Messages

121

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

« on: August 09, 2020, 08:22:35 am »

Thanks so much for sharing your review. I went to Barnes & Noble today and spent way too much (well, I had to get books for my granddaughters, too, didn't I?) so it's a good thing I read this when I got home. My wish list is ridiculously long even after a few book splurges recently. It will be a reality check when the library opens because if I start checking out all the books I want to read, I'll have to read them before the due date. Aaauughhh!

Soooo many books I want to read, and my to-be-read pile is pretty massive, including both old and new books.  Today's additions to the pile: Hank Phillippi Ryan's THE FIRST TO LIE, Jeanne M. Dams A DAGGER BEFORE ME, Ellery Adams' MURDER IN THE READING ROOM, Nancy Warren's 3rd book in the Vampire Knitting Club series - CROCHET AND CAULDRONS, and Ann Cleeves' THE LONG CALL.

Time for a READING BINGE!!!!!

I got THE FIRST TO LIE from Hank Phillippi Ryan on Friday. I have to go back to the bookstore today because an author that was featured on the Jungle Red Writers blog today was interesting and her first book is in stock. So I'm going to pick that up.

122

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

« on: August 08, 2020, 10:49:50 am »

I haven't written the reviews yet but I've finished an advance copy of the Kyle Mills thriller TOTAL POWER (the upcoming new Mitch Rapp book) and the newly published Booktown Mystery HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE by Lorna Barrett.

Here's my brief write up for Lorna Barrett's Handbook for Homicide.

123

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

« on: August 06, 2020, 03:42:31 am »

That put me in the mood for more tea shops, so I started reading Vicki Delaney's new release, TEA AND TREACHERY. It's worth the price of a hardcover for the beautiful cover art:

This book is on my list but I haven't picked it up yet.

I plan to get Hank Phillippi Ryan's new thriller tomorrow. And yesterday I finished reading FROM BEER TO ETERNITY, the first book in the new Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon series by Sherry Harris. Here's my Goodreads review!

124

What I'm Reading / Re: Is a 1983 book vintage?

« on: August 03, 2020, 04:05:17 am »

Given how time's passage changes available technology, a story set in 1983 might very well be considered a kind of "vintage".  Kind of like when the TV network TNT started billing the movies they showed as "The New Classics", even though they weren't always very good movies and most were usually 20 years old or less.

125

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

« on: July 31, 2020, 03:57:09 am »

Becke,

It has been sweltering here the last few days but I've managed to soldier on with reading in fits and starts.

I haven't written the reviews yet but I've finished an advance copy of the Kyle Mills thriller TOTAL POWER (the upcoming new Mitch Rapp book) and the newly published Booktown Mystery HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE by Lorna Barrett.

126

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

« on: July 26, 2020, 06:23:56 am »

Someone mentioned Emma Lathen - I think it was when sports mysteries were featured - and I found more in my boxes of old books. The one I just finished was calle Accounting for Murder, and the cover says the author is "America's Agatha Christie." It was first published in 1964. My copy was published in 1974.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it is definitely dated. One thing kind of got on my nerves. They must have had people check manually for typos, because I found a bunch. There a lots of secretaries, all female, and the rare women in power tend to be overlooked.

I just started another one called Brewing Up a Storm - the cover of this one says "The Agatha Christie of Wall Street."  This one isn't all that old, it was published in 1998.

Both of these books have chapter titles. That's an old fashioned style I always liked.

Hannah, thanks for this info. I am amazed that this is an author I have never heard of until the books were mentioned on this forum.

127

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

« on: July 26, 2020, 06:23:05 am »

I have a couple Paige Shelton books in my waiting-to-be-read pile. I picked up a couple used hardcover books yesterday - a REALLY good deal!

SECRET SISTERS by Jayne Ann Krentz - I'm a longtime fan, but I've missed a few books along the way

and an author who is new to me, Laura Joh Rowland. This isn't her first book but I was intrigued by the cover blurbs:

THE INCENSE GAME

I think I have a couple books by Laura Joh Rowland on my to buy list.

That Paige Shelton book is the 2nd in her new series. I reviewed the first one, THIN ICE, and loved it. Here's the review.

I also read her Scottish Bookshop series though I'm a couple books behind on that one right now.

128

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

« on: July 25, 2020, 05:10:24 am »

What are you reading, this fine day?

What upcoming releases are you eagerly awaiting?

Are there any mystery authors you'd particularly like to see featured here?

I'm not sure what I'm going to read today. I may finish an issue of Sports Illustrated, I may read some comics. As far as books go, if I get to reading a prose novel it will be HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE by Lorna Barrett. It's the latest in the Booktown Mystery series and it was published this week. I picked it up yesterday. I also ordered the new printing of Edith Maxwell's SPEAKING OF MURDER. It was originally published under the name Tace Baker but it's been spiffied up and republished under her own name. So you know I have to have it (even though I have copies of both Tace Baker books already).

