Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

1. The Confessor, Daniel Silva. 3rd in Gabriel Allon series.
2. Beat the Reaper, Josh Basell. Gonna be tough to follow up on this one for Josh.
3. 3 Weeks to Say Goodbye. Plot was way out there IMO - a little too far to suspend reality for me.

Weeks to Say Goodbye. Plot was way out there IMO - a little too far to suspend reality for me.

I agree,this was a step backwards, the characters were not as good as the Pickett novels, and the set up was a strain to believe, as was the crime.
Barry

I wonder about these stand alones. I find they are seldom as satisfying as the series books, and I wonder if it's the author, agent or publisher who wants them written.

If I'm not a fan of an author's series and there's a stand alone that's radically different that does interest me, I'm going to read it. Stand alones can get the author a whole new audience.

Shomeret
NR: Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer (science fiction)

Dan:
I suppose there are as many answers as there are stand-alone books from series authors!
Speculating purely from my thoughts of the authors' point of view about the longevity of their series ... I do find it refreshing when an author like Lee Child states he is happy writing more Reacher books; but then if they are planning to write a finite number in a series, would it be best to "test the waters" prior to the last book with a stand-alone for the future after the series ends?
For an author of a long running series, will inserting a stand alone bring in new RIO readers who might not start a series in the middle or end, but would add to the ranks of fans?
Harlan Coben and S.J. Rozan lure us back in quickly when they release a new series book after a hiatus, and I expect Steve Hamilton will do the same. Does absence make the heart grow fonder for Lydia, Bill, Myron, Win or Alex? I think maybe it does.

Daniel wrote: "I wonder about these stand alones. I find they are seldom as satisfying as the series books, and I wonder if it's the author, agent or publisher who wants them written. "

Ann said: "Harlan Coben and S.J. Rozan lure us back in quickly when they release a new series book after a hiatus, and I expect Steve Hamilton will do the same. Does absence make the heart grow fonder for Lydia, Bill, Myron, Win or Alex? I think maybe it does. "

I think you're right, Ann. Not only does absence make the readers' hearts grow fonder, but perhaps a vacation from series writing allows the author time to let new ideas or a fresh direction bubble up. Sara Paretsky took a couple of years off from V.I. Warshawsky a few years ago. She didn't write any standalones, but she did eventually return to the series and seems set to continue for the foreseeable future.

I find myself thinking of Sue Grafton who hit a rough spot in her Alphabet series a while back. She's come back strong in her more recent books, but perhaps it would have done her good as a writer and us good as readers for her to have taken a vacation from the series to refresh herself.

Like Ann, I suppose there are as many reasons for writing standalones as there are authors. Standalones may be written for the purpose of drawing in more readers. Harlan Coben may be the best example of that. His standalones seem to have been marketed differently from the Myron books and he's achieved big success with them.

Robert Crais seems to happily intersperse standalones with Elvis and Joe books. A couple of his standalone characters, Carol Starkey and Petra, have taken to showing up in the series books. Michael Connelly now seems to be working on two series

S.J. Rozan said that she had a couple of ideas that couldn't be written through a Bill and Lydia book, so she wrought Absent Friends and In This Rain, but came back to the series (and with fresh pizazz, I thought.)

Dennis Lehane seems to have indicated that he was simply tired of writing the Patrick and Angie books and wanted to do something else. Perhaps he felt locked in or perhaps he'd run out of ideas. I'm one of the readers who's glad he wrote Mystic River and Shutter Island (and still have The Given Day to explore).

I've mentioned here lately that I like Laura Lippman's standalones far better than the Tess Monaghan series. They are a different type of book, more of novels with crimes than mysteries, and I find them more intriguing. If she had continued writing only Tess books, I might never have listed Lippman as one of my favorite authors.

Jan O'Cat

Jan O'Cat:
Oh yes! I hope you like The Given Day A Novel as much as I did. Perhaps I was in the right mood for this historical visit, but it really drew me in.
I almost listed Lehane and the Patrick and Angie series, he certainly polarized his readers with the switch to stand-alones. Dan will probably love that we have started a Dennis Lehane thread under his topic!
I need to figure out what I do like about Laura Lippman's books, it isn't so cut and dried for me. I just know there are some I don't like enough to keep reading and some I do.

