Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 905971 times)

MaryPage · « **Reply #8000 on:** February 21, 2016, 08:04:43 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
Fantastic Fiction
Stop You're Killing Me

Discussion Leader: JoanK

The male of the human species is still made of primitive stuff. Makes me sick to my stomach.

MaryPage · « **Reply #8001 on:** February 21, 2016, 08:17:21 PM »

OK, if Steph and Joan think they're funny, they're funny, so I just ordered the first 4 books by Harley Jane Kozak in that series from Thriftbooks. Spent all of $16.08, so even if I do not like them, which is not likely, I haven't spent much.

Steph · « **Reply #8002 on:** February 22, 2016, 08:51:08 AM »

JoanK.. yes I agree that the deer population can get out of hand so easily.. So can bear and others, but always wild, never on a farm to be shot like an execution and then they brag like they are fearless. As I age, that sort of stupidity causes me to get up and leave where I am if they start talking like that. Too old to listen to people brag about killing.

JoanK · « **Reply #8003 on:** February 22, 2016, 06:59:46 PM »

OOPS, MARYPAGE. I haven't read them. I was responding to Steph. Now I have to get them.

JoanK · « **Reply #8004 on:** February 22, 2016, 07:07:05 PM »

Read another good (and unusual) first mystery:
"Recipes for Love and murder" by Sally Andrew.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/sally-andrew/

The narrator is an Afrikaans woman in South Africa who writes an advice column. People mail her their troubles, and she responds with advice and a recipe that will make them feel better.

It's a bit too long, and the middle drags a bit, but the ending makes up for it. It made me laugh, cry, and feel good. there is a glossary of the Afrikaans and African words she uses (including a complete list of swear words) but I stopped looking them up and just went with the flow. She usually translates.

MaryPage · « **Reply #8005 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:56:40 AM »

Sorry, Joan; I did not read closely enough. Oh well, Steph is quite reliable. And as I say, I did not even spend the price of one new hardback these days, and yet I got 4 paperbacks! I am more than willing to spend $16.08 on the chance I will enjoy a good chuckle or three.

Steph · « **Reply #8006 on:** February 23, 2016, 09:08:02 AM »

She is funny, not the worlds finest writer, but they are fun indeed.

JoanK · « **Reply #8007 on:** February 27, 2016, 05:34:48 PM »

Read the latest Christopher Fowler "Bryant and May and the Burning Man." Usually I like the the Peculiar Crimes Unit and it's peculiar members, but I had trouble slogging through this one. Bryant is getting Alzheimers, and becoming more pathetic by the page.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/christopher-fowler/

Steph · « **Reply #8008 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:20:46 AM »

I have read a few of the Peculiar Crimes. I forget how much fun they can be.

MaryPage · « **Reply #8009 on:** March 03, 2016, 11:34:56 AM »

Am currently reading the 12th in the D.C.I. BANKS series by Peter Robinson. Find it particularly interesting (AFTERMATH is the title) as for once I have seen the episode of the miniseries on PBS already. Usually it is the other way around. I give these books to one of my granddaughters just as soon as I have read them, but this morning I discovered I have nine (9) more on my shelf where I keep Robinson, and I know for a fact he has written more since I last caught up with buying them. Phew!

The reason I went into the living room and picked up the next Robinson in line is that our local PBS channel has announced via their monthly magazine that they will start broadcasting another Season of this series this month. Oh my; so many books, not enough time!

JoanK · « **Reply #8010 on:** March 03, 2016, 05:09:08 PM »

Tell me about it!

Yesterday, I realized I had three gift certificates to Barnes and Noble that I hadn't used. (two were presents and I won one in a raffle). So I bribed my daughter: if you go with me, I'll buy you a book and lunch at the café. So we burned through two of them, and I have something left on the third.

Books, chocolate cheesecake, and good company. What more do I need!

Frybabe · « **Reply #8011 on:** March 03, 2016, 07:39:11 PM »

That sounds absolutely delicious, JoanK. I just finished my little bit of decadence, a cup of bit cocoa sweetened (as if it Did't need more) with raspberry syrup and two Walker's shortbread cookies.

