Recent Reads

Recent reads (because I can't remember exactly when I read them):

by Andrea Camilleri:
The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano series book #1)
The Terra Cotta Dog (#2)
The Snack Thief (#3)
The Voice of the Violin (#4)
The Patience of the Spider (#8)

Rounding the Mark (#7) was the first of the series that I read, having picked it up from B&N as a remaindered book. The series is set on Sicily, and is a bit different in tone from Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti series. I was surprised to find the first three books loaded with f-bombs, since language wasn't a marked feature of Rounding the Mark, but it had eased considerably by the fourth book. These are translated into English, and the translator did a good job making them enjoyable in English. Salvo Montalbano is a interesting character, a police officer with integrity in a land awash in crooked politics and Mafia dealings. If language doesn't bother you, dive right in. If it does, give some thought to skipping the first three, or put on your blinders.

Speaking of Donna Leon:

Dressed for Death (#3 in the Guido Brunetti series)
A Noble Radiance (#7)
The Girl of His Dreams (#17)

Brunetti and his team investigate crimes in and around Venice. Brunetti's family keeps him grounded in a world where justice is often perverted by politics.

by Cara Black:
Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (Aimee Leduc #7)
Murder in the Rue de Paradis (#8)
Murder in the Latin Quarter (#9)

Interesting mysteries, interesting protagonist. Don't read them one after the other, because there are things about them that may annoy you, such as the pattern of informants being murdered just before Aimee gets there, and some things about Aimee's personality.

by Alan Bradley:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

First in the Flavia de Luce series. Super bright 11 year old girl, set in Britain of the 1950s. Notices things the police don't. Two older sisters, and a stamp-collecting father who's still mourning his dead wife, and seems oblivious to the presence of his daughters on most occasions. Interesting start to the series. Read for the local Mystery Book Club.

by Joanne Harris:

Gentlemen & Players

Read for the local Mystery Book Club. Set in a British boy's school. Narrative works back and forth between two first person accounts, one from the murderer's pov, the other from the pov of the Latin teacher at the school, an older gentlemen with a lot of personality. Enjoyable, but the switches in pov can be jolting.

by Brian O'Connor:

Bloodline

Debut mystery novel set in the world of Irish steeplechasing. Cover blurb says 'Beats Dick Francis at his own game'. Good, but not quite to DF's standards. Will be watching for more by this author, though.

On the Nook:

by Diane Mott Davidson:

Crunch Time (Culinary Mystery Series #16)

Goldy somewhat redeems herself from last book's extraordinary bout of Too Stupid To Live. She still does some pretty stupid stuff, but compared to the last outing, this stuff seems minor. Whether you read it or not depends on your tolerance for TSTL, though.

by Joanne Fluke:

Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swenson Series #11)
Plum Pudding Murder (#12)

This is one of those series that I don't know why I keep following, but I can't seem to help myself when the new book comes out. I'm really tired of the love triangle. REALLY tired. Mike the Sheriff's deputy would have been out on his backside a long time ago if it were up to me. I'm also not thrilled with the cat. Don't get me wrong, I'm a cat person, but I just have a hard time believing a cat that will put away the left-over food from one of those big multi-day self-feeders. (Carried it a mouthful at a time to put it back in the bag. Uh-huh.) And Hannah's baked treats are always somewhere to be found around the murder victim. Haven't tried any of the cookie recipes. Maybe someday.

Also got and read copies of Rio Star and Reef Runner on the Nook. Wanted to see how they looked...