Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910421 times)

maryz · « **Reply #7240 on:** March 01, 2015, 11:20:59 AM »

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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

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Thanks, Steph - I'll look it up.

FlaJean · « **Reply #7241 on:** March 01, 2015, 01:10:34 PM »

I like those books. Will look for that one.

JoanK · « **Reply #7242 on:** March 01, 2015, 03:32:59 PM »

STEPH: is that by J A Jance?

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/j/j-a-jance/queen-of-night.htm

Steph · « **Reply #7243 on:** March 02, 2015, 08:50:04 AM »

Yes, That's a Jance.. It is one of a small series on the Walker family, but the first one I have ever read. I picked it up because of the Indian sub title thing. Excellent book in so many ways.. Lots of Indian myth stories of creation that I love.

maryz · « **Reply #7244 on:** March 02, 2015, 11:24:21 AM »

Queen of the Night is the fourth in a series of four (so far, I guess) - written in 2009 and 2010 (according to Amazon and another web site).

salan · « **Reply #7245 on:** March 02, 2015, 07:48:30 PM »

Thanks for reminding me about J.A. Jance, Steph. It's been a long time since I read her, & have now downloaded a couple.
Sally

Steph · « **Reply #7246 on:** March 03, 2015, 09:17:12 AM »

I have been trying on a very very strange book.. The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault.. I like the idea, but the execution is sloooooow.. Will stop and pick up something a bit more to the point today.

Frybabe · « **Reply #7247 on:** March 11, 2015, 02:16:08 PM »

Reading Ruth Downie's fourth Medicus book, Caveat Emptor, she included a description of a "mansio" which had glass windows. Glass windows in 2nd century Britain I asked myself? The search was on. I discovered that glass window panes were first used in Egypt by the Romans about100AD. So yes, it is possible, but a stretch for me to believe that a hotel/inn would have glass windows, especially one miles from London.

My Amazon book newsletter, today, includes a book by Soranus of Ephesus on Gynecology. Soranus was a physician who practiced in the 2nd century AD. I got curious about this one because the Medicus's wife is a midwife. Unfortunately, Project Gutenberg does not have a translation of the book. I did run across some articles about his writings. Well, now I know that attitudes about pregnancy from rape and what constitutes "legitimate rape" have a very long history. Soranus believed that it was impossible for a woman to get pregnant if she did not have a "desire". He further believed that body and mind being separate, even if the woman did not desire cognitively, she could still get pregnant if her body desired. The body trumps the mind in his view. You can see where this is going with rape cases can't you? No doesn't mean no male attitudes/excuses, etc. Soranus writings, according to one account I read, were insturmental to midwifery up into the middle ages.

JoanK · « **Reply #7248 on:** March 11, 2015, 03:35:18 PM »

FRY: glass windows? Who would have thought? I read that book, and it blew right by me.

" attitudes about pregnancy from rape and what constitutes "legitimate rape" have a very long history." Grrrrr. A doctor friend tells me there is NO basis for the belief that a rape victim can't get pregnant if she doesn't enjoy it. It makes me furious!!

Frybabe · « **Reply #7249 on:** March 11, 2015, 07:22:43 PM »

My sister was telling me that Akins(?) guy who lost his congressional seat tried to use a similar argument. So, the ancients, so enlightened in some areas believed that women's minds are weak and that we have no control over our bodies. Thinking has changed, but ever so slowly and is constantly in danger of slipping back if we are not vigilant or vocal enough.

Steph · « **Reply #7250 on:** March 12, 2015, 08:27:59 AM »

Been digging about in my tbr pile.. Found Caleb Carr's "The Italian Secretary".. Sherlock Holmes.. Mary,Queen of Scots,, wahoo.. Wild ride indeed.

Frybabe · « **Reply #7251 on:** March 12, 2015, 09:45:51 AM »

Which Mary Queen of Scots book do you have, Steph?

I was just looking at Conan-Doyle's bibliography. What a list: poetry, an operetta, non-fiction, memoirs, dramatizations (which includes The Speckled Band), lots of other non-Sherlock short stories and some non-Sherlock novels.

Steph · « **Reply #7252 on:** March 13, 2015, 02:26:53 PM »

No, I meant that I found Caleb Carrs,, The Italian Secretary,,, It has Mary, Queen of Scots, the whole Holyrood House stuff and is about Sherlock Holmes solving a mystery there, but Sherlock, it seems had some firm ideas of Mary and her entourage, Not sure I agree with Sherlock, but he seemed taken with her.

JoanK · « **Reply #7253 on:** March 13, 2015, 03:29:27 PM »

I assume taken with her memory, since they didn't live at the same time.

