Jill McGown, who wrote a series with two great characters, Lloyd and Judy, has passed away. Julia Buckley has more in her blog.
Seems like in the past few weeks we've had several notable deaths: Kurt Vonnegut and Michael Dibdin, who wrote the Aurelio Zen series. Sad to think we'll no longer see new books from these authors.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
April 2007
The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
Protagonists: Chief Insp. Simon Serrailler and Sgt. Freya Graffham
Setting: Lafferton, England
Rating: 4.7
A woman vanishes in an area known as "the Hill." Freya uncovers other cases of missing people and the police soon have what appears to be a serial killer -- although no bodies. This is the first of the Simon Serrailler series, although this book is mostly told through Freya's eyes -- we even get to know Serrailler through the lovestruck Freya. Very much character-driven, the novel takes its time setting up the story -- and then hits you with a shocking ending.
The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni
Protagonist: Dante Alighieri
Setting: Florence in 1300
Rating: 2.5
An interesting premise: Dante Alighieri, as prior of Florence, solves two murders (the story opens with a mosaic artist killed inside a church, his face covered in quicklime). However, the author seems more interested in showing off his knowledge of Dante and Florence during the 1300s than in crafting a good mystery. As much as I like Florence, this book could have been trimmed by half (at least!).
O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton (audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: Santa Teresa, Calif.
Rating: 4.4
Kinsey's ex-husband is in a coma, shot with an old gun that had belonged to Kinsey. Kinsey picks up his investigation where he left off. Very nicely written, with a mix of humor (Kinsey getting a tarot card reading!), mystery and a bittersweet look at the past. One of Grafton's best so far.
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
Protagonists: Det. Infante, Det. Porter
Setting: Baltimore
Rating: 4.9
Thirty years ago, two young sisters were kidnapped. Now a woman turns up claiming to be one of the sisters, but is she really? The story moves back and forth in time, drawing us into the girls' family. Great characters, great plotting and great resolution. Lippman has been getting rave reviews, and now I see why.
Wolf to the Slaughter by Ruth Rendell
Protagonists: Wexford and Burden
Setting: Kingsmarkham
Rating: 4.7
Second in this series. A young woman is missing and a murder may have been commited in a room that is rented out by the hour. But there's no body and the only clue is a name. Excellent use of solid detective work, with a nice twist at the end.
Killjoy by Ann Cleeves
Protagonist: Insp. Stephen Ramsay
Setting: Hallowgate, England
Rating: 3.5
A young woman is killed during rehearsals at a community theater. Investigating, Insp. Ramsay runs into an old flame. Wish I could have liked this one better, but the characters were a bit flat and uninteresting.
Sea Fever by Ann Cleeves
Protagonist: George and Molly Palmer-Jones
Setting: Porthkennan, England
Rating: 4.0
Palmer-Jones and his wife board the Jessie Ellen along with other birdwatchers on a mission to persuade Greg Franks to visit his family. But as the fanatical birdwatchers are excitedly discovering a seabird never recorded before, someone is murdering Franks. Great mystery. This time around, really engaging characters.
In a Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (audio)
Protagonists: Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne
Setting: Millers Kill in upstate NY
Rating: 4.3
First in the series. Having read the most recent in the series and knowing where it's headed, this was still a good read -- for the characters. Plot was OK, although a tad long in some places. Highly recommend reading this series -- in order!
Rating system:
5.0: Wow!
4.0: Pretty good
3.0: Eh, mediocre
2.0: Pretty Bad
DNF: Did not finish
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Read this!
J.B. Thompson has a great interview with Robert Fate on her blog. Fate's two books, Baby Shark and Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues, have been getting a lot of buzz on an online mystery discussion book. They center around a teenage pool hustler who is out to avenge her father's death. I have the books, so what have I been waiting for to read them?
For the true book addict: A New York Times article about LibraryThing. If you have 2,956 books (as one client does), this is where you can go to catalog them and talk about them with others.
For the true book addict: A New York Times article about LibraryThing. If you have 2,956 books (as one client does), this is where you can go to catalog them and talk about them with others.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
March 2007
Started the month out in Paris -- in mind, if not in body.
Murder in the Marais by Cara Black
Protagonist: Aimee Leduc
Setting: Paris, the Jewish quarter of Marais
Rating: 4.0
Aimee is a computer forensic detective, along with her partner Rene, a dwarf. In this, the first in a series of now seven books, a Nazi hunter asks Aimee for help in finding someone. It leads to murder, of course, as well as to Aimee's involvement with a neo-Nazi group and some over-the-top action scenes in high heels and a tight skirt. The descriptions of Aimee and Rene hacking into government and other databases was interesting -- not usual in gumshoe novels, but realistic and yes, even tension-filled. I look forward to reading Black's other novels, all set in a different part of Paris.
Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Det. John Rebus
Setting: Edinburgh
Rating: 4.5
It's taken me a while, but finally I've gotten around to reading Rankin. Not only that, but I plan to read his series in order, and so started with this first one. Rebus is not entirely new to me, as I had watched the BBC series, but it is a somewhat different Rebus than the TV version. In this first book, Rebus has been getting cryptic, anonymous notes with either knots or crosses in them. Almost too late, he realizes they are tied in to the person who has killed four girls. Some elements struck me as too far-fetched: that he would suddenly know the killer under hypnosis. Yet, still a solid police procedural. And the book did win the Gold Dagger (awarded in Britain to the best new crime novel). I'll soon be on to Rankin's second.
Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Rebus
Setting: Edinburgh
Rating: 4.9
Second in the series. Rebus investigates a junkie's death in an Edinburgh housing complex, but there's much more to the death and soon Rebus is seeking out his own "Mr. Hyde" in the city of Edinburgh. In just two books, Rankin has already developed one of the most interesting characters in mystery fiction.
Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Rebus
Setting: London
Rating: 4.5
Third in the series. Rebus is asked to help London police find a serial killer, based on his one success in a previous case (in Knots and Crosses). Rebus doesn't feel like an expert, but he'll be damned if he doesn't prove himself. With his ex-wife and daughter now living in London, there's also family problems to unravel. Even when he throws in a car chase at the end, Rankin adds some unusual twists and turns.
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (on audio)
Protagonist: Bucino Teodoldo and Fiammetta Bianchini
Setting: Venice
Rating: 4.8
After the sacking of Rome in 1527, courtesan Fiammetta and her dwarf servant Bucino escape to Venice with the clothes on their back and gems that they have swallowed in their stomachs, to start anew in Venice. There, they meet with La Draga, a blind healer who helps Fiammetta regain her beauty. Dunant has written a little masterpiece. Using a combination of real and fictional characters, she crafts a story of Venice in the 1500s (in her version, Fiammetta is the model for Titian's Venus of Urbino). But more than that, the story, narrated by Bucino, is a tale of love, loyalty and survival.
The Art of Detection by Laurie King (on audio)
Protagonist: Kate Martinelli
Setting: San Francisco
Rating: 4.6
King merges characters from her two best-known series: Martinelli and Sherlock. There's a story within a story -- a recently-discovered Holmes story that may have been written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The Martinelli character is very likable, a detective trying to balance family and work, but driven to find the killer. It was the Sherlock story, though, that really elevated this mystery for me.
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton (on audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: Noda Lake and Santa Teresa
Rating: 4.3
Kinsey Milhone is like an old friend, and it's always interesting to see what scrapes she gets into -- even when you know where the story is headed. In this one, Kinsey is hired for what seems a straight-forward investigation: a wife wants to know what was troubling her husband, a police officer, before his sudden death of a heart attack. But soon, Kinsey finds herself being shadowed by a black van and beaten up in her hotel room.
All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Protagonist: Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne
Setting: Millers Kill (upstate New York)
Rating: 4.4
Fifth in a series with Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, the police chief. They've got troubles: they've fallen in love, but Russ is married. Then Russ' wife seems to have been murdered in their house. First, Russ, and then Clare, are suspects. This novel, nominated for a Gumshoe Award, has many twists and turns, with a grim ending. I can only hope that Spencer-Fleming has another in a series planned.
Rating system:
5.0: Wow!
4.0: Pretty good
3.0: Eh, mediocre
2.0: Pretty Bad
DNF: Did not finish
Murder in the Marais by Cara Black
Protagonist: Aimee Leduc
Setting: Paris, the Jewish quarter of Marais
Rating: 4.0
Aimee is a computer forensic detective, along with her partner Rene, a dwarf. In this, the first in a series of now seven books, a Nazi hunter asks Aimee for help in finding someone. It leads to murder, of course, as well as to Aimee's involvement with a neo-Nazi group and some over-the-top action scenes in high heels and a tight skirt. The descriptions of Aimee and Rene hacking into government and other databases was interesting -- not usual in gumshoe novels, but realistic and yes, even tension-filled. I look forward to reading Black's other novels, all set in a different part of Paris.Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Det. John Rebus
Setting: Edinburgh
Rating: 4.5
It's taken me a while, but finally I've gotten around to reading Rankin. Not only that, but I plan to read his series in order, and so started with this first one. Rebus is not entirely new to me, as I had watched the BBC series, but it is a somewhat different Rebus than the TV version. In this first book, Rebus has been getting cryptic, anonymous notes with either knots or crosses in them. Almost too late, he realizes they are tied in to the person who has killed four girls. Some elements struck me as too far-fetched: that he would suddenly know the killer under hypnosis. Yet, still a solid police procedural. And the book did win the Gold Dagger (awarded in Britain to the best new crime novel). I'll soon be on to Rankin's second.
Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Rebus
Setting: Edinburgh
Rating: 4.9
Second in the series. Rebus investigates a junkie's death in an Edinburgh housing complex, but there's much more to the death and soon Rebus is seeking out his own "Mr. Hyde" in the city of Edinburgh. In just two books, Rankin has already developed one of the most interesting characters in mystery fiction.
Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin
Protagonist: Rebus
Setting: London
Rating: 4.5
Third in the series. Rebus is asked to help London police find a serial killer, based on his one success in a previous case (in Knots and Crosses). Rebus doesn't feel like an expert, but he'll be damned if he doesn't prove himself. With his ex-wife and daughter now living in London, there's also family problems to unravel. Even when he throws in a car chase at the end, Rankin adds some unusual twists and turns.
