The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Good luck, Judith!

Just finished The Genius and really liked it! Art and mystery combined. Not sure what to read next... The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie or The Savage Garden

I loved the first, and am just starting the second, and I think it's going to be a good one. So either way, you're a winner!

Steve wrote: "Recently read Carte Blanche, an Italian crime novel set in the last days of Mussolini. Loved it. I just finished City of Dragons and am into [book:A Trace of Smoke|5654..."

Hi Steve, I read Carte Blanche a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It reminded me, in a general way, of the Foyle's War TV series with Commissario De Luca and Inspector Foyle dealing with local crimes amid the atmosphere and influence of wartime politics.

I've been looking for the 2nd and 3rd in the series at my local library but I may just have to breakdown and buy them.

Patricia wrote: "Just finished The Genius and really liked it! Art and mystery combined. Not sure what to read next... The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie or [book:The Savage Garden..."

Hi Patricia, The Genius sound very interesting - art and mystery what could be better.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was last month's group read so be sure to check out the discussion sometime. It is a terrific book and I highly recommend it.

The Savage Garden is part of this Summer's Theme read and it sounds terrific too.

Steve wrote: "Recently read Carte Blanche, an Italian crime novel set in the last days of Mussolini. Loved it. I just finished City of Dragons and am into [book:A Trace of Smoke|5654..."

These all look interesting. Thanks for brining them up, Steve.

I just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest It was every bit as good if not better than the first two books in Steig Larsson's Millennium Series. My face-to-face book club is reading a non-mystery book, Saving Ceecee Honeycutt, so I suppose that will be my next read even though I am totally uninterested.

Hi Hayes. I hope you like Carte Blanche as much as I did.

Donna, thanks for reminding me about Foyle's War. I've always meant to watch that.

Jan, you're welcome!

Ginger wrote: "I just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest It was every bit as good if not better than the first two books in Steig Larsson's Millennium Series. My face-to-face book club ..."

Ginger, I read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt a couple of weeks ago. It's not my favorite kind of book but it wasn't bad; it's an interesting character study and gives a humorous picture of some southern ladies. It's a good book for a book club I think; lots to talk about.

Barbara wrote: "Ginger wrote: "it wasn't bad; it's an interesting character study and gives a humorous picture of some southern ladies. It's a good book for a book club I think; lots to talk about."

Our little book club formed less than a year ago, and though some books I never would have chosen, each has been interesting with lots to talk about. It's good to know this one falls into that category too.

I'm about halfway through Kim, the grandfather of all spy stories. Wonderful characterizations of all the different races and colors and creeds in India at that time. And the description of "The Great Game", the Russian-English cold war which ultimately brought us the troubles in Afghanistan. Fascinating.

Hayes wrote: "I'm about halfway through Kim, the grandfather of all spy stories. Wonderful characterizations of all the different races and colors and creeds in India at that time. ..."

Kim was in my grandfather's library and since he died my first year of high school, I couldn't have been older than 14 when I read it, but it inspired me to read more of Rudyard Kipling - The Jungle Books, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and other of his stories and poetry. Who can forget, "You're a good man, Gunga Din".

Well, rats! I just saw that The final book in Stieg Larsson's trilogy is the group read starting next week. I guess I'd better hurry up and read the entire trilogy if I want to participate.

Looks like I'll wrap up Mary Stanton's Angel's Advocate soon. This one isn't nearly as entertaining as Defending Angels was. So I'm looking forward to conquering The Girl Who... trilogy.

I recently finished The Undertaker's Widow by Phillip Margolin. I was enjoying it pretty much until it got close to the end where the resolution seemed over-contrived and hard to believe. I was a little disappointed because Margolin's books are usually better. 3 stars for me.

Finished Kim and really loved it. Now I'm ready to re-read The Game. Will get to that in a few weeks.

Am finishing up The Savage Garden.

Next up are Gulliver's Travels and Camilleri's The Shape of Water, the first of the Montalbano stories.

Found a rather intriguing 4 book series where this is the first. Am halfway through and thoroughly enjoying it.

I saw you were reading this, Bettie. Looks good!

I jsut finished Shame the Devil, and am now starting The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Bettie wrote: "Found a rather intriguing 4 book series where this is the first. Am halfway through and thoroughly enjoying it."

Hi Bettie, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying this one. I picked up the second, not knowing it was a series, recently at a used book sale.

Hello Donna - I'm going to dive into you also have right after this .

Have you read any in this series?

Hi Bettie, I haven't read any in the Inspector Ghote series but I have just added it to my TBR list. I looks very interesting and I would be interested in comparing it to the new series by Tarquin Hall. I recently read and really enjoyed The Case of the Missing Servant: a Vish Puri mystery.

Finishing Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Character, John Corey, is delightfully sarcastic, and had me laughing out loud at some of his quips. I think I'll read more of his series.

Currently enjoying THRILLERS: 100 MUST READS, in which authors (and a few reviewers) write about a thriller that inspired them. It uses a very broad definition of "thriller," but it's great fun.

I listened to the audio book of "The Girl With the Dragon Tatooand finished it 6/13/10.

I know this is a very popular book but I couldn't get into it. It was confusing to me because I couldn't keep the characters straight. I may try to read it from a book at a later date.

I'm starting So Cold the River by Michael Koryta. This one seems to have a touch of the supernatural.

