The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler

Philip Marlowe #5. Taking a case from little miss nobody Marlowe gets enmeshed in a complicated plot involving a beautiful Hollywood starlet and her gangster boyfriend. Chandler's style and use of language is again at the top of the genre. Without a doubt one of the finest stylists ever to write a mystery. 5 stars.

Mask of the Deer Woman explores the problem of missing indigenous young women. My four star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Started out the week with a non-mystery book for a change Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Bloodstained Skies: The Core of Rage

3.5 stars.
Received this book from the author. My thanks to Dagmar for the book. Female author.
Adventure on a very wide canvas.

Please check out the review here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read 2 short stories set in contemporary India: COVID Stories from India: Long Road Home
My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And COVID Stories from India: The Abandoned Cook My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Both books by Emmanuel Bhaskar

I read Isola by Allegra Goodman It is historical fiction, set in the mid 16th century, France and New France(Canada). My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished my 97th book

My review of Dominoes, Danzón, and Death by Raquel V. Reyes

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

Brightly Shining is a translation of Ingvild H. Rishøi's short novel about two young girls and a very cold Christmas in Norway. The original was very popular, and now it's in English. Did I mention it is very cold?! Brrr
My review of Brightly Shining

Second Regency-set mystery in a series, All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally, got 4* from me here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I liked it enough that I'm going back to pick up on #1.

The Roads Chosen:

The Roads Chosen

Once again, I was unimpressed by a book of short stories. Even one by Elly Griffiths. My three star review of The Man in Black :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Getting a jump on next week's new releases, and Christmas, with You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I need an opinion, I currently have a few books I want to read:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn , Final Girls and The last time I lied , both by Riley Sager. I want to choose which to read first, so can anyone that has read any of these please tell me which is really grapling and going to keep me on edge.

I finished The Next Girl by Carla Kovach


Here is my three star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

jerushaaaa wrote: "I need an opinion, I currently have a few books I want to read:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn , Final Girls and The last time I lied[bo..."

The Flynn is exceptional, the other two good, solid thrillers. Of the Sagers, I found Lied somewhat better than Final Girls, but I read FG first and liked it enough that I then read Lied (and since [book:The House Across the Lake|58909880]) and am likely to read a couple more by him in the near future.

I'm currently reading Malpertuis by Jean Ray. A short but not, I'm finding, a quick read, nevertheless I'm enjoying its weirdness.

Just finished "The Maids Diary" by Loreth Anne White
Gave it 4 stars!

Liz wrote: "Once again, I was unimpressed by a book of short stories. Even one by Elly Griffiths. My three star review of The Man in Black :
https://www.goodreads..."

I've had a similar experience with Laura Lippman's latest collection. The stories are serviceable, well-written, but nothing has so far lit a fire to complete the collection so it just sits on my shelf.

Have you read Not Safe After Dark: And Other Stories by Peter Robinson? I found these very enjoyable. I hadn't read him before, but since reading this I've been interested in reading a couple of his DCI Banks novels, though I haven't gotten to them yet.

Another collection I liked was The New Girlfriend: And Other Stories by Ruth Rendell. These have a somewhat more literary feel to them.

Have You Seen Me? by Kate White

A successful NYC finance journalist experiences a fugue state and 'loses' the past few days of her life. The story unfolds as she struggles to recall/learn what happened,

Pretty good suspense story. 3 stars

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

The Sea Below

3 stars
Fast-paced horror adventure and the sequel to
Creative world building very like Centre of the Earth and Pellucidar

My review here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've finished Locked In by Jussi Adler-Olsen


A bit disappointing due to the fact that I haven't read all previous titles: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Libby Lost and Found had some flaws, but I was invested in how it would all come together. My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Randy wrote: "Liz wrote: "Once again, I was unimpressed by a book of short stories. Even one by Elly Griffiths. My three star review of The Man in Black :
https://w..."

Thanks for the heads up about Safe After Dark.

Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger

In this 7th Cork O'Connor book, the former sheriff travels to Canada to fulfill a promise to his friend, Indian medicine man Henry Meloux, whose story forms the core of this novel.

Good addition to the series. 4 stars

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

My #Noirvember round-up of mysteries I've read this year continues:
1. The Invisible Hand: A Pareto Sisters Mystery by P.E. Klein here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. The Key to Kells: A Key Murphy Ancestral Memory Thriller by Kevin Barry O'Connor here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
3. Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All perfectly fine, none memorable, cheap enough to fill your Kindle and spend some time.

My review of Tales of Life and Daph by Phillipa Nefri Clark

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

⭐⭐⭐.8 for legal thriller Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now starting MIDNIGHT AND BLUE, the newest release by Ian Rankin in his long running mystery series featuring DI John Rebus.

It's nice to see that the series is still going strong after almost forty years, although I am not sure how Rankin is going to keep it going now that his lead character is in such dire straits.

I finished the cozy Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor. The first in a series. Sometimes I thought the author tried to put too much into the storyline, but otherwise an enjoyable read. 3 stars.

My review of Murder in an English Castle by Merryn Allingham

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

A World Of Curiousities

Aussie author and former journo Chris Hammer writes complex mysteries with a broad range of characters. The Valley has gold mining, politicians, cops (straight and bent), hippie types, and a couple of favourite detectives. Another excellent read.
My review of The Valley

Escape reading that has a point? Sign me up! Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch fills the bill admirably. My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Chosen Path,

Part two of a trilogy,

A Chosen Path

I read The Note by Alafair Burke I rate this mystery book 4 stars. It is set in the Hamptons and NYC. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Stuck my book of Sherlock Holmes stories in my purse to read during a quick lunch. Finished the delightful The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story.

36 Hours was no stop suspense. My four star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review of The Girl With No Name by Lisa Regan

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

I finally pulled the Murderbot Diaries off of my TBR list -- starting with All Systems Red by Martha Wells,

I shouldn't have waited so long; these are great.

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

⭐⭐⭐.5 for a Christmas themed cosy mystery A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Queen City Detective Agency had some positive things going for it,but in the end was mildly unsatisfying. My 3.5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Dark Clouds Shining by David Downing

Jack McColl #4. Takes place in 1921 (shortly after the Russian Revolution). Very well done spy adventure with Jack and Caitlin in Russia and surrounding countries. This is the last in the series -- you need to pay attention (Russian names!) but I really liked this very exciting and enjoyable wrap-up to the series. 4 stars.

The Trees by Percival Everett

This award-winning novel by English professor Percival Everett addresses racism and lynching in America. This is obviously a serious subject, and the book is disturbing, However it's also satirical and hilarious.

Highly recommended. 4.5 stars

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

The Business Trip fell totally flat for me. My two star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review of A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander

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

I started out the week with We Three Queens, the latest Royal Spyness Mystery from Rhys Bowen.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've finished The Body Brokers by Brian Cuban


Second title with Jason Feldman as the main character but can be read as a stand alone: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

DC vs. Vampires, Vol. 1

⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars
Graphic novel. DC comics
Batman, Wonderwoman, Green lantern, Superman, and everyone else in the Justice League and beyond.
Vampires.
Great stuff. Every page is a blockbuster.

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

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

In this hybrid cozy mystery/thriller novel, three generations of women in a family (grandma, mom, daughter) solve a murder together.

Nice setting on coastal California. 3.5 stars

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