November 2016: What are you reading?

Just getting the new month started. Enjoy.

I am listening to Tom Parker (aka Grover Gardner) narrate the second Lew Archer book The Drowning Pool.

Started The Crime on Cote des Neiges, by David Montrose.

Thanks for getting this month's thread going seitherin.

Evocative descriptions of land and sea scapes in Peter May's The Lewis Man almost make me want to visit Scotland's Isle of Lewis. Almost. The history of the Hebridean islands and the insights into the way of life there, the language(s) and stultifying religions make for a fascinating read.

I'm in the last few chapters of Peter May's The Blackhouse book 1 of his Lewis trilogy and enjoying it a lot. Will def seek out the subsequent titles in this series.

>5 Zumbanista: Oh good, I just bought that one at a used book sale! Looking forward to it.

I loved the Lewis trilogy!

>5 Zumbanista: >6 rabbitprincess: >7 Bookmarque: I think I just took a bullet.

I just finished The Trespasser and I'd say it's about in the middle of the six for how much I liked it. One good thing was that I have enjoyed the byplay between partners in this series, and in this one, at some points, both partners seemed to appreciate it too.

Mirage by Clive Cussler
Oregon Files
3 1/2 ⭐️s

What did the genius Nikola Tessa create in the early 20th century which a power hungry Russian general desires in the 21st century? Juan Cabrillo and his crew attempt a mission to break a prisoner out of Siberia's most infamous prison. In doing so, a clue is given which takes Juan from the desert of the Aral Sea to the eastern US seaboard to China. The story is a bit far fetched, but an entertaining read nonetheless. I enjoyed the intertwining of the genius of Tesla with a wild action adventure.

My co worker has all the Rebus novels and I'm borrowing some of them- amazing that I missed so many over the years or perhaps I just have a terrible memory! Just finished Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin

And Rankin's Rather be the Devil is out today. I hope I'm the first on our local library's Reserve list to receive it.

Rather be the Devil downloaded to my ereader this morning. Just started it and am enjoying it so far.

Dipping my toes into The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen.

>13 seitherin: Have you read all the previous books in the series? For some reason, I couldn't get into The Marco Effect even though I had liked the first 4...

>14 leslie.98: No, I haven't read them. The only other of his books I've read is The Keeper of Lost Causes. I'm finding this one a little hard to get into.

I am reading Murder at the Brightwell - so far it is okay but not great.

Thanks for getting back to me >15 seitherin:; I guess I won't skip ahead to that one then.

I have just started The Girl Who Plays with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I am only 50 pages into a rather large book but I find I like his writing style. I did not read the previous novel of this series The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but I did see the movie version which I am told is pretty faithful to the book and it is important to understand that book as her character and some of the characters carry over to this book... not a short read for sure but I am looking forward to it.

>16 leslie.98: I am happy to say that it was only the first couple of chapters that were hard to get into. I'm now about half done with The Hanging Girl and the going has gotten much easier.

>18 seitherin: Good to know!

I'm listening to By Gaslight by Steven Price. Very atmospheric and lovely language, but not very fast paced. Quite long too. This one will take me some time to listen to.

Piranha by Clive Cussler
Oregon Files
3 1/2⭐️s

A boat carrying a scientist/photographer sinks in 1902 during the eruption of a volcano in Haiti. Before he dies, he gives his journal to the First Mate of the ship and mentions that he found Oz. The journal was sent to his sister in Germany, only to be inhierited by a great-nephew almost 100 years later. The nephew is also a brilliant scientist, working in US weaponry for the military. The nephew is presumed dead in what appeared to be a weapons test which went wrong. Meanwhile, several cargo and military ships disappear with the help of a power hungry female Venezuelan Navy Admiral. The crew of the modern mercenary ship, Oregon, is forced to fake its demise at the hands of the ruthless Venuzuelan Admiral. Things don't go easy from that point on for Juan Cabrillo and the Oregon crew. Someone has set up an elaborate spying network which can even track the Oregon and intercept its vital information network. The Oregon crew is up against something from which they have little clue how to protect themselves much less the world. I found this book fast paced and entertaining, as usual. A fairly far fetched plot. I found that one has to approach this series much as one approaches science fiction with a suspension of disbelief. Btw: the title has very little bearing on the story this time around. Characters were not highly developed. I felt like I was reading a story which combined a James Bond villain with an episode of the old MacGyver tv show.

Night School, the new Jack Reacher arrived, and I'm off and running with it.

So far this month I have read The Religious Body, by Catherine Aird and Conclave, by Robert Harris. Very much enjoyed the latter.

Just finished the second in Ann Cleeves's Shetland series: White Nights. Quite enjoyed it.

Just started Voodoo River. So far so good.

I just finished up The Trespasser by Tana French, which I really loved (though I still liked Secret Place better), and Stranger Beside Me, which was okay. I like Ann Rule all right, but this is clearly her first book, and her writing style has gotten better with practice.