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (on audio)
Protagonist: Bucino Teodoldo and Fiammetta Bianchini
Setting: Venice
Rating: 4.8
After the sacking of Rome in 1527, courtesan Fiammetta and her dwarf servant Bucino escape to Venice with the clothes on their back and gems that they have swallowed in their stomachs, to start anew in Venice. There, they meet with La Draga, a blind healer who helps Fiammetta regain her beauty. Dunant has written a little masterpiece. Using a combination of real and fictional characters, she crafts a story of Venice in the 1500s (in her version, Fiammetta is the model for Titian's Venus of Urbino). But more than that, the story, narrated by Bucino, is a tale of love, loyalty and survival.
The Art of Detection by Laurie King (on audio)
Protagonist: Kate Martinelli
Setting: San Francisco
Rating: 4.6
King merges characters from her two best-known series: Martinelli and Sherlock. There's a story within a story -- a recently-discovered Holmes story that may have been written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The Martinelli character is very likable, a detective trying to balance family and work, but driven to find the killer. It was the Sherlock story, though, that really elevated this mystery for me.
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton (on audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: Noda Lake and Santa Teresa
Rating: 4.3
Kinsey Milhone is like an old friend, and it's always interesting to see what scrapes she gets into -- even when you know where the story is headed. In this one, Kinsey is hired for what seems a straight-forward investigation: a wife wants to know what was troubling her husband, a police officer, before his sudden death of a heart attack. But soon, Kinsey finds herself being shadowed by a black van and beaten up in her hotel room.
All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Protagonist: Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne
Setting: Millers Kill (upstate New York)
Rating: 4.4
Fifth in a series with Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, the police chief. They've got troubles: they've fallen in love, but Russ is married. Then Russ' wife seems to have been murdered in their house. First, Russ, and then Clare, are suspects. This novel, nominated for a Gumshoe Award, has many twists and turns, with a grim ending. I can only hope that Spencer-Fleming has another in a series planned.
Rating system:
5.0: Wow!
4.0: Pretty good
3.0: Eh, mediocre
2.0: Pretty Bad
DNF: Did not finish
Interesting reading
From the San Francisco Chronicle, Eddie Muller interviews Irish crime writer Ken Bruen and other news.
There's nothing like an unsolved crime to keep interest alive. Now a movie comes out about the Zodiac killer, and we learn that it's more than just a little interest. For many people, it's become a full-time obsession. At the Washington Post, this story about Robert Graysmith, who has written a book on the case. And at NPR, this fascinating look at "Zodiac hunters."
There's nothing like an unsolved crime to keep interest alive. Now a movie comes out about the Zodiac killer, and we learn that it's more than just a little interest. For many people, it's become a full-time obsession. At the Washington Post, this story about Robert Graysmith, who has written a book on the case. And at NPR, this fascinating look at "Zodiac hunters."
Saturday, February 10, 2007
February 2007
The good reads continue:
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
Protagonist: Insp. Jimmy Perez
Setting: Shetland islands off Scotland
Rating: A+
Comments: A teenaged girl is murdered, bringing up memories of a young girl who disappeared years earlier. The same woman finds both bodies, and then her own young daughter goes missing. Cleeves' slow-moving book draws you in, cleverly laying the clues while you are looking elsewhere. A wonderful sleight-of-hand, right up to the moment the killer is revealed. This is the first in four books that Cleeves is writing about the Shetland islands and Insp. Perez. The book isn't available in the U.S. right now, but worth buying through amazon.uk.
Under the Beetle's Cellar by Mary Willis Walker (on audio)
Protagonist: Journalist Mary Cates
Setting: Texas
Rating: A
Comments: A group of religious fanatics kidnaps 11 children and their bus driver, holding them hostage underground. As federal negotiators try to free them, journalist Molly Cates uncovers information about cult leader Samuel Mordecai that puts her right in the middle of the story. Suspenseful and very believable (almost painfully so, at times). This book was recommended without my having ever heard of Mary Willis Walker; now I'm sure to seek out her other books.
The Babes in the Wood by Ruth Rendell
Protagonists: Wexford and Burden
Setting: Kingsmarkham, England
Rating: A
Comments: Floods are threatening the town of Kingsmarkham, but Wexford has bigger problems when two teens and their sitter disappear over the weekend. You can never go wrong with Rendell. This is a slow-moving police procedural, but also a novel about families and relationships.
M is for Malice by Sue Grafton (audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: California
Rating: B-
Comments: Kinsey is asked to find a missing man. That she does quickly, but it only brings bad fortune. Her old boyfriend, Robert Dietz, returns. Will he stay this time? The book's mystery is well-plotted, but there was just a little bit of supernatural woo-woo thrown in -- which threw me off. Still, I have the next in her series lined up.
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
Protagonist: Insp. Jimmy Perez
Setting: Shetland islands off Scotland
Rating: A+
Comments: A teenaged girl is murdered, bringing up memories of a young girl who disappeared years earlier. The same woman finds both bodies, and then her own young daughter goes missing. Cleeves' slow-moving book draws you in, cleverly laying the clues while you are looking elsewhere. A wonderful sleight-of-hand, right up to the moment the killer is revealed. This is the first in four books that Cleeves is writing about the Shetland islands and Insp. Perez. The book isn't available in the U.S. right now, but worth buying through amazon.uk.
Under the Beetle's Cellar by Mary Willis Walker (on audio)
Protagonist: Journalist Mary Cates
Setting: Texas
Rating: A
Comments: A group of religious fanatics kidnaps 11 children and their bus driver, holding them hostage underground. As federal negotiators try to free them, journalist Molly Cates uncovers information about cult leader Samuel Mordecai that puts her right in the middle of the story. Suspenseful and very believable (almost painfully so, at times). This book was recommended without my having ever heard of Mary Willis Walker; now I'm sure to seek out her other books.
