Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 881394 times)

Steph · « **Reply #960 on:** June 18, 2010, 01:46:09 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 Leaders: BillH and JoanK

Aha.. Russian is the second book of the Tallman series.. Just found a note to myself. I read it first, but it was the second. Then I read the first one..Sigh..Sorry for the confusion.

joegreyfan · « **Reply #961 on:** June 18, 2010, 02:51:13 PM »

Jane, yes, go ahead and delete the gkcfan user name. I won't be using it.

joegreyfan · « **Reply #962 on:** June 18, 2010, 03:01:15 PM »

PatH, I'm reading a mystery right now, but I will be seeing you soon at SF & Fantasy too.

JoanK, I've just started Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke. I enjoyed the first book, Dead Connection, in her Ellie Hatcher series, and so far I like this one too.

JoanK · « **Reply #963 on:** June 18, 2010, 03:16:17 PM »

Great! Two new authors to try. I'm not familiar with either Alafair Burke or Shirley Tallman.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #964 on:** June 18, 2010, 05:51:23 PM »

Another historical mystery series set in San Francisco about about a feisty female is the Fremont Jones tales by Dianne Day. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/d/dianne-day/ Fremont comes from wealth back east but she wants to be a typewritist(?). The sense of place is very strong and Fremont is a genuine character. Too bad she wrote so few.

Steph · « **Reply #965 on:** June 19, 2010, 05:43:27 AM »

Yes, I loved Fremont and the series is small but choice. A nice feel for San Francisco and she also journeys back to Boston where she came from and that is good for the feel there.

JoanK · « **Reply #966 on:** June 19, 2010, 01:46:00 PM »

Got me again. But this one was only $1.90.

pedln · « **Reply #967 on:** June 20, 2010, 12:18:57 AM »

Welcome back joegreyfan, glad you found us.

Lots of new authors mentioned here. Terrific. I’ve not yet met Alifair Burke or Shirley Tallman or Dianne Day. I do enjoy the Donna Leon series– my DIL could be Paola, JoanK. They must be blessed with an extra cooking gene that lets them tackle any kind of food preparation, no matter how tedious.

I just finished reading my first Harlan Coben – Hold Tight. Lots of characters, a novel of connections with lots to think about. Hard to put down. The focus was on teenagers, which I found very timely, as I was attending my grandson’s hs graduation. You look at all these young people and think, “would they do that?” Coben has just come out with a new title – Caught.

Is it just a rumor, or did I read somewhere that there may be an unfinished Stieg Larsson? Did anyone else see that?

Steph · « **Reply #968 on:** June 20, 2010, 06:09:27 AM »

oben writes wonderful books.
Both his Myron Bolitar series and the stand alones. I have read every single one of his. MDH turned me on to him.. He said that even though it wasnt a female author, I would probably like the books and he was right.

Frybabe · « **Reply #969 on:** June 20, 2010, 08:08:44 AM »

Pedln:

The newspapers have been reporting the fourth novel as 3/4 finished. The fight over the computer and manuscript is a bit involved. The first article is rather extensive, but it gives a lot of background on Larsson and his live-in's involvement with the novels as well as why she does not want to give it up to his family. Very interesting reading. The second is a short article about some early unpublished writings that were found.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/magazine/23Larsson-t.html?pagewanted=1

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/unpublished-manuscripts-by-stieg-larsson-are-found/

pedln · « **Reply #970 on:** June 20, 2010, 12:32:57 PM »

Frybabe, I've scanned that article a couple of times now, but have not found something that I read earlier about Larsson and Gabrielsson. Some article, I don't remember where, told how the two had plans to marry, but because of Larsson's writings about financial situations, they were advised, for safety reasons, to keep a low profile. So they put off their wedding plans.

Very intriguing -- her comments about "yes, he wrote the book, but it's not that simple." Did she have input? I wouldn't be surprised if she has a book in her, sometime down the road, about her life with Larsson.

I've seen the film, have not yet read the book.

joegreyfan · « **Reply #971 on:** June 20, 2010, 07:36:51 PM »

I recently read an article that said Stieg Larsson and his fiancee had definite plans to get married, but decided not to because of death threats he'd received because of his anti-fascist writing. In Sweden, married couples are required to make their addresses public, so being married to Larsson would have been dangerous for her.

Pedln, I read Harlan Coben's Caught recently. Loved it!

I also loved all three of Larsson's books. I hear the movie of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is excellent.

Did you know that the Swedish title of Dragon Tattoo is Men Who Hate Women? Somehow I doubt that title would have gone over very well here in the U.S. (or in the U.K.).

Steph · « **Reply #972 on:** June 21, 2010, 05:48:20 AM »

I finished a very light mystery..Death in Show by Judi McCoy.. Not bad, a bit drawn out though. About a dogwalker, who participated in a big time dog show.. Not likely actually, but fun in parts.

marjifay · « **Reply #973 on:** June 21, 2010, 11:40:57 AM »

I'm reading a good Jack Reacher mystery/thriller by Lee Child-- 61 HOURS. If any of you are bothered by hot June weather, read this. It's set in the middle of winter in South Dakota during several snow storms, and I guarantee it will give you chills!

