Tag Archives: mystery

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

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I chose to read the first book in the Cork O’Connor series, his first book of 23.    Unfortunately, this book did not resonate for me.    I found it neither interesting, nor believable.    The premises of the book were sound, but the execution was weak.    At a number of spots, I cringed.    I hung in there until the end, but it was a bit painful.

My understanding is that his later books are quite well done.    I may choose to read another, but there are many more writers to follow and many more choices.

A fair book – 2.8 out of 5.0 stars

 

 

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

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Faceless Killers is the first book of 14 crime novels in the Wallender series by Swedish author Henning Mankell, written between 1991 and 2014.    Wallander is a police inspector in the town of Ystad, located southeast of Malmo.   The books were written in Swedish and translated into English. There have been several TV series and movies made of the Wallander … Continue reading →

The Hunter by Tana French

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The Hunter is the second book in the Cal Hooper series, set in Ardnakalty, a rural community on the side of a mountain on the west coast of Ireland.   Cal is a retired American detective who wants to live a peaceful and quiet life, but finds himself caught up in the secrets and hidden crimes, the fodder for local talk, … Continue reading →

Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves

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Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves is Book 7 of the Shetland series, featuring Jimmy Perez.   All of the books in the series are atmospheric, reflecting the northern setting in the Shetland Islands.    These are procedural crime stories, slow-moving plots with a methodical unravelling of the who, what, where, and how.    The characters are well-drawn and have complex lives and have … Continue reading →

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

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The Running Grave is an investigation/detective crime novel, the 7th book in the C.B. Strike series by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling).   This has been a very good series with strong characters and varied plots.    All of the books feature Cormoran Strike, an amputee war veteran now turned detective and his new-to-investigation partner, Robin Ellacott.    Strike’s agency is asked to find … Continue reading →

A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves

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A Lesson in Dying is the first book in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves.   Thus series is less well known, as compared to the Shetland or the Vera series.    Ramsay is not as engaging a protagonist, but the story is still a good one – a cozy murder mystery in a small town in northern England.    It is … Continue reading →

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby

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All the Sinners Bleed is a crime-thriller novel that uses a police procedural point of view.     The setting is in small rural town in the Southern states.   The protagonist (Titus Crown)is a black sheriff in a community where the divide between whites and blacks has a long, troubled history.     The strongest part of the book is the depiction of the … Continue reading →

A Mind to Murder by P.D. James

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A Mind to Murder is a detective/crime novel by P.D. James.     It is the second book of fourteen in the popular Adam Dalgliesh series (1962 – 2008).    All of the books are skilfully written, following a classic British mystery style.    In this case, the murder takes place in the Steen Psychiatric Clinic and because of locked doors, the murderer must … Continue reading →

The Witch Elm by Tana French

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The Witch Elm is a mystery/psychological thriller by Tana French.    It is told in the first person (Toby), but the narrator is not always reliable since it is told by a character who has been damaged both physically and mentally and looking back, some of the memories are unclear.    As the story progresses, we read about trauma and recovery, but … Continue reading →

Too Good to be True by Ann Cleeves

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Too Good to be True is a detective story in the Shetland Series.   It is sometimes described as a “Quick Read” since it is short and an easy read. Jimmy Perez travels to Scottish border town (Stonebridge) to help his ex-wife find out more about an apparent suicide by the local schoolteacher.   He finds there are many secrets and there … Continue reading →

Endless Night by Agatha Christie

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Endless Night is a crime novel, written by Agatha Christie.    When it was published in 1967 it was received well and she had listed it herself as one of her favorite books.     It is unlike most of her many novels.    It is narrated by the main character, telling the story from a later time.    It moves along almost like an … Continue reading →

Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell

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Tree of Hands is a psychological thriller about three people, each with his/her own story, but there is a small connection between them that results in an unpredictable ending.     The main story is about a child kidnapping, an act by an unstable grandmother to help her own daughter who lost a child to illness.   In Ruth Rendell’s books there are … Continue reading →

One Step Behind by Henning Mankel

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One Step Behind is the 8th book of the Wallander series, police procedural crime books, set in Ystad, Sweden and written in Swedish, translated to English.   Henning Mankell has written a number of books and plays, but the most famous were the Wallander stories.    There have been 3 popular TV crime series based on his books and he has won … Continue reading →

Holly by Stephen King

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Holly is the latest book in the Holly Gibney series (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch, The Outsider, If It Bleeds).  We first met Holly as a minor character recruited to help Bill Hodges in Mr. Mercedes.   Over the course of the books Holly grows from a self-doubting, unemployed, harangued woman into the owner of a investigative agency that … Continue reading →

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

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Lethal White is the fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling).    It picks up right where the previous book A Career of Evil ended.     A mentally unstable man tells Strike he witnessed a child being strangled and even though there is no payment for following up, he starts asking questions.    Soon afterward, a government … Continue reading →