Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 897517 times)

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2000 on:** March 03, 2011, 01:29:33 PM »

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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 found my library catalogue could list detective stories by "state", so i looked up NJ and picked up Chanukah Guilt, which i finished and liked, the story and the characters were interesting, not compelling however. It wasn't a book i just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. It was interesting in that it was written by a women who was one of the first woman rabbis in the country and she lives abt 10 miles from me. The setting of the book is here also and that made it fun.

The second one is "Wrong Beach Island" a take off on Long Beach Island, a place we go to vacation every May. The storyline has potential to be a good one, but the author feels the need to throw a humourous quip into every paragraph. That's getting a little old, espe ially since some of them are a real stretch to make a bon mot.

JoanK · « **Reply #2001 on:** March 03, 2011, 03:33:01 PM »

MABEL:""Wrong Beach Island" a take off on Long Beach Island, a place we go to vacation every May."

When I was a child, we went on vacation there every August. We wnt to the old "Baldwin Hotel" in beach Haven, a monstrous Victorian hotel with turrets. Gloria Swanson used to stay there. When it burned down, we rented an apartment in a large Victorian house on 2nd Street in Beach Haven. I have wonderful memories. Have to read the book, even if it's not good.

One of Scotteline (sp) books has scenes on Long Beach Island (Barnegat). The one with the snow storm.

Steph · « **Reply #2002 on:** March 04, 2011, 06:32:11 AM »

Jeriron,, Ginny was talking of a cruise with all of us bookies.. That would be fun .. Wouldnt matter where we went, I suspect.. However I read somewhere that there are a few themed cruises with authors on board. Anyone know anything about them??

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2003 on:** March 04, 2011, 06:56:13 AM »

Steph, I found this link to a New York Times article about "author cruises". I am not sure that I would be keen on all of these authors, but I suppose you can choose and it would be fun:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/01/business/media/01cruise.html

Rosemary

jeriron · « **Reply #2004 on:** March 04, 2011, 08:03:16 AM »

That was an interesting article on a book cruise. Cruise lines have lots of different theme cruises.

Babi · « **Reply #2005 on:** March 04, 2011, 08:50:40 AM »

I'm enjoying that series, JERIRON, but I don't buy any of them.
That blessing, my library, has them.

What I would really like in a cruise, is one that left from Galveston.
Convenient! That's the name of the game for me.

Cheap wouldn't
hurt either.

pedln · « **Reply #2006 on:** March 04, 2011, 11:47:26 AM »

Babi, the River Barge Explorer used to have trips that either started or finished in Galveston. Does that company still exist? I can't find any current itineraries for them and know that a few years ago they had to cancel part of a season.

They used to give discounts to teachers, either current or retired, but we're all getting such bad press these days, that might be a thing of the past.

maryz · « **Reply #2007 on:** March 04, 2011, 12:41:47 PM »

pedln, we LOVED River Barge Explorer. Alas, they had to go out of business. We had been on two trips, and were signed up for a third (their first to come to Chattanooga) in 2009. Unfortunately the economy did them in, and they weren't getting enough bookings to even start the year. What a great company they were - we got the refund for our deposit promptly. We've gotten several mailings from them for river cruises as a "group" with other companies in Europe, but we haven't taken advantage of them.

We've found another small company we'd like to try - Blount Small Ship Adventures, but we haven't signed up for a trip yet.

pedln · « **Reply #2008 on:** March 04, 2011, 11:13:06 PM »

MaryZ, I was afraid that the River Explorer was out of business. I loved it -- took two trips several years ago. A perfect way to travel.

Thanks for the link to the Blount Cruise line. I've been browsing there and they look very interesting.

ursamajor · « **Reply #2009 on:** March 05, 2011, 09:59:05 AM »

We have loved the American Cruise Line cruises, but the difficulty of getting to the point of origin has pretty much put an end to our participation. Airlines are dreadful. That line has cruises up and down the east coast. The ships do not get out into the main ocean; they are really just floating hotels and wouldn't be comfortable on the open sea. The food is wonderful and we could get king size beds. On a different cruise line we had bunks, and my bed was shorter than I was. Not very comfortable.