The Babes in the Wood by Ruth Rendell
Protagonists: Wexford and Burden
Setting: Kingsmarkham, England
Rating: A
Comments: Floods are threatening the town of Kingsmarkham, but Wexford has bigger problems when two teens and their sitter disappear over the weekend. You can never go wrong with Rendell. This is a slow-moving police procedural, but also a novel about families and relationships.
M is for Malice by Sue Grafton (audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: California
Rating: B-
Comments: Kinsey is asked to find a missing man. That she does quickly, but it only brings bad fortune. Her old boyfriend, Robert Dietz, returns. Will he stay this time? The book's mystery is well-plotted, but there was just a little bit of supernatural woo-woo thrown in -- which threw me off. Still, I have the next in her series lined up.
January 2007
A great start to the year:
Tilt-a-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein
Protagonists: Ceepak and Danny
Setting: New Jersey seaside town
Rating: B+
Comments: Officer Ceepak and Danny, a part-time cop, are the first on the scene of a murder. The only witness, the man's daughter, later disappears, Ceepak has made a vow to protect her, so he and Danny are soon on a case which takes all manners of twists and turns. Characters nicely drawn, great humor, fast-paced. This is Grabenstein's debut novel, and he's definitely an author to keep an eye on. There's an interview with Chris over at themysteryreader.com.
The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters
Protagonist: Journalist Connie Burns
Setting: Zimbabwe, Baghdad and Winterbourne, a town in the English countryside
Rating: A+
Comments: A psychological thriller with an intertwined mystery. Connie Burns uncovers a series of women's murders, first in Zimbabwe and then in Baghdad, and she's sure she knows who is behind them, but has no proof. Then she's kidnapped in Baghdad. On her release, she goes into hiding in England. But we all know that the man behind the murders, and her kidnapping, will soon show up again. The tension was so well-maintained that it was hard to put this book down, and it continues to haunt me weeks later. This is the first Walters book I'd read, but certainly not the last.
Saturday by Ian McEwan (on audio)
Protagonist: Henry Perowne
Setting: London
Rating: A
Comments: Henry Perowne is a successful doctor in a happy marriage, with well-adjusted grown children. All seems perfect, until Henry is in a minor car accident. The book is hard to classify: thriller? Somewhat, but the story moves slowly, even though all the events take place in a day. As usual, McEwan's prose is wonderful. And when the story does pick up, it's hard to walk away from it.
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason
Protagonists: Insp. Erlendur, with Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg
Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland
Rating: A
Comments: When a man is found murdered in his home, with few clues except for a note -- "I am him" -- Erlendur and his team must delve into his past to find out who murdered him. Not much of a whodunnit, but an excellent police procedural. A story of family ties, as well.
Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
Protagonists: Insp. Erlendur, with Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg
Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland
Rating: A+
Comments: Again, Erlendur and his team must go into the past when a skeleton is found at a construction site. Is the skeleton a woman who disappeared shortly before her wedding, or someone who lived at a nearby house? Long-ago secrets are finally uncovered. This one was a whodunnit, as well as a who-is-the-skeleton mystery? Gripping -- and very moving.
L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton (on audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: Texas
Rating: B
Comments: This time, Kinsey actually leaves California! Funny characters and funny situations, especially when Kinsey has to go undercover as a hotel maid. Better than recent books.
Tilt-a-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein
Protagonists: Ceepak and Danny
Setting: New Jersey seaside town
Rating: B+
Comments: Officer Ceepak and Danny, a part-time cop, are the first on the scene of a murder. The only witness, the man's daughter, later disappears, Ceepak has made a vow to protect her, so he and Danny are soon on a case which takes all manners of twists and turns. Characters nicely drawn, great humor, fast-paced. This is Grabenstein's debut novel, and he's definitely an author to keep an eye on. There's an interview with Chris over at themysteryreader.com.
The Devil's Feather by Minette WaltersProtagonist: Journalist Connie Burns
Setting: Zimbabwe, Baghdad and Winterbourne, a town in the English countryside
Rating: A+
Comments: A psychological thriller with an intertwined mystery. Connie Burns uncovers a series of women's murders, first in Zimbabwe and then in Baghdad, and she's sure she knows who is behind them, but has no proof. Then she's kidnapped in Baghdad. On her release, she goes into hiding in England. But we all know that the man behind the murders, and her kidnapping, will soon show up again. The tension was so well-maintained that it was hard to put this book down, and it continues to haunt me weeks later. This is the first Walters book I'd read, but certainly not the last.
Saturday by Ian McEwan (on audio)
Protagonist: Henry Perowne
Setting: London
Rating: A
Comments: Henry Perowne is a successful doctor in a happy marriage, with well-adjusted grown children. All seems perfect, until Henry is in a minor car accident. The book is hard to classify: thriller? Somewhat, but the story moves slowly, even though all the events take place in a day. As usual, McEwan's prose is wonderful. And when the story does pick up, it's hard to walk away from it.
