Messages

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What I'm Reading / MURDER INK by Betty Hechtman

« on: March 08, 2021, 07:09:49 pm »

I've read all of Betty Hechtman's yarn craft and crochet mysteries, and I'm excited about her new series, that starts out with book number one, MURDER INK. Her amateur detective, Veronica Blackstone, is an author and a writer-for-hire, whose current gig is writing a sort of memory book for the funeral of a wealthy young woman who died under mysterious circumstances. Veronica helped compose the wedding vows for the victim and her husband only the year before.

As the plot thickens, Veronica takes on other jobs that weave in with the original project, making the original plot more interesting and harder for the reader to solve. I like the additional touches like the meetings with Veronica's writing class and an addition to her household.

I liked this book a lot and I'm looking forward to more books in this series!

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 27, 2021, 03:32:02 pm »

I just picked up the Amy Pershing book A SIDE OF MURDER today. It's the first book in the Cape Cod Foodie mystery series. I read about her and the book on the Jungle Red Writers blog and put it on my must-buy list.

But I also stopped off at my local comic shop where I put in an order for J.C. Vaughn's SECOND WEDNESDAY, which is the first book in the Donovan Bay series. It's a prose novel and it comes out in May. I also discovered that Image Comics will start publishing a nine issue miniseries called THE GOOD ASIAN, which is about (obviously) an Asian detective in 1936 Chinatown. I added that to my pull list.

And I picked up the first issue of a new miniseries called Stray Dogs. It's a murder mystery but the main characters are all dogs. The main dog is trying to find their owner and a killer may have done his human in. The art is done in the Don Bluth animation style and check out the fantastic homage cover art for the first issue.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm interested in the Stray Dogs series. It sounds a bit like Spencer Quinn's books. I love the way he writes. It's rare for a mystery to make me laugh out loud but Chet, the dog protagonist, has given me the giggles many times.

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 26, 2021, 05:40:24 pm »

I've been reading a lot:

I liked book one of a series by M.S. Morris. It's called ASPIRE TO DIE and I liked it a lot.

I also read A GLANCING LIGHT by Aaron Elkins. It had more violence than other books of his I've read, so it wasn't a favorite. (My favorites are the book he and his wife co-wrote.)

I really liked the first book in Deborah Blake's new Catskills Pet Rescue cozy series - FURBIDDEN FATALITY.. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

I'm currently about halfway through Book Ten in Nancy Warren's Vampire Knitting Club series - GARTERS AND GARGOYLES. I think I only have two books left in this series. Luckily, she wrote other series - I'm looking forward to reading those, too.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: RIP Margaret Maron

« on: February 26, 2021, 05:33:44 pm »

Katherine Hall Page posted about this on Facebook - I just saw it. So sad!

"Katherine Hall Page

Just received the devastating news of Margaret Maron's death yesterday. "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer." (Charlotte's Web). Thank you, Margaret for thirty one years of friendship and all the wonderful books.Will raise a Cosmo to you tonight.

R to L: Margaret, Nancy Pickard, Hank Phillippi Ryan, me

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3731812140233620&set=a.180114302070106

There is a wonderful announcement from her family on Margaret's FB page. Be sure to read what she wanted as an epitaph. A life well and truly lived, dear Margaret."

Lots of interesting posts here but not sure which one Katherine was referring to:

https://www.facebook.com/margaret.maron.3

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 20, 2021, 07:01:59 pm »

Congratulations - that is so cool!

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 19, 2021, 01:00:37 am »

I forgot to mention one thing about AS SHE LEFT IT. The main character's name is Opal. In one scene, she mentions how rare it was to have other girls with names starting with "O" in her classes at school.

With the popularity of Olivia, I think O names might be a little more common now. When I tried to think of others, the first one that came to mind was Oline, like Mystery Scene's Oline Cogdill.

Others I came up with: Olga, Ophelia, Ondine, Oprah, Orchid, Orla, Olive - any others you can think of?

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 16, 2021, 10:49:26 pm »

I finished Catriona McPherson's stand-alone AS SHE LEFT IT last night. I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep until I finished it. Wow - so many twists! I really liked it.

