Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910608 times)

Steph · « **Reply #2680 on:** August 07, 2011, 10:47:37 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 Leader: JoanK

I love Thomas Perry. Have read allof the Butcher Boy ( but there is anew one out) all of Jane Whitfield and all of the standalones. He is a spectacular writer and comes up with truly strange plot twists.. There is one about an insurance investigator ( forgot the name) that will blow your mind at the end.

pedln · « **Reply #2681 on:** August 07, 2011, 12:47:59 PM »

Quote

I have tried to get Silence by Thomas Perry but Amazon does not give me the option.

Nancy, that's a shame. Maybe it will come up a little later.

Quote

I know why. the first month I had my kindle, I spent more on books than the kindle cost. It's soooo tempting to just click and get the book.

I told my brother, when I first got my Kindle, that it was like eating peanuts. You start with one, you just can't stop. And even with a $3 limit I'm still accumulating. I hope my kids enjoy my choices because I'll be dead before all my books are read. Am now treating the used book store and the grocery store the same -- DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT A LIST!

Inspector Lewis is on PBS Masterpiece tonight. I'm currently finishing up an old (1995) Inspector Morse -- Death is Now my Neighbor, picturing John Thaw through the whole thing.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2682 on:** August 07, 2011, 01:35:26 PM »

My PBS station must be begging for dollars again. No Masterpiece Mysteries tonight. I'll have to watch it on the computer.

maryz · « **Reply #2683 on:** August 07, 2011, 02:28:57 PM »

It must be begathon time for all the PBS stations, Frybabe. Both of the ones we get are doing it.

MaryPage · « **Reply #2684 on:** August 07, 2011, 02:46:16 PM »

Apparently not one of my PBS channels is doing well financially, and so the new Lewis will not be shown tonight. Maryland Public Television ( WMPT ) has an old rerun and WETA has something else entirely. Normally, they both show the latest Masterpiece at the same time. WHUT shows everything much, much later.

Ratking WAS the first book in the Aurelio Zen series that Michael Dibdin wrote. Vendetta was second, and then Cabal. Dibdin is dead now, and would not have had a hand in writing them for film. Apparently the writers preferred doing it this way. Pity. Also, they filmed them all in Rome, whereas Dibdin moves Zen all over Italy. Read the books; they are quite wonderful. There were eleven (11) Zen books altogether, and will never be more.

marcie · « **Reply #2685 on:** August 07, 2011, 03:37:08 PM »

At the end of the book, Ratking, Zen is promoted back to the criminal division (from "Housekeeping").

I think that the new Inspector Lewis episodes won't start until September 4. Some PBS station are starting "encore" presentations of past episodes tonight. If you don't get the episodes on TV you can view them online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/index.html.

"Don't miss the following encore presentations of Inspector Lewis: The Point of Vanishing (Aug 7), Counter Culture Blues (Aug. 14), The Dead of Winter (Aug. 21), Dark Matter (Aug. 28), Your Sudden Death Question (Sept. 11) and Falling Darkness (Oct. 2). [Note: These episodes will have limited TV airings, so check local listings. These episodes will be available to view online for a limited time.]"

MaryPage · « **Reply #2686 on:** August 07, 2011, 04:07:34 PM »

I wish the PBS shows were on ON DEMAND. No such luck!

marcie · « **Reply #2687 on:** August 07, 2011, 05:48:07 PM »

MaryPage, I'm finding the PBS shows on Demand on my Comcast. It took me a while to figure out where they were.
GET LOCAL/LOCAL TV STATIONS/ Pick the station/MASTERPIECE.

maryz · « **Reply #2688 on:** August 07, 2011, 05:51:00 PM »

Marcie, On Demand varies depending on which cable company is your provider - at least in our case it did. We had had Comcast, and had lots of selections from networks and cable stations. We don't have nearly as many choices from our relatively new fiberoptic provider. We love it in every other way, and we only hope their On Demand improves.

marcie · « **Reply #2689 on:** August 07, 2011, 05:55:18 PM »

maryz, too bad about the fewer choices with various providers. I guess there are trade-offs with every service.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2690 on:** August 07, 2011, 06:19:56 PM »

I'll have to check my On Demand PBS listing. I know they occasionally put up shows that don't get broadcast on the local station, but not always.

