Mystery Corner ~ 2

[Babi]

 

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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   

I appreciate that information, too, JOAN....just in case my library doesn't have the first of the
series. I note they do have quite a number of Thompson's books, tho'.  Same with Maron.

[nancymc]

I just ordered no. 1 and no2 of Victoria Thompson's books look forward to them arriving.

Nancy

[Steph]

I like the Thompson in sequence, because she changes and becomes so much more of a brave human as it goes along.
Tess is another one who grows and changes, so needs to be read in sequence. I like her , but sometimes she gets a bit hinky..

[rosemarykaye]

"hinky"  translation please Steph!

[Steph]

Hinky...odd.. off beat, not quite on the right path..a little scary sometimes.

[jeriron]

I started the "little Italy" one. If I like it enough I'll go back and start from the first one.

[JoanK]

Sigh!! I'm behind the times, as usual. Most of my crossword-puzzle friends have abandoned crossword puzzles for sudoku. But I thought I was safe with the (crossword) Puzzle Lady detective stories by Parnell Hall.

Not so. I went to the library yesterday, and there was a new-to-me one, "The Sudoku Puzzle Murders". The clue are BOTH crossword puzzles AND sudokus- the crosswords as always done by our own Seniornetter, Manny Novotsky, and the sudoku by Will Shortz (editor of THE crossword puzzles, the New York Times's).

Thats not all. Then I looked in the new books, and there was "The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady."

I don't like the way this is heading. For some reason, I've never taken to Sudoku, but I love my crossword puzzles. Will Parnell Hall abandon us? Worse, will Will Shortz, THE guru of all of us, abandon us? Will I be alone?

[rosemarykaye]

JoanK - I love crossword puzzles - but the only other people I know who do them are my mother and my mother-in-law.  However, having read "Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose" (which I think I mentioned earlier), I am quite sure that there is a whole army of crossword addicts out there - even young ones.  I don't like Sudoku - it has no interest for me whatsoever, although I appreciate that it has a lot of fans.

The only crossword puzzles I don't like are those like the Oldie one, where there is always some complicated twist - eg "Half the definitions are missing", or where you have to fit the answers in without any numbers to guide you.  i particularly love the Guardian cryptic crossword, and I also attempt the Radio Times one every week.

I can't believe that Sudoku will ever replace crosswords - although maybe it will in the books you mention - all of our better daily papers have their own crossword, and if they dropped them I think quite a few readers would drop the papers.

Rosemary

[pedln]

Sudoku has a certain addiction, and, surprisingly, it is a great relaxer.  Probably because you can't think of anything else while you're doing them. 

[rosemarykaye]

Pedln, that's interesting - I find gardening and swimming relaxing for just that reason.  (Also playing Boggle on the computer - it's addictive.  One of my friends plays is if she has to stay up late to wait for her bread to cook - it keeps her awake better than a novel.)

R

[JoanK]

We yanks don't understand British crossword puzzles. They are quite different. I think I would love them, once I got used to them.

[Babi]

I don't mess with sudoku either, JOAN, for a perfectly good reason.  I don't enjoy math. I'm very happy for the math-oriented souls who didn't have puzzles to enjoy, but I'll stay
with my word puzzles. That includes acrostics and cryptograms.  My kids usually include a
puzzle magazine with my birthday/Mother's Day/Christmas gifts.  They know me so well. 

[pedln]

Babi, I understand that the Japanese are thrilled with Sudoku. Perhaps the Chinese are too. I can't imagine a crossword puzzle in either of those languages.

[JoanK]

Well, I finished "The Sudoku Puzzle Murders". The most convoluted unrealistic plot I've ever seen, in order to justify having 5 sudoku and 3 crossword puzzles. Maybe it's best to enjoy my crossword puzzles and mysteries separately.

But you-all confirm my suspicion that mystery story readers are people who enjoy puzzles.

[Steph]

I l ove sudoku, but not in a mystery..

[Babi]

 Exactly, JOANK.  Isn't a mystery another form of puzzle? 

[Steph]

Very good Babi.. I would agree, but I remember my husband reading the law mysteries for the law part. I am not overfond of the law mysteries, but he adored them. My older son loves the spy one..Steve Berry is a favorite of his.. Not sure they are puzzles.

[Babi]

  No, you're right, STEPH.  The myster puzzles are the old-fashioned 'who-dun-it's.  Trying to
spot all the clues and identify the murderer before the end of the book.  There don't seem to be
as many of those nowadays. The thriller/legal books seem to redominate...not that I don't enjoy
some of those, too.  Not to mention all those cutesy cooking/quilting/pets/you-name-it mysteries that are so popular now.  Is there a name for that category?

[maryz]

Babi, I've heard those called "cozies".  I like who-dun-its, and legal procedural stories, but never read psychopathic/torture/serial killer ones.