JanOMalleycat wrote: "Dennis Lehane seems to have indicated that he was simply tired of writing the Patrick and Angie books and wanted to do something else. Perhaps he felt locked in or perhaps he'd run out of ideas. I'm one of the readers who's glad he wrote Mystic River and Shutter Island (and still have The Given Day to explore).

I've mentioned here lately that I like Laura Lippman's standalones far better than the Tess Monaghan series. They are a different type of book, more of novels with crimes than mysteries, and I find them more intriguing. If she had continued writing only Tess books, I might never have listed Lippman as one of my favorite authors.
"

JanOMalleycat wrote: "Ann said: "Harlan Coben and S.J. Rozan lure us back in quickly when they release a new series book after a hiatus, and I expect Steve Hamilton will do the same. Does absence make the heart grow fon..."

When I wrote my post about reading a stand alone when I wasn't interested in the series, I was thinking of Sara Paretsky who had a stand alone that I loved. I have zero interest in V.I Warshawski. My roommate, a big V. I. Warshawski fan, picked up the stand alone I really liked and had a very negative response to it. I think this is typical of fans of a series. They want the authors to keep on writing their series. It's especially disturbing when an author takes off in a completely different direction as Sara Paretsky did. Fans are afraid that the author might be leaving their beloved series behind. I was afraid this was happening with Eliot Pattison when he suddenly wrote a colonial American mystery. What?! No more Tibetan mysteries? I can get colonial American mysteries elsewhere, but Eliot Pattison is the only one who's doing mysteries set in contemporary Tibet. Fortunately, he has gone back to doing that.

Shomeret

Ann wrote: "Harlan Coben and S.J. Rozan lure us back in quickly when they release a new series book after a hiatus, and I expect Steve Hamilton will do the same. Does absence make the heart grow fonder for Lydia, Bill, Myron, Win or Alex? I think maybe it does..."

I love Harlan's Myron books, but have read about 3 of his standalones and they all seem to be the same story to me. I enjoy Robert Crais' standalones as much as his series and another favorite series writer, Earlene Fowler, has 2 standalones that we were every bit as good as her Benni Harper books. and we all know what I think of Dennis Lehane's standalones!!! Show me copies of MYSTIC RIVER & SHUTTER ISLAND and I run screaming from the room!

Melodie:
... or the online equivalent of running screaming from the room! LOL

Melodie wrote: " and we all know what I think of Dennis Lehane's standalones!!! Show me copies of MYSTIC RIVER & SHUTTER ISLAND and I run screaming from the room! "

Shomeret wrote: "My roommate, a big V. I. Warshawski fan, picked up the stand alone I really liked and had a very negative response to it. I think this is typical of fans of a series. They want the authors to keep on writing their series. It's especially disturbing when an author takes off in a completely different direction as Sara Paretsky did. Fans are afraid that the author might be leaving their beloved series behind. I was afraid this was happening with Eliot Pattison when he suddenly wrote a colonial American mystery. What?! No more Tibetan mysteries? I can get colonial American mysteries elsewhere, but Eliot Pattison is the only one who's doing mysteries set in contemporary Tibet. Fortunately, he has gone back to doing that.>>>

This is exactly what Lee Child said, about readers' reactions to a standalone when they are fans of the series by same author.

Melodie:
Here is the first trailer for Shutter Island, the movie, slated for Oct-2009 release:
http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/06/10/ma...

I am wondering how the subtle nuances of the story will translate...

Melodie wrote: "and we all know what I think of Dennis Lehane's standalones!!! Show me copies of MYSTIC RIVER & SHUTTER ISLAND and I run screaming from the room!

"

Ann wrote: "Melodie:
Here is the first trailer for Shutter Island, the movie, slated for Oct-2009 release:
http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/06/10/ma......"

i can't wait to see this! the son of a friend of mine worked as a grip on the movie when it was being filmed.

Sherry and Melodie: I am eager to see it too ....and when I read this post I wrote last night this morning, it looks as if I was taunting Melodie with a trailer for the movie of a book she hated. Sorry about that!

Sherry wrote: "Ann wrote: "Melodie:
Here is the first trailer for Shutter Island, the movie, slated for Oct-2009 release:
http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/06/10/ma......"

