Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Hello 2024! It’s a new year and a clean slate for great books to read.
Post your JF Just Finished and NR Now Reading books here to discuss and get recommendations!

A Tip - if you use the insert book cover feature, the book cover images and any text you type 'after the first inserted cover image' won't display on the Goodreads app. Inserting just the link of the title or an author link works great on the app. If you want to avoid parts of your post not showing on the app, insert book covers at the end after any text or links and nothing is lost.

Thanks Ann for starting the New thread of 2024.

I just want to mention and invite everyone to come on over to the 2024 Determination Plus Challenge We have three different options you can pick from. Come on over and give it a try for 2024. It's a lot of fun and it will maybe motivate you to read those books you haven't yet.

JF: Twisted Hate by Ana Huang (library book)

NR: One in a Million by Janet Dailey (Netgalley)
Triple Beat by Mari Carr (freebie ebook)
O's Little Book of Calm & Comfort by O's Magazine-The Oprah (libby audio)
The Homecoming by Robyn Carr (print owned)
The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell (print owned)

Upcoming-Crazy in Love by Luanne Rice (print owned put to side)
Castle Bravo by Karen Small Bodman (print owned put to side)

I was going to lower it for 2024 but decided to keep it the same number.

I'm currently adding in my Goodreads shelves for 2024 and changing a few others around (combining, switching, deleting etc). I also need to work on my A Novel Companion ultra (which is a undated planner/journal/ review spiral book that I will be using this year. Used a different one I got from Little Inklings in 2023 this new one does up to 200 books) Some of the challenges she puts in it I don't do but I make it work for me.

Thanks for setting up the new year thread, Ann! To carry over my current reads from the 2023 thread, I am listening to Beach Read by Emily Henry and reading A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Dowling (a belated Group Read).

JF: Beach Read by Emily Henry

NL: Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan

JF in 2024 - edited to list one JF - several books in progress and one of them may be my first Determination list entry since it is billed as horror and not my usual genre.

JF In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune Libby audio just finished tonight. It's different and quite good.

NR Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes NetGalley ebook and even being horror I am enjoying it.

NR Blood Betrayal by Ausma Zehanat Khan NetGalley / Libby audio. Yes, that means my NetGalley review will be post-publication date.

Carol: I just read the blub for Beach Read and it caught my eye - looks fun!
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "JF: Beach Read by Emily Henry "

My feb library book club read is waiting for me to pick up and just happens to be A Room with a view which is a classic (1908). So I guess that will get the spot for book before I was born for challenge.

I read Beach Read but was only ok for me.

Ann wrote: "Carol: I just read the blub for Beach Read and it caught my eye - looks fun!
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "JF: Beach Read by Emily Henry ""

Ann, it was really enjoyable. The usual romance novel tropes, but with an interesting side plot about the discipline of writing books.

I just finished Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Loved it. I can't remember another book offhand where I kept saying "Oh! OH!" as pieces were falling together. Dystopia, time travel, more background regarding the characters than detailed as to the "how it happened in the first place".

I have Sea of Tranquility on my book shelf. Sounds like a fantastic read. Good to hear you liked it!

Gail W wrote: "I just finished Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Loved it. I can't remember another book offhand where I kept saying "Oh! OH!" as pieces were falling ..."

Wow. I just read the plot summary and it sounds incredible!

JF The delightful A Daughter of Fair Verona https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


NR still deciding.

Happy 2024 everyone. Ian Pyatt here, This is my first post in this group. I’m currently reading Sea Of Tranquillity as well. I’ll have to look at the challenges to see if there is one I think I could tackle.

Welcome, Ian. This is a great group. Enjoy!

I’m reading a book called Never Lie by Freida McFadden

JF: O’s Little book of Calm & Comfort by O’s magazine. (Libby audio)

j/f: Bright Young Women- jessica knoll
n/r: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library- michiko aoyama

J/F: One in a Million by Janet Dailey (Netgalley)

J/F: Triple Beat by Mari Carr

NR: Dearly by Margaret Atwood (Libby audio)
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (library book club)
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown (library)
Lonely for You Only by Monica Murphy. (Netgalley Live 2/6)
The Homecoming by Robyn Carr (print owned)

I’m reading a book called Ward D by Freida McFadden

JF: Dearly by Margaret Atwood (Libby audio poetry)

JF: Blind Goddess by Anne Holt, translated from Norwegian, first in a police procedural series based in Norway. Really liked it.

NR: The Apology and the Last Days: A Novel by Borislav Pekić, historical fiction translated from the Serbian.

JF: A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

NR: Rain Fall by Barry Eisler. I've been reading this for about a year, I keep putting it down. Determined to finish it!

I’m reading a book called The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden

The Spy Coast, by Tess Gerritsen, is a new ensemble piece about five spies who have tried to retire quietly to a small town but discover it's not that easy. The author was inspired by real life circumstances near her, which made it even more interesting to me.

My review of The Spy Coast

j/f: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library- michiko aoyama
n/r: The Paris Widow- Kimberly belle (pub.6/11/24)

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Spy Coast, by Tess Gerritsen, is a new ensemble piece about five spies who have tried to retire quietly to a small town but discover it's not that easy. The auth..."

Patty, The Spy Coast is one of our upcoming Group Reads, you may know. Can't wait to read it!

Sherry wrote: "j/f: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library- michiko aoyama
n/r: The Paris Widow- Kimberly belle (pub.6/11/24)"

Sherry, What You are Looking for is in the Library sounds charming! How did you like it?