Steph · « **Reply #8012 on:** March 04, 2016, 08:22:08 AM »

Alas our Barnes and Noble closed.. and I dont want to go to Orlando to visit that one..So I am down to only on line and Thrift shops for books.. I miss the lovely browsing and the finding of new authors.

JoanK · « **Reply #8013 on:** March 04, 2016, 05:39:40 PM »

STEPH: yes, there's nothing like a bookstore. Borders is already gone, and Barnes and Noble is increasingly pushing their Nook.

I'm guilty, too. I love my kindle. It has a browse option: you can narrow down the subject, click on titles that interest you, and get the book cover blurb. If it still sounds interesting, you can get a free sample (usually the first three chapters).

within subject, they're organized by most popular. I usually click down a few pages to avoid the bestsellers.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8014 on:** March 04, 2016, 08:20:02 PM »

I miss my old Borders store terribly. And their on-line Book Club was a winner for me. They had 5 or 6 folks who read the book, and discussed it, sometimes with the author in attendance. Good stuff.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8015 on:** March 05, 2016, 06:41:41 AM »

Borders was good, Encore was even better here. Encore used to regularly hold performances by local jazz (and the like) bands, book discussions, poetry readings, and other interesting programs. Their layout was a bit better (for my tastes) than Borders and they had more seating interspersed. I don't recall a coffee shop, but then I would not have been interested it that anyway.

I may have gone into the Barnes and Noble two or three times since it opens years ago.

Steph · « **Reply #8016 on:** March 05, 2016, 08:58:03 AM »

I am deep in another Charles Todd. This is a mother and son team and I love their stuff. All about England and WWI and after. Bess is wonderful and their first Detective is growing on me, I have read all of hers and am now on the second book about Ian Rutledge.. Hamish is a bit much, but he is growing on me.

JoanK · « **Reply #8017 on:** March 05, 2016, 04:31:37 PM »

A mother and son team writing a book. wow!

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/t/charles-todd/

I've read some of the Bess Crawford books, but not the Ian Rutledge.

Steph · « **Reply #8018 on:** March 06, 2016, 10:46:54 AM »

Ian has what is called now PTSD. but was simply shell shock at that time and he has a truly good reason for it. He is a policeman and so you get the procedurals from that time and the village characters. I am enjoying him. But I still love Bess the best.

marjifay · « **Reply #8019 on:** March 07, 2016, 07:16:58 AM »

My favorite online bookstore is Politics and Prose. They are in Washington D.C. Much of their reading is nonfiction (politics, of course), but they also have some interesting fiction. I have gotten many good recommendations from them.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #8020 on:** March 07, 2016, 08:42:06 AM »

There are some wonderful books store in the U.S. I kept long lists when in the RV and we would go out of our way for a large one.. Then when we did some west coast stuff, I had a feast..Seattle, Portland,Sacramento.. all have wonderful book stores.. Ah, the joys of a good book store.

marcie · « **Reply #8021 on:** March 07, 2016, 09:02:24 PM »

Steph, do you have recommendations for a bookstore(s) in Sacramento?

Steph · « **Reply #8022 on:** March 08, 2016, 08:52:22 AM »

This was a while ago, but here it is.. via bookmark.... Capital Crimes Mystery Bookstore, 906 2nd St. Old Sacramento,Ca. 95814 916-441-4798 open every day 11-5:30 and I believe they shipped.
Was in a mood yesterday, so went digging in my TBR.. So I am just starting Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia Macneal. Its fun at this point.. Someone recommended the author a while ago and I got the book and then it sifted down, so now I am trying it. I think I was only able to find this one. and that was from Thriftbooks.com

JoanK · « **Reply #8023 on:** March 08, 2016, 04:45:02 PM »

STEPH: let us know how you like Princess Elizabeth's Spy. It's in the middle of a series, if you like it, here are the others.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/susan-elia-macneal/

I really relate to the main character, Maggie Hope. Before wwII, she graduated with a degree in mathematics, but the only job she could get is as a secretary. During the series, she works her way up to being a spy.

