I'm always on the lookout for new authors so over the last month I've read a variety of first books of mystery series, starting with
The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton. This one needed some editing and proofreading, there were many errors of timing and I found that distracting. I also thought the story was predictable and the protagonist was not believable.
Then I tried
The Three Evangelists by French author Fred Vargas. The plot didn't hold together and the characters were lifeless, this series is not for me.
Next was
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. I'm sure I've read some of this series, but I hadn't read this first one. It was a bit simplistic and I didn't find much to draw me into the characters, so another pass.
After all these flops and to celebrate the start of the golf season, I lightened things up with Carl Hiassen's
The Downhill Lie, chronicling his attempt to take up golf again in middle age. Funny and scathing and true. Of course, my handicap is ten lower than his, so I couldn't relate to his struggles.
Ok, I'm lying, every golfer can relate.
Fortunately, I've been enjoying listening to Adrian McKinty's Michael Forsythe "Dead" series, I've finished the first two of this trilogy. It's not quite up to the standard of his more recent "Troubles" trilogy, but still very good.
On the drive to the cabin I listened to
Paper Towns by John Green. Both my husband and I enjoyed it, Green captures teenagers' struggles wonderfully without unnecessary angst. I'll snag more of his stuff when I see it on sale.
I'm halfway through the seventh in Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James British police mystery series and still enjoying this series very much.
The latest Bruno, Chief of Police novel,
Children of Men by Martin Walker, has been released so that's next up and it's time to mix in some non-fiction so I'll start listening to
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee shortly.