The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Curlyhair wrote: "Laura wrote: "Just started . It's my first Jack Reacher book (even though it's 11 in the series), but it was loaned to me by a friend. Only a couple of chapte..."

I tried reading Killing Floor and I just couldn't get into it.I finally quit on it.

Jan C wrote: "Curlyhair wrote: "Laura wrote: "Just started . It's my first Jack Reacher book (even though it's 11 in the series), but it was loaned to me by a friend. Only ..."

Jan, I know what you mean. It took me until about 70/80 pages to really get into it and decide to stick with it, but I'm sooo pleased I did.

Curlyhair wrote: "Jan C wrote: "Curlyhair wrote: "Laura wrote: "Just started . It's my first Jack Reacher book (even though it's 11 in the series), but it was loaned to me by a..."

I gave up at 16%, not sure how many pages that would have been. But I wasn't interested in a prison story.

I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably stupid things, it was contrived and I just didn't get it, which is a shame because I really wanted to like the series. Did anyone else find this?

Jan its not a prison story, he gets out pretty quick and it turns into a page turning thriller

Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably stupid things, it was contrive..."

I'm with you on this one. I actually read the first three and found her slightly annoying. Also a shame as I wanted to like the series...

Curlyhair wrote: "Jan its not a prison story, he gets out pretty quick and it turns into a page turning thriller"

See, one bad turn in a story can turn people off. I moved it to the archived section of my kindle. So I can always get it back should I get hard up for something to read or change my mind about it.

Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably stupid things, it was contrive..."

I've enjoyed some more than others, but I've read up to Q or so. I do like the series overall

Bill wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably stupid things, ..."

I've been bogged down on "P" for a while.

I read Crime Beat last week and it is a good short story. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.

Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series... I was so unimpressed. "

I rather like these. They are incredibly dated and not exactly "heavy" reads, but are good for those "in between" moments.

Dawn wrote: "I finished 'Shatter ' By Michael Robotham. It was recommended on a discussion on good reads. Had never heard of the author before, but i was hooked from the first page. Will definitely be reading m..."

Dawn, I love all of Robotham's books. It's been a long wait for me for his next book.

Jan C wrote: "Bill wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably st..."

It's not a series I read one after the other, I do need a break between books. It's taken me about 9 years to work my way through the ones I've read so far. :0)

I just finished Play Dead by Harlan Coben - it's his 1st book. Not as good as later works but still a good read.

Dawn wrote: "I finished 'Shatter ' By Michael Robotham. It was recommended on a discussion on good reads. Had never heard of the author before, but i was hooked from the first page. Will definitely be reading m..."

I've read Suspect and Lost : A Novel, the others in the series, and they are equally good.

Just finished THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton. What a great story. Steve is the kind of writer with whom you can just let yourself go, he's that good. As you may know it was just nominated for an Edgar. The Lock Artist: A Novel

Finished Suite Françaiseyesterday. The beginning was because of the many descriptions very slow and boring. It got better toward half it and up and down soso. In the end an okay story but it might have been okay as a short story.
I started The Other Boleyn Girland loving it! Can't wait to read it when I am not reading!

Jeane wrote: "Finished Suite Françaiseyesterday. The beginning was because of the many descriptions very slow and boring. It got better toward half it and up and down soso. In the end an okay story ..."

Ooh, that doesn't sound so great. I downloaded the kindle sample of SF and was debating about getting the whole book. Maybe I'll think about it some more.

Well, maaaaany people loved the book I think but it was very slow in the beginning. The rest of the book, after about hundred pages got much betterand it was kind of entertaining but I had huge hopes before reading it. Maybe too high..... maybe you could try the sample to see.

Jeane wrote: "Well, maaaaany people loved the book I think but it was very slow in the beginning. The rest of the book, after about hundred pages got much betterand it was kind of entertaining but I had huge hop..."

I did like the sample. I liked the movie Non Voyage (or everybody goes to Bordeaux) and it kind of reminds me of a non-fiction book I am reading, Villa Air-Bel: World War II, Escape, and a House in Marseilles by Rosemary Sullivan.

I thought I would try a non-fiction crime book, so I borrowed Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangsterfrom my cousin who loved it.......so did I. It is very well written and explodes many of the myths surrounding Capone, Eliot Ness and the Untouchables, et al. Very well researched.........I would recommend it to all who are interested in the goings-on in Chicago during Prohibition.

Jan C wrote: "Jeane wrote: "Well, maaaaany people loved the book I think but it was very slow in the beginning. The rest of the book, after about hundred pages got much betterand it was kind of entertaining but ..."

Are you going to read the whole book? It isn't that bad...but expected more.

Beth wrote: "I just read the first in the Sue Grafton alphabet series, .

I was so unimpressed. The Kinsey Millhone character did some inexplicably stupid things, it was contrive..."

I think my first and only Grafton was later in the series, but I thought it was pathetic. I've never read another one.

I finished Poisoned Chocolates Case yesterday, and I really liked it. I didn't figure out the murderer until right before the reveal. [SPOILER: I really thought Eustace was trying to knock off Mr. Bendix, and I got really excited when Eustace was being painted as the killer.] It's a book along the lines of the movie Twelve Angry Men. There's not much action, so you really get to enjoy the reasoning involved.

