July 2020 ~ What are you reading?

Added R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton to my reading rotation.

Starting Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham, an author I am frequently crossing paths with.

Just finished You Are Not Alone: A Novel by the writing team Greer Hendricks/Sarah Pekkananen. I read an earlier novel by this team The Wife Between Us. It was ok, but I thought Alone is much better. Creepy. Short chapters from different points of view keep it moving and the suspence builds steadily.

On a hot August morning, Shay stops to put a ponytail in her hair and misses her subway train. While waiting for the next one, she watches while Amanda commits suicide by jumping in front of the next train.
When Shay goes to Amanda's memorial service, she meets two glamorous, sophisticated, and successful sisters. They befriend Shay and help her find a new apartment and new job and get a makeover. But Shay wonders why the sisters are being so nice to her. Good question!

About 1/2 way through The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffrey Deaver. Appears to be a stand alone. Like an action movie, it never slows to take a breath.

Still in the Golden Age of crime fiction with Surfeit of Suspects, by George Bellairs.

Currently immersed in the beautiful Dordogne of The Body in the Castle Well by Martin Walker

Added Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne to my reading rotation.

Finished A Long Way Off by Pascal Garnier. A strange little book (only 120 pages). I suppose it is a mystery/thriller because someone is murdered, but not like any I have read before. The body does not show up until p. 102. Marc is having an existential crisis and embarks on a road trip with his (somewhat disturbed) daughter. The trip gets increasingly strange and eventually comes to a truly bizarre ending. Not for everyone (not sure about me), but if you like deeply dark humor, give it a try.

Started The Paper Wasp: A novel by Lauren Acampora. Begins with one woman's obsession about another. Looks promising.

I have finished Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers (reread via audiobook) aand A Family Affair by Rex Stout.

Finished R is For Ricochet by Sue Grafton. Really liked this one.

>2 Roycrofter: I read that one. I like the Albert Campion books, though it took me a bit to get used to them enough to enjoy them. I found the dialog in a lot of the earlier ones, especially, difficult to parse.

>9 leslie.98: What did you think of Five Red Herrings? It was one of my least favorite of the Lord Peter books, which on the whole I love. I've only read them each once, though, so my opinions could change on a full, in order reread, which I should get around to one of these days.

I've just finished the first two books in Judith Flanders's Sam Clair series, A Murder of Magpies and A Bed of Scorpions. I'm planning to start book three, A Cast of Vultures, tomorrow. I've really enjoyed the first two. They're cozies about a book publisher who keeps getting caught up in murder cases, which is exactly what I want right now: good, interesting mysteries, lots of talk about books, a protagonist I both identify with and enjoy, and a light enough tone to be a nice break from the increasingly dystopic reality of life in 2020, even with all of the homicide.

This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
c. 1964
3 1/2 *

Lucy Waring, a young actress from London, decides to visit her wealthy sister living on the Greek island of Corfu just miles from the Albanian mainland. Her sister is married to a wealthy Italian who owns several homes and a castle compound on Corfu. The castle is rented out to a famous English actor who is recovering from a nervous condition. The actor's son is a musician. The other home is being rented by a photographer. The first night on Corfu, a local young man named Spiro, who works for the photographer, falls overboard the photographer's boat and is lost at sea. Lucy spends a lot of time on the beach in a secluded cove where she meets a friendly dolphin. But someone starts shooting at the dolphin and Lucy. Something odd is happening on Corfu, and Lucy ends up involved as an innocent bystander. Mary Stewart wrote is book in 1964, but it stands up quite well. She is more descriptive than I prefer, and the dialogue is a bit stilted by today's standards. But, the story moves a a fairly fast pace. All in all a quite satisfying read.

>11 Julie_in_the_Library: I know lots of Sayers fans who dislike Five Red Herrings but I like it - I think partly because of the Scottish setting and partly due to the suspects being artists. But the details about the timing & the railroad schedules I can see being tedious for many!

>12 Raspberrymocha: I love Mary Stewart's books, especially those set in Greece. Maybe it is time for another reread!

I finished

Iron Lake, in the Cork O'Connor series, by William Krueger.
and
On target by Mark Greaney. (Gray man) series.

>13 leslie.98: actually, it was the phonetic accents that bothered me most. I couldn't parse a lot of the dialog. The time tables and stuff weren't that bad, but being unable to figure out what characters were saying really killed the book for me.

>14 nrmay: . I really liked the Cork O'Conner series and have read them all. If you liked Iron Lake, you have some good reading ahead of you.

>15 Julie_in_the_Library: Ah yes - that is one big advantage to an audiobook! I hate reading dialect but don't mind hearing it.

Hoping to get to Murder in the Mill-Race, by E. C. R. Lorac, this weekend.