In the fifties, I graduated with a degree in mathematics, and the only job I could get was working a calculator. But then my office got one of the earliest computers. They were too cheap to hire programmers, so they trained me. That's how I became one of the early computer programmers.

Steph · « **Reply #8024 on:** March 09, 2016, 08:35:43 AM »

Was finishing off a Charles Todd on my Kindle yesterday. Ian is a strange man indeed and Hamish seems to be with him no matter what.. Not sure I like that, but the mystery was a good one.. I really did not think of the murdered as a suspect at all.. Today is a Disney Day. Another widowed friend and I are going out to Epcot..It is Flower and Garden Festival time and I love it.. I have a Florida seasonal pass, so I go to Epcot for several festivals and have decided to spread out a bit this year and visit some of the other parks.. Have not been to Animal Kingdom or the Magic Kingdom since mdh and I used to go so much.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #8025 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:01:04 PM »

Wow - I really think we need to know this - The work that is done to make this the site we have grown to trust and love needs to be told - we should not take for granted the volunteer effort by those who protect us from behind the scenes.

Message this morning from Ginny, Administrator...

Quote

I came in, tho, to tell you what Marcie has done which has made such a HUGE difference to those who have to go after the spammers. She's incorporated a captcha thing which forces the bot trying to register to choose photos in response to a text question or something, it's brilliant.

Since the day she put it up there has not been one more spammer@!!!!!! NOT ONE! It's a miracle to come in here and not see on the top left hand of the page the numbers of "people" waiting to be hand checked. And if you would skip a day it would take forever to clear them. And on holidays it was a nightmare.

Getting rid of these scumbags is a tiring job. They sometimes sneaked in anyhow and Jane has been patiently winnowing them out. So great is the difference that the check for Spammers thing no longer comes up and I can't see how many we have manually removed but it was something like 248,000 or something. Jane or Marcie may know how to access that check screen, I don't, and quite frankly I hope I never see it again, but isn't that marvelous?

A lot safer for us, too, since the bots can't see the emails unless they are registered.

So hooray for Marcie for doing this and for Marcie and Jane ALL THESE YEARS manually getting rid of these people who need a job instead of trying to cheat us all. The last bit was from Russia I think?

Jane, Administrator

Quote

Incredible...but the number now is:

266852 Spammers blocked up until today

JoanK · « **Reply #8026 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:01:42 PM »

How nice, STEPH. I've never been to the Disney park near us: thought of it as only rides for kids. I see it's more than that.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8027 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:03:12 PM »

I guess I just never saw a "spam count" anywhere. But good, now I won't have to!!

maryz · « **Reply #8028 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:08:16 PM »

I've never seen/gotten any spam from or on this site. And I certainly want to add my thanks to Marcie and jane for keeping us safe.

JoanK · « **Reply #8029 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:10:33 PM »

Isn't that amazing! and frightening! Marcie, Jane and Ginny do such great work keeping this site going, and we never see most of it.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #8030 on:** March 09, 2016, 06:58:36 PM »

Thanks Marcie, Jane and Ginny!!

Steph · « **Reply #8031 on:** March 10, 2016, 08:26:34 AM »

Epcot was truly lovely yesterday and not so mobbed as normal. The things they can do with flowers it amazing. Did not care for the butterfly house.. Went to Buchart Gardens in Canada some years ago, now that is a true butterfly house and I have some wonderful pictures of my husband and butterfliles all up and down his arms.. But the foliage and all of the figures at Epcot just now are great.. Yes, there are so many different things at Disney.. Many adult things.. especially in the fall for the wine and food festival at Epcot. I go and eat my way at kiosks all around the world.. lovely indeed. Only time I get to find snails.. since the French always have them at their booth.

JoanK · « **Reply #8032 on:** March 10, 2016, 03:26:26 PM »

It sounds lovely.

Steph · « **Reply #8033 on:** March 11, 2016, 08:16:15 AM »

am 2/3 through the Princess Elizabeth book.. I will look for more by her, even though she has her heroine doing things that are very dramatic for a spy.