Am about 80 pages into A Traitor to Memory which is my first Elizabeth George and it's a whopper (700 pages in my hardcover) so I hope it sustains its goodness.

Just finished Night School}. Enjoyed it. Had to skim a bit toward the end, eager to know what happened.

I just finished The Trespasser by Tana French. It was good but not great for the first 2/3rds or so but then in the last part of the book it got really good. Tana French is an amazing writer.

Sorry to finish the first Rebus novel Knots and Crosses which I thoroughly enjoyed. Will be looking forward the the remaining 19 books in this series!

I just finished Voodoo River, which went on a bit but was quite well written.

I have finished another Travis McGee book - The Long Lavender Look…

I am half way through reading The Girl Who Played with Fire. It is bar none, the best crime/mystery that I have ever read. Aside for many Swedish names that are sometimes hard to keep track of, the level of detail of the characters and settings is very satisfying for this reader. Also the level of shock employed by Mr. Larsson in his writing is perfect IMHO. I would not read the previous book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo since I have seen the movie and have been told that it closely followed the book so there is nothing to be added to the story by reading the book... that movie was very good. I have about 350 more pages to read in this story and loving it.

^I love the Lisbeth Salander books, too. The first one is worth reading even if you've seen the movie, IMO. But you have to be patient with a lengthy financial section.

>30 Zumbanista:. I think I've read and enjoyed all the Rebus novels over the past couple of decades and am now re-reading some of the older ones, after I was able to visit Edinburgh for the first time last year. Enjoy your future reads about Rebus.

Recently finished In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware and it kept me turning the pages to see how it all turned out, but it was a tad predictable.

>34 jnwelch: the level of detail is incredible in this book. The second book dovetails with the first book so well. I never thought I could read 100-150 pages of details about various characters' lives without getting bored but Larsson has a talent for presenting this segment in a palatable way that makes a detail person like me wanting more. The meat of this book does not start til page 200 and now I find it hard to put down

Good, well written thriller: Watching Edie by Camilla Way

I'm reading the latest Montalbano mystery, A Voice in the Night.

I just finished an ARC of The Dry by Jane Harper and it's one of the best books I've read all year. Maybe the best novel by a debut author I've ever read. This is one I'll be gushing about. It doesn't come out until early January, but I'm glad SantaThing is starting because this is going in a lot of comments for people who like mysteries and thrillers to keep an eye out for.

I literally forgot to eat while reading the last 150 pages.

On to the 5th Inspector Gamache, The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. Cozier than I usually read, but so well-written and rich in detail that I am really enjoying it (though I sometimes do tire of the Quebecois). Also reading Roseanna by Maj Sjowall which I realized I had read long ago.

In the middle of The Champagne Conspiracy, the seventh in Ellen Crosby's wine country series.

Starting yet another series with The Blood Strand, by Chris Ould, set on the Faroe Islands.

Am about 1/2 through The Snare of the Hunter by Helen MacInnes. It's a decent spy type thriller about smuggling someone out of Czechoslovakia in 1972. And it has an appropriate title for this time of year.

I finished The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I enjoyed the book very much except for the last 20 pages or so. The ending was not as good as the rest of the book IMHO. Then again this is a series of books where if you do not start at the beginning The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or in my case see that very well done movie, you will be horribly lost in the development of the main character and her friends and enemies.

The last 20 pages aside... one of the best mystery novels I have ever read. One day I will read the next in the series... The Girl who Kicked a Hornet's Nest

The Black Book by Ian Rankin

Reading The Jewel That Was Ours by Collin Dexter.

Just finished All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Rereading Innocent Graves, by Peter Robinson, and first-time reading Gods and Beasts, by Denise Mina.

I finished Clawback by J.A. Jance and it was such a lot of fun. A quick read with great characters. I needed something a little light-hearted and fast-paced and this sure fit the bill. She's so prolific I don't know that I'll ever be able to catch up or even keep up, but it's nice to have another go to author when you want a fun read.

Finished The Jewel That Was Ours and started Fellside by M. R. Carey.

Into the last third of the brilliant but oh so flawed By Gaslight by Canadian Steven Price. So good but way too long and meandering.

I am reading The Big Sheep by Robert Kroese. It is billed as a blend of Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler, hence the title. While this novel doesn't lead me to think that Kroese is the next Dick or Chandler, it has been an enjoyable read so far.

>52 Zumbanista: I'm listening to the audio of that at the moment and I really have to agree.

I'm only a few pages into Darktown by Thomas Mullen. It is set in Atlanta, USA, in 1948... I can't write any more about it just now; I am already upset by what is happening to the two policemen at the hands of their fellow officers, but I think it is going to be a very interesting, if troubling, story.

blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris. I loved this one! Convoluted and dark. Good reading for a gloomy autumn day.

Red Bones by Ann Cleeves. One in her Shetland series.

Starting one of my favourite author's books Longshot

I finished The Champagne Conspiracy, which I loved, and have just started A Great Reckoning.