Just finished; next up
ConnieM
here reading?
Just finished: "The Brutal Telling," by Louise Penny. I have become
very fond of this series, which is set in Quebec, one of my favorite
places in the world and I like Armand Gamache as a character. The
lesser characters are well-drawn as well.
DNF "In Their Blood"- a thriller which fizzled for me in the first 30
pages. Simplistic writing despite blurbs from Michaael Connelly and
Jeffrey Deaver.
Now Reading: "Trigger City" by Sean Chercover I'm late getting to this
one, but I am really enjoying it.
Next Up: "The End of the Road" by Sue Henry. I haven't read this
series before. Any comments?
Happy festive season to all in our multiplicity of celebrations.
Jo Wolf
mystery narrated by a dog. A first book; second due out in January.
Chet is not a super-dog. He flunked his final exam as a police K-9....
as he says, a bit puzzled, "....something to do with a cat." His
perception of humans is flawed. He's sometimes a bit too quick to grab
onto a human. His attention span is short.... and his memory tends to
have some holes in it. He loves food, his owner, his owner's year 7 old
son.... and females of his species, the alure of one of which gets him
dog-napped. Quinn writes Chet's commentary much as I think a dog would
think, given the current information we have about the mind of a dog.
He's a mixed breed, but my brain says he thinks like a German Shepherd
Dog.
Bernie is a West Point graduate (not from the top quarter of the class
is my bet), ex-military, ex-cop, ex-husband, and down-at-heels private
investigator. He's persistant. He has code of honor. His perception
of humans is flawed. He's tough, and ready to use his fists. Bernie
takes his son camping in a tent in the backyard, complete with campfire,
hot dogs and roasted marshmallows, if there isn't time to camp
elsewhere. He has the respect of his former co-worker cops. Oh, and he
likes the female of his species, too, but doesn't let them distract him
from the job at hand. His dog is more important to him than a good
looking gal.
This unlikely pair takes on the job of finding a missing teenage girl,
an honor student never in trouble before. Her divorced parents aren't
much help. Mom is a bit dense. Dad is a busy real estate developer
whose lack of ethics and a poor business plan get him in to trouble....
and his daughter kidnapped.
Along the way, Chet escapes from his dog-nappers and is rescued from the
So Cal desert by a biker gang, but right back into a near-death
experience in a shelter....rescued again by a reporter who had recently
done a story on Bernie. Bernie gets roughed up, and looses his elderly,
but beloved, old Porsche when he is forced off a rough and narrow
mountain road.
The story keeps moving, the secondary characters are well fleshed out,
and the writing is good. Chet's narrative is unique..... and makes this
a fresh new approach to a mystery that doesn't quite fit any category
soundly.
Haven't decided what comes next....
Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia
K Barrett
kindling) Sean Chercover's 'Big City, Bad Blood'. I'm another one late
to this series. I think I had the first Phryne (Fisher?) 'Cocaine
Blues' on hold at the library, but obviously I forgot about it. Biggest
problem now is what to send for this year's Christmas book. I've left
it too late so it'll probably be gift cards.
K Barrett
Richard Ellis
jo-...@webtv.net (Jo Wolf) wrote:
> Just finished _Dog On It_, by Spencer Quinn. Such good fun with a
> mystery narrated by a dog. A first book; second due out in January.
Ok! I just ordered 'Dog On It'. It sounds very interesting and I'm
interested in reading a book from the POV of the dog. I find using the
POV of an animal or insect (etc) as an interesting challenge. My latest
has been from a cockroach. It requires some research and a lot of
imagination. I'm finding the greatest challenge to be variety but I
think it might be my problem and not Cockroach's.
Just finished 'Runner', the latest Jane Whitefield book by Thomas Perry.
I was not disappointed and very happy to see the series continued. The
books starts with a BANG and maintains an on-edge nervous, detailed
account of Jane's frustrating and sometimes rewarding attempt at keeping
a pregnant girl and her persistent, wealthy rapist apart. A good read
and a hint that there might be yet another of the series following.
Reading 'Uneasy Relations', by Aaron Elkins. I have enjoyed the read
because my spouse was an anthropology major and we enjoy reading about
what 'new' (ha ha) in the field. Slightly 'cozy' but I think Gideon, the
main character, keeps me interested.
Next up will be 'The Risk of Infidelity Index' by Christopher G. Moore.