[JoanK]

BABI: those are "cosies", but so are Agatha Christies. Perhaps they need a special sub-catagory -- "homeskills cosies" or something. I happen to like them a lot, I read them as "you can be a good cook/ quilter etc., AND  outdetect the men. If you think those skills are trivial, you don't know _ _ _." I like the legal thrillers too

[joangrimes]

I enjoy most mysteries  b ut Like MaryZ  no psychopathic/torture/serial killer ones for me... 
 
 

[rosemarykaye]

I agree - I like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Amanda Cross, Donna Leon, some Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter, PD James, that sort of thing.  I don't want to read too much gore, torture, etc - there's enough of that in the news.  My mother-in-law enjoys Ruth Rendell and my son likes Stuart MacBride, but they are both too violent for me (the authors that is...)  I don't think I've read any of these "cosies" - would anyone be able to give me the titles or authors of some?  Mysteries combined with quilting, cooking or pets all sound great to me.

Rosemary

[Tomereader1]

Debbie Macomber, The Blossom Street series.  I'm reading my first one now.  So tame!

[mabel1015j]

Susan Albert - protagonist owns herb/tea shop; Diane Davidson - protagonist is a caterer; Ann B. Ross - Miss Julia series, all titles are "Miss Julia.........";  Jennifer Chiavernini - quilting group; Mary Jane Clark - setting is a NYC tv station; Carol Clark - all titles are one word like "Iced"; Laura Childs-protagonist owns a tea shop; Margaret Maron - protagonist is a judge...............will that get u started? .........jean

[rosemarykaye]

Thanks both - that is great!  I had heard of Margaret Maron, but none of the others, and am about to get onto our library site to see what (if anything) they have.  A bit of "so tame" would be very comforting in this weather 

Whilst we are on the subject of recommendations, if anyone can suggest anything for my 12 year old, I would appreciate it.  She is a keen reader and has loved Robert Muchamore's spy series ("CHERUBS" - it's an acronym, not about angels), she also likes Sally Gardener's books, esp "The Red Necklace" (about the French revolution).  She likes action stuff (not Alex Rider), historical fiction, good stories that are not, to use her words "all about love or vampires".  She liked Roald Dahl's "Boy" (but not "Going Solo") and she likes Cathy Cassidy but seems to get through those in hours.  Our librarian gave her various suggestions, but none seems to have gone down too well - any ideas welcome - thanks.

R

[maryz]

Don't know about 12-year-olds, but for "nice" murder mysteries, we'd recommend M. C. Beaton.  She has two series - one protagonist is Agatha Raisin ("Agatha Raisin and the xxxxx") and one about Hamish MacBeth.  Both are set in small Scottish villages.  We particularly like Hamish - and there was a BBC series based on those stories.  We got them from Netflix and loved them.  The actor who was the "hero" in the movie The Full Monty plays Hamish.  And we spent a couple of hours in the town where the series was filmed when we were in Scotland a few years ago.

[pedln]

Rosemary, for a 12 year old, books by Willo Roberts come to mind, the one title that I remember is The View from the Cherry Tree, about a boy who witnesses something that noone will believe.  Another is The Doll House Mysteries by Betty Ren Wright.  Has she read The Giver by Lois Lowry?  A terrific book for about 10 years old through high school.  One my granddaughter recommended to me when she was about 14 was The God of Animals by Arin Kyle about a young girl interested in equestrian contests.  And then I bought for her The Horse Whisperer.  And just about anything by Elaine Konigsburg.

[Steph]

I second Lois Lowry. I used to own a used book store and the younger girls seemed to love her. Of course there is Harry Potter, how did she feel about him.
I dont like torture books or books that put young children in harm... but I do love John Sandford and James Lee Burke..
Both are violent, but somehow ring a bell because of the writing. Just finished another Charlaine Harris,,
This is the Aurora Teagarden series of hers. Not as good as the vampires or the girl who talks to dead people, or the woman who cleans houses for aliving, but ok.

[nancymc]

My daughter has suggested she get me a Kindle for Christmas,   i think some of the Senior Learn members have them, will I like it or should I stick to books, I am in two minds.

Would I be able to get my favourite mysteries.
Nancy

[rosemarykaye]

I just wrote a reply that promptly disappeared - so apologies if it turns up and it looks like I posted two.

Thanks for all your recommendations.  I have just been to the library, and managed to get "Back on Blossom Street" (Debbie Macomber) and "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" (Mary Jane Clark).  Also finally found "Ladies of Covington".  The library did not have any of your most welcome suggestions for Madeleine, so I will look for them on Amazon and in charity shops.  I did get out Jennifer Donnelly's new novel, "Revolution", which the Guardian's teen book reviewer said is fantastic.

