Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Welcome to our discussion of...And the Dying is Easy, edited by Annette Riffle - part of our Spring and Summer Group Read. Your discussion leader is Lisa.
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Summary

Summertime...And The Dying is Easy. This enticing anthology features a mix of established and new crime solvers who attempt to "get away from it all" in locations as diverse as Alaska and the island of Aruba.

Hi everyone! Looking forward to continuing our vacation mayhem theme with this one :)

Salt On The Rim was a great start! I think this will be a fun book. Stories seem to involve PIs or detectives, etc., getting involved with crimes while on vacation.

Lisa wrote: "Salt On The Rim was a great start! I think this will be a fun book. Stories seem to involve PIs or detectives, etc., getting involved with crimes while on vacation."

I liked the story. (view spoiler)[Slightly amusing to have a killer get caught because they over thought the crime (hide spoiler)]

A Case of Feline Psychopathology…the story began with some potential but the ending was too far fetched for me. Is the reason given even a real thing?

Nancy wrote: "A Case of Feline Psychopathology…the story began with some potential but the ending was too far fetched for me. Is the reason given even a real thing?"

Indeed far fetched. I’m not a big fan of the “cat themed” cozies, which is probably unfair of me, as I’ve never picked one up until this one. It seems like an author would really have to twist and turn to consistently involve a cat in a crime, and that certainly was the case here.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lay…another cozy themed story. The writing was ok (view spoiler)[ knew when the second accident didn’t do much damage that George would kill Joanna not the other way around. Is the reader really supposed to believe that after George and Joanne talked that a week later she just up and left? (hide spoiler)]. I don’t think all 20 stories are previews for cozy mysteries, but it would have been nice if the order would have been mixed up a little.

Nancy wrote: "Let Sleeping Dogs Lay…another cozy themed story. The writing was ok [spoilers removed]. I don’t think all 20 stories are previews for cozy mysteries, but it would have been nice if the order would ..."

Yeah, this was preposterously cutesy. (view spoiler)[ First the ease of convincing Annie that Joanna was murderous. Then George just calmly discloses that he was going to murder his wife, but, phew, he didn't have to. And Annie just happily accepts this and continues to enjoy George's company. (hide spoiler)] And the constant incorporation of the dog...it's so odd. I can't imagine reading a whole book like this. And I'm a German Shepherd-owning dog lover. This is silly of me, but it drove me crazy that she was feeding the dog cake and similar items all the time ;)

The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue… the story and plot was ok, but a sixteen year old “detective”, Ugh! I looked up the author and this is the protagonist in her Chocoholic Mysteries. I guess this is to be a story from her past.

Never Neck at Niagara (a Leigh Koslow Mystery) I feel the same way about this story as I have regarding previous ones. The story and plot is ok but nothing special. Once again our “amateur” detective runs off putting themselves in danger. I’m beginning to wonder if all of these stories are coming from cozy mysteries or just serial mysteries. I know the stories are supposed to get us interested in other authors, but I don’t think it’s working. I hope some of the stories are not “cozies”.

I noticed in this book the editor does not give a synopsis about the authors as the previous reads did. I miss that.

I'm getting the cozy creeps too, LOL. I need a little more noir in my mysteries. The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue gave me pause with the apparent theme, but I liked the story well enough. NNN was just ok - rather hard to swallow. Holding out hope for the next one...

I read this collection 20 years ago. Not sure where my copy is at the moment.

Yes, most of the stories are cozies, so I loved it since that's mostly what I read. And this collection made me start Joanna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries (this collection came out months before the first book). It was indeed a prequel, and the main character is in her 30's for the series.

Unreasonable Doubt… not a cozy mystery. This story was based on an actual case. I liked the story. (view spoiler)[. I like it when the bad guy/gal gets his/her comeuppance. What a way for Louise to meet her end… marrying someone greedier than you. (hide spoiler)]

I liked it too. Not exactly a mystery, but indeed a good story.

I liked Murder Can Hurt Your Ears, but the answer to what happened seemed pretty obvious throughout the story. Journey's End was good, with a fun twist. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but, I can live with it :)

Lisa wrote: "I liked Murder Can Hurt Your Ears, but the answer to what happened seemed pretty obvious throughout the story. Journey's End was good, with a fun twist. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but, I can live wi..."

I agree with you about the stories. I liked the stories. (view spoiler)[ Do you think Andy really was her son? Do you think Andy will eventually kill Doris? How do they plan on getting the money since you can’t benefit from murder? (hide spoiler)]

Nancy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I liked Murder Can Hurt Your Ears, but the answer to what happened seemed pretty obvious throughout the story. Journey's End was good, with a fun twist. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but, ..."

(view spoiler)[ I do think he was her son, and I do think that he might kill her. I was thinking that the sisters probably shared accounts, as they were so co-dependent, which would allow Doris to get the money. If she really hurried, before her accounts were frozen... Interesting thought, though, that Andy might not even be her son. (hide spoiler)]

The Body in the Bay… the mystery was not much of a mystery. The story and writing were ok. I’m not much of a “historical fiction” reader, but I don’t mind them. Usually, the history is in the background and the main characters are fictional, but to make the main character a real person (doing things the person may never have done) along with the name dropping is too much.