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason
Protagonists: Insp. Erlendur, with Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg
Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland
Rating: A
Comments: When a man is found murdered in his home, with few clues except for a note -- "I am him" -- Erlendur and his team must delve into his past to find out who murdered him. Not much of a whodunnit, but an excellent police procedural. A story of family ties, as well.
Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
Protagonists: Insp. Erlendur, with Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg
Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland
Rating: A+
Comments: Again, Erlendur and his team must go into the past when a skeleton is found at a construction site. Is the skeleton a woman who disappeared shortly before her wedding, or someone who lived at a nearby house? Long-ago secrets are finally uncovered. This one was a whodunnit, as well as a who-is-the-skeleton mystery? Gripping -- and very moving.
L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton (on audio)
Protagonist: Kinsey Millhone
Setting: Texas
Rating: B
Comments: This time, Kinsey actually leaves California! Funny characters and funny situations, especially when Kinsey has to go undercover as a hotel maid. Better than recent books.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
2006 Top Reads
1. The Roth Trilogy (mentioned in last post). A story that still haunts me.
2. Don't Look Back, by Karin Fossum. Sparse, beautiful language.
3. Call the Dying by Andrew Taylor, part of the Lydmouth series. I've been reading one or two a year; I have one left until Taylor's next book (hopefully, he will continue the series!).
4. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid. As usual, a wonderful story by McDermid.
5. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Scholars on a search for Dracula that takes them through England, France, Amsterdam, Budapest, Istanbul, Bulgaria and, finally, to the U.S. An epic tale that was hard to put down.
6. Still Life by Louise Penny. Wonderful mystery set in a small town in Canada. Looking forward to her second book.
7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A great audiobook. Essentially, a love story that transcends time and death.
8. The Lighthouse by P.D. James. Even in a weak book, James can do no wrong. Her settings and characters are so richly drawn that I overlook other faults with the book.
9. The Dead Hour by Denise Mina. One of my favorite characters, Paddy Meehan, returns in this second book.
10. Black Dog by Stephen Booth. First book in a series, and I can't wait to read the rest. His detectives, Diane Fry and Ben Cooper, are two of the most interesting around!
2. Don't Look Back, by Karin Fossum. Sparse, beautiful language.
3. Call the Dying by Andrew Taylor, part of the Lydmouth series. I've been reading one or two a year; I have one left until Taylor's next book (hopefully, he will continue the series!).
4. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid. As usual, a wonderful story by McDermid.
5. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Scholars on a search for Dracula that takes them through England, France, Amsterdam, Budapest, Istanbul, Bulgaria and, finally, to the U.S. An epic tale that was hard to put down.
6. Still Life by Louise Penny. Wonderful mystery set in a small town in Canada. Looking forward to her second book.
7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A great audiobook. Essentially, a love story that transcends time and death.
8. The Lighthouse by P.D. James. Even in a weak book, James can do no wrong. Her settings and characters are so richly drawn that I overlook other faults with the book.
9. The Dead Hour by Denise Mina. One of my favorite characters, Paddy Meehan, returns in this second book.
10. Black Dog by Stephen Booth. First book in a series, and I can't wait to read the rest. His detectives, Diane Fry and Ben Cooper, are two of the most interesting around!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Roth trilogy
By far the best books I've read this year (and even last year, for that matter), Andrew Taylor's Roth trilogy (The Four Last Things, The Judgement of Strangers and The Office of the Dead) traces the psychological development of a serial killer, back to her years as a young girl. The books go back in time, each narrated by a different person, and interweaving the lives of two families. Well, three families really. Layered onto the main story is the mystery of Francis Youlgreave, a mad poet-priest who died 50 years before Angel, the serial killer, was born. Yet, his life is intertwined with hers. It is a masterful approach, like nothing I've seen before. The final pages of the last book will leave you stunned. Rating: A+++
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A mixed bag
A mixed bag of mysteries lately:
A Season for the Dead by David Hewson. An author with many fans, but I wasn't one. While this book was set in Rome and had a likable detective, I couldn't help but see it as a DaVinci Code clone. Not very gripping, with a love story that was unbelievable and unlikely. Rating: C
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride. A well-written book. Again, a detective I really liked. A setting that draws me (Scotland). But the book was hard to read -- it was about the kidnappings, killings and mutilations of young children. That's a subject that turns me off automatically, but I finished the book for my discussion group. I would read another MacBride, though, because I thought his writing was great. Rating: B-
Flesh and Blood by John Harvey. Thirteen years ago, a teenaged girl disappeared. British Det. Elder, now retired, works with police in reopening the case. Then another teen is killed and Elder's own teenage daughter is kidnapped. Is this being done by the original suspects, or a copycat? Interesting, complex story. Very well-written, with strong characterization. My only complaint has to do with the ending. Rating: A-
Lost by Michael Robotham. It reminded me quite a bit of Flesh and Blood. Missing girl, cold case. The book opens with Det. Insp. Vincent Ruiz being pulled out of the Thames, a bullet in his leg and no memories of what happened. All he knows is that it has something to do with Mickey Carlyle, a 7-year-old who disappeared three years ago. With help from psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, he begins to piece together his memories, and comes to believe Mickey is still alive. A great detective thriller with a wry sense of humor. Rating: A
The Dead Hour by Denise Mina. Second in the Paddy Meehan series. This has become one of my favorite characters, a young journalist working in 1980s Scotland. Paddy takes a bribe to walk away from what seems a domestic abuse case, and the next day the woman is found brutally murdered. Now Paddy can't let it rest until she finds the killer. In the meantime, Paddy's life takes an interesting twist. Rating: A+
