Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 880893 times)

JoanK · « **Reply #1040 on:** July 10, 2010, 02:08:12 PM »

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Pull up a comfortable chair and join us here to talk about mysteries and their authors.
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Discussion Leaders: BillH and JoanK

Ahh, I love trains too. I'm sure I've seen cog trains on the PBS series on great train journeys.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1041 on:** July 10, 2010, 05:32:04 PM »

I don't know, Jean. I thought there was, but I can't locate any information. We do have the furnicular at Johnstown. Furniculars are different from cogs in that they used cables rather than rack and pinion.

serenesheila · « **Reply #1042 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:08:06 PM »

When I visited my son, and his family in Germany for 2 months, we rented a car, and took the chunnal from Calais, to London. We had to drive onto a train, which was then loaded onto the ferry. We had to remain in our car for the entire trip. It was frightening for me. I am claustrophobic, and the idea that I was contained in a train car, many feet below the channal, was a real challenge. I am glad to have had the experience, now that I am safely home! Doubt that I will ever do it, again.

Sheila

Steph · « **Reply #1043 on:** July 11, 2010, 06:08:35 AM »

If you are up for adventure, there is one in Chattanooga.. Whew.. It is vertical and the down is truly scary.. But I am glad I did it.
The one to get to Zermat is not quite that vertical and chugs along. There is also one in Mt. Washington, NH.. Again not particularly scary and fun

Babi · « **Reply #1044 on:** July 11, 2010, 08:33:58 AM »

I am amazed, SHEILA. Congratulations on that achievement. I've never been to New Hampshire, but if I do I'll try the Mt. Washington cog. Nothing like new experiences to make
living fun. Well, I suppose that depends on the experience, but you know what I mean. $:-\$

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1045 on:** July 11, 2010, 03:20:05 PM »

The new Elizabeth George, about Inspector Lynley, is a tough read. In his return to the Met pursuing a case we have a woman trying out for his boss' position, open these past eleven months. As with every character in George's magnum opus, she is flawed. Lynley is teaching her the ropes, she is intensely driven by ambition, stress enough to go around twice. Interspersed between segments on the progress of the search for a murder are segments from an official seeming report on three 10-12 yr-olds who pick up a two-yr-old at a shopping mall and take him away. We are all familiar with the real life case in which these events occur. Even so it makes tough reading. There are oblique references to the injuries done to the baby but the emphasis is on the characters of the boys, shown in vivid detail more by what their lives lacked than what their acts left for the autopsy. As has been the case with her other books, George picks me up and carries me along as I vicariously experience the
pain of every day life for the principles. Four point five stars.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1046 on:** July 11, 2010, 03:21:59 PM »

Whoops! it is called This Body of Death http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/elizabeth-george/

JoanK · « **Reply #1047 on:** July 11, 2010, 04:47:32 PM »

George is an excellant writer. Sometimes too good -- after I finish one of her books, I'm worn out with emotion.

At the opposite end of the scale, I just got the new Stephanie Plum book by Evanovitch. I expect to be worn out with laughing by the time I finish it.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1048 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:08:30 PM »

Lucky you Joan, i should get my call from the library any day now for Evanovich's 16.......such mixed feelings, can't wait for the next one, but know it will be over quickly..............maybe i should try to slow down my reading of Evanovich..........restrict myself to 20 pages a day?

Is that possible?................it's an ADDICTION! ..........LOL..........jean

Steph · « **Reply #1049 on:** July 12, 2010, 05:42:53 AM »

I love Elizabeth George, but must be in the perfect mood for her. Her characters are so different in so many ways. Not sure I could handle the two year old subtheme just now.

Babi · « **Reply #1050 on:** July 12, 2010, 08:56:47 AM »

Same here. Harm to a child is just too painful. Even in retrospect, the death of a child is
haunting. I just finished re-reading 'Murder on the Orient Express', where the tragedy of a child
murdered is the key to all that happens.

maryz · « **Reply #1051 on:** July 12, 2010, 11:13:50 AM »

Thanks for mentioning our Incline Railway in Chattanooga, Steph. John takes visitors on it - I rode up it once, but (along with others in our group) had to have somebody ride down and drive up in a car to get us.

Steph · « **Reply #1052 on:** July 13, 2010, 06:04:01 AM »

MaryZ,, I rode up and down on it, but oh me, going down was a really really hard one. Whew.. But the view on top is glorious.

Babi · « **Reply #1053 on:** July 14, 2010, 08:29:44 AM »

STEPH, you remind me of the first time we drove up a mountainside.
Going up I was on the outside, with a sheer drop just a couple of feet
from the car. Scary! And my husband thought it was funny edging us a bit closer. Coming down was fine; we were on the inside lane with the solid mountain a comforting bulk beside me.

