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Tag Archives: recommendations

Mystery recommendations from Just Dessert members – August 2012

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

At the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group meeting on August 23rd, after our book discussion, we spent time doing a round robin at the table, giving all attendees an opportunity to share what they’ve been reading lately. Here’s what was popular in July 2012 with this mystery-savvy group:

MYSTERIES or THRILLERS

  • Pie in the Sky DVD series
  • Die a Stranger by Steve Hamilton
  • Gone Missing by Linda Castillo
  • Only One Life by Sara Blaedel
  • Oolong Dead by Laura Childs
  • Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva
  • Defending Jacob by William Landay
  • A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava
  • Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson
  • Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
  • Books in the Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson
  • The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laura R. King
  • Murder in the Smithsonian by Margaret Truman
  • The works of Mary Daheim
  • The works of Patricia Cornwell
  • The works of Margaret Truman
  • The works of Margaret Coel
  • The works of Tony Hillerman
  • The works of Michael Connelly
  • V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
  • The works of Alexander McCall-Smith
  • The first 8 volumes in Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mysteries
  • Rosemary & Thyme DVD series
  • Origins in Death by J.D. Robb
  • The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
  • Line of Fire by Stephen White
  • XO by Jeffery Deaver
  • Ransom River by Meg Gardiner
  • The works of David Rosenfelt

NON-MYSTERIES

  • Berkeley Square DVD series
  • Bleak House by Charles Dickens

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you would recommend?

Mystery recommendations from Just Desserts members – July 2012

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group meeting on July 26th, after our book discussion, we spent time doing a round robin at the table, giving all attendees an opportunity to share what they’ve been reading lately. Here’s what was popular in July 2012 with this mystery-savvy group:

MYSTERIES or THRILLERS

  • The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell
  • The works of John Sandford
  • The works of Tom Clancy, particularly The Sum of All Fears
  • Cold Harbor by Jack Higgins
  • Free Fire and Bloodhunt by C.J. Box
  • Point of Impact and others by Stephen Hunter
  • Knit One Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
  • Spin a Wicked Web by Cricket McRae
  • Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag
  • Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs
  • Dead Men Can’t Crochet by Betty Hechtman
  • I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
  • The Last Days by Joel Rosenberg
  • Out of the Shadows by Kay Hooper, part of her Bishop/Special Crimes series
  • Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
  • Defending Jacob by William Landay
  • Gun Games by Faye Kellerman
  • Dead Scared by S.J. Bolton
  • Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark
  • Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
  • The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
  • Sleeping Beauty by Ross MacDonald
  • The Lew Archer series by Ross MacDonald
  • The Shane Scully series by Stephen J. Cannell
  • The Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall series by Robert B. Parker
  • Stay Close by Harlan Coben
  • The Cinnamon Roll Murders by Joanne Fluke
  • The Bad Hair Day series by Nancy J. Cohen
  • Day of Atonement by Faye Kellerman
  • The Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt
  • The works of Margaret Coel
  • The works of C.J. Box
  • The works of Emily Brightwell
  • The works of J.A. Jance
  • The Magic Bullet by Larry Millett
  • Sea Change by Karen White
  • The works of Suzanne Arruda
  • The works of Val McDermid
  • The works of Donna Leon
  • The works of Deborah Crombie

NON-MYSTERIES

  • Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  • The works of Stephen King
  • The Submission by Laura Waldman, one of the One Book – One Lincoln finalists
  • The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, one of the past One Book – One Lincoln selections
  • Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, one of the One Book – One Lincoln finalists
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you would recommend?