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Sherry wrote: "j/f: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library- michiko aoyama
n/r: The Paris Widow- Kimberly belle (pub.6/11/24)"

Sherry, What You are Looking for ..."

it was delightful! my f2f book group chose it as our January read.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Spy Coast, by Tess Gerritsen, is a new ensemble piece about five spies who have tried to retire quietly to a small town but discover it'...

Patty, The Spy Coast is one of our upcoming Group Reads, you may know. Can't wait to read it!"

Thanks for the reminder, Carol. 😊

Struggling young author Junie is accused of racial passing, known as Yellowface, by social media critics in R.F. Kuang's novel. Good story - glad I'm not a publisher!

My review of Yellowface

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Struggling young author Junie is accused of racial passing, known as Yellowface, by social media critics in R.F. Kuang's novel. Good story - glad I'm not a publish..."

PattyMac, this book made my top 10 list for last year! Glad you enjoyed it.

JF: Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan. A blow-your-mind in- depth exposé of the systemic abuse of power in the film industry

NL: Happy Place by Emily Henry. A little lightness to balance the heavy book I just finished.

JF: Lonely for You Only by Monica Murphy (Netgalley live 2/6)
The Job by Janet Evanovich/Lee Goldberg (libby Audio)

NR: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (library february book club)
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown (library book)
Marrying the Nanny by Dani Collins (Tule Publishing live 3/4)
The Homecoming by Robyn Carr (Print owned book)
The Women by Kristin Hannah (Netgalley Live 2/6)

My current list is long but the book club book I try and read some each day depending on how long the chapters are maybe 2 or 3 chapters (not my usual type of book classic and not crazy about the writing), Atlas of the heart I try and read some every few days, Marrying the Nanny I just got yesterday morning and I wanted to finish the net galley book I was reading first but I lost my internet before 5pm yesterday so couldn't even open marrying the nanny to start yesterday. I wasn't able to get back my internet back up until this morning. So the rest of the day I'll be getting my chapters in on the classic, starting Marrying the Nanny and maybe sticking with it until I finish. And maybe starting The Women. Also want to decide on my next audio so I'll be adding that one in.

In honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Story of a Stolen Girl, now at lowest price ever!

UCLA freshman, Darby Richards, remembers sitting at the tables of a private LA gambling club, but not how she ended up in Ankara, Turkey. Her life is in danger. Everyone is searching for her. Authorities are baffled. Her mother is desperate.

Darby tries to escape at each twist and turn. Her widowed mother, a successful architect, does something no other mom has ever done before. But if she fails, her daughter will be lost forever.

This intense page turner, Story of a Stolen Girl, recounts a mother’s love and how far she will go to rescue her daughter. Fans of “Then She was Gone” and “The Last Girl Ghosted” will enjoy Story of a Stolen Girl.
Story of a Stolen Girl

I’m reading a book called The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

JF: Marrying the Nanny by Dani Collins.

NR: A Room with a View by E. M. Forester (Library February book club)
The Homecoming by Robyn Carr (print owned pb)
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown (library book)
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Libby audio)
The Women by Kristen Hannah (Netgalley live 2/6)

Today I would like to get more read in A Room with a view (81 pages left to read to finish really should stick with it and finish reading it but I never last long reading it), Start reading The Women, and read more of The Homecoming (I'm about half way though the book part of me wants to add another print owned book to current list but I'm resisting doing that until this one is finished for time being). Right now that is my plans but who knows they might change it all depends on my mind.

JF: A Room with a View by E. M. Forster

Hopefully will finished Robyn Carr book tonight (only 71 pages to read to finish)

Coming out in March for Kylie Minogue fans is another addition to the Little People BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. The popular 'Neighbours' actress became a singing superstar with chart-topping albums five decades in a row.
My review of Kylie Minogue with several illustrations

JF: The Homecoming by Robyn Carr (did finish last night)

j/f: The Paris Widow- kimberly belle- pub. 6/11/24- very good!
n/r: Still See You Everywhere- lisa gardner- pub. 3/12/24

I’m reading a book called The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

Catching up on posting my recent reviews to groups. Murder by Candlelight is a mystery set in the Cotswolds in 1924 with the kind of bright, eccentric characters one expects in such novels. My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a delightfully complex mystery centered around a cold case in which several people were murdered—by killers who saw themselves as angels. My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Grave for a Thief fits into the swashbuckler genre. There is a mystery here, but it's not solved so much by careful investigation, but by Flynt's willingness to leap into potentially explosive situations and fight his way back out of them. My *** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January historical mystery series is a favorite of mine. Given that The Nubian’s Curse is the twentieth volume in the series, it must be a favorite of a good many others. The series is set in the mid 18th Century, primarily in New Orleans. January is a free man of color with a wide range of life experiences. He was born a slave, then was purchased by his mother when she became a placee (a sort of mistress/concubine) of a wealthy white man. He's a gifted musician; he's also studied medicine. He's lived in both slave-holding and free states; he's also lived in France. This novels brings characters from January's past in France to his life in New Orleans. My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Silver Bone, which is being marketed as the first volume in a new mystery series is set immediately after the end of WWII in Ukraine. These years were chaotic for Ukraine, with multiple rebellions and invasions. The Silver Bone has definite strengths: its absurdism, a particular touch of magical realism, and characters and relationships that seem set to develop in engaging ways in future volumes. And I know I'll be reading future volumes in the series, but... The Silver Bone is less a mystery novel and more a very time and location specific dark comedy. I'm hoping that the plotting of the actual mysteries will become more complex in future volumes. My *** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...