Still snowing, and in between there was a huge prolonged rumbling noise - I thought a plane had crashed, the windows rattled, but it turned out to be thunder, something we hardly ever get up here.  Despite the weather, Anna and I are about to sally forth - husband is working at home today, and has so far colonised the sitting room (best fire), kitchen (best mobile reception) and the dining room (wanted to print stuff out) - so we are off to our favourite place to have tea and scones  - (she is meant to be on study leave but so far she hasn't even got dressed)

Hope everyone is keeping cosy,

Rosemary

[Babi]

Oh, it's not that I consider skills trivial, JOANK. My 'cutesy' is a sort of equivalent
for 'cosies'. Cozies? My own 'skills' have suffered a decline, sad to say. I have also
noticed that I seem to have less patience than I once had. By now I had expected to
have reached a truly saintly patience; a gift of old age.  Tch! Wrong again. 

[maryz]

Nancymc, I have a Kindle.  I got it because I have arthritis in my hands, and have trouble holding books.  You can get almost any book you like on an e-reader - depending on the brand.  With a Kindle, you can only buy through Amazon.com.  Also, you have to buy the books, and you can't pass them along to a friend.  Any of the devices will hold thousands of "books", so space isn't a problem.

With the Kindle, even when you delete a book, it's still in their storage system, and you can retrieve it at any time.  Some people are very attached to holding an actual book to read it - and I understand that - it's not a problem for me.  I love being able to travel and carry only the Kindle and not have to worry about running out of something to read.

[JoanK]

ROSEMARY: "I thought a plane had crashed, the windows rattled, but it turned out to be thunder, something we hardly ever get up here."

I'm the nut that loves thunderstorms -- it's one of the things I miss. Back East, we had them several times a week in season (Spring and late Summer). In California, we get about one a year.

Why I like them, I can't tell you. Even being almost hit by lightning once didn't cure me. I saw a statement once that in the area where I lived, there wre twenty days a year with thunderstorms. "Thats not enough" I said, and counted for two years. I averaged almost 40. I also tried my best to understand what causes them. I know more now, but don't fully understand them.

[Steph]

Nancy ... I have an IPAD. I love it because I can get books from all sorts of place.. Kindle, ebooks, Nook, etc. Also do my email, facebook, lots of free apps and addictive games..Along with newspapers from all over..
Just finished another Donna Ball.. She writes about a search dog and its owner.. Very light, but sort of fun.

[jeriron]

Steph

I like Donna Ball's search and rescue books but there's only three. She write so many others under different names that who knows when she will get back to writing another one.

I have 2 questions for you about IPAD. There are different prices for it. Did you get the least expensive which is somewhere between $499 and $599 or more expensive.?

and do you feel you still need your desk top computer even with having the IPAD?

I also have a Kindle and really like it. I use it just for reading.

[Babi]

I like a good storm, too, JOANK.  Surprisingly enough, we had a cat that loved storms,
too, Maggie would insist on going out on the porch when a storm came up, where she
would crouch at the edge and watch the tree limbs whipping about. Ah, but then, Maggie
was a most exceptional cat.

[rosemarykaye]

I don't really understand i-pads.  Can you use them for writing documents on?

[jane]

I'm enjoying my NookColor.  I can also do when I'm where there's WiFi  web surfing, check email, load photos, music, etc. .  Once a book is purchased and downloaded, then I don't need WiFi  read (this one holds 6000 books and can buy magazines and newspapers as well.)  It does far more than I thought it would...so that's a nice surprise.

The best part, for me, was being able to attend free face to face meetings with a Nook expert at B&N on Sundays from 5 - 7:30 pm  He helped us all (there were 8 there Sunday night) and got us all started. I felt so much more confident after that session, and I can go into any B&N and get help for free.


We were told that the reason books are going digital is the huge increase in royalties the authors get. From something like 10-15% for print to in the neighborhood of 70% of price for a digital.  Obviously authors will love that!

Yes, I still love a regular print book; I hope they never disappear, but for traveling, the e reader is delightful.


jane

[nancymc]

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies, I think I will say yes to my daughter's kind offer.

Nancy

[pedln]

We were told that the reason books are going digital is the huge increase in royalties the authors get. From something like 10-15% for print to in the neighborhood of 70% of price for a digital.

Jane, why would that be?  Do you have any idea?  The costs of distribution and inventory would certainly decrease, but would the publishers just past that on to the authors?  Interesting.

There was something in the Wall Street Journal today about Google getting into the e-book business, but I'm not sure just how.

At any rate, Nancy, I think you made a good decision.  The e-reader won't be the only way you'll read books, but it will certainly be a pleasant way to read, and it's nice to know that it'll always be easy to carry a "book" wherever you go.