Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 870326 times)

Gumtree · « **Reply #2320 on:** May 11, 2011, 10:44:24 AM »

____

Pull up a comfortable chair and join us here to talk about mysteries and their authors.
We love hearing what YOU enjoy and recommend!

Links:
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Our Favorite Old Mystery Writers
Fantastic Fiction
Stop You're Killing Me

Discussion Leaders: BillH and JoanK

Roshanarose: Yep! - that's iced coffee!

pedln · « **Reply #2321 on:** May 11, 2011, 02:06:40 PM »

Rosemary, do you still get Horlick's for Malted Milks? When I was growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, home of the Horlicks, you could order a milk shake or a malted milk. Both had ice cream, as I recall, but the malteds had Horlicks powdered malt. And we loved the malted milk tablets -- they came in a little glass bottle and we ate them like candy. Did they move the whole outfit to the UK?

When I went away to college in Ohio, the milk shakes didn't have ice cream. You had to order a frappe.

Gum, I'm with you. Not an ice tea fan, but I do like hot tea, although I doubt I prepare it properly.

My f2f group discussed Sophie Hannah's The Wrong Mother last week. The consensus of the group was that there was just too much going on, too many conflicts, too convoluted. Apparently it is part of a series, though I think few of us will attempt any more of her titles.

Steph · « **Reply #2322 on:** May 12, 2011, 06:16:35 AM »

Thats ice coffee?? Hmm. Here that is a frappe.. or fribble ( in Friendlies) Amazing..

MaryPage · « **Reply #2323 on:** May 12, 2011, 07:13:01 AM »

Have always loved malted milk shakes and malt balls. Malt was very big when I was young, and it was actually considered good for you.

We used to have "Dusty" sundaes. That was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup with malt dusted (heavily, in my case) over the top. Um, yum, good!

ursamajor · « **Reply #2324 on:** May 12, 2011, 08:26:08 AM »

Wendy's chocolate milk shakes are something like the old malted milks. I don't think I've seen one of them since WW II.

Babi · « **Reply #2325 on:** May 12, 2011, 08:51:27 AM »

For you malt lovers who have an HEB chain, their Creamy Creations puts out
a chocolate swirl malt crunch ice cream. So-o-o-o good!

I'm just starting Josephine Tey's "The Franchise Affiar". This one I don't
recall reading before. My favorite of hers is still "Brat Farrar".

marjifay · « **Reply #2326 on:** May 12, 2011, 10:25:09 AM »

I loved Tey's Franchise Affair, Babi. And I have her Brat Farrar on my TBR list.

I was reading for another group Louise Penny's Still Life, the first of her Three Pines mysteries. Was really disappointed after others had liked it so well, but I dropped it after 99 pages because I found it so boring, and couldn't see hanging in there for another 200 pages. She introduces too many characters, many of which IMO were not interesting (hard to tell one from another) and should not have been included in the story.

Marj

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2327 on:** May 12, 2011, 11:24:34 AM »

Marjifay - I have also just finished Still Life. I did enjoy it, but I know exactly what you mean. In particular, I found some of the female characters hard to differentiate, although maybe they become clearer in her subsequent novels? I also found Clara distinctly weird. What I enjoyed was the portrayal of small town Quebecois life, the details of the houses, the food. etc. I did like Gamache, the detective, but I found some of his sidekicks poorly defined and confusing. I thought the gay couple who ran the bistro were well written, and also the deceased labrador dog, who with a droop of her tail spoke volumes about loss.

I am going to read the second novel as I do think some writers improve as they go along. Even my favourite Alexander McCall Smith did not, IMO, do too well with his first novel set in London rather than Edinburgh, but the sequel was much better, as if he had finally got into his tread.

Rosemary

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2328 on:** May 12, 2011, 12:41:44 PM »

You really must read the first one of Penney's, because some of the characters re-appear in subsequent novels. It was only slow-going to me because of the French words/phrases (sparse though they may be). Yes, Rosemary, Clara is distinctly weird!

marjifay · « **Reply #2329 on:** May 12, 2011, 01:58:58 PM »

Re Penny's Still Life: Glad I'm not the only one, Rosemary, who had some problems with this book. I think it needed a good editing. Couldn't see what that new police girl, Nichol, added to the story. And I thought the bringing in of (all? that was not clear) of the townspeople to the church was something a real policeman would not do -- asking the perhaps accidental killer to own up to doing it. If I were the killer, accidental or not, I'd not have shown up. And all that boring explanation of bows and arrows... Oh well, I guess enough people liked the book because she was published again. I'm not going to read any more, tho'.

