Let’s talk about what we’re reading today or this week. I’m now addicted to Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Bill Slider police procedurals. I’ve read three in the last week, and, as I’m writing this, I have about 150 pages left in the third in the series, Necrochip. And, I have the next three on order. I’m buying them in the omnibus editions because that’s how they’re available, three at a time. And, even though I’m reading them individually, I won’t review them often here. You probably don’t want to hear one-by-one about the Bill Slider books. Just enough to tell you that I’m loving the characters and the sly humor. The subject of Necrochip? As you can tell by the book cover, a finger is found in a pack of chips from a fish-and-chips shop. This is a police procedural, so it isn’t long before other body parts are found.
What are you reading this week? I hope you’ve found something that has caught your attention. Let us know, please!
That’s an unusual title! Glad you enjoyed it
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
I am still reading A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION by Deanna Raybourn. I am enjoying it but life events are keeping me from reading it in big chunks.
Still working on WOMEN ROWING NORTH as well. Lots of insights so I am taking that one slow on purpose.
Happy Reading!
Shelleyrae – NECROCHIP is the original British title. Ours was the more prosaic DEATH TO GO.
I love me some fish and chips, without finger addition!
I read THE SHADOWS WE HIDE by Allen Eskens, and I'm halfway through Charlie Jane Anders' fantasy novel, ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY, which I am enjoying quite a bit. Fantasy, as in a girl who is told she is a witch, and discovers she can understand and talk to birds and cats. Of course, I am reading my daily short story or two – currently mostly the next O. Henry volume as well as a Library of America collection of AMERICAN FANTASTIC TALES From Poe to the Pulps, the first of two in this short series. I do like reading older stuff occasionally, and find that short stories help fill the bill. The O. Henry stuff was early in the last Century.
I still have the three Australian library books (including the new Jane Harper) on the shelf (just read a chapter of that one), and I am awaiting several other things.
NECROCHIP sounds interesting since I like police procedurals.
I only finished one book this week, WOLF PACK by C.J. Box. I like his writing style but his plots are getting to be a bit over the top.
I wrote a whole response to everyone, and stupid Blogger knocked it off when I hit send, saying "Whoops. There was a problem somewhere." Well, yes, I guess there was.
Jeff, Thank you for telling Shelleyrae that the title had been changed. I didn't know that. I like some fish and chips, too, as you said, without fingers.
Sharon, Women Rowing North is a book worth reading slowly. You're right. And, you'll get around to finishing A Dangerous Collaboration. I felt bad when I finished because I have a year to wait now.
Jeff, I remember when Barbara Peters from The Poisoned Pen was asked what the next hot subject in mysteries was going to be, and she said Australia. That was a few years ago, and she proved to be right.
Sandy, isn't it sad when thriller writers have to go over the top for plots?
This week has gone by really fast. Time for what are you reading day. Seems like we just did that yesterday.
Glad everyone has found a few books to be reading.
I finished reading two by the following authors
:
Robert Morris
Bill Johnson
May the coming week be a exciting one.
Gretchen Rubin's OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM is a small book with lots of short segments about how to achieve a calmer life by organizing your home. I know I feel calmer when my space is organized, and I'd already been working on it. Although there is little to nothing new here, I skimmed the book quickly, then went back and took notes on a few ideas and suggestions that I will refer to occasionally as I continue to declutter.
THE MOON SISTER by Lucinda Riley is the fifth in an excellent series about the six adopted daughters of a now-deceased (or is he?) billionaire in Geneva. As always, the action shifts between the present, as Tiggy takes a new job at a Scottish animal sanctuary owned by a doctor struggling with his professional and personal lives, and the past, when Tiggy's grandmother was a rising flamenco dancer during the Spanish Civil War. Tiggy will ultimately try to reclaim her past and come to terms with the realization that she has untapped powers with both animals and humans. Not the best in the series, but better than the last two. A 500+ page book that zips by.
