Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910181 times)

FlaJean · « **Reply #5040 on:** April 11, 2013, 03:02:26 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 Leader: JoanK

Maryz, I also got 100% Philadelphia and I was born and raised in VA. However, I have lived many places (have had 6 driver's licenses) but the closest to Philadelphia was the Md/DC area.

JoanK · « **Reply #5041 on:** April 11, 2013, 03:34:49 PM »

Never mind the accent, how about the river cruise. Is it nice? I've always wanted to go on one.

JoanK · « **Reply #5042 on:** April 11, 2013, 03:38:52 PM »

I've been reading a Sci-Fi book, something I don't usually do. It made me realize a big difference. Mysteries are plot and sometimes character driven. In the Sci fi, both of these are weak, and the strength is the description of the alternate universe the author created. It's taken me most of the book to reealize the difference and enjoy it.

maryz · « **Reply #5043 on:** April 11, 2013, 03:47:07 PM »

JoanK, the trip is very nice. Great food, very low key and casual. Only 63 on this trip. Very small cabins. We are spending more stopped time right now waiting for the weather front to pass, but fortunately with Internet connection. Trip is from New Orleans to Mobile, up the Mobile, Alabama, and Black Warrior Rivers, the Tennessee- Tombigbee waterway. Then down the Tennessee river to Land between the lakes, up the Cumberland river, ending in Nashville. 11 days. It's with Blount Small Ship Adventures.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5044 on:** April 11, 2013, 05:07:39 PM »

Quote

It made me realize a big difference. Mysteries are plot and sometimes character driven. In the Sci fi, both of these are weak, and the strength is the description of the alternate universe the author created.

Maybe in the particular book you are reading, JoanK. I think many SciFi books have a nice balance between plot and character. If most of what Gibson is doing is describing a "universe" with not much else, it must be pretty dull. My last SciFi marathon included books by Jack Campbell and Jack McDevitt. Both had some strong characters and plots. You get to know the main characters in some depth, especially in series books. Will they get to where they are going, find what they are looking for through all the plot twists to aid or thwart them?

Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population, is strongly character driven, I think. If you haven't read it, please check into it. It is about an older woman who stays behind on a planet when everyone else is moved. While there is description of her surroundings, what drives the story is how she interacts with her environment, learning to do things on her own, having the freedom to do things without anyone telling what she can and cannot do and when to do it. It's all up to her.

Steph · « **Reply #5045 on:** April 12, 2013, 06:23:40 AM »

Mary, how funny.. Philadelphia, but I don't know if you sound like Tennessee or not.. We had neighbors who came from a small town in Tennessee and wow, they had a real drawn out speech pattern with a lot of words that were new to me.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5046 on:** April 12, 2013, 12:32:01 PM »

I finally got the time to look at the accent quiz, they got me just right - northeast, Phila. Of course, 45 years ago might have been very different.

I agree with the comments on the second site - the map is way too simplistic. I grew up and went to college in Shippensburg, Pa. The students who came from the Phila area sounded very different from thse of us who grew up in the Cumberland Valley. They said "cauffee" and we said, and i still say, "caaffee". We said "waater" and i don't know how to write the way they said it. They sounded the words further back in their mouths than we did. I've gone a little tiward the Philly accent, but i still sound very different from my roommate who is from Swarthmore, altho interestingly, she stayed in the Cumberland Valley, so she's moved a little more toward that accent.

I've worked with a lot of Southerners in Dept of Army and many of husband's family are from the South, so i've gotten a little of that accent also.

Jean

Scottieluvr · « **Reply #5047 on:** April 12, 2013, 12:53:31 PM »

Quote from: mabel1015j on April 12, 2013, 12:32:01 PM

[...] I've worked with a lot of Southerners in Dept of Army and many of husband's family are from the South, so i've gotten a little of that accent also.

Jean

My step mother is true-blue South Carolina. I get around her and I'm twanging like native.

JoanK · « **Reply #5048 on:** April 12, 2013, 01:58:58 PM »

I'll look into Moon. Pat points out that Space Opera is plot driven. Mysteries vary of course:psychologicals are very character-driven.