>13 leslie.98: Her descriptions of the Corfu coast and olive trees make me want to visit Corfu.

The Oracle by Clive Cussler
c. 2019
3 1/2 *

Sam and Remi Fargo, wealthy treasure hunters and philanthropists, are in Nigeria checking on a girl's school which they sponsor. In Nigeria, the Boca Haram, a terrorist group, are known for kidnapping girls and destroying schools for girls. The Fargos also intend to visit an archeological site in Tunisia where someone has been messing with the accounts for the dig. Plus, one of the archeologists is found dead and an important mosaic was stolen. While in Nigeria, the school is attacked. Remi and some of the girls escape their kidnappers. Sam goes looking for his wife and the missing girls. Lots of action and intrigue in this latest adventure. Although, there wasn't as much archeological intrigue, as in past books. It was a solid entry into the Fargo series, but not the best.

>18 rabbitprincess: Started and finished Murder in the Mill-Race today. A rattling good British Library Crime Classic.

I still have a few more in the virtual library pile, so next up will be Death in Captivity, by Michael Gilbert.

I've just finished the last of the three Sam Clair mysteries by Judith Flanders that I got from the library before the lockdown started back in March.

They're cozies about a book editor who keeps accidentally getting involved in, and then helping to solve, murder mysteries, and I enjoyed them very much. They're a solid 4 of 5 stars, not anything brilliant or awe-inspiring, but everything a cozy should be: fun, light but not to the point of parody, and all-around enjoyable to read.

The protagonist, Sam Clair, is incredibly relatable, witty, and a great narrator. A lot of people don't love first person narration, and I can be one of them, sometimes, but in these I not only don't mind it, I actually enjoy Sam's first person narration.

There are, at least in the copies I read, some typos and other typographical/editorial issues, which is annoying even without the added irony of these being books both about, and by, an actual book editor, but the stories are so enjoyable that they didn't bother me as much as they otherwise might have, and I'd still recommend them to anyone looking for a fun series of cozies to enjoy.

Next up is a break from crime, and from fiction, as I start When Books Went to War.

>22 Julie_in_the_Library: Typos in a book about and by an editor seems like an extension of "Muphry's law": If you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written.

Still liking this series, after all these years: A Better Man by Louise Penny

Finished Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne. Liked it.

Mobbed by Carol Higgins Clark
c. 2011
3 1/2 *

Cleo Paradise, a young gifted actress spent a few weeks at Edna Frawley's Jersey Shore home, trying to relax. But, it appears that she is being stalked, so she abruptly leaves Edna's home to find a more remote place to unwind. Edna has decided to sell her home and downsize, so she is having a garage sale ehich includes items which Cleo left behind. Edna's daughter is having a fit that her childhood home is being sold. She calls Nora Reilly to please check on the sale. As luck would have it Nora's PI daughter, Reagan was free to go along with Nora to the Shore. Reagan had been hired by Cleo's family to find the missing Cleo. numerous crazy quirky characters fill the pages of this fun quick read.

Now reading Death in Captivity, by Michael Gilbert.

Added Q Is for Quarry by Sue Grafton to my reading rotation.

Currently reading Blue moon by Lee Child, #24 in the Jack Reacher series. Can't believe I've read them all!

Just to let you know we just published a new anthology with Jeffery Deaver and 12 other top authors called "Nothing Good Happens After Midnight", since you love Deaver!

Just finished The Paper Wasp (touchstone does not seem to be working) by Lauren Acampora. NYT called it "an arty psychological thriller." Did not find it so much of a thriller, at least not a conventional one, but an excellent read. A well-written story of pathological co-dependence.

Starting The Secret House of Death by Ruth Rendell. Another find from the discard table at the local library.

Finishing up Dread Journey by Dorothy Hughes. It's so good. If she was a man she'd be famous.

I have been remiss in updating my mysteries here...

I have reread Asimov's The Caves of Steel (4*) and The Naked Sun (3.5*) which combined sci fi with murder mystery. I really like the first and the second was good but not as good as the first.

I also delved into my already owned books to read The Patriarch by Martin Walker (also known as "The Dying Season") (4*) and Deadly Tasting by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noël Balen (4*), continuing in my way through these series. Plus I have read Just Add Salt by Jinx Schwartz (1.5*), Relative Fortunes by Marlowe Benn (3*) and Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh (3*).

From the library, I have read The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri (4*) -- perhaps not the best Montalbano but still a lot of fun to read. And on a whim, I checked out the first Hamish McBeth book, Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton (2*) - I liked the characters but wanted more from Hamish's perspective rather than that of one of the suspects.

