Reading Recommendations from Just Desserts members – January 2024

Friday, 26 January 2024 15:54

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Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the January 2024 Just Desserts meeting, 15 group members and guests participated in a discussion of the life and works of American suspense writer Allison Brennan.

Following the “assigned reading” portion of the meeting, we held our monthly round robin in which attendees shared recommendations of what other books they’ve been reading recently, with an emphasis on mysteries/suspense/thrillers. We continued a new policy this month that began in 2023, to make sure everyone got a turn in the Round Robin – everyone could share a single title during their verbal recommendations, but could share additional titles on a paper form – ALL titles recommended are shared below. The titles marked by an * are those specifically mentioned verbally during the Round Robin.

Here’s the list of mystery, thriller and suspense books recommended by Just Desserts members in January 2024:

• Secrets Typed in Blood * and Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood
• Holmes, Marple & Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts – Patterson is a past author selection for Just Desserts
• A Play of Piety by Margaret Frazer – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Cadillac Jukebox by James Lee Burke – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Judgment Prey by John Sandford – past author selection for Just Desserts
• An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger
• The Camel Club, The Guilty, and Redemption all by David Baldacci – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn
• Night Watch by Linda Fairstein – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Cold Blooded * by Lisa Jackson – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Spotted Cats and Tight Lines by William G. Tapply
• Speak No Evil, See No Evil and Fear No Evil all by Allison Brennan – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
• various in the Vampire Knitting Club series * by Nancy Warren
• The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Small Mercies * by Dennis Lehane – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Holly by Stephen King
• The Whole Truth, The Edge *, The Innocent, and The Winner all by David Baldacci – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Just One Look by Harlen Coben (also loved the Harlan Coben series on Netflix) – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
• various in the In Death series by J.D. Robb – past author selection for Just Desserts
• various in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson – past author selection for Just Desserts
• various in the Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Shutter Island * by Dennis Lehane – past author and title selection for Just Desserts
• Lock In * and Head On by John Scalzi (mix of SF and Mys)
• The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
• Zone One by Colson Whitehead
• Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Clark & Division * by Naomi Hirahara – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Cat Who Wasn’t There by Lillian Jackson Braun (on an old audiocassette!) – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley
• Killers of a Certain Age * by Deanna Raybourn – past author and title selection for Just Desserts
• Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena

And here were some non-mystery titles some group members also recommended in January 2024:

• World Without End * by Ken Follett (as a 46-hour audiobook)
• Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
• A Higher Loyalty by James Comer
• Killing the Witches by Bill O’Reilly
• The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
• The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits’ Improbably Crusade to Save the World From Cybercrime by Renee Dudley
• A Dog’s Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron
• Changes Coming Down and Changes Going On by Kaje Harper
• The Twelve Kittens of Christmas by Amy Lane
• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Door to Door Bookstore * by Carsten Henn

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?