Pick-a-Shelf discussion
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2020 - 03 - mystery - What did you read?
Mod
★★★★
Well, this was so much better than the last 3 books!! My main gripe was the proofreading and how the Mayor's name keeps changing between Fred and Ed. The solution here, it appears, is to avoid naming the guy at all... He is merely 'the Mayor' in this book. I'm not sure whether I agree with this solution but it certainly made me feel less annoyed.
In this instalment, the alternate POVs are between Serenity and her niece, Taylor. Taylor is sixteen and one morning as she arrived at school, a student took to shooting those in the hallway. As the perpetrator died, Serenity was left to investigate the background of this student and what, if anything, made him snap. As always, things are never what they seemed and the miasma of evil that has been hovering in this community has not gone but grown even darker.
Enjoyed the mystery though I do have to suspend belief (over the past few books as well) as to how casual it seems that the Sheriff have others in to assist her... I'm sure the rule handbook has been thrown out somewhere! Just seems completely unlikely that these would be allowed in real-life investigations. Nevertheless, good story.
Used for SS20
Mod
★★★★
Thanks for the rec, Bea! I enjoyed this one. I have this thing for Japan to start with anyway so this easy read fits within the bill. It was a tad hard at first to place in time (setting) however since I note it was published 1997 - I had to adjust my expectations somewhat (ie. NO mobile phone! lol)
The MC is half American and half Japanese and I think the author portrays this cross-culture in 1 woman really well. And I love the romance too - cute dynamics between them :)
Used for SS20
Lark! the Herald Angels Sing by Donna Andrews, Meg Langslow Mystery #24.I don't usually rate cozy mysteries, but I'd give it 4 stars. I read few cozy mysteries, but those I do have to have characters that I really like ... this one definitely fits the bill. The main character, Meg, is a blacksmith. It's written around her extended family which includes a few "interesting " characters, though Meg and some others keep the story on a even keel. Lots of humor without being too silly. (This is a series best read in order so you understand the personalities.)
Used for Just Read prompt 3.
Mod
Bea wrote: "Oh, my! LynnB that book is #24 in the series! And, although I don't read them often, I do like a quick cozy mystery to clear my palate sometimes. Now a new series with so many books! Yikes! (Of cou..."Hope you enjoy it! And currently there are 26 in the series, so I'm behind on it. (BTW, I call cozy mysteries "palate cleansers" too.)
Mod
LOL
The Boy in the Snow by M.J. McGrath3 stars
Edie Kiglatuk (half Inuit, have European) has travelled from Ellesmere Island, Canada down to Anchorage, Alaska, USA--the farthest south she's ever been--because her ex is racing the Iditarod when she stumbles across a frozen body. It is also election time, and the last thing the current mayor of Anchorage--who is planning to run for state government--wants is a messy investigation, so he's keen on getting a suspect arrested and charged ASAP and not having the police dig too deep. But things are not particularly simple--in addition to various First Nations groups and politicians, there are the Old Believers and trafficked young Russian girls, and this is not a simple set up in the least.
McGrath is British and while she makes mistakes with some of her Alaska facts, this novel is intense and is similar to some Scandinavian mysteries--this is NOT a cozy mystery by any stretch of the definition. I read the first and third books in this series two or three years ago, but had left this one aside due to inaccuracies regarding Alaska, but if you set that sort of thing aside, it's nearly as good as the other two, which I gave 4 stars to.
So, to get this to last longer, I nominate EUROPE https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich★★★
This was an easy read and full of humor and fun! Not a book with a lot of depth, but loaded with fun. The main character "Stephanie" is a hoot and makes rounding up bail jumpers look easy! I'll probably read more in this series when I'm looking for an adventure that is easy to read!
Mod
★★★
Nate MacKenzie, at 30, is the youngest arson investigator in the county and motivated by the fire in his past, he has solved all his cases so far. But he has never dealt with the Amish and needs help finding his feet in the community.
Sarah Kauffman is 24, Amish, unmarried, does not like to sew quilts but loves to paint. She's not the average Amish maid. She loves her family and community but dreams of painting things that are verbotten.
Together they made a good investigative team but something else is also brewing between them, something impossible.
I love me a good romantic suspense. The feelings were deep but these are actually real sensible people and I appreciate that even more [saying this because I just DNF something that was overkill in the 'I'm going to ignore the warning bells in my head' type of romance 🙄]. The mystery was decent though I picked out the culprit at around the halfway mark so could be better, I guess. Still, it was an easy good-feel sort of read.