Ann wrote: "Sherry and Melodie: I am eager to see it too ....and when I read this post I wrote last night this morning, it looks as if I was taunting Melodie with a trailer for the movie of a book she hated. S..."

lol, ann. i didn't take it that way and even tho melodie hated the book i don't think she will either. that book sure was a love it or hate it one ,wasn't it?

Ann said: "I am wondering how the subtle nuances of the story will translate... "

I've had a thought of rereading the book before the movie because I don't think I remember all of the ins and outs of the plot. On the other hand, reminding myself of the book before I see the movie might just be setting myself up for disappointment in the movie.

Jan O'Cat, wondering if the book haters will see the movie

Ann wrote: "Sherry and Melodie: I am eager to see it too ....and when I read this post I wrote last night this morning, it looks as if I was taunting Melodie with a trailer for the movie of a book she hated. S..."

I didn't take it that way!! But I won't be rushing to the theatre to see it!! LOL I've only seen bits & pieces of Mystic River.

Jan O'CautiousCat:
I was thinking the same thing, it is tempting to refresh my memory of the book, Shutter Island, but probably better to watch the movie unassisted by that sort of re-read review and see how well the story unfolds on screen!

JanOMalleycat wrote: "I've had a thought of rereading the book before the movie because I don't think I remember all of the ins and outs of the plot. On the other hand, reminding myself of the book before I see the movie might just be setting myself up for disappointment in the movie."

Ann wrote: "Melodie:
Here is the first trailer for Shutter Island, the movie, slated for Oct-2009 release:
http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/06/10/ma......"

OMG, I'm creeped out already.

I think it's time for a Shuttler Island reread. Any takers?

But seriously, the trailer looks really good. I just remember how confusing the book was, I wonder what changes they will make to the story and to the conclusion, if any.

JanOMalleycat wrote: "I've had a thought of rereading the book before the movie because I don't think I remember all of the ins and outs of the plot...."


Uh-oh. There goes the cat reading my mind again... {{{shudder}}} .... or should I say {{{shutter}}}.

Carol:
I am hoping to accomplish a few things this week while I am off work and sticking around the house. Once of them includes the hope of a bookshelf "cleanup" and if I find Shutter Island we can re-read it before the movie! (I know it is around here somewhere but the shelves are double and triple stacked... LOL {{shutter}} I am looking for the second Sookie Stackhouse book for DD to read.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "OMG, I'm creeped out already.
I think it's time for a Shuttler Island reread. Any takers? ... Uh-oh. There goes the cat reading my mind again... {{{shudder}}} .... or should I say {{{shutter}}}."

Ann said: "I am hoping to accomplish a few things this week while I am off work and sticking around the house. "

GMTA, Ann. I've been slowly working my way through my "already read" book shelves, dusting, weeding, and straightening. I must say the "weeding" has been rather light. I've got so little space that I rarely keep books that aren't really keepers. But I'm making myself get rid of a few because I'm really running out of space.

I'm also reading through some of the really big books on my TBR, books that I KNOW I'll never tackle during the school year. So I'm currently reading The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an 810 page omnibus and Dennis Lehane's The Given Day, which I believe comes in at about 700 pages. After those two--if I survive--I think it will be The Poisonwood Bible.

Jan O'Cat

JanOMalleycat wrote: "Ann said: "I am hoping to accomplish a few things this week while I am off work and sticking around the house. "

I'm also reading through some of the really big books on my TBR, books that I KNOW I'll never tackle during the school year. So I'm currently reading The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an 810 page omnibus and Dennis Lehane's The Given Day, which I believe comes in at about 700 pages. After those two--if I survive--I think it will be The Poisonwood Bible...."

You're a better woman than me, Ms. Cat! I've been pondering a re-read of NEW MOON, since there are some pretty good details that I've forgotten. But it's a BFB, so I'm trying to talk myself out of it!

Jan O'MotivatedCat:
Very admirable goals!!
I hope you enjoy Lehane's The Given Day A Novel as much as I did!

JanOMalleycat wrote: "I'm also reading through some of the really big books on my TBR, books that I KNOW I'll never tackle during the school year. So I'm currently reading The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an 810 page omnibus and Dennis Lehane's The Given Day, which I believe comes in at about 700 pages. After those two--if I survive--I think it will be The Poisonwood Bible.."