Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910216 times)

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4800 on:** February 07, 2013, 03:57:15 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 Leader: JoanK

I wonder why that happens? I seem to remember that Donna Leon's Brunetti books have been filmed in German but not in English (nor in Italian for that matter.)

Steph · « **Reply #4801 on:** February 08, 2013, 06:39:13 AM »

Whew.. the name Ann Granger is so familiar. I must check her out , I suspect I have read something she wrote./

JeanneP · « **Reply #4802 on:** February 08, 2013, 03:37:50 PM »

Lots of Book written by Ann Granger but don't find one out in LP.

Steph · « **Reply #4803 on:** February 09, 2013, 06:30:00 AM »

I finished a quite different mystery by Nancy Martin today.. Sticky Fingers.. set in Pittsburgh.. Still not sure if she is trying to be funny or black humor.. I love her Blackbird series, but Roxy, the heroine of sorts in this one is a not entirely sympathetic character. I suspect too much Evanovich without her light touch.

JoanK · « **Reply #4804 on:** February 09, 2013, 03:11:16 PM »

Finishing one by Sandra Balzo "Triple Shot." her detective runs a coffee shop in a suburb of Milwaulkee. Should be interesting, with a background of old Mafia hideouts, but I have trouble keeping interested for some reason.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4805 on:** February 10, 2013, 03:14:19 AM »

Jeanne - I couldn't find any large print Ann Granger books on Amazon UK, even as used copies, but there are some on our library catalogue, all published by "Long Preston" - so she must have been published in large print at some point. I would have thought that she would be, as her books are the kind of thing that our local libraries choose for their large print section.

I looked up Long Preston, and they are also known as "Magna' and seem actually to be located in a place called Long Preston in Yorkshire! They describe themselves as 'primarily library suppliers' but say they are happy to sell direct to other people:

"Books (large print) and Audio Books
Magnaprint tel 01729 840 225
(General Manager: Diane Allen). Although primarily a library supply publisher, Diane is happy to offer Long Preston residents a 20% discount on any purchase of large print or unabridged audio books.
Call in at the Main Street office to browse."

The page I found them on is:

http://www.longpreston.info/services.html

I know this is probably not much help to you in the US, but thought I'd let you know.

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #4806 on:** February 10, 2013, 06:31:07 AM »

I started an older Ann Practchett book last night...Taft? So far I am struggling, but she generally makes it worth it.We will see.

marjifay · « **Reply #4807 on:** February 10, 2013, 10:09:48 AM »

I've only read two by Ann Patchett -- Run, which I didn't much care for, and The Magician's Assistant which I really liked.

I'm reading A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny with another group, and am surprised to find I'm enjoying it, after not liking her Still Life.

Marj

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4808 on:** February 10, 2013, 01:19:12 PM »

I agree Marjifay, A Fatal Grace was much better than Still Life. I think Penny got better and better until the most recent offering, which went decidedly off and lacked a good editor's hand.

Rosemary

JeanneP · « **Reply #4809 on:** February 10, 2013, 04:24:23 PM »

Rosemary, Thorndike Publishing seems to be the name on lots of the LP Books here but I have seen the name "Magna" on quite a few. The Preston Name catching my Eye. as Family living so close to there and it being the Train Stop to Blackpool Growing up. (Rochdale, Preston,Blackpool). We even had a song learned in the One and only Summer Camps I attended which was in St. Annes.
No on the books you recommend if I can find in Small print only I will read it.

Steph · « **Reply #4810 on:** February 11, 2013, 06:13:10 AM »

I stopped with the Taft.. don't like stream of conscious books.. Everything else of hers I have loved..Finished my silly little Diane Shah .. As Crime goes by..She needs a decent editor , but it was fun in an old Hollywood way.

marjifay · « **Reply #4811 on:** February 11, 2013, 09:09:58 AM »

The only thing I like about cozy mysteries is some of the great titles... like As Crime Goes By...LOL

Marj

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #4812 on:** February 11, 2013, 12:42:26 PM »

Not on topic, but just read that Pope Benedict is retiring. Last time I saw him on TV (I guess at Christmas) I noticed how very infirm he looked,and was very worried. A pope has not retired since Pope Gregory in 1400+ something.

JoanK · « **Reply #4813 on:** February 11, 2013, 05:08:35 PM »

Well, good for him to recognize that he needed to.