FlaJean · « **Reply #1054 on:** July 14, 2010, 10:54:17 PM »

Just finished "Holly Blues" by Susan Wittig Albert. It's a China Bayles mystery--very good. I feel like I almost know those characters.

Steph · « **Reply #1055 on:** July 15, 2010, 05:37:55 AM »

Babi, I agree going down the mountain is always neat, but going up has always driven me nuts.. We did the California (101?) from San Francisco down to Los Angeles some years ago,, whew.. the view of the Pacific is so spectacular, but the drop off the cliffs and they were working on the road as well. Oh.. even my husband said, he wouldnt want to drive the road at night.

Babi · « **Reply #1056 on:** July 15, 2010, 08:14:06 AM »

I don't remember making that drive, though we did live two years in L.A. and two years just
above San Fran. I do remember an airplane flight from SF to LA; one of the roughest plane flights I've ever been on. Gripping my armrests tightly, I remarked to my neighbors on the
flight that, "You know, what's funny is you couldn't pay me to get on a roller coaster."

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1057 on:** July 15, 2010, 02:37:46 PM »

Jan Goldstein's The Bride Will Keep Her Name is a roller coaster ride detailing how the bride, seven days before the wedding, is taunted by anonymous emails and texts that her groom is not what heseems to be. Throw in buddies, Jewish Mother, NYC's wealthy sub-culture, art gallery and artists, reporter/groom on the way up, lots of suspense and fun/menace. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/jan-goldstein/

JoanK · « **Reply #1058 on:** July 15, 2010, 03:16:18 PM »

We have driven North from LA along the coast road many times. The views are indeed spectacular. The train rails are often closer to the edge than the road is.

The scaries mountain road I ever road was in the Sandia mountains in New Mexico. Somehow, we found ourselves on a dirt road going down the mountain after a rainfall. The road was completely mud, and Dick lost steering completely as we went into a skid. There was no guardrail: if we'd skidded toward the edge, I wouldn't be here. Luckily, the skid went the other way, into the side of the mountain.

Something looks after angels and fools (don't ask which I am).

Come to think of it, that was the second scariest. The worst was the Amalfi Drive in Italy. It would have been beautiful if I could have just opened my eyes.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1059 on:** July 15, 2010, 04:44:03 PM »

Did you like "Bride......" Jackie? His other two books All that Matters and Prince of Nantucket are completely different from "Bride....." but i enjoyed them.............jean

Babi · « **Reply #1060 on:** July 16, 2010, 08:23:57 AM »

The Jan Goldstein books do sound interesting. Unfortunately, my local library
doesn't have a one. I'll have to check out other nearby libraries. With all these suburban communities cheek by jowl, there are others reasonably close.

marjifay · « **Reply #1061 on:** July 16, 2010, 09:25:19 AM »

I agree, Steph, that Hiway One along California's coast is beautiful, but I wouldn't ever drive it at night. And one should never try it without a full gas tank, as there is quite a stretch north of San Francisco where none of the little towns have gas stations. We're going to drive it next week to get out of the heat here in the Los Angeles area where it's been 90 degrees and above. (I hate summer)

Marge

pedln · « **Reply #1062 on:** July 16, 2010, 10:50:22 AM »

Jackie, my library just informed that The Bride Will Keep . . . is ready for pickup. I'm looking forward to it.

When it comes to narrow mountain roads and/or railroads, I think I'd rather be on the train than to be driving.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1063 on:** July 16, 2010, 11:46:21 AM »

Mabel: I did enjoy Bride! It was exciting, compressing so much action into seven short days. Adding the natural stresses of all the family concerned, well, reminds me of "they put the fun into disfunctional."

JoanK · « **Reply #1064 on:** July 16, 2010, 03:28:50 PM »

Margifay: I'd forgotten, if I knew, that you're in the LA area. I thought I was the only Seniorlearner there. Luckily, I'm close enough to the ocean in Torrance to escape most of the hot weather.

Reading an Alexander McCall Smith Philosophy Club mystery ("The Lost Art of Gratitude"). I wouldn't recommend them: they're not at all like "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" -- very wordy fussing over (often silly-seeming) philospphical problems. You can barely find the mystery.

I don't know why I like them, but I do.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1065 on:** July 16, 2010, 07:41:44 PM »

My used bookstore didn't have any "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books available, but they did have several of the Philosophy Club books. After much deliberation, I decided not to get them just yet. Thanks for the input, JoanK. Maybe I'll continue to give them a pass in the future.

maryz · « **Reply #1066 on:** July 17, 2010, 04:16:25 PM »

JoanK, my sister-in-law and spouse live in Torrance on the Palos Verdes peninsula - they usually have good (not hot) weather.

JoanK · « **Reply #1067 on:** July 17, 2010, 05:10:45 PM »

Yes, the weather here is really great (except for the earthquakes and fires, of course).