We read 'Spirit House' and when I attempted to find the second book in
the Vincent Calvino series I was horrified to find the least expensive
of that title was $50! I see now that it's coming out again for a bit
less. All the books, except 'The Risk...' were very expensive so we are
in a holding pattern for the time being. I enjoy reading a series in
the proper order -- simply to keep events 'in line' with our heros'
(Calvino in this case) development. I haven't found many series where it
doesn't matter which order they are read -- so I'm slightly disappointed
tot have to jump around with this series.
RAM is keeping my TBR shelf overflowing! Thanks to y'all for the great
recommendations.
de
--
Everybody is right.
-Rochefoucault
Joyleen E. Seymour
I just finished "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham. Highly recommended
reading for anyone. Started "T is for Trespass" by Sue Grafton. Almost
halfway through. It's less than thrilling, but readable. Next up "The
Monkey's Raincoat" by Robert Crais. I picked this one up at our Sisters
In Crime book swap at our holiday party yesterday.
Fran Read
pages as fast as I could go, even in the middle of end-of-year school chaos.
It's the first of the Jason Wade series. Jason gets involved with the
disappearance of a young woman. He endangers both his life and his job and
he's a very likable and believable character.
I also read "Medicus and the disappearing Dancing Girls" by Ruth Downie .
The main character, Ruso, is a down-on-his-luck army surgeon in Roman times.
It was hilarious, but for me, best read in conjunction with other things. I
appreciate the humour but the mystery part was slow to get going and I need
a bit of tension in books to shackle my scatty interest span.
"Bone Dry " by Bette Golden Lamb and J J Lamb was a good one! I met these
two at LCC, so treated myself to this book. It was a bit close to home with
the topic of leukaemia patients (like my Mum) and missing bone marrow
samples but certainly a page-turner. It's something that could really
happen. I didn't like the characters of the bad guys though. One was
pathetic and the other was over-the-top awful.
At the moment I have "Hold Tight " by Harlan Coben. I've only just started
but my cousin raved over this book so I'm looking forward to finding some
time to enjoy it.
Fran (4 more hectic work days till Recovery Time!)
A R Pickett
Flowers series. Very few writers do better at a police procedural, and
Flowers is a very appealing protagonist. Seems like a real person, with
flaws and strengths, like most of the rest of mankind.
NR - NINE DRAGONS by Michael Connelly I think I recall a mixed reaction
here on RAM. I probably share the feeling that this isn't one of Connelly's
most memorable books
I've got THE FINANCIAL LIVES OF THE POETS by Jess Walter very near the top
of Mount TBR. He won the Edgar a few years back, and has a lock on my
"don't miss" list of authors.
One of my library discussion groups chose CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E B White for
our December meeting. I'm kind of ashamed to admit I've never read it. I
had the author himself on audio, and that was real treat.
--
A R Pickett aka Woodstock
"It's bad luck to be superstitious"
Paul Phillips, Colorado Rockies catcher
Read my book reviews at:
http://www.booksnbytes.com/reviews/_idx_ws_all_byauth.html
Now blogging!
http://www.journalscape.com/woodstock/
Remove lower case "e" to respond
K Barrett
>
> I also read "Medicus and the disappearing Dancing Girls" by Ruth Downie .
> The main character, Ruso, is a down-on-his-luck army surgeon in Roman times.
> It was hilarious, but for me, best read in conjunction with other things. I
> appreciate the humour but the mystery part was slow to get going and I need
> a bit of tension in books to shackle my scatty interest span.
>
There must be UK titles and US titles to Downie's works. I came across
Medicus and the (somethingorother) Physician and now you mention Medicus
and the Dancing Girls. I think these are the UK name for Terra
Incognita and Dancing Girls is Persona Non Grata. I finished 'Persona
Non Grata' and liked it well enough. I think thepoint was to introduce
you to his family in Gaul, so yes, the mystery sort of got lost in the
shuffle. Humorous nevertheless.
K Barrett
Lauradog
I've just finished The "Black Minute", second in the St. Paul homicide
detective Santana series, by Christopher Valen. The body of a young
Hmong woman is found on an island near the Mississippi and Santana has a
lot of work to do in order to discover what led to her death. The book
takes on a thriller aspect near the end. Kept me reading and I'll look
for his next one.
Just started "Death in the Truffle Wood", by Pierre Magnan. (I think I
got this recommendation from 4MA, but it could have been Murder and
Mayhem.) Several hippie type young people disappear in a small village
in Provence and Commissaire Lavioloette comes to investigate.
I love the Louise Penny series too, and haven't read "The Brutal
Telling" yet. It is on my wish list if the library doesn't order it soon.