Used for SS20
Where the Crawdads Sing[4-3-2020] ★★★
This book was different than I expected. I thought it would be a mystery. The mystery is only a small part of the story. I enjoyed the first part which is about Kya who has to fend for herself when she is still a little kid. It was interesting to read about her groing up. I found the second part less interesting and even boring. The writing was good. Overall I thought this was a nice read.
used for:
- bookopoly roll 29
- prompt 3
nomination: nordic
Mod
As I said at the top, this is my preferred #1 genre. I read a LOT of mysteries.
1. The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz - 4*
This was not only a mystery, but the author was the protagonist's sidekick. It was written in the first person as told by the author much as Dr. Watson told the tales of Sherlock Holmes. And, although I thought at least twice that I knew what had happened, I did not and the ending came as a complete surprise!
2. The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett - 4*
Many times I struggle to keep track of a story that moves back and forth between the past - ages ago, other people - and the present. Yet this story was like a puzzle with different pieces seemingly unconnected and yet with a color or shape that somehow fits seamlessly with another piece and the picture begins to take on a wholeness. This story flowed. It was all of one whole that slowly revealed its truth. It kept me reading as more of each piece was revealed and the connections began to appear.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson -- 2**This was read for one of my f2f bookclubs. Oh my, a slooow and boring read for the most part. I would have stopped at 50 or 60 pages had it not been a book club read. Not her best book.
LynnB wrote: "Transcription by Kate Atkinson -- 2**This was read for one of my f2f bookclubs. Oh my, a slooow and boring read for the most part. I would have stopped at 50 or 60 p..."
Lynn, I recommended this to my bookclub because she's one of my favourite authors. I had to apologise for making them all read it!
The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan⭐⭐⭐1/2
The police procedural mystery genre isn't my favourite, but a good one like this is still an enjoyable read. Worked really well as audio.
In this book, sergeant Reilly's girlfriend finds the body of an unidentified young woman on her way to work at a university laboratory. I enjoyed the medical research aspects of the mystery too (because that's what I do for work)
Used for seriously serial
I nominate chick lit
Mod
As I sa..."
Of course it is! Anything you read that fits this shelf is acceptable here in our monthly read threads
Mod
★★★★
I'm not a fan with series where each instalment features different protagonists. I like that constant in my series and so I started to read this with some misgivings especially noting that the protagonist, Hannah Esh, left the community when the man she loved betrayed her and had to marry another woman. He's still there. He's now widowed. And of course, he still loved her...
Hannah returned due to a misadventure she had while in the area which require some medical attention. As she's left before she was baptised into the church, she was not shunned and was even more welcome to stay at home with her family. Her misadventure, however, has messed up other people's dirty schemes and she & her loved ones are more in danger than ever.
The ending (I'm referring to the romance) was predictable, of course, and while I can appreciate the sweetness, it also kind of annoyed me... I guess, no matter who you are, you just have to follow your heart. The mystery part was very engaging and I'm actually keen to read the next book in the series.
Used for SS20
Mod
This book was a typical Nora Roberts read. Well written. Believable characters one would love to know. Romance. And a delightful mystery. Enjoyed it a lot.
Mod
This book was about a service dog trainer who got involved in the murder of a woman, who was the wife of a Vet with whom she had placed a dog. There was romance with the Sheriff, a beloved dog, an overbearing brother, and lots of eccentric characters involved in this cozy mystery. Fun read.
Dark Matter [9-mar-20] ★★★★
Before I started reading this I was unsure because of the sci-fi part of the book, it could be really good or really bad. I'm very glad I tried this book.
This book grabbed me from page 1. It starts with a loving family, but then it starts to change. What is going on and what is real? The plot is very original and has got so many unexpected turns. There is a lot of suspence and I just wanted to keep reading. I loved this book.
Used for:
- prompt 1
- blind date
Nominating:
magic
The House Of A Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson★★
I like classics and I enjoy mysteries, so this should have been right up my alley, but - nope. First of all, it was overly long - 400 pages for such a story are waaay too much. 200 would have been enough.
The story could have been interesting: a young ne'er-do-well inherits an unfinished mansion from his grandfather, who was an architect and would have wanted for the grandson to follow the same career path. The terms of the will are bizarre to say the least: the young slacker must stay in the house for one year, without ever leaving it nor hosting guests. If he fails to do that, young Marian Devereux, niece of a nun friend of the deceased, is to inherit the house. If the two marry in the next five years, none of them inherits. The grandfather died without leaving much money behind, but the villagers believe he left a huge amount of money hidden somewhere in the house.
