The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I am reading The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver. I always enjoy the books in the Lincoln Rhyme series, and this is no exception.

I'm reading Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane.

Janet wrote: "I am reading The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver. I always enjoy the books in the Lincoln Rhyme series, and this is no exception."

I also enjoy the Lincoln Rhyme's series. This one was great too.

I am reading A Winter Haunting, which is the sequel to Simmons' Summer of Night. Very good so far. Simmons has become one of my favorite authors of late.

Got a swap copy of Moonlight Mile in yesterday's mail. I'm about half way through and I'm very glad I only paid $3 to get this book. This is my first Lehane and I'd heard so many good things about his work that my expectations were pretty high. So far, I'm not impressed.

K.B. wrote: "Got a swap copy of Moonlight Mile in yesterday's mail. I'm about half way through and I'm very glad I only paid $3 to get this book. This is my first Lehane and I'd heard so many goo..."

Don't use "Moonlight Mile" as a judge of Lehane's quality. It is good but the weakest of his books I have read so far. Try Mystic River or Shutter Island as his stand alones or Gone, Baby, Gone as a better entry in the Kenzie/Gennaro series. He really is a terrific writer.

From a mystery perspective, I'm just finishing Dark Fire, by C.J. Sansom and have really enjoyed it. Not sure if I'll start another mystery next or something else.

I am reading The Last Child, so far, so good.

I know it took me a very very long time to read it but I just finished. 'Faithful Place' by Tana French. I really loved it. The twists & turns, some of the characters thoughts & feelings were stunning. The ONLY reason that it took me so long to read it was bevause life & holidays got in the way. I also try very hard to figure out the end, as most ppl do, & I found that I had to turn back pages alot to see if I had missed something. & if it explained what was going on. This is absolute re-read more than a few times. I had to borrow it from the library, but am definitely going to biy one to keep. I also the woodd book & am checking out 'The Likeness asap at the library.
Today I startes 'The Cave' by Jose Saragamo. Starting out pretty good but then Ive only read about 40 pages.

I just cannot keep up with all of the authors / books that y'all are suggesting here! I had to quit adding to my to-read shelf & now keep track of any new ones on an Excel spreadsheet. Lol

Karen wrote: "I just cannot keep up with all of the authors / books that y'all are suggesting here! I had to quit adding to my to-read shelf & now keep track of any new ones on an Excel spreadsheet. Lol "

Glad I'm not the only one who does that! ;-)

K.B. wrote: "Got a swap copy of Moonlight Mile in yesterday's mail. I'm about half way through and I'm very glad I only paid $3 to get this book. This is my first Lehane and I'd heard so many goo..."

K.B. I agree with Gatorman. Do read Shutter Island (one of my favorites) or Mystic River before you make up your mind about Lehane. I have loved his books and Moonlight Mile was a little disappointing but I will keep on reading him! Still have The Given Day in my library that I haven't gotten around to yet.

Hi Karen, You know I think you can export the data from your Goodreads sheleves to an Excel spreadsheet. I was thinking of doing that so I could carry it around with me at the library since I am the only one in the family without a smartphone!

Donna wrote: "...since I am the only one in the family without a smartphone!"

Great gift idea for mom! ;-)

Finished CJ Sansom's DArk Fire and picked an old classic from my to-read bookshelf. Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana

Good Choice, Bill. Great movie too!

Karen wrote: "I know it took me a very very long time to read it but I just finished. 'Faithful Place' by Tana French. I really loved it. The twists & turns, some of the characters thoughts & feelings were stun..."


I really like Tana French I first read In the Woods which was really great, and then The Likeness which was also incredibly gripping with really well-drawn characters. I'm excited to hear about another book by her - I'll try to get hold of it!

I just started "The Disappearance" by Bentley Little. He is one of my favorite authors so I am very excited.

I finished Silent in the Sanctuary, which was good but not as good as the first book. Still, I have the third already lined up.

Right now I'm happily reading The Fat Man, described as elf noir. Just had to get it.

Dorie wrote: "I finished Silent in the Sanctuary, which was good but not as good as the first book. Still, I have the third already lined up.

Right now I'm happily reading [book:The Fat Man|80..."

Elf noir? That's a new one on me!! lol!

I thought the same thing! :)

Patricia wrote: "K.B. wrote: "Got a swap copy of Moonlight Mile in yesterday's mail. I'm about half way through and I'm very glad I only paid $3 to get this book. This is my first Lehane and I'd hear..."

I just finished Moonlight Mile and I agree that Lehane's other books are much better.

Dorie, I'll be interested to see if you like The Fat Man. I ended up wallbanging it. After about 30 pages, I couldn't stand it any more.

I'm also gald to hear from everyone that some of the other Lehane books on my bookshelves will be better reading experiences than Moonlight Mile. I really felt like that book had a throwaway quality to it.

I just finished Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene. I'd read it many years ago and quite enjoyed. I enjoyed just as much this time. Not sure what I'll read now. I had pulled out The Crystal Worldby J.G. Ballard, but I may change to something a bit lighter..

This may sound hopelessly square, but I just finished a few of the short stories from the Complete Sherlock Holmes, all of the stories published in The Strand Magazine, with the original type and sketches. I hated "The Red-headed League" because it was just preposterous, but I liked the characterization of Holmes and Watson, and the period detail, and the simple writing technique that created such widespread popularity for it all. Good characterization + good detail + interesting "Huh?" case a la House = successful writing career!

Steven wrote: "This may sound hopelessly square, but I just finished a few of the short stories from the Complete Sherlock Holmes, all of the stories published in The Strand Magazine, with the original type and s..."