Sue D.
ggg
Just finished: The Tin Roof Blowdown, and Swan Peak of James Lee
Burke, and The City of Bones of Mike Connelly. These are two of my
favorite authors. Burke always manages to get music into his books.
Although he weaves threads of the Country and Western styles and
performers into his stories, he has a love for the stories told in
these songs and is very sensitive to the needs of the talents that
perform. This probably tertiary to the action in his texts, but he
derives a way to give the reader a background sound-very Hollywoodish-
to his stories. The Tin-roof Blowdown is the story of New Orleans
during and after Katrina vividly told through the Homicide detective
eyes of Dave Robecheaux and his sidekick Clete Purcel. In Swan Peak he
moves his heroes to a totally different locale: Montana, going from
the humid, mosquito infested, below sealevel, flat country bayoux of
Louisiana to the clean air mountains and valleys of the Bitterroots
just north of Missoula, Montana. Normally, there is an economy of
words, but in the case of Burke, he overdescribes. I get the picture,
Jimmy Lee. Having to read large print books more and more nowadays I
don't mind if I have to carry around 400 even 450 pages, but 625? Too
much!
Mike Connelly, too, makes music a vehicle in his book. Only his is the
wailing saxes and sweet cornets of village New York City jazz coming
out of CD's in Los Angeles, accompanying the deep-seeded love making
of our hero Heironymous Bosch. Masters write page turners. You are
involved with the characters immediately. With Connelly I don't get
the sense that he is writing to extend his page content. City of Bones
gets you right into the story with a man walking his dog, giving him
free run up into a forest hillside, only to have him return with a
bone in his mouth from up there. Enter our hero and the book takes off
from there.
Arctic Event, James H Cobb writing a Robert Ludlum series. Cobb loves
flying things, boats and fire fights. Setting the story on remote
Wednesday Island in near polar Canada he gets to use Coast Guard
Cutters, helicopter-Cessna dogfights, helicopter-helicopter dogfights,
Russians, rogue Balkans, and American Superheroes. thae outcome is
predictable.
barry
BarbNJ
"Lauradog" <laur...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7oo8sdF...@mid.individual.net...
May I ask, what is 4MA? Thanks.
Barb H
Lauradog
>
> "Lauradog" <laur...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7oo8sdF...@mid.individual.net...
>
>>
>> I've just finished The "Black Minute", second in the St. Paul homicide
>> detective Santana series, by Christopher Valen. The body of a young
>> Hmong woman is found on an island near the Mississippi and Santana has
>> a lot of work to do in order to discover what led to her death. The
>> book takes on a thriller aspect near the end. Kept me reading and
>> I'll look for his next one.
>>
>> Just started "Death in the Truffle Wood", by Pierre Magnan. (I think
>> I got this recommendation from 4MA, but it could have been Murder and
>> Mayhem.) Several hippie type young people disappear in a small
>> village in Provence and Commissaire Lavioloette comes to investigate.
>>
>> I love the Louise Penny series too, and haven't read "The Brutal
>> Telling" yet. It is on my wish list if the library doesn't order it
>> soon.
>>
>> Sue D.
>
> May I ask, what is 4MA? Thanks.
> Barb H
It's a Yahoo group, 4_Mystery_Addicts. You can join and read it online
or have it sent to your mailbox in individual posts or in digest form.
Sue D.
Lauradog
Oops, forgot the link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4_Mystery_Addicts/
Sue D.
BarbNJ
I located it. TY much.
Barb
ell...@webtv.net
"Howliday Inn," by Jamses Maehall, which was mysteriously dropped on
his desk, in somewhat muddy, dog eared manuscript form purportedly from
"Harold."
I also highly recommend the companion books by the same author/s: "
Bunnicula, th Vampire Rabbit," and "The Celery Stalks at Midnight."
Ellen
ia...@notcox.net
Recently finished Susanna Moore's The Big Girls & Michale Robotham's
Shatter.
The Susanna Moore book was set in a Upstate NY Womens' Prison, and
varied views between a prisoner, a psychiatrist, a prison officer, and a
Hollywood starlet. It was not heavy going at all (which I had expected),
but was instead very engaging, interesting, witty, and kept me reading
quickly all the way through. I'm a little mixed on the ending, but Moore
is always well worth reading.
In 'Shatter', Robotham brings back his psychologist, and provides an
exciting serial killer tale, though some of the elements were a bit
predictable, and I found myself wanting to warn the characters about
what always happens in these serial killer books.
