of new books today; Dead Simple by Peter James and Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat by W.J. Burley.

I just finished reading three books by author David Myers. Page Thirteen - The Book, Page Thirteen - Chief and Katelyn Manor. I'm now reading his fourth book which is a sequel to Katelyn Manor Mona White's Diary. David Myers grew up in the city and neighborhood that I did although I didn't know him when I was growing up. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised he is turning out to be an amazing writer.

I just started Fight Dirty by C.J. Lyons

Just started Never Go Back - Jack Reacher - perfect winter comfort food...

Niceville by Carsten Stroud---- a town that's anything but nice. Good book for Halloween!!

Will wrote: "Just started "Rules of Deception" by Christopher Reich. I've heard good things about this series so I'm beginning book #1 over the weekend."

Oh, please let me know what you think of this!! I have all 3 books and started the first one but got side tracked and haven't finished it yet.

Im still reading..

I have been kinda busy with other stuff.

Just finished Power Down by Ben Coes. More thriller than anything. Debut for Coes. Very Vince Flynn kind of stuff. If you enjoy stories that involve elite soldiers taking out terrorists, you would enjoy this book. I do, and did. Gave it 4 stars.

Just started Hidden

Marian wrote: "Im still reading..

I have been kinda busy with other stuff."

I read this earlier in the year and enjoyed it. I like the series.
Amanda

S l o w l y reading Elmore Leonard, Djbouti. I REALLY want to finish it as its about Somalia's pirates among several other subplots. Dialogues is difficult and my mind is not on top of it these days.

Bill wrote: "Started a couple of new books today; Dead Simple by Peter James and Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat by W.J. Burley."

Dead Simple is great Bill. Have just downloaded Looking Good Dead, the next one in the series.

Midway through Last Winter We Parted, by Fuminori Nakamura. I love his dark fiction, and as I said to someone yesterday, with this book the author's outdarked himself.

I just finished..

It was good:)))

Sandra wrote: "Bill wrote: "Started a couple of new books today; Dead Simple by Peter James and Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat by W.J. Burley."

Dead S..."

I like his style very much so far, Sandra.

I finished Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke. The star of this series is Hannah Swenson - amateur sleuth and entrepreneur - who owns a cookie bakery. In this story scenes for a movie are slated to be shot in Hannah's home town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. The actors and movie staff flood into town, and local citizens will be involved as advisors and bit players.
The murder involves a character dying from a bullet wound from what was supposed to be a prop gun. This doesn't occur until about page 200, however, and until then we visit with the characters and follow Hannah's apparently eternal romantic triangle. It's hard to believe Hannah's beaus would put up with her indecisiveness forever, but it's a book - not real life.
Once the murder occurs Hannah and her sisters are on the job - "snooping" to help find the killer. As usual in these kinds of stories, they withhold information from the police, go where they shouldn't, etc.
This isn't a complex mystery but rather an entertaining cozy with fun characters that are staples of the series - and lots of recipes for good pastries.

Wendy wrote: "S l o w l y reading Elmore Leonard, Djbouti. I REALLY want to finish it as its about Somalia's pirates among several other subplots. Dialogues is difficult and my mind is not on top of it these days."

Djibouti is far from his best effort. I hope this isn't your introduction to Leonard.

Marian wrote: "I just finished..

It was good:)))"

Have advanced Sworn to Silencefrom my shelf to my bedside table Marian 8:D

Life on the Mississippi - Mark Twain