Unfortunately, despite its being promising, the book is boring. The characterization is not brilliant, no character really stands out. I wouldn't recommend it.
***
I used this for Bookopoly and Just Read It Prompt 3.
I nominate Italy
Mod
It is not the usual felon claiming he did not do the crime. In fact, Audie took a deal stating that he did the crime. But, he didn't. The reader learns the back story of Audie's life through his remembrances. And, through the questions that others ask about why he escaped a day before he was due to be released.
This story is about a good man who experiences life as a battle to just stay alive. And, it is about a love...an everlasting love and a promise.
I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle ★★★★★Short story collections are not usually my cup of tea. For the most part, the quality of stories in an anthology are hit or miss at best. Not so when the author is Arthur Conan Doyle and the subject is Sherlock Holmes. Every story in this collection was intriguing and fun. I can always count on a Sherlock Holmes story to keep me interested and turning the pages!
Used for: Just Read it! Prompt 1
Shelf nomination: Medical Thriller
Where the Crawdads Sing - 4 starsI was drawn in right from the beginning. I loved the setting of the marshlands. The marsh was almost like it's own character. Kya was a heroine that was easy to love and root for. The writing was descriptive and had me right there with Kya. The ending left me a bit disappointed because it seemed out of character which made it hard for me to believe so I had to take off a star for that.
This was not used for a PAS challenge so no nomination
It's not very clear to me why you guys are not nominating a shelf when the book you read hasn't been used for another PAS challenge... I've always assumed any book that fits the monthly shelf was okay and that we could nominate a shelf regardless of whether or not we used said book for another PAS challenge... That has always been my understanding, and Tien herself said so in message #18. Am I missing something? 🤔
Mod
I am not sure than anyone else is doing it other than me, Marina. And, since I read so much in this genre, I am choosing to limit my nomination of shelves to those I read for this group.
Marina, I don't understand it either. For the shelf nomination you can just nominate, it doesnt matter for which challenges you use it. t's always been that way so i don't think they would change it now
The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley - ★★★★What an extremely strange book this is. The other Walter Mosley book I've read was Devil in a Blue Dress, which is more of a straightforward mystery novel. This book starts from an unusual premise--a white man shows up at the home of a black man and offers the black man a large sum of money to imprison the white man in the basement. The characters interact and talk to each other as the book explores power dynamics, race, philosophy, and the way of the world. The writing is sharp and the book flows along. Even as I disliked the characters most of the time, I couldn't look away from this one. I definitely want to read more Mosley.
Used for Just Read It and Bookopoly
I nominate African-American
Lusie wrote: "Marina, I don't understand it either. For the shelf nomination you can just nominate, it doesnt matter for which challenges you use it. t's always been that way so i don't think they would change i..."I didn't realize this! I just saw it was what others were doing and followed along without rechecking the rules!
Book: Greedy Bones ~ 03.07 ★★★★# Tags: 77
Review:
I started this series along time ago and got side-tracked from it so decided to reread from the beginning. With this book, I'm caught up to where I was. One of the things I love about this book and series is the depth of Sarah Booth's affections for her friends. This book definitely highlights that. It's also somewhat timely (quick spreading virus) but at least in the book it was quickly contained. Anyway, I'm excite to forge new territory now in the next book :-)
Challenges: Seriously Serial
Nomination: southern lit
Book: Dangerous Affairs ~ 03.16 ★★★# Tags: 10
Review:
This is a new to me author and one that's been on my TBR for a long time. I won't turn the author away but I probably won't go seeking another book. The mystery was okay and did actually take me by surprise. The romance part wasn't done very well. Too sudden - I'm all for insta-love in the right book and genre, but this author didn't know how to build the chemistry to make it right or believable. Overall, okay book. Not great, though.
Challenges: Just Read It Prompt 3
Nomination: law enforcement hero
Book: Girl Waits with Gun 3 starsCute story and made more interesting because its based on the life of one of the earliest female cops. A couple of things didn't seem accurate for the time period but they were details. I ignored them but they still left me questioning. Also, the youngest sister read more like a 14 year old than a 17 year old and that bugged me a little. But overall I liked the characters and the storyline. I do like Constance and I plan on reading more in the series.
