THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

This sci-fi/mystery fusion features two detective partners: a human and a robot. Asimov doesn't have his 'mystery feet' yet in this book. 3 stars

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

The Robots of Dawn by by Isaac Asimov

A human detective and his robot partner go to the planet Aurora to solve the 'murder' of a humanoid robot. The stakes are high for a correct solution to the crime. 4 stars

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

All Good Deeds by Stacy Green

This is the first book in the "Lucy Kendall' P.I. series.
Lucy was a social worker who gave it up in disgust because too many child molesters got away with their crimes. Now Lucy's a private detective/vigilante who murders child abusers who evade justice.
In this book, Lucy is bent on finding a 9-year-old who disappeared from her Philadelphia neighborhood. The premise of this story is too over the top for me. 2.5 stars

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

This struck me as a pretty successful first attempt: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

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

Craig wrote: "This struck me as a pretty successful first attempt: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

****
my review: https://www.g..."

Craig, I like the examples of the aural and visual details the author includes. :)

Dead Anyway by Chris Knopf

A market researcher whose life is torn apart hatches an elaborate scheme to get revenge. If you like to read about complicated plans you'll like the story, but it's not very realistic. 2 stars

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

I'm reading Red Harvest, my first Hammett ever. I don't know how I've missed these. (I think I tried them a few times and wasn't interested).
It's dated but still holds up. Great descriptions and interesting characters. So far Chandler still has Hammett beat but won't pass final judgement until the end.

Death of a Policeman by M.C. Beaton

In this 29th book in the series Sergeant Hamish Macbeth investigates the murder of a police officer who was spying on him....as well as other crimes. This series is always funny and entertaining. 3 stars

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

David wrote: "I'm reading Red Harvest, my first Hammett ever. I don't know how I've missed these. (I think I tried them a few times and wasn't interested).
It's dated but still holds up. Great descriptions and ..."

I like these vintage mysteries. :)

I added my rating to the 40,000+ for The Marriage of Opposites

***

I enjoyed it more, perhaps, than my review might suggest: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

A social worker with a husband and pre-adolescent daughter takes a homeless teenage girl with a baby into her home. The social worker can't bring herself to call child protective services (like she definitely should). The story tells what happened 'before' and what happens 'after.' Pretty good psychological thriller. 3 stars

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

Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

This is the first book in a new comic mystery series about Emerson Knight and Riley Moon - a kooky billionaire and a Harvard educated junior analyst - who solve crimes together. It's an amusing book, though not as hysterical as Evanovich's 'Stephanie Plum' series. 3 stars

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

Edvard Grieg's Norway was never like this: The Thirst.

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

Damage Control by Robert Dugoni

When a young law professor is murdered, his twin sister - who's married with a job and kid - drops everything to investigate and find the perp. Lots of tragedy follows. Good standard fare thriller. 3 stars

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

Just got done reading these


Of all of these books Look For Me and The Woman in the window was the best out of all these i read in last 3 weeks

Shannon wrote: "Of all of these books Look For Me and The Woman in the window was the best out of all these i read in last 3 weeks
..."

I just got Woman in the Window from the library. Hope to get to it soon

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek

Fascinatng memoir about the rookie years of a forensic pathologist at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. Contains lots of great stories. 4.5 stars

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

Fatal Decree by H. Terrell Griffin

A Miami serial killer seems to have relocated to Longboat Key, and the authorities after the perp - as sell as the local population - are in grave danger. Plenty of action, but the plot doesn't quite hold together. 2 stars

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

I seem to be unintentionally stuck in the Jewish diaspora. Now, from 19th-c. Saint Thomas to 17th-c. London: The Weight of Ink. A very evocative title to a book of historical fiction that convincingly captures its heroine's dilemma. The historical picture it creates also seems true enough, though the pedant in me still questions a thing or two. (The calvinistic C of E crowd that hauls Esther off to church would almost certainly NOT be lead by a youth swinging a thurible, and, on arrival, Esther would NOT spy a statue of a female saint--most English were as anti-Catholic as they were anti-Semitic and would have regarded such church stuff as "picked out of the popish dunghill." Kadish's claim that streets ran with molten lead from "the dome of St Paul's" during the Fire of London suggests she's confusing Old St Paul's with Wren's famous rebuild from after the fire. OK, I'll stop now. . . .)

