Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

AUG

☀ The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar -3
☀ Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -5
Set during COVID, on a fruit farm in Michigan. Mom is recounting to her grown daughters her life as a short-time actress, dating a colleague who goes on to become famous. Great listen. Meryl Streep was the narrator.
☀ Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell -4
☀ It Would Be Night in Caracas by Karina Sainz Borgo -4.5, translated
☀ Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë -3
Ugh. Read this for another challenge. My days of reading Austen and Bronte (to make me feel smart) are over I believe.
☀ The Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt -5
☀ Weirdo by Zadie Smith and Nick Laird -4
Children’s book written by Zadie Smith and her husband. Not crazy about the title but it was a fun book.
☀ East of the West: A Country in Stories by Miroslav Penkov -5
Each of the stories has a different setup, different timing. My favorite was "Buying Lenin", a story about a young man who is leaving Bulgaria to study in America and his close relationship with his communist grandfather. The grandfather's goodbye note to him: "You rotten capitalist pig...have a safe flight. Love, Grandpa". At first, I thought OMG! And then I realized (especially after the grandson responds in kind calling him a "communist dupe") that this was how they handled their love for each other. All of the stories were well done.
☀ If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio -4.5
Mystery/thriller set in a college that was quite well done.
☀ The Night Shift by Alex Finlay -4.5
Thriller, not as creepy or violent as the book excerpt read. The violence of the killings is handled quite "off-screen" and with more finesse than I had expected. It was the suspense that kept me going into the overnight. This is the second book I've read of this author and thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
☀ The Palauan Arts by David Ramarui -3
☀ Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng -5
Dystopian fiction, the authorities are allowed to relocate children of dissidents (the missing hearts), especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic. The story is driven from the perspective of a 14 year old boy whose mother is Asian and his non-Asian father does everything he can to protect him. One of my favorite authors.
☀ Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda -4
☀ Mariachi Meddler by D.R. Ransdell -3.5
First in the Andy Veracruz, mariachi band member, mystery series. Fun read.
☀ Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill -3.5
☀ A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn -3.5
First in the Detective Emmanuel Cooper series, set in South Africa in 1952, right after apartheid is established. Interesting read.
☀ Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench -10
The audio of many hours of conversation between Judi and actor Brendan O’Hea. Listened to this, had to, to get the real effect of her voice and timing. I adore this woman, both professionally and personally. Someone else narrated most of Judi’s part and did an excellent job.
☀ The Women Men Don't See by James Tiptree Jr. (Alice B. Sheldon) -3
Sci fi short story from 1973, by a woman who wrote under a male pseudonym in order to get published.
☀ Warlight by Michael Ondaatje -5
Set in London, in 1945, two young teenagers are practically abandoned by their parents and left in the care of a lodger who is very likely a criminal. All are not who they seem to be.
☀ Island Casualty by D.R. Ransdell -3.5
Second book in the Andy Veracruz series, set in Greece.

Great month Gail! I also loved Tom Lake, and appreciate your recommendation for The Night Shift. I saw Alex Finlay at Bouchercon in a panel. He was not what I expected (I had thought he was female)! lol He is also publishing under a pseudonym. Who knew!
I have had the Nunn book on my TBR list four 14 years, probably time to see if I can find a copy and read it along with the Ng book.

wow, gail- that's a lot of books! nice month.

Wow! 20 books in a month! That's like a book every day and a half!

Thanks to you and Ann I've started The Night Shift. I'm glad to hear what you said about the violence, because I was wondering about the wisdom of listening to it late at night/right before bedtime. It does grab you, though.