JoanK · « **Reply #2691 on:** August 07, 2011, 09:55:12 PM »

No Lewis rerun this week in LA. Maybe next week.

Mathew Pearl, who has discussed several of his historical mysteries with us on Seniornet, has a new one coming out: "The Technologists" about a murder affecting the first class of students at MIT. I'm very interested to read it: I just read a book that dealt with the problems scioence had being accepted as a legitimate field of study in this country: apparantly Pearl deals with the same issue.

pedln · « **Reply #2692 on:** August 07, 2011, 10:02:58 PM »

If you're not getting the Inspector Lewis show, don't feel too bad because it's a repeat -- The point of vanishing. It has an atheist professor whose daughter was disabled when someone tried to kill him because of his religious beliefs.

jeriron · « **Reply #2693 on:** August 07, 2011, 10:17:03 PM »

It's money week for both our PBS channels. I went on PBS on demand and it had Inspector Lewis so I was able to watch it anyway. I still enjoyed it even though I saw it before.

Steph · « **Reply #2694 on:** August 08, 2011, 06:02:18 AM »

I am st arting Odelia and the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian.. Am sure it was recommended here. She has a nice easy lead in writing.. Hopefully will be good. Lately I have been picky as all get out and the number of books laying around with book marks that were just not what I wanted is horrid.

Babi · « **Reply #2695 on:** August 08, 2011, 08:46:43 AM »

Ah! That explains it, MARYPAGE. I was expecting a new Lewis episode, and was
most disappointed to find it was a re-run of one I'd already seen. I do wish
I could support our PBS. It's one of those things on the dream lists of what I
would do if a suddenly became rich!

JoanK · « **Reply #2696 on:** August 08, 2011, 07:50:00 PM »

I recommended a Jaffarian, but I haven't read that one.

I do sometimes send money to PBS, but it's such a little amount, I still feel guilty, given the amount of pleasure I get from it. And I admit I wait til they have a (inexpensive) thank you gift I want. (I wouldn't trade my "Hummingbirds" CD for anything).

Steph · « **Reply #2697 on:** August 09, 2011, 06:05:09 AM »

This is the second Jaffarian in the series. I loved the first one.. Had to wait on this one since I had it on my wish list on my swap book club.

Babi · « **Reply #2698 on:** August 09, 2011, 08:53:48 AM »

Jaffarian (interesting name) sounds like it would be fun. I'd never heard of her; thanks for the
recommendations, Steph and Joan.

FlaJean · « **Reply #2699 on:** August 09, 2011, 10:46:25 AM »

Just finished "Blowback" by Peter May. About a Scot living in Paris. It is one of the best mystery books I've read in a while. Peter May has two series--The Enzo Files and The China Thrillers. I am definitely going to look for more of his books. I got several Dibdin books from the library and am starting on one of them next. Trying to read the earliest first but the library doesn't have them all.

nancymc · « **Reply #2700 on:** August 09, 2011, 06:11:55 PM »

Flajean
I just this minute bought Blowback on you recommendation - look forward to reading it when I finish Sovereign by CJ Sansom - a super book - I should not be wasting time on the computer when I could be reading it.

Nancy

Steph · « **Reply #2701 on:** August 10, 2011, 06:07:36 AM »

I do like Sue Ann Jaffarian.. She has an interesting take on things and characters that just a bit off kilter..

FlaJean · « **Reply #2702 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:36:06 AM »

Nancy, I sure hope you like it!

Steph · « **Reply #2703 on:** August 11, 2011, 06:12:46 AM »

Did anyone finish Burn , which is a recent Anna Pigeon mystery. I started it, but have put it down. What is going on.. What a downer.. I used to love that author.

jeriron · « **Reply #2704 on:** August 11, 2011, 08:24:42 AM »

the actor that played Zen's friend Francesco Quinn , 48 the son of Anthony Quinn died this week from an apparent heart attack.

