The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Here is my varied reads for mystery, crime and thriller. Since I'm joining late it would be difficult to put down a tbr. As I often read this genre will just record the books I do read for this year.

To date: 16/16


Part 2: The Library Book edition
3/12

Joining this late but so far this year :

January
- English political thriller set in London. Gave 3* rating.
Got this for free from Amazon.

- another freebie from Amazon. This is another thriller but a sorta zombie/medical thriller. Was not a fan. Rated it 2*

February : An Ode to Agatha Christie

- whilst Poirot is more tolerable here, it wasn't Agatha Christie. Hannah did write okay and I would try to read one of her psychological thrillers though.Rated 3*

You're never too late.. :)

March
: a translated Scandiavian crime novel. Obtained from my library
As expected this was dark but it was an intriguing read. First time reading Camilla Lackberg. Rated :3*

- obtained from NetGalley for free. The cover and the blurb hooked me. It deals with Agatha Christie as the protagonist traveling on the Orient Express. Rating 4*

- another translated crime novel. This one is from Sicily and the morally gray MC - Inspector Montalbano. A bit rough but I bought the next two book in the series when it was a deal on iTunes. Rated 3*

- freebie on Amazon. And a classic I have wanted to read for a while. The highlight of this was Gabriel Betteredge.A bit wordy but I had read The Woman in White so was prepared. Rated 4*

May
- bought this earlier this year given the rave reviews. The detective here has Asperger's syndrome. Not much of a mystery though. Rated 3.5*

my first time reading Jo Nesbo famous cop- Harry Hole. Mixed feeling about this one. Liked the beginning but when he spins down, was not a fan of Harry. Will be continuing however. Rated 2.5*

Planned reads for the summer:

I am lost. Are we supposed to list the books we've read since January ( in this genre)?

I thought so. In another group you can set out the books you intend to read with 4 alternatives. If that is not the case, sorry for the confusion.

Thanks, June: I usually follow the Challenges and botm for this group.

We don't have a specific challenge. It's open for each person to pick what they wish to do. I'm in another group that has the 12 + 4 also, but there they also have an Individual Challenge section where you can challenge yourself in any other way.. such as alphabetical challenges, Around the World, etc..

Thanks for clarifying, Bill; I have just been following yours and Nancy's challenges.

June reads

- Golden age mystery. This is more character driven than a whodunit. Not as intricate as Agatha Christie and it took a while to get into the way Peter Wimsey speaks. Rated 3*


- light read. More upset that it is supposed to be based in Caribbean but it is so inaccurate. And I figured out who committed the murder before the reveal and the tension between the main characters was meh. Rated 2*

The Wimsey books are worth reading. I've read a few now and have enjoyed.

I will be continuing the Wimsey series since it seems to be so loved. Plus I have the next two in the series as part of an omnibus and book 5 was spotted at the library.

July Reads

- light read and just what I needed over the weekend. Had some plot holes though. May read to see if it improves.


- pleasantly surprised by this first book in a series.Characters were well fleshed out. Really like Mia and Charlie. And busted some myths from TV series like CSI.

- I know this is one of the more controversial King writings. This is more of a psychological thriller as you are told who the villain is from the onset. Brady is very stereotypical. Interested to read book 2.

I will likely be finishing this challenge of 12+4 in August 2017. So after my last two picks from above: and

Will be looking to do the library book 12 challenge edition of this challenge.

August reads:

: underwhelming read. The synposis was a red herring and I found the narrative very unbelievable. Rated 2*.

LIBRARY BOOKS 12 Challenge - August- December 2017

- Gabriel Allon #1- a bit dated but gave a decent look at Gabriel Allon. I ended up delaying to read the next one in the library. And currently not all that excited to get to the next book at present.


- the average Swedish crime noir. Engaging while reading but mixed review on the protagonist.

- finally got around to reading this one. So I have completed my original goal of 12+4.
This is more of a Christian thriller with romance. The mystery ended up being a secondary issue here and to be honest I was a little disappointed with the link to Russian history. The romance was predictable and rushed near the end. It was an okay read.

Library book edition

] - not my favorite Follett book. Felt this was predictable and dated. The gem is in the characters here, with all their gray spots. But I felt die Nadel seemed to act out of character at the end.

I will not be reading anymore Library thrillers this year. I’m glad I tried some newer authors and will be looking to read other authors in 2018. So will likely pick up the library edition and experiment with some series.