Pales Verdes is really beautiful: we go to Point Vincente there to watch the migrating whales.

FlaJean · « **Reply #1068 on:** July 17, 2010, 08:08:08 PM »

I love the Philosophy Club books by McCall Smith. I've read them all. Isabel does get a little annoying at times worrying over every little thing, but I do really enjoy the continuing saga.

serenesheila · « **Reply #1069 on:** July 19, 2010, 03:59:41 PM »

I have just read the first five chapters of "Potter's Field". Patricia Cornwell is the author. I like the books she has written, which I have read. Now, I would like to spend the rest of today, finishing it.

BTW, I live in a suburb of Sacramento, CA. However I was born and lived in Long Beach, CA., for the first 14 years of my life. I still miss being near the ocean. I often go to the coast. The water is so much colder up North, that I would never try to swim in it.

Sheila

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1070 on:** July 19, 2010, 06:16:50 PM »

Got Sizzling Sixteen - Evanvich's new one - last night, read the first 100 pages, laughed out loud, Lulu cracks me up, i see her as a cross between Whoopie Goldberg and Flip Wilson's "Geraldine." I am getting a little tired of Stephanie wallowing in the Ranger v. Joe Morelli saga, but i can under stand why Evanovich doesn't want to resolve it, both characters add to the stories. ............... started to read another JIll Churchill and realized i'd read it and had not jotted it down in my little book...................jean

joegreyfan · « **Reply #1071 on:** July 19, 2010, 07:24:18 PM »

Marjifay and JoanK, I live in the Los Angeles area too, South Pasadena to be specific. The weather has cooled off a little, though I wouldn't say it's actually cool.

I've been enjoying a series of police procedural thrillers by a local author, Dianne Emley, who sets her stories in Pasadena (my hometown and just north of where I live now). I met her at a local mystery bookstore recently and got signed copies of three of her books. The first book in the series is The First Cut. These books are well-written, suspenseful, and very nearly unputdownable. And they have a great sense of place, with wonderful descriptions of the area. They also have well-drawn characters and a little romance. Be warned, though, they do have serial killers in them, which I know some of you don't want to read about.

Babi · « **Reply #1072 on:** July 20, 2010, 08:29:59 AM »

Always nice to find a new good author, Joegreyfan. Do all her books feature serial killers? I'd rather an author have a more variety in their plots.

Steph · « **Reply #1073 on:** July 20, 2010, 09:03:35 AM »

Argh... the Amalfi road in Italy. I was on a tour bus and it was foggy. I just shut my eyes and muttered.. Then the bus needed to turn around because they had closed the road for some reason. Horrid night, but then the fog cleared the next day and the coast is truly awesome.
Still struggling with three different books. Lost and Found has a widow as the main character and a dog as support.. I can only read a bit at the time. She does react to grief different than I do, but it is still hard to read.

roshanarose · « **Reply #1074 on:** July 20, 2010, 08:45:01 PM »

Thanks to these boards I have two books to put on my TBR -

"Doomsday Book" - Connie Willis (although I think I may have read it, but maybe getting it mixed up with Timeline)

and;

"The First Cut" by Dianne Emley.

Thanks for those.

JoanK · « **Reply #1075 on:** July 20, 2010, 10:01:37 PM »

"The First Cut" sounds good. Pasadena is an interesting town -- I'd like to learn more about it. I've spent many happy hours in the Huntington Gardens.

And I keep meaning to read "Doomsday Book". A funny book about the Bubonic Plague!?! I loved her "Bellwether".

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm reading a Dracula book: "The Historian". It's about historians doing research on the real Dracula who keep being foiled by people with bites on their necks. I usually avoid that kind of book like the plague: but I got drawn into this one.

marcie · « **Reply #1076 on:** July 20, 2010, 11:50:54 PM »

For all you mystery fans:
We're looking forward to three new Wallander episodes with Kenneth Branagh in October on PBS. If you'd like a set of Mankell books (Faceless Killers, The Man Who Smiled, and The Fifth Woman) for only the cost of postage, please post in our PBS discussion. Limited quantities. First come, first served.

Steph · « **Reply #1077 on:** July 21, 2010, 05:43:38 AM »

Did I mention that I read Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian.. Fun mystery.. with some interesting observations on being heavy and men in wheel chairs.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1078 on:** July 21, 2010, 08:15:16 AM »

JoanK, how do you like The Historian? I bought this book for my sister about three years ago. She likes horror stories and was into Ann Rice at the time. She still hasn't read it. The excuse is she doesn't have time to read much.

Babi · « **Reply #1079 on:** July 21, 2010, 09:13:34 AM »

JOANK, though Willis does write some funny books, I can't say there's
much humor in "Doomsday Book". It is far too realistic for that. As an historical
novel, though, it really tells it like it was.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 880893 times)