We don't have the books that create an alternate universe like sci fi does, of course. I guess the nearest mystery equivelant would be "exotics" where the main interest is an interesting unfamiliar environment (e.g. Tony Hillerman and the Navahos or the Coroner's Lunch about Laos). But those don't use imagination in the same way.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5049 on:** April 12, 2013, 02:51:28 PM »

What about the books with alternative histories or realities, the "what if" universes. I know there are a few around, like the what if Germany had won WWII scenario. Where do they get pigeonholed? Well, I am answering my own question.

Wikipedia's explanation and book list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternate_history_fiction

Another explanation of Alternative History:
http://wiki.alternatehistory.com/doku.php/alternate_history_faq

Steph · « **Reply #5050 on:** April 13, 2013, 06:22:57 AM »

Alternate history is generally considered science fantasy.. There are a few very well known writers who work in the field. As a general rule, they feature, what if and then postulate a war ending differently.. But John?Hershey who wrote Hiroshima, also wrote a book that said that China took over the world. Very interesting.. I read it many many years ago and it was considered main stream, not science fiction.

pedln · « **Reply #5051 on:** April 13, 2013, 11:35:22 AM »

What about Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here, depicting an American senator becoming a Hitleresque leader of a totalitarian USA? Would that be considered Alernate History? That's a term I've never encountered. Interesting.

MaryZ, I'm glad you mentioned the river cruise company name. I'm going to check them out. Loved the River Barge Explorer when they were in business.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5052 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:41:01 PM »

I saw it listed in one of the alternative history lists or site, Pedln. Don't remember where though.

maryz · « **Reply #5053 on:** April 13, 2013, 09:50:50 PM »

Pedln, wish we could get river barge explorer back! They were the best!

Steph · « **Reply #5054 on:** April 14, 2013, 06:31:52 AM »

We had plans to do the river barge and then it was no more. I loved river cruises and the barge sounded really like fun.

JoanK · « **Reply #5055 on:** April 14, 2013, 04:26:26 PM »

Tommorrow we start The Moonstone, called the greatest English mystery story of all time. Come and join us.

meanwhile I'm reading "Love, Honor, and O'brian" by an Australian author unknown to me, Rowe. too many quirky characters, and too many subplots she's trying to tie together, but fun anyway. I'll look for more.

Steph · « **Reply #5056 on:** April 15, 2013, 06:22:31 AM »

No Moonstone for me. Read it twice, didn't like it either time.. He is not a favorite author of mine. I picked up a Robert Parker book that is written by someone named Ace? in the genre of Spencer.. The estate picked him.. Hmm. It does not have the general feel that Parker always did.Still I will keep going to see what happens.

marjifay · « **Reply #5057 on:** April 16, 2013, 10:07:20 AM »

I agree with Steph about Moonstone. Boring. I got about half-way thru it sometime ago and did not finish.

I'm now reading FORCE OF NATURE (A JOE PICKETT MYSTERY) by C. J. Box. The first book of his I've read. It was recommended by someone in another group, who said "Not only can Box keep the reader on the edge of his seat, he can write the h_ll out of a sentence. I agree!

Marge

marjifay · « **Reply #5058 on:** April 16, 2013, 11:38:20 AM »

I did, however, like Wilkie Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE. I was going to say too bad they aren't reading that one, but I see it was read here in 2007.

Marj

JeanneP · « **Reply #5059 on:** April 16, 2013, 01:22:13 PM »

Steph. Sounds like you are now close to moving. Did not take you long to find a new home. Even thinking of what I want to live in is hard for me. Keep saying next year will move.
I have been such a collector all my grownup life. None of mine Girls or Grands seem to be into collecting anything. One grandson likes antique things. Not furniture but I don't have much of that. African Carvings he will take for sure. Lots of Brass he maybe interested in. Come into lot for UK when aunt passed 4 years ago. Will be a sad time seeing my things go to Estates sales but I have enjoyed them all.

