Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (library)
Two sisters, Pearl and May, live in Shanghai in 1937. They live a very upscale life in China. There father has arranged marriages for them. Then Japan invades. The sisters and their mother run for their lives. Pearl and May try to get to American. This novel is about the jealousies, rivalries love, sacrifices and choices these two make.
A very popular novel in 2008, finally got a hold of it and did enjoy it.

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose (NF-library)
In 1803, President Jefferson recruited his personal secretary, Captain Meriweather Lewis to lead an expedition up the Missouri River, over mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean and back. Jefferson wanted to find a passage that could be traveled by water. He wanted Lewis to establish peaceful contact with Native Americans. Jefferson sent Lewis to different instructors to learn how to read longitude and latitude, how to document animals and vegetation and learn basic medical knowledge. Lewis selected Clark, who later became a captain after the expedition was completed. Upon returning in 1806, Lewis was a national hero. Jefferson appointed him to governor of Louisiana. For years Jefferson inquired about the future books of the expedition that Lewis was to write. Lewis fell into a depression from a combination of : felt out of place in a political office, a new president, John Q. Adams considered the expedition and costs unnecessary, Lewis piled up debts and failed at finding a wife. Clark and Lewis agreed to travel to Washington D.C. in 1809(3 years after the expedition) to write his books. Lewis would take the overland route, Clark the waterway. En route Lewis stopped at grinder's Inn on the Natchez Trace. During the night he shot himself in the head and stomach. Hours later he died. Some suspect he was murdered.
The journals arrived in D.C., Clark found Nicholas Biddle to assist him in editing. In 1814 the book was published and sales were slow because the public had moved on in their interest of the expedition. Biddle's edition was the only printed account for the next 90 YEARS.
Interesting read.

Nemesis, the Final Case of Eliot Ness by William Bernhardt (library)
In Cleveland, Ohio, in the fall of 1935, there is a killer lose. He is known as the "Torso Killer". He decapitates his victims and dissects them with a doctor's skill. Ness has just settled in Cleveland. Police ask for his assistance on this case. This book is based on true events.
A highly recommended read. Be sure to read the author's after word to find out more about this case and Ness's later years. Ness died in 1957 from a heart attack.

The Great Book of Murder, Real Life Cases Cracked by Forensic Science (NF-tbr pile, bought from discount table)
edited by Roger Wilkes
Cases from history and present day (1752-1980)
From the first use of fingerprints in a murder trial to recent advances in genetics. The short stories are written by some of the best crime writers. This book was originally published in the U. K. as, The Mammoth Book of Murder and Science by Robinson. Many of the cases were new to me because many of the cases were in the U. K., which made for an interesting read.

Brakedrum wrote: "Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (library)
Two sisters, Pearl and May, live in Shanghai in 1937. They live a very upscale life in China. There father has arranged marriages for them. Then Japan invades..."

SHANGHAI GIRLS is the only Lisa See book I've read and I liked it, too!

Lorraine:
This sounds like a very interesting book. It is rather amazing that no one wrote another account of the project / journey for ninety years! I imagine it likely that the character traits that made Lewis suited for the adventure may not have been the types of traits that aid in writing a narrative of said journey.

Brakedrum wrote: "Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose (NF-library)
In 1803, President Jefferson recruited his personal secretary, Captain Meriweather Lewis to lead an expedition up the Missouri River, over mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean and back. Jefferson wanted to find a passage that could be traveled by water. He wanted Lewis to establish peaceful contact with Native Americans. Jefferson sent Lewis to different instructors to learn how to read longitude and latitude, how to document animals and vegetation and learn basic medical knowledge. ....
For years Jefferson inquired about the future books of the expedition that Lewis was to write."