Mad Hatter's Holiday by Peter Lovesey. One of the early books by this great English writer. Cross between an old-fashioned murder mystery and a police procedural. Rating: B
The Fractal Murders by Mark Cohen. First in a series. Wise-cracking private eye with a past -- pretty formulaic, but OK for a first novel. At times, the character reminded me of Spenser or Kinsey Milhone. I wouldn't necessarily read his next book, though. Rating: C+
A Season for the Dead by David Hewson. An author with many fans, but I wasn't one. While this book was set in Rome and had a likable detective, I couldn't help but see it as a DaVinci Code clone. Not very gripping, with a love story that was unbelievable and unlikely. Rating: C
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride. A well-written book. Again, a detective I really liked. A setting that draws me (Scotland). But the book was hard to read -- it was about the kidnappings, killings and mutilations of young children. That's a subject that turns me off automatically, but I finished the book for my discussion group. I would read another MacBride, though, because I thought his writing was great. Rating: B-Flesh and Blood by John Harvey. Thirteen years ago, a teenaged girl disappeared. British Det. Elder, now retired, works with police in reopening the case. Then another teen is killed and Elder's own teenage daughter is kidnapped. Is this being done by the original suspects, or a copycat? Interesting, complex story. Very well-written, with strong characterization. My only complaint has to do with the ending. Rating: A-
Lost by Michael Robotham. It reminded me quite a bit of Flesh and Blood. Missing girl, cold case. The book opens with Det. Insp. Vincent Ruiz being pulled out of the Thames, a bullet in his leg and no memories of what happened. All he knows is that it has something to do with Mickey Carlyle, a 7-year-old who disappeared three years ago. With help from psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, he begins to piece together his memories, and comes to believe Mickey is still alive. A great detective thriller with a wry sense of humor. Rating: A
The Dead Hour by Denise Mina. Second in the Paddy Meehan series. This has become one of my favorite characters, a young journalist working in 1980s Scotland. Paddy takes a bribe to walk away from what seems a domestic abuse case, and the next day the woman is found brutally murdered. Now Paddy can't let it rest until she finds the killer. In the meantime, Paddy's life takes an interesting twist. Rating: A+Mad Hatter's Holiday by Peter Lovesey. One of the early books by this great English writer. Cross between an old-fashioned murder mystery and a police procedural. Rating: B
The Fractal Murders by Mark Cohen. First in a series. Wise-cracking private eye with a past -- pretty formulaic, but OK for a first novel. At times, the character reminded me of Spenser or Kinsey Milhone. I wouldn't necessarily read his next book, though. Rating: C+
Memoirs
Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan opens with: "It's not that I don't like people. It's just that when I'm in the company of others -- even my nearest and dearest -- there always come a moment when I'd rather be reading a book." Right away, I knew I had found a kindred spirit in Corrigan, who reviews books for NPR and The Washington Post. Her memoir is that of a book lover. She's also a professor of literature, and at times the book becomes a bit too academic, but overall an engrossing read -- for those of us who love to read. Rating: A.
Personal History by Katharine Graham. For a long time, I put this off (maybe because it's a long book). Then I found an audiobook copy at the library. Even though I own a copy of her book, I went with the audiobook (so much easier at times!). The book is long, and at times slow, but her personal life was more interesting and complicated than I would have thought. I met Graham in 1985, as an intern at the Post, and she seemed so poised and self-assured. Interesting to read then that, as one of the first women publishers, she was unsure of herself and her decisions for many years. Yes, there's some interesting insights into journalism in this book, but really it's her life that's more interesting. Rating: A+
Shining a Light
P.D. James' The Lighthouse is not her best effort, yet even a mediocre James is a great read. Her books may be a bit formulaic, yet no one else writes the traditional English whodunnit like James. In the Lighthouse, a much-hated author is killed by hanging (from the lighthouse) on an island accessible to only a few people. Adam Dagliesh, along with Kate Miskin and Francis Benton-Smith, are brought in to solve the crime, but then Dagliesh is infected by SARS, and the island is quarantined -- with the killer among them. Rating: A+
Other recent reads:
The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears. The first in his art history mysteries, set in Italy and London. Fast-paced, with charming characters and witty writing. A series that will go to the top of my TBR (to be read) list. Rating: A
Bad Twin by Gary Troup (aka Laurence Shames). This book is a tie-in to the Lost TV show, although there was little to actually tie it in. On its own, stands up well as a private-eye book. Rating: B-
Friends, Lovers and Chocolate and 44 Scotland Street, both by Alexander McCall Smith. Both were audiotapes, which I find the best way to "read" McCall Smith. His books are a light romp, with enjoyable characters and minor mysteries (although 44 Scotland Street is not a mystery). I enjoy hearing the lilting Scottish accent, which helps transport me to his Scottish settings. Rating: B
Another Man's Poison by Ann Cleeves. Another underrated British mystery. The sixth in a series featuring bird-watcher and crime solver George Palmer-Jones and his wife Molly. In investigating whether a politician poisoned protected species of birds and if that had to do with a woman's murder, they come across long-ago family secrets. Rating: B+
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Preparing for Prague
One of the things I like to do before a trip is read about the place, and I don't mean just guidebooks. Even novels can give you a sense of the place. The first one I read, The Phoenix of Prague, by Douglas Skeggs, was a spy thriller. Czech-born British agent Jan Capek returns to Prague in 1991, just after the fall of Communism, to track down some paintings. Very taut, very believable, with an ending I didn't see coming. Some good writing, like this: "She gave a grunt ...'I know they're not Communists,' she said. 'You know they're not Communists, but has anyone tried telling those bastards that they're not?"