Marj

JoanK · « **Reply #2330 on:** May 12, 2011, 03:05:04 PM »

"See, another mystery solved." Isn't it amazing what we learn on Seniornet.

I went off my low-fat diet with a bang after dinner yesterday: the toll: one cookie, three big chocolates, and a big piece of Tiremesu. The more treats I ate, the more I wanted. Ah, well -- back to the sensible diet today. Sufficient unto the day is the fat thereof.

Started "the Lincoln Lawyer" as a sample on my kindle, but I don't think I'll buy it. The contrast between my conception of a Lincoln lawyer (Abraham Lincoln, that is) and the sleazebucket in the book is too great (not that old Abe didn't pull a few tricks of his own).

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2331 on:** May 12, 2011, 04:08:43 PM »

Am reading my first Sigrid book of Margaret Maron's. I like it almost as much as the "judge" stories. We're off to the beach for 8 days and it looks like we choose the wrong week. This week is beautiful, next week it looks like we'll have a stalled rain over us w/ a poosibility of scattered showers most days. SO, i went to the library and got about 8 cozy mysteries - altho one is a Scottoline- is she considered a cozy? I don't know. Mystery books in the rain - sounds like a book title, doesn't it? In any case i will enjoy! ....... Jean

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2332 on:** May 12, 2011, 04:31:18 PM »

Have a lovely time Jean! Sometimes I think it's quite cosy to be tucked up indoors with a good book whilst the rain pours down outside. We have quite a bit of experience of this in the Lake District

.

It's been raining here in Edinburgh today, but this evening there is again a clear view over to the hills of Fife.

Rosemary

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2333 on:** May 12, 2011, 04:33:49 PM »

Scottoline: Not "cozy".

Lincoln Lawyer: translates into "he operates his lawfirm out of the back seat of his Lincoln automobile". In no way refers to Abe.

roshanarose · « **Reply #2334 on:** May 12, 2011, 11:02:06 PM »

JoanK - I fear that we may have led you off the path of righteousness, ie your diet, with all our talk of iced coffees, frappes and malted drinks.

marjifay · « **Reply #2335 on:** May 12, 2011, 11:27:42 PM »

I really liked Michael Connelly's Micky Haller (Lincoln lawyer) series. The last thing I'd call him would be a "sleezebucket." LOL. "Interesting" would be the adjective I'd use.

But my favorite Michael Connelly series is the one with Harry Bosch, my favorite fictional detective. The first in the series is BLACK ECHO, which won the Edgar award for best first novel.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #2336 on:** May 13, 2011, 06:12:16 AM »

The thing about Louise Penney is that she is setting the scene in the first novel. The characters will all be around for each book.. Sooo. it is a bit confusing, but as you read the series, the answers will be amazing.. Each person introduced has a distinct and different part to add..
I love Harry Bosch, but hated the Lincoln Lawyer.. Mick..

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2337 on:** May 13, 2011, 10:31:31 AM »

Just realised I meant to say the "deceased's dog" NOT "the deceased dog" who would, of course, have had a bit of a problem in doing anything with her tail.

Also I should have said "into his stride" rather than "into his tread" - I knew it was wrong when I typed it but I was not having a good day yesterday!

Rosemary

Gumtree · « **Reply #2338 on:** May 13, 2011, 10:38:33 AM »

Rosemary: ' into his tread' - and there I was thinking you were treating us to a piece of quaint Scottish vernacular.

ursamajor · « **Reply #2339 on:** May 13, 2011, 12:25:41 PM »

For you are just starting Louise Penny's books, the characters reappear in subsequent novels. The rather unpleasant Nichol will be seen again, unimproved. She is, in a way, one of Inspectator Gamache's projects. And yes, Clara is distinctly weird but lovable. I saw a play once in which a similar woman constantly repeated to herself: "I am lovable and capable". I sometimes do that myself.

