Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Finally getting back into the groove reading wise. Here are my May reads:

Top Read

The Shining
Stephen King
Even though I have never seen the movie it is so famous within pop culture that the plot held few surprises but the book was still well worth listening to because the characters were so well drawn and the suspense was masterfully handled. The narration by Campbell Scott helped build the tension and really added to my enjoyment.

Good Reads

The Last Real Season: A Hilarious Look Back at 1975 - When Major Leaguers Made Peanuts, the Umpires Wore Red, and Billy Martin Terrorized Everyone
Mike Shropshire
A look back at the 1975 baseball season when players were still, for the most part, not paid very well but seemed to have more fun. I can only remember the historic World Series for that year so reading about Billy Martin's managerial antics with the Rangers was fairly interesting.

The Confessor
Daniel Silva
A very enjoyable thriller with a smartly done plot and great locations. I listened to the audio version which was narrated by John Lee who did a great job with all the different nationalities of the characters and kept the pacing smooth.

Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside
Martin Walker
Quite a good debut mystery. The main attraction for me was the small French village setting. I thought the author did a good job introducing all the characters and, though the pace was a bit leisurely, the plot was nicely done. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Robert Ian MacKenzie.

Bad Luck
Anthony Bruno
A well written crime thriller featuring two FBI agents, the mob, and an Atlantic City developer who is trying to promote a heavyweight title fight. The plotting was very tight with just the right amount of violence and humor.

And Did Murder Him
Peter Turnbull
Straight ahead police procedural set in Glasgow. While the plotting is quite lean, the characters over the course of the series are well fleshed out and I have found each installment enjoyable.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady
L.A. Meyer
A fun YA historical that was greatly enhanced by the outstanding narration of the audio by Katherine Kellgren. Jacky is a bit over the top though and I did think the book could have been shorter but still an enjoyable listen overall.

Dope Thief
Dennis Tafoya
This debut crime novel was both gritty and seemingly realistic and had the added bonus of delving a bit deeper with the characters and the aftermath and effects of criminal behavior.

A Gentleman of Fortune
Anna Dean
An engaging historical mystery with a smart, witty heroine and a serviceable plot.

Dixie City Jam
James Lee Burke
I listen to this series because I enjoy the atmosphere and writing though sometimes the violence and sheer evil of the some of the villains are almost too much. The plot in this entry had quite a bit going on between the Nazi sub, the vigilante killings, and the organized crime angle but everything was well handled. Listened to the audio version read by Mark Hammer whose voice is perfect for Dave.

Quite a list, Sandi. One of these days we'll have to start a thread about how audio books differ from the printed version.

That could be an interesting thread, Dan.
In my first opinion the only difference between audio and print would be not having a clue on how to spell the character names. And in my case, more immersion into the story with an audio with a good narrator. Having listened to audio books for over twenty years I find I prefer to listen to certain types if big meaty atmospheric books.

Great month, Sandi! As always I get several tips from your lists!

Daniel wrote: "Quite a list, Sandi. One of these days we'll have to start a thread about how audio books differ from the printed version."

The baseball book sounds good. DH might like it. Remember that season well!

So much to comment on!

I lived down the street from Fenway Park in 1975 so remember that year well. Sounds like a fun read.

Glad you finally got to The Shining. It's interesting how much you knew without having seen the movie. Now you'll want to read Dr. Sleep, the recently published sequel.

You read a book with Bruno in the title and Bruno in the author's name! I've heard of the Bruno Chief of police series and your take is shared by other reviewers.

Never heard of the Turnbull series but I will look it up as I love police procedurals set in Scotland.

Reading the latest Greg Iles, I compare him to James Lee Burke in his ability to write rich, complex, atmospheric crime dramas about his city.

A good month of reading, Sandi!

Great list!

I've been meaning to check out Daniel Silva for a while now.

And A Gentleman of Fortune sounds good.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "So much to comment on!

I lived down the street from Fenway Park in 1975 so remember that year well. Sounds like a fun read.

Glad you finally got to The Shining. It's interesting how much you knew without having seen the movie...."

Carol,

I guess the movie must have had some major departures from the plot though since my co-worker kept asking me if something had happened yet while I was reading and it never did materialize.

The Turnbull series is older, first published back in the early eighties, and the books are quite short compared to books published today. Most are less than 200 pages.

Sandi: just like movies that always came in under a certain length that was conducive to theater schedules, books in the eighties always seemed to be under 200 pages. I assume to fit press runs, shipping cartons and shelf space. Publishers had to have had some sort of strict guidelines. The Marcia Muller / Sharon McCone series books are other good examples of the size limits of that era. They seem so short now.
Sandi wrote: "The Turnbull series is older, first published back in the early eighties, and the books are quite short compared to books published today. Most are less than 200 pages"