THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

Just got done reading these
E is for Evidence & F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton trying to get these series finish since i heard the sad passing of Sue Grafton. And So Far i lovin this series

The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner This book is one of her older books and IMO it wasnt good at all i gave it 3 stars she has writen better books then this one

Now I will be starting on these
The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell
Iron House by John Hart
Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke
The Last Time She Saw Him by Jane Haseldine

I was hopen to start James Patterson Crazy House and People vs Alex Cross but the library website said they have both books in but they couldnt find the books

Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith

'Corduroy Mansions' is an apartment building in Pimlico that houses an eclectic group of people. The story revolves around the building's residents as well as their friends, acquaintances, and co-workers.....and recounts entertaining anecdotes about the various characters. Humorous light book. 4 stars

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

Shannon wrote: "...

I was hopen to start James Patterson Crazy House and People vs Alex Cross but the library website said they have both books in but they couldnt find the books
"

Hope they find the books Shannon. :)

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Lydia, a bright capable teenager from an upper middle-class mixed race home (Chinese dad, caucasian mom) is found dead at the bottom of a lake, apparently a suicide. This tears the family apart. The author explores the inner workings of the family. Excellent book. 4 stars.

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

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett is probably one of the best known and most popular television personalities. Reruns of her old variety show can still be seen on cable TV. In this memoir Carol provides some glimpses into her life and work. 3 stars

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

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson

Caterer/amateur sleuth Goldy Schulz is catering a couple of weddings when her godfather and his friend are the victim of separate crimes. Goldy helps her cop husband investigate.
Good cozy mystery.....with recipes!! 3 stars

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

Robicheaux by James Lee Burke

In this 21st book in the series Detective Dave Robicheaux deals with the death of his wife while investigating murder and alleged rape. As always, the Louisiana setting is vividly brought to life.
Very good story. 4 stars

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

The Wurst Is Yet to Come by Mary Daheim

Bed and Breakfast owner/amateur sleuth Judith Flynn goes to Oktoberfest to advertise her establishment and gets roped into solving a murder. The Oktoberfest festivities are fun (food, beer, shopping, a dachshund race) but the mystery......not so much. 2 stars

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

I found this non-fiction history-cum-travelog particularly timely: Bad Land: An American Romance.

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

Craig wrote: "I found this non-fiction history-cum-travelog particularly timely: Bad Land: An American Romance.

My take: https://www.goodreads.com/r..."

Very interesting story Craig.

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

In this third book in the series, Evan Smoak (Orphan X) is out to avenge the death of his mentor Jack Johns. The novel is chock full of danger, action, and bloodshed. Good story. 3.5 stars

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

Here's my review of Orphan X, in case you're interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Discovering this old Dorothy Sayers aroused a sense of À la recherche du temps perdu: Busman's Honeymoon. Quite nostalgia inducing. . . .
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø

Harry Hole has to work with a cop he hates to chase down a serial killer in Oslo. Lots of interesting characters in this good mystery. 4 stars

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

A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York by Anjelica Huston

In this first volume of her autobiography, the Academy Award winning actress talks about her early life in Ireland, England, and New York. With celebrity parents, Huston met everybody in the entertainment business. 3 stars

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

Finished reading today "Conversations with Kennedy" by Benjamin C. Bradlee, a journalist who had been a close friend of JFK between 1958 and 1963. It's a highly fascinating book based on largely contemporaneous notes Bradlee had made of the various times he had spent with JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy from JFK's Senate days, through the 1960 campaign (which Bradlee covered for Newsweek magazine), and during the Kennedy presidency.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk wants humans to live on Mars, and he's willing to spend lots of money to make it happen. This biography focuses on Musk's many successful business ventures including Zip2, Paypal, SpaceX, Tesla, and Solar City. The book also touches on Musk's personal life, which is equally fascinating. Good book about a brilliant guy. 4.5 stars

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

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

In this third book in the 'Cormoran Strike' series, a serial killer is sending severed body parts to Strikes's detective partner, Robin Ellacott. Strike thinks the killer is an old nemesis who has a grudge against him, but he isn't sure which one. Good mystery. 3.5 stars

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

Today I began reading the novel "Our Man in Washington" by Roy Hoopes.



The novel is set in Washington DC during 1923. Two real-life historical figures (H.L. Mencken and the journalist James M. Cain) work together to investigate corruption (i.e., 'sex, bootlegging, and murder') in the Harding administration.