If Phoenix was dark and a little bitter, on the other hand there's the saccharine The Twelve Little Cakes, by Dominika Dery, a memoir of her childhood in a village outside Prague, with parents who were political dissidents. It's hard to believe she remembers entire conversations from when she was 3-years-old, but we'll give her some latitude as a memoirist. That wasn't what bothered me about this memoir. The book was a bit too long, and dwelled too much on childhood memories that, frankly, were not that interesting. Still, it did have provide glimpses of life under Communism, and how her family's spirit and love compensated for the material things they didn't have.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
A quiet thriller
A psychic at a birthday party tells a young man that he will kill someone before his next birthday. The young man becomes obsessed with the prediction. Weeks before his birthday, as the southwesterly winds of Brazil start to blow, two people linked to him are violently killed. Southwesterly Wind by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza takes that simple premise and weaves a seductive mystery. I call it a quiet thriller because there are no car chases or bang-bang scenes. The only chases are when a detective (on foot) follows one of the suspects, sometimes for hours at a time. With only three possible suspects, you think you know where the author is headed -- but do you really?
Friday, February 17, 2006
An author to read
"Andrew Taylor is one of the most interesting, if not the most interesting novelist writing on crime in England today. Like Ruth Rendell he produces particularly good, emotionally complex psychological novels and rather better straight detective novels than she does in her Wexford series." Harriet Waugh, The Spectator
Having just finished another book in his wonderful Lydmouth series, I have to say Andrew Taylor is one of the most underrated authors today. These are books in which everything comes together wonderfully: plot, dialogue and especially characterizations. The story within the stories is the relationship between Det. Insp. Richard Thornhill and journalist Jill Francis, and that is as riveting as the mysteries themselves. Thornhill and Francis reveal themselves to us slowly, layer by layer. Each book in this series has gotten better, with an eighth one to be published soon. Lucky for us!
Middlesex
It's bad enough being a prepubescent teenager, but can you imagine learning at the age of 14 that you're a hermaphrodite? Such is the story at the center of Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides. Although, to be fair, the story is much more than that. It's about the history of a Greek family and their assimilation into the U.S. culture. It's about Detroit and it's about the changing mores of a country. It's a rather long story and at times, I wished Eugenides would have just gotten on with the story, but it did hold my attention until the very last page -- page 527. Even though it was quite implausible at times, at other times it read like a memoir. Poor Eugenides, people must look at him sideways nowadays and wonder if he's actually a hermaphrodite. Sometimes, you can be too good of a writer.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Judgment lost?
I really like Sue Grafton's book -- well, her audiobooks. They're pleasant to listen to as I commute to work and they have a quirky female P.I. who I like -- Kinsey Millhone. I'm up to J is for Judgment with Grafton (still a ways to go till I get to her latest, S is for Silence). I like that Kinsey's family background was expanded in this book. And, for the most part, I was liking the storyline and plot. Now mysteries stretch the limits of credulity all the time, but I was listening to the last chapter and shaking my head. Grafton has Kinsey dive into the freezing ocean to rescue the killer and -- the kicker -- Kinsey and the killer carry on a full-length conversation as they swim and tread water. Now really! I can believe a lot, but swimming after a killer as you try to get their confession? Hmmm, a bit too much.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Our heroines
I've read two books back to back with female P.I.s, strong, independent ones. But they couldn't be further apart. In The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith, we have Aud Torvingen, an ex-cop who teaches defense classes and is always on the defense herself. More than that, she verges on the edge of being a sociopath herself. She likes to be in "the blue place," the place she's transported when she becomes violent. She's a cold person, not the kind you want to meet in a dark alley unless she's a friend. But despite this (or because of it), the book really draws you in. The writing is also quite wonderful, very lyrical. Takes place in Atlanta and Norway.
Birth Marks by Sarah Dunant is my type of book. For starters, it's set in London (and Paris). For mysteries, you can't do better than an English setting, in my mind. Here we have Hannah Wolfe, who is hired to find a missing dancer and then hired to find out why she drowned in a river -- was it suicide or murder? I love Hannah's quips: "Funny how time flies when you're breaking the law," as she breaks the law by picking a lock and entering an apartment. I love that she tries to pick up a guy in a bar and, of course, he's someone who's been following her. And that, nervous over said guy, she pokes herself in the eye with her mascara brush. She's smart, yet vulnerable. The book is also a good commentary on greed and corruption. This is one author I want to keep reading. In fact, Dunant speaks about another book that has just joined my must-read list, Transgressions.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
First Lines
One of my discussion groups had a lively debate on first lines. Here are some of the best ones:
"It was a dark and stormy night. And I know, God damn it, but I can't help it; it was."
A Death on 66 by William Sanders
"It wasn't like they said. It wasn't her entire life flashing before his eyes. Only the part she was pissed off about."