Currently in crime: Miraculous Mysteries, a collection of locked-room mysteries and impossible crimes edited by Martin Edwards.

The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry
c. 2014
4 *

President Lincoln had hidden a secret in Utah with the Mormons at the time of the Civil War. It's a secret that could cause a collapse of the United States. The secret had been passed down from president to president since the writing of The Constitution. Meanwhile the Stephanie, director of the Magellan Billet, is missing an agent. She calls Cotton Malone out of retirement to retrieve a man who knows the whereabouts of the missing agent. Cotton is thrown back into his old profession as a top American spy. His search takes him from his bookstore in Denmark to a book auction in Salsburg, Austria, to Iowa and on to Salt Lake City, Utah.

I found much of this very interesting, considering the political climate of anarchy in the US. Secrets within secrets that could crumble our government, all dating back to the Founding Fathers. The premise was intriguing. It's been a while since I've read a Cotton Malone book, and this was a great fast read.

A Death Divided by Clare Francis

Finished Q is for Quary by Sue Grafton. Really enjoyed it. Adding The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley to my rotation.

Q is for Quarry?? I guess that is one that I missed (I stopped reading the Kinsey Milhone books around N and then started up again around T). I should really go back and finally read those books I missed...

I have had a good run lately and enjoyed:

All the Hidden Truths (DI Birch), by Claire Askew
The Woman in the Wardrobe, by Peter Shaffer
Darkness Falls, and Weaving Shadows, both by Margaret Murphy
A Murder of Magpies, by Judith Flanders (Thanks JBuyer124 for alerting me to this series!)

Currently in the Dordogne with Bruno via A Taste for Vengeance, by Martin Walker.

>40 mvo62: Glad I could help! Sharing books that I've enjoyed with other people is one of life's primary joys.

Beware False Profits, a very lighthearted cozy in the "Ministry is Murder" series.

Found a series new to me, but not overly impressed by the 1st one: Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis

Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates
c. 2020
3 *

Katie Lightfoote, baker and hedgewitch, is getting married at the end of the week. She is marrying Declan McCarthy, a Savannah, GA firefighter. So far the plans are going well. Her spellbook club will be her bridesmaids. She and her Aunt Lucy will be making the cupcake wedding cake at the Honeybee Bakery. Mimsey will be doing the flowers, and Bianca is in charge of the wine. Katie's carriage house is almost completely redone, and her yard will be perfect for the ceremony. Except, the judge, who was going to perform the wedding, was called away on a family emergency. While Katie and Declan are dealing with this inconvenience, Declan's family begins arriving in town. When Katie goes to meet Declan's Mom and 2 of his sister's, Rori and Eliza, an unwelcome albeit exceedingly handsome guest arrives at the rental house
door. It's Tucker, Rori's ex-husband. He hand's her a cheap teapot musicbox to try to make amends. But, they argue and he leaves. Later that day, Tucker is found dead at a rather seedy motel. Rori becomes a suspect. She begs Katie to help her find the real murderer. Being a carefree bride isn't on Katie's to do list.

This was a rather cute mystery. It was nowhere as magical or action packed as the previous novels in the series. It read more like a light romance with a touch of paranormal cozy mystery thrown in for good measure. I was a bit disappointed.

I'm listening to The Murder of Harriet Monckton narrated by several different people which is good because of the multiple POV device. It is getting a little long though. It's based on a real Victorian era murder, but I don't know how much detail was available to base a book this long on. Still it's entertaining, I just hope it picks up.

Now reading payment in blood by Elizabeth George, in the Inspector Lynley series.

Finished The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. Really liked this one.

Added Thin Air by Lisa Gray to my rotation.

The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry
c. 2014
3 * (more like 2 3/4 *)

I must say this is not my favorite Cotton Malone novel. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research before putting this story on paper. Research into Andrew Mellon, The 16th Amendment and ratification procedures, as well as research on George Mason was very evident, but all that background information slowed the book to a crawl in too many spots. The bad guy was a disinherited heir to the North Korean dictatorship and his illegitimate daughter. The story takes place in both the US featuring Magellan Billet boss, Stephanie, and it follows Cotton Malone plus 2 other agents from Venice to Croatia. Everyone is in search of documents involving a riddle with origins in 1913, a problem that could effectively put the Inited States out of business for good. Although the premise was interesting, the story just got too bogged down with history and detail.

August thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322949

>47 seitherin: I loved all the Flavia books and I'm really sad that Alan Bradley has retired the series. You have, I believe, 4 more to read so my advice would be to space them out.

>50 gypsysmom: I've already got them on my reader. I think I can stretch them out until the end of 2022 since I average one or two a year.

The ABC murders by Agatha Christie. Haven’t read a Christie for some time. Always a good read.