I'm also reading the memoir "Old Soldier Sahib" by Frank Richards who had been a friend of the writer/poet Robert Graves with whom he had served in the Royal Welch Fusiliers in France during the First World War.



In this memoir, Richards shares with the reader his experiences as a soldier during the first decade of the 20th century in India and the Far East. This was during a time when Britain was the major political and economic power with the greatest empire the world had yet known.

Richards had a limited education and had worked in the mines in Wales before joining the Army near the end of the Boer War. He tells his story in a candid, matter-of-fact manner that gives the reader a palpable sense of how life was like for someone from the British working class during the early 1900s before the advent of the welfare state that emerged after the Second World War.

The Only Child by Andrew Pyper

In this horror-mystery, Dr. Lily Dominick - a psychiatrist for the criminally insane - is assigned a patient who thinks he's immortal and inspired the characters: 'Frankenstein', 'Mr. Hyde', and 'Dracula.' Lily is led on a dangerous trip across Europe to learn the truth about her patient and herself. Good story. 3.5 stars

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

Okay Here what i got done reading
The Last Time She Saw Him by Jane Haseldine It's a new author for me and I really loved it I will have to check out more in her series.

The King of Lies by John Hart it was okay of a book not as good as i though it would been

Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke Also another one that look like it be great but it wastnt as good!

Library called Friday and Said they had People vs Alex Cross & Crazy House in so i went and got both read

The People vs. Alex Cross by James Patterson Seem like JP has channel his old Alex Cross in this one because this is his best AC book in years

Crazy House by James Patterson It was a good book its for Young Adult but I really like it wonder if hes gonna do a series about this with the way the book end if so I will read the 2nd book

The Kraken Project by Douglas Preston

An Artificial Intelligence called Dorothy - that was supposed to participate in a research project on Titan - escapes into cyberspace and threatens the human race.
This sets off a race as the good guys and bad guys try to capture Dorothy. Rather thin plot. 2 stars

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

Pulled this off the shelf to fill time until I could track down a previous Goodreads recommendation: Listening Woman

More "thrilling" than the usual Hillerman. My take: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Craig wrote: "Pulled this off the shelf to fill time until I could track down a previous Goodreads recommendation: Listening Woman

More "thrilling" than the usual..."

I like the glimpses into Indian culture and mythology in these mysteries.

Love Life by Rob Lowe

In this second memoir by the actor, Lowe talks about being a husband and father, TV shows and films he's made, partying and drinking during his younger years (he's a recovering alcoholic), his interest in history and politics, his family, and more. I listened to the audio version, read by the author, and his celebrity impersonations are a lot of fun. 4 stars

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

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The lives of three women in Sydney, Australia intersect. One woman reads a secret letter from her husband; one woman has a straying spouse; and one woman's daughter was murdered. When truths come to light, consequences follow. Good book. 3.5 stars

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

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

The story is about the Bundren family of Mississippi taking the corpse of their wife/mother, Addie Bundren, to be buried in her distant hometown. Because of self-imposed delays in securing the appropriate carriage; storms wiping out bridges; the tragic death of their mules; a family member's broken leg; and so on (the events of a black comedy essentially), the trip to the cemetery takes well over a week.....as the corpse decomposes and stinks to high heaven.
The story is told in stream-of-consciousness style, so it requires concentration. But it's a good book. 4 stars

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

Just got done reading
Now You See Her by James Patterson It was okay but IMO not one of his best

Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke This fifth installment in the “Under Suspicion’ and simply IMO the best of the series!

Now I will be Starting on Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross & The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith

In this addition to the series, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutski take a case involving a woman who was (allegedly) wrongfully fired from her sales job. Mma Ramotswe also has some personal issues that cut close to the heart. Fun to visit with some favorite characters but the plot is thinner than usual. 3 stars

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

Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus

In this Amish mystery, a ten-year-old boy is kidnapped, and the Amish Bishop requests assistance from a local university professor. Gives a peek into Old Order Amish culture. Okay mystery. 3 stars

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

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

When flocks of Monarch butterflies show up in Appalachia - far from their normal range - local people debate whether it's climate change or an act of God. And a fascinated young woman questions her mundane home life. Kingsolver always tackles big ideas.
3 stars

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

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

When a Chicago office building blows up, it alters the lives of three women. Their names are Cecily, Franny, and Kate.
Each woman is harboring secrets, which threaten to be exposed when a documentary is made about the disaster. Good psychological thriller. 3.5 stars

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

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

In this memoir Poehler tells amusing stories about her road to success (hard and long), the people she's worked with, and the TV shows and movies she's done. Poehler also mentions her private life - her children and her sad divorce. This is one of the better celebrity memoirs I've read. 4 stars

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

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

This memoir is one of the 'it books' of 2017. J.D Vance grew up in rough conditions (poverty, drug-addicted mother, violent home, etc.) in the hillbilly enclave of Middletown, Ohio - but managed to become a marine, graduate college, and finish his education at Yale Law School. Interesting book about events in Vance's life.....and thoughts about why Trump won the hearts of hillbillies and other white working poor. Good book. 4 stars.