Steph · « **Reply #2340 on:** May 14, 2011, 11:04:52 AM »

I like Clara, but Ruth.. hmm, no not really. It is an art to be that unpleasant, but a lot of her is explained in the books as we go.

JoanK · « **Reply #2341 on:** May 14, 2011, 02:42:07 PM »

ROSE: "JoanK - I fear that we may have led you off the path of righteousness, ie your diet, with all our talk of iced coffees, frappes and malted drinks."

I would love to be able to blame you all, but unfortunately when I look into the mirror I know who's to blame. Oh well, another day, another set of fat grams!

Culded up inside in the rain with a good mystery! Sounds great! I get the curling and the mysteries, but here in Southern California rarely the rain. Wouldn't have believed how much I miss it. I dream of rain sometimes. You probably think I'm crazy.

Is Edinburgh as much fun as in the Alexander McCall Smith books? he makes you want to pack your bags and go.

Read the latest Anne Perry Christmas mytery, this one featuring Henry Rathbone as the detective. OK, but not much to it. But at the library, I got the latest Albert mysdtery (Morning Gloria) and a tiny mystery by Laura Lippman (something about a green raincoat). Got nine books to read in 14 days -- do you think I'll make it?

ursamajor · « **Reply #2342 on:** May 15, 2011, 08:13:58 AM »

A rather rude young library page once asked me if I was going to read all the books I checked out. I replied that I would look at all of them and read the ones I chose. I was a little miffed with her. Loud mouthed little brat!

jeriron · « **Reply #2343 on:** May 15, 2011, 08:42:58 AM »

Someone here STEPH maybe ? mentioned Dianne Day's Fremont Jones books and I've read the first one and enjoyed it I was going to order the next one on Kindle and it isn't on Kindle so I'm wondering if it willl really be so bad if I skip it and go to the third one??

Steph · « **Reply #2344 on:** May 15, 2011, 09:29:23 AM »

Yes, I love Dianne Day and Fremont, you could probably skip around with her. The books are out of print, so I bought them used here and there, so I read them out of order..

marjifay · « **Reply #2345 on:** May 15, 2011, 11:11:26 AM »

Ursamajor said, "A rather rude young library page once asked me if I was going to read all the books I checked out. I replied that I would look at all of them and read the ones I chose. I was a little miffed with her. Loud mouthed little brat!"

How many books were you checking out at one time? LOL She was probably just curious.

I just looked, and I have 23 checked out with 9 on hold. I do the same as you do -- some I just look at to see whether I want to read. Had bad luck yesterday, started two that I could not finish as they were so boring.

I sometimes check out (usually nonfiction, many pagers) books to see whether I want to buy them.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #2346 on:** May 15, 2011, 11:18:42 AM »

Steph, the Fremont Jones series sound good. I put the first one -- The Strange Files of Fremont Jones -- on hold at the library. (They are on sale, new and used, at Amazon.)

Marj

jeriron · « **Reply #2347 on:** May 15, 2011, 11:49:38 AM »

Steph

Thanks for answering. I got the third one on Kindle.

Babi · « **Reply #2348 on:** May 15, 2011, 01:16:31 PM »

Wouldn't it be simpler to just sit down for a few minutes and scan a
book to see it you want to read it? Lugging all those books home seems like
a thankless chore, when you may not want to read them.
I am more likely to have trouble finding two or three books that I'm in the mood to
read. Some days, I can't find the books I was hoping for and nothing really seems to catch my interest. Then, I have to take some on 'spec'.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2349 on:** May 15, 2011, 03:40:33 PM »

I generally have 10 or 12 books checked out at a time, 3 or 4 of them taken out at one time - does that make sense? I may go to the library the first week of the monthand then again in a week or two and take out 3 or 4 each time. I read the blurps for each one, but would not sit to read them at the library to determine if i want to take it. It may take me 100 pages to figure out if i'm going to read to the end. ..... Jean

Steph · « **Reply #2350 on:** May 16, 2011, 06:07:47 AM »

My paperback swap club has so many titles, so I trade for most of my books. I also haunt used book stores, Amazon for both new and used and cannot resist sales at B and N..Sigh.. Also friends of the library book sale yielded all sorts of books and authors I did not know. Way too many books and no will power.