MaryPage · « **Reply #8034 on:** March 14, 2016, 09:26:15 AM »

I guess y'all have seen the ads, my gosh, they are impossible to miss: TIME has a full page this week; BOSCH is the name of a new TV series being streamed by Prime Amazon. I don't stream, but I do hope to catch at least the first episode somehow, somewhere. Michael Connelly's books. I read about four of the series, and then gave up because they were just so unremittingly grim. Even so, I would like to see what the screenwriters have done with him.

Frybabe · « **Reply #8035 on:** March 14, 2016, 11:56:22 AM »

MaryPage I haven't watched Bosch and only one of Mozart in the Jungle. The one I've been watching is Alpha House. Starring John Goodman and a couple other faces you'd recognize, it is only a half hour. Bill Murray, Penn Jillette and Wanda Sikes all show up from time to time. Mozart in the Jungle includes Bernette Peters and Malcolm McDowell in their cast. I recognize the face of the star of Bosch, but not his name. Alpha House has been on since 2013, the other two began in 2014.

I see that Amazon has teamed up with New Yorker Magazine to present a new series. I haven't watched any of them yet either. I'm woefully behind in my shows.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #8036 on:** March 14, 2016, 04:49:50 PM »

Frybabe I understand your talking about having so many shows backed up to watch.
I have literally hundreds of things on my DVR already watch but my heart has been taken over by my new smart TV.What fun every streaming device. There is Netflix, Amazon and amazon prime. I am I prime member so I find good things an it, and Hulu. I love clicking on a show and I thought you had to watc h one show at a time AHA not so you watch the whole series.
Did anyone watch Downtown Abbey final show last night? WONDERFUL

MaryPage · « **Reply #8037 on:** March 14, 2016, 05:09:24 PM »

I ordered the set of DVDs, I always do and now have all six seasons on hand, and they came weeks ago, before Becky left to go back to Missouri on February 8th, as a matter of fact, and so she and I watched together. And I have now watched it 3 times. I will never tire of it. Very satisfactory.

Steph · « **Reply #8038 on:** March 15, 2016, 08:34:10 AM »

I am watching the second season of Mozart and love it.. The male star is very interesting in an odd sort of way. Bernadette is great as always, even though she is mostly a musical comedy sort of lady.. I love Harry Bosch and will dip into it sometime soon.. Did the New Yorker last night, but it is a magazine translated to the screen and not sure if I will watch any more.Amazon Prime is making my heart sing..

MaryPage · « **Reply #8039 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:22:49 PM »

Do let me know about the Bosch, Steph. I will be all ears (eyes?)

I am having a ball. My cleaning ladies "did" all of my living room bookshelves wnen they came on Monday. They always do a great job of my apartment, and then, if they have the time to spare, they do an "extra," which consists of "deep cleaning" something. So yesterday it was the bookshelves. And later in the day, I had finished my reading and decided I wanted something really light to chase away the grim realities of the world today. I looked all through the stacks of titles in my bedroom, where all the "next to be read" reside, and nothing appealed, not even Mrs. Jeffries or Aunt Dimity. So I turned to one of the 2 shelves in the living room that are dedicated to paperback mysteries I HAVE NOT READ YET. These deep shelves are 3 rows of paperbacks deep, and I have kept them alphabetically. My eyes fell on a Charlotte MacLeod collection of stories by well known, back in the day, authors. Hadn't laid eyes on it in years. Bought it, and every other book on hand, because I wanted to read it, but you know how it is. You buy too many, and some get put aside for later, and more pile in behind, as you continue to buy faster than you can read. Heaven forbid you should MISS anything. But Rubia, who had been perfect insofar as doing only one shelf at a time and thereby returning the same books to each shelf, had failed to notice they had been alphabetical. So this MacLeod was on the front. The pages are BRITTLE, my dears, and almost sepia in color. But I grabbed it and, as I say, have had my spirits lifted no end. The very first story is one of her own, and I am so enjoying her outstanding excellence. The title of the book is Mistletoe Mysteries. Bet you can get it for free these days on Kindle or some such.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 905971 times)