In Lolly Winston's ME FOR YOU, Rudy was stunned to wake up one day and find that his fiftyish wife, Bethany, had died in her sleep. Bethany had been working full-time as a hospital pharmacist, and Rudy was part-time pianist at Nordstrom after being laid off from a high-level tech job. Rudy's casual friendship with Hungarian immigrant Sasha helped him cope, but he found he was still drowning in grief even a year later. Sasha was dealing with an absent alcoholic husband who blamed her for the drowning of their only daughter. It was, of course, inevitable, that these two would form a more lasting bond to help them both survive. I enjoyed it.
THE CRAFTSMAN is another superior, creepy thriller from Sharon Bolton. Most of the book features Florence Lovelady as a rare female police constable in Lancashire, England in the 1960s, disrespected by her male colleagues but providing some sharp insights when three local children disappear and one is found to have been buried alive. Finding out "whodunit" was a harrowing exercise, but the culprit was ultimately caught and put in prison. In the latter part of the book, it's 30 years later and Florence returns to her home town to attend the criminal's funeral. But when her teenage son suddenly disappears under similar circumstances, she has to determine whether the earlier murders were really committed by someone else, and how to find her son before it's too late.
I have just started MURDER FROM SCRATCH by Leslie Karst. So far, we’ve found the dead body but don’t know it was murder yet. I’m only three chapters in, but I’m enjoying it so far.
This week I've finished "Life is Meals" by James and Kay Salter. It wasn't what I expected when I read the reviews, but was good. It just took a bit of pushing to get through. The number of the historical entries bogged down the memoir for me.
"The Dante Club" by Matthew Pearl was excellent. It may make it on my 2019 favorites list. It had a slow start for me, but was well worth it for the historical aspects and fascinating mystery at the core.
I reread an old favorite, "Clutch of Constables" by Ngaio Marsh as a mental break from the two other books! I'm currently reading "Dear Evan Hansen" with my daughter.
Next up is "Talent for Murder" by Andrew Wilson. Agatha Christie gets to try her hand at detective work. I'm looking forward to it.
Yes, that time again, Charlotte! I'm always happy when people stop by and mention what they're reading. Sending hugs!
I don't think I'll ever have outer order, Margie. Just too many books in the house, and all over the place. I wondered about the Lolly Winston. Thank you for the review!Sharon Bolton does do creepy, but so good!
I bet it was murder, Mark! I enjoy good cozy mysteries.
I read:
The Adventures of Ferd'nand by Mik; sometimes you need a laugh.
Some juvenile science fiction–Tom Swift meets his evil twin, and Dan Dunn invents a drone. The latter is the most interesting, considering we have that exact technology today.
The Monkees Go Mod; Hard to believe there's only two of them left.
The Killer Collective by Barry Eisler; The band gets back together. In the early 20 century, Eisler was one of the best thriller writers around, but something happened in 2006, and he lost something.
In this one, Livia Lone finds a child molestation ring inside the secret service. Someone tries to hire John Rain to kill her, but the two have mutual friends and get together to end the conspiracy. The Rain chapters are the best.
Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder; Somebody tries to set up the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in a sex scandal. More timely now than when it was published.
Antiques Ravin' by Barbara Collins; Another great entry in the Trash 'n' Treasures series. vivian is now the county sheriff, trying to solve murders at a Edgar Allan Poe festival.
Ruth, I like your comment about an old favorite as a mental break. I think Bill Slider books are going to become my mental break. I'm impressed that you finished Life in Meals if it bogged down.
A couple librarians were talking today, Glen. One said her reading has grown more eclectic, and one said he tends to read just mysteries and graphic novels. Your reading taste is so eclectic. I always enjoy checking the list to see what you've read.
As a matter of fact, I'm reading the first Bill Slider mystery, Orchestrated Death, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, one you've already reviewed. I'm such a slow reader, and I get distracted by other topics, but enjoying it very much. I'm happy to hear you like all you've read so far, as I also have several more titles in the series!
Jacqueline! Another newbie to the series. That's okay that you're a slow reader. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I've been. I'm actually at a standstill right now. I finished the third book. I have the next three, but it's time to read mysteries for Library Journal. I have 10 to read that are May/June releases. So, It will be a little while until I get back to the next Bill Slider. I'm going to miss him while I'm gone.
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