Well worth reading, for patient readers: *****

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

Yesterday (April 16, 2018), began reading "Where the Light Falls: A Novel of the French Revolution" by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki.

I've long had a fascination with this aspect of French history. For that reason, I bought this novel as soon as it became available a week ago.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

The story of a young, upwardly mobile black couple who seem to have a bright future....until the husband is wrongly convicted for rape and sent away for 12 years. Can a new marriage survive an injustice like this? Should it? This book was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her bookclub....but I didn't love the story. 3 stars

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

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

In this first book in the series, Bruno Courreges - Police Chief of St. Denis, France - investigates the murder of an Algerian grandfather who may have had Nazi ties. The ambiance of St. Denis is wonderfully threaded thru the story. Good mystery. 4 stars

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

Miss Seeton Flies High by Hamilton Crane

In this 23rd book in the series, Miss Seeton goes to Glastonbury to study up on King Arthur.....and helps Scotland Yard solve a few crimes. Amusing cozy mystery. It can be read as a standalone. 3 stars

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

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

When a 19-year-old girl disappears, her family suffers terrible repercussions. Two decades later, tragedy strikes again and deep secrets come to light. Excellent thriller. 4 stars

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

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

This is the much hyped book of the season, and - though it doesn't quite live up to its reputation (for me) - it's pretty good. It's about an agoraphobic woman who can't leave her house, and spies on her neighbors with a telephoto camera. She thinks she witnesses a crime, but no one believes her. (Sound familiar?? LOL) 3.5 stars

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

I'm deeply immersed now in reading the novel "Circe" by Madeline Miller.

It's a fantastic story from Greek mythology of the life of enchantress/sorceress Circe. I've had a fascination with Greek mythology since I was a child in elementary school and this novel compellingly brings out more what Circe was.

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Excellent beginning to a sci-fi trilogy. After the Chinese cultural revolution, humans learn that an alien civilization is heading for Earth. This new knowledge coincides with a bunch of physicist suicides. 4.5 stars

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

You might want to keep these in mind for Father's Day. 😊

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan is a 'clean' stand-up comic. This book, based on his comedy routine, is a riff on Jim's tremendous love for food.....with tidbits about his beautiful wife Jeannie and their 5 children. It's very funny. 4 stars

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

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I previously read Gaffigan's book Dad Is Fat , which was also very funny. 3.5 stars

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

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot investigates a string of petty burglaries at a rooming house. Unfortunately, the thievery leads to murder!
Not one of Christie's best books, but still entertaining. 3 stars

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

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

This is the first book in the popular 'Goldilocks Catering' cozy mystery series.
Goldy Bear runs a catering business to support herself and her 11-year-old son. When a local doctor is poisoned at an affair Goldy caters, her business is shut down during the investigation. Goldy becomes an amateur sleuth to track down the culprit.
Good cozy. 3 stars

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

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

In this 6th book in the series, 12-year-old chemistry prodigy and amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce is once again on the trail of a killer. Amusing light mystery. 3 stars

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

I polished off the latest Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware mystery (though in the last few months he might've dashed off no. 33): Heartbreak Hotel. OK enough, but perhaps a bit pale, compared to the loooooong string of books to precede it.

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

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

During a hot summer in 1961 an unusual number of deaths in a small Minnesota town - coupled with a personal tragedy - leads to the unraveling of a 'nice' family.....and sleuthing by some curious kids. Good book. 4 stars

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

Craig wrote: "I polished off the latest Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware mystery (though in the last few months he might've dashed off no. 33): [book:Heartbreak Hotel|3021138..."

Craig, have you read Faye Kellerman's books (Jonathan's wife)? She has a long series of mysteries as well, and even her recent books are pretty good. 🙂

Barbara wrote: "Craig wrote: "I polished off the latest Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware mystery (though in the last few months he might've dashed off no. 33): [book:Heartbreak..."