Jeane wrote: "Jan C wrote: "Jeane wrote: "Well, maaaaany people loved the book I think but it was very slow in the beginning. The rest of the book, after about hundred pages got much betterand it was kind of ent..."

Probably. I just went back and read the summary at Amazon and it sounds interesting. I'll just try to keep my expectations in check.

hehe

K.B. wrote: "I finished Poisoned Chocolates Case yesterday, and I really liked it. I didn't figure out the murderer until right before the reveal. "

K.B. have you seen the new spoiler tool? You can use it to put a spoiler right in the body of the message so you can (view spoiler)[ tell everyone who the murderer is (hide spoiler)] without ruining the surprise!

Here's the info: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

Hayes wrote: "K.B. wrote: "I finished Poisoned Chocolates Case yesterday, and I really liked it. I didn't figure out the murderer until right before the reveal. "

K.B. have you seen the new spoil..."

Clearly I have not seen it until now, Hayes. If I had, you wouldn't need to rap my knuckles (so to speak). :)

Not rapping, really K.B. Just suggesting!

I think it's too cool, actually, but I'm just a nerd at heart!

K.B. wrote: "Hayes wrote: "K.B. wrote: "I finished Poisoned Chocolates Case yesterday, and I really liked it. I didn't figure out the murderer until right before the reveal. "

K.B. have you se..."

Glad to hear you enjoyed The Poisoned Chocolate Case. I craftily avoided your spoiler as I'm only 100 pages into the mystery and enjoying quite nicely.

Bill, I liked it so well that if my bank account weren't virtually empty, I would have ordered another of Berkeley's books for my Kindle.

Just starting Gone by Mo Hayder. One of my favorite authors.

Diane wrote: "Just finished Val Mcdermid The Distant Echo which I enjoyed. I have read a couple of her books in the past and have started to read her again. I have moved to something..."

Val McDermid is an author I feel is highly underrated. Her books are on my "must buy" list, as soon as a new one is published I buy it.

I just finished The Sentry, and thought it was excellent. I am now reading Three Seconds, and am very interested to see how it turns out.

Debbie wrote: "I just finished The Sentry, and thought it was excellent. I am now reading Three Seconds, and am very interested to see how it turns out."

Debbie, had me going until the very end, which doesn't happen often enough. I loved it!

Hi Jill and Debbie,

I got Three Seconds from the Goodreads giveaway and I really did enjoy it. Mid way through I was sure about the ending but the question was the "how was it going to happen". A real page turner.

by John Lawton. Historical mystery/espionage set in Cold War Britain in the 1950s. Inspector Troy just doesn't fit in, but he's right in the middle of it. It's my kinda deal. I can't get enough of Lawton (just don't tell Charles McCarry) ; )

K.B. wrote: "Bill, I liked it so well that if my bank account weren't virtually empty, I would have ordered another of Berkeley's books for my Kindle."

Time to try out the library.. :0) Glad to hear you enjoyed it; I'm also finding it very interesting.

Ah, I did try the library before I ordered it for my Kindle. Nada.

I started the Sue Grafton series at G.......when I eventually went back & read A-F, I could see her writing style develop. I felt that A wasn't well-written, so if you'd like to try a later book, you might like it better. I have read them all, but I struggle now because my first instinct is to say "Why doesn't she call on her cell phone?" I wish she'd advance the story to a more contemporary time, or get Kinsey into embracing new technology.

K.B. wrote: "Ah, I did try the library before I ordered it for my Kindle. Nada."

That's a bummer, K.B. I should have bought some more when I was down at Victoria last weekend. I'm sure I saw some.

Have to agree with a lot of those Grafton comments-- I made it to G and I think it took me five years-- it used to be the series I turned to when I was desperate for a mystery-- before I discovered the joys of Goodreads reviews.

Just finished Tana French's The Likeness and although it wasn't as great as the first book, it made a very good second book in the series. Looking forward to the next one.

I finsihed Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett. If you're in the mood for a funny off-the-wall mystery filled with nutty mythological characters you should give Pratchett a try.

Currently doing the pinball thing between Blackwater Sound and Some Bitter Taste.

Heidi wrote: "Have to agree with a lot of those Grafton comments-- I made it to G and I think it took me five years-- it used to be the series I turned to when I was desperate for a mystery-- before I discovered..."

I agree with your comments about the Tara French books. I've also got the third one waiting and am really looking forward to it.

I am to start a book I received a year ago and now that I finally open it, I am afraid to turn the pages because it feels like I am entering a secret teritory belonging to a person I so much admire. The book is Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making - Includes Two Unpublished Poirot Stories.

I saw you were reading that Jeane and it looks really interesting. Let us know how it is.

Jeane wrote: "I am to start a book I received a year ago and now that I finally open it, I am afraid to turn the pages because it feels like I am entering a secret teritory belonging to a person I so much admire..."

i really fancy reading this

I just finished Dan Simmons' DROOD. It wasn't just a good read; it taught me a few things about good mystery writing and why agents want these things in mss. In short, it establishes the main characters, the main themes, the main settings, and the main questions--all in the first few pages. Then it uses the famous Staplehurst train wreck as a springboard for the rest of the book, firmly establishing everything by page 11. This despite the author's already best-selling status and the book's 771-page length. Doing all this isn't selling out; it's good writing. If interested, I wrote a much longer explanation on my blog.

am currently reading Goodbye Tsugumilove her writng