Also used for moving mountains
I nominate award winners
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup★★★★
This is not your typical murder mystery, it's also a cry against corruption in India, as well as a satire. There are six main characters, the suspects in the murder of Vicky Rai, who is the spoiled, delinquent son of a corrupt politician. All of the characters are stereotyped but, while many reviewers saw this as a decided flaw of the book, I think it was intentional. They are caricatures, and all that happens to them is over-the-top, so much so that I believe it to be satire. The book is ironical, at times funny, and a good light read for these difficult times. I would recommend it.
I used it for Just Read It Prompt 1.
I nominate humor
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich 5 stars
Review: Stephanie comes back from a trip to Hawaii early leaving both Ranger and Morrelli there with cuts and bruises and neither one too happy with Stephanie. She has a photograph put into her bag into the airport which every one seems to want. Plus Stephanie's usual antics trying to apprehend her bounties with Lulu and trying not to get killed. Loved this as much as all the other books. Series never gets dull.
Challenges: Seriously Serial '20
I nominate: Anthologies
I read The Maze Runner 3.5 starsThis book has been compared to The Hunger Games a lot but it's not as good. I didn't find it to be as suspenseful and I expected more of the story to actually take place IN the maze. I wanted to discover more along side Tom but instead so much of the solution was given in bursts of sudden understanding or inspiration. And I don't feel particularly attached to any of the characters. However, I did want to keep reading and finished the book quickly and I do want to read the rest of the series.
Also used for Just Read It prompt 3 and LOST
I nominate award winners
On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle★★★
Clare Cosi has agreed to a share of her mother-in-law's coffee house and to live in the duplex above it rent free because her mother in law would like her to manage it full time again. Clare does this because she'd like to be closer to her daughter, but as soon as she gets there, she finds her assistant manager sprawled on the basement floor. The police rule it an accident, but Clare is not convinced of that.
This was quite a fun cosy; how many of them have amateur detectives who listen to opera and run coffee shops? That said, I do not drink coffee, so all of that talk was not my cup of tea (I don't drink much tea, either, just use the idiom), but I liked it enough I plan to read more of them once our library re-opens.
I nominate Science Fiction
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness★★★★
There's no reason to read this book if you haven't read the other two in the trilogy. If you read the first two and found them enjoyable, this is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. If you found the characters irritating in the first books, that feeling will only be amplified here where there's no sixteenth century historical details to distract you.
This is not brilliant writing nor is it high literature. But I find it completely entertaining. There's plenty of action and plot to drive the story and an entertaining bit of vampires and witches to put it solidly in the fantasy realm where violent deaths feel less fraught. Oh, the evil vampire was beheaded? Serves him right...no remorse from this reader. Whereas if this were a spy novel, maybe the beheading of a villain would still trouble me.
I'm glad to have finished this series.
Used for bookopoly, Seriously Serial, and Just Read It
I nominate short stories
We Were Liars [19-mar-2020] ★★★
I thought this book was okay. It was a quick and easy read that felt like general fiction with a bit of mystery in it (mostly at the end). I didn't really like the writing. It felt choppy to me.
Used for:
- just read it - prompt 3 owned books
- blind date
- lost
I'd like to nominate: Popular https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson★★★
This book was alright, but definitely not as good as past installments of the series. Far too much time spent introducing minor characters and side stories that went nowhere.
Used for seriously serial
I nominate happy
The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde - ★★★★Just the sort of book I want to be reading right now--nothing too heavy, but smart enough to keep me engaged in this zany world. What I love about this series is that the world created by Fforde is wonderfully wacky (book characters becoming real, time travel, libraries with extensive budgets and corporate naming rights), but has an internal logic all its own. The time travel concept here is extremely clever, though quite hard to explain without revealing too much of the plot.
I will definitely read other books set in this world, or pretty much anything that Fforde writes.
The narrator for the audiobook is excellent. She hits just the right balance of comedy and drama.
Used for Seriously Serial, Bookopoly, Just Read It, and Blind Date
I nominate feminism
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn★★★★
This was a nice historical mystery by a new-to-me author. I don't know whether it's quite historically accurate, the characters surely seem way too non-conventional for a Victorian setting - but honestly, I don't really care. I was looking for an easy read and that's exactly what this book is. Fun, entertaining, interesting. A bit slow-paced at times, but I can forgive the author since she spun a great story. I will definitely go on with the series.
