Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[ReneAZ]

Just finished Harlan Coben's latest, "Fool Me Once". It was a very good mystery and interesting characters. Kind of a "blah" read, but it kept me turning the pages. I would rate it 4 out of 5.

Currently have two books that just came up at the library -- Joel C Rosenberg's "The Last Jihad" and Jacqueline Winspear's latest Maisie Dobbs "Journey to Munich". Lucky I'm a fast reader; I have 14 days for each. I'll start with Maisie Dobbs as I love that series and am sure I will read it fast. :-)

Oh, and I also just finished M.C. Beaton's "Death of a Nurse" (Hamesh MacBeth). A quick, fun (cozy) read. Like this series, though not a fan of her other series Agatha Raisin.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by cromag

...
And now I'm on to the fourth and fifth installments in Victoria Houston's Loon Lake Mysteries series. I had a couple of discounts at Amazon from picking the "slower" shipping option on some purchases. And, with any luck, I'll have time to devote to reading "real" (but short) novels.

Both were good reads, and all of the various the mysteries were wrapped up by the end, but I still found the fourth book, Dead Frenzy, to be less than fully satisfying. No major new characters were introduced -- although a few minor new characters may be back, eventually -- so I think this is one book you could skip if you were interested in the series but not necessarily a "completist." I'd probably give it a "3 out of 5."

I liked the fifth book, Dead Hot Mama, better. I also think that this book would be more important to someone reading the series. I'd give it a solid "4."


I just started Dead Man's Float, by Beth Sherman. I picked it up quite a while ago -- mostly because it's set at the Jersey shore, an area that I'm very familiar with.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by cromag

I just started Dead Man's Float, by Beth Sherman. I picked it up quite a while ago -- mostly because it's set at the Jersey shore, an area that I'm very familiar with.

The book's description says:

When Tigger Mills returned home to archly conservative devoutly religious Oceanside Heights, no one was happy to see him.

I wonder if she is referring to Ocean Grove?

[cromag]

Originally Posted by Fbone

...
I wonder if she is referring to Ocean Grove?

I've only just started, but the "fictional" town really sounds a lot like Ocean Grove. And the neighboring towns are identified as Bradley Beach and Neptune Township, there's a mention of Route 35, etc.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by cromag

I've only just started, but the "fictional" town really sounds a lot like Ocean Grove. And the neighboring towns are identified as Bradley Beach and Neptune Township, there's a mention of Route 35, etc.

Not too far from my home.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by cromag

Both were good reads, and all of the various the mysteries were wrapped up by the end, but I still found the fourth book, Dead Frenzy, to be less than fully satisfying. No major new characters were introduced -- although a few minor new characters may be back, eventually -- so I think this is one book you could skip if you were interested in the series but not necessarily a "completist." I'd probably give it a "3 out of 5."

I just read the first of the Loon Lake mysteries, Dead Angler. Not sure, but probably on your recommendation. I liked it. I'm not sure how far I'm willing to go with this, but I'll likely read the second one at least, especially since these are in KU which I need to justify or drop. But before I read anything else, it's time for the newest Maise Dobbs mystery, Journey to Munich, which release yesterday. I'm not quite sure why I like these so much, but both my DW and I read them as soon as they come out.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Spartan Planet by A. Bertram Chandler. Fifth in his John Grimes series. Just to see if I do want to carry on with this series or not.

Very much showing its age. An interesting idea, but unbelievable. Not a patch on Ethan of Athos by Bujold.

Next up: Analog SF. May 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri

[drjd]

Originally Posted by drjd

Finished today Fools Die on Friday by A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner. Next, I'll take a little break from Gardner, and read Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, recently purchased from Amazon.

Reading of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke has been postponed for some reasons. Meanwhile finished today Bedrooms Have Windows by Erle Stanely Gardner. Next will be Top of the Heap by Gardner, I think.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by ReneAZ

Just finished Harlan Coben's latest, "Fool Me Once". It was a very good mystery and interesting characters. Kind of a "blah" read, but it kept me turning the pages. I would rate it 4 out of 5.

I'm three-quarters through, and agree - an okay story with a past deep dark family secret that affects the present (I like this type of story, and I recommend Robert Goddard as a master of this genre), but not of his best.

Originally Posted by ReneAZ

Oh, and I also just finished M.C. Beaton's "Death of a Nurse" (Hamesh MacBeth). A quick, fun (cozy) read. Like this series, though not a fan of her other series Agatha Raisin.