Steph · « **Reply #2010 on:** March 05, 2011, 04:43:45 PM »

I have looked up American Cruise lines, but they stop and start in so many different smaller areas.. You need to fly in and then get somehow to where they are. When I talked to the person at the company. She quoted me some very high prices to be picked up and dropped off. Hmmm.

maryz · « **Reply #2011 on:** March 05, 2011, 05:14:40 PM »

Steph and ursamajor, check out that Blount Small Ship Adventures site - something there might work for you.

Steph · « **Reply #2012 on:** March 06, 2011, 06:23:55 AM »

Bookmarked Blount for further looking at..I picked up a book that I thought would be interesting.. Psychic who goes to work for the FBI, but it was written by one of the romance types.. Everyone is just way too handsome, charming and perfect. Bah..

pedln · « **Reply #2013 on:** March 06, 2011, 11:20:50 AM »

Last night I tried to get into an Iris Johansen from the library -- Closing the Night. I guess it was part of a series -- Eve Duncan, Forensics. I ended up not wanting to spend time with it -- too much CIA, rescuing people from gangsters all over the world, violence galore.

Guess, I'll stick with folks like Margaret Maron, Nancy Pickard, Donna Leon and Sarah Paretsky.

Steph · « **Reply #2014 on:** March 08, 2011, 06:37:11 AM »

Pedlin,You might like Sharon McCrumb..Especially the Norah Bonesteel ones.. She is an interesting writer. Southern and mountains... What could be better.

JoanK · « **Reply #2015 on:** March 08, 2011, 03:15:31 PM »

PEDLIN: there are tons of good mystery writers out there. Don't give up.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2016 on:** March 08, 2011, 03:45:32 PM »

All you mystery lovers need to visit Stop You're Killing Me website. There you can look up authors, locales of the mysteries, etc. and any series, you can find them in chrono order. It is a worthwhile site, and you won't be getting unnecessary emails from them. You CAN sign up for their twice monthly newsletter, if you want it. I love mysteries too.

pedln · « **Reply #2017 on:** March 08, 2011, 04:35:51 PM »

Tomereader, that is a good site. I haven't been there in a while, but now that mention it, I'll head back.

I had Concierge duties at the library Sunday afternoon, and although I struggled against it, ended up buying a Lisa Gardener mystery from the Friends Cart. The Neighbor. So far, so good. This is a new author for me. It's early stages yet -- a young mother has disappeared in the middle of the night, police think husband/father is hiding something. There's also a young sexual predator recently released from prison who lives in the neighborhood. And there is a computer that the husband does not want the police to see.

Are you familiar with this author? Does she usually include her biases or leanings. In this one she's showing issues about the post-prison treatment of offenders.

Steph · « **Reply #2018 on:** March 09, 2011, 06:16:07 AM »

I am not a Gardner fan, but I know lots of people are. She loves to do people in peril and I like a different type of mystery.
I found a Rita Mae Brown at the book sale.. One I had missed. Not the mysteries, but a straightforward coming of age book.. A theme of hers for many years. I do like her books. Called Alma Mater.

JoanK · « **Reply #2019 on:** March 09, 2011, 03:10:45 PM »

I've read some Lisa Gardner, but not for awhile: I don't remember her too well.

Many mystery authors include their biases: I like it when I happen to agree with them and hate it when I don't. Maybe when we mention an author, we should mention if they do that. Two I can think of are Paretsky (Liberal) and Fairstein (Conservative).

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2020 on:** March 09, 2011, 05:11:43 PM »

That might keep us from reading a really good mystery, even if we don't agree with the author's biases (sp. is that right?)

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2021 on:** March 09, 2011, 05:17:41 PM »

Tomereader - i too had forgotten the Stop your Killing Me site, thanks for the reminder......and yes, books are like people, if you only hang out w/ people who are just like you, you might miss some really interesting people, or books

............ Jean

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2022 on:** March 09, 2011, 05:44:31 PM »

I know somebody here must have read the Mrs Pollifax series, tell me abt her. I just saw she's a CIA agent from NJ. Did you like the stories?........ Jean

JoanK · « **Reply #2023 on:** March 10, 2011, 12:00:42 AM »

JEAN: the Mrs. Polifax series is my favorite series in the whole world. I've read them all 4 or 5 times.Mrs. Polifax is who I want to be when I grow up (Maybe I'd better hurry up). She's a senior whosae children are grown, and finds her life a little boring. So she goes to the CIA building in Washington and volunteers to be a spy. Through a series of mistakes, she is taken up on it. From there the adventures begin. But her spying style is nothing like that of the men in the typical spy novel.