Marj

mabel1015j · « **Reply #974 on:** June 21, 2010, 01:43:35 PM »

Just finished Mary Jane Clark's Do You Promise Not to Tell, the second Farrell Slater, tv producer, book. The story was about fake Faberge works. It was good.

I've started Jane Isenberg's Hot Wired, one of the series of 50-something Bel BArrett who is an English prof at a community college in Hoboken, NJ. This is my second book in the series. One of the reviews said Bel Barrett is Evanovich's Stephanie Plum 25 yrs later - sassy and brassy." I don't know if she's as sassy and brassy as SP, but i enjoy her. Isenberg throws in a lot of the issues of a 50/60-something: looking out for her Mother, new second marriage to a man who is retired, grown children, besides her job and the students she teaches. Plus, knowing the north Jersey area, i enjoy her touches of the environment, as i enjoy Evanovich's touches of mid and southern Jersey.

I've also started a Donald Westlake book, my first of his. I've got to get used to the criminals being the lead characters. I enjoy the humor.

Steph · « **Reply #975 on:** June 22, 2010, 05:56:25 AM »

I have read at least two of the Bel books.. by Isenberg.. Fun, but not Stephanie Plum.. For older women,, I love the series about the cancer survivor in Annapolis.. Now if I could just dig the name out of this stupid brain.. Oh well. good series.

Babi · « **Reply #976 on:** June 22, 2010, 08:26:32 AM »

Donald Westlake is fun. He is one my son and I both enjoy.

I've always been too susceptible to books about severe cold, MARJ.
Won't read one in winter. Now that my ac can't keep out all the heat,
it might be the ideal time to read something like 61 Hours.

JoanK · « **Reply #977 on:** June 22, 2010, 05:28:41 PM »

Funny you should mention Jane Isenberg just now. I was looking through my bookshelf a few days ago, and found a book I had no memory of at all: Jane Isenberg's "Death in a Hot Flash". I read and enjoyed it, but when I came to the end I saw a stamp "Please return to the Upper Montgomery County Senior Center". Upper Montgomery County is where I moved from 3 and a half years ago -- it is now almost 3000 miles away. My librarian mother is tuning over in her grave.

This is the second in the series-- I'm glad to here there are 50, I liked it. I like her commitment to Community Colleges. They are considered the basement of college teaching by university professors, but as she says, that is where you can really make a difference.

Steph · « **Reply #978 on:** June 23, 2010, 05:48:38 AM »

I do agree that it was great to hear about the community colleges. Generally its always colleges and mostly ivy.. I just finished The Scarecrow by Michael Conelly. I do like him. One of the few hard core types I read. This one was not Harry, but Jack, the reporter and Rachel.. The FBI woman.. Good book.. Scarybecause the computer stuff is quite accurate.

Babi · « **Reply #979 on:** June 23, 2010, 09:12:56 AM »

The more I hear about the harm and damage a hacker could do, the
worse it sounds. It's really alarming. Sounds like the best defense is
to find the best hackers and put them to work protecting the system.

Steph · « **Reply #980 on:** June 24, 2010, 06:00:11 AM »

In the Scarecrow, it is interesting but horrible what kind of information th e man got.. Hackers are not prone to law and order.. Then again why should they. Just now I am getting at least three fake messages a week from someone saying they are Bank of America.. I got in touch with them through their website( the real Bank of America) and they are hackers. I tried to track their address, but could not get past the first guard.

Babi · « **Reply #981 on:** June 24, 2010, 09:46:14 AM »

Let's hope Bank of America has better luck. My bank once responded to this problem by e-mailing all it's clients a warning about the hacker. Valerie and I are
both very careful about not responding to any request for personal information.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #982 on:** June 24, 2010, 05:09:44 PM »

The subject of my sense of humor has come up here in the past so this is a caveat. Sophie Littlefield has a new one; she wrote A Bad Day for Sorry where we met Stella Hardesty who is a one woman vigilante gang attempting to wrest abused wives from their tormentors. It started when she, defending herself, cured her husband of abusing her permanently by bashing him over the head with a wrench. He's taking a dirt nap now and she realized that to successfully demonstrate to bully husband who abuse that their day had passes, she used her trusty baseball bat to make her point. Sounds grim but to me its funny. Stella's new adventures are related in A Bad Day for Pretty. an example of why I like Sophie Littlefie;d's way with words is this brief snippet. Goat, the sheriff, is speaking about his soon-to-be e-wife, regarding her drunken state. Stella says:

Quote

"Guess she can hold her liquor" . . ."She always could put it away but I wouldn't say she holds it all that well."

I like Liittlefield's style and so might you if you find that bit of dialog humorous. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/sophie-littlefield/

Frybabe · « **Reply #983 on:** June 24, 2010, 07:51:40 PM »

Hmmmm! I just got fininshed with Henning Mankell's The Fifth Woman which finds Wallander and team hunting for an "avenging angel" for women who had been murdered or abused by men.