Been tied up with Emma, and haven't read any mysteries worth mentioning. Read one definitely NOT worth mentioning, with the worst motive I've ever heard. So-and-so "is the only one without a motive, so she must have done it." Huh? So they go and arrest her, and she confesses.

I'll spare you the name!

Frybabe · « **Reply #7254 on:** March 14, 2015, 07:04:15 AM »

Sorry Steph. I misunderstood what you were saying. I never heard of Caleb Carr so will look him up.

Ah, he is the son of Lucien Carr who was associated with the Beat Generation, friend of Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg, and long-time editor for UPI. Lucian was convicted of killing a guy named Kammerer who, allegedly, stalked and sexually harrassed him for years. An interesting story. Apparently there was a Fictionalized and romantasized movie version of the events, Kill Your Darlings(2013). Another fictional retelling of the events is Kerouac's The Town and the City. Does anyone rememeber these?

Steph · « **Reply #7255 on:** March 14, 2015, 08:38:23 AM »

No, but Caleb is an interesting writer on his own. Sherlock was at Holyrood and talking of the Queen and the stories of the ghost of Rizzo.. Interesting book, since I had been in the venues he was talking of. Caleb has written a fascinating story of Teddy Roosevelt when he was commissioner of Police in NYC..

JoanK · « **Reply #7256 on:** March 14, 2015, 04:34:13 PM »

Yes. "The Alienist" is the book with Teddy Roosevelt as head of the NY police force.. In the sequel, If I remember, Teddy has already moved on to Secretary of the Navy, but appears briefly. Full of the sights and sounds of New York of that period, one of the most interesting in our history. I've always regretted that he didn't continue the series.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/caleb-carr/

Frybabe · « **Reply #7257 on:** March 14, 2015, 04:51:16 PM »

Still enjoying the Medicus series. I've just started listening to the audio CD (the only thing the library had) for Semper Fidelis. It is set in Eboracum which now York. This is the next to last one in the series, so far. I do hope there will be more, but I see no menhtion on her website. Apparently Downie has a Facbook page set up for Ruso and Tilla. Ever so slightly tempting, but not enough to get me onto it.

I was trying to see if Caleb Carr had anything new coming up too. No mention of anything that I can see. Like you, Steph, there are others who are waiting (and waiting) for a sequel, according to what I read on Amazon's forum. I just signed up for Simon and Shuster's mailing list, so maybe something with pop up there.Also noted, that his last book, The Legend of Broken, received much criticism from the NYTimes back in 2013.

Steph · « **Reply #7258 on:** March 15, 2015, 09:15:53 AM »

The Alienist is by far his best book, but I have read most if not all of what he has written. But oh Teddy felt so very very real.

Frybabe · « **Reply #7259 on:** March 17, 2015, 07:48:33 PM »

Wow! What an exciting climax to Semper Fidelis. Featured players included Emporer Hadirian and his wife, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (THE Suetonius), and Gaius Septicius Clarus, who was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard.

Steph · « **Reply #7260 on:** March 18, 2015, 08:49:10 AM »

I like the series, but don't have that one yet. I did finish the 3rd Estelle Ryan.. I like the teen who is about to give Jenny a wild ride indeed, I suspect.

JoanK · « **Reply #7261 on:** March 18, 2015, 02:30:14 PM »

I don't know that series. is Estelle Ryan the author or the detective?

Steph · « **Reply #7262 on:** March 19, 2015, 08:18:07 AM »

Estelle Ryan is the author,I think they are only ebooks . Dr. Genevieve Lenard...is autistic, a genius and reads people by watching and analyzing. She is very very quirky and the mysteries are all Art ones. Fun.. and you learn a lot about autism in its many forms.

MaryPage · « **Reply #7263 on:** March 19, 2015, 09:26:09 AM »

No! No! No!

The author is NOT only in E books! I bought the entire series, to date, from Barnes and Noble. Estelle Ryan wrote THE GAUGUIN CONNECTION, which we all recently read together. How quickly we forget!

She also wrote The Dante Connection, The Braque Connection, The Flinck Connection, The Courbet Connection, and The Pucelle Connection. I have them ALL. Books. On my bookshelves. I do not like to read E books.

http://www.estelleryan.com/

FlaJean · « **Reply #7264 on:** March 19, 2015, 12:00:06 PM »

I've read three of JM Gregson's books---enjoyed both series. The Inspector Peach mystery "A Little Learning" gave me some real laugh-out-loud moments.