Finished "Don't Ever Grow Old" by Daniel Friedman: a first novel, I think. An 87 year old former cop who is mean as a snake, funny, and determined not to fit any of the stereotypes of older people. I hope friedman writes more.

Also read "Swift Edge" by Laura Desilverio, more of a cozy. Two mismatched women PIs. Picked it up because there is an ice skating theme, and I'm a fan. was disappointed that there wasn't more about skating. But I got a sample of the first book, "Swift Justice" for kindle.

And I'm finally reading "Murder at Pemberley" by PD James. I've heard such different reactions to it, and Autsenfile that I am, can't ignre it. But so far, very flat characterization and stodgy language.

Steph · « **Reply #4814 on:** February 12, 2013, 06:36:02 AM »

I like PD James, but that book has really gotten so many bad reviews, not sure I want to read it.
Am onto a Patricia Briggs.. Alpha and Omega series.. I do like her. This one is werewolves, fae and a serial killer..

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4815 on:** February 12, 2013, 08:31:09 AM »

I just heard on the radio today that someone is planning a screen (not sure if film or TV) adaptation of PD James's Death Comes to Pemberley.

It seems so unfair that someone famous can write a dreadful book and end up with a film deal, whereas there are so many other better books whose authors are unlikely to get that kind of break because they're not already 'bankable', as I believe the term is.

Rosemary

Babi · « **Reply #4816 on:** February 12, 2013, 09:36:34 AM »

ROSEMARY, maybe this will be one of those rare occasions where the movie is better than the book.
From what others have posted, I get the impression that wouldn't be hard.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4817 on:** February 12, 2013, 01:19:44 PM »

Well you never know Babi! And you're quite right, it couldn't be much worse.

Rosemary

JoanK · « **Reply #4818 on:** February 12, 2013, 03:45:50 PM »

it was mediocre, at best. Being based on Pride and Pedjudice, the comparisons are inevitable, and it certainly can't stand up to them! Half the book was just retelling the plot from Pride.

Steph · « **Reply #4819 on:** February 13, 2013, 06:11:47 AM »

My two lessons yesterday were one more for gnostic and one for Thomas.. Thomas sounds interesting. There is some discussion in religious circles, He is supposed to be a brother of Jesus and at that time was considered possibly his twin .(now that makes no sense). I gather that the book is sayings, some from Mathew,Mark and Luke, so others.. There is another lecture on him. Cannot figure out why he was considered a heresy.

Babi · « **Reply #4820 on:** February 14, 2013, 08:36:50 AM »

Never heard that one before, STEPH. James, the leader of the church at Jerusalem, was said to be a
brother of Jesus, but I never heard of Thomas considered as one. Since little is known about Thomas, a
good deal of dubious apocryphal stories rose about him. Maybe some of those stories came to be
considered a heresy...which would explain why we never heard of them. Hopefully, the second lecture
will make things a little clearer.

maryz · « **Reply #4821 on:** February 14, 2013, 12:53:59 PM »

Is this the "Doubting Thomas"?

MaryPage · « **Reply #4822 on:** February 14, 2013, 07:07:42 PM »

There were something over a hundred gospels written, and for many of them, despite the name of the author attached to them, historians of today are not absolutely sure they can properly identify the person. A lot of people with the same name is the main problem. Surnames were not in use yet in those days, but sometimes a town or a parent's name or an occupation could identify them pretty well. As in Jesus of Nazarath. Actually, this is an amazing number for a time when most folks were illiterate.

It is pretty obvious that many of the gospels were written down years after the stories laid out were supposed to have taken place, and were most often not from eye witnesses, but from the old grapevine. Lots of room for error there. Or not. One does not know.

The main thing that stops me in my tracks is that the Church would have chosen, some 400 years after the death of Jesus, only texts that fit in perfectly with the storyline adopted previously by the Church. Anything that varied in any way from the approved dogma would have been tossed out as heresy. For sure, this is a given.

JeanneP · « **Reply #4823 on:** February 14, 2013, 07:44:51 PM »

I think that if this "Thomas" was a twin it would have been well pubicised by now. I didn't know that the name Thomas went back that far.

Steph · « **Reply #4824 on:** February 15, 2013, 06:02:46 AM »

OK.. things I have learned.. Thomas means twin.. The man was really named Judas, so he wall called Thomas Judas in the writings. NO, he is not doubting Thomas.. Yes, in the early church, it was assumed that Jesus had several brothers. They were half brothers, sons of Mary and Joseph.. The twist with this Thomas was that some people believed him to be the twin of Jesus.. Their belief was Jesus was Gods son and Thomas was Joseph.. This particular book just uses sayings over a 100.. Many seem to say the same thing in a shorter version than Matthew Mark and John.. Some scholars believe that this was the original version and that the longer versions was filled out by Apostles and early protochristians.. No idea how true any of this was.

