Best reads - Club Together Book Club?
Comments
-
Just finished reading an ebook from the library. It's by P J Tracy, called The Guilty Dead. It's about the eighth or ninth book in a series featuring Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth from Minneapolis and a quartet of misfit computer geeks. The detectives provide a welcome dose of humour in what could be an otherwise soppy series but it is very enjoyable and worthwhile starting from scratch. Not too much gratuitous violence or swearing.
The authors were mother and daughter but the last 2 books are by daughter only after the death of the mother.
Recommended series.
0 -
Just started the latest offering from Ann Cleeves (of Vera and Shetland fame). She's come up with another new detective, Matthew Venn and the book, presumably the first in a series is set in and around Exmoor and North Devon.
Seems very promising so far!
1 -
And by coincidence Amazon have the whole series of Vera books by Ann Cleeves at 99p each today. I loved the Shetland series and this new one looks very good as well, but I never got into the Vera series but I might well pick up some of these now!
2 -
Ooh thanks for this, I love Ann Cleeves. I've read all of the Vera books (first one is strange in that Vera doesn't appear until well into the story but stick with them as they get better) and I'm almost through the Shetland series, so will be in need of new material soon!
0 -
Thanks, M. I’ve just downloaded the whole set.👍🏻
0 -
I got the only one that was missing from my collection of Vera books today.
0 -
Joffe Books are offering the first of Faith Martin's Hillary Green series, Murder on the Oxford Canal, for 99p and one gets the 2 nd one free. Great reading for those that like English village murder .mysteries.
0 -
Just reading, and really enjoying, the latest Fred Vargas book with her French detective, Adamsberg. If you like Maigret, updated, then you'll enjoy the whole Adamsberg series. This one is called This Poison Will Remain. Like all good series it pays to start from the first book.
Adamsberg is a wonderful creation and the "minutiae" writing of Vargas first class.
I quite like the Bruno series written by Martin Walker but sometimes that feels more like a British view of an idyllic France Dordogne and I half expect Bruno to get changed in a telephone booth.
0 -
For those that like Scottish Crime novels I can recommend a couple of series. One based on the Kintyre Peninsular by Denzly Meryick, and the second around Inverness, although the first one is based at Fort William by J.D.Kirk. Both are best read from the start of the series.
0 -
Funnily enough, Nellie, I had a book waiting for me at the library for pick up today that's one of Meyrick's, The Last Witness. It will have to wait a while though as I have 2 others before that one.
Have to keep an eye out for later in the year when Michael Connelly brings a new Jack McEvoy book out. Does the man never stop?
Mrs WN has been downloading books from the e-library. She 's now read the first 5 of Simon Brett's Mrs.Pargetter series and has often been heard guffawing. She's not too keen on any of his other series but it might be worth checking this series out as it's quite light hearted.
0 -
I've just finished Salt Lane and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've just noticed that it's available on Kindle for 99p tonight. Although it's the first in the DS Cupidi series it follows on from The Birdwatcher, and is again based around Dungeness.
The 7th in the Denzil Meryick books based on Kintyre is also 99p today on Kindle.
1 -
Just finished and really enjoyed a book by S.G.MacClean called Destroying Angel. It's the third book in the series about Damian Seeker, one of the enforcers in post Cromwell Revolutionary England. It's very well written and anyone who enjoys their historically based fiction will like it. Fans of C.J.Sansom or Rory Clements should take a look.
The author also has another series on the go The Alexander Seaton series, also very good reading.
0 -
Mousley wrote many posts ago that he was reading Ann Cleaves (author of Vera) new detective book, The Long Call. I have just finished it, good read. Great to read a book about the area where you live, she describes the area in good detail. Crow Point, Ilfracombe, Braunton and Barnstaple. If you are visiting the area on holiday it's an even more interesting read. Our walks are often to Crow Point, I found myself trying to place exactly where the body was found!
1 -
I started the Stuart McBride 'Logan McRae' series whilst in Spain. Very enjoyable with gritty humour and macabre methods of murdering numerous residents of Aberdeen per book. More dangerous than Midsomer as a place to live!