Funnily enough, my previous read to Coben was M.C. Beaton's Death of a Celebrity (Hamish Macbeth #17). The usual cosy fare. I too don't like the Agatha Raisin books .

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by orlok

I'm three-quarters through, and agree - an okay story with a past deep dark family secret that affects the present (I like this type of story, and I recommend Robert Goddard as a master of this genre), but not of his best.



Funnily enough, my previous read to Coben was M.C. Beaton's Death of a Celebrity (Hamish Macbeth #17). The usual cosy fare. I too don't like the Agatha Raisin books .

Interesting -- I initially liked the Hammish Macbeth books, but got totally and completely bored by about the 4th or 5th. (Read a while ago in DT versions.) But the Agatha Raisin ones have continued to keep me enjoying them a good deal longer. Though it's been long enough I might give the Hammish books another try.

[issybird]

I preferred Hamish to Agatha but read both, until I got tired of the increasingly skimpy texts and, especially with Agatha, the deus ex machina to wrap things up. I'm done. M.C. Beaton cranks out books at a Cartland rate and it shows.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Interesting -- I initially liked the Hammish Macbeth books, but got totally and completely bored by about the 4th or 5th. (Read a while ago in DT versions.) But the Agatha Raisin ones have continued to keep me enjoying them a good deal longer. Though it's been long enough I might give the Hammish books another try.

They're certainly formulaic, just as the "Perry Mason" books are, too, to name one other example, but that's their appeal to many: you know exactly what you're getting. That's the appeal of "cozy mysteries" to many people. Safe reading that you know you're going to enjoy.

(Only one "m" in "Hamish", btw )

[Strether]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I just read the first of the Loon Lake mysteries, Dead Angler. Not sure, but probably on your recommendation. I liked it. I'm not sure how far I'm willing to go with this, but I'll likely read the second one at least, especially since these are in KU which I need to justify or drop.

I've read quite a number of these and they're not bad, though the recurring characters are what provides most of the interest. Dangerous place, Loon Lake!!

Have been having trouble finding something interesting to read. Am impatiently waiting the next Foreigner book by Cherryh, which should be a very interesting read. Hopefully more so than the e-ARC version of The Alliance of Equals by Lee and Miller. First one of these I haven't liked a lot, and I've re-read all of them several times. I thought that the Admiral Bunter pages were a dead bore. I don't understand the title of the book, either. The Gathering Forces would have been closer to the theme, IMO.

Jim

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Strether

Hopefully more so than the e-ARC version of The Alliance of Equals by Lee and Miller. First one of these I haven't liked a lot, and I've re-read all of them several times. I thought that the Admiral Bunter pages were a dead bore. I don't understand the title of the book, either. The Gathering Forces would have been closer to the theme, IMO.

Jim

I've just never been able to get into the Liaden books. Perhaps I started with the wrong one? (It was "Agent of Change"). I should have another go, given that I have all of them.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've just never been able to get into the Liaden books. Perhaps I started with the wrong one? (It was "Agent of Change"). I should have another go, given that I have all of them.

I find it surprising that you haven't succumbed to them, Harry. They seem like the sort of book that you'd like. They're character-centric, well written, built on a believable (mostly) and consistent universe, and they don't have any underlying political axes to grind. (OK, for believable, the Clutch Turtles may be pushing a bit too far, but they're such fun I don't mind at all. )

Starting with Agent of Change is certainly one obvious place, since it was the first book published. However, from a timeline perspective, it's somewhere in the middle. That being said, I would not recommend starting with the chronologically first books, Crystal Soldier & Crystal Dragon. Not that I didn't enjoy the books, but they're very much pre-cursors and something to be enjoyed after, I think.

One place you might consider starting is with the "Space Regencies" - Local Custom & Scout's Progress. Or, the trader books, Balance of Trade & Trade Secret. All of these occur before Agent of Change but are still solidly in the Liaden Universe. (The Crystal books are before the creation of the Liaden Universe, and deal with it's creation.)

The Trader books are outside the mainline completely, and quite standalone in that sense. The space regencies are within the main story line, but before the Agent of Change/Carpe Diem events.

Finally, there's a YA entrance point, written more recently, and a very different look at events and the Universe -- Fledgeling & Saltation. The pair can certainly be read standalone, and thus are good entry points, but I think they're a better fit after you've started reading the series and after Mouse and Dragon which gives you clues into a key character in the two books. These books are outside the mainline, but merge into it and their main character, Theo Waitley, becomes an important character in the mainline.