Currently reading The Dark Clue, by James Wilson. Its set in late
eigthteenth century London, as our protagonist tries to write a bio of
the painter Turner. Its fairly engaging so far (157 pages in), but I'm
hoping something will kick in to make it more compelling.
Don't know whats up next, but I am currently really heavy in TBR books,
which is a nice place to be.
Cheers,
Ian
Rik Shepherd
> Currently reading The Dark Clue, by James Wilson. Its set in late
> eigthteenth century London, as our protagonist tries to write a bio of the
> painter Turner. Its fairly engaging so far (157 pages in), but I'm hoping
> something will kick in to make it more compelling.
My penetrating analysis of this, back in 2003 was -
The Dark Clue - James Wilson [B-]
Characters from 'The Woman in White' investigate the life of Turner, the
artist, and find he had a dark side. I still don't understand why the
author couldn't think up his own character names. Nicely Victorian mix of
extracts from private journal, letters &c.
which I suppose means I liked. I think now I'd mark it lower for taking
someone else's characters and making behave differently.
I'm currently partway through Knight of Swords by Ian Breckon; an Englishman
in Italy becomes involved in intrigue involving an isolated aristocratic
household, as fictional Englishmen have been wont to for centuries. This
one's set in the winter of 1944, and the Englishman is on the run from
Italian fascists, the German army and Communist partisans, so he's got a
reason to hide.
Before that it was Christopher's Ghosts, by Charles McCarry. As befits the
subject - a revenge thriller set in pre-war and post-war Berlin - I have no
idea how the book got into our house. It just appeared without trace. I'm
still not convinced that Paul Christopher - two first names, the second
pretending to be a surname - is a good name a protagonist. What happens if
Christopher meets someone called Christopher?
ia...@notcox.net
I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. Paul Christopher is a
long-running
character of McCarry's, having appeared in several of his novels.
I didn't much like The Woman In White, and I'm getting bored with this
too. I'm more than half way through, and feeling less and less engaged.
One more day, and we'll see. 12 - 18 inches are predicted for the DC
region. Thanks goodness I have other books to read!
Ian
ell...@webtv.net
celebrations.
FESTIVUS! How could we have forgotten Fesrivus? Feats of strengh!
Airing of Grievances!
Ellen
Jennifer Santo
On 12/16/09 12:06 PM, in article
17095-4B2...@storefull-3113.bay.webtv.net, "ell...@webtv.net"
<ell...@webtv.net> wrote:
Bunnicula! I loved those books!
--
Jenni :-)
Mark Alan Miller
"ConnieM" <cas...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e570fbac-a206-41d3...@19g2000vbq.googlegroups.com...
> Next Up: "The End of the Road" by Sue Henry. I haven't read this
> series before. Any comments?
I've yet to read that one, but suspect it's much like the others: cozy with
a side of menace. Unlike many writers of cozies, Henry is willing to have
some pretty nasty things happen and Maxie and Stretch are often threatened.
Maxie is an older woman who travels in a motorhome with Stretch, her
dachshund. Each book set in some picturesque locale and the local culture
and history always figure in the story somehow (too neatly, always). I do
enjoy the settings and Maxie, but the prose is at best workmanlike and the
stories have too many coincidences.
On the whole, I prefer her other series, about Alaska dogsledder Jessie
Arnold. The Maxie and Stretch series spun off the Arnold series, so if you
like Maxie be sure to read Dead North, where she first appears. The Jessie
Arnold books are less cozy and more like very old-fashioned adventure books,
complete with obvious, mustache-twirling villains and brave, resourceful
heroes (and heroines).
Mark Alan Miller
ggg
> "ConnieM" <cas1...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
I'm startled to find that the previous message on this thread was
December 19! Have you been sitting on this since then, Mark? I also
saw that I had begun catching up on Mike Connelly's writings along
with Max Collins and Thomas H. Cook. I'll be hooking up with Mike
Collins, Robert Crais and Jeff Deaver down the road. I still have two
or so Connellys, Collins editions of the late Mickey Spillanes final
books, and one more Cook to go. Sounds like take out food. I don't
know what all the fuss is about the flagging of Mike Connelly's
output. I just finished the Closers. I liked The Narrows better.
Right now, I'm reading his anthology edition, "Murder in Las Vegas."
Some excellent short stories by several real pros. I've read just a
few stories so far but one by SJ Rozan and another by Wendy Hornsby
stand out. Keep reading y'all.
BV