The Sixteenth Man by Thomas B. Sawyer
"We were about to give up and call it a night when somebody dropped the girl off the bridge."
Darker than Amber by John D. MacDonald
"My mind was on Steinbeck; my foot was on a hand."
Till the End of Tom by Gillian Roberts
"I turned the Chrysler onto the Florida Turnpike with Rollo Kramer's headless body in the trunk, and all the time I'm thinking I should have put some plastic down."
Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler
"At least this time I didn't have a lobster clamped to my testicles."
Cast Adrift by Peter Guttridge
"This is a bank robbery," the big man said, his voice muffled by the stocking that covered his head and distorted his features.
"And this, sir, is a drycleaners," the matronly woman behind the counter responded with a frown. "I suggest you try next door".
Foiled Again by Peter Guttridge
"Bill Roberts decided to rob the firecracker stand on account he didn't have a job and not a nickel's worth of money and his mother was dead and kind of freeze-dried in her bedroom."
Freezer Burn by Joe Lansdale
"The so-called extraterrestrials who'd visited Maggody a few months ago had found no sign of intelligent life and I doubted anyone else could either."
Miracles in Maggody by Joan Hess
"It could have been the extra garlic I'd put in the Rogan Josh which woke me at 2:06 am but it was probably the noise Billy Tuckett made falling through the bathroom skylight and killing himself."
Angelhunt by Mike Ripley
"The last camel collapsed at noon."
The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett
"I woke up with a twenty-pound dog wrapped around my head like an Easter bonnet."
False Profits by Patricia Smiley
"It may be only blackmail," said the man in the taxi hopefully.
The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham.
"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
"On the day his destiny returned to claim him, Ted Mundy was sporting a bowler hat and balancing on a soap box in one of Mad King Ludwig's castles in Bavaria."
Absolute Friends by John Le Carre
"In the crypt of the abbey church at Hallowdene, the monks were boiling their bishop."
The Bone-Pedlar by Sylvian Hamilton
"Countess Judith kept her husband's head in a box."
The Gleemaiden by Sylvian Hamilton
"Which one of you bitches is my mother?"
Lace by Shirley Conran
And for those of you who want even more, this person has devoted an entire blog to first lines, while these folks give out awards to best first lines.
"It was a dark and stormy night. And I know, God damn it, but I can't help it; it was."
A Death on 66 by William Sanders
"It wasn't like they said. It wasn't her entire life flashing before his eyes. Only the part she was pissed off about."
The Sixteenth Man by Thomas B. Sawyer
"We were about to give up and call it a night when somebody dropped the girl off the bridge."
Darker than Amber by John D. MacDonald
"My mind was on Steinbeck; my foot was on a hand."
Till the End of Tom by Gillian Roberts
"I turned the Chrysler onto the Florida Turnpike with Rollo Kramer's headless body in the trunk, and all the time I'm thinking I should have put some plastic down."
Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler
"At least this time I didn't have a lobster clamped to my testicles."
Cast Adrift by Peter Guttridge
"This is a bank robbery," the big man said, his voice muffled by the stocking that covered his head and distorted his features.
"And this, sir, is a drycleaners," the matronly woman behind the counter responded with a frown. "I suggest you try next door".
Foiled Again by Peter Guttridge
"Bill Roberts decided to rob the firecracker stand on account he didn't have a job and not a nickel's worth of money and his mother was dead and kind of freeze-dried in her bedroom."
Freezer Burn by Joe Lansdale
"The so-called extraterrestrials who'd visited Maggody a few months ago had found no sign of intelligent life and I doubted anyone else could either."
Miracles in Maggody by Joan Hess
"It could have been the extra garlic I'd put in the Rogan Josh which woke me at 2:06 am but it was probably the noise Billy Tuckett made falling through the bathroom skylight and killing himself."
Angelhunt by Mike Ripley
"The last camel collapsed at noon."
The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett
"I woke up with a twenty-pound dog wrapped around my head like an Easter bonnet."
False Profits by Patricia Smiley
"It may be only blackmail," said the man in the taxi hopefully.
The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham.
"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
"On the day his destiny returned to claim him, Ted Mundy was sporting a bowler hat and balancing on a soap box in one of Mad King Ludwig's castles in Bavaria."
Absolute Friends by John Le Carre
"In the crypt of the abbey church at Hallowdene, the monks were boiling their bishop."
The Bone-Pedlar by Sylvian Hamilton
"Countess Judith kept her husband's head in a box."
The Gleemaiden by Sylvian Hamilton
"Which one of you bitches is my mother?"
Lace by Shirley Conran
And for those of you who want even more, this person has devoted an entire blog to first lines, while these folks give out awards to best first lines.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Karin Fossum
If you want a haunting thriller / mystery with a psychological edge, then that's Karin Fossum's books. I read her first book, Don't Look Back, for my online book discussion group, 4 Mystery Addicts. She's a Norwegian writer, her language is very sparse yet she draws you in immediately and never lets go. She starts out leading you in one direction, only to pull a fast one on the reader. And what she does in the beginning, she does in the end, leaving us with a very ambiguous ending -- do we really know who the killer was? It was a very neat trick.
Her second book in the series is He Who Fears the Wolf. It's dark, disturbing and very good. It's more of a psychological thriller really, though, than a mystery. You may very well figure out the killer before the ending, but it's still a powerful read.
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