Babi · « **Reply #2705 on:** August 11, 2011, 09:01:42 AM »

Oh, that's a shame, JERIRON. 48 seems so young to me now.

jeriron · « **Reply #2706 on:** August 11, 2011, 11:47:21 AM »

48 is young no matter how you look at it. He looked so familiar to me but I couldn't place him.

jane · « **Reply #2707 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:27:31 PM »

Steph...I'm not familiar with Anna Pigeon mysteries, but it seems some authors are into stuff that just depresses me no end...so they end up being returned to the library unfinished. For me, life and events in the world are depressing enough. I'll be darned if I'll use my free time to wallow in more horrible stuff. I don't read horror, torture, cruelty to man or beast, blood and gore. An occasional fist fight...ok...but not beating people, etc. I can see that on TV news, unfortunately.

jane

maryz · « **Reply #2708 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:43:13 PM »

jane, the early Nevada Barr books (Anna Pigeon is the protagonist) are quite good - all set in National Parks. The first one is set in Mesa Verde.

jane · « **Reply #2709 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:44:34 PM »

Ah....now that rings a bell. I did read some Nevada Barr ones but couldn't get into her after the first one or two.

jane

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2710 on:** August 11, 2011, 03:22:56 PM »

I will reiterate what I posted either here or somewhere else: "Burn" by Nevada Barr is not for the faint at heart. It's subject matter is far too awful for her to be writing about. The scene of this book is in New Orleans while Anna is on vacation, and I've heard it doesn't give too much, if any, notice to the National Parks. Don't read or recommend it to someone who can't stomach violence and perversion. I also had the misfortune of moderating our Mystery Book Club one month, and solely because of the number of available copies, we were limited to "Winter Study" by Ms. Barr. I found it terribly distasteful, and was sorry I was leading the discussion. Most of her other books are much kinder/gentler.

JoanK · « **Reply #2711 on:** August 11, 2011, 03:46:06 PM »

I handled "Winter Study" fine, but think I will avoid "BUM". It's too bad: i really enjoyed her early books.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2712 on:** August 11, 2011, 06:16:19 PM »

"Burn"

FlaJean · « **Reply #2713 on:** August 11, 2011, 06:20:20 PM »

Tomereader, my library only had one Thomas Perry book in Jane Whitefield series. It is "Shadow Woman" and very good. Both my husband and I enjoyed it.

pedln · « **Reply #2714 on:** August 11, 2011, 08:10:02 PM »

I haven't read many of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, but have always enjoyed and learned something from the ones I read. I liked Winter Study, the way she incorporated legitimate research into the novel. But my favorite is the first one I read, can't remember the title, -- about Fort Jefferson, where Dr. Mudd and Civil War prisoners were held. Historical letters and Anna Pigeon's current mystery made it a fascinating 2 for 1er. I don't know anything about Burn.

I've just spent part of the afternoon reading an old Donna Leon that was on my shelf -- A Noble Radiance, pub. 1998. Folks there in Italy seem to be complaining about the same things we gripe about here, -- government waste, etc. although I might have a dilemma choosing between dealing with the city or a private insurance company. I do enjoy her Guido Brunetti series.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #2715 on:** August 11, 2011, 08:22:28 PM »

That one was my favorite too, Pedlin. And I can't find it listed on Amazon.

pedln · « **Reply #2716 on:** August 11, 2011, 09:30:07 PM »

Tomereader -- I just found it. Flashback -- and it is on Amazon.

Steph · « **Reply #2717 on:** August 12, 2011, 06:28:34 AM »

It is worthwhile to go on a hunt for the Jane Whitfield series. It is excellent and amazing in it shows you ways to disappear.. Incredible.. Perry does great research.

FlaJean · « **Reply #2718 on:** August 13, 2011, 02:21:39 PM »

After months of a "drought" of good books, I have finished another good mystery. This one was "The Shadows in the Street, A Simon Serrailler Mystery" by Susan Hill. It is not a true police procedural in spite of the fact that the main character is a police detective. The story is set in England, and I do like most English mysteries.

I liked Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri of Laos in his previous books, but I recently read his latest "Love Songs from a Shallow Grave". I was disappointed in it and didn't enjoy it at all.

salan · « **Reply #2719 on:** August 13, 2011, 06:01:42 PM »

I just downloaded the first Kate Shugak mystery (A Cold Day for Murder) by Dana Stabenow. It was free on my Kindle. I have read some of this series, but don't remember if I read this one. I have been reading Too Big to Miss (4.99} on Kindle. It's by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Someone here recommended her. I have not read her before. So far, so good. I am also reading Devil's Food Cake mystery by Joanna Fluke. It seems that I am in a light weight mystery mode for now.....
Sally

News:

Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910608 times)