I saw the final Poirot mystery (Curtain: Poirot's last Mystery) on PBS the other night. The first part didn't really make sense to me so I am getting the book from the library today. I think if I had read the book first it would have been more understandable and enjoyable.

JoanK · « **Reply #7265 on:** March 19, 2015, 03:23:30 PM »

Oh duh! (head slap). My bad memory for names strikes again. Of course I read the Gauguin Collection with you all, and the Dante Collection.

JoanK · « **Reply #7266 on:** March 19, 2015, 03:25:27 PM »

I didn't want to read "Final Curtain", but finally did. Christie wrote it midcareer, with instructions to only publish it after her death.

Steph · « **Reply #7267 on:** March 20, 2015, 08:37:43 AM »

I like The Braque Connection the most of Ryans thus far. I honestly did not remember it came in hard copy as well. But I enjoy her and have all of them on my Kindle.

FlaJean · « **Reply #7268 on:** March 21, 2015, 01:11:00 PM »

I finished Final Curtain. The PBS video version followed the book fairly closely. However reading the book includes many details that couldn't be covered in the video and made the beginning more understandable (at least for me).

Steph · « **Reply #7269 on:** March 22, 2015, 09:17:40 AM »

I loved Christie, but not Poiret.

MaryPage · « **Reply #7270 on:** March 24, 2015, 03:52:51 PM »

Ditto!

JoanK · « **Reply #7271 on:** March 24, 2015, 04:44:18 PM »

I think Christie felt the same way. She has her fictional mystery author, Ariadne Oliver, always complaining that she doesn't like her detective.

Steph · « **Reply #7272 on:** March 25, 2015, 08:46:14 AM »

Joan K.. I did laugh, but then I remembered reading that as well. I want to go to Christies house in England, the next time I visit. It is supposed to be open to visiters now..

marjifay · « **Reply #7273 on:** March 29, 2015, 11:56:04 AM »

Hercule Poirot is my favorite Christie detective. Her female detective (can't think of her name) I find pretty boring.

I just finished a great mystery/thriller by Michael Robotham: Life or Death. Excellent writer, and a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat - hard to put down. This is my first Robotham, but certainly won't be my last!

Marj

JoanK · « **Reply #7274 on:** March 29, 2015, 03:27:10 PM »

It does sound intriguing!

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/michael-robotham/life-or-death.htm

mabel1015j · « **Reply #7275 on:** March 29, 2015, 10:52:31 PM »

I posted this first part on "fiction" about a week ago.......

Our church book group is reading Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottolini for discussion next Sun. I started it at the beginning of last week. I won't give anything away, but it is the kind of circumstance that any parent might find themselves in, especially through your children's teenage years. My children are way beyond teenagers, but, of course, even as adults we worry about them getting caught up in unsettling events. I had to put it down last week for i had an important event on Thurs night at which i had to make a speech which had to be coordinated with four other women's speeches. Reading the book was adding stress to the week. But i picked it up on Sat night and it's quite an interesting read, making the reader think "what would i have done at step 1, step 2, etc" as the events unroll.

It's not the typical LS "women's law firm" book. Something quite different.

i have now finished the book. It is a super book for a book discussion, because we have all been in the situation of having to make a quick decision, that may or may not be ethical, or even slightly criminal. This book takes that situation and spins it out if control. Some in our group said they coildn't put it down. It wasn't that compelling to me, but it was a good read. LS set up several good relationships, all with some kind of tension. Father/son; husband/wife; mother/son and another that i won't give away.

Jean

Steph · « **Reply #7276 on:** March 30, 2015, 09:15:17 AM »

I like her, so will look for the book. After all she owns a corgi, so she must be true and good.

marjifay · « **Reply #7277 on:** March 30, 2015, 10:48:00 AM »

I just finished a terrific mystery/thriller by Michael Robotham: LIFE OR DEATH. No one can figure out why a man who had been sentenced to prison for 10 years would escape the night before he is scheduled to be released. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Excellent writing! This was my first book by Rorotham, but it sure won't be my last.

Marj

FlaJean · « **Reply #7278 on:** March 30, 2015, 01:49:24 PM »

Our library has the new Donna Leon Guido Brunetti book ordered "Falling in Love" and also the new Margaret Maron Deborah Knott book "Long Upon the Land". They will be published in April. It will be awhile before I read them as I am #8 on one list and #5 on the other.

There is also a new Susan Wittig Albert China Bayles book "Bittersweet" coming out in April but so far the library hasn't ordered that one.

Steph · « **Reply #7279 on:** March 31, 2015, 09:01:18 AM »

I love Maron, so always look for her.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 910421 times)