Oh and I finished my advance Ambassador Program copy of the new Kyle Mills thriller TOTAL POWER which is the new Mitch Rapp book due out in September.

The books I'm most looking forward to are FROM BEER TO ETERNITY by Sherry Harris (Due out July 28th), THE ORPHAN'S GUILT by Archer Mayor (September), CANDY SLAIN MURDER by Maddie Day (September), BADGE HEAVY by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro (September), MURDER AT AN IRISH CHRISTMAS by Carlene O'Connor (October) and COLD WIND by Paige Shelton (December)

I don't know which authors I'd like to see featured here but I'm sure whomever it may end up being I'll either be a fan or likely become one.

129

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

« on: July 20, 2020, 03:20:05 pm »

I've had a pretty terrific run of reading lately, with a lot of great new/upcoming books (some for review for Mystery Scene + others where I was sent ARCs etc, and others which I've just grabbed off my shelf), which is lovely given all the uncertainty and strange times we're living through.

I'd happily and heartily recommend any of these:

- BLACKTOP WASTELAND by SA Cosby
- WE ALL LOOK THE SAME IN THE DARK by Julia Heaberlin
- HINTON HOLLOW DEATH TRIP by Will Carver
- THE SHADOW FRIEND by Alex North (aka THE SHADOWS in the United States)
- THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR by Rose Carlyle
- THE BRIGHT LANDS by John Fram
- THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman

I've been seeing a lot of talk about the SA Cosby book and that Alex North book interests me as well.

130

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

« on: July 20, 2020, 03:50:21 am »

Your reviews are dangerous to me. I'm now hooked on Michael Stanley's Kubu books - I have a couple in my waiting-to-be-read pile but I want to read all of Edith's books first. At least, all that are sitting on my desk. I really enjoyed A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE. When I started to read it I forgot it was the first book in the series. It was funny to see characters I knew from the later books being introduced. I often read series books out of order - I do like to go back to the beginning so I can find out the background of the various characters and their relationships.

I'm not a farmer - flowers, shrubs and trees are more my speed - but I'm cringing when plants are sabotaged. It's weird, but the murder at the beginning of the book didn't bother me as much as the "planticides."

Well, I'm glad that my reviews are getting someone to buy books! I prefer to read the series in order if I can.

131

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

« on: July 19, 2020, 09:05:04 am »

That is a pretty eye-catching cover for sure.

I've got a collection of thatched cottages and paintings of thatched cottages, so I feel like I should just frame her books!

I finished this one and I'm halfway through another one of Edith's books - A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE.

I finished Matthew Betley's thriller RULES OF WAR last night.

132

What I'm Reading / Re: Just added to my waiting-to-be-read pile.

« on: July 18, 2020, 08:19:34 am »

I've read some Vince Flynn books - I may even have some still on my keeper shelves. He wasn't on my must-read list but I should probably check out more of his books. This year, in particular, I've discovered several very good authors after they died.

Congratulations on your Ambassador status!

I also like Ace Atkins (the Spencer books) and I know I've read several books by Daniel Silva, too.

The Spenser books Ace Atkins has written have been uniformly excellent. A couple of them made my Top 10 list the years they were released. And his Quinn Colson series is pretty damn good too.

I've always loved the Daniel Silva books from the start.

133

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

« on: July 18, 2020, 08:18:01 am »

That is a pretty eye-catching cover for sure.

134

What I'm Reading / Re: Just added to my waiting-to-be-read pile.

« on: July 17, 2020, 03:59:03 pm »

I just added 3 new books to my TBR pile.

The Revelators by Ace Atkins and The Order by Daniel Silva came out in hardcover this week and I made the decision to buy both of them today since I had the bills that needed to be paid this week all set.

However, the third book is one that I didn't have to pay for. It isn't even out until September 15th. Total Power by Kyle Mills is the new Mitch Rapp novel and I was lucky enough to once again be selected as a Mitch Rapp Ambassador by the publisher. It may sound at least a little fancy but the program sends out ARCs of the upcoming book to people who submit an application to be an Ambassador and promote the release of the book.

I'm a huge fan of the series and Kyle Mills has made it even better since the creator Vince Flynn passed away. I love doing my small part to promote the book so when I saw the book had arrived this afternoon, I was quite excited to say the least!

135

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

« on: July 17, 2020, 03:55:16 am »

You can check out my write up on Maddie Day's NACHO AVERAGE MURDER via this Goodreads link.