*
I used this for Just Read It Prompt 2 and Bookopoly.
I nominate light reads.
Mod
Sorry, LaurLa, there's a minimum of 1,000 books on shelf to qualify for nominations
Macbeth by Jo Nesbø★★
The low rating is mostly a reflection of my dislike of this genre. I love Macbeth and I have mostly enjoyed the Shakespeare Hogarth retellings, so I thought I'd give a new author a try. It wasn't for me. Too much violence. Definitely doesn't meet the Bechdel test.
Used for Just Read It and Bookopoly
2020 releases
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene TurstenAn entertaining collection of short stories about an octogenarian serial killer. These stories managed to feel charming--like a cozy mystery--except that the protagonist is actually a cold-blooded killer willing to engage in quite complicated murders. I enjoyed the way that the murderer used her advanced age as a cover for her crime, even playing up her age and frailty when it suited her. Cleaning up the details and language a bit, I read one of these out loud with my children and they quite enjoyed the twist that the old lady was really a killer.
Recommended as something different and fun to read to take your mind off everything else happening in the world today.
Used for Bookopoly
I nominate hoopla
The Villa [23-mar-20] ★★★★
I felt like it was time for to go back to the familiar, to an author I like. I'm glad I did, since this is just the kind of book I'm in the mood for. From the start there was chemistry between the characters. Add in a murder and you have got all elements you need for a good book. While some parts were predictable, there were several unexpected things. This book showed me why I like this author. I really enjoyed this book.
Used for
- Bookopoly
- prompt 3
I'd like to nominate:
Animals https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews
3 stars
The blurb gives more of the basics of this story that I would have, but suffice to say that Meg, who is a dead ringer for her grandmother, is taken to see her grandmother's cousin in order to help get the PI her grandfather has hired to find this now late grandmother in the door for a chat with said cousin. On they drive back, the PI and Meg spot emus running wild (or, perhaps, feral) and, one thing leading to another, pretty soon there is a large contingent of people camping on Meg's elderly first cousin twice removed's property in order to round up and move these feral bird to a sanctuary.
If that's not enough, various twist and turns bring up other issues in the area that muddy the murder investigation that Meg and the PI have taken on. This book contains more than just murder and mayhem, but a growing friendship between Meg and her grandmother's cousin.
I nominate classics
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch★★★
This is book 4 in the series that started with Rivers of London. I've enjoyed this series but not loved it. It combines police procedural mystery with wizarding, and it is big on the London references.
Basically, this book was fine, but I didn't really get into it. I didn't always follow what was going on. To be fair, that is most of my reading atm (given the state of the world), and it's probably not this book's fault!
Used for seriously serial and bookopoly
I nominate Victorian
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson★★★
I expected this to be more of a mystery or crime novel. This was more of a British general literature book that happened to have some dead bodies in it. Which was fine, better even, but not what I was expecting going in. The author does a good job holding multiple characters and story lines together and having them all fit together in a satisfying way at the end, but it made for a good bit of confusion toward the beginning. I also couldn't remember anything about the first Jackson Brodie book other than that I read it and enjoyed it several years ago. But nothing about Brodie was familiar at all. Perhaps I'd have been less confused at the beginning if I'd had better recall of the first book.
I'll likely read more of the books from this series. I found the author's writing enjoyable and maybe next time I'll remember that these aren't mysteries of the solve-the-crime variety.
Used for Seriously Serial and bookopoly
I nominate hoopla
Mod
This is a series that I enjoy as it is set during early Roman years. The main protagonist is a man who works as an informer primarily for the caesars, but he takes on various other clients also. Most of his cases involve solving a crime - usually a murder. His lady is a Senator's daughter - way above his pay grade and social status.
I enjoy the interaction between the two, the integrity he shows, the independence and strength she shows...and find the books a good break from the reality of my day.
Used for PnM Settings (Time) and Series.
I nominate Historical Mystery.
Pick-a-Shelf
Books mentioned in this topic
Gun Games (other topics)The Mysterious Affair at Styles (other topics)
Ripper (other topics)
Wonderment in Death (other topics)
Brotherhood in Death (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Isabel Allende (other topics)Ransom Riggs (other topics)
Lindsey Davis (other topics)
Kate Atkinson (other topics)
Ben Aaronovitch (other topics)
More...
What mystery books did you read? Did you pick up a recommended book? Did you pick up the next book in the series? Or find a new fave author?