The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I just listened to More Than You’ll Ever Know

My 3.5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Game of Proof

Behind Her Eyes - I saw the Netflix show first, so I knew the plot twist ahead of time, unfortunately, but probably would not have guessed it otherwise.

I will be starting Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda, whose The Aosawa Murders is easily one of my favorite Japanese crime novels.

Third Grave

The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Murder Case by George Baxt

It's 1953 and Fred And Ginger are in rehearsal for a TV special in which they will dance with a Russian ballet company. But Ginger's Russian émigré psychiatrist has died under suspicious circumstances and the cops and the spies are working overtime, assisted by Fred and Ginger. This is one of the better entries in Baxt's series and I liked it. Light, fun, easy read. 3 stars.

Just finished reading Watership Down by Richard Adams

5 STARS *****

My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now I am starting Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland ⭐⭐⭐⭐.4 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shakespeare's Tales Retold for Children by Samantha Newman is a great collection of 16 plays, also available as individual books. Simple language, entertaining cartoon illustrations, characters of all colours. Great for kids and new readers of English.
4.5~5★ My review of the set with a few illustrations

I just finished The Marsh Queen

My four star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley. An incredible read!

I read Sharpe's Assassin by Bernard Cornwell It is a historical fiction thriller and I rate it 4.5 stars rounded down. I strongly recommend this series to historical fiction fans. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Murder Through the English Post by Jessica Ellicott ⭐⭐⭐.6
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Dugoni/Tracy Crosswhite series fans - #9, What She Found comes out later in August!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now starting on FIVE DECEMBERS by James Kestrel, which won the Edgar Award as the Best Mystery Novel of 2021.

James wrote: "Now starting on FIVE DECEMBERS by James Kestrel, which won the Edgar Award as the Best Mystery Novel of 2021."

I'm interested in this one also.

I just listened to The Night Bird

A creepy thriller that raises some interesting philosophical issues. ,y four star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Read Fox Creek
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished reading A Red Death by Walter Mosley (2nd in the series after Devil in a Blue Dress). I think I liked the first book better, but there's nothing to complain about with this one.

Already well into Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight -- the opening is great, with two people on their last night as a couple together, each thinking the other had something to do with the death of another man.

The Quiet American

My introduction to Graham Greene was a success. I had this on my list after reading through the George Smiley series.


My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4886505380

I read Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty
It is book 6 in the series and they are best read in order. I rate it a solid 4 stars. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Murder Book by Mark Billingham ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jess Kidd has taken the difficult history of the 17th century Dutch ship 'Batavia' and tied it to a contemporary Australian story through two wonderful nine-year-old children. The Night Ship is well-researched and beautifully written, with a little bit of magical realism readers should love.
4★ My review

I just listened to Warlight and am unsure what to make of it. Beautifully written but dense and slow. My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Read The House Across the Lake
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I liked learning a bit more of DCI Vera Stanhope's background in The Woman on the Island, a short story by Ann Cleeves. Why did the daughter of a petty crim become a cop?
4★ My review

Nancy wrote: "I finished reading A Red Death by Walter Mosley (2nd in the series after Devil in a Blue Dress). I think I liked the first book better, but there's nothing to complain about with this on..."

I had the exact same take on A Red Death. The first one is a bit better but the second is pretty good too. I will return to this series some day.

Aditya wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I finished reading A Red Death by Walter Mosley (2nd in the series after Devil in a Blue Dress). I think I liked the first book better, but there's nothing to complain..."

I would have never guessed the ending in A Red Death! I'll be moving on to White Butterfly here shortly.

Currently reading The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter, after admiring her story collection, A Feast of Sorrows. (Some of the stories are set in the same world as this novel, a kind of England-like world, roughly speaking, early Victorian.) I thought I was starting a fantasy/fairy tale novel, which it is, but I'm discovering it is also a Gothic mystery. Slatter writes extremely well.

Nancy,
I have read A Red Death as well. It is a good book but Devil in a Blue Dress is better in my opinion. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on White Butterfly - I think it’s pretty good.

Field Gray by Philip Kerr

Bernie Gunther #7, series should probably be read in order. This is the dullest and slowest of the series, greatly taken up with Bernie's considerable time in various prisons and concentration camps during and after the war. 2 stars.

Delton wrote: "Nancy,
I have read A Red Death as well. It is a good book but Devil in a Blue Dress is better in my opinion. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on White Butterfly - I think it’s pretty good."

We were away for a longish weekend so I have to catch up on things here, but I'll be starting White Butterfly very soon after.

I finished my 61st book and I finished my 62nd book and I finished my 63rd book

Light of the World by James Lee Burke. Robicheaux series has started to show its age, this 20th entry is not among Burke's best. 3/5

My Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Five Decembers by James Kestrel

Not a mystery; it's a novel, using the story of a policeman trying to solve a murder as a framework. I'm in the minority on this one -- I thought it was a rather ordinary novel with some very interesting historical (WW II) bits. I just think it's been overpraised but that's just one man's opinion. A generous 3 stars.

After the Flood by Dave Warner ⭐⭐⭐⭐.3 https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've just finished listening to Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes and I've been reading A Rip Through TimeA Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

I reckon Neil Armstrong deserved better than he got from Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara in this addition to a children's biographical series I am usually enthusiastic about.
3.4★ My review

I loved The Secret Life of Birds by Moira Butterfield. it is an entertaining delight for kids and their grown-ups. The fact that it's full of information doesn't hurt either (meaning I learned things 😊).
5★ My review with several illustrations

I read Punishment of a Hunter by Yulia Yakovleva It is set in 1930 Leningrad, Russia. A determined police detective sets out to solve seemingly unrelated murders. He angers important people. I recommend it to mystery fans. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've finished reading Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight . It starts out well, and in this book you learn a little bit more with each chapter, but a "gripping psychological thriller" it is not. I actually became bored with it, which is highly unusual for me with Japanese fiction. I loved Onda's The Aosawa Murders -- that was indeed a gripping psychological thriller.

Thomas wrote: "I read Punishment of a Hunter by Yulia Yakovleva It is set in 1930 Leningrad, Russia. A determined police detective sets out to solve seemingly unrelated murders. He..."

that one's on my tbr.

Aditya wrote: "

Light of the World by James Lee Burke. Robicheaux series has started to show its age, this 20th entry is not among Burke's bes..."

In the long run, that's what really turned me away from series novels. Even one of my favorite writers, Andrea Camilleri, kept his series going too long.

Kirsten wrote: "I've just finished listening to Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes and I've been reading [bookcove..."

I recently read Death at the President's Lodging. Did you like it? It seemed a bit on the sloggy side but I enjoyed watching Appleby at work.