JoanK · « **Reply #5060 on:** April 16, 2013, 06:28:50 PM »

Just finished "The hanging Hill" by Mo Hayder. very well written, and I couldn't put it down, but it was too creepy for me. I won't read another of hers.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/mo-hayder/

Steph · « **Reply #5061 on:** April 17, 2013, 06:01:14 AM »

The Robert Parker .. Ace person who is writing the Spenser series.. I am reading it, but oh me, he is not Parker.. He takes forever to get to any point at all, other than threats from various want to be villains. Very disappointing..Dont think I will get any more by him. I did love Parker.

nlhome · « **Reply #5062 on:** April 17, 2013, 07:10:50 PM »

Just finished A Room full of Bones by Elly Griffiths. It was a treat to read a book in a matter of days. Will start Elegy for Eddie by J. Winspear tonight.

We are cleaning our my husband's mother's apartment because she moved into an assisted living facility. I am inspired to start throwing things out RIGHT NOW from our house - unfortunately we are storing her things in our basement until she decides what to do with them. It's amazing what a one-bedroom apartment will hold - I don't want to leave the contents of this 3-bedroom home for our children to sort through.

salan · « **Reply #5063 on:** April 18, 2013, 06:01:35 AM »

Just finished Touch of Light by Louise Penny. I do like the Gamache series!
Sally

Steph · « **Reply #5064 on:** April 18, 2013, 06:06:10 AM »

Have not read the latest one by Louise Penney.. Do like the series though. Still slogging through the Spenser book.

JoanK · « **Reply #5065 on:** April 18, 2013, 03:18:20 PM »

Thanks for the recommendation of "The Broken Teaglass." I'm reading it and loving it!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5066 on:** April 19, 2013, 03:21:56 AM »

ooh, just looked The Broken Teaglass up on Amazon, it looks fabulous. I might even buy it, as needless to say our library doesn't have it. Thanks for the recommendation Donnie and Joan K.

Joan, I have seen some of the Murder in Paradise series - Madeleine really likes it, but I found it a bit underwhelming (I couldn't understand the detective sometimes either, and I am English...)

I find many accents on TV difficult to understand - we sometimes put the subtitles on even for 'Vera' as Brenda Blethlyn has the Newcastle accent down to such a tee that it's almost a foreign language.

Roy Marsden was the perfect Dalgliesh so far as I am concerned. I enjoyed PD James' books, but I have to agree that my mother and I enjoyed the TV series more.

Donnie, I doubt if the police drink on the job any more, though it's true that many fictional British detectives seem to be alcoholics - viz Morse, Rebus, Vera.

The wonderful Lesa Holstein (lesasbookcritiques) has just posted a review of Jenn McKinlay's latest novel:

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/going-going-ganache-by-jenn-mckinlay.html

I haven't yet read any of hers myself, but if Lesa likes them I think I probably will too.

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #5067 on:** April 19, 2013, 06:11:08 AM »

Finished the Spencer novel and wont pick up any more. He does not have the Parker touch for me.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5068 on:** April 19, 2013, 12:50:34 PM »

OK, two votes I totally trust, so I have gone into Barnes & Noble and added The Broken Teaglass to my Wish List. One of my kin will gift it to me, fer sure!
Thanks!

JeanneP · « **Reply #5069 on:** April 19, 2013, 02:12:52 PM »

Rex Stout "The Broken Vase". Just ordered it in LP. They didn't have "Broken Teaglass in LP and so will give Stout a try. Seems like I use to read his books years ago. Think I am going to start going back a few years in Authors books as they seem to be loosing their talent in their new ones thesedays.

JoanK · « **Reply #5070 on:** April 19, 2013, 04:10:53 PM »

Not familiar with lesabookcritiques, but I've bookmarked for further notice.

The McKinlay books sound familiar: I may have a sample on my kindle. In defense of my losing weight project, I may try her library lovers series, instead of her cupcake store series:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/jenn-mckinlay/

JoanK · « **Reply #5071 on:** April 19, 2013, 04:19:03 PM »

Got a sample of her "Books can be Deceiving". can't let myself read it today: have to think of questions for the next part of The Moonstone.

