Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

I had a good month of reading this month with a mix of debut authors and some old favorites. Here are my September reads:

Top Reads

And When She Was Good
Laura Lippman
A really good and quick read for me. Written in a brisk and competent style that really set the tone for the main character, a suburban single mother running a successful small business that is not without complications.

Purgatory Chasm
Steve Ulfelder
A quite enjoyable debut novel that lived up to my expectations of what a book nominated for both best first Anthony and Edgar should be. I really liked the main character's voice, the plot hummed along at a good pace, and I was impressed that the author did not overwhelm the narrative with back-story.

Before I Go To Sleep
S.J. Watson
A nominee for best first Anthony (and many others) this was a completely engrossing and creepy character driven thriller. I can't imagine a worse situation than not being able to remember anything from day to day and the author took that scenario and made it only too real.

Good Reads

The End of Everything
Megan Abbott
This book takes the reader through the dark secrets of a 1980s suburb with a 13 year old girl as the guide. The narrative voice really captured the emotion of adolescence but the plotting was just a bit too circular for my taste. I listened the audio version which was wonderfully narrated by Emily Bauer.

Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny
Nile Rodgers
Chronicles the author's rise to stardom with Chic and his transition into one of the leading music producers of all time. The best parts of the memoir though were the chapters on his early life and his unique family situation.

Aiding and Abetting: A Novel
Muriel Spark
A rather slight though darkly humorous look at what may have happened to Lord Lucan twenty-five years after he fled justice. I listened to the audio version and Davina Porter did her usual excellent job.

The Backup Men
Ross Thomas
A quick, entertaining read with a fairly convoluted plot but the main characters more than make up for it.

The Devotion of Suspect X
Keigo Higashino
Ended up really enjoying this psychological suspense story set in Japan even though narrator David Pittu's rather bland American accent really did not fit the material.

Tigers in Red Weather: A Novel
Liza Klaussmann
A family saga set in post World War 2 Martha's Vineyard that alternated between various points of view and timelines. The writing had an easy flowing style and some of characters were especially memorable.

Background to Danger
Eric Ambler
While the plot and action did get a bit excessive in the end this was a well written and very atmospheric thriller set during the time before World War 2.

Vanish
Tess Gerritsen
Another entertaining entry in this series that focused more on Jane Rizzoli and her changing family dynamics. The plot zipped right along and I do enjoy all the characters. I listened to the audio version read by Lorelei King who did a good job.

Lucifer's Tears
James Thompson
Much like the first book in this series, one of the crimes being investigated was too graphically detailed for my taste but I did like the insight into the Finnish culture and the country's experiences during World War 2.

OK Read

The Informationist
Taylor Stevens
Not a bad globe trotting, super heroine type thriller when the narrative focused on the current day plot (though the twists and turns were pretty predictable) but really bogged down with all the lead character's tortured past sections. This is another Anthony Award nominee for best first novel and I listened to the audio version read by Hilary Huber who was fine.

Sandi: You always introduce us to such a nice variety of books, especially debut authors. Thanks! Only one OK read out of thirteen is a good month!
I look forward to the next James Thompson book and agree, the gruesome nature of the crime made me cringe in Lucifer's Tears, but it was a stellar book nonetheless. If The End of Everything is anything like Dare Me, then I am not ready for it.
Sandi wrote: "I had a good month of reading this month with a mix of debut authors and some old favorites."

Oh, great reads, making a list...

Le Freak! Sandi, you never cease to surprise me with the variety of your reading material. I've never even heard of this book, although I'm well aware of the group.