I think I read one a few months back (after worrying that she was just jumping aboard the bandwagon). I remember liking it well enough. I'll have to scare up a few more of hers.

Craig wrote: "I think I read one a few months back (after worrying that she was just jumping aboard the bandwagon). I remember liking it well enough. I'll have to scare up a few more of hers.
]..."

Craig, I think Faye Kellerman is as accomplished as Jonathan (if not more so ). She's been writing for many many years. 🙂

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Catherine Grace Cline is growing up in tiny Ringgold, Georgia and has plans to leave town for glitzy Atlanta. Things seem to be going Catherine Grace's way when life throws her a curve ball. Good story. 4 stars

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

Deadly Stakes by J.A. Jance

In this 8th book in the series, journalist/amateur detective Ali Reynolds investigates two murders. Okay mystery; suitable for a few hours of light entertainment. The book can be read as a standalone. 3 stars

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

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

In this 9th book in the series, 12-year-old prodigy Flavia de Luce is on holiday when a dead body is discovered. Flavia - a budding chemist and amateur detective - jumps right in to investigate. Entertaining mystery. 3 stars

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

I edited my review of actor Vincent Price's charming memoir. This would be a good Father's Day gift for dads who love dogs and books. 🙀 ❤

The Book of Joe: About a Dog and His Man by Vincent Price

In this memoir, actor Vincent Price talks about animals he's known, especially his beloved dog Joe. Very entertaining and funny. 4 stars

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

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Calliope Stephanides seems to be a girl at birth, but has a genetic anomaly that results into maturation into a boy at puberty. Naturally this causes a lot of repercussions. The book is about much more than that though, touching on Greek immigrants in Detroit, family interactions, the black power movement, the silk industry, and much more. Excellent book 5 stars.

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

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Calliope Stephanides seems to be a girl at birth, but has a genetic anomaly that results into maturation into a boy at puberty. Naturally this causes a lot of repercussions. The book is about much more than that though, touching on Greek immigrants in Detroit, family interactions, the black power movement, the silk industry, and much more. Excellent book 5 stars.

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

Murder at the Puppy Fest by Laurien Berenson

In this 20th book in the series, amateur sleuth Melanie Travis investigates the death of a millionaire philanthropist who dies during the Puppy Fest (doggie competition) being held at his mansion. More dog show than detective work. Can be read as a standalone. 2.5 stars

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

Finished reading today, "Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling" by Amy Chozick, a New York Times journalist from Texas.

It offered some very revealing views and perspectives on the 2016 presidential campaign. Anyone who is interested in revisiting the campaign and learning in greater depth about it (now that we are 2 years beyond that time), this is the book to read.

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

In this follow-up to the 'Red Rising Trilogy', the rebellion that installed a democracy in the Solar System has been over for 10 years. There are now political problems....and the deposed 'Golds' are scheming to get their power back. Exciting and suspenseful, but I kind of wish the author had let the trilogy alone. 3.5 stars

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

i havent read alot lately i havent been in the mood and also i been super busy but here is what i got done since April

Blowback by Valerie Plame

The author of this book is an 'outed' former CIA agent (in case you recall that big scandal).

The plot is about an intrepid female CIA agent (surprise surprise) whose assets have apparently been exposed....because they're being assassinated. Plenty of action in this thriller. 3 stars

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

The Thirst by Jo Nesbø

In this addition to the 'Harry Hole' series, Harry is after his old nemesis - a vicious serial killer who broke out of prison. Thing is....the killer's now taken up 'vampirism' and is drinking the blood of his victims. Very complicated plot but it's a good mystery. 3.5 stars

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

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

This classic - set in British controlled India - demonstrates a deep culture clash when an Englishwoman wrongly accuses a Muslim Indian doctor of trying to assault her. 3 stars

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

I'm reading John Truby's The Anatomy of Story
https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/...

and Stephen King's Sleeping Beauties

https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/...

I'm enjoying both books, so far. Haven't read a King novel in a while. The last one was Duma Key, so I need to catch up.