Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Not quite as good of month as the previous ones but still some entertaining reads:

Top Reads

I'd Know You Anywhere
Laura Lippman
Not surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. Laura Lippman is one of my favorites and I would rank this as one of her better efforts. The characters really made this book and the plot was very deftly handled with just enough flashbacks inserted to flesh out the past without ruining the suspense of the present day narrative.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
Karl Marlantes
Intense, absorbing read about the men of Bravo Company and their mission in and around a hill the brass have dubbed Matterhorn during the monsoon season in Vietnam. Unlike other Vietnam books that I have read, this had a rather conventional straight ahead narrative style which made the story so much more believable and really conveyed the grinding reality of jungle warfare.

The Ghosts of Belfast
Stuart Neville
Debut novel which was nominated for the Anthony for Best First. Set in Belfast, the plot follows Gerry Fegan, former hard man and enforcer during "The Troubles", as he struggles to find redemption for his past deeds. Probably one of the darkest books I've read in quite a while, with lots of violence and a rather grim view of the politics of the peace process.

Good Reads

The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View
Doug Glanville
The author shares his inside knowledge of the inner workings of major league baseball that he gained while playing in the Big Leagues. I found the chapter on steroids particularly interesting and thought his view on Roger Clemens was spot on. Also, the chapter about leaving the game and how unprepared most players are for real life really resonated. An interesting read even for a casual fan like me.

Blood Oath: The Ultimate Secret, The Ultimate Agent, The President's Vampire
Christopher Farnsworth
The premise sounds a bit out there (a vampire secret agent who is sworn to protect the President) and there are more villains, traitors, turncoats, and other monsters than you can shake a stick at but the author did a great job juggling everything and I ended up really enjoying this audio which was performed by Bronson Pinchot.

On the Ropes: A Duffy Dombrowski Mystery
Tom Schreck
What I would call a promising debut. I really liked the first person narration, the humor, and Allah-King the basset hound. On the other hand, I wish the author had adhered to the less is more rule. There was enough plot for two books and the action became a bit frantic and over the top especially at the end.

Mushroom Man
Stuart Pawson
DI Charlie Priest and his team are unlike many in fiction in that they all seem to get along and put the job first. In this book they have to look into the disappearance of a child and a series of deaths of clergymen. Charlie is a great character, a really nice guy who treats everyone with respect and has a nice sense of humor. A very enjoyable read.

Clouds of Witness
Dorothy L. Sayers
Much better than the first book in the series Whose Body?. I found Lord Peter much more believable in this book, though perhaps still a bit flighty. I enjoyed the English House Murder plot and thought Ian Carmichael did a nice job with the narration of the audio.

OK Reads

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Alan Bradley
I listened to this since it has been nominated for an Anthony for best first novel but it was really not my thing. Not much of a fan of "precocious young sleuths", chemistry, or stamps but the family dynamics and the narration by Jayne Entwistle pulled me through to the end.

Legislative Body
Joe L. Hensley
Not quite as good as I hoped. This book was published in 1972 and I usually really enjoy mysteries written back then. The plot held promise, the suspicious death of an Indiana State Representative and other nefarious goings on during the Legislative session, but the strands did not really come together and went off on too many tangents.

Caught
Harlan Coben
Third time was not the charm for Harlan Coben's standalones and me. The first 2/3 of this audio, ably read by Carrington MacDuffie, made me hopeful and I was willing to overlook some of the more contrived plot elements but the ending just annoyed me to no end. I have learned my lesson, finally, and will steer clear of his standalones from now on.

Good month! DH might like MATTERHORN. He likes reading about Vietnam. THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST sounds good, too. I've read a lot about "the Troubles" and find the topic interesting. And BLOOD OATH might be just right up my alley!

The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View sounds really interesting. If I didn't have the Michael Holley book on Belichick, the Halberstam book on Michael Jordan, and Joe Torre's book on my virtual TBR, I might try to reserve it.

Wow, Carol!
You have your sports related books all lined up! ;)

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View sounds really interesting. If I didn't have the Michael Holley book on Belichick, the Halberstam book on Michael Jordan, and Joe Torre's book on my virtual TBR, I might try to reserve it. ..."

Sandi:
Thanks for the recommendation of the new Laura Lippman book. I am sometimes hot and cold on her books and think I like her standalone books better. (unscientific gut feeling)
I don't remember the ending of Caught well enough to comment or commiserate, but do understand the frustration with Coben's stand-alone's sometimes.

Sandi wrote: "Not quite as good of month as the previous ones but still some entertaining reads: Top Reads I'd Know You Anywhere
Caught Harlan Coben -- Third time was not the charm for Harlan Coben's standalones and me. .... but the ending just annoyed me to no end. I have learned my lesson, finally, and will steer clear of his standalones from now on."

Quite a diverse range of books! I may have to check out Matterhorn.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View sounds really interesting. If I didn't have the Michael Holley book on Belichick, the Halberstam book on Michael Jordan, and J..."

I always enjoy David Halberstam's sports books and need to read his book on Bill Belichick sometime soon.

I also want to read The Yankee Years too.

I tried reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie but just couldn't get into the story. I thought maybe I was just in the wrong mood to read it.

Speaking of baseball,Roy Halladay is rockin a no-hitter in the eight in Philly against the Reds, and my cable keeps going out...YIKES! Hate comcast.

Mary QC:
...and he did it too! good luck with the cable!
Mary/Quite Contrary wrote: "Speaking of baseball,Roy Halladay is rockin a no-hitter in the eight in Philly against the Reds, and my cable keeps going out...YIKES! Hate comcast."

Mary/Quite Contrary wrote: "Speaking of baseball,Roy Halladay is rockin a no-hitter in the eight in Philly against the Reds, and my cable keeps going out...YIKES! Hate comcast."

Even though he beat the Reds (who REALLY sucked their entire 3 game series!), I was happy to see him get the no-hitter since he's a local CO boy!