The last few Gilman wrote aren't good, but the others are. Start with "The Unexpected Mrs Polifax."

Tome and Jean: you're right of course. We don't have to agree with everything someone says to appreciate them.

Steph · « **Reply #2024 on:** March 10, 2011, 06:09:29 AM »

I agree and read both Paretsky and Fairstein..But there are authors I wont touch.. Most of them are politicians who try to sway the world in their directions and a few like Ann Coulter who simply spew venom in all directions. I think life is too short to read that stuff. I also made a solemn vow not to read any of the stupid books written on watergate.. What a mess and why would I line their pockets with their various reasons for being and doing illegal things.

Babi · « **Reply #2025 on:** March 10, 2011, 08:27:38 AM »

I agree with JOAN, JEAN. Mrs. Pollifax is a lot of fun.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2026 on:** March 10, 2011, 01:29:48 PM »

Thanks for your thots, i knew i could count on this group....... Jean

Steph · « **Reply #2027 on:** March 11, 2011, 06:03:03 AM »

I liked the early Mrs. Pollifax, but the later ones did not seem to be the same writer.
I am reading a Joe Pike Mystery.. Elvis is simply a secondary character. It is good, but then all of Elvis is wonderful as well. One of the few violent writers that I read.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2028 on:** March 11, 2011, 01:05:00 PM »

Finished reading the latest Craig Johnson, "The Dark Horse". Made it in one sitting, although it was 3 AM before I finished! This is the best of his books, so far. I think I've mentioned Craig's work here before.

JoanK · « **Reply #2029 on:** March 11, 2011, 09:00:38 PM »

OK, I've heard of this series, but don't know his name --- clue in thursday's crossword puzzle: burglar in detective stories, 4 letters.

FlaJean · « **Reply #2030 on:** March 11, 2011, 10:54:33 PM »

A few years ago I first read Dorothy Gilman's A Nun in the Closet which I bought at an airport. I told my daughter I enjoyed it and she bought me a copy of the first Mrs. Pollifax mystery. I've read all of them and enjoyed them--just light escape reading. She has also written a number of non series books.

Steph · « **Reply #2031 on:** March 12, 2011, 06:14:32 AM »

JoanK.. Ah, my husband adored the burglar series.. The author writes all sorts of books. This is his light series..I wish I could remember the burglars name, but go to any mystery writers site and put in Burglar and you should find him.

ursamajor · « **Reply #2032 on:** March 12, 2011, 10:33:08 AM »

I need to mark my spot so this site comes up.

JoanK · « **Reply #2033 on:** March 12, 2011, 05:24:46 PM »

Hi, URSA!!

Steph · « **Reply #2034 on:** March 13, 2011, 06:31:53 AM »

Aha,, The burglar was Bernie Rodenbar.. He had a small book store as his cover. and the author.. Hmm. I believe it is the man who has so many different names. Ed McBain... Evan Hunter...etc.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2035 on:** March 13, 2011, 07:19:04 AM »

I am confused! How is that 4 letters?

R

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2036 on:** March 13, 2011, 12:06:31 PM »

me, too, Rosemarykaye. I knew it was Bernie Rhodenbarr, but couldn't fit that into four letters either!!

FlaJean · « **Reply #2037 on:** March 13, 2011, 01:20:55 PM »

Just started The Case of the Missing Servant, a Vish Puri (India's Most Private Investigator) mystery, by Tarquin Hall. So far I'm enjoying it. I've been so busy lately with spring gardening, my books have been "lonely"

ursamajor · « **Reply #2038 on:** March 13, 2011, 03:02:38 PM »

Anybody else like the Cliff Janeway novels..... Bookman's Wake, Sign of the Book, etc. by John Dunning?

maryz · « **Reply #2039 on:** March 13, 2011, 03:25:34 PM »

We love the bookman stories.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 897517 times)