Babi · « **Reply #2351 on:** May 16, 2011, 08:40:55 AM »

I may well be missing some good ones with my method, JEAN, but I usually
read a paragraph here and there and if I don't care for the writing, I pass.
I can do that without even sitting down.

I've gotten good books from the swap club, STEPH, but I need to 'bulk up' my
bookshelf. The old ones still on there aren't moving, and I've used up my current
credits.

jeriron · « **Reply #2352 on:** May 16, 2011, 08:45:11 AM »

Well I finished the first Fremont Jones book and have just started the third one. I wish I could have gotten the second one on Kindle but I couldn't. I am so glad to be back to reading on the Kindle and no longer have to struggle with the paperbacks.

ursamajor · « **Reply #2353 on:** May 16, 2011, 08:51:34 AM »

I usually need to read at least a chapter to decide if I want to read the whole book. I also check out books for my husband, who reads quite different things, mostly biography and non-fiction. I think I had about 9 books the day I had the interaction with the page. My current library has a limit of 6, but all the people who work there know I will bring the books back so they don't give me a hard time. For a while I was also using the Knoxville Library, but gas has gotten so expensive I have almost stopped using it. I frequently buy books with the purpose of giving them to my local library. Funding for it has been cut so drastically that they are buying many fewer books. I try to give my purchases to them while they are still current.

marjifay · « **Reply #2354 on:** May 16, 2011, 12:46:22 PM »

I'm reading Dorothy Sayers' HAVE HIS CARCASE. I adore Lord Peter. In this book Harriet Vane, a successful mystery writer, while walking along a lonely beach, finds the body of a young man with his throat cut. I love it when Lord Peter ends many of his conversations with Harriet, almost as asides, saying "Oh, by the way, will you marry me?" And she answers "No! Of course not!" (They do get married, however, in a later book)

Marj

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2355 on:** May 16, 2011, 01:25:33 PM »

I love Dorothy L Sayers. For me, Lord Peter Wimsey will always be Ian Carmichael, who played him for so long on TV in my childhood.

Rosemary

JoanK · « **Reply #2356 on:** May 16, 2011, 08:41:03 PM »

I once went to a wedding where a bridesmaid, chosen to read a passage, read a passage from Sayers where Lord Peter describes his love for Harriet. Just finished a mystery that was supposed to be an imitation of Sayers (But wasn't anything like, except that one of the detectives was what used to be called a "man abouit town." "Spider on the Stairs" by Cassandra Chan. I'd give it a medium.

JERIRON: I had the same experience with the fremont Jones books. Strange that they skipped one. The third one is waiting for me after I finish my library books.

PatH · « **Reply #2357 on:** May 16, 2011, 09:28:06 PM »

Quote from: rosemarykaye on May 16, 2011, 01:25:33 PM

I love Dorothy L Sayers. For me, Lord Peter Wimsey will always be Ian Carmichael, who played him for so long on TV in my childhood.

Rosemary

Yes, Rosemary, Carmichael is great. I own the DVDs of The Nine Tailors, which is particularly good. IMHO Have His Carcase is not one of Sayers' best, but still has points of interest. Carmichael's Five Red Herrings is also very good. The plot is very funny, with a number of temperamental artists as suspects. Unfortunately, it also involves very elaborate timetables, and who could have been where when. When faced with this, my mind turns to a grey mush. Fortunately, the book is still good even if you don't keep the timing straight.

Steph · « **Reply #2358 on:** May 17, 2011, 06:13:26 AM »

I love Sir Peter. Have read all of her books including the few short stories..I like quite a few British authors.. Minette Walters is awesome to me..I liked Ann Purser, but she is getting in a rut and needs to branch out a bit.

jeriron · « **Reply #2359 on:** May 17, 2011, 09:59:49 AM »

JoanK

Re the Fremont Jones books: Being as I skipped the second book and although she explains things that happened in the second book (earthquake) the Michael Archer character has changed his personality from the first book so It's taking awhile to get used to.

News:

Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 870326 times)