Mystery recommendations from Just Desserts members – June 2012

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the June 28th 2012 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 books that were hot this month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

  • Other works by Susan Wittig Albert (whose Nightshade was our book-of-the-month)
  • Due or Die by Jen McKinley
  • As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
  • Justice Ends at Home…and Other Stories by Rex Stout
  • The Chocolate Castle Clue by JoAnna Carl
  • The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee
  • Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Hart
  • Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag
  • The works of Janet Evanovich, particularly the 8th Plum book, on audio
  • The works by Suzanne Arruda, who was our author-of-the-month in May
  • The works of Linda Castillo
  • Day of Atonement by Faye Kellerman
  • Shear Murder and others by Nancy J. Cohen
  • The Innocent and others by Harlan Coben
  • The Last Jihad by Joel Rosenberg
  • Defending Jacob by William Landay
  • The works of Val McDermid
  • Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry
  • Back of Beyond by C.J. Box
  • The Drop by Michael Connelly
  • A Killer Read by Erika Chase
  • The Snowman and others by Jo Nesbo
  • Kingdom of Strangers by Zoe Ferraris

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

  • The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
  • World War Z by Max Brooks
  • Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith
  • The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson, volumes 1-3
  • True Sisters by Sandra Dallas
  • Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas
  • The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (the 2007 One Book One Lincoln selection)
  • Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson
  • The current three One Book One Lincoln nominees:
  • The Submission by Amy Waldman
  • The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
  • Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard

Mystery-related news:

  • Group member Vera shared the link to site she recommended about Scandinavian mystery/thriller fiction: scandinaviancrimefiction.wordpress.com, which she described as “a very comprehensive website created by Gustavus Adolphus College; excellent blog by librarian Barbara Fister with reviews of many Nordic crime fiction novels.”
  • Group member Cathy shared the news that author Diana Norman, who also wrote a mystery series starting with Mistress of the Art of Death under the pseudonym Ariana Franklin, died last year (2011).

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

Mystery recommendations from Just Desserts members – May 2012

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the May 31st 2012 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 books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

  • The 11th Hour by James Patterson
  • Books Can Be Deceiving by Jen McKinley
  • Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
  • The works of Agatha Christie
  • The Murder She Wrote tie-in novels
  • The Agony of Leaves by Laura Childs
  • Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
  • The Lost Years by Carol Higgins Clark
  • Claws and Effects by Rita Mae Brown
  • Rottweiler Rescue by Ellen O’Connell
  • The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
  • Stay Close by Harlan Coben
  • True Sisters by Sandra Dallas
  • Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline
  • Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline
  • Gun Games by Faye Kellerman
  • A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
  • Come Home by Lisa Scottoline
  • Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman
  • The Torso by Helen Tursten
  • Maigret Hesitates by George Simenon
  • The works of Janet Evanovich, particularly the 4th through 7th Plum books
  • The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, particularly The Moor
  • Ghost of a Chance by Helen Chappell
  • City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris
  • The Jesse Stone series by Robert B. Parker
  • No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
  • One False Move by Harlan Coben
  • The Rope by Nevada Barr
  • Force of Nature by C.J. Box
  • As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

  • The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
  • Room by Emma Donoghue

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

Mystery recommendations from Just Desserts members – April 2012

Just Desserts Logo 225Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the April 26th 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 books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

  • A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (part of the Inspector Gamache series, used previously for Just Desserts)
  • Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson (part of the Goldie the Caterer series, used previously for Just Desserts)
  • The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King, an author used previously for Just Desserts
  • Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
  • D.C. Dead, Short Straw and Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods
  • Hotwire by Alex Kava
  • The Closer on DVD
  • Brute Strength by Susan Conant
  • The works of Suzanne Arruda, an author being used for next month’s Just Desserts
  • Bad Boy by Peter Robinson
  • The works of Margaret Coel, an author used previously for Just Desserts
  • Left for Dead by J.A. Jance
  • Heart of a Killer by David Rosenfelt
  • Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs (part of the Temperence Brennan series, used previously for Just Desserts)
  • I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (part of the Flavia de Luce series, used previously for Just Desserts)
  • The works of Margaret Truman, an author used previously for Just Desserts
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  • The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, also in Book-on-CD format
  • Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
  • Crawlspace by Sarah Graves (part of the Jacobia Tiptree series, used previously for Just Desserts)
  • The works of Leann Sweeney, including The Cat the Professor and the Poison and The Cat the Lady and the Liar
  • The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
  • Where Memories Lie by Debra Crombie

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

  • The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
  • Lasser’s Tax Guide
  • Paco: The Cat Meowed in Space by Homer Hickam
  • You’re Not Doing It Right! by Michael Ian Black

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