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

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

When Tim Blake's 17-year-old daughter doesn't return from her summer job at a motel, Tim goes looking for her. He soon learns Sydney is missing.....and she's been lying about a lot of things. Big trouble follows. Good thriller. 3.5 stars

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

Harry Potter: A Journey Through A History of Magic by British Library

This is a companion book to the commemorative Harry Potter exhibit launchd by The British Library. This is an exceptionally well-done, beautiful book - chock full of interesting tidbits and illustrations. If you're a H.P. fan, you'll love this book.
5 stars (which is very very rare for me).

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

Everything you wanted to know, told with minimal sensationalism: The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

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

Craig, this is interesting stuff.

Another good book about forensics is Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid

The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews

Amateur sleuth Meg Lanslow sets out to learn about the grandmother she never knew and ends up looking into a murder and trying to save a flock of emus. Her dad and a fun cast of characters help. Amusing light mystery. 3 stars

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

Barbara wrote: "Craig, this is interesting stuff.

Another good book about forensics is Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid"

I don't know this one, but I'll have to track it down. May be too modern for me (DNA, etc): in my current project I've run across 17th-century police autopsies on cats, dogs, pigs, since all the murdered husbands had been dead too long.

I've been a fan of the Patrick O'Brian 'Aubrey/Maturin' series of historical seafaring novels (Napoleonic Wars) since July 1994. To date, I've read most of the series and last night, I began reading ---

The Truelove by Patrick O'Brian



I'm already LOVING the experience. O'Brian was a masterful writer and has an unerring way of putting the reader into the heart of the action.

Another Tony Hillerman People of Darkness

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

A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul by Shamini Flint

After a terrorist attack in Bali, Detective Singh - a homicide investigator - is sent from Singapore to help catch the perps. Singh knows zero about terrrorists, but lucky (for him) a homicide turns up to solve. Good mystery with interesting chararacters and great ambiance in Bali. 3.5 stars

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

Today I've been enjoying reading "Undercover: The Men and Women of the Special Operations Executive" by Patrick Howarth, who himself had served in this unique British espionage group, the SOE [Special Operations Executive] during the Second World War.



The book is chockful of considerable details on operations in Occupied France, the Balkans, other parts of Europe impacted by the war, and the Far East. It reads like a spy thriller, but the stories are true. There were people who were incredibly brave, smart, and resourceful in fighting the Third Reich, Fascist Italy, and militarist Japan. One can't help but be in awe of SOE.

KOMET wrote: "Today I've been enjoying reading "Undercover: The Men and Women of the Special Operations Executive" by Patrick Howarth, who himself had served in this unique British..."

This sounds like a book I'd like, about espionage activities.

Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo

A comic novel set in upstate New York that features Chief of Police Douglas Raymer and a cast of eccentric (sometimes awful) characters that get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Very good amusing story. 4 stars

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

Just got done reading
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas It was an okay of a book but not a book i could reread again

The House by Bentley Little Very Creepy ghost story! I will be reading more form him

Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross Very good Mystery book! I am become a big of his

Now for the next few weeks i be reading these
The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer It come in today its a giveaway i won I hope I like it

Now I be reading these too
Some Nerve by Jane Heller, Egg Drop Dead by Laura Childs, Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris & Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown

Dust by Patricia Cornwell

Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta has lots of personal concerns on her mind while she's trying to help catch a sadistic serial killer. Unfortunately the FBI is tampering with evidence and a large corporation is obstructing the investigation. Meanwhile, Kay also has to do her REAL job.....autopsies. Okay addition to the series. 3 stars

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

An adventure in 1830s India, rich in historical detail: The Strangler Vine
An entertaining way to learn a bit more about the Indian sub-continent.

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

The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston

In this non-fiction book the author writes about an expedition to Honduras, to find the "White City" - a lost city reputed to be filled with gold, valuable artifacts, and remains of buildings and structures. Very good book. 4.5 stars

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