The Jungle… (view spoiler)[ neither a murder mystery or a crime story (hide spoiler)] … a little disappointing. Also the story was not interesting enough to make me want to read any other novels in the Willie Cuesta series

Yeah...The Body In The Bay was so odd. Appropriating real humans in one's story is a strange thing to me. Like what's the advantage of saying that this character was Jack London? And incorporating Lilly Langtry? It seemed oddly juvenile to me.

The Jungle - I was enjoying the exposition and the setting, but it indeed fizzled at the end.

Onto the next one!

The Loch Ness Mystery A John Darnell Mystery)…all I have to say is meh…

Porridge & Bess…I did not like the main character, Magdalena Yoder, and therefore didn’t care for the story. I hate it in a mystery story when(view spoiler)[ an important clue is seen by the “detective” and the reader doesn’t…when Pepper’s hat comes off but we were not told that she was wearing a wig until the exposition (hide spoiler)]…

Missing, Presumed…More crime than mystery. Well more like a law and order episode. The story was more about the Judge than the crime…not sure what the point was of adding the penal sections throughout the story…as though the reader wouldn’t know.

Call It Dead Time…(view spoiler)[crime is a bird gets killed and there are only three suspects (hide spoiler)]…Ugh

Nancy wrote: "The Loch Ness Mystery A John Darnell Mystery)…all I have to say is meh…"

Just finished that one...agreed. Not very compelling and a tad hard to follow. I think some of these shorts try to cram too much in to a small space. On to the next one - I'm hoping to catch up to you today, Nancy :)

Nancy wrote: "Porridge & Bess…I did not like the main character, Magdalena Yoder, and therefore didn’t care for the story. I hate it in a mystery story when[spoilers removed]…"

This might be the worst one yet. I think Yoder was supposed to be refreshingly saucy, but she comes across as just plain rude and annoying. Just a strange and disjointed tale with a mishmash of characters that did not behave in any sort of believable fashion. And, (view spoiler)[ I totally agree on your point about withholding info. That just feels like not playing fair. Hell, I could write a mystery if I employed that technique. (hide spoiler)]

Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "The Loch Ness Mystery A John Darnell Mystery)…all I have to say is meh…"

Just finished that one...agreed. Not very compelling and a tad hard to follow. I think some of these shorts t..."

Agree with you regarding the authors’ trying to cram too much into the story. The previous books’ stories were not like this book. Maybe because (according to the blurbs) the authors’ are coming out with new books featuring the detectives.

Nancy wrote: "Call It Dead Time…[spoilers removed]…Ugh"
LOL...yeah... I did enjoy the writing in this one; I'd be more interested in reading other items by this author than the last couple before it.

Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Call It Dead Time…[spoilers removed]…Ugh"
LOL...yeah... I did enjoy the writing in this one; I'd be more interested in reading other items by this author than the last couple before it."

I did like the writing…maybe the author (view spoiler)[ has a sense of humor, after all, let’s write a short story for a mystery collection where there is no mystery (hide spoiler)]

Nancy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Call It Dead Time…[spoilers removed]…Ugh"
LOL...yeah... I did enjoy the writing in this one; I'd be more interested in reading other items by this author than the last co..."

Some of these seem to barely fit the mystery category. I wonder if it might be an aspect of the cozies - taking things in a less conventional direction, and focusing on different elements of the story, as they're less gritty?

Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Call It Dead Time…[spoilers removed]…Ugh"
LOL...yeah... I did enjoy the writing in this one; I'd be more interested in reading other items by this author th..."

I have read some cozy mysteries (my library mystery club) and they do tend to be more about the amateur detective, friends and the town with a murder occurring as an aside… Think Armand Gamache/Three Pines lite

Almost done with the book and the next one is transient to my local library

Mark wrote: "I read this collection 20 years ago. Not sure where my copy is at the moment.

Yes, most of the stories are cozies, so I loved it since that's mostly what I read. And this collection made me start ..."

Mark, how did you like Joanna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries collection?

I generally enjoy the Chocoholic Mysteries. They are very light, lighter than most cozies, but if that is what I'm in the mood for, I find them perfect.

In general, I struggle to enjoy short stories over novels. Too often, I find the authors try to do something different and it doesn't always work. But what do I know - some of the authors whose short stories I enjoy the least are the ones always winning awards for them. I do find that short stories tend to incorporate other crimes than murder in them more often, which I definitely enjoy. They are most definitely a mixed bag.

I'm sorry you two haven't enjoyed this collection more. I remember enjoying most of the stories, although a couple you have talked about were reasons I didn't pick up any more books by the authors. I always intended to read more by some of the other authors in the collection, but I get so easily distracted by the next book on my list that I never did that.

Mark wrote: "I generally enjoy the Chocoholic Mysteries. They are very light, lighter than most cozies, but if that is what I'm in the mood for, I find them perfect.