My favourite books, mostly out of print now, are 'The House on the Strand' by Daphne du Maurier, and a series of 3 humorous books written by 2 former journalists under the nom de plume David Forrest, 'After Me the Deluge'; 'The Great Dinosaur Robbery' [adapted as a Disney Film 'One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing']; and, last, but not least, the wonderfully titled 'And To My Nephew Albert, I Leave The Island What I Won Off Fatty Hagan In A Poker Game'.
Steve
1 -
Steve, two of the David Forrest books, "To my nephew.....", and "After me...." are available on Kindle, as is "The House on the Strand".
1 -
I used to have a very good drinking buddy who came from Aberdeen. Sadly no longer with us. He used to go to sleep as if laid out in a coffin, every night, drunk or sober and in fact owned a coffin which he used on several occasions as a make shift bed! If he was anything to go by then they do indeed breed them weird in Aberdeen.
1 -
If he spoke with a full Aberdeen accent, or Doric, it's wonder you could make out what he was saying, especially after a jar or two!!!😁
0 -
No I missed that Brue. I believe she grew up here. She was visiting a friend here when she decided to write the book. She certainly knows the area and describes it so well. Sadly Barnstaple Police Station, where her fictional detectives are based, is now about to close down!
1 -
Thanks, Nellie.
I went mad just over 10 years ago and bought all 3 David Forrest books via Dealers for something like £140! It was pre e-reader ... And my elder son, fed up with my repeated reference to 'The House on the Strand' bought me a pristine version for a birthday present!
My phone is great for reading books whilst we are away [no stretching up from the duvet to switch off reading lights!], but there is something about a 'proper' book. Thinking about the physical state of some of the books, I do wonder what that 'something' residing at the top of Page 37 might have been in its former life ...
Not a pleasant image at breakfast time
Steve
0 -
Something to cheer me up. I've seen that a favourite author of mine, Walter Mosley, has a new book out next month in his Leonid McGill series called Trouble is What I do.
He has written quite a number of novels, some for a particular character but also a lot of stand alone ones. I really enjoyed Down the River Unto the Sea, only a couple of years old.
Not sure if his main characters are morally correct but you can see why they aren't and understand their position.
Just finished an ebook by Sharon Bolton. I like her books as well. Read quite a few of hers and again like Mosley she has Lacy Flint as a repeat character and also plenty of stand alone ones. Latest read was Daisy Chains.
0 -
Thanks for the heads up.
I find that's often the case. I liked most of Barbara Erskine's early novels but the last few have been absolutely dire! Same with Marian Keyes. Can't decide if they are unaware of how formulaic they become or whether they aren't bothered and just churn them out for the cash!😊
0 -
I have finished The Mirror and the Light. Last part of Wolf Hall Trilogy. As excellent as the first two parts.
Also enjoying Stephen Fry’s Heroes, retelling of Greek Myths, enjoying this as well. (Read his Mythos first is my recommendation)
0 -
I'll have to wait until the charity shops reopen and then see if I can find that last Hillary Mantell book then.
0 -
I must admit that I've not tried any audio books for a long time. It takes me all my time concentrating on messaging on here that I'd miss much of the tale.
0 -
I like the full unabridged versions of audiobooks, and the narrator has to be good. I have all the Wolf Hall trilogy on audio. I listen to them overnight, it’s my sleep therapy. Plus I like to sit in sunshine on our garden swing and let someone read to me, very relaxing. Our library used to do audio downloads on loan. No idea why, but they never disappeared off our devices, so I have quite a few audio books for free.
I have all the Game of Thrones as well. Good on audio, but I don’t think I would enjoy reading them to be honest. The person who narrates them, Roy Dotrice, now holds the World Record for the widest voicing of characters on audio. Sadly he died last year, a good age. (Father of Michelle Dotrice) His last acting role was in GOT. He played the Pyromancer, who makes all the Wildfire bombs Tyrion uses at the Battle of Blackwater Bay!
0