Steph · « **Reply #984 on:** June 25, 2010, 05:50:40 AM »

Jackie, I have A bad day for sorry in my book basket. It looks good, I have just been trying to catch up on stuff..

Babi · « **Reply #985 on:** June 25, 2010, 08:57:54 AM »

JACKIE, have you read any of Jeffrey Cohen? I recently read his "Some Life It Hot Buttered" and I can attest he is a funny man.
Mystery, yes, but the laughs are what I enjoyed most.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #986 on:** June 25, 2010, 12:29:42 PM »

Thanks, Babi. Cohen has written two series so I'm starting with the first, For Whom the Minivan Rolls.

Steph · « **Reply #987 on:** June 26, 2010, 05:50:55 AM »

Decided to start the Bad Day for Sorry book. Not quite sure I will like it. She seems to posture a good deal.

joegreyfan · « **Reply #988 on:** June 26, 2010, 07:28:31 PM »

Mrssherlock, I have a copy of A Bad Day for Sorry, which I'm looking forward to. I remember from the old SeniorNet days that my sense of humor seemed a lot like yours, so I won't be surprised if I like it!

Babi and Mrssherlock, Jeff Cohen has started a brand-new series under the name E.J. Copperman. The first book is Night of the Living Deed (A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery), available in mass-market paperback. Several friends have said it's just as much fun as his other books, so I've ordered myself a copy.

Steph · « **Reply #989 on:** June 27, 2010, 06:05:41 AM »

I ordered one of the Cohen books through our swap club.. Still struggling with A Bad Day for Sorry.. Scattered plot thus far. I think she is setting the scene for a series, but it is all over the place at this point.

Babi · « **Reply #990 on:** June 27, 2010, 09:55:52 AM »

Thanks for the tip, Joegreyfan. I'll make a note of the name Copperman. I missed the 'Minivan', but did read "As Dog Is My Witness".

PatH · « **Reply #991 on:** June 27, 2010, 07:13:12 PM »

JoanK asked me to tell you that she's having computer problems, and is offline for a while.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #992 on:** June 27, 2010, 07:25:33 PM »

Just read afun book. The Bride Will Keep Her Name by Jan Goldstein. The book was in the fiction section of the library, but i would call it a mystery. The author is male, but the protagonist is female. He does a good job writing from a female perspective.

Random House says: JAN GOLDSTEIN, the author of All That Matters, is an award-winning poet, playwright, and screenwriter. He lives with his wife, Bonnie, and their family in Los Angeles.

His site is here: http://www.jangoldstein.com/goldstein-bio.htm

It was an often humorous story about a woman who gets an e-mail msg a week before her wedding saying her groom is not who he appears to be. The best parts of the book are the interaction between the bride-to-be and her 2 best friends who have known each other since childhood and will do anything for each other. The parents and in-laws to be are well drawn characters - in both senses of the word - also. I like it. I'll look for the other 2 books, this was the first one of his i've read....................jean

FlaJean · « **Reply #993 on:** June 27, 2010, 07:30:08 PM »

Jean that sounds like a good book. Will check the library.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #994 on:** June 27, 2010, 07:54:04 PM »

Reading about Goldstein's other two books on his site - they sound very interesting also, especially All That Matters, where the protagonist is also a woman, altho in the other one about Nantucket the protagonist is male. "Matters" has good reviews, and my library has it, so that's next on my TBR list...............see, that's how our - or at least MY - lists get so long, instead of reading the next one down the list, i keep adding to the TOP, there's something wrong about that.......

.........jean

Steph · « **Reply #995 on:** June 28, 2010, 05:49:23 AM »

Made a note of the name. I am with you Jean, I keep adding to the absolutly must read list all the time.. Am still struggling with A Bad Day for Sorry.. Not sure how I feel about this author.

jane · « **Reply #996 on:** June 28, 2010, 07:31:47 AM »

Jean...my library doesn't have anything by Goldstein, so I may need to fill out a request.

Steph...if you're struggling with a book, you're a better woman than I am. I don't do that anymore. There are too many good authors out there that I don't waste my time with someone who doesn't grab me. Since I'm not in school, an author has to live up to my "gold standard"....interest me from the get-go or be dropped [in my case right back into the return book drop at the library].

jane

Babi · « **Reply #997 on:** June 28, 2010, 09:37:09 AM »

I think you've put your finger right on the main issue, JANE. We're old enough now that we
no longer are willing to waste time. There's plenth of good books out there waiting.

pedln · « **Reply #998 on:** June 28, 2010, 11:40:36 AM »

Right on target, Jane. Especially since we're not in school.

Was it here where someone was talking about The Postmistress? I'm on hold at the library and picking it up this week.

Steph · « **Reply #999 on:** June 29, 2010, 05:38:01 AM »

I finished A Bad Day forSorry yesterday. A new author.. She shows some promise, but the violence thrown in with what started out to be a cozy is weird. She is all over the place with her heroine.. I might.. try one more when or if she writes it, but she needs to decide what she wants to do with her heroine.

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Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 881394 times)