Babi · « **Reply #4825 on:** February 15, 2013, 09:04:43 AM »

Before I forget, STEPH, did you say who was presenting these lectures? I always like to know the source of
information, since it can make a difference in what is being said or taught.

Steph · « **Reply #4826 on:** February 16, 2013, 05:51:12 AM »

Again Babi, that is all down and I am up.. Ah to be on one level.. But I will remember and tell you.. I know he teaches in North Carolina but does not have a southern accent. The book sale is in full swing, so it is all I can do to move around.

Babi · « **Reply #4827 on:** February 16, 2013, 09:17:07 AM »

No rush, STEPH. I can wait until you're not so busy. I am intrigued by the 'he', though. Surely
one man hasn't produced this entire series of lectures.

JoanK · « **Reply #4828 on:** February 16, 2013, 03:39:55 PM »

Based on the suggestion here, read "the Ice Princess" and liked it a lot.While it deals with serious issues, it manages to avoid the air of overall depression found in other Scandiavian books I've read (such as those by Henning Mankell) I've ordered the second in the series, "The Prophet".

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #4829 on:** February 16, 2013, 03:45:46 PM »

I think the Prof. is Bart Ehrman. He has other lectures too, some of which I have. From No. Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Frybabe · « **Reply #4830 on:** February 16, 2013, 04:29:31 PM »

You are probably right, Tomereader, I noticed there was a lecture series by him. I read a little more than half of his book, Lost Christianities, before giving up. It got too tedious for me. I hope the lecture series is easier to grasp.

marjifay · « **Reply #4831 on:** February 17, 2013, 06:37:49 AM »

I read and found very interesting Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted; Revealing the Hidden Contradictions of the Bible.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #4832 on:** February 17, 2013, 07:07:41 AM »

yes, it is Ehrman. I put his short bio in Libraries. The lectures are interesting, but I generally play them twice.. He is good, but the subject is really complex, or at least it is for me.

marjifay · « **Reply #4833 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:14:58 AM »

Glad to see you liked Camilla Lackberg's The Ice Princess, JoanK. I've just started it, and am finding it a little slow going, but I will plod on. I read her book, The Stonecutter, which was recommended by MaryPage. It had a clever plot, but IMO was overly long (500 pp) with too many characters and red herrings.

The Yahoo group, 4_Mystery_Addicts, is discussing it (Feb. 15-20) and will be discussing the Preacher March 15-20. My favorite group for mystery book recommendations.

Marj

mabel1015j · « **Reply #4834 on:** February 17, 2013, 01:13:54 PM »

I thought i got the suggestion of Carol O'Connell here, but when i did a search the only mention was from Babi in 2009. Have i had it on my TBR list for that long?

JoanK · « **Reply #4835 on:** February 17, 2013, 02:01:24 PM »

"[Yahoo group]My favorite group for mystery book recommendations."

Sigh.

How does one join it?

marjifay · « **Reply #4836 on:** February 17, 2013, 06:32:55 PM »

I'm not computer adept enough to give you a link, JoanK. But just go to Yahoo, and type in "Yahoo Group - 4_Mystery_Addicts" This should take you to their website. Then click on "join this group."

I like the recommendations from Robert McKay of this group. But there are others with good recommendations also.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #4837 on:** February 18, 2013, 06:23:21 AM »

I read and love Carol o' Connel.. But her heroine is a strange strange person indeed..

Babi · « **Reply #4838 on:** February 18, 2013, 09:33:56 AM »

From what I see posted about all those piles of TBR's, JEAN, I wouldn't be at all surprised.
I don't even remember the book. I vaguely recognize the title "Mallory's Oracle", but have no idea what
it was about. Whatever did I say at the time, I might want to go back and read some more of them. $:-\$

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #4839 on:** February 18, 2013, 11:49:29 AM »

"Mallory" is indeed a strange person. Without the "goth" persona and extra-hideous childhood, I am reminded of Lizbet Salander in the Girl w/Dragon Tatoo books. The Carol OConnell books are well worth a read, and I would suggest you start with the first one if you can find it.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910216 times)