MobileRead April 2017 Run-Off Vote

[WT Sharpe]

April 2017 Mobile Read Book Club Special Run-Off Vote

I will not vote in this poll unless my vote is needed to break a tie. This poll will be open for 3 days, and all MobileRead members are invited to participate. This is a visible poll.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on April 20th. Please select from the following two Choices:

• A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
Goodreads | Amazon US / Author's Website / Audible / Kobo US
Print Length: 173 pages

Spoiler:

A 1993 Edgar Award winner.

From Goodreads:

Somewhere in the hinterlands of Alaska, among the millions of sprawling acres that comprise “The Park,” a young National Park Ranger has gone missing. When the detective sent after him also vanishes, the Anchorage DA’s department must turn to their reluctant former investigator, Kate Shugak. Shugak knows The Park because she’s of The Park, an Aleut who left her home village of Niniltna to pursue education, a career, and the righting of wrongs. Kate’s search for the missing men will take her from self-imposed exile back to a life she’d left behind, and face-to-face with people and problems she'd hoped never to confront again.

• The Light of Day by Eric Ambler
Goodreads | Amazon US / Audible
Print Length: 224 pages

Spoiler:

1964 Edgar Award winner for Best Novel

From Goodreads:

The Light of Day was the basis for Jules Dassin’s classic film, Topkapi.

When Arthur Abdel Simpson first spots Harper in the Athens airport, he recognizes him as a tourist unfamiliar with city and in need of a private driver. In other words, the perfect mark for Simpson’s brand of entrepreneurship. But Harper proves to be more the spider than the fly when he catches Simpson riffling his wallet for traveler’s checks. Soon Simpson finds himself blackmailed into driving a suspicious car across the Turkish border. Then, when he is caught again, this time by the police, he faces a choice: cooperate with the Turks and spy on his erstwhile colleagues or end up in one of Turkey’s notorious prisons. The authorities suspect an attempted coup, but Harper and his gang of international jewel thieves have planned something both less sinister and much, much more audacious.

[JSWolf]

OK, I voted. The poll can be closed and we can get to reading.

[CRussel]

Not quite that simple, Jon.

I voted, ultimately, for the book that is absolutely free, _and_ the start of a superb series. By reading A Cold Day for Murder, you'll get introduced not just to a single book, but months of reading pleasure. And, I might add, in this series you'll learn a good deal about the US's 49th state, the parks system in it, the First Nations who live there, and the industries that are the economic drivers (and risks) there. (The seventh book in the series, Breakup, is also one of the funniest books I've read in recent years.)

[bfisher]

An interesting race - two quite different books.

I've had the Ambler book on my TBR for some time, so I started to dip into it anyway - if the Stabenow book wins the runoff, I will read that too.

The only other book I can think of where a petty criminal is the "hero" is The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V Higgins.

I am assuming that the Stabenow book is a straightforward police proceedural.

[CRussel]

No, not at all a police procedural. In fact, the police really don't directly enter into it at all, though Kate Shugak, the protagonist, does get her assignment from the DA's office.

[bfisher]

Just finishing the Ambler novel; then heading on to the Stabenow. It's possible that I may have both of them read before the runoff poll closes - then I will be covered in any case

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by bfisher

...The only other book I can think of where a petty criminal is the "hero" is The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V Higgins....

Boston Blackie comes to mind. Although his creator Jack Boyle wrote only one book about the fictional jewel thief with a heart of gold, there was a long running radio series, several movies, and a tv show based on his character.

And then, of course, there's Aladdin.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Boston Blackie comes to mind. Although his creator Jack Boyle wrote only one book about the fictional jewel thief with a heart of gold, there was a long running radio series, several movies, and a tv show based on his character.

And then, of course, there's Aladdin.

There was Raffles, but Raffles was a gent; neither Eddie Coyle nor Arthur Simpson could be called that, although Arthur has pretensions.

[bfisher]

In some ways, Arthur seems proto-Flashman.

[JSWolf]

I'm now all set to soon start The Light of Day.

[bfisher]

I just finished reading both of them, so I'm in the catbird seat.

[CRussel]

Come on, folks. One more vote for A Cold Day for Murder and we'll make Tom have to be the deciding vote.

[JSWolf]

I've read A Cold Day for Murderand its not going to make all that good a conversation.

[CRussel]

I completely disagree, Jon. But then, we often disagree.

[Dazrin]

Two votes in the last 15 minutes. I didn't expect that.

With less than 15 minutes to go, will we have any more takers?