Steph · « **Reply #5072 on:** April 20, 2013, 06:07:29 AM »

Reading another light vampire, romance and mystery.. Very light but sort of fun.. My daytime book is another nonfiction..Titled Beautiful Boy.. about a sons addiction and his fathers inability to grip what is happening. Interesting that although he did a lot of drugs when young himself, he cannot understand why the boy does not take his advice and not do any.. Sort of silly, when does a teen believe their parents..

JoanK · « **Reply #5073 on:** April 20, 2013, 12:57:28 PM »

Turns out I'd already read three of the McKindlay books. Ordered another.

Steph · « **Reply #5074 on:** April 21, 2013, 06:09:12 AM »

Beautiful Boy is odd and interesting. A true story.. The writer has had a hard time believing in his sons addiction.. it makes you wonder about how parents affect what their children may or may not do. From reading about the son, I think he showed signs early ( about 12) of having problems, but his father keeps insisting that he is just very special.. Now he is an older teen, the addiction is much much worse and the Dad is still thinking, things will get better and he will go to college. Hmm.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5075 on:** April 21, 2013, 09:32:20 AM »

Does anyone know this author, Cara Black? She is featured in Bookmarks magazine this month.
Apparently she has written 13 murder mysteries set in Paris. Because I have a daughter who lived for a year in Paris and goes back constantly, I am interested to know if you know this series and if you found them good.
Murder in the Marais
Murder in Belleville
Murder in the Sentier
Murder in the Bastille
Murder in Clichy
Murder in Montmartre
Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis
Murder in the Rue de Paradis
Murder in the Latin Quarter
Murder in the Palais Royal
Murder in Passy
Murder at the Lanterne Rouge
Murder below Montparnasse

Let me know. Again, the author is Cara Black

http://www.carablack.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cara_Black_(author)

Frybabe · « **Reply #5076 on:** April 21, 2013, 09:57:07 AM »

I never heard of her MaryPage, but on checking around, her books look interesting. She has a presence on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22663.Cara_Black if you want to see what she is reading and such. I noticed she is currently reading A Train in Winter... and another about the women of the occupation (Femmes Sous L'occupation) as well as others about the Nazi occupation.

I might look into one of her reads, Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris
by David King. It is non-fiction.

Addition: My library appears to have all her books, and many are checked out. It also has the David King book.

It is gorgeous out, sun shining, trees leafing, neighbors' pink cherry is in blossum, but it is only 40 and breezy still. I may venture out this afternoon if it stays sunny. I have some more raking to do.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5077 on:** April 21, 2013, 10:25:06 AM »

I replanted some tulips and daffodils yesterday - the legs don't work as well as they used to! Aaahhhhhh.

Reading Gramercy Park by Paula Cohen, an award winning book. Set in the 1890's in NYC, it feels like a Victorian novel in it's style. Altho it was in the "fiction" section, it definitely is a suspenseful mystery. A young women's past is dribbled out a bit at a time through different people's perspectives. I read it in bed before sleep and have more than once put it down not being sure i wanted to find out what happened to her, altho so far it's not been as bad as my imagination thought it might be.

it has a small opera component to it, if any of you are fans.

Jean

JoanK · « **Reply #5078 on:** April 21, 2013, 03:00:24 PM »

Sounds interesting, Jean.

think I may have read Cara Black. Sounds very familiar.

Read another McKinlay "Library lovers" book last night (thjey're short -- quick reads) and I remember her now. The detective is a librarian in a small town on the Connecticut coast. Notable for evoking the atmosphere of the seaside,otherwise fine but I wouldn't call them "best cozies." I'll read the cupcake one after I've eaten,

nlhome · « **Reply #5079 on:** April 21, 2013, 07:39:12 PM »

I read Murder in the Marais by Cara Black. I remember thinking I'd find another by her if I had time - never got around to looking, but now I think I will check more out.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910181 times)