In general, I struggle to enjoy short stori..."

There were definitely some good ones, and it's always fun to try something different, so, no regrets here :) I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining - it's just fun to discuss even if something isn't exactly my cup of tea. Like the saying "A bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work," I'm always happy to be reading :)

I agree with the point that was made here or elsewhere that most of the characters aren’t too likable. The good thing is, many of them get their comeuppance.

Not A Monster of A Chance,,,this wasn’t too bad…this also seemed like a crime drama episode. Of course I thought (view spoiler)[ that either the husband had pulled her down and killed her or that the husband’s mistress was pretending to be the wife to leave it k like an accidental death of said wife (hide spoiler)]

Lisa wrote: "Mark wrote: "I generally enjoy the Chocoholic Mysteries. They are very light, lighter than most cozies, but if that is what I'm in the mood for, I find them perfect.

In general, I struggle to enjo..."

Agree with fishing statement. The book with isn’t bad per se just different. If I was reading any of the serial stories this would be a quite enjoyable… a little taste between novels.

My friend who reads food related cozy mysteries always gets a Christmas compilation which has several of her favorite detectives.

Nancy wrote: "Not A Monster of A Chance,,,this wasn’t too bad…this also seemed like a crime drama episode. Of course I thought [spoilers removed]"

I found it enjoyable. (view spoiler)[ It was some strange overkill, though, to set the stage in advance with hints of a lake monster. Would have done the job to just stage a drowning. (hide spoiler)]

Corpse on a Holy Day…the story was ok and the writing was good. I’m not sure if the ancient Ireland setting is enough to tempt me to read any other Sister Fidelma Mysteries

Lightning Strikes Twice…I have to think about this one.

Nancy wrote: "Lightning Strikes Twice…I have to think about this one."

Have you had time to mull over? (view spoiler)[ I liked the process of deduction, but it was so condensed and kind of far fetched. Like this woman didn't talk about this tragedy ever, and then just one day she trots it out over coffee, with no preamble. And the coincidence of Claire having seen this phrase, and then tracking it down. But, it was still a decent read. (hide spoiler)]

I liked Under the Big Black Sun and Serve and Volley. I liked the writing in both of them. k.j.a. Wishnia has a distinctive and interesting style; I might dig up more of his work. The present-tense style doesn't generally work for me, but it didn't bother me in a short piece. I didn't even notice it until I read comments on his books being written in this fashion. Serve and Volley was maybe my favorite in the book. I liked the setting, the characters, and the mystery was fun. It was a lengthy description of a volleyball game, but I found it kind of interesting, and it pulled me into the story.

Lisa wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Lightning Strikes Twice…I have to think about this one."

Have you had time to mull over? [spoilers removed]"

I agree with you (view spoiler)[ far fetched is the word and for all the reasons you listed; some coincidence is to be expected in short stories bu this story had a few too many coincidences. The writing was ok. (hide spoiler)]

Lisa wrote: "I liked Under the Big Black Sun and Serve and Volley. I liked the writing in both of them. k.j.a. Wishnia has a distinctive and interesting style; I might dig up more of his work. The present-tense..."

Big Black Sun…it wasn’t bad. It had a different reason for the murder than the other stories. (view spoiler)[ Do you think Chirakall will help Trane prove his innocence? I don’t think he will. (hide spoiler)]

Serve and Volley…This was another story I liked…kind of a “closed room” mystery. I may check out other books by the author.

Sweet Revenge… this story was ok, This is a Dr. Watson mystery . I’m not a fan of authors using established characters (not their own characters) in new stories. Can’t the author come up with an original idea. If you want use the character at least change the name. This might have affected the way I viewed the story.

Onto the next book

Nancy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I liked Under the Big Black Sun and Serve and Volley. I liked the writing in both of them. k.j.a. Wishnia has a distinctive and interesting style; I might dig up more of his work. The ..."

Great question (view spoiler)[ about Chirakall and Trane. I would like to think he would, but, he will probably rationalize that his son already lost one parent, and he needs to take care of him. Also he may fancy his life more valuable, as Trane was indigent and homeless. As one of the cops said, “this is probably the best thing ever to happen to him,” I can see Chirakall rationalizing through that same thought. (hide spoiler)]

Nancy wrote: "Sweet Revenge… this story was ok, This is a Dr. Watson mystery . I’m not a fan of authors using established characters (not their own characters) in new stories. Can’t the author come up with an or..."

Agreed, Nancy, it has sort of the same feel as the historical fiction of The Body In The Bay. Although that was even weirder lol. This story was just meh for me.

Greatly looking forward to Murder Incontinental!

Finished last night. My general takeaway here was that there were more duds than usual in an anthology. That being said, there was some good stuff in here. My favorites were Serve and Volley, Salt On The Rim, Journey’s End, Under The Big Black Sun, with honorable mentions of Not A Monster Of A Chance, Unreasonable Doubt, and Murder Can Hurt Your Ears.