Reading Dressed for Death by Donna Leon. Not as good as the two which preceded it.

Kelekolio wrote: "Finishing Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Character, John Corey, is delightfully sarcastic, and had me laughing out loud at some of his quips. I think I'll read more of hi..."

If you haven't read "The Lions Game" then you'll enjoy John Corey's sarcastic cynical sense of humor with a super duper scary terrorists thriller. It's quite a wonderful mix. I and my daughter are big John Corey fans. "The Lion", the sequel just came out June 8, 2010. I haven't read it yet but I am looking forward to it.

I just finished listening to the audio of Legally Dead: A Novel by Edna Buchanan. In his book, Mike - an FBI agent - gets disgusted with the witness protection program that shields criminals. So he gets himself fired and starts his own program, to fake the death of "deserving people" and set up new lives for them. The premise is interesting but it's hard to believe that eveyone Mike knows comes up with a worthy candidate. I don't anyone who'd fake their death and cut off relations with everyone they know.
There's some shooting and excitement but it's only 3 stars for me.

I'm listening to the audio of Denial: A Lew Fonesca Mystery by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Kaminsky is a prolific author and screenwriter and I've only read a few of his books so far. Not been diappointed yet though.

I liked the Savage Garden. A good, solid read.

I'm really enjoying Gulliver's Travels, and of course the Montalbano book, The Shape of Water. I've already seen the TV movie so I know the story, but the atmosphere in Sicily is so well portrayed.

I'm finishing up Fortune Like the Moon by Alys Clare. I bought the 2nd and 3rd books of Stieg Larsson's trilogy so I can read that series soon.

Hayes has been praising the Inspector Montalbano series, so I'm starting The Snack Thief. Got to see what all the excitement is about!

I'm reading Nelson Demille's latest- The Lion. Its the sequel to the Lion's Game from the year 2000. So far- it is just like all of his other books- great story, great characters and you cant wait to see what happens!

Lobstergirl wrote: "Reading Dressed for Death by Donna Leon. Not as good as the two which preceded it."

Kelekolio wrote: "Finishing Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Character, John Corey, is delightfully sarcastic, and had me laughing out loud at some of his quips. I think I'll read more of hi..."

I have read every one of his books- I agree w/ you that John Corey is a great character- he is introduced in Plum Island then The Lions Game and now The Lion- great! he is a riot to read about- I love whats going on in his head!

I'm currently reading Road Dogs, by Elmore Leonard.

I'm reading "Island Beneath the Sea" by Isabel Alleande.
I never thought I would be interested in the history of the forming of Haitai but this book like all of hers has the ability to encompass you in the story and you can't put it down. I am 2/3s of the way through the book and I'll probably finish it tomorrow. So far I love this book!

K.B. wrote: "Hayes has been praising the Inspector Montalbano series, so I'm starting The Snack Thief. Got to see what all the excitement is about!"

Brava! I hope the English translations do justice to the stories. In Italian they are so well written.

I don't read Italian, so I'll never know for sure, but some works feel translated and others don't. This one doesn't. I particularly like Montalbano's temper--I love a character that throws inkwells and kicks his desk in frustration.

I loved "The Lion's Game," so I'm very much looking forward to "The Lion."A Touch of Deceit

James wrote: "I'm currently reading Road Dogs, by Elmore Leonard."

How is that book, James? I love Elmore Leonard.

So far, so good. I'm about halfway through it and am enjoying it. Leonard is one of my favorite writers too. Hope to have a chance to finish it in the next day or two.

I'm having a hard time NOT reading The Snack Thief. In many ways, Montalbano is similar to Reginald Hill's Fat Andy Dalziel. I am going to have to introduce a friend of mine to this series. I think Camilleri's Montalbano will fit nicely between Dibdin's Zen and Hill's Dalziel, both of whom she adores.

(clickerty click)

Some of you may be interested in The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop, which is playing this week.

Has anyone read any of Justin Cronin's books? I'm particarly interested in "The Passage". I know that he's gotten rave reviews and awards on this and his two previous books "Mary and O'Neil" and "The Summer Guest". I'm curious as to what you guys think.

Judith, I haven't read any of his yet either, but I did order a sample of The Passage for my Kindle.

Judith wrote: "Has anyone read any of Justin Cronin's books? I'm particarly interested in "The Passage". I know that he's gotten rave reviews and awards on this and his two previous books "Mary and O'Neil" and ..."

I bought this the other day but haven't cracked it open yet. It's been getting good reviews though, so I thought I'd try it. I'll be interested to hear people's thoughts who have started it.

Hayes, I have to say that I really like Montalbano. I love his screw-the-rules mentality. I'm about 3/4 done with Snack Thief at this point, and if the back cover blurb hadn't already said that the crimes would become a conspiracy, I would have been blindsided.

Don't you hate it when the blurbs give stuff away? Grrr...

I just finished The Shape of Water which was great. The The Terra-Cotta Dog was really good too. (Plug the summer theme read!)

Am now reading some fluff, The Alchemyst, and finishing up Gulliver's Travels. Lots of fun!

I got The Shape of Water through a swap, and I'm still waiting on The Terra-Cotta Dog (also through a swap). Do you have The Snack Thief, Hayes? I could mail you mine if you don't mind reading the English version.