Monthly Sub-Genre Challenge: What Type Are You? June 2018

Each month a randomly selected sub-genre of Mystery and Suspense will appear. We want you to discuss your favorite books and make recommendations. You may choose books to read in this sub-genre and post comments or reviews about the books read. Even a sentence or two will do!

The sub-genre for the month of June 2018 is...Conspiracy

As defined by Merriam-Webster, a Conspiracy is a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal.

A Conspiracy is a popular sub-genre of the Thriller and Suspense Mysteries. Many of the books and series that we have been reading over the years deal with conspiracies – examples from the Mystery and Suspense Group reading list include the Camel Club series by David Baldacci or the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry.

There are also fiction books that are based on real-life conspiracies such as The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (hidden messages in artworks), 11/22/63 by Stephen King (the Kennedy assassination) and The Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Potzsch (the mysterious death of Ludwig II in 1886). And, would any list be complete without these well known conspiracies – The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon and Wag the Dog by Larry Beinhart, both of which have been made into movies.

For me, the biggest challenge in compiling a list of links to help you with your selections was to stay focused and not get distracted reading about Area 51, the Russian Hackers or the Assassination of the Polish leadership by plane crash in 2010…But, I succeeded (though I did bookmark a few articles to read later!) and below you will find some links that may help you with your search:

1. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2407.Conspiracy_Fiction
   
2. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/17/top-10-conspiracy-theories-in-fict...
   
3. https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Conspiracy-Thrillers/zgbs/books/953607...
   
4. https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2016/07/12/books-based-conspiracy-theories
   
5. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/74255.The_Ultimate_List_of_Conspiracy_Theory...
   
6. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/45379.Books_About_The_Illuminati_And_Other_C...

Happy Reading ❤

Hmmm, this is some of what's on my tbr that's tagged "conspiracy". Maybe I'll cross-check with the lists to see if any of them are there, as well. Since tags aren't always the most helpful!

The Testament / John Grisham
Fatal Voyage / Kathy Reichs
The Empty Chair / Jeffrey Deaver
Suspect / Robert Crais
Pretend You Don't See Her / Mary Higgins Clark

I'm going to read Impact by Douglas Preston. I found this listed on the Goodreads Conspiracy_Fiction list. I've read several books by Preston and I was thinking that I wanted to read another of his just the other day. So, this works out for me!

G'ah! None of what I picked out from my tbr are on any of the lists! Sigh. I might just have to pick one and hope it actually fits!

>4 LibraryCin: some that I liked and you might enjoy — Absolute Power by David Baldacci, Camel Club by David Baldacci, Deception Point by Dan Brown or A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

>4 LibraryCin: Behold a Pale Horse by by Milton William Cooper fits the category and is very interesting also. You won't agree with all, or perhaps none, of the theories that he uses in his storyline...but it is interesting.

>5 bhabeck: >6 Carol420: Thank you both! I'm really trying to find something already on the tbr!

>5 bhabeck: I have read (and enjoyed!) "Deception Point" already!

>7 LibraryCin: you have Strangers on a Train on your tbr and that would work. You also have The Good Girl — that fits this category tho not as obvious and I can’t tell you how or it would spoil the story.

>8 bhabeck: I'm still waiting on "Strangers on a Train", as I requested it via ILL a month or two ago. It appears that my library has actually ordered the book, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. It looks I'm actually #2 on the hold list, so there must have been someone else who wanted it around the same time as me!? (I'm guessing that may be what prompted them to order it?)

"The Good Girl"? I think that may be the wrong touchstone!? LOL! Let me see what's on my tbr with that title and I will see if my library has it!

(ETA: This must be the one you meant! The Good Girl / Mary Kubica)

THANK YOU so much for taking a look at my (extensive! You can see why I really try not to stray from it!) tbr to see what you thought might fit!

Ok, so I've put a hold on "The Good Girl". There are 4 copies currently available (10 overall), but 6 holds, so there are 4 people ahead of me who will get the available ones. Then one other in front of me, but with 6 more to come back (can't tell when), hopefully 2 of those will come back within the next month!

Thank you >8 bhabeck:!!!!

>10 LibraryCin: you may have a few more on that list but I haven't read some of your other titles. I did read these two so I do know that they will work

Just finished The Hard Way by Lee Child which is tagged conspiracy. This is #10 in the Jack Reacher series.

The Good Girl / Mary Kubica
5 stars

When Mia is kidnapped, her hired kidnapper, Colin, doesn’t deliver her to the actual kidnapper; instead, he takes off with her!

The story is told “before” and “after” from a few different points of view: from Colin’s, from her mother Eve’s, and from the detective Gabe’s. The chapters tell you whose POV you are following and when, so I found it easy to follow. It was a bit slow-moving at times, but I was still fascinated with what was happening. In my opinion, I thought the author did a very good job of keeping me “on board” with what was going on (as I try to describe it without giving too much away!). The twist at the very end – impressive. If I was one to reread, I would definitely reread and look for potential clues! I did reread the epilogue.

>13 LibraryCin: I really enjoyed this one when I read it, too.

Impact by Douglas Preston
3.5 ★

Description
Wyman Ford is tapped for a secret expedition to Thailand ... to locate the source of strangely beautiful gemstones that do not appear to be of this world. Meanwhile, a young woman in Maine borrows her father's boat to search the outer islands for the meteorite that lit up the sky in her small town. Also, a scientist at the National Propulsion Facility discovers an inexplicable source of gamma rays in the outer Solar System. He is found decapitated, the data missing. Ford soon realizes the jewel mine he seeks is much more than it seems ... and it is strangely connected to the events happening on the other side of the world.

There was a lot of action and adventure in this story. It was entertaining for the most part. The source of the gamma rays and who wanted to hide the information was an interesting part of the plot. But the part with the young woman in Maine who kept risking her life and her friend’s more than once or twice got to be too much. Still, it kept my interest throughout and I liked the ending. When I went to add this to my books, I found that I had read this back in 2013. I thought some parts seemed vaguely familiar but mostly I had forgotten the story so it was still a good read!