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Tag Archives: mysteries

July 2014 Reading Recommendations from Just Desserts Members

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read? At the July 31st 2014 Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend.

Here’s a list of the novels that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

MYSTERIES

  • Mystery Scene Magazine (not owned by the Lincoln City Libraries)
  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries – Season One based on the books by Kerry Greenwood
  • Mail Order Murder by Leslie Meier
  • The Night Searchers by Marcia Muller
  • NYPD Red by James Patterson
  • Power Play by Catherine Coulter
  • The Book Club at realsimple.com
  • The Hangman – an Inspector Gamache novella by Louise Penny
  • Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins
  • City of Bones and A Darkness More Than Light both by Michael Connelly
  • Longmire the TV series and the Walt Longmire novels by Craig Johnson
  • Private Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
  • A Catered Birthday Party by Isis Crawford
  • Black Echo, Black Ice and The Concrete Blonde, all by Michael Connelly
  • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spie, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold and Call for the Dead, all by John LeCarre
  • First Rule by Robert Crais
  • A Bullet for Cinderella by John D. MacDonald (not in the Lincoln City Libraries)
  • The Skin Collector by Jeffery Deaver
  • Secret Servant by Daniel Silva
  • Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
  • That Old Flame of Mine by J.J. Cook
  • The Farm by ???
  • The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
  • The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
  • Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
  • Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
  • Unlucky 13 by James Patterson
  • Cheap Shot a Spenser novel by Ace Atkins
  • Penance by David Housewright
  • Slow Motion Riot by Peter Blauner (not in Lincoln City Libraries)
  • Death Among Strangers by Deidre Laiken
  • No Rest for the Dead by multiple authors
  • Missing Ink by Karen Olsen
  • Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas
  • Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
  • Murder Past Due by Miranda James
  • Shoot Him If He Runs and others by Stuart Woods

NON-MYSTERIES

  • David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
  • The National Parks companion book to the documentary by Ken Burns
  • Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
  • The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart
  • Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
  • The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart
  • Zodiac Unmasked by Robert Graysmith
  • Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
  • A Long Time Gone by Karen White
  • The Presidents Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  • The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
  • The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel
  • Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
  • The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

So, what mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?

Recommended Reading in June 2014 from Just Desserts

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read? At the June 2014 Just Desserts meeting on 6/26, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend.

Here’s a list of the books that were hot in June 2014 with this mystery-savvy crowd:

MYSTERIES

  • Terminal City by Linda Fairstein
  • Secret Prey by John Sandford
  • Slow Kill by Michal McGarrity
  • And Then There Were None (on Audio) by Agatha Christie
  • This Dame For Hire by Sandra Scoppetone
  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on DVD, based on the books by Kerry Greenwood
  • Field of Prey by John Sandford
  • The Old Blue Line – a Joanna Brady novella by J.A. Jance
  • Whack Job by Kendell Lynn
  • The Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier
  • NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson and ??? Karp
  • Death Angel by Linda Howard
  • The Son by Jo Nesbo
  • Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart
  • The Last Man by Vince Flynn
  • In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie
  • Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
  • Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
  • The Book of Old Houses by Sarah Graves
  • A Face at the Window by Sarah Graves
  • The Cell by Stephen King
  • Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
  • Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman
  • The Longmire TV series based on the books by Craig Johnson (on Netflix)
  • Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein
  • Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein
  • A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King
  • Run For Your Life by Andrea Kane
  • You Don’t Want to Know by Lisa Jackson
  • The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
  • Stolen Lives by Jassy Mackenzie
  • The Affair (audiobook) by Lee Child
  • A Darker Shade of Sweden edited by John-Henri Holmberg
  • Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
  • Murder on Bamboo Lane by Naomi Hirahara
  • Mystery Scene Magazine – not in the libraries’ collection, but available locally at both Barnes and Noble locations

NON-MYSTERIES

  • At Night We Walk in Circles by Daniel Alarcon
  • Coop by Michael Perry
  • Population: 485 by Michael Perry
  • Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
  • One Good Thing by Kevin Alan Milne
  • The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
  • The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
  • Y the Last Man graphic novel series by Brian Vaughn
  • The Light Between Oceans (audiobook) by M.L. Stedman

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

Linda Fairstein’s “Death Angel”

deathangelJust Desserts Logo 225When the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group met on June 26th, 2014, 17 of us enjoyed discussing Linda Fairstein’s Death Angel, the fifteenth volume in that author’s popular Alexandra “Alex” Cooper series.

Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery  fans, don’t forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you’re logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts – this is a great way for you to help us promote this engaging discussion group! Our selections for future meetings are usually posted there months in advance.

What do you think of Death Angel by Linda Fairstein?

Join us next on July 31st, 2014, 6:30 p.m. at the South Branch Library. We’ll be discussing Doing Hard Time, a Stone Barrington novel by Stuart Woods!

We hope to see you then!

Results of May 2014 Series Share II gathering

Just Desserts Logo 225seriesshareiiHey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read? The May 2014 Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group meeting was our annual “Series Share” night. Group members did not all read the same book, but instead were encouraged to read the first or second volume in ANY new mystery/thriller/suspense series that had begun in the past 3 to 4 years. All attendees had a chance, then, to describe whatever series they had chosen, and to offer up their opinions about the characters, writing style, etc.

Here’s a list of the novels Just Desserts members enjoyed for the “Series Share”:

  • The Amazing Harvey by Don Passman (1st in the Harvey Kendell Series)
  • Murder on Bamboo Lane by Naomi Hirohara (1st in the Officer Ellie Rush Series)
  • Murder by Artifact by Barbara Graham (2nd in the Quilted Mystery Series)
  • Murder at Rosamund’s Gate by Susanna Calkins (1st in the Lucy Campion Series)
  • Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman (1st in the Brigid Quinn Series)
  • Christine Falls and The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black (1st and 2nd in the Griffin Quirke Series)
  • A Spoonful of Murder and A Rue of Revenge by Connie Archer (1st and 2nd in the Soup Lovers Mystery Series)
  • various volumes in the Seaside Knitting series by Sally Goldenbaum
  • The Black Country by Alex Grecian (2nd in the Scotland Yard Murder Squad Series)
  • Board Stiff and Whack Job by Kendel Lynn (1st and 2nd in the Elliot Lisbon Series)
  • Pall in the Family by Dawn Eastman (1st in the Family Fortune Series)
  • Sacrifice Fly and Crooked Numbers by Tim O’Mara (1st and 2nd in the Raymond Donne Series)
  • Montana by Gwen Florio (1st in the Lola Wicks Series)
  • End Me a Tenor by Joelle Charbonneau (2nd in the Glee Club mystery Series)
  • All Sales Fatal by Laura DiSilverio (2nd in the Mall Cop mystery Series)
  • The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott (1st in the Book Collector mystery Series)
  • Sugar and Iced by Jen McKinley (1st in the Cupcake Mystery Series)
  • Peril for Your Thoughts by Kari Lee Townsend (1st in the Mind Reader mystery Series)
  • A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket by Fran Rizer (1st in the Callie Parrish Series)
  • In the Shadow of Gotham, A Curtain Falls and The Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff (1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Simon Ziele Series)
  • That Old Flame of Mine and PLaying With Fire by J.J. Cook (1st and 2nd in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery Series)
  • Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass (1st in the Bookmobile Cat mystery Series)
  • The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe (1st in the Hazel Micallef Series)
  • Blue Monday by Nikki French (1st in the Freida Klein mystery Series)

And here’s a few older titles and non-mysteries were also brought up at the latest meeting:

  • A Share in Death and All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie (1st and 2nd in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Series)
  • Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart (latest in the Death on Demand Series)
  • Unlucky 13 by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (13th in the Women’s Murder Club Series)
  • Innocent Blood by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (2nd in the Order of the Sanguines Series)
  • Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman (10th in the Tess Monaghan Series)
  • The Caveman’s Valentine by George Dawes Green
  • The Black Echo by Michael Connelly (1st in the Harry Bosch Series)
  • The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

June through September 2014 Just Desserts titles selected!

The titles/authors for the June through September Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group have been posted.

deathangelJune – Death Angel by Linda Fairstein

doinghardtimeJuly – Doing Hard Time by Stuart Woods

otherwomanAugust – The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

afterimgoneSeptember – After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman

There is also a survey available online for Just Desserts members to offer their opinions on what should be discussed at the October 2014 Just Desserts meeting. Click the link to add your vote! [survey no longer active]

What do you think of the above four authors/titles? Are you looking forward to reading any of these?

Click the title of this specific blog post, or the number to the right of Comments, below, to leave your own comment!