Not square at all. I love the original stories. How fun reading with the original format too. I've got them on my ebook, but it is not at all the same thing.

I just read Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer. If you're into crime fiction you should check it out. If you're looking for something with a South African flavour, it is compulsory reading. It is a police procedural / crime thriller in the vein of Michael Connolly's Harry Bosch novels.

Kari wrote: "I am reading This is the first Inspector Bony I have read and I really enjoying it. I would recommend this book to anyone who like classic detective stories."

Hi Kari, I read several Insp Bony books quite some time ago and I am glad to see they are available again. They give an interesting look at Australia.

Cathy, I can't wait the get The LikenessI started reading The Cave by José Saramago. When I picked it The Cave I had heard that it was a good book and it sounded good, but I'm really having a hard time reading it. The sentences seem to be imcomplete and it's hard to tell who's saying what. But I really do want to see how it ends.

Just finished Locked Rooms, the last of the re-reads... now I can read a new one! The Language of Bees... can't wait. Have a few other things to read first, but I'm really looking forward to it. (Finally got the ebook back from the doctor, so I'm good to go!)

I'm reading Rain Gods: A Novel by James Lee Burke. It's very good.

Thanks, Hayes! You made my square-ness sound more cool than it probably is! But I am loving the stories, with the original text, type and sketches. Makes me feel almost like I'm in the Victorian Age myself.

K.B. wrote: "Dorie, I'll be interested to see if you like The Fat Man. I ended up wallbanging it. After about 30 pages, I couldn't stand it any more..."

I can see where it may be annoying to some readers. It's clearly meant as a spoof. I was anticipating something like a Christopher Moore type book and have not been disappointed. At first the author's insistence in name-dropping holiday related names was annoying (George Bailey, Misfit Isle, Ralphie), but it has turned around and now I'm anticipating what character he'll be pulling out of his hat next.

My problem is that I wasn't finding it to be a clever spoof. But I'm glad it improves.

I'm reading A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. It is the 3rd book in the Grant County Series. This series has pulled me in from the first page of the first book. I've read all three in a row! I can't stop!!

I'm having problems deciding what to read next. I finished The Pillars of the Earth last night. I tried going back to The House of Mirth and The Glass of Time, but I'm not falling back into either of them very well. Maybe I'll give Murder in Montparnasse: A Mystery of Literary Paris a try.

Perhaps I will try Murder in Montparnasse also, but I have a real hankering to visit Hannah Swenson's bakery again...can't remember the first book in the series by Joann Fluke but I'm sure my library has it.

Just looked it up on Wikipedia. The books are (in order of publication): Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - 2000; Strawberry Shortcake M - 2001; Blueberry Muffin M - 2002; Lemon Merengue Pie M - 2003; Fudge Cupcake M - 2004; Sugar Cookie M - also 2004; Peach Cobbler M - 2005; and that is probably as far as I can go in one 6-week round at the library.

just started reading 'The devils star' by Jo Nesbo featuring Inspector Harry Hole-very gripping so far

That's what I need, Tim, something gripping.

Carol wrote: "Perhaps I will try Murder in Montparnasse also, but I have a real hankering to visit Hannah Swenson's bakery again...can't remember the first book in the series by Joann Fluke but I'm sure my libra..."

Your book list is making me hungry....

I just started reading Probable Cause by Ridley Pearson. Has anyone read that book. How did you like it?

Charlie: I had to have read Probable Cause before, but it's not sounding familiar. I like the Lou Boldt stories better I guess, and being a native Seattleite, I like being able to picture the scenes in the Boldt stories.

I'm reading Lost Light by Michael Connelly, a Harry Bosch mystery.

Susan wrote: "I'm reading A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. It is the 3rd book in the Grant County Series. This series has pulled me in from the first page of the first book. I've..."

It's a fantastic series, Susan. I agree totally.

Barbara wrote: "I'm reading Lost Light by Michael Connelly, a Harry Bosch mystery."

You just can't go wrong with Harry Bosch.

"Carol wrote: "Perhaps I will try Murder in Montparnasse also, but I have a real hankering to visit Hannah Swenson's bakery again...can't remember the first book in the series by Joann Fluke but I'm sure my libra..."

"Your book list is making me hungry...."

And at the end of each chapter in Joanne Fluke's books is a recipe for something baked, usually cookies, but it could be muffins or the strawberry shortcake...yes, it does make one hungry for the sweet stuff mentioned in that chapter.

I've just started a non-mystery book, Kraken by China Miéville. I'm sure i'll survive stepping back from the mysteries for a few days :)

Susan wrote: "I'm reading A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. It is the 3rd book in the Grant County Series. This series has pulled me in from the first page of the first book. I've..."


Susan, you'll enjoy it. I love Karin Slaughter, such an apt name for an author in this genre! Have you tried Karen Rose too?

Mel

Okay I gave up on The Cave by José Saramago. Maybe I just wasn't ready for a hard to read book. I started Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I'm not really sure how it's going yet. Only on page 32.

I finished "Though Not Dead" by Dana Stabenow, a pre-release book that I won in a GR give-away.

First one I've read from D. Stabenow, and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, although I did get a little lost in learning all the characters and trying to keep them straight. Since this is the 17th in the series (and due for 2011 release), I have some catching up to do!

Thanks GR for turning me on to another author!

T wrote: "I finished "Though Not Dead" by Dana Stabenow, a pre-release book that I won in a GR give-away.

First one I've read from D. Stabenow, and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, although I did get ..."

I like Stabenow. She would have been a good choice for the author discussion too. Rats, too late.