Reading Recommendations from Just Desserts members – October 2023

Monday, 30 October 2023 13:51

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

At the October 2023 Just Desserts meeting, 19 group members and guests participated in a discussion of the life and works of classic American author Dashiell Hammett.

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 that began earlier this year, 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 October 2023:

• 23^rd Midnight * by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
• The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming
• The President’s Shadow by Brad Meltzer
• The Drop by Michael Connelly
• Absolute Power by David Baldacci
• Vince Flynn’s Code Red by Kyle Mills
• Blood Path by Linda Fairstein – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Drop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt
• The Instructor * by T.R. Harrington
• Winter Work * by Dan Fesperman
• Nine Dragons * by Michael Connelly – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Lie Maker * by Linwood Barclay
• A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman
• No One Need Know by Lindsay Cameron
• Commendable Discretion * by J. Hoolihn Clayton
• Ghosted * by Rosie Walsh
• The Last Devil to Die * by Richard Osman – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone * by Benjamin Stevenson
• Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Enchanters * by James Ellroy
• A Time for Mercy by John Grisham – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Traitor Among Us by Anne Perry – past author selection for Just Desserts
• A Dead Man’s Walk by Paul Doiron – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Charlie Moon series by James Doss – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Bone Hacker * by Kathy Reichs – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Snow by John Banville
• The Overlook by Michael Connelly – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Rook With Wings by Anne Hillerman
• Misery * – a play script by William Goldman adapted from his own movie screenplay, both adapted from the novel by Stephen King
• Midnight Riot/The Rivers of London novel by Ben Aaronovitch
• Night Witch and Black Mould, two Rivers of London graphic novels by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmell and Lee Sullivan
• The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
• Death in the Clouds (as an audiobook-on-cd) by Agatha Christie – past author selection for Just Desserts

And here were some non-mystery titles some group members also recommended in October 2023:

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – 2023 winner of One Book – One Lincoln
  
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – 2023 finalist for One Book – One Lincoln
• The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom
• Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
• First Ladies * by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
• The Seed Keeper * by Diane Wilson
• The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
• Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
• The People We Keep * by Allison Larkin
• Fairy Tale by Stephen King
• The Wise Ass * by Tom McCaffrey (strongly NOT recommended!)
• A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
• Once Upon a Wardrobe * by Patti Callahan

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