This morning I started another book by this author - another stand-alone. My edition is called HOUSE.TREE.PERSON. It was also published as WEIGHT OF ANGELS.

I was trying to choose between several books but I started in on this one after reading the date on page one, as the story opens: Tuesday, February 16. I figure it's a sign I should read it today!

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 11, 2021, 01:27:25 am »

I agree about the constant changes in language and even in punctuation. I love all the hats people wear in old books, and the fashions are always fun.

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 09, 2021, 04:06:27 pm »

I finished reading the Carlene O'Connor Irish Village mystery MURDER IN AN IRISH COTTAGE today. You can check out my thoughts via this Goodreads link.

Next up for me: I'll be starting EVERY WAKING HOUR by Joanna Schaffhausen. It's a good time to start the book considering today is her birthday.

I have a book by Joanna Schaffhausen that you recommended. Maybe I'll start that one today.

Yesterday I read DEATH LIGHTS A CANDLE, an Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery by Pheobe Atwood Taylor. Goodreads and others give it good reviews:


Death Lights a Candle
by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

3.76 · 119 Ratings · 18 Reviews · published 1932 · 6 editions

Asey Mayo fans, and newcomers, will have much to discover in Death Lights a Candle, with its special New England flavor and Cape Cod characters. As Marilyn Stasio, columnist for the New York Times writes, "Taylor's droll period whodunits are a special treat, thanks to the Codfish Sherlock, Asey Mayo, a salty Cape codger who entertains summer visitors by solving picturesque crimes."

I've been reading a lot of vintage mysteries lately, with mixed results. This one was written in 1932 and is set in the same year. One of the things that bugged me was probably accurate to that period - the woman who played the lead character complained that she couldn't follow any of the legalese related to the reading of the will, but commented that the men had no trouble at all. I'm really glad I wasn't born then.

I have Massachusetts and Vermont relatives who spend (or spent) a lot of time on the Cape, so it was interesting to read about it.

One period note - throughout the novel upstairs and downstairs were hyphenated. I wonder when that became old-fashioned?

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: February 06, 2021, 04:38:58 pm »

Thanks for the links - I'm a Baldacci fan so I'm sure I'll be adding this one to my collection at some point. I have some old collections of Peanuts comic strips, my husband has a book of Far Side favorites and I have a couple collections of my favorites - Calvin and Hobbes.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Read two good ones this week

« on: February 06, 2021, 03:35:02 am »

It's been a good week for reading! I really enjoyed John Dunning's THE SIGN OF THE BOOK. I thought I'd read all of his books but I'd missed this one. Lots of good twists!

I also read M.J. Rose's THE MEMORIST. I found it fascinating, and I was intrigued by a cover blurb mentioning a TV series based on the author's books. It's called PAST LIVES. Have any of you seen it? I want to check it out!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: Interesting articles about mystery books

« on: February 01, 2021, 05:16:26 pm »

https://crimereads.com/every-mystery-writer-knows-you-can-kill-anyone-but-the-dog/

https://crimereads.com/on-the-art-of-the-plot-twist/

https://crimereads.com/john-d-macdonald-florida-home/

https://crimereads.com/best-crime-movies-2020/?fbclid=IwAR1p7youPqo8walruF22XA4Z9jGUoAJ7CSGTY8GkGEX6zlg0p9mDgGYsiq0

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: Interesting articles about mystery books

« on: February 01, 2021, 05:13:24 pm »

https://crimereads.com/your-guide-to-not-getting-murdered-in-a-quaint-english-village/?fbclid=IwAR19IlEjA4bGU8TbljMDyj413R6LrY3xv53B3sJxVUYalIIbllR1KENaDo4

https://greatbritishbookclub.com/a-look-at-anthony-horowitzs-intriguing-adult-mystery-novels/

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What I'm Reading / AFTER SHE WROTE HIM by Sulari Gentill

« on: January 31, 2021, 11:47:52 pm »

Just started this one - I've read two other books by this author and liked them a lot.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: Interesting article about bookplates

« on: January 31, 2021, 04:29:03 pm »

Thanks - I'll preorder it!